Zero Waste Week - tell us your best upcycling and re-use tips

Former_MSE_Andrea

Fabulous bump zebedy, living up to your username

robin58

You do know you can make curry with banana skins.

Primrose wrote: »

About this time of year I start collecting scrap food peelings like banana skins, apple cores and other similar items in a separate container in the garden . Then when my patio plant containers finish flowering I remove the plants and mix the composted bits into the bare soil and let them rot down over winter.

The containers act as their own mini composter as even on winter days often the sun generates some heat. By the time they're ready for spring/summer planting everything has rotted down and this saves ever having to buy fresh compost for my containers and keeps the soil in good condition.

I grow tumbling tomatoes in some patio pots and provided the plants aren't,t blighted, their old haulms are chopped up and added back to the pots, mixed with the soil and allowed to compost down over winter.

Old wrinkled potatoes which aretoo far gone to be eaten are buried in the middle of my compost heap and in due course grow lovely new potatoes. I,ve just harvested about eight pounds of free potatoes grown in this way !

Former_MSE_Andrea

Love that idea robin58!

ZeroWasteWeek

Primrose I love your ideas - they are so inspiring because they take all the hard work out of composting. I've done a similar thing but got out of the habit, so thanks for the reminder.


I do love a few free potatoes! You can't stop them growing if they get accidentally into the compost pile, so your idea just takes it to the next level.


Happy #ZeroWasteWeek! :beer:

ZeroWasteWeek

robin58 wrote: »

You do know you can make curry with banana skins.

There's also a recipe I've seen for fried banana skins - you eat them like a side snack or crisps. I haven't tried them myself, but have it on good authority that they taste amazing!

Gem-gem

Sending some books to an online site. Didn't buy new Jiffy bags. Package 1. Wrapped in old bubble wrap and then used a paper bag from a shop ( cut it in half, turned it inside out and hey-presto Brown packing paper). Wrapped it off and sent it off.
Package two. Once again wrapped in bubble wrap then placed into a box that I had something else delivered in.

Wrapped a friend's birthday present I recycled wrapping paper.

I have been cutting up an old flannette sheet and making re-useable make up pads to remove make up with. I have made enough for two weeks. After use, they go into the wash and then gets iron and put back into my Kilner jar ( that metal bit broke on - and cannot be used for food anymore).

Turned an old pair of linen grey trousers into six napkins.

Former_MSE_Andrea

For 2018 MSE Rhiannon has blogged on her Zero Waste morning routine.

Is there anything else she could do?

ZeroWasteWeek

I love all your hacks, Gem-Gem. Reuseable make up pads are all the rage and it's brilliant you are making them for free. I need to have a go at that. Like you, I never buy packaging - we get it free everyday in the post, right? Thanks for sharing some of the things you do - it's so inspiring because you make it sound simple

Gem-gem wrote: »

Sending some books to an online site. Didn't buy new Jiffy bags.
Wrapped a friend's birthday present I recycled wrapping paper.

I have been cutting up an old flannette sheet and making re-useable make up pads

Turned an old pair of linen grey trousers into six napkins.

ZeroWasteWeek

How did I miss this during the week?! It's brilliant. I love how Rhiannon has researched this and shown people how easy (and frugal) a Zero Waste Lifestyle can be. Many people think it's for the monied few, but nothing could be further from the truth. :j Thanks for sharing :T

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

For 2018 MSE Rhiannon has blogged on her Zero Waste morning routine.

Is there anything else she could do?

Gem-gem

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

For 2018 MSE Rhiannon has blogged on her Zero Waste morning routine.

Is there anything else she could do?

If she is using disposable panty liners / sanitary towels, she could change to washable ones.

Take her own lunch to work with a napkin instead of paper towel or serviette.