Vegan Living & Ethical Buying

Doom_and_Gloom

squirrelgirl wrote: »

I've been using method stuff for convenience recently but have discovered that it's owned by a company I won't buy from normally so I'll be using up what I have then it's back off the list! Stupid really that I've not checked earlier but it's spurring me on to get back in control! I'm not happy with how I'm doing at the moment but at least I've recognised it early and can rectify it!

Have to admit we have method laundry liquid. Bought loads of it years ago when it was on offer and have at least 3 years worth left. However when we run out I won't be buying it again. Same with the hand wash. Once we run out I will change it.
We buy bio D for everything else. This is what we will likely change the laundry and hand wash to. It's vegan, hypoallergenic and made in England. You can buy bulk bottles from ethical superstore. Just decant into a smaller bottle for ease of use.

[Deleted User]

Thanks doom_and_gloom...bio-d is what I usually use but have been too bone idle to get to the health food shop I sometimes buy it from and I still don't need a full suma order yet (although we're currently cut off by the snow so it's all from stock until the weather breaks!!;)...I may be putting an order in when it does! )

So, my current situation is that the roads around me are impassable- I have no option other than to stay at home and enjoy my nsd's!! :rotfl: I'm going to have the rest of today being lazy then tomorrow I'll be cleaning and deciding on the best way to utilise my current inventory- we have enough stocks to last a couple of weeks but veg will get thin on the ground quite quickly...thankfully I have squash, peppers, sweet potatoes, potatoes, garlic, a variety of onions and carrots- all of which last well and can be spread out over time. I've also got frozen veg and fruit so it's going to be okay but less than usual.

Although the enforced retreat from humanity is inconvenient, I'm still enjoying it!

debtfreeforlife

Apologies for not being around much recently! It's been a busy month or so and I got a bit behind on everything. Catching up on life and finances etc though, I've stayed mostly on track through January and February so fairly proud of myself Still far too much single-use plastic though, and I'm trying hard to reduce it with the aim of partcipating in plastic-free July. Spent far too much money in Holland & Barrett the other day refilling jars of nuts from their self-serve section, but these should last me several months.

Oh no to Method - that's annoying! I only buy their washing up liquid though and it's almost out. I have a refill in my ethical superstore shopping basket but haven't actually completed it yet, so will cancel that and buy BioD instead. I've mostly stuck with them because I like that they do refills. I know BioD do as well, but I don't really have space to store the huge 5l bottles. However, I have just discovered that Bristol (where I live) is getting its first zero waste store, which will be around 20 minutes from me So hopefully they'll do washing up liquid that I can refill. Really looking forward to them opening next weekend.

Am also trapped at home today, but was working from home so fairly productive regardless. Apart from when I fell asleep on the couch whilst doing fairly essential (but boring) reading...

[Deleted User]

Wow, I'd love to be able to access a zero waste store! No such luck unfortunately, but at least buying in bulk where possible and locally for fruit and veg minimises the amount I have

I need to look more carefully at my waste - we've had no bin collection recently due to the weather conditions and I'm not too disappointed- a lot of recycling and little landfill but still not as good as it should be....

Got the grandbaby later for the night - the road has been ploughed now so we're free again! - so I'm going to make a lentil bake- brown/green lentils, carrots, peas, gravy either a sweet potato and normal potato mash on top (shepherds pie stylie) and serve it with swede and carrot mash, asparagus, broccoli spears and sweetcorn. That will be tonight's dinner, I'm also going to make muffins and fritters etc for him for snacks and breakfasts so I've got a bit to do!! Better get on with it really!

Have a great weekend!

debtfreeforlife

That sounds delicious squirrelgirl! I have just made pancakes for breakfast, delicious. Might try and do some bread baking later as well. I'm really excited about the zero waste stoe, we have a few similar in my area but this is the first purely zero waste. Another reason why moving to Bristol was definitely a good idea for me My waste is ok but not great. A lot is vegetable scraps and peeling, trying to convince my dad to come up and install a waste disposal for me...

I have an unexpected free weekend as I was supposed to travel to Cornwall but cancelled because of the snow, so hoping to catch up on some things. In particular I need to re-hem curtains from my old house to work in my new spare bedroom, they're way too long but in good condition so can easily work here.

First though, off for a stomp in the snow to get some exercise! Hope everyone has a good day/weekend.

Ben84

squirrelgirl wrote: »

I've been using method stuff for convenience recently but have discovered that it's owned by a company I won't buy from normally so I'll be using up what I have then it's back off the list!

A number of ethical brands for things like cosmetics, foods, household products, etc have been bought by big parent companies who own a range of brands with varying ethical policies. What tends to happen, as I understand it is that the bought up ethical brand gets sort of ring-fenced as doing their own distinct thing, but the other brands under the parent company's ownership also keep doing their own things - and the two can be very different.

But in this situation, does avoiding the product help? Should we reward companies for making ethical products, or just stop buying them? I can see a case for both, but I'm inclined actually to buy the product if it suits my needs and the brand making it still suits my ethical concerns. Because looking at it from the parent company's perspective, if getting in to the ethical market with any success means a huge overhaul of all their subsidiary's policies before customers with ethical wants will buy anything from them, this sets the bar high, and makes going that way risky. It would cost a lot of money upfront, and even if they get this bit right, their ethical brands may not be successful for a whole lot of other reasons. Also, they may even wonder if their target market simply will never buy from them due to past negative opinions. So, if enough people are avoiding ethical brands from less ethical parent companies, it may in fact block major companies with the potential to make big changes from getting involved in this market.

