How can we help our communities and the environment through sustainable actions?

Recycling and donating to charity shops is a good way to begin to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle. With the cost of living on the rise and household incomes stretched, even more people will need access to affordable charity shop items.  Now more than ever before, it is important for people to remember the benefits of recycling and donate items to charity, rather than throwing them out.

Benefits of recycling goods and donating to charity

Donating to charity shops provides a sustainable and ethical way to dispose of unwanted items. The purpose is to give used goods a second life by selling them on to local communities for reasonably discounted prices. Extending the lifecycle of products means that there is no waste, even down to the labour already input into producing the goods.

Recycling items by donating to charity benefits society and the environment. Less items end up in landfill and more people get to use the items. Whether it be books, furniture, clothing and other household items. Many items still have lots of life left in them and families can access the items at a much more affordable price.

How we can recycle more items?

We hope more people see the benefits of living a sustainable life, whilst supporting others and donate their unwanted goods. We could all do more to create a better environment for everyone.

Recycling rates are increasing in the UK, but so is our population. To fulfil demand, we’re producing more goods and using more natural resources than ever before. But despite our best efforts, we are still throwing too many things away.

Recycling rates in the UK

A report released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) earlier this year, revealed that British households create over 26m tonnes of waste each year, the weight of around 260 large cruise ships.

This means that the average person in the UK throws away around 400kg of waste each year; 7 times their body weight.

In the UK, we are only recycling 3% more waste than we did in 2010. As much as 80% of the things we throw away could be recycled. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK. According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), 25% of our WEEE waste could be repaired and re-used.

We can all do more

At Choice Textile we want to do more to help support our communities and the environment. We are looking for more Charity Shops, Schools, Local Authorities and Community Organisations to work with, so we can increase recycling rates in the UK.

For more information on how your workplace, school or community organisation can make a difference email: info@choicetextile.com