RESIDENTS across Devon are being encouraged to do more for the planet by recycling old products.

Devon County Council has pledged its backing for a county-wide campaign called REUSE, which will run between May 16 and 22.

REUSE week, which is the brainchild of Tavistock Scrapstore, is all about giving the objects we own a new lease of life – by repairing, refurbishing, repurposing or passing them on to someone else.

Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “‘If an item is reused it doesn’t need recycling.

“Throughout the county there are numerous charities, enterprises and community groups who run reuse-related projects.

“These range from the four scrapstores in Devon that take materials from businesses that would otherwise have been wasted and puts them to creative use, and the fourteen furniture re-use enterprises which collect and sell on furniture and other household goods both on the open market and at a subsidised rate to those on lower incomes.

“Reusing items not only helps conserve the planet’s resources by reducing the amount we need to buy new but it can also save you money.”

According to the Local Government Association, UK households are throwing away £400 million worth of items that could have been re-used.

Throughout the week, there will be a host of informational and educational events to show residents how they can make the most of what they have got.

For more information on the event, visit recycledevon.org.