Prevent
By thinking about what you buy and what you use, you can reduce the amount of waste you create.
![a variety of vegetables on a chopping board, in a kitchen](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-02/food-main-page%20%281%29.jpg?itok=w25EUxV5)
Food waste
The average Essex household wastes £83 every month by throwing away food that could have been eaten.
![Hands filling a bag from refill shop dispensers.](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-06/RU_Refill2.jpg?itok=P42LU4GW)
Packaging
Try to avoid unnecessary packaging by stocking up at a refill shop, and you only need to fill up as much as you need.
![Pile of junk mail on the floor.](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-05/PREVENT_junk%20mail.jpg?itok=H8c16uIn)
Junk mail
There are a few steps you can follow to help reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.
![A reusable Love Essex cup being picked up off a table](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-06/Reusable%20plastic%201200x800.png?itok=0_1KTsD1)
Single-use plastics
Single-use items are designed to only be used once before being thrown away - what a waste!
![lady holding reusable wipes in one hand and cloth wipes in other](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-05/CN_cloth%20wipes.jpg?itok=7LYyC_rX)
Wet wipes
Single-use wipes can’t be recycled or flushed down the loo, which leads to 11 billion wipes being thrown away every year in the UK.
![reusable stainless steel coffee cup with black lid](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-03/610-coffee-cup.jpg?itok=ZVKHzxYh)
Drinks
There's loads of easy switches you can make when you're out and about to cut down on waste.
![Person surrounded by various period products](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-06/REUSE_LYP.jpg?itok=J3ZjYwov)
Period products
In the UK alone, 18 million people each use around 11,000 single use sanitary products in their lifetime.
![smiling baby crawling amongst colourful cloth nappies](/sites/default/files/styles/large_3_2_768x512/public/4567776/2024-04/cloth%20nappies.jpg?itok=KFzloovz)
Cloth nappies
In the UK around 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away each day! Switching to cloth nappies is a great step to take.
![Love Essex logo](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/4567776/2024-02/love-essex-logo.jpg?itok=G-io7gqa)
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