Waste management and the environment

A circular economy is a system in which products and materials are kept in use rather than going to waste. It involves reducing what we create and buy, reusing and repurposing what we have and recycling what we can. This can be done across many materials and items from the food we choose to eat through to the clothes we wear. Benefits include reducing emissions, environmental damage and pollution from producing or extracting raw materials, especially finite resources.

Individuals, communities and businesses can all take action to move towards a circular economy. Most people will already be doing something that is ‘circular’. Here are some examples of what you can do.

• Have reusable items like refillable containers and drinks bottles instead of buying single use items
• Repair damaged or broken items – look for repair shops or cafes in your local community
• Borrow items that you may only use once instead of buying it
• Get things second hand from vintage or charity shops, online sharing sites or swap shops
• Use recycling bins and household waste and recycling centres
• Purchase things with less packaging, especially packaging that is difficult to reuse or recycle (i.e. soft plastics)

Also see

• Conservation and archaeology
• York Fairtrade City