Waste warriors
Are you ready to wage war on waste?
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Our Campaign
With our Community Champions at the helm, we are informing, inspiring and mobilising Merton residents to actively make changes to their lifestyles to reduce waste and recycle more - the right way.
Whilst keeping our ‘Reduce, Reuse, Refuse’ mantra firmly in the forefront of their minds, we want residents to also understand the importance of recycling dry waste that can't substituted by reusable alternatives, and to dispose of food waste correctly.
You are our Waste Warriors!
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Why Recycle? Because it matters.
Recycling conserves resources and energy
When we recycle, we help to conserve valuable raw materials, which require more energy to extract, refine, transport, and process - all of which create significant air and water pollution.
By saving energy, recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions - a major contributor to climate change.
Recycling reduces ugly, polluting landfill sites.
Reducing the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites reduces the amount of methane - a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, that is released when organic matter - such as food waste, decomposes.
By recycling more, we are also helping to reduce the risk of highly toxic chemicals leaching into and contaminating local groundwater. If this contaminated water reaches river or lakes, it can cause serious harm to aquatic life.
The massive rise in consumption, increased packaging and the advent of our “throw-away” society has seen the very necessary introduction of municipal recycling of packaging, paper, bottles and so on.
Dan - Community Champion
Eat. Save. Recycle. Repeat.
Eating and enjoying the delights of healthy food bought fresh, or homegrown, and cooked up into tasty meals is, of course, the best way to use and value our food.
Saving food and reducing waste saves money and helps to protect our environment - slowing down global warming and deforestation. Freezing food and reusing leftovers where possible is a simple way to start saving more of our good for you food!
The average UK household could save a whopping £540 a year!
Recycling unavoidable food waste - such as egg shells, vegetable peelings, coffee grounds and bones, using Merton's food waste collection service also makes a big difference, as this can be turned into energy!
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Animation created for Sustainable Merton by Community Champion Katy
What can you recycle?
On 1st October 2018, a new recycling and rubbish collection service was introduced in Merton for residents living in houses, small blocks of purpose-built flats and converted flats.
This change forme part of Merton Council's plan to increase the borough's recycling rate to 45% within 12 months. Here's all you need to know about the changes...
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Contamination: this is where items are put into recycling but shouldn’t be. A great example is plastic bags or plastics that aren’t recyclable or cling film. The processes of separation can deal with some level of contamination and items that are contaminated will go to landfill or to Merton's new incinerator.
1. Nappies are not recyclable
A common source of contamination are nappies being put in recycling bins. With, on average, 6,000 nappies per baby being used from birth to potty training, the benefits to waste reduction and to your purse by using washable nappies are considerable.
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Reusable Nappy Library
NCT Wimbledon are in the process of launching a real nappy library (inherited from Merton Green Parents)
The contact for the group is Sarah Golby
e: sjcguk@yahoo.co.uk
Naty Nappies
"I have used Naty Nappies for the past 6 years for my two small children. They are Swedish made and 100% certified environmentally friendly , made of natural materials, and are biodegradable, most mainstream supermarkets sell them (Sainsbury's, Boots, amazon)."- Sandy, Commmunity Champion (find out more...)
Littlelamb Reusable Nappies
Littlelamb offer a money back guarantee if you buy one of their £180 all you need starter packs and decide after 6 weeks it's not for you. (find out more...)
Sustainable Merton is not endorsing any of the products listed but merely sharing it for information
LATest POSTS
USEful links
Free recycling programme for all beauty products packaging. The programme also offers participants the opportunity to fundraise for their favourite school or charity.
More on WASTE
plastic-free MERTON
Our #PlasticFreeMerton campaign seeks to support residents and businesses as we work together to reduce single-use plastics across the borough.
REFILL MERTON
Brought to you by Sustainable Merton as part of the national award-winning Refill scheme by City to Sea, Refill Merton aims to disrupt the social norm of buying bottled water on-the-go and make carrying a reusable bottle the new normal.
Litter picks
Merton residents are coming together across the borough to clean up the plastic waste and litter that is harming our rivers and oceans. Will you join us?
library of things
Sustainable Merton has partnered with social enterprise Library of Things and Merton Council to bring you Morden Library of Things - the first of its kind in Merton! You can now pop into Morden Library to borrow useful household items like drills, carpet cleaners and gazebos from just £1 per day.
wimbledon #intheloop
Sustainable Merton has teamed up with Merton Council and environmental charity Hubbub to make it easy to recycle while out and about. The #InTheLoop recycling trial will introduce colourful new recycling bins to the streets while reminding locals how easy and impactful recycling plastic bottles and cans on-the-go is.
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RECYCLING GUIDE
Sustainable Merton Community Champion Alyson Elliott has created a document full of ideas and tips on where to recycle the items that can't go in your kerbside collection. This handy guide will help you recycle more, recycle correctly.