Hi All,
Hope you are well. Ages ago, I saw this 'A Swap a Day list' on @sustainablelivingonabudget's Instagram and I took a screenshot intending to have a closer look at it. It lists ways you can try to address waste habits and to try and make swaps to reduce waste in various ways. It gives it as a Swap a day which could feel overwhelming (hence why I saved it and I didn't actually do the challenge at the time) so I like the idea of it being a list to work towards.
I thought I'd break this down into a few posts to see what I have managed to do so far and what I need to still do. This isn't to show off, to make anyone feel bad, encourage anyone into making changes that could cause them financial difficulties, nor have any other ulterior motive other than share ideas and show ideas for good practice. It's good to be inspired, right?
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So...
1. Plastic Containers/Food bags:
Status on progress: YES! Been working on this one for a while.
I'm going to break this down into two areas.
For me, it doesn't make sense to throw out the containers I already have but I interpret this as trying to AVOID food in NEW plastic containers, trying to reuse those I have and try to use other containers where possible. It's not just a case of chucking out all the plastic you have and buying all new glass containers.
PLASTIC CONTAINERS- Solid.
How have I done this?
Examining my waste: If I HAVE bought something in plastic or even glass, I look and see if I can use it for another use before putting it into the compost. An
Innocent Smoothie bottle last week is now filled up with Toilet cleaner from my Zerowaste shop,
a glass bottle that housed a drink has been used for Almond milk a few times, an
ice-cream tub which my Mum gave me which had some homemade biscuits in, has been used to house my chocolate crispy cakes. When I go to the Greengrocers, I take some clear plastic tubs which once had nectarines, tomatoes, raspberries and blueberries in them to house their loose counterparts in the same way.
Takeaway: If planning to get takeaway food (I'm sorry, I have a busy, tiring life, I travel 2.5hours+ a day to and from work, I do eat takeaways), I take my own OLD takeaway containers and carrierbag. Our local Chinese takeaway is happy to use my containers and various establishments have been happy to put my food in my own tubs- a hot deli in Nottinghill, an Indian fastfood counter near school, a bakery have put cakes in them.
Deli Counter: Sainsbury's, Morrison's, Waitrose have all taken my containers to put fish, cheese and fresh items in. Some are a little more expensive but not all.
Leftovers: I try to ALWAYS keep a light container in my bag because if I don't finish my food in a restaurant or lunchtime, it's always good to have an option to save it for later. The fridge has some Thai Papaya Salad in it from our Thai meal out on Friday.
FOOD BAGS:
Any
junk mail that comes in plastic A4sized bags, are carefully cut out and folded into my school bag. Give them a clean if you are squeamish.
Paper bags can be reused. Sometimes, if I am running late for school, I buy a pastry from the shop on the train platform. A lot of the time I just go without breakfast but sometimes I need something. I have quite often asked the girl to put the item into the paper bag from the previous day/week/occasion which is saved, folded in my bag. Or I keep a plastic tub in my bag which can be reused.
Toilet roll bag: My Eco-leaf toilet roll has housed bread, rolls, fruit and vegetables. The cashier in Lidl actually made a point of commenting on how much she liked my use of the Ecoleaf bag on Friday. If anyone is squeamish- remember this bag had CLEAN, NEW toilet rolls in it.
Cotton net produce bag: I bought a few cotton bags from the Ecofair to keep for taking to the refill room if I want to fill up on Lentils but don't have room to carry lots of large containers. I also a carry around a cotton net bag. It's easy to make your own though.
Finally, why not write to your supermarket to ask for more fresh produce if you aren't as lucky as me to have access to naked veggies and products. Also, worth checking out if there are any farmshops or market days within easy reach of you.
AND always keep bags wherever you go so if you see a packaging free opportunity, you can take advantage of it!
Swap 2: Washing Powder:
Status: Addressing
As long as I have been buying my own washing powder, I have been purchasing Ecover washing powder which is kinder to the environment. I have tried to buy the largest box I can (when on Special - it always seems to be on special at times when I want to buy it). It DOES come in packaging which is Cardboard. Paper and cardboard do have a higher carbon footprint than plastic but currently I do not have a packaging free solution where I live. By post, I could order a larger quantity of Ecover powder but I'd prefer to buy from a local supermarket rather than pay for it to be shipped.
Fabric Softener: I have taken my Ecover Fabric softener bottles to be refilled at my local Health food shop which is quite cheap to do comparitively and have been using white vinegar as well. This is available from the Refill room also.
So, hope my waffling about my swaps for these two might give you a bit of food for thought or at least have you nodding in agreement rather than condemning me or hoping I'll go away!
Have a great day!
x
It did make me laugh as I found this Spike Milligan version when searching:
Hugs, Julia
Oh what a nice post! I love everything :)
Saw your blog and thought if you would like to follow each other? Follow me and I'll follow back asap. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear something from you! :)
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