Did you know that the average UK household generates more than a tonne of waste every year? It’s surprising, we know! Although the amount of rubbish taken to landfill is slowly reducing, it’s still a massive problem for our fragile environment.

We know that most households aren’t trying to be careless – throwing that plastic carton in the bin is just second nature – but it can have devastating impacts. Now more than ever, all of us need to be taking steps to minimise our waste.

While you’ve probably heard of people going to extreme lengths to minimise their impact on the environment, like living without electricity or growing their own food, it doesn’t have to be as hard as this. If you want to find simple ways to live more responsibly, follow this guide and protect our environment!

Separate bins

This point may sound obvious, but recycling your waste will be much less hassle when you have different bins. If you’re by the dustbin anyway, put your rubbish in the correct one! You can even get dual bins which tell you what you can put in each section. Separating out your waste will also make it so much easier for weekly collection.

Buy eco-friendly products

When you’re shopping, try looking for eco-friendly products with biodegradable packaging. These are often made from re-usable cardboard or recycled plastic. This way you’re not buying single-use plastic, but instead encouraging the recycling process. These are just small steps that anyone can take.

Buy recyclable products

In relation to our previous point, buying products that you know can be recycled after use is the responsible way to buy. Many products come with protective packaging – usually plastic – so if you must buy it then make sure you recycle it afterwards. This can then be turned into something else, as opposed to ending up on top of an already gigantic mound of rubbish in landfill.

Reusable products

This is becoming much more common as it’s so easy, so try to do these things when you’re out and about:

  • Instead of buying a plastic bag for your shopping, bring a fabric one with you.
  • Use metal or paper straws instead of plastic ones.
  • Take your own reusable cup to the coffee shop instead of using one of theirs.

Simple!

Donate unused items

Instead of throwing away the things you don’t want anymore – clothes, plastic toys etc – donate them. Charity shops or shelters can always use more products, and it saves it from going to landfill. At the moment, 30% of our unwanted clothing goes to landfill when it could be recycled or made into something else.

There are plenty of other ways you can minimise your contribution to landfill, but by following these five easy tips you can make a start on living more sustainably. Here at Junk Taxi, we dispose of your waste with a company that aims to recycle 90% of what it receives.

So, if you have some waste that you can’t get rid of alone, our team at Junk Taxi will collect it from you and protect our environment at the same time! If we can avoid any of the waste going into landfill, we do. Call us on 020 3092 2961 and we’ll be happy to discuss your rubbish collection with you.