Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle:
Arnside as a “low waste community”
One of the main contributors to CO2 emissions and climate change is the sheer volume of materials that we consume, especially in developed economies like the UK. Food, clothing, electronics, vehicles, you name it, all the things we use and consume come with a CO2 bill attached, so called embedded carbon. Sometimes the answer is thought to lie in recycling, and we are all familiar with that aspect of our lives with our fortnightly kerbside recycling collections. Whilst recycling is good and can help, it is not the most effective measure to reduce our consumer CO2 bill. Sustainable Arnside wants Arnside to become a “low waste community” because we believe that by encouraging and supporting a transition towards zero waste, we are slowing down the use of finite natural resources and reducing global emissions, thus working towards a sustainable future. We want these valuable natural resources to be used wisely before we throw anything away, so before resorting to recycling we always need to ask the question: “Could the amount of waste I produce be reduced, or items reused, or repaired?” This approach to managing waste, based on reduction, reuse and regeneration of material or products, means that these products can be kept in circulation in a circular economy. According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation: “A Circular Economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated”. In simple terms, Arnside should aim to keep things we buy in use for as long as possible by first of all thinking how they can be reduced, reused or repaired. Once those have been exhausted, recycling is the final option, offering avenues for transformation into completely new products, for example used paper into new paper products. Composting can be thought of as another form of recycling. Below we give some general guidance on how to Reduce, Reuse, Repair or Recycle, followed by opportunities and information on how to do this in Arnside and locally.
1. Reduce
Reducing consumption is the best way to reduce our impact on the environment. In the first instance we can save energy and water by consuming less of it. We can also reduce consumption by buying wisely and by avoiding heavily packaged and single-use items.
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Save energy and water.
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Buy less stuff.
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Avoid single-use packaging like plastic bottles and items like single-use cutlery and drinking straws.
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Zero waste shops save on the use and disposal of single use packaging.
2. Reuse
Reuse by finding new ways to use items or by re-purposing them. Reuse glass bottles and jars for jam and pickle making and repurpose plastic containers for fridge and freezer storage, reuse wrapping paper. Reuse plants by keeping seeds or by taking cuttings. Find new ways to wear old clothes, sell them or simply swap them with friends.
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Swaps: Reuse unwanted plants through “Plant Swaps” and similarly through clothes and fabric swaps. These events have not only been productive in cutting down waste and saving money, but they are also sociable and fun. Furthermore, action at community level helps to foster a sense of shared responsibility.
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Support businesses that give products “another life”. Many specialist businesses will take used items relating to their business in order to give them “another life”.
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Charity donations: local charity shops will accept a whole range of products. Different charity shops tend to focus on a different range of donations from clothes and pottery to furniture.
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Homeless Centres offer drop-in support, advice and hot food to homeless, vulnerable and lonely people needing help. They need food, clothing, bedding, towels and mugs.
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Food Banks. Rather than waste unwanted tinned and dried food and personal care items, donate to a food bank.
3. Repair
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If something is broken, don’t just throw it away, try and mend it yourself or take it to an expert. It takes a bit of effort, but in many cases it’s also cheaper to repair something rather than buy new.
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Repair Cafes are regular events where volunteers repair things (including clothing, small electrical items, toys and most household items). They are sociable places to visit, usually with a cafe.
4. Recycling
Recycling is the process of converting unwanted materials into new products - aluminium cans and foil into new aluminium products, cardboard and paper into new paper products or plastic bottles into new composite materials. Recycling requires energy to process the material and is therefore a last resort in a Circular Economy. Furthermore, most notably in the case of plastics, recycling is often outsourced to countries where the outcome is untraceable and, rather than processing, the waste has probably been dumped.
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycling opportunities in Arnside and locally
1. Reduce
Saving energy:
Sustainable Arnside offers a thermal imaging service in collaboration with Futureproof Cumbria over the winter months. The images can help to identify cold spots or areas in your home, which may then be rectified with an appropriate insulation solution. To find out more or request a survey see Thermal Imaging.
Saving fresh water:
Sustainable Arnside is campaigning to save fresh water by promoting the use of water butts to collect rainwater for gardening. We have successfully obtained a grant from United Utilities to provide 54 free water butts to Arnside residents. The water butts also help to buffer overflows and sewage discharges following heavy rainfall, thereby protecting water quality in the Kent Estuary. Find out more here.
Local shops that sell loose products:
In Silverdale, “Eco Home” offers cleaning and personal care products.
In Kendal, ”Another Weigh” sells dry foods, herbs and spices, personal care and cleaning products.
In Kirkby Lonsdale, “Zero Pantry” sells dry foods, herbs and spices, personal care and cleaning products.
Sharing tools:
Instead of buying new tools why not join in a tool sharing scheme: the Bittern Sharing Community. You offer to share things you have but in return you can borrow things you don't have yourself - so you don't need to buy them yourself.
