The Waste Hierarchy ranks waste management options according to what is best for the environment. Track your own progress; 

1. Refuse - excellent waste management - top class. You have a Masters
2. Reduce - very good waste management - congratulations on gaining a Degree
3. Reuse - good waste management - super you reached A level
4. Recycle - satisfactory waste management - well done you have achieved a GCSE
5. Recover - better-than-nothing waste management - welcome to entry level

Wastesavers based in Newport in Wales began life in 1985 as an environmental interest group promoting the importance of reuse and recycling. In the mid 90’s it became more proactive and began picking up old newspapers from people's doorsteps for recycling, and hand sorting these at the local paper mill.

In 1995 Wastesavers collected and recycled 22 tonnes of paper. Today Wastesavers recycles more than 15,000 tonnes of material a year and are an awarding winning company in a country which boasted recycling rates of 65.14% in 2019 / 2020 and is in the top 4 in the world.

Learn more about Wastesavers

Workaid is a charity based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire empowering young people to help themselves by developing the skills and knowledge needed to find gainful employment or start their own business. We do this by refurbishing donated tools to a high standard and shipping them to training centres and self-help organisations in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities. In 2015 they received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Find out more about Workaid 

The World Fair Trade Organization, is a global association of 401 organizations who are committed to improving the livelihoods of economically marginalised producers. WFTO has members in 76 countries. Members are primarily fair trade enterprises, whose business model is verified by independent audit and peer review. Learn more.

World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world every 1st November. The benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment are celebrated through activities such as setting up stalls, hosting potlucks, and planting memorial trees.

World Vegan Month is celebrated around the world as a time to recognise how far the vegan movement has come, to highlight how accessible and beneficial a vegan lifestyle can be and to encourage the vegan-curious to adopt veganism by sharing advice, recipes and ideas. Learn more.

World Vegetarian Day is observed annually around the planet on October 1. It is a day of celebration established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978, "To promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism." Learn more.

A Car-Free Day encourages motorists to give up their cars for a day. Organized events are held in some cities and countries. September 22 is World Car Free Day. The event promotes improvement of public transport, cycling and walking, and the development of communities where jobs are closer to home and where shopping is within walking distance. Learn more