Take your own reusable containers to a buy in bulk shop, and ideally those who only sell organic and seasonal.
Compost your food waste, or put it in your food waste bin for collection to help reduce harmful pesticide use.
Treat your council recycling bin as a last resort. If you must buy something in a bottle or container and you can’t reuse it see about donating it to your local school or charity for arts/crafts or other uses. Reuse.
Rather than send your brown papers to the council recycling bin, ask your local community garden or allotment if they will use it for their compost heap.
If you really must buy something in a bag that can’t be reused and isn’t able to be recycled then return it to the shop from where you purchased it, asking them to instead provide recycled paper packaging for that product. Better that they take on the responsibility of disposal, which might make them think again about packaging, rather than council rates rising to service retailers’ inaction.