Tag: garden (page 1 of 1)

How to Cope with the Covid-19 Lockdown in (Green-ish) Style

This is not a Covid-19 article for your eyeballs to panic scroll through. 

This is not a list of educational resources. 

This is most definitely not an article exploring the very serious impact of C-19 is having on the NHS, care and medical workers, retail and restaurant workers, vulnerable people, people with disabilities, children, the elderly, people with mental health issues and underlying health problems, gig-workers, the self-employed, freelancers, small businesses…

This is not an article giving medical advice.

This is a light-hearted post on how Emma and Tamara are trying to survive the lockdown whilst still trying to be green.

This post is not a good idea. 


When Emma suggested an article on how to survive the lockdown, Tamara’s reaction was to hide under the duvet. For Covid-19 is serious stuff. Here at Shades of Green, we discuss how to live green in Portsmouth. We can be serious at times, yes, but not global pandemic serious!! 

Covid-19 is impacting on all aspects of life- how we eat, how we shop, how we work, how we play, how we exercise, how we parent, how we socialise, how we date, how we sleep. Like literally, everything! 

And writing about it, even for you Dear Reader, is scary. It makes it real. And that is why Emma coaxed Tamara from out under the duvet and together, we are writing this. 


For many in Portsmouth, their lockdown began last week on Friday evening when the UK Government instructed all clubs, pubs restaurants, bars and gyms etc to close. This is also true for people with kids and for those who are self-isolating. For the rest, this week has been the start of Covid-19 forcing us to change how we carry out our daily routines.

How the bloody hell will we survive the lockdown? Together. (Except, you know, apart.)

With the possibility of social-distancing and self-isolating lasting months rather than weeks, we (Emma and Tamara) wanted to share our small perspective on how we are attempting to maintain our equilibrium in these strange and worrying times.


But first, an even bigger disclaimer than usual: 

1. Keep yourself informed on up-to-date UK Government advice as well as local Portsmouth City Council advice.

2. Ask for help. If you need assistance, please contact the Hive helpline: 

☏ Hive Helpline: 023 9261 6709

Hive are leading a coordinated local community response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Portsmouth and are working with Solent NHS, Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group and Portsmouth City Council.

You can also call the Portsmouth City Council dedicated helpline if you are in need of support during the coronavirus outbreak and can’t find help online:

☏ PCC Helpline: 023 9268 8004

For more informal help and support, join the online Facebook group “Portsmouth Coronavirus Support Group. This group was set up and is run by local people and members ask for and offer informal, ad hoc support. 

3. And finally, remember that we are writing from our own individual perspectives as child-free people with relatively few physical health issues and fairly secure finances. (Even if Emma is self-employed!)  Hopefully, elements of this will be relevant to you, whatever your personal situation may be, and do take everything we say with a pinch…nay…a handful of salt! 


Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Keep to a loose schedule

Think back to the last time you didn’t have a fixed schedule (i.e. having to be somewhere most days for a particular time and duration). This might be during the summer holidays at school, during parental leave, or it might be during a period of unemployment in your adult life. For Emma, it was way back when in 2012, before she got an adult job. (In an office, ya’ll!) (She just realised that’s not a massive deal for most people.) 

When you don’t have a loose schedule it can mean that you are getting up later than you normally would, not having regular meals, and perhaps not practising the self-care that you need to. The last time Emma wasn’t in employment, she woke up at about 11 am most days but she guarantees it was after lunch on some days. That doesn’t do you any favours at all and the readjustment will be hard after a few weeks. 

Get up a little later than you normally would but not so late that it messes up your sleep schedule. Try to strike a balance between doing fun things, like binge-watching a show you’ve been meaning to catch up on or reading that book, with stuff that you need to do but generally don’t get the chance. (Emma’s neighbour is probably really looking forward to her tidying the garden.)

A lot of people online are saying that you shouldn’t be advising people to be productive during this time. The way Emma sees it, if she gets the curtains washed now and all of those other fun chores on her to-do list, then once the lockdown is lifted, she can make the most of the time with her friends and family. 

Photo Credit: The Gender Spectrum Collection 

Limit your exposure to the news and social media

Be selective. As a journalist, Emma is not telling you to not be informed. She’s saying that there is so much information out there that it can be overwhelming and depressing. It’s not going to do your mental health any favours to be watching the news constantly or scrolling incessantly on your phone and seeing the myriad of stories (fake and true) being shared on social media. 

Where possible try to schedule a specific time to look at the news and seek out unbiased sources. Did you know that UK TV news is legally not allowed to have bias whereas newspapers are? So opt for ITV, the BBC, Channel 4 News etc.

And only watch once a day. 

Emma’s chosen to watch the evening news, so it’s not so early that it will depress her during the day and not so late that it’ll make her anxious at bedtime.  She’s also deleted all social media apps from her phone, so is keeping in touch with friends via text and WhatsApp only. Tamara followed her example, deleted Facebook from her phone and felt an instant relief.

Photo by Prateek Katyal from Pexels

Stick to your routine wherever possible 

If, prior to the lockdown, you got up early to go for a run every morning, try to do that still (while maintaining a healthy distance). Prior to the crisis, Tamara was working on controlling her diabetes through exercise and was love-hate-running through the free NHS Couch to 5K plan. She has continued this safely during the lockdown as current government guidance allows for once-a-day-exercise outside.

