Shopping & Services

Farm shops, market stalls, independent retailers and even some supermarkets are very happy for you to take along your own containers to put your purchases in.

Look out for places where vegetables, fruit, cheese, meat and fish can be purchased unwrapped, to avoid the need for unwanted packaging – especially single use plastic.

You can keep your home clean, help the environment and save money by using some of these readily available, cheap, natural products:

• Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda)- good for cleaning ovens, freshening fridge and food containers, removing grease and many other uses
• White vinegar – mix 1 part vinegar with 1 part water and use to clean glass, plastic cutting boards, microwave ovens etc.
• Citric acid – use as a toilet bowl cleaner, to remove mineral deposits or to deep clean coffee pots etc.

Many food items, household cleaning products and health and beauty products are now available as refills. Just take your empty bottle/jar/box/bag along and refill with as much or as little as you need.

We are really lucky to have two excellent refill outlets locally:

• Refill Revolution at the Eco Village
• Harborough Refill in the Indoor Market

If you live in one of the nearby villages, you might also be lucky enough to have regular visits from Rita The Refill Van

​To enquire about a delivery to your area, please email – rita@refillrevolution.co.uk

Food and drink are often transported long distances by road, sea and air, using huge amounts of fossil fuels and requiring special packaging and storage.

All of this contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

You can help to reduce these emissions by buying locally sourced and in season produce that can be sold without plastic packaging, and avoiding produce that has travelled long distances.

• Rethink
• Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Repair
• Rot (compost!)

only Recycle as a last resort

For more information visit www.lesswaste.org.uk/

If you live in Harborough District, all of these plastics can be put in your blue recycling bin:

• Plastic bags such as carrier bags, bread bags, vegetable bags and salad bags (not black)
• Plastic film such as bubble wrap, cling film and cellophane
• Plastic bottles, including those from the kitchen and bathroom
• Plastic pots, tubs, trays and punnets (not black)

For more information visit https:www.harborough.gov.uk/homepage/172/waste_management_services

Production, packaging and transport of new clothes can use huge amounts of fossil fuels, so try and find alternatives.

• Buy fewer, but better quality, clothes that will last longer
• Repair, remodel or even repurpose clothes you are thinking of getting rid of
• Buy clothes from vintage, pre-loved or Charity shops
• Hire an outfit for that special occasion

For more information on buying and caring for your clothes go to www.loveyourclothes.org.uk and www.lesswaste.org.uk/reuse/love-your-clothes.

Whether it’s printer paper, toilet paper or kitchen towel, make sure it is made from recyclable paper

Recycle paper in your blue bin, or compost it

Don’t leave your car idling when it is stationary, especially if it is outside a school.

Any emissions coming out of the exhaust will be breathed in by small children walking past.