My war on waste!!!

lillibet_dripping

I have watched Hugh's programme and followed the thread on here with interest.
I have also been reading Zero Waste blogs where the mantra is 'Pre-cycle, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot'.
I have also often pondered the question of excess packaging and how this can be reduced.

So today, I tried an experiment.........

I wrote my shopping list (on the back of an old envelope, naturally!)
I took my own basket to the supermarket (a lovely, wicker basket that must be at least fifteen years old).
I took my own lock n' lock boxes.

So far, so good.

I checked the labels of EVERY SINGLE ITEM I wanted to buy. If it could be bought loose i.e. potatoes, carrots etc, then I took ONE flimsy plastic bag, put the produce in to weigh, printed out the label, stuck the label on my shopping list, then emptied the plastic bag straight into my basket and PUT THE BAG BACK ON THE SHELF.

Celery couldn't be bought loose, so at the till, I opened the packet, put the celery in my basket and GAVE THE PACKET BACK TO THE CASHIER. 'I don't want any packaging, thankyou' I said. Her face was a picture!!

I bought some loose ham from the deli counter. I asked the girl to put the ham in my lock n' lock box because I DIDN'T WANT ANY PACKAGING. 'I bet you've never been asked to that before', says I!!!

By now, I'm on a roll!

I bought TINNED PET FOOD because the tins can be washed out and re-cycled. Previously, I'd bought those sachets where you squeeze the food out, leaving a couple of mouthfulls behind no doubt!

I left the milk on the shelf, as I have signed up with my local milkman who delivers milk in glass bottles. WASH AND RECYCLE. Plus, it keeps my milkman in work.

Watch this space to see how I get on with my zero-waste challenge.

All ideas and suggestions welcome!!

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!

[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]

lillibet_dripping

117 views AND NOT A SINGLE IDEA! Old Stylers, step up to the plate.....

camelot1001

I like your style! Would shopping locally help with waste? Do greengrocers still just put everything in your basket? None around here so I've lost touch.

bmma

I have thought about leaving the packaging at the till-dareI!- will maybe have a go at this on Monday as part of getting rid of plastic in the home-thank-you x

Justamum

You seem to be doing really well - it's 'old-fashioned shopping' like our grandmothers would have done! I saw on a website a while ago (can't remember which one) where someone had made their own bags for loose fruit and veg out of net material which I thought was a good idea.

Unfortunately our cat is Mr Fussy and will only eat Felix out of the sachets - and he'll only eat the Doubly Delicious so I can't buy him any tins. I do wash out all our tins for recycling though - after removing the label and putting that in the paper pile.

lillibet_dripping

camelot1001 wrote: »

I like your style! Would shopping locally help with waste? Do greengrocers still just put everything in your basket? None around here so I've lost touch.

Yay! Welcome Camelot....

IF YOU ASK THEM TO, THEY WILL!!!

bmma

my four cats are fussy-only lick the jelly off the fish-so it is mostly dry-recycle the bags the dried food comes in x

lillibet_dripping

bmma wrote: »

I have thought about leaving the packaging at the till-dareI!- will maybe have a go at this on Monday as part of getting rid of plastic in the home-thank-you x

Go for it, bmma!
Unless we all start doing it, nothing will change.
Hugh's started us off, it's up to us to challenge our supermarket/suppliers......
I DARE YOU....

lillibet_dripping

Justamum wrote: »

You seem to be doing really well - it's 'old-fashioned shopping' like our grandmothers would have done! I saw on a website a while ago (can't remember which one) where someone had made their own bags for loose fruit and veg out of net material which I thought was a good idea.

Unfortunately our cat is Mr Fussy and will only eat Felix out of the sachets - and he'll only eat the Doubly Delicious so I can't buy him any tins. I do wash out all our tins for recycling though - after removing the label and putting that in the paper pile.

Well done, justamum - I have a very fussy cat too. He will only eat Sheba (other cat foods are available!!!) at the moment.
If he doesn't like the tinned food, he can always catch a mouse.
Its a bit like feeding fussy children - if they're hungy, they'll eat it. No child deliberately starved themself, and no cat will go hungry!
GIVE IT A GO.

skogar

You probably already do this but you can reuse wine and beer bottles for homebrewing. Much more energy efficient than sending them for recycling. If you use picked / foraged fruit then very little waste involved. Reusing jars for pickles, jams etc. I usually end up scrounging other peoples - just doing my bit for the planet. :rotfl::beer:

meritaten

sorry lillibet! I have viewed, then gone away again to think. hmmm - I take for granted that I take my own bags shopping (we have had the carrier bag charge here in Wales for some years now - but I used to take my own bags for main shopping prior to that).
I do recycle - my recycle bin goes out far fuller than the 'rubbish' bin! I figure I am keeping 'someone' in employment in the recycling centre to sort it.
I like to re-use or re-purpose things. will paint old things and fix them up if I can.
I recently unpicked all my granddaughters 0 - 6 months baby cardies and sweaters I had knitted, and crocheted a cot blanket for her - her mum brought up a bin liner full of 6 - 12 months clothes I had knitted with a request for a bigger blanket. any buttons I can salvage go back in the 'button box' to be re-used.
I hardly ever buy 'new clothes' even though I can afford it - Charity shops are full of hardly worn or never worn clothes and accessories. and I do tend to have my own 'style' rather than follow the latest 'trend'. They are also full of quirky 'stuff'! or 'useful stuff' like the little glass jug which cost me 50p, and is the ideal size for mint sauce or a drop of cream. and cat plates - for some reason I get through a lot of cat plates!
They are also a marvellous source of kids toys - which as I mind said grandchild for mum to work, means I can have a good supply of age appropriate toys for her (plastic ones get dunked in steriliser and others just get wiped with steriliser).
and they go back to CS when she is finished with them (I have always done this and have 7 grandkids).
I could probably do more - so will read this thread with interest.