Welcome to the Loughborough University Sustainability Blog Guide – your go to guide to practical yet fun ways to live and work more sustainably. This blog series is part of Sustainability Week (10-14 November) and is designed to support both students and staff in making meaningful sustainable changes.

One of the simplest and most effective ways you can be sustainable is through reducing, reusing and recycling. There’s something really satisfying about injecting new life into old waste, plus you’ll be saving money in the process of protecting the environment. 

Reduce waste

• Buy loose groceries: whether at the local Loughborough market or in shops, choose loose groceries to cut out plastic waste.
• Use only what you need: avoid overusing cleaning or hygiene products and choose items with minimal packaging.
• Manage your utilities: switch off devices at the mains, close windows when the heating is on and only run water when you need it. These simple habits can reduce your bills and reduce environmental impact.
• Freeze leftovers: store any extra ingredients or cooked meals in reusable containers in the fridge or freezer. It’s an easy way to cut down food waste and save money.
• Donate: instead of throwing away clothes or household items, give them a second life by donating to charity shops.

Reuse and recycle:

• Check the labels: look for recycling symbols on packaging to find out what can be recycled and where it should go. A quick look helps keep waste out of landfills and makes recycling easier.
• Separate your waste: turn food waste into compost and separate your recycling into the right bins. Don’t forget to flatten boxes and bottles to save space in your bins.
• Save your scraps: stale bread makes great croutons, vegetable skins and bones can become tasty stock and old textiles are perfect for clothing repairs. With a little creativity, you can turn what you’d normally throw away into something useful!
• Look for refills: choose cleaning products that offer refillable options in sustainable packaging. It’s a simple way to make your hard plastic containers last longer and reduce waste.
• Don’t be fooled by single-use plastic: sometimes a quick clean is all it needs to be used again. Take care of undamaged items and reuse them where possible.
• Get it fixed: before buying new clothes, tech and furniture, see if it can be repaired. A quick sewing job or a simple battery change can give your items a whole new lease of life and save you money.

Try this

Instead of throwing away bottles, boxes and tins, think about ways you can repurpose them. Turn your cereal box into greeting cards, empty glass bottles into vases and baked beans tins into stationary storage! A little creativity goes a long way in reducing waste.