Refuse
More than two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK every day – this is going up every year.
Did you know it costs taxpayers over £1 billion per year to clean up?
Farley Bank Estate, Hastings
We teamed up with residents of Farley Bank Estate, Hastings, to help clear litter and fly-tipping in the neighbourhood.
We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along to help at the event, organised in collaboration with ‘Tidy up Hastings’ and ‘Tidy up St Leonards’.
It was also great to have the support of local councillors Glenn Haffenden and Ali Rourk.
Together, everyone did a fantastic job, and the estate was certainly transformed by the end of the day.
Residents have been facing a long-term issue of litter and fly-tipping, affecting their well-being and satisfaction with Southern Housing. It was important for us to work with our partners and volunteers to provide visible action and show residents that their estate is important to us.
The event was a great success and ‘Tidy Up’ will continue to support us with clean-ups across other estates.
A two-day event is also planned for April 12th and 13th to discuss residents' ideas on how they want their estate to look.
For more information, please contact Iain Boyle by emailing Iain.Boyle@southernhousing.org.uk.
Find a litter pick in your area
Get involved in a litter pick in your area with the Great British Spring Clean
Fly-tipping
This is the illegal dumping of waste. It’s not only illegal but can create a real eyesore in our estates.
- We don’t need CCTV proof to prosecute someone who fly-tips. If we have reason to believe they’re responsible, we can pass that information onto the environmental health department
- Your service charge does NOT cover the cost of disposing of large items of rubbish. If we have to remove a lot of bulky waste, like garden rubble or sofas, we will have to increase your service charge to pay for this
- Anyone caught illegally dumping waste faces an on-the spot penalty of up to £400
- Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court) or an offender can even be sent to prison.
Bulky waste collection
Find how how you can apply for special collection of large waste items on the Government website.
Reduce
Reducing what you do need implies getting clear about what you need and being mindful about your purchasing decisions.
It means to let go of household items that are no longer of use and avoid impulse purchases such as buy 1-get-2 offers and discount products.
Being a more conscious consumer results in saving more money, spending less and reducing clutter.
Top tips for de-cluttering your home
It could be a room, part of a room, a cupboard, or simply a box or pile of items. Think about what you want to prioritise, take it slowly and don’t try to tackle everything at once.
Try to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes to it every day, at a time you’re less likely to be interrupted.
Ask someone who will go at your pace,
and will ask your permission before throwing anything away
Label them ‘Bin it’, ‘Donate it’, ‘Sell It’ or ‘Keep it’. When you’ve finished sorting, remember what you said you’d do with each box and stick to your plan.
Don’t be tempted to get things out again. Try to bin the rubbish as soon as possible and dedicate some time each week to finding ways to donate or sell the other items.
Try placing it out of sight. After a week, write down how you feel about not seeing that item. Do the same after a month.
You may discover the item wasn’t as precious as you thought. If it isn’t, donate it, sell it or bin it!
- When was the last time I needed it?
- When was the last time I used it?
- How likely is it that I will use it in the future?
- What is my track record of using items like this?
- What is the impact of keeping it?
- Will it help me declutter?
Sort it into piles according to whether they need to be actioned, put somewhere safe, recycled or put in the rubbish bin. When post arrives, make sure you sort it this way immediately
instead of letting it build up.
Look at what you’ve achieved. Every single item that you get rid of is a goal and one you should be proud of.
Refill
Be a Refiller! Most household cleaners, beauty products and food items are now available as a refillable alternative with glass jars being perfect storage containers.
Refilling a handful of bottles every month prevents 60 bottles of plastic waste every year which results in 70% carbon savings!
There are many refill hubs that you can visit and they also deliver
Reuse
Reusing involves repairing instead of throwing and replacing products and switching single-use items by permanent alternatives.
Why not try:
- Replacing plastic bottles with stainless steel water bottles
- using fabric bags
- bamboo toothbrushes
- buying unpackaged foods
- buying second-hand and selling/donating unwanted items.
There are many Repair hubs with volunteers who will attempt to repair your items for a donation:
Did you know 75% of all materials in electricals can be recycled and turned into anything from children’s playgrounds to life-saving equipment?
Recycle
There are so many symbols on packaging, it can be difficult to understand whether an item can be recycled. Here's some handy information which explains a bit more:
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