Hugh's War on Waste

lillibet_dripping

What about THIS then!!
http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/05/24/berlins-getting-zero-waste-grocery-store

Pollycat

missbiggles1 wrote: »

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

honeythewitch wrote: »

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

I think we're talking about different types of butchers.

At my 'proper' butcher
's, he weighs out what I've asked for, it goes in a plastic bag & he tells me what I owe.

No polystyrene in sight.

LB?

Diverting back to the topic of Waste, there are clearly many ways to to address the problems but most of them will incurr additional costs which will be prohibitive to the producer (in the case of the Parsnips the least costly method is to plough them back into the ground where they will provide nutritional benefit for future crops).

There almost has to be a certain amount of over-production in order to deal with the lean years, but when there is significant over-production there are ways for us all to benefit in the form of bio-gas generation. Most organic materials can be used in Anaerobic digestion to produce gas that can be fed into the grid, thus assisting with another problem we have created for ourselves - the dependance on imported gas. As a country we need to get back to a position where we can support ourselves in all the basic elements of life (food production, enery production, etc.).

honeythewitch

Pollycat wrote: »

I think we're talking about different types of butchers.

At my 'proper' butcher
's, he weighs out what I've asked for, it goes in a plastic bag & he tells me what I owe.

No polystyrene in sight.

Most (not all) do that as well, but there is not one butcher or fruit shop in a ten mile radius of my house that doesn't also have the prepackaged stuff. In poorer areas people like to see exactly what they are getting and what the cost is.

And why are they using plastic? What is wrong with paper bags?

Gigervamp

Paper bags would get soggy from the blood.

Ken68

Yes agree LB....most farmers here have or planning to get Digesters,
In fact my local Tesco is very close to one and I think that is where surplus stuff goes. Saves them on having to deal with bin divers, though doesn't excuse not helping the food banks. Come to think of it, there is a permanent food bank in the store to which shoppers can donate.

honeythewitch

Gigervamp wrote: »

Paper bags would get soggy from the blood.

I dont remember it being a problem in the sixties, seventies and early eighties when the butchers used paper bags.

Gigervamp

honeythewitch wrote: »

I dont remember it being a problem in the sixties, seventies and early eighties when the butchers used paper bags.

I remember butchers wrapping meat in butcher's paper. It was thick and they'd use a couple of sheets with a bit of greaseproof between the meat and paper. But not paper bags.

missbiggles1

Pollycat wrote: »

I think we're talking about different types of butchers.

At my 'proper' butcher
's, he weighs out what I've asked for, it goes in a plastic bag & he tells me what I owe.

No polystyrene in sight.

I think you're right. There are meat shops and then there are real butchers.

missbiggles1

honeythewitch wrote: »

Most (not all) do that as well, but there is not one butcher or fruit shop in a ten mile radius of my house that doesn't also have the prepackaged stuff. In poorer areas people like to see exactly what they are getting and what the cost is.

And why are they using plastic? What is wrong with paper bags?

In my "proper " butchers, all the meat is clearly labelled with price per kilo and the joints of meat (mainly hanging up) have a label with the kilo price and the joint price pinned to them.