Lindsey Prosser, North West Tonight and
Jenny Coleman,North West
Glen MinikinA 13-year-old boy named “Britain’s top binfulencer” has said his family’s recycling effort “helps the planet but also saves us loads of money”.
Tommy from Bury in Greater Manchester, has been given the title by waste management and recycling firm Biffa for helping his mum and dad drastically cut down their household waste.
He said he likes “seeing the bins getting filled up and also knowing that we don’t waste anything” after encouraging his family to switch from disposable to reusable everyday items.
His mum Gemma said: “We’ve saved thousands since we started recycling six years ago, it all adds up.”
Tommy encouraged his parents to move to reusable everyday items including cloths, food bags and wet wipes.
Artist Gemma, 42, and her husband Chris, 44, now have three waste bins in every room for paper, non-recyclables, bottles and cans, while in the kitchen, they have an extra one for flexible plastics.
Gemma said she had been amazed by how much money the family had saved by making some simple swaps.
She said: “I’ve stopped using kitchen roll and replaced it with reusable kitchen roll that you wash. I’ve swapped a disposable mop for washable mop pads.
“Instead of cling film I use stretchy covers and kitchen foil has gone and instead I use washable silicone sheets.”
The family also use reusable food bags and washable makeup remover pads.
“We also use biodegradable toothbrushes, tooth flossers, earbuds and have a bio bin upstairs,” Gemma said.
As a result of their recycling efforts, she said their general waste bin can last up to 12 weeks before it needs to be emptied.
For anything that cannot be recycled from home, the family take it elsewhere.
This includes flexible plastic and batteries to supermarket recycling facilities, and old clothes, electronics, and old pens are taken to high street shops which run recycling schemes.
“Only dog poo and the occasional wet wipes go in the general waste bin, in biodegradable bags,” she said.
Tommy added: “It’s fun to be able to recycle. I like seeing the bins getting filled up and also knowing that we don’t waste anything.”
Georgia Gibson, Biffa’s Social Value Manager in Manchester, said it was “wonderful to see Tommy and his family inspiring people to waste less and recycle more”.