In a carbon neutral Portsmouth consumption would be reduced and waste materials would be reused or recycled.
595kg per household being produced in 2018 to 2019, over double the amount of 1st place (East Devon).
This is compared to a national average of 43%.
A circular economy emphasizes reduce-reuse-recycle, rather than take-make-waste. Here’s a few examples of what other places are trying:
Our manufacturing model typically turns raw materials into products that are used then thrown away. Circular economies instead keep the value of goods high as long as possible. SMEs are finding this is good for business. Read more
Of the 78 million tons of plastic produced worldwide every year, only 14 % is recycled. Likewise, glass and aluminium are recyclable many times yet much is thrown away, wasting most of the energy needed to make it. Read more
Landfill sites hold materials that can be hazardous to health. In West Sussex they are seeing the benefits of screening, scrubbing, chemically treating and classifying 50,000 tonnes of street cleansing residues per year. Read more
6% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from construction and 20% from heat and power for those buildings. The only way Portsmouth’s carbon neutrality target can be met is by building all its new homes sustainably. Read more
A well-regulated sharing economy can reduce consumption and carbon emissions. And create cultural change by shifting consumer expectations from ownership to demand-fulfillment, as they are doing in Seoul. Read more
For many organisations, procurement is the main source of their emissions. This provides opportunities: to reduce waste and inefficiencies in purchasing and to influence firms in their supply chain to become greener. Read more
Offer your skills to Portsmouth’s own Repair Café or just pop along and get something fixed.
Also, if your laptop or PC isn't working don't chuck it away: get it mended very cheaply or upcycled at the Landport Repair cafe (open every Tuesday to Friday 10am to 2pm). Click here for their email.
Buying new clothes, and fast fashion in particular, is a major source of environmental destruction.
For vintage and pre-loved alternatives check out websites / apps like Vinted, DePop, ThriftPlus, Thrifted and many more. Or the many charity shops in Southsea and North End.
The manufacture of laptops, tablets and smartphones has a destructive impact on the natural world. Instead of buying new, look into purchasing remanufactured or refurbished devices, which are significantly cheaper and have a much lower carbon footprint. Sites like Backmarket are a B Corp and offer a student discount.
Join Portsmouth’s Zero Waste Community and bring your own containers / bags to buy stuff at our city’s many zero waste friendly shops.
One shop in particular is completely dedicated to reducing waste: Southsea's Package Free Larder
Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused or recycled: click on this website to find out where you can do this locally. Recycling these items keeps much needed metals like copper in circulation.
Southsea Sustainable Textiles is a volunteer group that seeks to give people the skills and confidence to repair, adjust and re-design their curtains, clothes, hats, bags etc. The sessions are free to attend: email the team or call the founder, Claire, on 07814864973
Up to 40% of our household refuse is food waste, which produces methane when it rots in landfill: a gas with 25 times the warming potential of CO2. One way to tackle this is to compost your vegetable scraps and garden cuttings or even your food waste.
If you are a business with regular food waste try registering with the Too Good To Go app. Any surplus food is placed into Magic Bags, which are listed on the app for sale at a third of the product cost. It has been shown that 76% of Magic Bag buyers return as full paying customers.
Wimbledon Park Patch is a fantastic hyper-local Facebook group where people ask for stuff they need and share what they no longer want (clothes, furniture, toys etc). Set up in 2012 by one resident it now has over 830 members, exchanging regularly. Why not set up one where you live?
WARP IT is a resource redistribution website, that stocks everything from furniture to café equipment to laboratory supplies to tools and machinery.
It's free for schools and charities to use, and for businesses they guarantee at least 5 times ROI in the first year. Read here for details of how it helps save staff time, procurement, storage and disposal costs, as well as carbon.
For used books check out World of Books, Hive and many others on this list. There are also a couple of 2nd hand book shops on Albert Road.
For furniture, kitchen and domestic items check out online sites such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay. For 2nd hand furniture shops try Debra in Elm Grove & Sue Ryder near Fratton Park, and for kitchenware try Cry charity shop in Osborne Road.
A Library of Things is like a normal library but for tools and equipment, rather than books. Anyone can join the local hub for just £1, and then hire items rather than buy new, saving money and lowering their carbon footprint.
If you would like to donate some unwanted items check out the Portsmouth Library of Things’ wish-list first.