No Waste November
Think of all those coffee cups, plastic straws, washing up bottles, packaging around fruit and vegetables, old clothes and unused cosmetics we throw away every day. Think of all of the energy and resources that went into making them, and the amount of waste they generate in landfill.
If everyone reduced the amount they used and wasted, think about how much of a difference that would make! Think of all the pollution-causing energy that wouldn’t need to be used to make it, the amount of trees that wouldn’t be cut down to make cups we are just going to throw away, and the huge decrease in the amount of littler and rubbish we produce. It would be amazing!
This is the idea behind #NoWasteNovember. If we can all reduce the amount of waste we produce, or even drop it to zero, think of the difference that would make.
Tilly’s vision
In 2017, the driving force behind #NoWasteNovember in the UK is Tilly, 6th former at the James Allen Girls School. She was chosen to attend the Roots & Shoots youth summit with Dr Jane Goodall herself at Windsor Castle last summer, and the experience was inspirational.
“It was truly inspiring and has given me so much hope. Hearing everyone’s stories and empathising with their background, as well as realising the similarity in the struggles we all face was a highlight for me.”
“Spending a whole week with Jane was so lovely, she really does represent all the good in the world. She spoke about how amongst all evil, love will always win and that really stuck with me and gave me reason for what I was doing.”
“I feel so empowered and excited to do more for my community, environment and animals.”
(From an interview on the JAGS website )
#NoWasteNovember is a global project for Roots & Shoots, and Tilly has been coordinating with a global team across 5 different continents.
Get involved
We want to spread the word and make a stand against waste, and you can get involved!
All you need to do is;
- Download and print off the pledge card (there’s a version at the bottom of this article you can use)
- Write down your No Waste November Pledge
- Take a picture of you and the card and post it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or all three! Use the hashtag #NoWasteNovember
- Follow No Waste November on Twitter and the No Waste November Global page on Facebook
Why a whole month?
If you can remember to do something for a whole month, it becomes a habit – you won’t even think about it! The more people who make a habit of cutting down on their waste, the better for the environment, the planet, people and future generations.
Pledge ideas
Stuck for ideas? Here are a few to get you started
- Use a reusable keep cup like
- Don’t use plastic straws
- Buy your fruit and veg from a greengrocers or produce aisle where it isn’t wrapped in plastic or netting
- Opt for refills rather than buying new containers for things like cooking oil, washing liquid
- Buy toilet paper made from recycled materials
- Stop using plastic water bottles! Instead, opt for a refillable one
- Take a shower instead of a bath
- Don’t purchase any plastics (including bottles, containers and wrapping)
- Plan your meals so you don’t waste food
Don’t forget to share your progress on social media too. Share your no waste alternatives like keep cups, reusable straws, cloth shopping bags rather than plastic ones, and more! Take a photo and pop it up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – and don’t forget to use the hashtag#NoWasteNovember
The more you share, the more you’ll inspire others to get involved, and even little changes here and there can add up to a huge change if enough people take part!
Finally, Tilly has this piece of advice:
“Do whatever you can, you don’t have to do anything crazy. Any challenge you set yourself, however small, can make a difference.”
