At ZWC, we collect old bicycles & bike parts
– click on the above link to find out how.
Before you buy new products, check out our Recirculated Items – you may find exactly what you need but cheaper.
In the future, we will collect Bonne Maman jam jars, cardboard delivery boxes and other specific ‘trash’ that is useful to us.
WATCH THIS SPACE.
Throughout London and the UK, amazing things are happening!
Read on to find out how to participate in the circular economy.
Get stuff for free! Freecycle is a grassroots and nonprofit initiative for recirculating perfectly good items that might otherwise end up in landfill. Membership is free. With local groups throughout the world, this is a neat initiative to help you acquire useful items and declutter at the same time.
Make money from old books, CDs and DVDs with Ziffit. It’s so easy to use and includes free courier collection. And when you want to buy a book, check out World of Books for second-hand books in excellent condition. They seem to have almost every title that I search for, and at great prices and free-shipping too. Plus they’ve recently reached their target of going carbon neutral.
Get food for free! Olio is a London based food sharing initiative – it connects people and local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not binned. It also extends to household items that are no longer needed, and to other neighbourhoods throughout the UK. Download the app to start sharing.
The Remakery is a co-operative workshop and hot desk space in South London developing opportunities around the reuse of surplus materials. This includes running workshops in repair skills & DIY, and providing membership access to workshop tools. It also houses a cafe that makes use of surplus food and a collaborative workspace for social and green enterprises to hire on a daily or weekly basis.
The Restart Project was born in 2013 out of frustration at the ‘throw-away’ nature of consumerism and the growing mountain of e-waste and other broken/obsolete items that we no longer need. Projects include Restart parties, where people can share skills and gain the confidence in fixing up their stuff (electronics, electricals, clothes, furniture, toys etc.) They’re based in London, but with initiatives spreading to other parts of the UK and world. You can also donate a laptop or other device to those in need.
Why buy things that you rarely use when you can borrow instead? Neighbours, friends or family may be able to lend you what you need. Alternatively, check out the Library of Things. There are several branches throughout London and one near Brighton. More will follow!
In an ideal world, products will be long-lasting, repairable and made of materials that are biodegradable or at least recyclable when they reach the end of their useful life. Sometimes throwing out is the only option. Knowing the responsible way to dispose of rubbish can be tricky! London Recycles takes the guess work out of that, with information about each borough a well as tips to reduce rubbish in the first place.
Many common items cannot just be thrown out with your normal household recycling. Thanks to TERRACYCLE, there are schemes to collect and recycle specific items. These include:
PLASTIC PENS
Find a drop-off point near you.
Watch the video to see what they get turned into!
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DENTAL PRODUCTS
Toothbrushes; Toothpaste Tubes; Floss
Find a drop-off point.
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DETERGENT PACKAGING
Find a drop-off point, or
Download a free shipping label
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MAKE-UP PACKAGING
Drop off at participating stores
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OTHER PRODUCTS
Pringles, razors, toys, contact lenses & more!
Browse the list of products that you can drop off,
or apply to become a free drop-off point.
Hire a box for your organisation.
SOFT PLASTICS:
Don’t throw these in your normal household recycling.
Most large supermarkets have collection points for these.
Heavily soiled items should be rinsed.
This includes:
Plastic bags
Frozen food bags
Food pouches
Food film
Salad bags
Crisp packets
Cereal liners
Pasta & rice bags
Sweet, chocolate & biscuit wrapping
Flexible plastic packaging lids
Cheese, fish & meat wrapping
Detergent pouches
Delivery bags
If there is any ‘trash’ that you can usefully repurpose,
contact us and we’ll share your request.