Egg Boxes
Scrunched up egg boxes can be put into your compost bin as this will create air pockets, absorb moisture and help with decomposition. They can also be used for planting seeds. use boxes for plating seeds. Plant out individual sections containing the seedlings and the card will not rot away. Egg boxes can also be recycled with card see card/cardboard. when possible try to buy eggs in cardboard packaging as polystyrene is not recyclable or compostable. also note please do not put into paper points as the cardboard fibers cannot be recycled into paper.
Egg Shells
Egg shells contain a small amount of lime. crush and add to your compost bin/heap to reduce acidity. They can also be put around the base of tender plants this may help to deter slugs and snails. They can also be put into your food recycling bin.
Electrical Equipment
See also Furniture. when looking for new appliances look out for energy efficiency information a good rating (e.g. A) cuts down on electricity running costs. Repair when possible or take to charity shops if they are in good working condition they can also be taken to your local recycling center.
Engine Oil
it is illegal to dispose of engine oil down drains or directly into rivers or canals. one litre of engine oil poured down the drain can contaminate one million litres of water . oil can also reduce the efficiency of bacteria in the sewage system and destroys wildlife habitats.
Envelopes
See also stationery. If your Carefully open envelopes and jiffy bags with a knife or letter opener they can be reused. They can also be put in your blue recycling bin or at local paper recycling points.
Fax Machines
See Electrical Equipment
Face Wipes
Use a washable face cloth or use washable wipes or pads instead of disposable wipes so they can be used again and again saving you money. Other face wipes have to be sent to landfill into your green genral waste bin.
Feathers
Feathers can be composted and will add valuable nitrogen to the compost.
Fluorescent Tubes
See Light Bulbs
Foil
See also aluminium. If you are unsure if something is made from foil try crunching it. If it does not crunch up it is likely to be shiny plastic and cannot be recycled e.g. crisp packets.When possible use sandwich boxes and washable containers instead of foil you can also wipe clean good pieces of foil to reuse. They can be taken to your local recycling points or put into your green recycling bin
Food Waste
See also Garden waste and composting. Householders in Scotland waste over £1 Billion worth of food each year. That’s an average of £430 per household per year or nearly £36 per week. Not only does food rotting in landfill sites create methane, a powerful climate change gas, the energy used to produce,chill,water and transport food is also wasted when you throw food away. If we stopped wasting all all this food we could prevent the equivalent of 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. This is the same as taking one in four cars of the road. The main reasons for Scots wasting food are: not using food before its used by date or its best in your cupboard or fridge. simple changes like planning meals, using shopping lists,getting to know your portions and clever storage can all help.
Food Waste Digesters
Using a food waste digester is a great way to reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill. They are designed so that they can deal with a wide variety of cooked and uncooked food safely and easily. The two main types of food waste digesters are green cones and green Johannes. The main differences between these are that green cones are dug into the soil (good drainage is required) they don’t produce compost and they don’t take garden waste. while green johanna’s produce compost and some garden waste can be added. If you have any questions about food waste of different ways to compost contact sue@sustainingdunbar.org
Formica
Unwanted Formica can be taken to your local recycling center.
Fridges/Freezers
See also White Goods and Equipment. About 95% of the materials used make fridges and freezers can be recycled into new white goods. Repair when possible and can be taken to your local recycling center. For fridges and freezers no longer in working order contact the council for the special/bulky uplift service. their may be a charge form this service.
Furniture
See also White Goods and Electrical Equipment. The zero Waste town project is currently making arrangements for setting up a reuse container at Dunbar recycling center to make it easier for people to access things that are too good to go to landfill and in the mean time you can donate furniture to the Dunbar community shed at Belhaven church hall call Alistair on 07415960793. Furniture that is not fit for reuse can be taken to your local recycling center. You can also sell and give away unwanted furniture on Dunbar swap and sale or Gumtree.