Reusing is straightforward and easy to do at home, work or on the move!
By thinking more about the things we buy and how we can reuse them we can help the environment and save money.
Using a reusable shopping bag is one of the simplest ways to reduce waste.
Plastic bags have a significant impact on our environment. Government scientists believe that plastic in the sea is set to treble in a decade unless marine litter is curbed.
Since the 5p charge was introduced over 9 billion plastic bags have been taken out of circulation and there has been an estimated 50% reduction in plastic bag marine litter.
7.7 billion plastic bottles are used every year in the UK. Few on-the-go drinks bottles are recycled and a number contribute to litter on our streets. If just 10% of Brits refilled once a week we could save around 340 million plastic bottles a year.
Using a water bottle is simple, reduces waste, and can save you money compared to buying bottles of water, pop, and other soft drinks. Many cafes, restaurants and other food establishments offer free refills, and community taps are on the rise.
Carrying a reusable cup is a great way to cut waste. Many retailers offer a discount on your drink of choice when you bring your own cup.
According to a report by the UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 7 million disposable coffee cups are used every day in the UK, this equates to a staggering 2.5 billion a year, enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall!
Around half a million of these are then littered each day causing environmental damage as well as unsightly streets. By bringing your own cup we can reduce the number used whilst making it easier to spot which is yours and often keeping your drink hotter for longer.
Reusable lunchboxes and food containers can help cut food waste, are a great way to transport meals and snacks and help cut our reliance on convenience food - saving us money and helping us make healthier choices.
Food stored properly will last longer meaning that we have more opportunity to enjoy it. Using a lunchbox or food container to store leftovers gives you a quick, easy meal that is ready to go when you are.
Buying loose fruit and veg cuts plastic packaging at home, reduces food waste by letting you buy just what you need and often saves money.
Try putting a basket in the front of your trolley to pop your loose fruit and veg in, visiting a greengrocer or simply swapping plastic veg bags for fabric ones that can be reused, washed and keep your items together.
If you buy your fruit and veg loose you can make life easier by putting it on the conveyor in groups of items and don't give in to temptation at the till and accept plastic veg bags, you've come this far :)
Using a reuseable bag once a week can replace around 100 plastic bags a year or over 600 in its lifetime!
Swapping to reusable wipes can save money, the environment and may even be better for your skin.
Facewipes and wet wipes are behind a staggering 93% of blocked UK sewer pipes and make up a key element of fatbergs with a terrifying 9.3 million flushed down the toilet every day. With many marked as flushable we often don't realise that these wipes are made of plastic and absolutely shouldn't go down the loo.
Reusable face wipes and flannels can be used, washed along with your towels, dry quickly and are ready to use again. Many can be bought for the price of a packet of wet wipes but will last years.
From birth to potty training the average baby will go through over 5,000 disposable nappies. These can take hundreds of years to decompose and can cost hundreds of pounds.
Reusable nappies offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative. A basic set can cost around £80, with ongoing washing costs estimated at approximately £1 per week. This means significant savings over time, particularly if the nappies are reused for a second child. When washed and dried efficiently, research from the Environment Agency suggests that reusable nappies can be up to 40% better for the environment than disposable nappies.
Reusable baby wipes are a practical, washable alternative to disposable wipes. They can be cleaned alongside reusable nappies and are often stored in separate clean and used containers to keep them organised and hygienic. By switching to reusable wipes as well as nappies, families can further reduce household waste while making long-term savings.
Beeswax wraps are an easy way to reduce our clingfilm and plastic wrap use and save money in the long term. Wraps can be used, cleaned and reused to help keep a wide range of foods fresher for longer.
More than 1.2 billion metres of clingfilm is used by households in Britain every year - enough to go around the world 30 times. Clingfilm is hard to recycle and due to the ways we use it a lot ends up in our environment as litter.
Beeswax wraps are a great alternative for wrapping or storing foods like sandwiches, cheese and cake and can easily be used to cover bowls and tubs to keep leftovers fresh to use later.
Tea and coffee are a daily ritual for many people across the UK. Around 84% of people drink tea or herbal infusions every day, adding up to an estimated 100 million cups each day, or almost 36 billion cups every year. Most of these drinks are made using tea bags, yet many people are unaware that some tea bags contain plastic to help seal them, making them more difficult to compost and recycle.
Switching to loose-leaf tea and using a tea infuser or strainer is a simple way to reduce waste. As an added benefit, used tea leaves can often be added to your compost heap.
Coffee consumption is equally impressive, with around 70 million cups enjoyed every day in Britain. Nearly a third of UK households own a coffee pod machine, contributing to the billions of coffee pods produced worldwide each year. While coffee pods can be more resource-efficient than some brewing methods because they use a precise amount of coffee, the pods themselves often create significant waste if they are not recycled properly.
Choosing aluminium pods that can be returned for recycling, or switching to reusable coffee pods that can be filled with your preferred coffee, can help reduce this waste. The used coffee grounds can be composted, and the reusable pod can be washed and used again, making it a practical way to enjoy your coffee while reducing your environmental impact.
