To celebrate the start of 2013, Tandridge District Council is encouraging residents to make New Year's resolutions to help increase recycling and reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.

By making even one of the following resolutions the amount of rubbish created can be reduced and the amount recycled increased. Every small action contributes towards less rubbish going to landfill.

Here are some suggestions for New Year Recycling Resolutions.

Recycle

Use your mixed recycling bin to recycle as many things as possible including:

• Paper and cardboard.

• Plastics including bottles and bottle caps, food trays, yoghurt containers, and other plastic containers, such as ice cream and margarine tubs.

• Tetra Paks and other wax lined cartons.

• Cans and tins.

• Aerosols.

• Foil.

• Glass bottles and jars.

Re-use

Use re-useable items whenever possible. Don't use paper cups and plates for parties, take your own carrier bags with you when you go shopping and look up recipes for food you often have leftover, so you don't have to throw it away.

Food

Do you really need to buy the 'three for two' offer in the supermarket – will you really be able to use up the extra food? If not, walk away and buy only what you really need. Or make sure you freeze it before the use by date.

Electrical items

Why not recycle your old electrical items. If you received electrical presents for Christmas, you could recycle your older items at the community recycling centres in Bond Road, Warlingham and Chaldon Road, Caterham. Location maps can be found on www.tandridge.gov.uk and www.surreycc.gov.uk.

Clothes

You could buy clothes designed to last longer or raid the second hand clothes shops for a new outfit. Consider using accessories to give clothes a new lease of life or swapping clothes with friends, for new additions to your wardrobe.

Encouraging every resident to adopt at least one recycling New Year's resolution, Councillor Tony Elias, Chairman of the Community Services Committee, which is responsible for the new recycling and waste service, said: "Every contribution, however small, adds up if every resident plays their part. Thanks to our new service recycling is becoming a day-to-day activity for most of us – let's all adopt at least one recycling New Year's resolution to reduce what we use and reuse what we can, before we think about throwing things out."