Sticking with ethical only companies may seem safer than buying from bigger companies with a range of brands, but then I wonder if this is just holding back ethical products from gaining market share. If as often claimed they have the ability and motive to grow these brands, a lot more ethical products with real benefits for animals and pollution could end up in peoples homes instead of the alternatives. Sure I have annoyances with big companies, how they've held out on changing practices while others have had less polluting and animal testing free brands on the market for 30+ years now, but not welcoming signs of change now they're happening could be counterproductive.

[Deleted User]

Some interesting points raised Ben84 - unfortunately, I've been hearing very similar arguments for over 36 years and I probably don't have another 36 to go, so for me I won't buy from anyone who isn't ethical if there is an alternative! However, it's personal choice and I'm certainly not criticising any move towards more ethical ways of doing business

Dinner went down a treat yesterday my grandbaby always eats more here than at home - I think there's a vegan in the making there!! the muffins were a disaster - I'm really not the baking type!! I'm a 'throw it in' type of cook and don't have the patience for measuring ingredients!! They seemed to go down reasonably well but I deffo need more practice :rotfl:

Back to work tomorrow- ds is venturing into the city so is picking me up a few things from the health food shop - I love vegan chorizo (that and tofu weiners are the only 'meat substitute ' things I like really) but am down to my last packet so fingers crossed they haven't run out again!!

debtfreeforlife

Really good points, Ben - interesting food for thought. I tend to try and buy clothes from M&S as much as the budget allows because they are by far the most ethical high street shop, and I regularly email them to tell them that's why I purchase their products. I think the difference for me though is that there are more ethical alternatives to me this that do what I need to do (e.g. BioD). Consumers have minimal power in a capitalist system but with what little purchasing power I have, I want to support the most ethical options. M&S is slightly different for me because it's a high street store and therefore a totally different category, I want to see more ethical options on the high st. Whereas in the method/other washing liquid issue, all the online retailer will see is that I am supporting a company that has better ethics and will hopefully stock more of those if more do the same.

[Deleted User]

How is the zero waste store dffl?

I am pleased that we are almost to the end of the month....it's been a bit of a nightmare all round!! :eek:

I've had no hot water or heating for the past 2 weeks - no housework or cooking done either as I really can't function in the cold however, the situation was rectified by the time I got home last night so I have a busy weekend ahead getting sorted!

I'm beginning to believe that my grandbaby has food sensitivities- he appears to be very fractious towards the end of the day and it has coincided with my dd giving him hm fritters etc that she makes with egg - he has no tolerance for milk protein and has soya milk so it wouldn't surprise me if he's got issues with egg - as a result, once I have cleaned my hovel, I intend to make a weeks worth of vegan food for him to see if we can chill him out again! he enjoys it so much more anyway and despite sil being adamant that he wants him to be eating 'everything' (he's a typical meat and two veg bloke:() my daughter is happy for him to follow whatever diet suits him I think he will be my vegan partner in crime!! :rotfl:

I'm going to be throwing food away today which is really disappointing my inability to cook for two weeks means that the fridge will be scary!! However, I'm planning on using any salvageable veg in a soup and hopefully the waste won't be too much.

It has been an incredibly expensive month too - thankfully I've sorted it now but I know how easy it is to slip back into poor spending habits so its a strict sticking to budgets in April

Hope you all have a fab weekend!

debtfreeforlife

Oh dear, so sorry to hear it's been a nightmare month squirrel! Not a good time to be minus hot water and heating, I'm not surprised it has been hard to keep on track cooking and budget wise. Hope that you are able to get back to it now the sun is out. Please don't feel too bad about the waste though, remember how much you usually save - perfection is impossible and sometimes life just gets in the way! Hope next month goes better for you

I am at my parents for the weekend and we spent this morning playing in the garden with my 2.5yr old niece, so lovely to enjoy the sunshine again. Can't wait for the spring to properly arrive. I did try out the waste free store a few weeks ago and it is just amazing. Everything I usually buy (pastas, rices, flours, herbs, couscous, beans, coffee, teas, nuts, lentils, seeds, etc). Loads of types of each, some organic and some not, and all at really good prices. I bought about a month's worth of kidney beans and pasta and about three months of rice, plus some herbs for £6. Everything else I was already stocked up on. It's half an hour away from me but I will definitely be going back there to buy all my essentials, will just need to be sensible about bulk buying all at the same time to reduce petrol.

Sounds like your DGS might have sensitivities as you say. My niece is lactose intolerant and she is always difficult to manage whenever they try and reintroduce lactose. Hope he feels better soon!

Does anyone have any tips on vegan/meat meals that can be easily adapted for both? I am home at the weekend again for Easter and the difficulty we have is catering for me and my father (who is also a meat and two veg man). I usually eat veggie when at home to make it easier for my mother but wondering what meals would work other than freezer options. Dad will eat a quorn Bolognese but thinking I could also do fajitas and do chicken for his but leave out for me. Any other tips appreciated! I don't particularly want to buy too much for the freezer as it then takes up space in my parents' freezer.