Hackney,
23
August
2018
|
12:14
Europe/London

#ZeroWasteHackney challenge

make lunch 15
make lunch 15

As well as clogging up oceans and harming wildlife, plastic waste stays around for a long time, it takes a plastic toothbrush over 1,000 years to degrade in landfill.

That’s why Hackney Council is asking residents to take on the #ZeroWasteHackney challenge. Where residents try to produce zero waste over the course of a week in order to see how much they could do to prevent waste in their daily lives.

The challenge is part of International Zero Waste Week, which takes place between 3-7 September. The week helps people look at ways they can recycle what they use or even reduce the waste they create in the first place, by switching to reusables.

There are many easy ways to reduce waste such as switching from plastic shower gel bottles to a bar of soap, taking out a reusable water bottle or buying bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic.

 

 

“
Cllr Jon Burke, Cabinet Member for Energy, Sustainability, & Community Services
Given the amount of unnecessary packaging produced by retailers, it can be difficult to eliminate waste, but if we challenge ourselves it can be done.

Ultimately, we need the Government to introduce legislation and regulations that force the packaging industry to significantly reduce the amount of superfluous material produced; but, in the absence of such action, we can and should make changes on a personal level in order to reduce the waste forced upon us. This will help conserve valuable resources, reduce deforestation, and address some of the plastic entering and polluting our rivers and oceans, for our benefit and that of the broader environment.
Cllr Jon Burke, Cabinet Member for Energy, Sustainability, & Community Services
„

Throughout September Hackney Council will be sending out daily tips on social media with the tag #ZeroWasteHackney. They are also asking residents to share their own tips and wins in reducing waste online during their challenge by using the hashtag and tagging @hackneycouncil on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Find out more about the challenge, including ways you can prevent waste and recycle more at: www.hackney.gov.uk/zero-waste.

#ZeroWasteHackney challenge

How will the challenge work?

Step 1- Know your waste: Keep your waste and recycling for a week. Then take a photo and make a note of the packaging or other type of waste that you could have recycled or simply avoided in the first place.

Step 2 - Challenge yourself: During Zero Waste Week, recycle and re-use as much as you can, refuse single use items. Make sure you plan ahead so that you are ready. You can start on any day of the week as long as you do it for a week.

Step 3- Share your results: After the challenge ends, check how much less waste you threw away. Did you manage get zero waste?

#ZeroWasteHackney Tips

  • Ditch the wet wipes, cut up old sheets or use flannels that can be washed or reused

  • Switch to a bamboo toothbrush with a biodegradable handle

  • Bake your own treats like flapjacks to cut out sweet wrappers which can’t be recycled

  • Make your own beauty products, search online for recipes such as a body exfoliator made from used coffee granules and coconut oil

  • Make your own cleaning products, use white vinegar, baking soda, oils and water

  • Take a reusable water bottle out and about

  • Store in jars, buy sundries like rice and spices loose and keep in jars

  • Regrow kitchen scraps like potatoes and herbs

  • Donate unwanted goods to charity or put on online sharing sites like freecycle

  • Ditch the cling film, use a container

  • Repair your clothes don’t throw them away

  • Visit a cobbler, get your old shoes re heeled

  • Say no to plastic freebies

  • Switch up the plastic shower gel bottles to a bar of soap

  • Try real cloth nappies, get a £54 voucher from Hackney Council to get started

  • Switch from non-compostable tea bags to loose leaf tea

  • Use eco period products like a menstrual cup or period panties

  • Start composting at home, order a subsidised compost bin from Hackney Council

  • Use a food waste bin and start recycling your food waste

  • Buy loose, visit local markets to buy your fruit and veg loose in a paper bag, or bring along your own string bag

  • Order a junk mail pack to reduce unwanted flyers

  • Fix your household items, check the map for your nearest repair shop or attend a Hackney Fixers event

  • Ditch the crisp packet, bring your own snacks like nuts out with you in a reusable container

  • Make your own lunch, save money and reduce plastic packaging

  • Refuse single use plastics, like straws and drinking cups

  • Get a library card and support the sharing economy

  • Take out a reusable coffee cup

  • Carry a spork, a cloth napkin and a lightweight tupperware to refuse single use plastics

  • Switch from single use tissues to cloth handkerchiefs that can be washed and reused