2017 looks set to be a year of changes… let’s all make some positive ones!
In between the mounds of wrapping paper and tubs of chocolate, we all felt a bit overwhelmed come the end of 2016. While I was contemplating whether or not it was OK to put my glitter-covered Christmas cards in the recycling, it occurred to me that I should definitely add this one to my list of resolutions: make going Paper-Free a real target this year.
But why stop there? When thinking about recycling, surely it makes more sense to try and cut down on the stuff that ends up in the bin in the first place? Let’s see… for me, that’s…
- Food waste
- Paper
- Plastic packaging
- Carrier bags (yes I know, I know, I do take the reusable bags but there’s always one time I forget!)
- Clothes, duvets and sewing waste
- Um… I’m sure the list could go on and on!
Of course, all this applies as much to uni as it does to home. When it comes to paper, I’m a bit of a hopeless note-taker so I’m going to work on ways to cut down on the THREE (yes really) notepads I use! (It will be a wrench, as I adore stationery!). If you have any suggestions on how I can wean myself off, please chip in!
Food waste will be something I will definitely be keeping my eye on, we haven’t got room for a compost bin at home and because I live in a block of flats I don’t get one of those nifty food waste caddies. Of course, food waste in bins = stinky bins, so that’s another advantage! And I also read this today – we wasted £13 billion in 2015 on throwing away edible food.
When it comes to plastic bags, I already take reusable bags when I can, but they can be a bit of a pain in the neck to lug around if you’re only buying something small. I already refuse carrier bags at shops as much as I can, so that’s good – but I’m sure I can do more! I have a nifty trick with carrier bags, so I’ll show you that in another post.
As for everything else… woah, one step at a time! Each month I think I’ll pick a new item and work on how to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Onwards and upwards, folks!