CBC had to go to school for a musical rehearsal during the holiday and I got a lift with him to his school and decided to walk to the seafront and the pier from his school. It was a mile or so to the pier and by the time I reached the pier, I was really hungry. I really wanted some takeaway chips as I wanted to walk and eat on the go to get the full seaside experience.
As you may have realised, I have been really trying hard with the whole refusing plastic and reusing rather than taking anything, as you may have read in this post. The top item on my "NO!" hitlist is polystyrene. I will choose not to buy something from somewhere and go without rather than take it. It is notoriously difficult to recycle it and the majority of people, even if it WAS easy to recycle, use it when they are eating takeaways (chips, kebabs, burgers...) or hot drink cups and will NOT make the effort to keep it or recycle it- they just chuck it in the bin. It may be different in your area but unfortunately, the average person where I live absolutely doesn't give a stuff about recycling and just wants to chuck their polystyrene box away asap.
Well, as I was walking along the esplanade, I just seemed to see reams and reams of people eating takeaways from polystyrene trays, cones or cups which made me mutter in a rather Mad Lady way about polystyrene. I went into about 5 fish and chip shops to ask what they served their takeaway chips and all said that they served it in polystyrene trays. I shook my head sadly and walked away as they said that, noticed a family of 6 chucking their polystyrene trays into the bin.
Finally, in one place, she said that they serve it in polystyrene with a piece of paper round it and I asked if I could please craft my own cone out of the paper instead of taking a cone. She said that that was fine. I used to work in a chip shop as a teenager and we served our takeaway chips in cones that we made out of folded paper. She gave me the paper and it transpired that I hadn't forgotten how to make the cone. I handed it back and it functioned perfectly well as a cone. I had a little plastic bag in my handbag that I had kept in there to be useful and I just put this as the bottom to soft it from leaking. It was fine. Oh, and as a side-note, I shunned the plastic forks and instead used the wooden chipfork that lives in my handbag (and has been reused a few times)
I honestly believe that polystyrene trays and takeaway containers should be banned. Let's be honest- they NEVER end up in the recycling. Paper/card alternatives should and CAN be found. In Hexham last week, CBC and I were on the go and felt a little peckish and yet again, not expecting this, I didn't have my silicone collapsible container with me (which I ALWAYS carry if I know I am going to buy food on the go). We went into the chip shop in the square in Beaumont street in Hexham I asked how they served their takeaway chips and they said the evil P word. I asked if they had an eco-friendly alternative and typically, it being Hexham, they did- they had some Eco-containers (thick card) but we had to pay 30p for it. We chose to do that because we didn't want the Polystyrene, but it proves there IS a solution!
Will you join me and REFUSE Polystyrene. I may start a petition at 38 Degrees to ban the use of Polystyrene in takeaway containers because I do think it is is awful!
On the same subject, there is a petition to try to get Walkers to use Recyclable crisp packets! I would love you to sign it also! I love crisps and feel awful that I am contributing to packaging so bad for the environment!
x
After cleaning out our huge basement and moving everything way up in anticipation of a major flooding in our area, I was too tired after I came home from the barn to cook a meal. So, we had take out fish and chip last evening for our supper and it came in thick paper plates that absorbs the fat. My husband used the plate to light the wood energy efficient stove.
ReplyDeleteI rarely eat out or buy fast food so I don't eat or drink in those nasty polystyrene containers. I agree they are not good for your health or the environment. Good for you to be an activist on the subject. That takes guts...
Hugs, Julia
Good for you! When we eat at a local Fast Food place ( Wendy's in the US) I take our original plastic cutlery from them with us and reuse it. I reckon the latest batch has been reused about 20 times! JanF
ReplyDeleteChip cones I remember those! Well done for remembering how to make one!! We very rarely buy crisps but bought sea brooks yesterday and there logos on the bag are confusing. It implies the bag can be recycled as it has the logo but I am pretty sure it can't, so we are going to post the bags back to them with a letter! Will let you know if we get a response 😀
ReplyDeleteThere was a petition doing the rounds asking for polysterene to be banned from takewaways a couple of weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteArilx
I agree with you about polystyrene. There are a couple of chipperies here where the goodies are served either just in paper or in a card box.
ReplyDeleteThere was a piece on the radio the other day about one plant in the country where foil pouches e.g Capri Sun, cat food can be recycled. The plastic is melted and the gas (?) created is used to power the plant, the aluminium is turned into ingots ready for reuse. It was very early, I can't remember all the details! But I wonder if the foil/plastic crisp packets could be recycled in a similar way.
I shall add my name to the petitions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing them to my attention.
Graham said he heard on the news something about Morrisons encouraging people to bring their own boxes to use for deli items?
Lisa x
They hardly do recycling in Switzerland, so even if crisp packets, etc. technically were recycleable there would be nowhere to take them. I've actually gone back to buying plastic milk cartons because the supermarket has a recycling container for them, whereas Tetra Paks (the other option) have to be thrown away. They don't do glass milk bottles here.
ReplyDeleteAt Christmas markets, some places in Germany serve chips in a container that's made of the waffle thingy that ice cream cones are made of, so when you've eaten your chips you can then also eat the container, which I think is a genius idea! (Although a lot of people don't want the plain waffle stuff so they just throw it away anyway - but at least it then biodegrades)
I think it's a rally good idea, because in asking and not buying, you might plant a seed for change in the owners mind.
ReplyDeleteYou should do a petition, I'd sign it! And I'll sign the Walkers one too. Sometimes it just takes people to stand up and show they care for things to move forward.
xx
I do think people are far more aware now of the damage we are doing to our planet!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Kezzie
All the best Jan
I agree with Hazel's comment! It's so hard avoiding plastic isn't it! I've made many small changes over the years but there's still a long way to go and it's so frustrating that there are some things you just can't avoid.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the lack of blog visiting lately. I've just been too busy to be reading blogs! I've emailed you another house update this evening though :)
At least the people you watched were putting their packages in the bin - I get so mad seeing people just throwing stuff out of the car window, or just dropping them behind them or even worse, dropping it beside a bin.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to be conscious about packaging, but there is so much plastic everywhere - at least the Chinese and Indian takeaways serve their food in either tin foil or containers that can be reused. Must watch out for polystyrene in future.
And I've signed the petition - thanks for highlighting it.