If you and your bestie go to the movies every Tuesday, you can have a watch party and check out something on any of the multitude of streaming services. (you can even share a streaming service to save money.) Tamara and Emma are both huge fans of Canadian comedian Mae Martin and had a digital mate date night with wine and whiskey and watched the first episode of Martin’s excellent new show Feel Good

If you usually get drinks with friends on Friday nights, try to Skype/Zoom/Facetime/HouseParty and digitally connect with them and learn to make yourself a cocktail. (Or just Whiskey and Coke.)

If you normally go out for dinner as a family on Sundays, order in from that restaurant. (Many local businesses are now offering takeout options and it’s great to support them.) 

Keep connected

Covid-19 has forced us inside and to physically distance ourselves from our loved ones and frenemies. Luckily, we are in a digital age and the internet offers us a myriad of opportunities to connect. 

Tamara is having group video chats with friends and also spending time with her godson, who lives abroad, by doing a weekly Whatsapp reading session together. She’s also started doing PE with Joe with her friend J, who is also doing it with her nephews. She has also discovered the joy of playing online games with friends and has been playing the game Ticket to Ride almost every night with one friend or another. (She has yet to win a game.)

She is also enjoying a week-daily ‘Coping with Covid-19 conversations’ live Instagram stream by her favourite self-help guru and podcaster Gretchen Rubin and has plans to try a local online pub quiz with Dan Churchley. Joining an online book club is also an idea, and local independent bookseller Pigeon Books are considering setting up one with Sam’s Place (if you are interested, let Pigeon Books know via their FB page or Instagram).

Though we are in a digital age, remember not all of us are online. Tamara’s mother is phoning all her friends and family old school style – using her landline. Classic! (Also, a great way to reduce the strain on mobile networks, which are seeing spikes right now. Not overwhelming spikes, but still.)

The UK Government also says there is no evidence that the virus can be passed via post and no extra precautions are needed when handling, so you can still send letters, gifts, and cards; particularly if it’s someone’s birthday.


Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Put on your (metaphorical) oxygen mask  

Like those airplane safety videos, first put on your own oxygen mask. 

If you are a parent with children at home, keeping them safe, happy and entertained and yourself sane is more than enough to be getting on with.  Perhaps you are overwhelmed and scared, or a key-worker dealing with a lack of safety equipment, experiencing financial difficulties, living with mental health issues, supporting a relative or friend who is self-isolating – only you know your situation and circumstances.

Whatever your situation, don’t beat yourself up for not doing more or worrying you are not doing enough. We understand the impulse. Tamara has a lot of guilt from feeling she should be doing more. But she will do what she can, when she can. For now, to keep her mental health on an even keel, she is being mindful to put her own (metaphorical) oxygen mask on first before offering out her help. Just trying to cook a meal a day, be kind to family, connect with friends, do a bit of exercise, do something useful or productive no matter how small and not face plant into a bag of crisps is enough for her at the moment. Soon she will look outwards, but she can’t yet. And that is okay.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Help others 

Portsmouth is a fantastic place to live and Covid-19 highlights this. Neighbours and strangers are reaching out to those who are vulnerable, self-isolating or alone. People care. 

Check on your neighbours

Check on your immediate neighbours. Assuming you are not self-isolating, pop a note through their door letting them know that you are there and you care. Click here or download from below for a free printable template ‘Viral Kindness’ that you can use.

Many thanks to Becky Wass who designed the Viral Kindness template and made it available and free to print, share and download online.

Offer your support

Last night, Clap for our Carers brought a tear to many an eye. We have seen this kindness and community spirit strongly in the online communities that have popped up, like the Portsmouth Coronavirus Support Group on Facebook, which is where Tamara first heard of the Clap for our Carers idea. The group aims to be a space “where those who are affected can share what support or supplies they need, so for those of us who have been unaffected so far, can offer help. This includes everything from dropping off food, hot meals or supplies to those who are isolated – as well as emotional and peer-to-peer support.” It is a fantastic local way of connecting people in a scary time. When Tamara finds it overwhelming, she steps back but knows it is there when needed.

Volunteer with hive

People are so kind in offering their support and if you have the headspace and capacity to look further than your immediate family and circle of loved ones, you can sign up to volunteer through Hive who is coordinating a community city response. You can donate time, food or money or all three!

Volunteer with the NHS

The NHS are also looking for volunteer responders and you can still volunteer even if you are in a higher-risk group (including those over 70, those who are pregnant or with underlying medical conditions) as you will be able to offer support by telephone.

Give Blood

Give Blood. You can still give blood! (obvs restrictions apply.) The NHS and vulnerable patients still need blood and there is no evidence of any type of coronavirus being transmitted through blood donation. Check the Give Blood website for more information. Emma is keeping her appointment to give blood in July, although she does hope this will be over by then anyway.

Image by monicore from Pixabay

Eat what you have

Yes, that means all the tins at the back of the cupboard and the random frozen meals that you have no idea what they are because you didn’t label them. Hey, it will be a lovely surprise. Looking to Tamara’s friend E. as inspiration who ate a random homemade frozen meal that past-her had lovingly cooked but omitted to label. She had no idea what it was – curry maybe, or possibly stew? But it was delicious. Seriously, E. is winning at life.

Photo by Designecologist from Pexels

Buy only what you need

Tamara has no dependents and so only needs to worry about feeding herself and her partner, and sometimes her mother who lives with her. (She realised that makes her sound like she is starving her elderly mother. Be reassured, she’s not, her mother prefers to cook for herself and also hates it when Tamara calls her elderly!) Tamara is trying to continue to shop as low waste as possible and this means seriously thinking about if she truly needs something. 

