My war on waste!!!

katkin

I'm really appreciating this thread. Our local council has recently delivered extra recycling containers to households. We now have -

General household waste
Garden waste
Plastics
Tins and cans
Paper
Food
Glass

the majority of us neighbours, (we live in a large building now separated into various sizes of habitation, houses, flats n' condos) are keen on recycling but we're finding the space issue a problem. Where do we put all these boxes, how to we divide the recycling in our kitchens etc. I wish the councils had in home solutions to make it easier to deal with. I live on the top floor, my kitchen is small - at the moment we have various recycling boxes all over the place. It's getting on my goat!!!

Just think what 8 different boxes over 12 properties looks like... Never mind the confusion of what gets picked up and when by the council.

Let's just say it's in the toothing stage here!

On a positive note, we're all really keen and most of us are already recycling and reducing our waste... But I do think it's a long road and much needs sorting and easing out for the wider community to buy into.

I'd just like to give East Ayrshire council a pat on the back for its efforts - I'm proud of the efforts they're making, it's progress.

sistercas

lillibet_dripping wrote: »

NOTE: Before any of you blast me about using Smash, I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and some days I cannot even hold a knife, let alone peel potatoes or lift a pan of boiling water or the potato ricer. !!

My guilty secret is dried potato , I love it with butter :D

Caterina

eandjsmum wrote: »

.....
A few years ago there was a web site, Morse bags encouraged people to make their own bags they printed instructions on their website.

it still exists! morsbags.com

I had my own morsbags pod (where friends met to make morsbags) and we gave dozens of them away, to local shops to give out on loan instead of plastic bags, and to anyone who wanted one. Really simple to make if you have minimal sewing machine skills.

Not done for ages, but perhaps I will talk to my friend, we should start again in earnest now that bags are 5p, more people will accept our free bags, I hope. You won't believe how hard it was to give them away, people in the street were very suspicious! :rotfl:

Ben84

lillibet_dripping wrote: »

Well done Marigold Health Foods for your prompt reply.:T

I like this stock powder too, I find it quite concentrated so it goes a long way, which is good for saving packaging and money. We've been buying the giant 1kg tubs which seem the most packaging efficient and money saving option. I find it keeps well, remaining unchanged even well past the best before date, so I just use it at whatever speed I like and the big tub will last several years. A better option if they made it however would be a refill packet made of some kind of foil-plastic, much like coffee refills often come in now.

NewShadow wrote: »

As it happens, you need to use that bag for your weekly shop for two to three months before it's equal to a single use bag.

That makes sense, they are much thicker plastic than a single use bag. However, if you don't over fill them, even the ones we call single use bags can be used many times - so the pay back from reusable ones is potentially higher than this suggests.

However, I think the good ones make sense if you do use them. The Sainsbury's orange ones with the fabric handles and elephants printed on them seem to last, I must have had mine about 8 years now and use them a couple of times a week.

The huge increase in times you need to use the cotton one to pay back is an example of how resource efficient plastics can be compared to other materials. Plastics aren't perfect however, but then neither are the other materials, and you do usually need more of them to do the same task.

Pollycat

lillibet_dripping wrote: »

NOTE: Before any of you blast me about using Smash, I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and some days I cannot even hold a knife, let alone peel potatoes or lift a pan of boiling water or the potato ricer. Needs must....
Likewise, the shaky bag chicken. Try lifting a heavy roasting tray with a whole chicken in it out of a knee-high oven!
FYI ..... I retired from teaching Food Technology because of RA and I am a BBC MasterChef semi-finalist, so yes, I do know what I'm doing in the kitchen - just can't always do it!!!

I wouldn't dream of doing blasting you, lillibet.

I suggested Smash to a friend of ours (late 70s, lives on his own, likes to cook a bit) and it works for him.

It also used to work for us when me, Mum, my sister & her 2 kids went to the caravan. Nobody wants to spend ages peeling, boiling and mashing real spuds when on holiday.

I read your later post - I remember Masterchef when Lloyd Grossman presented it.

Caterina

The idea of using fabric bags is that they can last years, especially if used with care and mended when they show wear and tear. in particular, bags like the Morsbags are made by reusing fabric from old sheets, curtains, quilt covers etc, which might otherwise be thrown away.

They don't have to be labelled "morsbags", the pattern can be used by anyone for free.

Even if these fabrics were recycled for, say, paper (do they still make paper using old rags? Not sure...), in this instances their life would be prolonged by potentially several years by the repurposing.

And if more people use more fabric bags, there would be less demand for plastic ones and less would be produced - and eventually less of them, hopefully, into the oceans and the stomachs of marine animals.

Rainy-Days

The only thing with 'shaky bag' chicken is not the convience of it, but the health implications from cooking in it - Lillibet!

There has been numerous studies especially by the American Drug and Food Administration about these bags. Breast Cancer Research advise not to use them. Very similar to Teflon coatings and concerns there about toxic chemicals etc. They know that some of the chemicals can leech into both the skin of the chicken and also into it's juices. So, it's not so much about what you are doing, but the health concerns because of it.

I am not sure what you are using to put the actual chicken in - it must be a type of dish to go in the oven, but I really would advise you to try and find an alternative! Your health will thank you for it in the long run I am sure.

lillibet_dripping

Rainy-Days wrote: »

The only thing with 'shaky bag' chicken is not the convience of it, but the health implications from cooking in it - Lillibet!

There has been numerous studies especially by the American Drug and Food Administration about these bags. Breast Cancer Research advise not to use them. Very similar to Teflon coatings and concerns there about toxic chemicals etc. They know that some of the chemicals can leech into both the skin of the chicken and also into it's juices. So, it's not so much about what you are doing, but the health concerns because of it.

Now, you see, this is where our sharing of knowledge is so important.
I genuinely did not know this! I don't read newspapers, very rarely watch the news and have not heard it discussed on my beloved Radio 4.
My project for today is to look further into these bags and ban them toot sweet!!

Thank you:T

Caterina

Thank you Rainy Days for mentioning the health implications of using plastic in food in your post above.

Although I really take on board Ben84's ideas about recycling, it is also important to mention the health issues that plastic can create, hormone disruption, carcinogen substances, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and so on. Plenty of literature and research online if one wants to do research, very scary.

I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that recycling can be a distraction from taking more effective action, though. I will never forget overhearing someone in the supermarket queue, proudly declaring that she was really doing her bit for the environment, saying that she recycled so much that she had to ask the council for an extra recycling bin. I think there are lots of people who think like that.

The idea of reducing consumption in the first place is quite threatening to a lot of people, so they feel that recycling the innumerable packages from the goods they buy they have done their bit, but if you told them "buy loose veg" or "put down that plastic cup, bring your own mug" etc they would recoil! I know, I have tried but given up "preaching" as it just alienates people, I have realised.

It's a minefield, always wondering what's best, what to do to make a positive impact, it can be really disheartening, but all we can do is keep going, doing our own little bit - even the over-consumers- recyclers. Better do something, no matter how small, than nothing.

lillibet_dripping

Ben84 wrote: »

A better option if they made it however would be a refill packet made of some kind of foil-plastic, much like coffee refills often come in now.
.

That's a brilliant idea Ben. With your permission, I would like to reply to Marigold with this suggestion....