Tuesday January 28th 2020

We’re all keen to take action on climate change, and reducing our waste seems like a no-brainer. But where do you start?

By looking at our small daily habits and replacing them with less wasteful options, we can make a big overall impact on our individual carbon footprints.

Here are some simple, everyday ways to make changes.

1. Break up with single-use plastics

Fancy a coffee? If you like to grab a latte on your way to work each morning, swap your non-degradable takeaway cup for a reusable cup. Ditch plastic bottles and keep rehydrated with free water refills thanks to the Refill Woking scheme, find your nearest location here! For grabbing lunch on the go, say no thank-you to plastic cutlery and straws where you can. Keeping reusable items in your bag is a great way to cut the waste and keep it green. Investing in some good Tupperware or reusable beeswax sandwich wrap to bring lunch with you and you’ll save plastic and money.

2. Find new ways to moves

Car fumes are one of the biggest causes of air pollution. Where possible, choose to walk, bike or take public transport. If you’re commuting to London or surrounding areas by train, Woking Cycle Hub is a safe and central location to leave your bike. If the school run is within walking distance, why not wrap up and walk together. It’ll leave you all feeling alert and refreshed before the day ahead. More Information about getting about in Woking can be found here!

3. Be a reducer

Reduce, reuse and recycle. Everyone’s familiar with this classic phrase. But if we take another look at it, it serves as a handy guide for making greener decisions. The order of the words can guide our approach to greener choices. How do we make the biggest impact? Reducing. Opting to say no to that packaged salad and bring your own in for lunch is more environmentally impactful than recycling the container of a pre-bought one. Recycling is important, but reduction and reuse are ultimately preventative measures against the amount of waste we’re sending to landfill. When going for your weekly shop, take a look at the products you’re buying and think about what they’ll leave behind. Is there an alternative with less packaging? Can your onions be bought loose? Check out Surrey Environmental Partnership for some great tips for cutting down on food waste!

4. Does it have another purpose?

Before you throw out bigger items, it’s also worth checking whether there’s another use for it. Surrey Reuse Network is a fantastic charity who repurpose your old furniture and appliances in the community.

5. Get familiar with the rules of recycling

Recycling can feel like a complicated system to navigate. But don’t be discouraged, take a little time to learn the rules for your area. Most of the waste we produce can be recycled, it’s just a case of finding out which bin it goes in! You’ll find all the information you need for Woking here