Emma also has only adults living in her house, but due to advice that people with certain health conditions shouldn’t really be going to the shops and there being no online delivery slots for the next three weeks, Emma is slightly worried about running out of food. (Don’t worry, Tamara and one of Emma’s neighbours have picked up bread and milk for them, but please keep in mind that there are people much worse off than Emma, who will either run out of food or risk going to the stores and catching coronavirus.)

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Minimise food waste

Tamara’s partner (The Dutchman) has been making bread using back-of-the-cupboard-and-out-of-date yeast and Tamara made soup from cauliflower leaves and broccoli stalk. The bits she normally put in the compost are edible! Who knew? Probably most people, but not her! 

Emma’s mum has been making soups out of “out-of-date” fresh veg, cooking fresh and wilted spinach as a veg for dinner, and they have actually started using the lasagna sheets in the cupboard. Don’t want lasagna, but the sheets are the only pasta that’s available? Break them up and boil in water.

We’re not suggesting that you eat gone-off food. Use your noggin. But with panic buying and supermarket restrictions, we are trying to eat the food we already have in the house. 

(Also, regarding cat food, which Emma is finding harder to find on delivery. If someone has selfishly bought enough cat food to last them until the end of time, you can order from specialist pet food stores, but if you run out before then, you can make your cats a special meal of boiled chicken and rice. (Note: Cats require taurine in their diet and the internet informs us that you should only make your cat this basic meal infrequently.))

Try reusable toilet cloth

With toilet roll becoming a black market commodity, perhaps now is the time to give reusable, washable toilet cloth a try.  Emma wrote an informative post a while back, which you can read here, with her advice on using cloth instead of disposable toilet paper.

Emma suggested this to her parents, who grimaced.

Embrace other reusables

If you have a period or live with incontinence, you might be finding it hard to get the products you need.

You can read a past post of ours on reusable menstruation products here and get reusable products from various small businesses. In the past, Emma has bought from Thinx, Ngozi Sews, Cloth Mama, and Age UK

cat figurine on toilet

Skip cat litter

In addition to milk, Emma is finding it hard to get cat litter, which is particularly hard as Tiny Tim is an indoor cat (and Rooney is not allowed out after dark, but still needs to use the little cat’s room). She has enough at the moment, but if that runs out before she can get some in, she will look at tearing up newspaper for their trays. (If the poop is scooped into the bin, she thinks this might even be compostable..? The internet is very divided on whether this is safe.)

Image by bluebudgie from Pixabay

Store your recycling and donations

In Portsmouth, collections from textile and clothing banks have been suspended. Many charity shops and direct donation places have closed their doors.  We are sure many of us are using our enforced time at home to do some sorting out and decluttering. (We know because Emma is and contacted two direct action groups, who said they couldn’t collect now.)

Keep your donations at home until the lockdown is lifted and normality has resumed. Charities will need your help more than ever in the months to come.

At the time of writing, kerbside rubbish and recycling collections in Pompey are unaffected however we wouldn’t be surprised if collections of kerbside recycling and that of cartons and mixed plastics banks is also limited/ suspended. If that happens, wash your food packaging and store them at home, if you are able. (You can probably store this in boxes in your car if you’re not using it right now.)

Don’t forget that the council makes money off recycling and will need this money in the next year.

Make sure to crush tins, cans, plastic bottles, and cardboard boxes to get more stuff in your green bin. If your green bin gets full, it will be safer and easier to store paper and card in your house, while keeping your green bin for cans and plastic bottles.

Emma also suggests that if you have a compost bin, you can compost paper and card, especially stuff that is perhaps ‘contaminated’ with a small amount of food waste and can’t go in the recycling.

A number of Tamara’s friends with children reminded her that the more difficult items to recycle (i.e. yoghurt pots) can also be used in crafts and in the windowsill/ garden.  

A. + S. planting seeds in the lockdown using toilet rolls inserts.
Photo used with permission from their mum E.
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Support local small businesses

If you can, please support our local small business in Portsmouth, especially those who have been forced to close. This is invaluable to the traders in keeping their business alive. Many local restaurants and retail shops have switched to offering home deliveries, which is perfect for customers who are self-isolating.

Tamara treated her partner to the final book in a trilogy he is reading from Pigeon Books and bought some shampoo bars from Southsea Bathing Hut. Emma bought her niece and nephews their birthday presents from Pigeon Books, who gave her a contact-free delivery. (This is not a sponsored post by Pigeon Books – we just adore them.)

With handwashing going up by a gazillion percent, why not buy some soap bars from the aforementioned Southsea Bathing Hut, or Wild Thyme who Tamara regularly buys naked Faith in Nature soap bars from or Herbies health store (the new-old Southsea Health Food shop). Shop local and still be green!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Read for pleasure

As mentioned above, Pigeon Books are doing contact-free delivering! (We promise, not a sponsored post. Just buy their books!)

Though libraries are sadly closed for now,  you can find a great selection of books and audible books on the free library app Borrow Box.

This together with Pigeon Books means Tamara is not tempted to buy e-books for her Kindle e-reader (She’s boycotting Amazon, which is why the betrayal of The Dutchman subscribing to Prime to watch the new Picard is just…..divorce!!!.) (Emma asked if she could borrow their Prime login to watch the new season of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Tamara locked her out of the blog.)

