Introduction

Welcome to the seventh edition of Too Good to Waste, your indispensable guide to reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling in Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders.

If you're reading this then you are one of a growing number of people who dont just think of waste as something to be avoided but are actively doing something about reducing it. In Scotland we are aspiring to a zero waste society and this guide is a tool to help you get the waste out of your life. Use the A-Z listing of items and materials with the "Sustainable Living" section and you will find yourself saving money, supporting your local community and discovering new opportunities to develop skills, volunteer and improve your quality of life.

To provide some focus and help you realise these benefits there are "star" actions highlighted throughout the guide, practical actions for us all to aspire to.

By reducing our waste, adopting a culture of reusing and recycling and composting the majority of what remains, we can take some pressure off our shared environment - less over-exploitation of our natural resources, less pollution and local littering, less climate changing gases. These are issues we know concern many of you and which affect us all.

So when your general waste bin is nearly empty, your visits to local charity shops are more frequent and your recycling bins are bulging, you really will be making a difference. We hope a well thumbed Too Good to Waste guide will have assisted you on your journey.

The Changeworks' Waste Prevention Team