Make your rubbish work harder
Make a pledge to reuse things instead of throwing them away. Recycling is good, but reusing is better. See how much you can reduce the contents of your rubbish bin by finding new uses for packaging.
The problem
Every day in the UK we throw away thousands of items that could easily be re-used. Although some of this waste may be recycled, the vast majority goes to landfill or is incinerated releasing harmful gases.
The UK has a current household recycling rate of 34% for glass, compared to Switzerland and Finland who recycle more than 90%. Even worse, we currently only recycle 7% of our plastic.
So whenever you throw something out, the chances are it will end up harming the environment.
What you can do
Reusing is even more beneficial to the environment than recycling because recycling has to consume energy to turn something back into a useful product.
Reusing products and packaging also reduces the need for production, thus preserving more resources.
Before throwing anything away, stop for a moment and think about whether the object you're about to discard is really at the end of its useful life. You'll be surprised how often the answer is &'no'. Thinking up ingenious ways to reuse household objects can even be a lot of fun!
How to do it
Carrier bags are the most obvious example of a reusable resource. Instead of picking up new ones each time you visit the supermarket, take back the ones you used on your last trip.
At M&S we sell 100% recycled plastic 'Bags for Life', which you can use again and again. We'll even replace them free of charge when they wear out.
Reuse plastic packaging wherever possible. Margarine and ice cream tubs make great storage containers. Drinking water bottles can be refilled from larger containers or even the tap. Glass jars and pots also make good storage.
You can extend the life of envelopes by sticking address labels over ones that have already been used. Also, try to use up both sides of all paper; if you have an unwanted print out, use the other side to jot notes on.
Choose products where refill options are available - and use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones. This will save the environment - and save you money!
Take pledgeUse a bag for life
Plastic bags are a huge landfill problem. Switch to a reusable bag and become part of the solution.
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