2. Reuse
Sustainable Arnside holds plant swaps in the spring/early summer and autumn to facilitate exchange of excess plants, seedlings and produce, but you don’t have to bring anything just come along and help yourself. See our Events page for upcoming and past plant swaps. We have also supported two fabric swaps and one clothes swap as part of Big Green Week activities.
Businesses that give used and unwanted products a new life include:
Opticians: Baverstocks in Milnthorpe, Specsavers and Boots in Kendal.
Electrical and Tech suppliers: Currys will re-purpose electrical goods, mobiles and computers wherever possible (and recycle the rest).
Pets at Home recycle pet pouches.
Charity Shops:
Age UK (in Milnthorpe) accepts a whole range of items for resale, including: furniture, electricals, clothing, books and pottery. There are other Age UK charity shops in Carnforth and Kendal.
Bay Rescue (in Milnthorpe). The Bay Rescue shop accepts a very wide range of items including: furniture, clothing, electricals, pottery and toys.
Charity shops in Kendal include Oxfam (2 shops), St John’s Hospice, RSPCA, Barnardos, British Heart Foundation, Age UK, Salvation Army.
Homeless Centres:
Manna House (Kendal)
All the local supermarkets collect food items for the local food banks operated by the Trussell Trust.
3. Repair
Arnside Repair Cafe has been running successfully, once a month, for over a year. Items repaired include small electricals, toys, clocks, ceramics, jewelry, mechanical and wooden items, textiles and clothing. Volunteers from AbilityNet are also on hand to help with software problems on laptops, phones and tablets, extending their useful life. There are now about 10 Repair Cafes in Cumbria.
4. Recycle
Apart from regular household recycling collections for cardboard, paper, tins, plastics and green waste, Westmorland and Furness Council have a recycling centre in Kendal that will recycle the following materials:
• asbestos - contact the site before your visit
• batteries - car
• batteries - household
• cans and tins
• cardboard
• carpets and rugs
• chemicals such as weedkiller, paint stripper or oil-based paint (on arrival report to the site staff)
• clothes and textiles
• fluorescent tubes
• fridges and freezers
• furniture - wooden
• garden waste
• gas bottles
• general household waste
• glass bottles and jars
• hardcore and rubble
• large appliances such as washing machines and ovens
• mattresses
• newspapers and magazines
• plasterboard - please contact in advance to see if there is space
• paint: emulsion and dry empty metal paint cans; oil based paints report to staff and store with chemicals
• plastic such as household bottles, tubs and food trays
• scrap metal
• small appliances such as microwaves, toasters, vacuum cleaners or battery powered toys
• TV's and monitors
• tyres
• used engine oil
• upholstered domestic seating such as sofas and armchairs, sofa beds and futons, kitchen and dining room chairs, stools, home office chairs, bean bags, floor and sofa cushions. (If you are bringing damaged or dismantled items, cover or tape any areas of exposed foam or you may be stopped from disposing of them).
• wood and timber
Note: Carnforth (Lancashire) recycling centre will take a similar range of items but is not obliged to recycle for residents living in Cumbria.
In Arnside, Westmorland and Furness Council also provides recycling facilities at Black Dyke Road for:
• cardboard and paper.
• plastics (not including carrier bags and soft plastics).
• tins (not including paint tins)
• Note also - a Salvation Army container for clothes and shoes.
Alternative Recycling in Arnside:
• On the promenade, at the WI & Village Hall and the playing field (apart from general waste bins) there are bins specifically for aluminium cans (in the case of the WI & Village Hall this is a fundraiser).
• Silverdale Road Fire Station: In the car park (for a Firefighters charity). Adults and children’s clothing (including underwear), shoes and handbags.
• Behind Arnside Chip Shop (clearly marked containers): aluminium cans (for the village hall fund). Blister packs, aluminium foil, fast food containers, milk bottle tops etc. (for ‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’).
• Arnside Pharmacy: Collects used blister packs.
• Collection of large metal objects (washing machines, iron gates etc.) can be arranged for recycling with Dave Miller (phone or message 07801623030).
Recycling in local shops and supermarkets:
• Booths (Milnthorpe, Carnforth and Kendal) recycles soft plastic packaging and used batteries.
• Aldi (Carnforth and Kendal) recycles soft plastic packaging (traceable) and batteries.
• Tesco recycles soft plastic packaging, batteries, makeup, dry mixed recyclables and books (for customers - donations to Cancer Research, British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK).
Campaign for Community Composting in Arnside: plans are in hand to establish a community composting site where you will be able to bring garden waste and in return receive compost for your own use once nature has done its work.
Finally, some articles for further reading:
Reducing waste: how a community learned to go zero waste.
Composting: how people feel a sense of ownership, the growth of community composting.
Saving Water: the Energy Saving Trust on why we should all be saving water.