The War against plastic waste

DigForVictory

I think the trick is to let it dry out first, & for that I have a little mesh string bag which holds the wet shampoo bar off any surface where it can stay wet & allows air to circulate. (Often hanging off a door handle.) Then bag & bar go into a tin for storage, transport etc.

My sister says cheerfully that the bag she last bought lemons in does for her nicely.

ancientmum

Thank you Dig for victory, I've been looking for a way to use those nets!

DigForVictory

I used them to keep baby socks in one wash - didn’t evade sock bingo but avoided plumbing bills!

Sea_Shell

The season of conspicuous "pointless plastic" is almost upon us.

How many families actually make conscious decisions NOT to buy products with excessive packaging during the festive season?

Decorations, presents, foodstuffs etc etc etc...

bobbiz22

ancientmum wrote: »

Hello
This may be a silly question but how do those of you using shampoo bars stop them from melting everywhere in the shower or when travelling?. I thought of getting an old fashioned soap box like we used to take on holiday in our toilet bags, but has anyone any other ideas please?

I have a cotton soap bag to help it dry without going mushy, it also helps with lathering too- plus when you get to the ends of the soap and it's really tiny, it'll help keep it all together!

I hang it off the shower then if i need to transport it, I have a HydroPhil soap tin

Caitykinss

I've been doing a number of things over the past year or so to reduce my plastic consumption and waste in general. I know I can do much more but I've found gradually making small changes has been much easier than trying to cut everything in one go. A few things I have done so far are:

- I cut out wipes altogether around two years ago. I use a muslin cloth and proper cleanser to wash my face/remove makeup. I've also been meaning to get some reusable cotton pads as I'm still guilty of using these for toner. Instead of antibacterial wipes, I just use spray and a cloth. For the loo, I use a bit of loo roll and spray so I can flush it afterwards.

- I now do most of my shopping in Morrisons rather than Aldi. Although it costs a bit more (although not as much as I thought - I only buy own brand things), I've found they're the best for loose fruit and veg. They do paper bags instead of plastic, but I don't bother at all unless it's small things like mushrooms. A pepper or a cucumber just goes in the trolley and I'll wash it before I eat it.

- My office building only has a separate bin for cardboard and paper. I've tried with the building landlord and got nowhere, so I've now started rinsing tins and plastic etc that I use and taking it home with me.

- I treat myself to a meal deal on a Friday, having packed lunches Mon-Thurs. I always pick a drink in a can rather than a bottle and try to select other items that have the least amount of packaging.

- In the past month or so I've started doing a tray bake on a Sunday night for my lunches in the week. I used to buy either supermarket brand or Mr Kipling cake slices, but was getting frustrated with the amount of packaging they come in. The Mr Kipling ones in particular are terrible, with most individually wrapped. It takes me less than an hour to do a tray bake and I'm enjoying experimenting with different recipes. Once my current supply of baking ingredients runs out, I'll be going to the stall on the market in town that will refill my jars.

- In the supermarket I try to buy things in glass rather than plastic, if the choice is there, even if it's a little bit more expensive.

- I've switched to soap bars (not in packaging) rather than hand soap. I'll also swap to shampoo bars when my shampoo runs out.

- I already ensure all plastic used is rinsed and put in the recycling bin (where it's allowed).

Things I have been meaning to do, and will do in the coming months:

- Invest in some period pants. I hate the amount of sanitary towels that just go straight in the bin and off to landfill every month. I've tried the 'eco-friendly' biodegradable ones, but still felt like I was just chucking it in the bin and wasn't sure whether it was actually doing any good. Period pants are pretty expensive right now, so the initial outlay is too much to go whole hog, but I'd like to buy a pair a month possibly starting from after Christmas and slowly build up a stock to stop using disposable pads altogether.

