There's no greater feeling than going to the dump on a Sunday morning. Testosterone levels reach…read morenew highs as every piece of unwanted clutter hits the bottom of the skip. If you're throwing something away that's smash-able and you make the loudest noise you automatically become the dump alpha male! Luminous coats will assemble and applaud you all the way home! On a serious note this dump or recycling centre as they call it these days is one of the best around. There's a one way system that makes driving in easy. They have separate skips for cardboard, scrap metal, plastics and non-recyclables. They also offer electrical recycling, clothing banks and specialist fridge recycling. There's always plenty of staff here ready to assist you, last week I had a discussion about whether a clothes rail constituted scrap metal. Strictly this dump ain't for commercial waste. Really easily accessible from the Antrim Road If you fancy heading down here to mingle with other manly men smashing up household goods!

As dumps go this one is pretty awesome, you can recycle almost anything and there is somewhere to…read moreget rid of the non recyclables too. There is a one way system in place and the road section is raised above the skips which means you drop stuff in rather than trying to lift it up into the skip. Some staff are super helpful and will help you with your junk but others just grunt and point! There is something rather satisfying about chucking bottles into recycling bins and hearing them smash especially if you're in a bit of a grumpy mood!

There are not many shops that you can walk out of richer than you went in but this is one of those…read moreplaces. Used Clothing Co is a unique concept that turns your old Clothing, shoes, belts. Bed linen, curtains and even handbags into cold hard cash. The idea is that Used Clothing Co sort through your old tat and either give it to charity or use the material for other purposes. This is an ingenious idea that I think just might catch on. They weigh the bags and offer 50p for every Kilogram, that's an amazing £5 per 10 Kilograms. 7 bags of junk that included Kappa poppers, some knackered ancient trainers and my old Flintstones bed sheets got me a staggering £11.80. The best thing is that all I was going to do was throw them in the bin but now I can afford to update my wardrobe. This is an unbelievable idea and you feel like you are robbing them. The best thing about it is they even offer a home collection service, so if you can not be bothered hooking the trailer to the car and heading to the local refuse centre, just give these guys a call.

I love the ethos of this store. In brief it buys your old clothes from you then sells them on to…read morecharity shops and the money they make all goes to different charities. They take all types of good condition old clothes including shoes handbags belts etc. They don't take underwear except bras and they don't take bedding although the Bangor store will take towels and quilts without payment and then they will pass them onto Assisi, the local animal sanctuary . So all in all everyone benefits. I found the staff very friendly and knowledgeable . The store is easy to access being situated in Balloo retail park. So instead of leaving your old unwanted clothing into the local charity shop why not take a detour and get a few pennies for it and know that it will eventually reach a charity shop for sale and still make money for underprivileged , in other words a double whammy !

I love to buy, well, stuff, you know? But there comes a time you've got to rationalise,…read morestreamline, dare I say it - get rid of some of your stuff. I give unwanted things to charity shops, but I also recycle and regularly use Palmerston Road Recycling Centre (where else do you get full recycling facilities and art installations made from rubbish?). The staff in the centre are great - they are there to step in with anything you might need a hand with. They smile when it's raining and still smile when you nearly run over their toes in your car. You can bring everything here - the usual bottles, paper, car batteries but you can also bring spectacles, old books, clothes that are sent on for re-using by charities in Northern Ireland and the developing world. You should really make the effort, less stuff to landfill, someone else getting some benefit, you also get to feel good about yourself. You also get more room at home to fill with, well...more stuff!

It feels like entering a high security military complex when entering this dump with automatic…read morebarriers in and out, and all eyes locked onto your car as soon as you drive in. First impressions are wrong though and the staff ask you if you need help and let you know which skip you should put whatever rubbish you have in to. Id tend to use carryduff or ballygowan dumps most but if I'm only dumping my own rubbish ill save my petrol and use Palmerston road.

If you're having a clear out and you don't want to chuck your clothes away but you also don't want…read moreto donate them to a charity shop then why not meet half way and bring them down to Used Clothing Company. These guys offer 40p per kilogram for your old clothes. If you're planning on bringing things down here make sure they are in half decent condition as they won't accept any old junk! This store is quite new in Belfast but there others under the same banner. This particular one has great parking outside so if you have a large amount of clothes you can get the car nice and close. A good option if you want quick cash for your old clothes!

My wife and I arrived at V.and W recycling this morning with 4 bags of…read more plastic paper and plastic bottles.We parked at the allocated parking spaces and proceeded to walk in carrying the bags.[2 BAGS EACH] We were immediately confronted in an intimidatiory manner by the attendant at the kiosk.She insisted we pay the 4 euro entrance fee.I told her this is a walk in facility.You should not have to pay 4 euro to carry a few light bags of recyclables.We carried the bags in anyway. On our return,she confronted us again.She seemed very agitated and was raising her voice.People are not allowed to park at Aldi or the garage next door and enter the recycling depot,she stated.Who are you to tell people where to park outside your gate,I said.Are you a traffic warden? You should be paying me for providing you with the raw materials for your industry.Like they do in some European countries,I stated. The whole purpose is to extract 4 Euro from soft people,even if they want to dispose of minimum items.This is the 2nd time this woman tackeled me in 3 months.I contacted a few councillors on the issue.I hope they bring it up at council meetings. Has anyone else had a similiar experience? I asked her erect a notice prohibiting people from walking in.Oh we can't do that she replied. Why did the council stop providing the plastic bottle banks? Then I would never have to go to this horrible place.

Bryson Charitable group is a really excellent organisation and it deserves the praise and attention…read moreof all Northern Irish yelpers! The activities of Bryson can be split into two main areas: care services and recycling services. From programmes for children and youth to services for the elderly, Bryson House provides the highest standards of care to those who need it most. I actually volunteered for a while with Bryson in the People, a volunteer befriending scheme matching adults with learning difficulties with individuals from the wider community on a one-to-one basis. In addition to our well-known Care Services, they have undertaken created a number of environmental projects including Recycling Services, an Energy Efficiency Advice Centre and a range of education programmes to help young people understand their relationship to the environment. From my experience the people of Bryson are passionate about their jobs and the people and communities they help in. If you have any desire to volunteer, or perhaps want to recycle more effectively, look no further than Bryson!