Reducing, Recycling etc in Brent
Refuse to buy new if you can, but …If you need to buy new you can check Ethical Consumer: the alternative consumer organisation to help your decision.
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Instead of buying new you can-
Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, and Recycle
Reduce and Reuse
The growing trend is to declutter and own less ‘stuff’.
Could you -
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Swap, borrow or hire? See - Freecycle Brent offer or find items locally or Freegle Gumtree, Swap Shop, Swapz,
Hire
Useful household tools and equipment for cleaning, DIY or gardening tasks or more from Brent Library of Things Willesden Green Library of Things | Get 50% off your first rental
Rent
Clothing for a special occasion – see websites from John Lewis, Selfridges and many more offering designer wear
Gift
Items for good causes to local charity shops. Some charities collect from your home e.g. clothing Book a free home collection - Traid The British Heart Foundation will collect larger items and items of furniture - click here.
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Anglo Doorstep Collections - Charity Collections is an organisation that collects and donates 60% to charity.
Sell
local car boot sales, or via general and specialist websites from ebay to Vinted.
Repair or buy Refurbished
Visit https://westlondonwaste.gov.uk/materials/electrical for links to repair directories and donating unwanted tech items.
Repurpose and Return
Where to donate your computer to local people: community reuse projects in the UK - The Restart Project
With the movement away from fast fashion towards a more circular economy check if the manufacturer or store will take used item back
For example:
- M&S offer to rehome clothing marksandspencer.com/content/another-life - John Lewis Partnership pledge on sustainability includes piloting repair and return schemes John Lewis Partnership - Our Strategy
- Ikea Re-shop and Re-use - IKEA UK
- Some retailers offer rewards like Curry’s Cash for Trash
If you are frustrated by worn clothes you can’t recycle safely you might find this interesting
‘You sold it – now recycle it’: the protesters mailing worn-out clothes to the shops they bought them from | Ethical and green living | The Guardian
Recycling
Brent Council’s website information for residents includes
• What to put in each bin – see tips for avoiding the ‘general waste’ bin
• Timing of regular collections
• How to book a free special collection e.g. bulky items, small electricals
• Community skips
• Abbey Road Reuse and Recycle Centre
Councils' policies vary but all partner with the Mayor on ReLondon. See user-friendly website on all aspects of reducing ‘waste’
On a global scale see WRAP
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Tips for avoiding the ‘general waste’ bin, and hard to recycle items
Blister Packs – hard to recycle plastic and foil fused together; however larger Boots stores will take them back (though their scheme to grant Advantage Card rewards seems to have closed) Boots UK - Progressing our sustainable Bootprint.
Superdrug on Kilburn High Road, Near Kilburn High Road Station also take them.
Beauty/Toiletries – Clean packaging that can’t go in the blue recycling bin can also be returned to Boots
Soft Plastic Bags and Film - Clean soft plastic can be bagged and returned to supermarket drop off points which can be found in many of the larger Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Tescos amongst others. Don’t worry about where you bought the item, stores seem to accept all relevant packaging. You may have to ask in smaller stores where the drop off point is; when I have done this staff have taken my plastic to put it in their internal recycling.
Mattresses - a challenge for Brent with large numbers of HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) where we often come across them dumped on streets. Many retailers arrange affordable collections of old mattresses when you buy new, or try The Mattress Recycling People - We Collect and Recycle Old Mattresses.
Medicines – unused or out of date medicines must be taken to a pharmacy drop off point for safe disposal – do not flush down the toilet.
Spectacles – Specsavers, Boots and many local opticians will take back unwanted glasses as will some charities e.g. The Lions FAQs about our Recycling Programs - Lions Recyclings
Toothbrushes – plastic/nylon brushes are hard to recycle but an internet search brings up lots of ways repurpose them at home. Less problem with natural materials like bamboo brushes or products with built in circularity e.g. Suri electric toothbrushes (I’m very happy with mine) amongst others.