Waste Free Feb challenge kicks off in Wiltshire

By Tyler Ody - 29 January 2020

Community

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is calling on Wiltshire’s residents to take up the Waste Free Feb challenge, which last year saw over 400 people save around eight tonnes of rubbish from going in their bins.

The aim of the challenge, now in its third year, is to try to produce as little rubbish as possible and instead reduce, reuse, recycle and compost more.

 

People taking part are encouraged to set their own timeframe and goal for reducing, with some choosing to throw away no more than one carrier bag’s worth of waste over a week and others aiming to throw away less than a black bag’s worth over the whole of February. Some enthusiastic participants are aiming to fill no more than a jam jar for the month!

 

However much they reduce, people taking part in the challenge are encouraged to share photos, videos, and stories about their efforts to encourage others to join them in reducing their waste during February and beyond.

 

The average Wiltshire household currently produces almost half a tonne of waste a year, not including what is thrown away when people are out and about. There are huge positive environmental impacts to producing less waste, including less resources (such as water, oil, energy, and land) being used as raw materials, less waste sent to landfill and incineration, and local councils being able to spend more on public services instead of paying as much landfill tax (currently £91 per tonne).

 

 

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Sustainability Officer Jessica Thimbleby said of the challenge:

 

“Waste Free Feb is a great opportunity to take a look at the waste you produce and take simple steps to reduce it – and have a bit of fun at the same time!

 

“There are lots of ways of keeping rubbish out of the bin, from buying in bulk to reduce packaging waste to making leftover food into tomorrow’s lunch.

 

“Over the past twelve months some great refill shops have opened throughout Wiltshire and online.  You can take your own containers into these shops and refill on essentials like pasta, cereals, herbs and spices, household cleaners and much more. We’ve developed a map to show where you can shop waste-free in Wiltshire and a handy guide with lots of tips for reducing your waste.

 

“However long you set yourself as a target to do Waste Free Feb and however much you reduce by, we can all play an important role in reducing the amount of waste that we produce as a society, which in turn helps to support wildlife and tackle the climate emergency.

 

“We’re looking forward to seeing the creative ways that Wiltshire’s residents can keep as much as possible out of the bin – the challenge starts now!”

 

 

You can sign up for the Waste Free Feb challenge and find out more about how to reduce your waste at wiltshirewildlife.org/waste-free-february.

 

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