- Grow my own veg. I've recently moved from a flat to a house and finally have a garden. Unfortunately it needs a bit of TLC as it resembles a jungle more than a garden at the minute. We moved in a the wrong time of year to tackle it properly and wanted to spend money inside the house first. From next spring I'll be out in force to get started with my own veg patch. I'm also planning on getting a compost bin so I can start composting my waste too.

- I've already mentioned the plastic free stall at the market in town, but I've yet to actually visit. When I start to run out of things, I plan to get all my rice/pasta etc as well as baking ingredients from there.

Things I'd love help with:

- Toilet roll and kitchen roll. I've seen some 'eco-friendly' ones online but they're very expensive compared to my usual Morrisons own brand. I don't buy much kitchen roll anymore, but obviously can't get away without loo roll! Morrisons do 100% recycled versions of both, but they're false economy as they're so thin you have to use twice as much.

- Cleaning products. I know I should be using homemade things but really don't know where to start, and worry they won't be as good as normal bleach/antibacterial stuff.

dolly84

bobbiz22 wrote: »

Update on shampoo & conditioner:

I have been using Friendly Soap - Lavender & Geranium shampoo bar and the conditioner bar and my hair feels no different to liquid shampoos. I think it helps that I transitioned to no paraben/no sls etc shampoos at the beginning of the year, so I haven't really experienced a "transition period" for my hair by switching to bars. I don't rinse with apple cider vinegar either... Plus the shampoo bar's are quite cheap - less than £3 and the conditioner bar is about £5. They recommend you dilute/melt the conditioner it into a container but I just rub onto my hair at the moment

I use this brand too. It is made just a few miles down the road from me (Friendly is an actual place), I also use the Patchouli & Sandelwood bar for faces and my teenagers find it very good for keeping breakouts at bay. I cut each bar into about 4/5 slices and just put one slice out at a time, same with the shampoo bar, saves too much of it going to waste.

Karmacat

I read through the thread yesterday, found some useful things here - and a few names I recognise

One of the things I do is to re-use big bags of oats, or of frozen veg, as rubbish bags. I tape them shut with a piece of sellotape - I live alone, so there's just me. Often, the only waste is plastic packets dried lentils, feta cheese, the plastic from around Sainsbo teabags, that sort of thing.

I'm wondering about attitudes to Terracycle - obviously, its not a long term solution, but using it proves that there's a willingness to recycle those particular objects (pens, crisp packets, whatever) - seems to me it's a lever against the manufacturer who says "its difficult, and there's no demand anyway".

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

Cattikins - With regard to your query about kitchen towel etc. I haven't completely got rid of kitchen towel but I don't use so much of it now as I cut up a very large old towel into napkin size squares which I wash when used. I do still use kitchen towel for cleaning the toilet but that is about all I use it for.


As to cleaning products if you cannot bring yourself to make them you could try finding a refill station local to you that way you won't have to keep buying plastic bottles, just refill an existing one. With regards to making products there is a link further back in this thread for a BBC Shop Well for Less page which gives you ingredients for making your own cleaning products.


I hope that helps.

Hettyhound

Few names I recognise here too. I don't buy kitchen roll anymore, I cut up my sons old school uniforms at the summer break and use those as cleaning rags. They will go through a wash quite a few times. I recently bought some beeswax wraps (which you can refresh in an oven/with an iron) and haven't missed cling film at all. I still buy foil and greaseproof paper and I wrap many things in old bread packets. I moved to shampoo bars in the summer. I'd previously tried but struggled due to hard water. I found a company (Conchus) that hand make bars and also sell a pre-made rinse which has been a game changer. I bought 2 shampoo bars and 2 rinses in August and I'm still on the first of each!! My hair does still feel a bit waxy towards the ends but the roots look great! Hoping I'm nearly there with the "transition stage" and I don't wash my hair as often now as it doesn't feel the need.

I've also really cut down on cleaning products and use white vinegar for a lot of things such as dishwasher rinse aid and fabric conditioner; honestly there is no vinegar smell. Irrespective of my contribution to the health of the planet my under sink cupboard is a lot tidier