Image: WRAP

Most of us buy way more than we need, or we use. Many people only wear 30% of the clothes in their wardrobe, and we throw away one in four bags of food that we buy.
Follow these tips to reduce your waste when you’re shopping:

• Make a list and only buy what you need
• Do not go food shopping when you are hungry! Plan your meals so you buy only the ingredients you need. The Love Food Hate Waste website is great to help with this.
•  Before you go food shopping, check what you already have in the cupboard
•  Take reusable bags to the shops so you don’t use loads of plastic bags
•  Share. If you are buying something you will only use occasionally, consider borrowing it or hiring it
•  Might you be able to find what you are looking for second-hand, on eBay, Freecycle or at a car boot sale?
•  If you are not going to use something, take it back for a refund, put it on eBay or take it to a charity shop rather than letting it gather dust
•  Buy items in bulk to save money and unnecessary packaging
•  Try to buy goods which are produced locally
•  If you can, invest in goods like computers, mobile phones and furniture which are built to last and can be upgraded or modified. You might find your mobile phone contract is much cheaper if you opt out of upgrading your handset