Greener Eynsford

This section of the website will provide news from our Green Team, a parish council working group, that is working with the council and the community to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint, foster more sustainable practices and to encourage beneficial planting and biodiversity.

Our Greener Blog page contains articles written by members of our Green Team. 

We welcome your comments and ideas.

How to Go Green

This page contains information that we hope will enable everyone to reduce their waste, improve their recycling, and to reduce their carbon footprint.

Photo by Sylvie Tittel/Upsplash

Rubbish and Recycling

Eynsford’s household rubbish is collected weekly by Sevenoaks District Council. To find out what to put in your recycling bag and your black bag, please check here.

Glass, cardboard and textiles can be recycled at Sevenoaks District Council’s recycling sites. The nearest is just south of Eynsford on the A225. There are number of other sites nearby which can be found via this link.

Many products have different recycling logos on them. You can find an explanation of all the symbols via this link. https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/packaging-symbols-explained. However, please also check what your local council will collect as it will not always recycle everything marked as recyclable.

For hard to recycle waste, check out Teracycle collection points for items including crisp and snack packaging, beauty packaging, pet food pouches and more. The parish council is collecting empty crisp packets – just drop them into the parish office. Empty, clean, pet food pouches can be taken to Pets Fayre [link to Pets Fayre] in Southborough and second hand bicycles can be taken to Wildside Cycles in Tunbridge Wells [link to Wildside Cycles] where your bike will the donated to trusted partners in Africa. St Martin's Eco Church are also collecting items for Teracycle - check with efloffice3@gmail.com for details.

Reduce your Waste

Here are some ideas of how you could reduce your waste every week. Although it is good to recycle, its even better to reduce your waste so that there is less to recycle!

Groceries

• ·Compost your (non meat) food waste
• ·Try to buy products with less packaging
• ·Buy fruit and veg that is loose, not wrapped
• ·Take your own containers to meat/fish/cheese counters at the supermarket and request no plastic
• ·Make your own bread
• ·Try out one of the refill stores nearby where you can take your own containers to fill with dry goods and household cleaning products. Try the Eco Pantry at Seal Chart, Knobbly Knees Deli & Eco Shop in Sevenoaks, or Stanhill Farm Shop, Wilmington.
• ·Try planning your meals so that you do not end up with wasted food.
• ·Put food you will not use straight away in the freezer – it’s surprising how many things you can freeze.
• ·Don’t throw away your leftovers – reuse them in another meal or feed to pets (if suitable).

Cleaning & Toiletries

• ·Change to a bar of soap or a bar of shampoo – they work just as well as the liquid type and last longer.
• ·Change to a bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste in a jar or tablet form.
• ·If you use plastic disposal razors, consider replacing them with a stainless steel razor with replaceable blades.
• ·Use a refill for household cleaners or look at using natural products such as vinegar.
• ·Replace your sponges with non-plastic based cloths and scrubbers including natural loofahs and cotton cloths.
• ·If you are having a baby, consider using cloth nappies instead of disposable ones.
• ·Stop using wet wipes and take some damp washable cloths instead.

Some shops that stock eco products are listed here – there are lots of others too! https://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/
https://www.peacewiththewild.co.uk/
https://theecoshopuk.com/

Out and About

• ·Try to take a reusable cup for hot drinks and your own water bottle
• ·Consider taking a packed-lunch instead of buying takeaway food
• ·Take your own shopping bags – you don’t need to buy anything special, just use a bag you have already
• ·If you need to buy a drink, a can is better than a plastic bottle, or if you are having a coffee, why not stay in the café and use a china cup?

Reduce your Carbon Footprint

There are lots of ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Here are a few ideas of what you can do.

• ·Try to reduce the number of car trips you make, maybe combine a trip to the shops with other errands.
• ·Consider water usage – as well as there being pressure on natural resources, energy is used to clean and pump your water supply. Try a shower timer, don’t wash your clothes unless they are actually dirty, use a cup when brushing your teeth. You can also use your dirty dish or bath water on your garden.
• ·Change to a green energy supplier that uses renewal energy sources
• ·Hang up your clothes to dry instead of using a tumble dryer, wash your clothes at a lower temperature.
• ·Grow more trees and plants! Plants absorb carbon dioxide and help to clean the air. Leave some wild areas in your garden to encourage pollinating insects and other wildlife.
• ·Try to shop seasonally and locally – food that is grown nearby has a lower carbon footprint and will be fresher. Eating less meat and dairy products can also help to reduce your carbon footprint for a variety of reasons. You can find out more here https://www.ciwf.org.uk/your-food/sustainable-food/ and in many other places.
• ·When buying new appliances, try to buy those with the highest energy efficient ratings. More information can be found here https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/home-appliances
• ·Consider reducing how many flights you take – can you travel by train or sea instead? This website has lots of useful information about travelling in Europe by train https://www.seat61.com/.

What else do you think we should include here? Send your tips and ideas to  info@eynsfordparishcouncil.org.uk

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