Think before your throw out items - can they be reused or recycled
Only buy what you need to avoid wasting food - the average household throws away 20% of food waste each week, which in turn contributes to landfill waste
Contact your local authority waste management department to find out more about your local recycling and waste reduction schemes
Place a recycling bin next to your refuse bin to make it easier to recycle items at home
Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive - Return unwanted mail and ask for your name to be removed from the mailing list. Email the Mailing Preference Service - mps@dma.org.uk - it can arrange for your name to be removed from about 90% of mailing lists.
Avoid buying over packaged items such as Easter Eggs and fruit and vegetables
Reuse clothes instead of throwing them away. You could hold a clothes swapping party with friends or as a charity event
Never tip oil or chemicals down the drain - take them to your local recycling centre
Check out the freecycle website www.freecycle.org to pass on and reuse items you no longer use and get free items you need
Use old clothes and tea towels as dusters instead of buying new ones
Use modern real nappies instead of the disposable kind

Improving your waste minimisation and recycling will have a positive effect on your health, life expectance and life satisfaction as well as on the environment. Remember to complete your Caerphilly Sustainability Index again to see if you’ve improved your score and become more sustainable.