Posts by Rachelle Strauss

Modern households produce considerable waste when broken appliances are discarded instead of repaired. Repair cafés offer a practical solution, supporting a culture of fixing rather than replacing everyday items. These volunteer-run events help extend product life, conserve resources, and keep usable materials out of landfill. Throwing away household appliances as soon as they fail contributes…

Every trade fair, conference and corporate event generates a small mountain of branded merchandise. Pens that stop working after three uses, plastic keyrings nobody wanted, tote bags made from the cheapest polyester on the market. The vast majority of these items have a lifespan measured in days rather than years.  For organisations that publicly champion…

It’s only a week to go until Zero Waste Week 2026! From Monday 7th September, people all over the world will be thinking a little more carefully about what they buy, what they use and, most importantly, what they throw away. And if you’re wondering how on earth you’re supposed to take part, I have…

If you’ve ever come across one of those articles called “100 Ways to Live More Sustainably” and immediately felt exhausted, you’re not alone. I think one of the biggest myths about sustainable living is that you have to change everything overnight. Recycle perfectly. Grow your own vegetables. Never buy anything new. Carry a reusable version…

Have you noticed how our homes seem to be expected to do more and more these days? Mine certainly is. Like many of you, I’m at that interesting stage of life where my parents are in their late eighties and, thankfully, still living independently, while my daughter is building a life of her own but…

Today, I want to talk about something that’s becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes: Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA. It might sound like a technical or corporate-heavy concept at first glance, but in reality, it’s something incredibly practical—and surprisingly empowering—once you understand it.Whether you’re a small business owner, a maker, or someone thinking…

  When we talk about reducing waste, most people immediately think about plastic, food, or packaging. But over the years, I’ve come to realise that one of the most overlooked areas of waste is something we use every single day without much thought: water. Not just the water we can see flowing from the tap,…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much waste we create—sometimes without even realising it. As someone obsessed with zero waste living, it’s always a little shocking to step into a home renovation project and see the potential mountain of materials that could end up in landfill if we’re not careful. I know it…

Zero Waste Week 2026: My Pledge to Keep Stuff Out of Landfill Every year, Zero Waste Week gives me a welcome pause point — a chance to look honestly at what I’m throwing away, and where it actually ends up. Zero Waste Week 2026 takes place 7th – 11th September and I’m making a very…

Office workers in the UK use 10,000 sheets of copy paper annually, with 68% classified as wasted through unnecessary printing, forgotten documents, and inefficient practices, according to research commissioned by sustainable stationery manufacturer SeedPrint. The data reveals that paper products constitute 70% of total office waste and 50% of overall business waste. Each office worker…