Minimising waste at home
SMALL CHANGES. LESS WASTE. MORE SAVINGS.
Waste less. Save more.
Reducing waste at home doesn't have to be complicated. Small changes to how we shop, eat and look after our belongings can save money and make a difference.
Whether you're looking to cut food waste, avoid unnecessary packaging or make things last longer, we've brought together practical tips to help you get started.
What would you like to do?
Choose a topic below to jump straight to the advice you're looking for.
Make the most of your food
Food that gets thrown away costs money and wastes the energy, water and resources used to produce it. A little planning can help you make your food go further.
Plan before shopping
Check your fridge and cupboards before shopping. Plan a few meals and write a list so you only buy what you need.
Make friends with your freezer
Freeze suitable food before its use-by date. Label frozen leftovers so you know what you've got and when you froze them.
Love your leftovers
Use spare vegetables in soups, turn ingredients into another meal or freeze suitable portions for later. Always store and reheat food safely.
Store food correctly
Keep your fridge at 5°C or below. Remember that 'use by' relates to food safety, while 'best before' generally refers to quality.
Need some food-saving inspiration?
Love Food Hate Waste has practical food storage advice, portion-planning tips and recipes to help you use up leftovers.
YOUR WEEKLY COLLECTION
Recycle the food you cannot eat
Some food waste is unavoidable. Stroud District Council collects food waste every week and sends it for anaerobic digestion to produce energy and fertiliser.
Your food waste bin can take:
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Cooked and uncooked food
- Meat, fish and bones
- Bread, rice and pasta
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Pet food
Food packaging, nappies, animal waste and garden waste must not go in your food waste bin.
Cut down on single-use packaging
Many everyday products come with packaging that is used once before being thrown away. Small changes to what you buy and carry with you can help reduce waste.
Bring your own bag
Keep a reusable shopping bag with you so you don't need to buy another bag at the checkout.
Choose less packaging
Choose loose fruit and vegetables where practical, and avoid unnecessary wrapping and packaging.
Reuse what you have
Use reusable containers for lunches and leftovers, and look for refill options for everyday products.
REFILL AND REUSE
Refill your water bottle for free
Carrying a reusable water bottle is a simple way to avoid buying single-use plastic bottles and save money.
The Refill scheme helps you find participating businesses and publicly accessible drinking water refill points.
Use the Refill app to search for places to refill your bottle or find other reuse options.
Reduce waste in your garden
Garden waste can often be reused or turned into something useful instead of being thrown away.
Start composting at home
Composting turns suitable garden materials and uncooked kitchen scraps into useful compost that can help improve your soil.
Suitable materials include:
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Grass cuttings and fallen leaves
- Small plant prunings
- Coffee grounds
- Small amounts of torn plain cardboard
Different composting systems accept different materials. Follow guidance for your chosen method.
Make the most of your garden
- Leave suitable grass clippings on the lawn.
- Use shredded branches as mulch.
- Reuse pots and growing containers.
- Share spare seeds and plants.
- Borrow gardening equipment you rarely use.
Not able to compost? Stroud District Council also offers a chargeable garden waste collection service.
Remember
Food waste must not be placed in the council's garden waste bin. Use your weekly food waste collection for food scraps that you cannot avoid or compost at home.
Make your belongings last longer
Clothes, furniture, appliances and household items all take materials and energy to manufacture. Looking after what you already have can reduce waste and save money.
Buy thoughtfully
Check what you already own, choose long-lasting products and look for second-hand alternatives.
Repair it
Fix small problems, replace loose buttons or ask a local repair group whether they can help.
Borrow or pass it on
Borrow equipment you only need occasionally, or donate, swap and sell useful unwanted items.
LOCAL SERVICES AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Could it have another life?
There are local repair cafés, borrowing schemes and reuse organisations across the Stroud district that can help you save money and keep useful items in use for longer.
Our Reuse and repair page includes information about Share and Repair Stonehouse, Stroud Library of Things, furniture reuse and local community repair groups.
Another easy change: reduce unwanted post
Unwanted catalogues, advertising and promotional letters can quickly build up at home.
- Choose paperless statements where practical.
- Unsubscribe from unwanted marketing.
- Reuse suitable scrap paper for notes.
- Use the Mailing Preference Service to reduce addressed advertising mail.
Recycle what you cannot reduce or reuse
Even when you try to reduce waste, some items will still need recycling or disposal.
Recycling helps recover valuable materials, but reducing waste and keeping things in use for longer should come first where possible.
NOT SURE WHAT GOES WHERE?
Ask the Waste Wizard
Not sure what to do with an old electrical item, broken furniture, clothing or other household waste?
Stroud District Council's Waste Wizard helps you find ways to repair, reuse, recycle or dispose of household items.
Enter your postcode and search for the item you want to get rid of.
Remember batteries and vapes
Batteries and vapes must not go in your household rubbish or mixed recycling because they can cause fires.
Stroud District Council provides separate weekly collections for eligible small batteries and vapes alongside food waste collections.
Follow the council's instructions for presenting batteries and vapes in separate clear bags on top of your food waste bin lid. Do not put them inside the bin.
Try one small change this week
Reducing waste doesn't have to happen overnight. Why not choose one simple change to get started?
Plan your meals
Carry a refillable bottle
Repair something
Borrow instead of buying
Small changes add up. Every item kept in use for longer is a step towards reducing waste.