Clutter and how to get rid of it is the craze of this decade, being the focus of countless self-help books, TED talks and even a Netflix series. Bestselling author Marie Kondo has famously told the world to “discard everything that does not spark joy”. But what do Brits make of it all?
New research released by packaging experts RAJA looks at Brits’ attitudes to de-cluttering, including how they feel about it and what – if anything – they gain from a purge of their possessions.
Brits waste over £400 on food, fashion and tech per year
The study found that, on average, Brits waste over £400 on food (£225), fashion (£104) and tech (£85) every year by buying items they don’t end up using. Significantly, Brits waste more on food than they do on fashion and tech put together.
- Though over 55s spend the most on food per month, 16-34-year olds are the most wasteful.
- Greater London is the worst region for food wastage per month, coming out on top with 38%.
- Manchester is the region that wastes the least amount of food per month (18%).
Almost one in five Brits don’t de-clutter at all
Even though the nation has plenty to de-clutter, 19% of our respondents (almost one in five Brits!) don’t do it at all. If we applied this figure across all over-16’s in Britain, this means a whopping 5.2M are not de-cluttering at all. Some common reasons they cited for their reluctance to de-clutter was as follows:
- Emotionally attached: 20% of people said they struggle to let go of their belongings, making this one of the most common reasons Brits don’t de-clutter.
- Stressful: 15% of Brits cite stress as the reason they don’t de-clutter, with the youngest generation and oldest generation finding it the most distressing compared to all other generations surveyed.
- Disposal: 13% of those surveyed said the complexity of disposing of old belongings correctly and not feeling fully confident in how to do so stopped them from de-cluttering.
If all this talk of clutter has got you worried about your Christmas shopping though, don’t worry: you can use our festive gift guide to find the top 10 gifts that will definitely be used again and again!
Over half (55%) donate to charity and 37% recycle – but almost a quarter (23%) simply throw items away
Of the over 80% of Brits who do de-clutter at least once per year, the vast majority extend the lifecycle of their old belongings by breathing new life into them in the following ways:
- 50% donate them to charity
- 37% recycle/upcycle the items
- 30% sell them
- 26% give them to friends and family
However, almost a quarter of Britain’s de-clutterers (23%) confess to simply throwing away some of these items, even if they were able to avoid the landfill. In fact, over half of the British public said they don’t know how to confidently dispose of the following:
- Tech (51%)
- Fashion (41%)
- Food (38%)
Sustainable de-cluttering is confident de-cluttering
There was a strong correlation between those who felt confident about how to dispose of their belongings and those who de-cluttered sustainably. While only 24% of the youngest generation surveyed (16-24-year olds) said they had a clear idea of what to do with their belongings when de-cluttering, over half (51%) of the oldest generation (55+) said the same. This was similarly reflected in the amount of people donating to charity, as well as upcycling/recycling – which also steadily rose in age. Out of all age groups, 35-44-year olds are the most likely sell their old belongings for some extra income.
Our top tips for de-cluttering
Finally, here are some top tips on how to de-clutter in a way that is sustainable as well as giving our belongings added life:
- Donate your pre-loved clothes by giving to friends, family or charity shops: Most charities have a function online to find your local shop or drop off point, and some will even pick up your donation bags for you.
- Recycle old devices and get cash back from your phone providers: Many phone providers will reward you for returning your phone, particularly if it’s in medium to good condition. ‘O2 Recycle’ can offer cash back, whereas ‘Apple Trade’ In will give you money off your next device.
- Store or dispose of old items with suitable cardboard boxes: These can have multiple users for de-cluttering including storage, transportation and disposal. You can also use them to sort through your things by labelling one ‘keep’, another ‘donate’ and the final ‘dispose’.
- Organise your fridge and cupboards to avoid over-purchasing: Organising your cupboards so you can see what you have at a glance will stop you buying things that you don’t need. Some tips include using clear, labelled containers, grouping similar items, and storing those you use most frequently at the front of your fridge or cupboard.
If you’ve been inspired to de-clutter further, you can also check out our guide to digital de-cluttering here.
