Energy Doctor

Sharon Williams from Enniskillen

I live alone and have a full time job, so when it comes to making myself dinner a lot of the food I have bought has gone off and needs to be thrown away. Can you help me see how I could reduce the amount of food waste I end up producing?

A simple idea for you to cut down the amount of food you throw away is to plan your meals in advance and so when shopping you can ensure you purchase the right amount of food. If you have a full time job and are wasting large amounts of food you should try and buy 'long life food' which means you'll always have ingredients at hand to make the most of your fresh food.

Marc Newman from Antrim

My dishwasher is broken and I would like to get a new one, is it possible to recycle the old one, and if so how can I do this?
You can recycle any broken electronically appliances no matter the size. Before you buy any new appliance, always ask the retailer what you should do with the old one. They will be able to provide you with full details of how to recycle it. Some retailers will even collect your old appliance (sometimes for a small fee) when they deliver larger item or may accept smaller ones in the store.

Sophie Franklin from Carrickfergus
I have recently given birth and I have lots of maternity clothes which I no longer fit into. As I do not know anyone who is pregnant I would quite like to recycle these clothes, but do not know how to do this as the only charity shop near me has closed down.

If you do not know where your nearest tip site is then insert your postcode into Recycle Now's useful recycling facilities finder: www.recyclenow.com However if you unfortunately do not have access of a close tip, then look out for textile banks provided by charities close to where you live.

Moira Read from Belfast

I want to start a compost heap in my garden but I have no idea how to begin. I am also worried about the smell and I would like to know how to create one that is contained properly?

There are always more ways in which to make a compost heap both in style and in size, the key to a good compost heap is to get a good mix of wet and sappy materials with dry and fibrous ones. This will ensure your bin has all the moisture and air it needs to compost successfully. If you want more information on this then visit www.recyclenow.com/compost For those who live in flats we would recommend enquiring about a community composting which may be hosted at a civic amenity centre or your local authority may even collect food and/or garden waste. Those with small gardens or balconies may want to consider a wormery however you will still need somewhere to place the compost.