Four top tips for sustainable shopping
Waste experts from the Biffa BDR Waste Partnership - which serves 345,000 households in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham - are encouraging residents to rethink waste, starting with their buying habits.
The partnership is supporting a national campaign from the charity Keep Britain Tidy which urges the public to think beyond recycling by trying to prevent waste from being created in the first place.
Abi Reid is the Community Education Liaison Officer at the Biffa BDR Waste Treatment Facility - the award-winning operation which diverts 97 per cent of Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham’s household waste from landfill.
Abi said: “It’s fantastic that thousands of residents in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham love to recycle their waste. Recycling is brilliant for the environment - but cutting down on the amount of waste produced in the first place is better.
“Just making some simple changes to your shopping habits can help preserve natural resources and reduce emissions, which is vital in the fight against climate change. It also means less waste and litter and can save you money too.
“Recycling remains a vital tool, but it’s just one part of the solution.”
Here’s Abi’s 4 top tips for more sustainable shopping:
- Have a ‘Buy Less’ mindset: Prioritising quality over quantity, only buying what you need.
- Swap the way you shop: Embrace pre-loved items, rent, hire or borrow instead of buying new, and swap for reusable alternatives. Buying second-hand removes the environmental costs of production and reduces waste.
- Use it again, and again… and again: Simple repairs and alterations to clothes can extend their life by years. Refurbishing old furniture can save money. Repair, repurpose and upcycle stuff instead of binning it, extending its life for months or even years to come.
- Rehome it: Pass items on through charity shops, online platforms or gift to friends and family or community groups before throwing them away. This gives items a chance to get a new lease of life!