May Reduce and Recycle hub in Acton

Reduce and Recycle hub is returning to Acton Market on Saturday 4th May. We have some great organisations joining us, so please pop along and lets together reduce, reuse and recycle in Acton. The hubs aim is to encourage a circular economy and waste reduction in Acton and invite along organisations and volunteers involved in this area. The Reduce and Recycle hub was set up by Action West London who won a Lottery grant from their Climate Action fund in 2021. The hub runs monthly on the first Saturday of the month.

Waste Hierarchy

The waste hierarchy is a great way to focus on how we systematically review our management of our stuff and how we dispose of this based on their environmental impact. Think of it as a ladder, with each rung representing a step towards greater sustainability. By adhering to this hierarchy, we can optimise resource utilisation, reduce pollution, and minimise our ecological footprint.

Starting off with the most preferred to avoid or reduce waste to the least sustainable option in the waste hierarchy and the last resort for waste to put it into landfill.

Waste Hierarchy at Reduce and Recycle hub

So the waste hierarchy starts with preferred option to prevent waste to the least preferred choice. Each step is explained below:

REFUSE: Choose items with less or no packaging, such as unwrapped fruit and veg. Bring your reusable bags shopping and say no disposable bags offered.
REDUCE: Reduce your general consumption. Don’t impulse buy!⁠
RECLAIM: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
REUSE, REPAIR & REPURPOSE: Fix it or repurpose it rather than throwing it away.⁠ Avoid single use items by bringing a reusable cup, spork and bag.
RECYCLE: Choose products that has recyclable packaging.
RECOVER: Recover waste in the form of composting or energy. Waste to energy is the process of incinerating non-recyclable waste to produce electricity. Composting or biodigesters is another method we use to recover waste and a natural life cycle. Composting is one of nature’s way to recycle and turns organic wastes into nutrient-rich food for plants. Biodigesters do this on an industrial scale.

At our monthly Reduce and Recycle hub at MarketW3 we have a great variety of organisations. These will help you recycle in Acton as well as repair and reuse at the market:

RECYCLE:

Bring along your old and unloved:

Clothing, Shoes and accessories for donation to TRAID www.traid.org.uk/wlwa (10am – 2pm)
Small electrical appliances (10am – 2pm). These must be small –small enough to fit in a shopping bag to TRAID, see details www.traid.org.uk
Recycling and waste advice from Juliet at Recycle Challenge from ActforEaling

Ealing Council Waste team will be there giving advice on the doorstep recycling and food waste collection. Find more tips and information here https://www.instagram.com/ealingrecycles/

REPAIR:

Learning to fix your Clothes with Ealing Repair Café www.ealingrepaircafe.org
Get your Bikes checked with Dr Bike (2 pm-5 pm) https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201176/cycling/3025/cycle_training_and_dr_bike_cycle_maintenance
Contact RenewSharpening on 07860 518576 and speak to Dave. They will sharpen your Garden and Kitchen tools but sadly will not be at the hub. They are available to collect items to be sharpened.

REUSE:

Book Swap – Bring a book and take a book, with Churchfield Community Association
Shop at our pre-loved traders or with our stall holders many who sell returns and seconds from the high street at a reduced price choose from sportswear, womenswear and menswear.

Plus there’s more: Our tasty local foodie stalls will be onsite so you can sample the flavours of Ghana, India and Lebanon.

Reduce and Recycle Activities and Special Guests

Come and join us and our friends and local community groups:

Cultivate London will be on site with seeds and plants to take away. They also will share information about their Acton Green composting project and tell you how to get involved https://www.spacehive.com/acton-green-waste-solutions
Tiny Forest in Acton will be at the hub updating us on the progress of the Tiny forest. Come along to the hub and join them setting up the Tiny Forest at Trinity Way, London W3 7JD https://actforealing.org/2024/02/14/tiny-forest-planting-day-in-acton-trinity-way/
Walk and Wheel W3 hub, is a walking and cycling hub at the Friary Park estate close to Action Main Line (beside the Friary Park community centre) run by Sustrans. The Sustrans team will be at the Reduce and Recycle hub on Saturday 4 May if you want to talk about how you can travel more actively to benefit your health and the health of the planet. The W3 Hub is for anyone who wants to make more walking and cycling journeys. In Friary park hub you can borrow a cycle, talk about quiet walking and cycling routes, receive some training or guidance on riding a bike.
Ealing Friends of the Earth: Updating us on the local issues and campaigns around air pollution, climate change, nature and biodiversity.

So, come along to Reduce and Recycle hub and join the growing community of people who are helping Acton reduce, reuse and recycle more. While you are there grab a bargain from one of our traders as many sell end of line stock or returns, knowing you will be helping reducing waste as well as saving money.

For more information and links to all the great organisations involved in Reduce and Recycle hub.

Reduce and Recycle Hub successes!

At the Reduce and Recycle hub see our Reduce and Recycle Hub 2023 review and so far we have achieved:

599kg of unwanted clothes and shoes saved from landfill by Traid, which reduced carbon emissions (CO2) by 8.40 tonnes and water savings of 711m3.
163 kgs of small electrical items collected and recycled.

Are you part of an organisation, community group or as a trader interested in getting a stall? Or you can offer some time as a volunteer to help run some of the activities, please email our Reduce and Recycle hub manager, Mary Horesh at mary.horesh@actionwestlondon.org.uk.