Zero Waste Week 2024

September 2nd marked the start of Zero Waste Week. This is a grassroots annual awareness campaign that started in 2008 to target groups, businesses and individuals to reduce landfill waste. Zero Waste Week is just seven days, but the organisers hope that the changes made for that week can inspire participants to take some of those changes forward to make new habits throughout the year.

Tips to Participate:

  • Mark the Dates in your Calendar – Zero Waste Week always starts from the first Monday in September.
  • Pick a Theme – if tackling all of your waste at once seems overwhelming, you can pick an area to focus on. Whether it’s plastic packaging or food waste, you can start small to make big change.
  • Set a Goal – If you don’t know your goal, how will you know if you accomplish it? Goals could be, reducing landfill waste by 20% or repairing two torn garments instead of replacing them.
  • Share your Challenge – Raising awareness helps everyone make change together. Whether it’s chatting with your colleagues or sharing on social media, your action can inspire others.

This year for Zero Waste Week, as part of our work to be more sustainable, we’ve talked to the Vision Sustainability Team to think about ways to reduce home textile waste. 

The Environmental Impact of Bedding

We've calculated the following figures based on a bedding set that is composed of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, depending on the material used in your sheets these numbers may vary slightly.

  • 6 - Percentage of global carbon emissions that come from the fashion and textile industry. 
  • 8kg of carbon emissions created from a full double bedding set.
  • 3kg carbon emission saved when a double bedding set does not go to landfill.

Approximately 72% of bedding ends up in landfill so finding ways to give it a second life after it's not longer useable is one way to reduce your environmental impact. 

Our Team have come up with a family friendly activity to help keep your end of use sheets and bed linens out of landfill – this week or any time of year! If you have pillowcases, sheets, or duvet covers, we’ve come up with a way you can repurpose them into a decorative wreath. 

If you have just two pillowcases going spare you can make one of these recycled fabric wreaths!

You can click here  to download our pdf guide and cutting template to bring the activity to life!

For additional resources to help your zero waste journey you can check out our links below: