Winter, spring, summer and autumn are seasons of the year but for the fashion conscious in a consumer society it is a reason to change our wardrobes, out with the old and in with the new. UK households shed 118,000 tonnes of clothing per year which usually ends up in clothing banks which is either sold in charity shops or sent to third world countries who suffer extreme poverty. The value here is supplying clothing via charitable organisations to those in need whether in the UK or abroad and also the ecological value of landfill space consumed. With regard to clothing which cannot be re-distributed, there is little waste as clothing can go for fibre reclamation and made into new clothes.
Approximately 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted per year in the UK. The food waste comes from such areas as households, shops, restaurants and factories. In a consumer society some possible reasons for the food wastage is over-buying to ensure we don’t run out, shops over ordering to ensure their shelves are stocked and to provide a good customer service, or where food has been packaged incorrectly. Some shops and factories have teamed up with charities such as Fareshare to be the recipient of these foods. The food which is still in date and edible but for one of several reasons will not be able to be sold