Start with a bin audit:

What’s in my waste?

What you need:

• Rubber gloves & tongs.
• Newspaper or tarpaulin.
• Record sheet.
• Rubbish (from waste and recycling bins).

What to do:

• Spread waste onto newspaper or tarpaulin.
• Separate waste into different categories such as food/compostables, cardboard, paper, metal and plastics.
• Separate plastics into type – bottles, other containers, cling film, bags etc.
• Count and record pieces in each group.

Examine all of the items in the plastics category and see how many of each type were collected. Think about how to reduce these items. What alternatives could have been purchased and what could be reused?

For most impact focus on the biggest pile.