BDR Waste Partnership

Easy ways to help the planet!

 

South Yorkshire residents are being encouraged to join the Re-use Revolution by making some incredibly easy swaps from disposable products.

Five everyday things are being targeted in the campaign being run by the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) Waste Partnership and Renewi, the firm behind the award-winning waste treatment facility at Manvers.

Water bottles, coffee cups, food containers, shopping bags and loose fruit and vegetable bags take centre stage in the battle to cut plastic waste which does so much damage to the environment.

Re-usable water bottles save on waste and save money.  Many establishments offer free refills and community taps are on the rise.  A staggering seven billion plastic bottles are used every day in the UK, and many are not recycled.

Seven million disposable coffee cups are used every day in the UK, and around half a million of these end up as litter, causing environmental damage and unsightly streets.  Bringing your own re-usable cup will also get a discount at many retailers.

Re-usable lunchboxes and food containers help cut food waste, are a great way to transport meals and snacks, and encourage us to store leftovers rather than throw them away.

Investing in a re-usable shopping bag is a cheap, easy way to cut waste and save money in the long term.  If properly used, a re-usable bag can replace more than 600 single use carriers in its lifetime.

Buying loose fruit and veg reduces plastic packaging at home and buying just what you need reduces food waste and often saves money.

Community Education Liaison Officer Abi Cox, who is based at Manvers, said these easy re-usable swaps could make a big difference to the planet by reducing the amount of damaging plastic waste.

“If just 10 per cent of Brits refilled a re-usable water bottle once a week, it would save around 340 million plastic bottles a year,” she said.

“The same principle applies to re-usable coffee cups. The amount of disposable cups we use every day in the UK would fill the Royal Albert Hall.

“Plastic bags have a significant impact on our environment, with scientists warning that plastic in the sea is set to treble in a decade unless marine litter is curbed.  Since the 5p charge was introduced, more than nine billion plastic bags have been taken out of circulation, with an estimated 50 per cent reduction in plastic bag marine litter.

“Finally buying loose fruit and veg rather than pre-packaged is not only good for the environment, it saves money because you can buy just what you need. Remember to take a basket to pop them straight in, or swap plastic veg bags for fabric ones that can be washed and re-used.”

Find out much more about how to join the Re-use Revolution at www.wasteless-sy.co.uk

The waste treatment facility at Manvers processes around a quarter of a million tonnes of leftover waste a year from 340,000 homes across Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham, turning it into useful products rather than sending it to landfill.

For further information contact Abi Cox or Rebecca Wilson on 07814 302297, abigail.cox@renewi.com or rebecca.wilson@renewi.com