Reuse allows us to save money and help the environment by making simple changes to the way we buy, use and get rid of our stuff. Many of the things we throw away haven’t always reached the end of their useful life. Before getting rid of it, check out our programs and resources on what to do with your stuff you don’t want any more.

• A simple repair could give an item of furniture a new lease of life
• A quick stitch here and there could give an item of clothing a new look
• Ask family friends to help – someone is certain to be nifty with a needle and thread or handy with a hammer or screwdriver
• Lots of shops offer repair services – look on your high street or search online or in local directories

Save money

Buying second hand items can often be much cheaper than buying new and you can often find amazing one-off deals.

Help your local community

Donating items for re-use can help your local community, especially those in need, to buy items at an affordable price. By donating items for re-use you can give items away that you no longer want and know they will be appreciated by someone.

Save energy

Donating items for re-use helps save energy. A lot of energy goes into the production of new items so by re-using unwanted items first we can help reduce the need to produce new ones.

Protect the environment and conserve resources

Every time new items are made, raw materials are used – Extracting (mining, quarrying and logging) raw materials creates substantial air and water pollution. We can help reduced this by re-using items where possible rather than buying new.

Reduce waste to landfill

You can help protect the environment as re-using items reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill. Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 15.1 percent of these emissions in 2018.