giffgaff recently teamed up with the lovely Ricky and Naiomi from the blog Skintdad to share their favourite recycling apps that can help you save or make a few extra pounds.
Grab your phone. You’ll want to use these free apps to help you recycle, reduce waste and reuse. As an added bonus, you’ll make a few quid and save some money at the same time. Take it away Skintdad.
Fat Llama: don’t buy, borrow
When it comes to needing something for a job around the home, you don’t need to nip to the shops to get an item you’ll use only once.Instead of buying a drill, a tent, a backpack (anything) for a one-off use, you can use Fat Llama to rent them for as long as you need. It works out far cheaper than buying outright.
But it also works the other way. Maybe you’ve got something you only use once in a blue moon. Maybe you do have a blow-up mattress or a hedge trimmer that comes out once a year? Consider using Fat Llama to make money by renting your stuff to people living near you and help reduce the need to buy things.
Olio: share food for free
Food waste is a massive issue globally and Olio has stepped up with the food sharing revolution.Whether you’ve bought something you’re not going to use before its use-by-date, you’ve cooked too much, or maybe you’ve grown veg and won’t get to eat it all, Olio is the app you need.
Simply pop a photo of the food you don’t want to waste, and a neighbour will collect it from you.
You can be that neighbour, though, and use the app to bring your food bill down each week, plus reduce food waste.
reGAIN: get rewarded for recycling clothes
Instead of chucking out your unwanted clothes or keeping them until they come back into fashion, 10+ years in the future, recycle them.In exchange for reducing the environmental impact of sending your clothes to the rubbish dump, with ReGAIN you will be rewarded with money off or discounts when you shop.
Pack up at least 10 items of clothing (not bedding or towels) that you no longer want in a bag and give them to a drop off point near you. You’ll then get access to exclusive savings.
Money raised from your clothes goes on to charity.
Preloved: buy second hand
Save money by buying second hand “preloved” items. Or make money selling on the things you no longer need.Preloved has no listing or buying fees. And there are hundreds of items that get listed as free on Preloved each day. So you can pick up a total bargain.
You’ll help reduce stuff going to landfill and can give your new possession a fresh lease of life.
Too Good To Go: surplus unsold food for cheap
Even with careful planning, not all food gets used by cafes, restaurants, or supermarkets each day. Instead of letting that food go to waste, you get a [Too Good To Go](https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb) magic bag for mega cheap.Search on the app for businesses signed up locally and take a look at what’s going to waste near you.
You won’t get the same thing each time, as you’ll get offered items that have not sold that day. You could get fresh meat, fruit, veg, breads or pastries for a fraction of the price.
These apps just prove that instead of buying new, there are lots of ways to reuse and recycle. By trying to save a few quid (and even making some money), you can easily help reduce unnecessary waste.
Feeling inspired to get recycling and saving? Check out our Recycle Week Content over on the Refurbished hub, for lots of hints and tips on all things recycling, refurbished and upcycling. Be sure to share your top refurbishing and recycling tips over on our Twitter, Instagram, or on our community post.