Reducing, reusing and then recycling waste

We all have a part to play in what happens to our waste and things we no longer want.

After your waste has been collected by your local council, or taken to one of our household waste recycling centres, we find the most sustainable way to deal with it.

We aim to first reduce, then reuse, then recycle what you discard and recover energy from any waste that remains.

You are already great at recycling in Kent. But, let's do even better for the planet and your wallets. Why not, buy less and increase the life of things you already have.

Tips for reducing waste

• Check you really need an item before buying it.
• See if something you already have could be used, repaired or re-gifted instead of buying new.
• Borrow or rent an item, like tools, clothing or extra seating or bedding for guests.
• Gift an experience or vouchers, rather than more stuff or ask people what they need before buying.
• If you need to buy something, can you source it locally and buy the best quality you can so it last longer?

Reuse tips

• Re-gift items you don’t need.
• Buy gifts, clothes, furniture and more from charity shops and shop for preloved items online.
• Swap single use cups, straws, cutlery, plates and decorations for ones you can use over and over again.
• When you no longer need something, try to rehome it at a charity shop, pass it onto someone who could use it or sell it online.
• You can also pass on good quality items for reuse to at seven of our recycling centres. For more information visit our nothing wasted at recycling centres page

Visit one of our pop-up shops

Come along to one of our reuse pop-up shops to buy pre-loved items at affordable prices. You don’t need to book a slot if you’re just visiting the pop-up shop. These are outdoor events and may be subject to change due to weather conditions.

• Ashford HWRC on Sunday 17 August, 10am to 2pm
• Canterbury HWRC on Sunday 1 June, 10am to 2pm and Sunday 21 September, 10am to 2pm
• Dover HWRC on Sunday 20 July, 10am to 2pm.

Reinvent

You can get really creative with leftovers; soups, pies, casseroles, curries and more.

You can also use old items of clothing for cleaning cloths, wrapping gifts, craft projects - the only limit is your imagination!

Recycling

Recycling turns items you throw away into new products or materials. This is better for the environment than throwing rubbish away, but it still takes energy and resources to recycle materials. This is why it is even better to avoid creating rubbish by keeping items in use for as long as possible by sharing, repairing and reusing.

• Recycle items using your kerbside recycling bins. Your local district or borough council lists what you can put in the bin.
• Compost garden and food waste at home. Or find out if your local district or borough council can collect.
• Recycle items at our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and make sure that nothing's wasted.
• Find recycling points in your area for things like carrier bags, coffee pods and cat food pouches.
• Recycle your electrical items - you can watch a video about how electrical items are recycled.
• Use recycling litter bins when you're out.

Find out how we recycle waste

Read more about recovering energy from waste

Recycling different wastes

We make your waste work really hard:

• Food waste is converted to fertiliser and biogas, which powers homes.
• Garden waste is composted to create a peat-free compost suitable for use in farming and agriculture.
• Road sweepings are recycled and re-used, mainly for aggregate in the construction industry.

Find out more about how we recycle food waste

Find out where your waste goes

We work together with other councils in Kent, known as the Kent Resource Partnership, to collect, dispose of and treat waste. We monitor and report on where waste goes and what happens to it.

Find out what happens with waste