You can also access newspapers and magazines with another free library app Pressreader.

And finally (though, Amazon) we thought you might like to know that Audible is offering free selected stories for all ages. Take the free stuff and run! Run I say!

eBooks is an Ethical Consumer Best Buy e-book alternative to Amazon so why not give them a try instead?

Go outside (safely and if you can)

Tamara moved house just before Christmas (read about it here) and is super privileged to have a garden. After a good tidy-up, she has been chillaxing on a sunlounger that Emma kindly lent her.

The Dutchman’s regular exercise class with Portsmouth Outdoor Fitness has started live-streaming exercise sessions on Facebook and this morning he was burpee-ing away. Tamara drank coffee. 

At this time, government guidance allows for an outdoor once-a-day exercise and as mentioned earlier, Tamara has been doing a daily-ish run. She tries to go very early in the morning and is stringent about maintaining social distance from others. In anticipation of this becoming restricted,  she has been adding in indoor Yoga with Adrienne and PE with Joe Wicks. She may have to join The Dutchman in the burpee-ing. Ergh.

The Dutchman burpees
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Plant something

A lovely friend of Tamara’s dropped off some rocket seedlings for her to ultimately kill. That’s ok, fun will be had in trying to grow them.

Try window-sill gardening for those of us who do not have access to outdoor space. Tamara also intends to sow some wild flower seeds and will let you know how it goes!

Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay

Move your body

We have already mentioned exercise throughout this article so far. But the most fun Tamara had was when she put on some music and had a boogie in her kitchen. Obvious advice, we know. But it really helped boost her mood when she was feeling overwhelmed and anxious about life, the universe and covid-19.

Friends with kids have been playing classic games like the Floor is Lava and trying ballet with The Ballet Coach There are so many free exercises and dance videos available online like this to pick from. Whatever floats your boat, give it a go.

Photo by Magdaline Nicole from Pexels

Do something creative

You can draw, colour, paint, cross-stitch, write, or anything else you want to. Creativity is calming and gives you something else to focus on. (Emma is writing a book, something she shoehorns into every conversation now.)

See if any local hobby shops, like The Stash By The Sea, are open for online orders and deliveries. You can even get creative with your trash, i.e making necklaces out of sweet wrappers. 

Be kind

Image by reneebigelow from Pixabay

And finally, be kind – to yourself, your loved ones, neighbours and strangers. It is an understatement to say that these are tough, strange times.

Be kind, wash your hands and stay at home.


Photo by Kelly Lacy from Pexels

And that is it from us folks. Let us know in the Comments section what you are doing to keep your head in this crisis and bonus points if you have parental, green or eco-tips to share!

How to Recycle in Portsmouth in 2019

Welcome to The Updated Ultimate Guide to Recycling in Portsmouth!

 It is no secret that we (Emma and Tamara) love recycling; we’ve certainly written enough posts about it. Back in 2017, our first post here on Shades of Green was about how to recycle in Portsmouth. But in the two years since then, much has changed and the time for updating is here!

As there is currently no national standardized recycling system in the UK, access to recycling facilities varies widely depending on where you live. It’s basically a geographical luck-of-the-draw. Emma’s best friend lives in Bolton and whenever Emma visits, she’s amazed and rather jealous about what Bolton council will divert from the rubbish bin compared to Portsmouth city council. She literally lusts over Bolton’s kerbside recycling where food and drink cartons, foil and foil trays (to name but a few) are all collected, together with the usual suspects of tins, paper and card and plastic bottles.

Shades of Green Mantra
Image by Tracey McCulloch

With countries such as China and Malaysia turning away the UK’s low-quality recycling, dumping our recycling waste on other countries is no longer such an easy option. So, though important, recycling must come after reusing, repairing, and reducing. With this in mind, donating to charity and repairing is included as a recycling option on our list.

For your convenience and our sanity, we’ve structured this list of items by which room in your house they’re most likely to be found. (We’ve included office as well for those of you looking to recycle at work.) We’ve also listed it according to the most convenient place for you to recycle items, i.e. if it can be recycled at home at the kerbside, we’ve stated that. 

Prepare yourself, this is one epic post!

Tip: Please ensure items are clean and free of food residue on them. Give items quick rinse and let air dry before recycling.
Terracycle Tip: Public drop-off locations for Terracycle recycling schemes do change and some schemes are time-limited, so check the maps we have included or the Terracycle website for updated locations and information.

The Updated Ultimate Guide to Recycling in Portsmouth

Room by room


Living Room

Extract of living room items that can be recycled

Living Room: Recycle Kerbside

  • Paper and Cardboard, such as
    • Newspapers and magazines 
    • Junk mail 
    • Greetings cards and gift wrapping paper (no glitter or embellishments or foils or plastics) 
    • Telephone directories and Yellow Pages
  • Small Electrical and Electronic Items (WEEE)
    • If definitely dead as a dodo, recycle at the kerbside. (Leave in a standard-sized supermarket carrier bag on top of your green wheelie bin/ box.)
    • Broken Sat Navs, Games Consoles, Laptops, Tablets, Cameras, including video cameras, Mobile Phones, and Portable Music Devices can also be donated to Portsmouth Green Party who through Recycling for Good Causes recycle these unwanted items and raise funds.

