This is the time for spring cleaning, but re3 is urging everyone to think before they throw things in the bin.

Around £140m worth of used clothing and more than £12.5 billion of household food waste is going to landfill every year.

Households are being asked to consider before throwing away an unwanted item - can you still use it?

re3 is the waste management partnership for Reading Borough , Wokingham Borough and Bracknell Forest Councils.

It is encouraging people to waste less and recycle more and better.

The average family throws away around £700 of food a year.

By planning meals, only buying what is really needed, storing food properly and freezing or using leftovers for other dishes, it is possible to reduce the 15 million tonnes of food waste generated in the UK every year.

A better understanding of food labels can also cut waste.

“Best before” dates refer to quality rather than food safety. Food should still be safe to eat for a while after that date has passed, although the flavour and texture may have changed.

“Use by” and “eat within” storage instructions should be followed carefully, but “display until” dates are a guide for shop staff, not consumers.

Clothes at the back of the wardrobe could be mended, altered or upcycled rather than sending them to landfill.

Households spend on average £1,700 a year on buying clothes, so re3 says it makes sense to make them last. Proper storage, including using moth repellent and sealing clothes in vacuum packs, can help clothes look better for longer.

Cutting off the bottom of a shampoo or face wash plastic bottle to get to the last of the product recycling the container in the kerbside bin, makes products go further and boosts recycling rates.

Old towels too scruffy for the bathroom can be cut up and made into cleaning cloths for the car or around the house.

By considering if the item about to be thrown out can still be used, everyone can reduce the amount wasted, save money and help create cleaner and greener communities.

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Reading’s lead member for neighbourhoods Councillor Liz Terry said: “We are throwing away money every time we bin something that we could still use.


“By wasting food and other viable items, we are all paying twice – out of our household budget and as council taxpayers – for the disposal of unnecessary waste.

Bracknell Forest’s executive member for environment Cllr Dorothy Hayes said: “There are countless easy ways to save yourself money just by changing how you do everyday tasks like shopping, cleaning, washing and sorting.

“Changes which appear small on the face of it can make a real difference not only to your bank balance, but also to our environment and the more people that get involved, the greater the impact will be.”

Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for environment Cllr Angus Ross said: “A significant amount of food waste found in blue bags is still in its packaging, some of which is unopened.

“An easy way to save money is to only buy the food you need. As taxpayers, you also save money if you reduce the amount of waste collected and sent to landfill.

“Recycling waste is extremely important, not only for the environmental benefits but if we don’t increase how much waste is recycled by 2020 we face harsh financial penalties.”

For more information on how to waste less and recycle more and better, visit