More than 39 million (73%) of UK adults agree not enough is being done to help them prevent waste 

Keep Britain Tidy today repeated urgent calls for government, businesses and councils to support people to reduce the environmental impact of their buying habits as communities brace themselves for one of the most expensive and promotion-driven months of the year. 

Ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the run-up to Christmas, a YouGov poll of UK adults on behalf of the charity reveals 73% agree not enough is being done to help the public prevent waste - and 28.4 million UK adults (53%) acknowledge they are contributing to climate change by ‘buying stuff’.

Keep Britain Tidy is aiming to ignite a change in behaviour by supporting people to try alternatives to buying new and reduce the waste they generate during its annual Buy Nothing New Month campaign in November. 

Encouragingly, the research also shows almost 35 million (65%) of people are confident they could buy less – in fact, around two thirds (67%) are motivated to reduce the amount of waste their household produces. 

But 76% of UK adults agree manufacturers and retailers are not doing enough to help the public reduce wasteful purchases. 

In a separate survey of people who took part in Buy Nothing New Month in January 2024, 73% bought nothing new, 75% reused or repurposed what they had already and 43% fixed, repaired or mended items, demonstrating the impact collective action can have.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “Educating our communities about the link between what we buy and the resulting environmental harm is fundamental in normalising a sustainable approach to what we consume - and ultimately what we waste.  

“Our research shows the public are ready to shift their mindset toward conscious consumption, with 73% of those who took part in the last Buy Nothing New Month saying they bought nothing new during the month. 

“While many may feel the enormity of the climate challenge and wonder what they can do as an individual to effect change, this campaign has shown that collectively our small actions can make a real difference”.  

Sixty-three per cent of UK adults want to do more to reduce the environmental impacts of items they buy, including food, clothes, furniture, personal belongings, and the resulting packaging, but 32% agree they don't know how to reduce the environmental impacts of these items. 

Throughout November, Keep Britain Tidy and sustainability experts will share tips on how to resist the lure of ‘discounts’ that aren’t always genuine or gifts people maybe can’t afford, and highlight alternatives such as shopping locally for preloved goods, reusing, repairing and borrowing items - with the added benefit of being good for our finances in a month when money is tight for many. 

Visit www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/buy-nothing-new-month to sign up now.