Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Ft The Selfie Bag *

Over Christmas break and into the New Year we’ve been busy decluttering and organising the spare bedroom. It’s a slow process but we’re hoping to have it ready by the end of the month. 😊 I’m sure I’ll write a before and after post once it’s all finished.

During any decluttering session at home, I’m always mindful about any household waste that may come from it. I make sure to sort and recycle any plastic, metal and cardboard materials (where possible) and reuse any paper products.

The idea is to keep myself from throwing anything in the regular bin, if I can help it. I’ll always try to reuse or repurpose an item first, then look at donating it and finally recycling it.

With that in mind I’d like to share some easy ways you can reduce waste, reuse items and recycle at home.

Buy resuable household items.

Instead of buying throwaway items like paper plates and one-time use batteries, opt for reusable ones. Invest in washable plates and rechargeable batteries, which will also save you money in the long term.

Resuable shopping bags.

Rather than grabbing plastic bags when you go out shopping, bring resuable ones with you. Not only are they resuable but they tend to hold more weight than plastic ones.

I have a small collection of shopping bags I carry with me including the The Selfie Bag* from Cotton Bag Co which is the newest edition to my collection. It’s a canvas bag and, as the name suggests, helps you take the perfect selfie.

It comes in two different styles, the black and gold version I have and a beige one with colourful patterns. With a fold out reflective panel inside to help natural light bounce off your face – the only downside is it crinkles easily!

Out of the two designs, I prefer the black and gold one – it’s such a gorgeous pattern and more my style. The bag itself is very sturdy but I find the strap too long for my small frame, something to keep in mind if you’re also a petite woman.

Along with The Selfie Bag, I also keep a fold up strawberry bag (from Lakeland) inside my handbag and two Star Wars themed grocery bags from Tesco in the boot of my car.

Repair broken items

How often have you had a sole coming off your shoe or a hole in the lining of your jacket and binned the item? Yes you could donate them but honestly, who wants to buy a broken or damaged item? More often than not these are disposed of by the charity shop and never make it to sale.

Instead look at repairing the item yourself or at a reputable shop. I gave recently had the zip on my favourite leather jacket repaired, along with the lining in my coat by a local seamstress. As an added bonus, repairs are usually cheaper than buying a new item.

Repurpose items.

There are many ways you can repurpose an old item into something new. For example, cutting jeans into shorts, turning old Christmas cards into Christmas tags and turning a used drinks bottle into a bird feeder.

Donate or sell old items.

If you’re no longer using an item, consider donating it or selling it. Furniture, clothes, and other household items can be donated to charity shops or Freecycle sites. Whereas old books and magazines can be donated to hospital waiting rooms.

For selling items, I’ve had the most success at car boot sales or Facebook ‘for sale’ pages.

Use your local recycling centre

You may have a weekly or bi-weekly pick up for your recycling, which I’d urge you to make use of. If not, separate recyclable items yourself at take them to your local recycling centre. The staff very are usually very helpful and will point you in the right direction.

How do you recycle at home? Do you have resuable shoppings bags? If so, where do you buy yours? Let me know in the comments. 😊

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* I was sent The Selfie Bag for review but all opinions are my own.