A Conservative minister has urged the households in the UK to change their buying habits in order to eliminate waste in the country.

He said that the households must repair televisions, toasters, and washing machines or buy second-hand replacements as the country aims to cut its excessive waste. He said that the people must resist the urge to buy latest electronic gadgets, clothes and food that they do not need.

Lord de Mauley, the environment minister, have presented plans, under which people will be asked to sell their unwanted possessions on eBay and other auction websites instead of throwing them away. The move is aimed at helping people save some money and protect the environment by reducing millions of tonnes of waste that is dumped to landfill each year.

Under the European agreements, the UK government is bound to publish its final "waste prevention programme" within this year. The minister is aiming to measure the progress by measuring the tonnes of waste produced by households each year and also the efforts of businesses and industrial manufacturers in the country.

Lord de Mauley, the waste minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said, "Reducing waste is everyone's responsibility," the hereditary peer said as he published the draft scheme for consultation. What we have set out in this programme will help businesses save money, help people cut back on waste and pass on items that they would otherwise throw away."