 Donate and re-wear for Second Hand September
Oxfam has launched its Second Hand September campaign to encourage people to shop at charity shops and donate, reuse and re-wear items.
There are many benefits to buying second hand items and one of these includes the positive impact of lowering your carbon footprint. According to Oxfam, when a new pair of jeans is made, an estimated 16.2Kg of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere - the equivalent of driving more than 58 miles in a car (source: Oxfam website).
Therefore, by following the Second Hand September initiative, which can be carried out throughout the year, people can reduce the amount of CO2 released whilst helping to reduce the demand for new clothes and fast fashion.
If you have clothes you no longer wear and are in good condition, consider donating them to our local charity shops in the borough. You can find your nearest charity shop by visiting the Charity Retail Association website and entering your postcode. You can also donate other non-clothing items including bric-a-brac, books, toys and more. We recommend checking with the charity shop on which items they can take before donating.
Tell us if you are taking part in Second Hand September by emailing our Climate Emergency Team.
 Take the '30 wears' challenge
If you are looking for an easy way to start dressing more sustainably, why not see if you can wear a piece of clothing 30 times by taking this challenge.
The 30 wears challenge encourages people to log an item of clothing by taking a photo or a selfie each time they wear it to reach the goal of wearing it 30 times. It helps us to take a pause and ask ourselves ‘Will I wear this 30 times?’ before committing to purchasing it, helping us look at the way we consume fast fashion.
The fashion industry produces 20 per cent of global wastewater, 10 per cent of global carbon emissions and textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally (source: 30 wears website). By taking the 30 wears challenge and being more mindful of the clothes you purchase, you can help reduce the impact the fashion industry has on our planet.
The app is available to download for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Tell us if you are taking this challenge by emailing our Climate Emergency Team.
You can also submit this as your Planet Pledge for the year.
 Check out the 'Recycling Locator' website
From clothing to aerosols, batteries to laptops, and wet wipe packets to paint cans, there's recycling points across the borough to help you dispose of your unwanted items safely and responsibly.
If you are unsure how to recycle a particular item, check out the list on the Recycling Locator website and enter your postcode to see your nearest recycling points.
You can also find out what items you can put in your recycling at home, including your green recycling sacks, food waste caddy and garden waste bin or sacks.
If you have an item which could be fixed, why not reduce waste and take it along to one of the repair cafés we mention in the next article?
 Take your items to be fixed at the two Repair Cafés
Did you know we now have two repair cafés in our borough?
They run at Lambs Lane Primary School in Spencers Wood on the third Sunday of the month and another at Spencers Wood Village Hall on the first Sunday of every month (second Sunday in January and December). Both run from 10am to 1pm.
Both will do their best to breathe new life into your items free of charge, though donations are welcomed to cover running costs and support good causes.
Reducing waste is a key part of our efforts to increase recycling rates in the borough whilst helping to tackle the climate emergency. By repairing your items, you can help reduce the amount of waste going into landfill whilst extending your item's life. It is also cost-effective as you don't need to buy a replacement. If you have an item which needs repair in the back of your cupboard, consider visiting the repair cafés.
 Check the contents of your blue bag waste
We've reduced the number of blue bags to 54 this year. That means you should be using on average one bag per week, so you don't run out of blue bags before next year's delivery. Some residents have taken up the challenge of using one bag every two to three weeks which is great!
If you find using one blue bag per week difficult, take a look at what you put in your bag and see if you can find anything that can be recycled using the green bags, the food waste caddy or taken to a recycling point.
A study by re3 shows the below top three types of recyclable materials found in the average blue bag:
- Food waste (use your food caddy instead)
- Paper, cardboard, magazines (use your green recycling sack instead)
- Soft plastics (use to line your food caddy or take to your nearest supermarket recycling point)
By moving these items into their correct waste and recycling bins or sacks, you will not only make more room in your blue bag but will also help ensure your waste is disposed of correctly.
You can find out what to put in your bin bag, food waste caddy and recycling bins by visiting our website. For other items, check out the Recycling Locator website (article also mentioned above).
 Be inspired by the borough's Planet Pledges
Many borough residents have taken part in our ambitious Planet Pledge campaign which we launched earlier this year.
A Planet Pledge is a solemn promise of what you and your family will do during the course of the year to help tackle climate change.
Below are some sustainable pledges we are spotlighting this month:
- Buy more second hand items than new
- Committing to only purchasing essential clothing
- Using local apps to minimise waste and pass unwanted items onto others
- Reduce plastic container use by switching to glass containers
- Installing a water butt to collect rainwater to water the garden
Be inspired by other residents and share your Planet Pledge today by clicking the button below.
 Have your say on street cleaning and litter bins
The consultation to have your say on the future of street cleaning and litter bins across the borough is now open.
We're currently grappling with the ongoing triple threat of high inflation, which leads to vastly increased costs, as well as growing needs among the community and a long history of inadequate funding from the Government.
With this in mind, we are launching a consultation on how we could make much- needed savings.
This impacts areas such as street cleaning, grass cutting, litter bins and other services which will help us keep our finances stable and continue looking after those who rely on us most.
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