Living Room: Leave The House

  • Batteries
    • Where: Collection Points are located inside the store of most large supermarkets, including Lidl, Tesco, Currys PC World, and Sainsbury’s. (Take a look in your supermarket next time you shop)
    • What:
      • All household batteries including ‘button’ batteries from watches.
      • Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and remote control units.
  • Cigarette Waste
    • Where: Freepost to Terracycle.
    • What:
      • Extinguished cigarettes
      • Filters
      • Tobacco pouches
      • Rolling paper
      • Inner foil packaging
      • Outer plastic packaging, and ash.
  • Books
    • Pre-loved books can be donated to charity or put in the Books & CD/DVD Recycling Banks across the city. Click here to find your nearest one.
  • CDs and DVDs
    • Pre-loved CDs and DVDs can be donated to charity shops or to the CD/DVD & Books Recycling Banks across the city. Click here to find your nearest one.
    • For obsolete data CDs etc
      • Where: Post to Reproplastics. Contact them first for their separation specifications.
    • What:
      • CD and DVD cases (with the discs removed)
      • CDs and DVDs loose
  • Large Electricals
    • If in working order, donate and if broken, attempt to repair.
    • If definitely broken
      • Return to the store for disposal.
      • or take to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (aka the Tip in Port Solent)
      • or contact a scrap metal dealer, like this one. (Emma did no research apart from Googling ‘Free Scrap Metal Collection Portsmouth UK’)
  • Furniture
    • Donate, give away, or sell.
    • If not fit for use, try offering on Freecycle or Trash Nothing because some clever crafty people can turn your broken chest of drawers into a child’s toy storage.
    • Last resort is the tip.
  • Money

Kitchen

Extract of kitchen items that can be recycled

Kitchen: Recycle Kerbside

  • Paper and Card, such as:
    • Takeaway menus 
    • Cardboard egg boxes
    • Cardboard fruit and veg punnets (please break down larger boxes)
    • Cardboard sleeve
    • Cardboard sandwich packaging (remove plastic window)
    • Cereal boxes
    • Pizza boxes (any parts with food waste or lots of grease should be composted)
    • Corrugated cardboard
  • Plastic bottles (No lids), such as:
    • Home cleaning product bottles like Cleaner and detergent bottles
    • Drinks bottles
    • Milk bottles
    • See where you can recycle the plastic bottle lids further down this list.
  • Drink Cans and Food tins (please wash), such as:
    • Drink cans e.g. fizzy drinks cans, beer cans
    • Food tins e.g. baked beans, fish, soup tins
    • Pet food tins e.g. dog and cat food tins
    • Metal sweet and biscuit tins
  • Food Waste Trial 
    • Portsmouth City Council is launching a food waste kerbside collection trial starting this September 2019 for 6 months. Click here to see if you are one of the lucky households participating. 
    • Yes to all uneaten food and plate scrapings, plastic-free tea bags, shredded paper, coffee grounds, vegetable peelings, eggshells and cut flowers.  
    • No to liquids or packaging of any kind. That includes industrial ‘compostable’ packaging such as Vegware.
Tip: If your road is not part of the food waste trial, see ShareWaste further down this list. 

Kitchen: LEAVE THE HOUSE

Recycling Banks/ Supermarkets
  • Glass Bottles and Jars (including metal lids) 
    • Where: Recycle at Glass Recycling Banks located across the city. Find your nearest one here
    • What:
      • Glass bottles of any colour e.g. wine and beer bottles
      • Food jars e.g. jam jars, baby food jars
      • Non-food bottles, e.g. perfume, aftershave, face creams
Tip: Did you know you can leave the metal jar lids and the screwcap lids on!   
  • Rigid Mixed Plastics
    • Where: Rigid Mixed Plastic Recycling Banks at Sainsbury’s Farlington and Sainsbury’s Commercial Road. Sainsbury’s Superstores are the only stores we’ve spotted these mixed plastic recycling banks.
    • What:
      • Margarine and ice cream tubs
      • Confectionary tubs
      • Rigid plastic food packets
      • Yoghurt pots
      • Plastic lids (see below for alternatives to Sainsbury’s)
  • Drinks and Food Cartons
    • What:
      • Juice cartons
      • Paper cups
      • Milk cartons
      • Paper coffee cups (no lids)
      • Soup, tomatoes and other food cartons
      • Other beverage cartons
      • No to sandwich packaging, any other laminated fibre packaging, coffee cup lids.
 Tip:  Did you know you can leave the caps/lids of the cartons on!    
  • Stretchy Plastics
    • Where: Plastic Bag Recycling Collection Points found in (usually) larger supermarkets in-store, including Waitrose Southsea and Commercial Road Sainsbury’s Superstore and Tesco Superstore and North Habour Tesco Superstore Extra.
    • What: 
      • Plastic Carrier Bags (except biodegradable or compostable bags)
      • Plastic bread bags,
      • Plastic cereal bags and inner cereal bags, 
      • Plastic wrappers and ring joiners from multipacks of cans and plastic bottles
      • Plastic wrappers from toilet roll, nappy pack and kitchen towel packs,
      • Plastic freezer bags
      • Plastic magazine and newspaper wrap (type used for home delivery only) 
      • Polythene that covers things like dry cleaning, 
      • Thin bags used for fruit and veg at supermarkets, 
        Bubble wrap
      • Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – resin ID code
      • No: Do not include anything claiming to be biodegradable or compostable.
Tips: Tear off sticky labels where possible.
      Bread bags can also be dropped off at Eco Freaks Emporium, Gosport.
Out and ABout (Kitchen)
  • Plastic Bottle Lids (alternative to Sainsbury’s mixed plastics recycling banks)
    • Where: Lush Portsmouth.
    • What: Small plastic bottle tops made from any plastic compound such as Lush bottle caps, milk, soft drinks, sports cap drinks, fabric softener caps.
    • Where + What: Take milk bottle lids only to Coffee No. 1 in Southsea

[April 22, 2021

SAD DANCE UPDATE: Unfortunately, St Mary’s Church no longer take foils for recycling. Instead, you can take your foils to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Port Solent (aka the tip).]

