'The Five 'R's' to being Waste Wise'

Everything you put into your landfill bin (the one with the red lid) goes into the landfill at our local transfer station. A plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to breakdown in landfill. Nylon clothes can take 40 years, acrylic clothes can take 200 years.
 
Let’s look at some ways to keep as much waste as we can out of landfill, using the 5 ‘R’s. 
 
REFUSE
How to refuse to add to landfill:

• Rather than buying meat on plastic and foam trays, ask your local butcher if you can bring your own reuseable containers.
• Shop at a bulk food store or the Food Co-op and bring your own containers.
• Make your own cleaning products and refill existing containers, there are lots of ideas on the internet.

 
REDUCE
Cut down on the amount of packaging you buy that will go into landfill.

• Buy bulk quantities of products and dispense into your own containers, for example bulk nuts rather than small individual plastic wrapped packs of nuts.
• Use a reusable bottle or cup for your hot and cold drinks
• Take your own bags when shopping.

 
REUSE
There are lots of creative ways you can reuse your waste:

• Before you put worn out clothes in the landfill bin, can you cut them up for cleaning rags, or use them to stuff a comfy cushion. 
• Make mini green houses out of clear plastic food containers, like yoghurt or a coke bottle
• Clean your foil and reuse it next time.

 
RECYCLE
When you are shopping, buy things, and their packaging, that can be recycled, whenever you can:

• Check labels to see what it says about recycling the item and its packaging.
• Take a look at the Benalla Council website and waste app for more details of what can be recycled locally.
• Rinse and dry your recycling before putting it into the recycling bin.

Look for less known ways of recycling include

• Batteries to Benalla Food Co-op 
• Clean old sneakers to Sportspower stores 
• Used Printer Cartridges to Stuck on Stationery
• Old Phones and accessories to Post Office - ask for the self addressed satchel to put them in and post them off.

We’ll have more ideas in this column coming up! 
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ROT
Make use of your organics bin or your home compost:

• Put your waste food into the organics bin or your compost. Food in landfill breaks down into greenhouse gases including methane.
• Shred up any waste paper and pop it into your organics bin
• Put any small pieces of paper, tissues, napkins etc directly into your organics bin
• Remember to put your organics bin out every week, even if there's only a small amount in it. 

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Waste Wise Benalla Media Release
Article appeared in the Benalla Ensign on Wednesday 15 February 2023