We might be in holiday mode over the summer months but that doesn’t mean we should take a break from contributing to Northern Ireland’s drive towards greater sustainability.

Bryson Recycling offers the following top tips to help make sure that looking after the environment remains high on our priority list over the summer:

• Clever camping – re-use probiotic yoghurt drink bottles when camping. Fill one with washing up liquid, another with cooking oil, shower gel - the list goes on. Many campsites  now have recycling bins so remember to use them

• Clothing clear-out – if you are clearing out your wardrobe to make room for summer clothes, or getting rid of everything you didn’t wear this summer come September, make sure to take any unwanted items to your local charity shop or recycle in your kerbside box

• Greener barbecues – if you are having a barbecue this summer remember to recycle all your glass bottles and jars, cans and plastic bottles, and use your own cutlery and crockery rather than plastic knives and forks and paper plates. Avoid wasting food by cooking only enough for the number of people attending, and dispose of barbecue waste responsibly by taking it home with you

• Perfect picnic – when going for a picnic consider preparing food at home and choosing loose fruit and vegetables rather than buying food in disposable packaging, and pack food in re-usable containers. Buy local produce when possible which will cut carbon emissions given off during transportation and  provide support to local farmers

• Battery recycling – many of the devices we bring on holidays or camping run on batteries so make sure to hold onto used batteries from speakers, shavers, torches, etc. and recycle either by putting them in a clear plastic  bag and placing in your kerbside box or by taking them to  your local Council recycling centre. . As well as re-using the metal components of batteries this also ensures the hazardous portion is disposed of safely

• Home from holidays – most of us tend to take at least a few ‘throw away’ items on holiday, many of which can be recycled using your kerbside box, such as old clothes and swimwear, books and magazines, and empty suntan lotion bottles

• Eco friendly festivals – with tens of thousands of people attending summer music festivals, organisers are becoming more and more conscious of the volume of waste generated and the potential for recycling, so remember to take advantage of the facilities on offer for recycling bottles and cans. When buying drinks from the bar, ask if they offer ‘eco cups’, where you get a small deposit back when you return your empty cup

For more advice on recycling and information on what you can recycle in your area, visit Bryson’s website at www.brysonrecycling.co.uk. And don’t forget to keep using your kerbside box throughout the summer – collections operate as normal so continue to fill it up with as much recyclable material as you can.