  • Foils
    • Where: Drop it at St Mary’s Church, Fratton 9am-12pm, Monday to Friday. 
    • What:
      • Clean household foil and aluminium trays
      • Takeaway containers
      • Barbeque tray
Tip: Try the scrunch test - if you scrunch it up into a ball and it stays that way (like tin foil does), then it’s probably recyclable aluminium. If it bounces back open it isn't and needs to go in the rubbish bin.  
Tip: Take the plastic lids to Sainsbury’s Mixed Plastic Banks
  • Biscuit or Sweet Metal Tins
    • (alternative to kerbside recycling)
  • Organic, Compostable Waste
    • Sign up for Sharewaste, which links people with organic waste like veg peelings and no compost with people with home composters! Tamara has two compost bins and is very proud of her system and many ‘regulars’ who donate their fruit and veg peelings.
    • What: This depends on the person who accepts your stuff for compost but to give you any idea – Tamara accepts:
      • Raw, uncooked fruit and veg peelings (remove stickers from fruit etc)
      • Uncooked eggshells (please crush)
      • Used tea leaves and used coffee grounds. ( just the contents of the teabags as most teabag casings are made of plastic – unless states plastic-free/ biodegradable tea bags )
      • No cooked food of any kind
  • Plastic Takeaway Containers: If still fit-for-purpose, donate your clean reusable takeaway containers to The Lifehouse or Foodcycle or Portsmouth Foodbank.
  • Coffee Pods:
Tip: Did you know that Portsmouth Foodbank welcomes donations of toiletries, Tupperware, tin openers etc for people in need - not just food. 
Terracycle Drop Off Locations (Kitchen)
  • Ella’s Kitchen Baby Food Pouches and Snack Wrappers
    • Where: About four Terracycle public drop-off locations in Portsmouth and Eco Freaks Emporium in Gosport. See map for details. Alternatively, youcan sign up as a private collector and post the items for free.
    • What:
      • Ella’s Kitchen brand of baby food pouches
      • Ella’s Kitchen brand baby food pouch caps (remember these can also go into Sainsbury’s Mixed Plastics Recycling or be taken to Lush)
      • Ella’s Kitchen brand Snack packets
  • Pringles Tubes and Lids
    • Where: There are a few Terracycle Pringles public drop-off locations depending on where you live in Portsmouth, including Solent Infant School. Zoom in on the map for details. Or sign up as a private collector and post the items for free.
    • What:
      • Any size of Pringles brand tubes
      • Plastic lid and seal of Pringles brand can
  • Crisp Packets
    • Where: There are a handful of Terracycle Crisp Packet public drop-off locations both in the north and south of Portsmouth as well as Eco Freaks Emporium, Gosport. Zoom in on the map for details.
    • What:
      • Crisp packets
      • Crisp multipack outer packaging
Tips: Flatten the crisp packets and do not fold them into triangles. And try Two Farmers Crisps which come in home compostable bags! #notanad 
  • Popcorn, Nut and Pretzel Packets
    • Where: There is one Terracycle drop-off location in Pompey (Southsea) or then it’s Eco Freaks Emporium in Gosport or Horndean. See map for details.  
    • What:
      • Any brand nut packets
      • Any brand pretzel packets
      • Any brand popcorn packets
      • Any brand crisp packets
  • Biscuit and Snack Packaging
    • Where: There are a few Terracycle public drop-off locations in Portsmouth as well as Eco Freaks in Gosport. Zoom in on the map for details.
    • What:
      • Any brand of non-savoury biscuit wrappers
      • Any brand of cracker wrappers
      • Any brand of cake bar wrappers
  • Sweet Packets and Plastic Confectionery Packaging
    • Where: Solent Infant School in Drayton. Eco Freaks Emporium in Gosport. (Both SIS and EFE also take several other items if you just want to make one big trip with everything.)
    • What:
      • Plastic chocolate and sweets pouches and bags
      • Individual chocolate bar wrappers
      • Chocolate and sweets multipack outer plastic packaging
      • Plastic chocolate block wrappers
Tip: Breakfast, granola and energy bar wrappers are not accepted. See here for more details on what is/isn't accepted.  
  • Home Cleaning Products Packaging
    • Where: Several locations in North Portsmouth. See map for details.
    • What: all brands and sizes of –
      • Plastic bottle caps and plastic trigger heads for home cleaning products
      • Flexible wipe packaging (used for home cleaning products)
      • Pumps and caps for home cleaning products

And for the truly dedicated, here are some kitchen items that do not currently have drop-off locations in Portsmouth but can be taken further afield to Fareham, Gosport Denmead etc.

