Reduce Waste at Home

Why reduce waste?

Every year Victorian’s send millions of tonnes of waste to landfill. Here it is compressed then buried making future resource recovery very difficult. Contained within the waste we dispose of are a number of environmentally damaging components such as heavy metals and organic waste. Such components can lead to odour, greenhouse gas emissions and, if not properly managed, landfills can leach chemicals and spread litter into our environment. This can be damaging to native flora, fauna and ecosystems.

Disposal of things we no longer have a use for, without any thought of recovering the valuable resources that they may contain, is wasteful. However, people are becoming increasingly aware of the negative consequences of this behaviour and the positive impacts avoidance, reuse and recycling can have.

What's in your bin?

The breakdown of typical household garbage bin in Wyndham is shown in the pie chart below.

Figure 1. Breakdown of Municipal Waste in Wyndham

Source: Wyndham City Domestic Waste Stream Audit 2008

More than 70% of our garbage stream is made up of recyclables and organic materials that could easily be diverted from landfill. By taking a few simple actions, you can begin to cut the amount of household waste that you send to landfill.

Reduce Your Waste At HOME

	1. Follow the Waste Hierarchy Every heard of the three R’s? They’re the first three steps of the Waste Hierarchy – Reduce (avoid), Reuse, Recycle. When you have a product that you no longer have use for... rethink throwing it out! Have a look at the Waste Hierarchy and see if the item can be reused or recycled by someone else. Download Wyndham’s Recycling Directory to find out more.
	2. Say NO to junk mail Reduce the amount of paper that goes to waste each year by putting a No Junk Mail sticker on your mailbox. Buy one from your local hardware store or get a free one from the Distribution Standards Board. Phone them toll free on 1800 676 136 for more information.
	3. Use reusable shopping bags Reduce the number of plastic bags going to landfill by taking your own reusable bags when you go shopping. Keep a spare in your handbag, pocket or car for unexpected occasions.
	4. Use a lunch box Go plastic free when packing yours and the kids’ lunch. Use a lunch box and reusable drink bottle. Take reusable containers and cups into your local cafe when eating out instead of using single-use containers that quickly end up in the bin.
	5. Green your purchases Buying recycled (or recyclable) goods, second-hand goods and avoiding excessive packaging are all simple ways in which you can reduce your household waste. Place fresh food straight into reusable bags rather than plastic bags and avoid buying individually wrapped items.
	6. Recycle! Not only is it easy to do, but it has great impacts on the amount of waste going to landfill. Check out Wyndham City’s Recycling Directory to find out what you can recycle and where!
	7. Recycle your old mobile phone Mobile phones contain a number of materials that can be recycled and reused. ‘Mobile Muster’ and ‘They’re Calling on You’ are two campaigns that collect mobile phones for recycling. Take your old phone into one of Wyndham City’s drop off points today.
	8. Recycle your food waste Food waste accounts for almost half of our household waste. When it ends up in landfill it produces methane as it breaks down – a potent greenhouse gas. There are many ways to recycle your food waste regardless of the size of your home. Set up a compost heap, Bokashi system or worm farm! Find out how you can get involved in Wyndham’s own worm farming project.
	9. Recycle your computer waste With technology constantly moving forward in leaps and bounds we’re often left with old computers that we no longer use. Instead of letting them go to landfill, why not recycle them or donate them for refurbishment and reuse. Refer to the Recycling Directory to find out where to recycle your old computers
	10. Reuse your green waste Composting garden cuttings at home can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfill, and improve your garden. If you can’t reuse your cuttings at home then Wyndham City operate a green waste collection service for all your clippings, leaves and prunings which are turned into mulch.