At the recent Christmas Fayre Recycling Officers from Great Yarmouth Borough Council, along with one of our volunteer Master Composters, were on hand to help with queries and offer valuable advice on recycling & waste.

Thank you to all those residents who took part in our short survey, almost 900 were completed.  We were told all about people’s current recycling habits and how they helped to minimise the waste they produced.  Some fantastic and rather ‘unusual’ tips were received! Including freezing soup in yoghurt pots, using ice cream tubs for lunch boxes, making old clothes into a bean bag or apron and using old tights as garden ties!

Peoples other top tips included:

Smart shopping – Choose loose fruit and vegetables or grow your own. Buy goods with less packaging and only what is needed.  Try to buy big bottles and use refills for items like toiletries and cut down on disposable items like paper plates, nappies and batteries.

Re-using – Refill drinks bottles whenever possible. If you can, re-use wrapping paper, use plastic bottles to water plants and jars and tubs for storage. Carrier bags are handy for bin liners or dog waste. Used boxes are great for sending parcels and remember to use charity shops, especially at Christmas time!

New use for items – All read newspapers and magazines can be shredded for animal bedding.  Get out last years Christmas cards and make into gift tags, use decorations from old paper, bottles as candle holders or save for school art. Envelopes make handy shopping lists or note paper, old paper & cards for drawing and unwanted CDs make great bird scarers!

Finally, don’t forget to take your reusable bag with you next time you visit the high street or supermarket!

For further information contact Geraldine Hough, Recycling Communications Manager on 01493 846441.