Further afield Terracycle drop off locations
  • L’OR and Kenco Coffee Packaging
    • Where: Drop off at these locations in Fareham or Gosport.
    • What:
      • Any size of Tassimo Flow Wrap packaging
      • Kenco Eco-Refill Coffee Packs
      • L’OR Coffee Capsules
      • Kenco Eco-Refill Coffee Packs
      • Kenco brand Coffee Jar Lids
Tip:  Alternatively, for an easy life, drop the coffee jar lids at Sainsbury’s Mixed Plastic Banks  
  • Cleaning Products Packaging
    • Where: Either in Eco Freaks Emporium, Gosport Fareham and Denmead. Zoom in on map for details.
    • What: any brand of –
      • Outer plastic sleeve for dishwasher cleaners:
      • Foil inside dishwasher protector
      • Flexible plastic dishwasher sale bags
      • Outer packaging for dishwasher cleaner and fresheners
      • Fragrance Twin Pack plastic sleeves
      • Flexible stain remover packaging
      • Flexible cleaning wipe packaging
      • Flexible cleaning product refill packaging
      • Flexible dishwasher tablet packaging
  • Pet Food Packaging
    • Where: Either in Gosport or Horndean. Zoom in on map for details.
    • What:
      • All wet pet food plastic pouches
      • All pet treat flexible plastic packaging and pouches
      • All dry pet food flexible plastic packaging

Bathroom

Extract of bathroom items that can be recycled

bathroom: Recycle Kerbside

  • Paper and Card, such as
    • Toilet roll tubes
    • Toothpaste cardboard cartons
  • Plastic Bottles, such as
    • Plastic shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc bottles
Tip: Rinse them out first- use leftover bathwater or do so in the shower.  

Bathroom: LEAVE THE HOUSE

Terracycle Drop Off Locations (BATHROOM)
  • Oral Care Items
    • Plastic toothbrushes (rinsed)
    • Electric or battery-operated toothbrush heads (rinsed)
    • Toothbrush outer packaging
    • Toothbrush tubes and caps (empty as far as possible)
  • Razors and Blades
    • Where: Sign up here for a Freepost envelope.
    • What: Gillette is running a recycling scheme until June 2020 via Terracycle for all brands of razors, blades and disposable razors and their packaging.
  • Plastic Air Fresheners
    • Where: A few locations north of Portsmouth. See map for details.
    • What: all brands and sizes of-
      • Plastic air fresheners and air freshener cartridges
      • Plastic air freshener packaging

BEDROOM

Extract of bedroom items that can be recycled

BEDROOM: Recycle Kerbside

  • Aerosols, such as
    • Deodorant aerosol containers 
    • No lids
Tip: Take the plastic aerosol lids to Sainsbury's mixed plastic banks. 
  • Metal Tins, such as
    • Shoe polish tins
    • Deodorant tins

Bedroom: Leave The House

Out and ABout (BEDROOM)
  • Glass
    • Where: Glass Recycling Banks can be found across the city. To find your nearest one, go to Portsmouth’s City Council Recycling Locator here.
    • What:
      • Glass jars and bottles such as body cream and face cream jars. Remember, you can leave the metal lids on.
  • Jewellery
    • What + Where: Donate jewellery including costume jewellery, odd earings, broken pieces, and watches to Portsmouth Green Party. Of course, other organisations and charities also collect for these types of recycling schemes.
  • Contact Lenses, including Packaging
    • Where: We have spotted contact lens recycling bins in-store at Boots in Commercial Road, Portsmouth and the Boots Meridian Centre, Havant. When you get your next eye-test, check if your local opticians in participating in this Terracycle scheme.
    • What: any brand of-
      • Soft, disposable contact lenses (daily, 2-weekly, monthly)
      • Contact lens blister packs & foils waste packaging
  • Spectacles
  • Inhalers
    • Where: A number of locations across the city, including Boots Southsea and Asda Fratton pharmacies. Search for the nearest one here.
    • What:
      • All brands of oral respiratory devices
      • Click here to check the list of acceptable items
  • L’Occitane Beauty, Hair and Skincare Packaging
    • What:
      • Refill pouches
      • Flexible Plastic Tubes
      • Rigid plastic tubes/tubs such as lip balm tubes and deodorant sticks
      • Caps and closures
      • Pumps, trigger heads and dispensers such as for soap, body lotion etc
      • Travel size packaging
      • Metal cases
      • Aluminium packaging
      • No: Aerosols Glass Bottles, Glass Tubs, Glass Moisturiser Jars
Tips: Recycle aerosols kerbside minus the lid, the aerosol lid can go to Sainsbury's Mixed Plastics Recycling Banks, the glass tubs and jars to the Glass Recycling Banks all around town. 
  • Clothing and Accessories
    • What:
      • Clothing
      • Shoes
      • Bags
      • Household Linens
      • Belts
      • Hats, scarves
    • Repair:
    • Donate:
      • New to Good Condition?
        • *Prioritise* donating to charity shops and shelters if items are in good, reuseable condition.
      • In Good to Bad Condition?
        • Textile Recycling Banks
          • Where: There are many across the city, check here for your nearest one.
          • What: Any materials (clothes, shoes & bags and household linen) no matter how old or worn (Please ensure items are clean and place them in a bag).
      • Not Fit for Use?
        • Where: Charity Shops and Textile Recycling Banks
        • What: Rags, materials and textiles not fit for use – including old towels, bedding, clothes, etc
        • Tip: Put in a separate bag and label it rags, so staff don’t waste time going through it.
    • Swap for Rewards:
      • Where: Most M&S stores, including M&S Outlets, and at Oxfam stores offer a ‘Shwop Drop’ box, usually by the tills. Nearest M&S Outlet is in Gunwharf and Oxfam Shop is in Southsea.
      • What: They accept any item of clothing (even if it’s damaged) from any retailer, including shoes, handbags, jewellery, belts, hats, scarves and bras. You can also Shwop soft furnishings (bed linen, towels, cushions, curtains, throws, aprons, tablecloths and napkins)
      • Where: +What: H&M accept unwanted clothes by any brand, in any condition, at any of their stores. Nearest H&M is in Commercial Road, Portsmouth.
      • Others reward schemes exist. Google is your friend.
  • Bras
    • As well as the options above, you can also donate your preloved bras to specific bra-focused organisations and charities that redistribute and recycle them.
    • Tamara particularly likes Against Breast Cancer and Bravissimo, having used both in the past. Freepost your bras to Bravissimo to this address: FREEPOST RLYT-YCYR-YGUH, Bravissimo, 1st Floor, Imperial Court, Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4YB.
  • Towels, Bedding, and Other Large Soft Materials
    • If it’s not good enough to be sold in a charity shop, but too good for rags, donate to your local animal shelter.
  • Mattresses
    • Donate to charity shops or homeless shelters, if in good condition and fit for use.
    • If not able to reuse, you could take some time stripping it down into individual parts, giving the material to rag bags and the metal to scrap metal collectors.
    • Or you can take it to the tip.
  • Sex Toys
    • Electric ones, i.e. vibrators, can be recycled with Love Honey. (Read more about socially conscious sex here.)
Tip: As electric/battery-operated sex toys are electrical items, they can be recycled kerbside. Leave in a standard-sized supermarket carrier bag on top of your green wheelie bin/ box. 
Terracycle Drop Off Locations (Bedroom)

