Steps towards zero waste - 2019

Lifeisforliving19

What is the best small food waste bin that people have found, for just putting on the counter top? Also need a slightly bigger one, to put outside the back door to collect peelings etc to take to my friend who has a compost heap on her allotment. Only see her every 2 to 3 weeks, so want something that won't smell and attract flies and rats etc.

Nonnadiluca

I have a small plastic, lidded container, from one of the pound shops if I remember rightly - about 15cm high and 12cm in diameter - which sits on the worktop for all things compostable. Handy hint: we line it with empty flour/ oat bags: just make a few downward cuts so that you can fold the bag over the rim of the container. It's easy then to empty the whole thing into the compost bin which also helps with the peelings to paper,( green to brown) ratio.

GreyQueen

I actually have three plastic 1 kg marg tubs, from the mothership, which I use to gather peelings and tea-leaves which get taken up to the allotment. Not exactly intsagramable, but they already existed, I did not buy them. They're strong and stackable.

I put a piece of scrappy paper in the bottom then keep them on the kitchen counter. In summer, when fruit flies are about, they'll need to be fridged.

There's no way, imo, that you will be able to keep food waste for 2-3 weeks in a container outside without it getting rank and attracting insects or animals. You may not have a freezer, or the one you have may be chocka, but have you thought about freezing the stuff until handover time? I sometimes do this in extremis. HTH.

maryb

I used to use an ordinary bucket with a lid which would hold about a week's worth of compostibles but it was a bit awkward.

Now I use a food waste caddy issued by the council, the smaller inside one which should then be decanted into the outside food waste bin. It needs emptying more often but because it is rectangular, it fits inside a supermarket bag for life so I can walk up to the plot with it rather than waiting until I am going in that direction by car. I draw the line at walking up there with a bucket in my hand attracting witty comments from passers by

Lifeisforliving19

GreyQueen wrote: »

I actually have three plastic 1 kg marg tubs, from the mothership, which I use to gather peelings and tea-leaves which get taken up to the allotment. Not exactly intsagramable, but they already existed, I did not buy them. They're strong and stackable.

I put a piece of scrappy paper in the bottom then keep them on the kitchen counter. In summer, when fruit flies are about, they'll need to be fridged.

There's no way, imo, that you will be able to keep food waste for 2-3 weeks in a container outside without it getting rank and attracting insects or animals. You may not have a freezer, or the one you have may be chocka, but have you thought about freezing the stuff until handover time? I sometimes do this in extremis. HTH.

Think I may have confused you here....It is only peelings, t bags and egg shells that I am saving for my friend's compost heap., so want to keep that outside in an airtight container. The actual food waste that I accumulate...e.g. cooked bits we didn't eat etc, will unfortunately have to go into our normal black bin, as friend doesn't want those, so I was just wanting to put them in a small caddy before taking to the bin...obviously wrapped in a biodegradable green bag, so I don't make my normal kitchen bin smell...which is what happens at the moment. I think I will maybe only save stuff for her compost when I am going to see her more often.

Linda32

We have been using a ice cream tub for years for cores, peelings, tea bags, whatever. Empty when full which is about every two/three days into a small bin with a bin liner in. Wash out tub and re-use. Take bin liner to compost bin at the allotment when full.

Lifeisforliving19

How's everybody doing? Not a lot of posting on this thread lately.

Nonnadiluca

Still keeping on trying our best!
DS and his GF were here for the weekend and we generated as much rubbish in two days as we normally do in a week!!! ( and we ate out on Saturday).

dollypeeps

Just plodding along we are.....

Getting used to the small changes we've made over the last 6 weeks or so. It's funny how quickly it becomes the norm.
Cling film was my motivator for change probably because I ended up fighting with it but you then start looking at other ways of cutting back.

I now notice how much excess packaging there is around things and it fair does annoy me..... We've had a few items delivered lately so I've spent time stripping the tape plastic etc from the cardboard and recycling as much as I can instead of just binning it. It's things like that we've been doing or in the one case,mse had small table delivered and box was repurposed for storage a it was sturdy.
Trying to get down to 1 refuse collection per month but hoping for dong as the year progresses.
Started recycling crisp wrappers too as one of the ladies at school is collecting them to either send off or take to a shop she knows of.
Cost is a contributing factor for us. We shop mostly at lidl and their meat is packaged on plastic trays and covers with plastic.. I use a lot of chicken breast so decided to use the local butcher but unfortunately cost wise didn't compare....
For the packed lunches I've got the family using their sandwich bags for the week and I'm looking at the beeswax wraps so will slowly start to get these as cost allows.
Been moneysaving in the energy dept too..... Turning all electric off like a madwoman ( I'm very guilty of using table lamps/lowlight in the evening ) but have been switching off a lot more lately .....using wood burner more in the afternoon instead of just switching heating on too.

Oh been cutting down on cleaning products too.....never used loads anyway but leaning more toward white vinegar ...so hopefully less plastic bottles for recycling ....and stopped using clothes conditioner all together ....

Next step is to use a market for our fresh produce so cutting out the polythene bags completely.

Lifeisforliving19

dollypeeps wrote: »

Just plodding along we are.....

Getting used to the small changes we've made over the last 6 weeks or so. It's funny how quickly it becomes the norm.
Cling film was my motivator for change probably because I ended up fighting with it but you then start looking at other ways of cutting back.

I now notice how much excess packaging there is around things and it fair does annoy me..... We've had a few items delivered lately so I've spent time stripping the tape plastic etc from the cardboard and recycling as much as I can instead of just binning it. It's things like that we've been doing or in the one case,mse had small table delivered and box was repurposed for storage a it was sturdy.
Trying to get down to 1 refuse collection per month but hoping for dong as the year progresses.
Started recycling crisp wrappers too as one of the ladies at school is collecting them to either send off or take to a shop she knows of.
Cost is a contributing factor for us. We shop mostly at lidl and their meat is packaged on plastic trays and covers with plastic.. I use a lot of chicken breast so decided to use the local butcher but unfortunately cost wise didn't compare....
For the packed lunches I've got the family using their sandwich bags for the week and I'm looking at the beeswax wraps so will slowly start to get these as cost allows.
Been moneysaving in the energy dept too..... Turning all electric off like a madwoman ( I'm very guilty of using table lamps/lowlight in the evening ) but have been switching off a lot more lately .....using wood burner more in the afternoon instead of just switching heating on too.

Oh been cutting down on cleaning products too.....never used loads anyway but leaning more toward white vinegar ...so hopefully less plastic bottles for recycling ....and stopped using clothes conditioner all together ....

Next step is to use a market for our fresh produce so cutting out the polythene bags completely.

Sounds like you are doing amazingly well.:T I love cleaning with white vinegar. Mix with bicarb and lemon juice. Also mix with warm water for windows. Also makes a great weedkiller. I will find out the weedkiller recipe and post if anybody is interested. Do you buy it in bulk from Amazon? That's the cheapest place I have found.:)