VoucherCodesPro.co.uk found that their respondents spent £72 a month on such purchases, equating to £864 per year.

Cleaning items like sponges and cloths accounted for much of this spending, while DVDs, clothing and footwear were also common one-time-use buys. More than half of respondents said these items ended up in the bin after use, 23 per cent said they would give them away and 12 per cent would look to sell them on. Some 10 per cent of Brits left their one-time-use buys to languish in a drawer of closet.

More than half of survey respondents admitted to feeling wasteful, many blaming their wastefulness on the fact that items are cheap enough to be disposable.

Nick Swan, founder of VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, said: “It’s such a shame to realise how wasteful we can be. Treating items as disposable when they really don’t have to be is ridiculous, especially when it’s clothing or footwear. Are you really telling me that clothes and shoes are available for such low prices that people think it’s OK to wear them once and chuck them out?

“I think people should get as much use as possible out of their items. For example, if you have a DVD that you find particularly funny, pass it on to a friend rather than getting rid of it or leaving in a drawer forever! As for items you know you won’t use or wear again, sell them on. You’ll be surprised how much you save or make by doing this.”