Recycling plastic wrappers

vatic

To those looking to reduce the amount of plastic packaging, especially with loose produce, I can really recommend these bags:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/organic-cotton-produce-sacks-p-747.html?osCsid=1aed5763262cf3f07d9598c0acb711dc

I bought a whole ton of them for myself and as Christmas presents for people and we all love them. I bought the large sized ones. They are extremely sturdy and lightweight. Plus, when we put the veg and fruit away in the fridge, the cotton draws some of the moisture away from the produce so it helps keep things fresher longer.

nzmegs

I am with geordie - there are so many ways to avoid buying the plastic packaging in the first place. Crisps are an example. Buy the largest bag you can and put a hand ful in a plastic reusable pot for your kids lunches or serve them in a bowl. It is cheaper and more friendly. I would guess you save at least 1/2 the packaging on a 10 pack of individually wrapped crisps packets.

if you would normally buy individually wrapped items eg cakes, iced lollies, buiscuits. (notice how it is the really unhealthy stuff which has the packaging issues?) Just try buying the larger whole item eg a large cake and just cut it up, or a tub of ice cream (recyclable) or biuscuits without the inner trays - or better still bake your own....

I truly believe that recycling is just a poor way of dealing with rubbish which shouldn't be there in the first place. it is not a long term solution and the only way forward is to reduce.

geordie_joe

nzmegs wrote: »

I am with geordie - there are so many ways to avoid buying the plastic packaging in the first place.

Thanks, and you have made some very good suggestions.

nzmegs wrote: »

(notice how it is the really unhealthy stuff which has the packaging issues?)

I agree, but would also add that's it's processed and frozen food too. I don't buy frozen food these day, except birds eye fish fingers when the are on special offer and frozen peas. But I remember buying things like frozen fish and being disappointed to find the box was 3 times bigger than it needed to be.

I'd buy a box of fish and find two little fish rattling round the bottom of the box! I think they just make the packaging bigger so you think you're getting more than you are.

It's the same with ready meals, by the time you've got through the packaging there's hardly anything in there.

Now when I go shopping I always keep in mind that I'm paying for the packaging too. And also keep in mind that what is inside does not always fill the box.

IamJen

FYI...I've noticed that several of Sainsburys plastic packages for fruit/veg are actually compostable. (made from cornflour, I think). The availability of this "plastic" is really erratic, but I sent them an email a few months ago thanking them for adding this sort of packing.

Honestly, the plastic disaster is a driving force behind our move to a fruit/veg box scheme. No non-recyclable plastic, period.

I will however, consider dumping my excess plastic at the till/customer service on my next visit though. Drives me crazy that I can't buy anything organic without plastic. Seriously...why do bananas need plastic? Argh.

(sorry, pet peeve)

Also wondering what y'all do with Tetrapak (juice/soyamilk, etc.) I've been putting them in with cardboard, but then one of our local Freecyclers suggested that it's not recyclable this way. I've been trying to call the council office, but gave up after about 4 tries.

geordie_joe

IamJen wrote: »

Drives me crazy that I can't buy anything organic without plastic. Seriously...why do bananas need plastic? Argh.

I'm no expert but I suspect it's something to do with how far the item travels and how many times it is handled.

A farmer growing his own stuff then taking it five miles to market can look after it without the need for protective packaging.

When you import stuff from other countries you have to be sure it will survive the journey and handling along the way.

It's also to do with accounting, it's easier to account for packets of items rather than a big container of loose items. A bit like buying chips (fries) in a fast food outlet. They come in a cone that holds a certain amount, you can't be given too many or too little. And the accountants can measure exactly how many portions of fries are in stock.

Oh, and did I mention that if you have six loose bananas in a tray and one is past it's best someone will come along and buy the other five. But if you put them all in a plastic bag someone will buy all six.

IamJen wrote: »

(sorry, pet peeve)

You don't need to be sorry for that, if we didn't have "pet peeves" we would never fight for anything. Or fight against anything.

mech_2

IamJen:
No Tetra Paks are definitely not recyclable as ordinary cardboard. They need to go through a special process to remove the plastic from them (and sometimes an aluminium lining as well). Recently a Tetra Pak recycling bank has been added to the recycling area near my local shops, but that's the first time I've seen one. Maybe some kerbside collections allow them and sort them afterwards, but they definitely don't count as normal paper or card.

As for organic produce being sold in plastic, I was under the impression that it's because the supermarket probably sells non-organic veg loose and would get in trouble with the organic standards body if it could get mixed up with the organic stuff, so they wrap the organic produce as it's smaller in quantity than the non-organic. A bit of a dilemma if you want to be green. Not really a problem for a specialist organic shop - if they only sell organic they can sell it loose.

Ben84

I shop for most fruit and vegetables at the local market. I take reusable bags, and with the exception of small loose items like cherrys or grapes that go in brown paper bags, I don't get any packaging to throw away. They transport the produce in reusable plastic crates too, so I don't think there's any packaging waste being made this way.

The few paper bags can be used to write shopping lists and take notes, and they're easily recycled or composted.

I'm not sure what the reason for the supermarket packaging obsession is, but they do use a lot of it for fruit and vegetables. I suspect it's partly because their produce is older and has been sat in storage longer. It certainly isn't as crisp and fresh as the market's. I also think customers like the packets, they hold a set amount for a set price that allows them to make comparisons easier and know what they're spending. Packets may also encourage larger sales, they often contain more than I need for a recipe. I think they also detract our attention away from the price per Kg.

pmorrisjones

When I visited the Eden project a while ago, they said that bananas are kept in plastic to stop them ripening. When they get to their destination the plastic is removed and they can start to go yellow. Of course they were talking about when sent in large plastic bags. Small ones are a pain. If I do buy them in plastic bags (sometimes for economy, sometimes for organic/faretrade - yes infuriating) I remember this and now keep them in plastic until I need them to ripen (esp. in the summer). See I knew there was some reason for the ecological disaster, called the Eden project, to be built. Every cloud has a silver lining.

demented_2

Hi, I reuse the Tetra Packs by washing them out really well and then use them in the deep freeze, i put any home made soup in them or Stew, as they are quite rigid and stackable. The plastic that biscuits or such like is covered with, gets cut into circles and used when i make HM Jam or marmalade for the cover. Not much gets wasted at our house. Baked bean tins or any tins really, are used to grow herbs or any flowers. We do try to recycle nearly everything. Our bin is only ever emptied every 3 weeks.
I did read a post somewhere on MSE that you can knit your own "string bag" out of plastic bags. I can't remember which forum it was on, but i am going to give that a go when i find it again.

purplevamp

demented wrote: »

I did read a post somewhere on MSE that you can knit your own "string bag" out of plastic bags. I can't remember which forum it was on, but i am going to give that a go when i find it again.

My Nan used to make bags from old carriers and bread bags. She made me an orange one from Sainsubry's bread bags (well they were orange in the 80's). I had a look around the site and found this post. Not sure if this is the one you meant.