Household Food Waste

Research has found that in the UK throwing away £13 billion of household food waste in a year (about 7.3 million tonnes). Some waste is inevitable (egg shells, tea bags, etc) but a large proportion of this waste can be avoided. Get into te habit of using up what you’ve already bought before you buy more groceries. This is especially important with fresh produce such as fruit or vegetables, bread, etc. Checking what you have in the fridge and cupboard before making a shopping list, as many buy in  bulk to ‘save money’ yet end up wasting the food.

Technology and Gadgets

Technology seems to date so quickly and there’s always a new gadget people purchase. Sometimes we really do just need to think seriously about whether we do actually need that shiny new toy or whether we are just buying it for the sake of it. Other times though you may  need to upgrade or buy a new piece of technology and in these cases you can do it  knowing it won’t go to waste. Gumtree, Facebook or Freecycle are all good places to sell or donate your old technology to someone who will get good use out of it.

Clothing

Fashion too has become very disposable, as it is often cheaper to buy a new item of clothing than it is to repair the old. Buying cheap isn’t always the most cost effective in the long run though, and spending a bit more to buy quality will usually mean it lasts longer and works out less expensive on a ‘cost per wear’ basis. However there are situations where it may be difficult to avoid purchasing clothes that will only be worn a few times. Clothing is at least one of the types of potential waste that can most easily be reused or recycled.  You can sell at car boot sales or on Facebook, or donate to a local charity.