From Guest Blogger Dimitris Papdoupolos: Five Hacks for Home Recyclers

Recycling waste materials is the lifeblood of any green household.

And government eco initiatives can only come to fruition with grassroots support from homeowners as well as businesses.

But finding time to separate your waste into the colour coded bins provided by local councils can feel like a frustrating full-time job.

So here are five hacks for home recyclers that make the whole process a lot more satisfying.

Composting

Saving valuable food waste from rotting away in landfills is definitely worth your while.

You can either separate leftovers for regular collection by your local authority or save them for home composting.

The material produced will enrich the soil in your garden with nutrients that are great for growing a variety of crops, from potatoes to plums. So you’ll save on supermarket bills while protecting the planet.

You can find weatherproof home composting units online that will power you to green-fingered glory.

And it won’t be long until food shopping is a thing of the past and you’re enjoying the health and economic benefits of being entirely self-sufficient.

Indoor gardening

If you’re not blessed with an outdoor garden you can still grow delicious greens inside your apartment.

IKEA have a range of indoor gardening kits and cultivators that allow you to grow cress, coriander and basil crops all year round.

And you’ll impress eco-conscious dinner guests no end by garnishing their veggie meals with tasty home-grown plants.

Indoor gardens look great and are also stimulating conversation pieces.

Home can-crushing

You might already recycle aluminium cans and leave them for collection every couple of weeks.

But you’d be missing out on the most thrilling part of the process — actually crushing the cans.

Tin can crushers can be hand or foot powered, but they all give a satisfying crunch when pressure is applied.

So if you’ve always been fascinated by scrapyard car crushers, these machines let you recreate the process in miniature.

And it’s a therapeutic release valve after a hard day at the office.

Plastic recycling

Precious Plastic is an online community that shares blueprints for small-scale plastic recycling machines.

It helps members across the world create cheap recycling machines that produce valuable products, tools and raw materials.

The end product is left entirely to your imagination and fellow members can share tips on creating custom moulds that ensure consistency.

Components are easy to source and replace and video tutorials make construction as simple as possible.

If you’re a DIY enthusiast then getting involved in this project could inspire you to establish your own recycling centre.

Home recycling workshops

Once you’ve spent some time getting to grips with your own home recycling it’s time to share your experience with like-minded friends.

You might host home recycling workshops where you can build a dynamic network to talk about top tips for sustainable living.

And each time fellow eco-warriors arrive, a recycled welcome mat from The Mat Factory will make them feel welcome and ensure the mud from their wellies doesn’t damage your carefully curated micro environment.

Saving scarce resources starts at home — follow these five hacks for home recyclers to make sure you’re playing your part.

Do you recycle at home? Share your stories in the comments section.