The 3Rs - Reduce, reuse and recycle

If we want to reduce the amount of waste we create then there are three simple practices that we need to embrace -reduce, reuse and recycle.

Rather than have to find ways to dispose of your waste, reduce the amount of waste you produce in the first instance.

Reducing the amount of rubbish we create is by far the most effective way of diverting our waste from landfill. And this is easy to do by simply thinking before we buy. Packaging for example makes up a large proportion of what goes into out bins so when you shop try to find products with little or, better still, no packaging.

For more tips on how to reduce your waste visit the tips section.

When we cannot reduce we should try to reuse.

There are lots of ways to reuse items. Reusing items - by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them - also reduces waste. So before you throw anything away ask - yourself `could someone else make use of this`

Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.

For more tips on reuse visit the tips section.

Materials and packaging that cannot be reused should be recycled at home, work and school. You can also contribute to recycling by purchasing recycled products and products that can be recycled.

Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. In addition, it generates a host of environmental, financial, and social benefits. Materials like glass, metal, plastics, and paper are collected, separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products.

For more tips on recycling visit the tips section.