Office/ study

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Office and study: KERBSIDE

  • Paper, such as
    • Window envelopes
    • Envelopes
    • Greeting cards (no glitter or embellishments)

Office and study: Leave The House

Tip: Remember, shredded paper cannot go in the kerbside recycling but it can go in a home composter as well as the new kerbside food waste collection trial. 
  • Packaging from Packages
    • Where: Join Packshare and donate your packaging materials to small businesses. The closest location accepting materials (at the time of writing) is on Hayling Island.
    • What:
      • Cardboard boxes
      • Bubble wrap
      • Air pockets
      • Packing peanuts
      • Jiffy bags
      • Poster tubes
      • Brown paper
      • Tissue paper
      • Vinyl mailer 7″ and 12″
      • Corrugated cardboard
      • Shredded cardboard
      • Plastic bags

Garage / Shed

Extract of garage and shed items that can be recycled

gARAGE AND shed: Leave The House

  • Energy-efficient Light Bulbs:
    • Robert Dyas and Curry’s PC World stores should accept them for recycling. There is a Robert Dyas on Palmerston Road, Southsea and a Curry’s PC World at Ocean Retail Park, Copnor.
  • Bicycles
    • Community Cycle Hub will refurbish donated bikes or recycle them. They have three locations – two in Portsmouth and one in Gosport.
  • Wood
  • Paint
    • Reuse: Reuse it. Donate to friends/family/local community project if you won’t use it again.
Tip: Did you know paint can't be recycled or taken to landfill sites in a liquid state? 
  • Non-electrical Tools
    • Donate to charity shops, local community projects, or Workaid.
    • Unusable ones might be able to be collected by scrap metal collectors.

Garden/ Windowsill/ Balcony

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Garden/ Windowsill/ balcony: Leave The House

  • Plant Pots and Trays
    • Donate useable items to community gardens such as Southsea Green and Landport Community Garden.
    • A friend of Shades of Green, Emma, alerted us that plastic plant pots can be recycled at B&Q. Let us know if you try!
    • Further afield in Havant, you can take all shapes, sizes and colours of plastic plant post and trays to Dobbies Garden Centre. Give them a quick wash first and ensure it is plastic and not polystyrene.
  • Compostable Garden Waste
    • Where: As mentioned in the Kitchen section, Sharewaste links those with organic waste and no compost with neighbours with home composters.
    • What: This depends on the Sharewaste neighbour but they might accept –
      • Dry leaves,
      • Wood ashes
      • Withered flowers
      • Wood shavings
      • Grass clippings
    • Where: The Garden Waste Club, a paid kerbside collection is available in Portsmouth through Biffa.
    • What:
      • Leaves, grass cuttings, hedge and tree cuttings etc
      • Any woody material under 10cm (4 inches) in diameter
      • No vegetable peelings, animal waste such as droppings etc or animal bedding
  • Holiday Inflatables
    • Where: Isle of Wight based Wyatt & Jack turn inflatables, destined for the bin, into cool bags. Post smaller items and they refund your postage. They can collect large items from you using a courier service. See here for address details.
    • What: punctured and beyond repair –
      • Punctured paddling pools,
      • Bouncy castles,
      • Inflatable unicorns etc.
      • Water wings/ armbands
      • Beach balls
      • Old windbreaks
      • Trampolines
      • Rubber dinghies
      • All sorts of other beach paraphernalia, inflatables and water toys
      • Air beds

Well, that was a major read. Congrats if you made it to the end. Let us know any questions you have in the comments below or via ">email.

We’re especially interested to hear from people who want to share other recycling locations, other products to be recycled, and if you’re a local business able to take any products (i.e. paint, wood, etc) for reuse.