The A-Z of Rubbish - W is for Waste Less

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Rubbish From A to Z

W is for Waste less

There’ll be more plastic in the sea by 2050. Litter has got worse since lockdown has eased. The UK is running out of landfill space. We’ve all seen headlines like this, and while they might be depressing, the less depressing news is that we can do something about it.

If we are going to protect the environment, wildlife, and our own health, we need to start thinking about reducing the amount of waste we produce and throw away. Here’s our easy guide to how you can waste less.

Make some sensible zero waste swaps in your home

If you want to waste less, it all starts at home.

In the bathroom

If you’re someone who likes their products, just look at how many plastic bottles you have in your bathroom. This adds up to a lot of potential plastic waste. Many people recycle their kitchen waste but forget about the things in their bathroom. Here’s how you can waste less.

• Buy your products in bar form. If you’ve been to eco-friendly retailers like Lush, you’ll know that you can get many of your favourite products in bar form now, from cleansers to shampoo and conditioner. These are often made from natural ingredients so they’re kinder on your hair and skin, and kinder to the environment because they don’t create tonnes of plastic waste.
• Replace your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one.
• Take your empty beauty product containers and bottles back to the retailer and you’ll get a reward of either vouchers, loyalty points, or even a free product when you return a certain amount of empty containers. Retailers like John Lewis and The Body Shop each have their own container return schemes.

In the kitchen

• If you’re guilty of using lots of kitchen roll, think about using an alternative like reusable kitchen roll or washable cloths. You can even cut up old clothing to use as a cloth. Just think of how many trees you’ll be sparing.
• Ditch the clingfilm and use an eco-friendly reusable alternative like beeswax coated food wrap. If they are washed and cared for properly, they can last as long as one year, and you get to save lots of impossible to recycle clingfilm from landfill.
• Go natural with your cleaning products. You don’t need a cleaning spray for everything and countless bottles of bleach under the sink. Use lemon juice, vinegar, and bicarbonate of soda to keep your worktops and sinks spotless and save on plastic waste.

In the home office

If you work from home, you need to think about how you can waste less.

• Instead of buying new notepads, can you use scrap paper and secure it with a bulldog clip?
• Buying pens with refillable cartridges is also an eco-friendly choice.
• Before you print something, ask whether you really need to. If you do need to print, print double-sided wherever possible.
• Invest in a recycling bin for your home office so you don’t end up throwing recyclables in your household waste bin.

In the wardrobe

The rise of fast fashion and online retailers selling cheap clothing is creating a lot of waste. Why would people bother to make do and mend when you can buy a replacement item for a dirt cheap price?

But when it comes to clothing, we really need to waste less. 10,000 items of clothing end up in landfill every 5 minutes-yes, you read that correctly. This means that valuable materials, water, energy, and other resources are going to waste. We need to put a stop to this throwaway culture by:

• Customising or mending your old unwanted clothing.
• Arranging to swap some items of clothing with your friends.
• Investing in quality items as your budget allows. Cheaper clothing tends to look worn and go out of shape quicker than good quality items, so build your wardrobe around the quality materials.
• Check out your local charity shop for a bargain, you never know what treasures you might find.

We hope that some of these tips help you to waste less, save money, and do your bit for the planet!