Resources

By repairing or re-using goods which still retain some operational value there are social, financial and environmental benefits in comparison to producing a brand new product.  

In order to get people involved it is important to understand the target audience, work with partners and stakeholders, and link to national initiatives such as Go Real.

The Hub provides local authorities with a comprehensive online resource to enable them to produce a Waste Prevention plan and to help householders prevent waste.

The main types of waste prevention activity covered by the Household Waste Prevention Hub are outlined below.

A WRAP study into the composition and re-use potential of household bulky textiles found that of all bulky waste in the UK around 19% (310,000 tonnes) consists of textiles.

The Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) brings together clothing retailers, brands, suppliers, local authority representatives, recyclers, charities, trade bodies and the public sector to reduce the environmental footprint of clothing.

Some or all advertising mail items can be judged as unwanted; this can include addressed and unaddressed items, flyers and free newspapers.

The repair and re-use of electrical and electronic products keeps valuable materials out of the waste stream for longer. Re-use organisations also have a positive social impact in the communities in which they operate.

Garden waste - otherwise known as green waste - is decomposing organic matter that can be used as a fertiliser. Although composting is not technically waste prevention, it is included here because it removes material from the municipal waste stream.

Whilst a good number of local authorities do collect household food and garden waste for large-scale composting and digestion operations, composting at home has the added benefit of avoiding transport impacts and producing a soil improver output which can be used in resident’s gardens.

The production, use and disposal of clothes has a significant environmental impact. After transport, utilities, construction, and food, the clothing industry represents the fifth-biggest environmental footprint of any UK business sector. 

This section describes the opportunities for re-use of electrical and electronic products that would otherwise be discarded.