Sustainability Action Plan

Support a London-wide ban of single use carrier bags

Send an email to your MP by following this link: 

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/banthebag 

Use real nappies

Throwaway nappies create millions of tonnes of raw sewage waste each year and are a huge problem. They account for about 1/3rd of waste deposited in our landfill sites.

If you have children or know people who do, using real nappies is an excellent way to reduce waste. We throw away 8 million nappies every day in the UK and the average baby uses over 5,500 nappies from birth to potty training.

Sutton Council is now offering up to £35 cash back for parents who purchase reusable cloth nappies. For more information phone the Contact Centre, 020 8770 5070

There is a great nappy laundering service in Sutton: http://hippyhappynappy.co.uk/ 020 8915 0388

Free stuff!

If you have something you want to get rid of or want to pick up something for free check out Sutton's Freecycle group.

Car boot sales
Car boot sales are a great way to find a bargain, or get rid of things you no longer need. Local car boot sales include:
Benhill Road Indoor Car Boot Sale, The Thomas Wall Centre, Benhill Road, Sutton, SM1. Held every Tuesday. Contact Tel: 07904 142902

Repair your furniture - don't bin it!

Chair Repair: there is a great chair repair shop on London road who can reupholster and repair chairs, sofas and other soft furnishings. Call 020 8640 8685, Address: 74 London Road Hackbridge.

Stop junk mail

Unaddressed mail from the Post Office
To stop unaddressed mail, write to Royal Mail, 1st Floor, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, Oxford, OX1 1RX, email optout@royalmail.com or visit www.postoffice.co.uk

‘No Junk Mail' stickers for your front door. These will reduce the take away leaflets etc. and are available from Civic Offices, Sutton and Denmark Road, Carshalton receptions.

Mailing Preference Service. This service will remove your name and address from the lists of commercial organisations that regularly send you information on their products. There is also a specialist service to stop mailings on baby products. www.mpsonline.org.uk email: mps@dma.org.uk Tel. 0845 7034599
or write to Mailing Preference Service, DMA House, 70 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SS.

Recycle your batteries

Every year we throw away over 400 million domestic batteries in the UK. These go into landfill sites, where if their heavy metals leach out into the soil and water supply, they can cause damage to people and to the environment. Buy rechargeable where possible - these will save you money in the long run.

Batteries can be disposed of safely at the Re-use & Recycling Centre, Kimpton Park Way, Sutton SM3 9QH

Clothing and Textiles

Recycling old clothes and textiles is an excellent way to reduce waste (and reduces blockages in Sutton's innovative waste treatment system). There are lots of textile banks in Sutton (one at BedZED, one outside the post office at Hackbridge corner) and some great charity shops too including...

The British Heart Foundation, 120 Woodcote Road, Wallington, SM6 0LY
0844 499 4174 also takes electrical goods and furniture and can collect items if needed.

To find more charity shops see: www.charityshops.org.uk/locator.php or tel 020 7255 4470

Children's clothing can also be donated to The Vine Project, a local charity that provides children's clothing, furniture, toys etc, for poorer local families. Tel. 020 8685 6640

Here is a list of things you can recycle in your green bin in Sutton:
• All paper and cardboard
All domestic plastic bottles (Please remove tops and rinse out)
• All drinks and food cans, also aerosol cans

In June 2008 Sutton Council will be providing residents with a special bin for glass recyclables.

For more information on waste and recycling or to order a larger recycling bin contact Sutton council's call centre on 020 8770 5070 or
www.sutton.gov.uk/environment/wasteandrecycling

Free home compost bins for Sutton residents

Did you know in the UK on average we throw away a third of the food we buy?! Reducing food waste is a great way to reduce costs and environmental impact. There is a great resource to help you do this: www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Food waste can also be composted. It's easy to do and home made compost is rich in plant nutrients, improves the soil structure and helps your plants fight back against pests and diseases.

In April 2008 Sutton Council launched free compositing bins for residents, call 0845 0770 757 for more info.

Sutton Council can also send you a simple leaflet on how to compost, just contact the call centre: 020 8770 5070. The Council also passes on second hand plastic composters to residents when they become available.

You could also make your own - advice on how to make a composter can be obtained from the Henry Doubleday Research Association Tel. 024 7630 8202

There's some good advice on how and what to compost on EcoLocal's website.