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As you say some recycling is much easier to find alternative acceptable places for. First you need to look at what you are putting out so that you can see where you can make any changes.  Sometimes just a small change can make a great difference.  Officially it is called a Waste Audit! I put out the food waste bin just about every week and also often have a cereal packet full of flattened cardboard going out with that.  The plastics bag I put out much less often - remember to lean on those large plastic bottles to flatten them!  Those I can't take to recycling banks - bottles, paper and cans I can.I get a regular milk delivery from the milkman for a part of the milk we use.  This generally means we don't run out of milk and if necessary we top up by buying a plastic milk bottle of it from the corner shop.  We sometimes have a UHT box on the go at the same time being used for custard/cheese sauce/cocoa etc if we are running low on fresh milk.  Never make a quick trip to the supermarket for milk - the milk itself is cheap but the other things you buy will mean that the visit isn't.  It is used as what is called a loss leader to draw you in.You can also order more from the milkman online and pay online too.  A wormery is great fun - I got mine from Wiggly Wigglers many years ago and there are some great videos on Youtube from various companies showing how to set these up and use them.  (When I got my first one and with no internet it was quite a daunting exercise.)  I would recommend a layered one as it is much easier to use including getting the compost out. I used it a lot when there were more of us at home and before the food waste system was introduced.It all depends on what you eat - we eat very little meat and fish and therefore waste very little meat and fish. If you wrap this well and make sure it is kept cool you don't need to put it out so often ie if you only have something potentially very smelly in there.You could also look at a Green Johanna or a bokashi bin.  You can put fish and meat in these.Have a look at: http://westlondonwaste.gov.uk/    There is help here to reduce you waste - information on things you may not realise are available.There are usually subsidised composters and sometimes wormeries and more available through the Councils.Paper is still our biggest problem.  Take time to stop anything being delivered that you don't read eg catalogues. This is something that has to be constantly re-visited and each new year is a good time.Remember that Ealing now has banks for electrical items - though if these are working there are charities that will take them and make sure they are safe before selling them. (Try the British Heart Foundation.)My favourites websites in the past have been:  www.myzerowaste.com and www.therubbishdiet.org.uk

Philippa Bond ● 4499d