Reduce

Sort It Visit Sort It for more information on how you can Reduce your waste locally. What does Reduce mean? Reduce is the first level of the Waste Hierarchy. It means taking steps to lower the amount of waste that we produce. For example, you can take your own bags to the shops to reduce waste from plastic bags. Waste that is not created in the first place does not need to be reused, recycled or disposed of, so preventing or reducing waste generation is the most efficient way to deal with our waste. The table below gives examples of waste reduction that you can easily take part in. Visit the Home Composting section, which gives you helpful hints and advice on how to produce your own compost. Why is Reducing waste a good thing to do? Reducing your waste: Saves the Earth’s natural resources. Saves energy and reduces the risk of climate change. Reduces the need for landfill. Where can I get help with Reducing my waste? You can find details of local and national outlets that offer products and services to help you reduce waste on the Sort It tool. How can I Reduce my waste? The table below gives examples of waste reduction that you can easily take part in. You can visit Sort It for more information on how you can reduce your waste locally.

WHAT	HOW	WHY
Avoid over packaging	Buy food loose	Reduces packaging waste
	Buy concentrated products	Uses less packaging
Compost at home	Use a home composter or food digester	Makes soil conditioner from garden and food waste
Use mechanical power	Buy wind-up torches, radios and toys	Reduces waste from batteries
Reduce unwanted mail	Contact the Mailing Preference Service	Reduces paper waste
Repair goods	Repair clothes, shoes and household items	Makes goods last longer instead of being thrown away
Use your own shopping bags	Refuse unnecessary bags and use your own shopping bags	Reduces waste from plastic bags
Use solar power	Buy solar powered garden lights, calculators and torches	Reduces waste from batteries
Use services	Hire goods and buy gift experiences	Reduces waste from gifts and occasional goods

The SEPA Waste Prevention Guide has been designed to provide local authorities, the community sector and individuals with the tools to tackle waste prevention at a local level. The guide covers information on communicating your waste prevention message, waste aware shopping, reuse, unwanted mail, home composting, community composting, product services systems, and useful contacts. You can view and download the guide from the SEPA website.