Remember Your Reusables

Still looking for a New Year’s resolution? Dacorum Borough Council suggests ditching single-use plastic and remembering your reusables instead!

The problems of plastic pollution in our environment, from our soils to our seas, has shown us that it is more important than ever to ditch plastic from our daily lives. Whether it’s on-the-go or around the house, there are loads of easy ways you can swap single-use plastic for reusable alternatives.

The UK uses over 13 billion plastic bottles every year (including all toiletry, milk and drinks bottles), a staggering 60% of these are just water bottles! Imagine how much waste could be saved if everyone simply used a reusable water bottle. Tap water is also much cheaper than bottled water, which is between 500-1000 times more expensive, and is often healthier for you too!

Whether you are heading out to work, school, or just to the shops, make sure you remember, reuse and refill your drinks bottle.

Thanks to ‘Refill’, a fantastic new initiative, topping up your bottle whilst out and about is easier than ever. The scheme encourages public places, such as cafés, pubs, and restaurants to register as Refill stations that will happily top up your bottle with free tap water. You can find your nearest Refill stations on-the-go by downloading the Refill app, or keeping an eye out for Refill window stickers.

Besides water bottles don’t forget to ‘remember your reusable’…

• Keep cup – for all of your hot drinks; many cafés offer a discount for using these
• Lunchbox – packed lunches reduce waste and are often much cheaper and healthier too
• Shopping bags – store these in your car, handbag or by your door so you always have them ready

Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Councillor Janice Marshall, said: ‘Recycling is brilliant for the environment, but it is more important to reduce the amount of waste you create by remembering your reusables instead. Grabbing items like water bottles, keep cups and shopping bags as you head out the door should become as important as picking up your wallet, keys or phone.’

There are loads of simple switches you can make around your home too, one of the easiest being to swap soap pumps and shower gel bottles for a bar of soap instead.

For more information and ideas on how you can find more reusable alternatives and ditch single-use plastic, visit: www.dacorum.gov.uk/reusables

Already have reusables in your daily routine? Enter the Hertfordshire WasteAware Facebook competition and you could win a free eco-hamper: www.facebook.com/wasteawarepartnership