It’s the time of year that most people are trying to reduce their waistlines after all the Christmas eating and drinking.  As a change from the traditional, I propose a waste reduction challenge for 2009.  How about it?

To get us started, here are some simple ideas that will immediately reduce waste in our lives.

1. Get your milk from the milkman.  The glass bottles that you return are reused time and time again, saving lots of waste.

2. Put up a sign in your window or by your front saying something along the lines of: “No junk mail, leaflets or take-away menus please”.

3.  Sign up to the Mail Preference Service to stop getting unsolicited junk mail (it’s completely free).  Also remember to tick (or not tick if they’ve sneakily done it the other way around) the option on forms to not receive marketing mail.

4.  Get your bank statements and utility bills online.

5.  Stop buying bottled water.  Instead, get yourself a reusable water bottle and keep it filled with tap or filtered water.