Reduce

Using reusable nappies on your baby can help reduce your household waste by nearly half. It can also save you up to £500 per child.

Reusable nappies are made from soft fabrics, making them kinder to babies' skin and less likely to cause irritation. They can be washed at 40 degrees.

If you're a resident with a baby, or about to have a baby, we can provide you with a free trial pack that contains:

• 3 reusable nappies (one each of the most popular types)
• 1 roll of flushable liners
• 1 velcro fastening wrap
• 1 wet bag

When you apply, you'll need to provide photocopies or scanned versions of:

• proof of address like Council Tax statement, tenancy agreement or recent utility bill
• proof of pregnancy or birth such as MatB1 Form (both sides), NHS prescription Charge Card, baby's birth certificate, or an official document with your name and the baby's date of birth or expected due date

Read more about The Real Nappy Information Service and Real Nappies for London.

If you have paint left from painting your home, you can donate it so it can be used by others. They can be full or part-full tins of any kind of paint.

You can donate it by taking it to the Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre (the tip). You can also pick up donated paint from the tip and use it in your home. 

If you're not a Southwark resident you can donate and collect unwanted paint at other tips. Check the Community RePaint website.

Junk mail includes all unwanted leaflets, letters and flyers posted through your front door. You can recycle it if you have a blue recycling bin or box.

To reduce junk mail you can:

• register with the Mailing Preference Service to remove your name and address from most mailing lists
• tell Royal Mail that you do not want to receive mail addressed to ‘the occupier’ or unaddressed promotional material
• place a sticker on your front door near your letterbox saying that you do not want to receive any leaflets, flyers or other kinds of junk mail
• ask any organisations that you have had dealings with to be removed from their mailing lists
• return unwanted promotional mail to the sender
• always tick the box to show that you do not wish to receive further correspondence from a company when completing consumer-related forms

Go to Recycle Now for more tips on how to reduce your waste. 

Also read our Smart Shopping (PDF, 1MB) advice for tips when you are in shops and supermarkets.

It’s simple: put no more than one bag of rubbish in your bin each week.

The One Bag A Week Challenge is here to help you do this and to help Southwark become carbon neutral by 2030.