Recycling is a key part of the circular economy, helping to protect our natural resources and reduce our impact on the planet. Recycling helps wildlife by bringing down the amount of plastic in the environment; cutting down on the amount of new plastic we produce; saving trees, saving water and making our world cleaner.

We have the power to make lasting changes to combat this, and with recycling being recognised in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030, we are already seeing individuals, governments and organisations taking direct action to support the global green agenda, including Bristol City Council declaring an ecological emergency in 2020.

This World Recycling Day (18 March), you can take action by recycling, reusing and upcycling to help cut down on household waste and make a difference for nature. Don’t see waste, see an opportunity!

• Tins – Tins from food can be washed and refashioned into lovely plant or candle holders.
   
• Jars – Glass jars can be used to store everything from food, cotton buds, pens and plants.
   
• Plastic bottles – There are so many different ways to reuse these:  Cut them open to protect your plants from slugs in the garden, create a bird feeder or get crafty with the kids and make bottle animals.

What you can't reuse – recycle. Make sure you make use of all local recycling initiatives and follow guidance on what you can recycle from home. Community schemes often exist for harder-to-recycle items such as plastic bags or crisp packets.

• Clothing – The fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions so anything you can do to reduce the number of clothes you buy is vital. Sewing on a button, mending a hole or refashioning a garment completely are great ways to make items last a lot longer. If you’re not a confident sewer yourself, Bristol has plenty of amazing tailors who will be able to help mend your clothes for a reasonable price, and you’ll be supporting a local business as well, so it’s a win-win.
   
• Electronics – Fixing your electrical appliances can be great for your pocket and the planet. If you're not sure about fixing something yourself then keep an eye out for local stores and projects that offer a fixing service. Repair Cafe and The Restart Project hold events up and down the country to help people give their items a new lease of life.

• Furniture – The manufacturing of sofas, wardrobes, tables and chairs has a huge carbon footprint! Rather than buying brand new, you can recover your soft furnishings and sand down and repolish tables and cabinets. If you do need something new, why not think about refashioning some reclaimed wood into a bedside table yourself. You can find great ideas and instructions on how to do this online.
   
• Household items – When something breaks, use it as an excuse to get creative! Could the waterproof fabric on a broken umbrella be turned into a tote bag? Could an old sweater become a new cushion cover? How about turning an old wardrobe into a new planter? The possibilities are endless when you put your mind to it.

For more inspiration of ways you can reuse to help wildlife, visit https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/actions and don’t forget to log your action on https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/30-30-action