Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce

• Your consumption of single use items of packaging.
• The volume of food wasted in your household - plan your shopping for the week, freeze perishable food before it goes off, make new dishes from leftovers.
• Your purchases of new items if second hand ones would do the job.

Reuse

Don’t throw something away that could be used again, repurposed, or donated.

Recycle

• Please see this list of all items that can be recycled via kerbside collections, or at local Community Recycling Centres.
• Together with our waste and recycling partners Joint Waste Solutions and Amey, we do our best to ensure Surrey Heath residents have a wide range of kerbside recycling options, from plastics, cardboard and metal through to textiles, food waste, small electricals and batteries.
• Surrey Heath has an excellent recycling rate of 59.2% (2021-22) (external link), ranking in the top 20 local authorities in the country.
• Not sure if you can recycle an item? Download the Surrey Recycles app and check what to do with any item.

Easy ways to reduce waste

• Use reusable travel mugs instead of disposable cups.
• Buy reusable, washable fabric face masks.
• Use a refillable water bottle instead of plastic single use bottles.
• Take refillable containers to shops which offer a service where you can ‘fill your own’ to reduce packaging.
• Remember your reusable bags when going to the shops.
• Choose fruit and vegetables which don’t have packaging around them.
• Refuse plastic straws and opt for re-usable metal straws instead

Try the Zero waste week challenge

Get involved with the Zero Waste Week initiative, to understand how you can reduce landfill waste,

save money and preserve resources through contributing to the circular economy.

Find more information on how to reduce waste on the Surrey Environment Partnership Website