Reducing waste

Remember when you go shopping:

Say "no" to plastic bags

Over 8 billion are used in the UK every year. They can take 1000 years to degrade and kill around 100,000 sea mammals every year.

Please remember to take cloth shopping bags, "bags for life" and/or a supply of old plastic carrier bags with you when you go shopping. 

Make your own reusable bag from old material following simple instructions.

Or purchase a bag made from recycled juice cartons.

Buy food with minimal packaging

It is difficult to recycle plastics in the UK, so much of it ends up being dumped in landfill sites.

Make a shopping list and stick to it

You'll be surprised at how much less food waste you have at the end of the week... and how much more heavy your wallet is.

Buy in bulk

Buy non-perishable items in bulk and save on extra journeys to the shops as well as saving on packaging.

Buy locally

Minimise emissions and energy used to transport food and support local businesses by buying local produce from local businesses where you can.

A regular farmers' market is held in Balham.

The "Transition Town" movement supports and encourages local produce for local people. To find out more, contact Transition Town Tooting or Transition Town Wandsworth.

Don't buy disposable...

Choose reusable! These goods last longer than single-use items, razors for example.

Greener shopping in detail

For information about reducing food waste visit http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

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Do you really need to buy that power tool, or will it spend 364 days a year in the shed? Try borrowing and lending.