Recycling is part of life for Cr Tanya McLoughlin.
As Bundaberg Regional Council’s waste and recycling portfolio spokesperson she helps to spread the reduce, reuse, recycle message but she certainly practices what she preaches.
As part of National Recycling Week Cr McLoughlin is sharing some of her top tips to recycle which can also save money.
“It actually works out a lot cheaper,” Cr McLoughlin said.
“If you’re reusing something over and over again you’re not purchasing something all the time.”
Not only is that good for the bottom line, she said reusing items or ensuring you purchased items made from recycled goods helped to close the loop.
“I’m passionate about reducing waste to landfill.
“When we’re using recycled products it’s not new minerals and resources.”
Tanya’s recycling tips
Shredded paper bricks
I get my paper that I would normally put in the recycle bin and shred it in to pieces and mix it with water.
I then use a handheld device to create a combustion brick.
I usually use the water from my rain tank as well.
It’s good to get the fire started.
It doesn’t burn as hot as hardwood but it’s a really good filler rather than relying on wood completely.
Napkins, cloths and wipes
It’s literally just cut up towels and I’ve sewn up the edges.
One for dish clothes, napkins, wipes
It just goes into the washing machine when I do my tea towels.
It saves on paper towel and it also saves buying dish cloths.
It’s quite a good cloth because the towelling is a little abrasive without being damaging.
Compost
All our vegetable scraps go into the compost and that just gets distributed throughout the gardens
It actually takes a lot of rubbish that would normally go to landfill, I would say maybe about two or three bags of waste not going to landfill
