Remember your Reusables

Our single use lifestyle is having a serious and long-term impact on the world. It doesn't have to.

We're on a mission to encourage Hertfordshire to ‘Remember Your Reusables’!

It is more important than ever to ditch single-use plastic and switch to reusable alternatives.

We want you to make a habit of grabbing reusable items like water bottles, coffee cups and bags when you leave the house, not just your keys, wallet and phone!

Reusables on the go

Carry a drinks bottle with you and remember to reuse and refill on the go.

Keep reusable bags handy in your car, bag, or by the door for shopping trips.

Remind restaurants and bars that you don't want a straw in your drink. There are reusable versions available for you to slip into your bag.

Carry reusable cutlery to avoid single-use utensils when eating out.

Carry a reusable flask for hot drinks and ask coffee shops to fill it up to save money and cut down on plastic waste. #LatteLevy

Refill Hertfordshire

Thanks to a fantastic initiative called Refill, topping up your water bottle when out and about is even easier. Refill Hertfordshire allows public places - such as cafés, pubs, takeaways and restaurants - to register as Refill Stations that will happily refill your bottle with free tap water on request.

The app now also shows where you can get coffee refills with a discount for bringing your own cup, shops where you can refill your own containers, and lunch venues where you can order to go in your own containers too. They've taken steps to make sure everything is as Covid safe as possible too.

Visit Refill's website

There are more than 300 Refill Stations registered in Hertfordshire. You can find your nearest Refill stations on the go by downloading the Refill app or keeping an eye out for Refill window stickers.

We need support in building the number of Refill Stations listed in Hertfordshire. Find out how you can register your business - it only takes a minute and is completely free to take part.

We also need support in promoting Refill Hertfordshire locally. If you'd like to help, either as an individual or local group, please email wasteaware@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Refill shops

More and more shops are popping up in and around Hertfordshire where you can refill existing containers, buy zero waste

Buying from them can reduce the amount of plastic packaging you use – a small change that can have make a large difference and reduce your impact on the environment further.

Find Refill shops in Hertfordshire

Bishop's Stortford:

Eats 17

Croxley Green:

The Green Stores

Hemel:

Hitchin:

Letchworth:

Fairhaven Whole Foods

St Albans:

Eat Whole Foods

Tring:

Watford:

RefillAbell

Ware:

Sugar and Scoop

Other zero waste options

If you have a refill shop near you, please let us know by emailing us at wasteaware@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

Reusables in the bathroom

Swap your shower gel bottle and hand pump for a bar of soap. Simple but effective and they last much longer.

Ditch plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles for these brilliant bars which are a great alternative.

You can buy toilet roll wrapped in paper, not plastic. Buy in bulk from an ethical company.

Bamboo toothbrushes are available online. Plastic toothbrushes take around 1000 years to decompose.

Watch 1MillionWomen's Facebook video about making your bathroom plastic free.

Hertfordshire residents can take advantage of our Sustainable Families discount on reusable products:

Discover the benefits of switching to resuable continence products with Herts Confident Continence

There are many perks to joining the Herts Reusable Nappy scheme, including saving money.

Visit our Sustainable Periods page for info on a range of reusable period products.

Reusables in the kitchen

Glass milk bottle and orange juice on a doorstep

Find your nearest milkman. In the past 40 years, use of glass milk bottles has dropped around 90%. Let’s get back to the good old days.

Make your own cleaning products, most things can be cleaned easily using a simple recipe of white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.

Ditch the cling film and invest in reusable food wrap or make your own.

What else can I do?

Stay in the know

Take part in the Plastic Free July challenge and stay informed about the impact of single-use plastic on the environment.

16 million plastic bottles aren't recycled in the UK each year.
Thanks to the 5p bag charge, England's plastic bag use has dropped by 85%.
We throw away 2.5 billion disposable cups every year.
Every day the UK alone throws out 50 million plastic straws.
Around 5000 disposable nappies are used for every baby, all of which end up being thrown away.
The Marine Conservation Society found around 27 wetwipes are found for every 100 metres of coastline.
Find out everything you need to know about biodegradable plastic.
Continue your plastic reduction journey with End Plastics - Earth Day

Calculate your weekly waste

Simply store up all the plastics you use for a week and with your plastic stash, take a look at:

the single-use items that you could find an alternative to. Perhaps there's fruit and veg that doesn't come in plastic packaging.
how many items resulted from a lack of preparation. For example, disposable coffee cups, drinks bottles or ready meals. Could you be more prepared next time?
whether you could buy meat or cheese from a butcher or deli counter to skip the packaging. Bring reusable containers or alternatives like waxed paper, instead of cling film.
the manufacturers you could write to and encourage to seek alternatives to plastic packaging.
reducing your need to buy ready meals. Our #WorthSaving avoidable food waste campaign offers tips on cooking from scratch and freezing your leftovers.