Reducing your waste

Borrow, share, donate, freecycle

Many charities and organisations would be happy to accept donations of your old or unwanted items.

• Many charity shops will accept donations of items such as clothes, bric a brac, books and music. You could also donate to local jumble sales.
• The Sofa Project (www.sofaproject.org.uk) and Genesis Furniture Project ( www.genesistrust.org.uk). Both collect unwanted items of furniture and appliances for reuse at their discretion.
• You could make extra cash by selling your unwanted items via the classifieds sections of local newspapers, online auction sites or events such as car boot sales.
• You can swap or exchange items or give them away. The Freecycle South West website (http://www.freecycle.org/group/UK/South%20West) has more information for people who wish to give away or find things for free.
• If you are likely to use something only once or twice, why not consider hiring it and save yourself the expense of buying it new. You could also ask to share items such as gardening tools with friends or neighbours.
• Libraries are another way to borrow items rather than buying them from new.