Hugh's War on Waste

missbiggles1

Pollycat wrote: »

I thought I'd already answered that:

It wasn't a question (no question mark;)), I was agreeing with you.:)

honeythewitch

PasturesNew wrote: »

My waste bin items are about 1/2 a carrier bag per week, max.
My recycling bin could probably be put out once a year if I spent a bit of time ensuring it was tightly packed - as it is it needs to go out about once every 3-4 months. My main culprits are empty bean tins, Pepsi tins and cardboard food packaging (which I fold and slide inside the largest one, so about one fish finger box's worth per month).

As I rarely buy things in the first instance, I've nothing much to chuck out. Spuds come in a plastic bag (one bag/month), but I can't buy them loose at the local market as I'd have to pay for parking/fuel to get them so it'd more than double the cost of the spuds! And the spuds are pricier than the "cheapest" ones I buy.

Today's rubbish is nothing. I've had two pieces of bread from the loaf; I've had 3 teaspoons of coffee from the jar; I've used a teaspoon of marg on my toast and spuds; I've used 40grams of cheese.

This level of consumption would produce one loaf wrapper/week, 1 coffee jar/month, 1 marg tub/2 months; 1 cheese wrapper/fortnight.

Its a good point about the petrol and parking charges. We are wasting fuel and money even before we buy the stuff. It is so different to the days we could buy everything we needed, in the amounts we needed, locally.

missbiggles1

honeythewitch wrote: »

I am absolutely in awe at your tiny amount of rubbish.:eek: Mine is a mountain, and I have no idea how it can be reduced when everything comes wrapped in plastic twice?

Buying from a butcher and greengrocer/farm shop/market rather than supermarkets is the best way to reduce wrapping waste.

honeythewitch

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Buying from a butcher and greengrocer/farm shop/market rather than supermarkets is the best way to reduce wrapping waste.

I already do that as much as possible but it still comes in plastic and polystyrene.

Caterina

honeythewitch wrote: »

I already do that as much as possible but it still comes in plastic and polystyrene.

Me too, atm mostly shopping via a biodynamic veg farm, but I still get sent greens in plastic bags it's everywhere, a real plague.

missbiggles1

honeythewitch wrote: »

I already do that as much as possible but it still comes in plastic and polystyrene.

You mean it comes prepacked? I don't think I've ever seen that in butchers/greengrocers.

honeythewitch

Caterina wrote: »

Me too, atm mostly shopping via a biodynamic veg farm, but I still get sent greens in plastic bags it's everywhere, a real plague.

I am tempted to take the wrappings off in the shop and put it in their bin!

missbiggles1 wrote: »

You mean it comes prepacked? I don't think I've ever seen that in butchers/greengrocers.

It is standard around here. Even something as simple as a spring cabbage comes in a plastic bag. Soft fruit come in plastic boxes and peaches, avacados and some apples come on polystyrene trays.
Meat is either put into a plastic bag (I would prefer paper) or is sold on polystyrene trays.

Rainy-Days

Allot seems to depend on what your council will recycle. When we were in Northants we could put the Tetra packs into the recycling - up here it is a no-no! Same with things such as Lurpak tubs,yogurts pots etc, glass bottles, shredded paper, anything with a window in it envelope is out of the question. So consequently we have a fair bit to go into the ordinary black bin!

Yet other councils will happily allow all the above to go into a mixed recycling bin. There seems to be no uniform one size fits all type of system across the board!

missbiggles1

honeythewitch wrote: »

I am tempted to take the wrappings off in the shop and put it in their bin!


It is standard around here. Even something as simple as a spring cabbage comes in a plastic bag. Soft fruit come in plastic boxes and peaches, avacados and some apples come on polystyrene trays.
Meat is either put into a plastic bag (I would prefer paper) or is sold on polystyrene trays.

What a shame - I've never seen that anywhere I've lived.

PasturesNew

My "local butcher" is a bit of a drive away. I'm not going to drive a 5 mile round trip for 8 sausages. I'll walk to the nearest shop and accept that there's an empty packet to lob out. That fuel/car cost of £1 there/back would make the sausages too expensive.

When you buy little, you can't go poncing about. S0d the planet, I'm keeping my £1.

I probably buy 2 packs/year, max.... so I don't think the planet's in too much danger. And I'll be saving the planet by not driving!

What's worse for the planet? 5 miles of diesel fuel fumes, or a bit of sausage packaging?