I noticed a few weeks ago the Morrisons had a notice on the door that said you could take your own containers to the fish & meat counter to avoid the use of plastic bags. I don't go in that often so don't know if anyone does it!

Great idea for a thread, dragonlily! And with one of my "hats" on I can, and do, teach furoshiki/bojagi workshops from time to time; the giftwrap techniques are lovely, but the carry-wraps are wonderfully useful on an everyday basis. Learn to tie one simple bag ("katakake fukuro") & if you carry an old scarf in your handbag, you'll never need to pay for a plastic bag again! (handy link)

I mostly used up old scraps of paper this year, some of them re-used, but also used plain craft/brown paper with potato-printed stamps for two large presents which were awkward to wrap & needed more strength than old wrapping paper could provide. I also blew a fuse at paying £20 for a box of crackers (long story) so made crackers from old loo roll inners & brown paper; all the debris has been stripped of anything plasticky (which may well get re-used!) and added to the kindling for our stove.

Now the "kids" are all young adults we've stopped the stockings (by agreement!) and adopted the Icelandic Jolabokaflod instead, whereby everyone gets a book and chocolate. I made drawstring bags for the books out of old shirts with a glittery thread for the girls and the legs of OH's old jeans for the lads & OH. These were then glitzed up with bits of old Christmas decs - unused baubles & bits of plastic greenery & tinsel, sort of thing, all wrapped in florists wire & pinned on. They looked rather lovely, if I say so myself, and with the decorations unpinned can be used for muddy boots, make-up or whatever.

And for my next trick I plan to make some beeswax wraps, as soon as I can locate some good beeswax! I have plenty of cotton, retrieved from old shirts etc. (Ooh, I do love a 99p rail!) I'll let you know how I get on...

Hello,
I'd love to give this a try. I'm generally trying to declutter and cut down so this would be perfect. I have two small children so it has been a bit of a plastic and packaging overload over Christmas but I'm hoping that we can start to rethink a lot of our lifestyle choices in a less is more kind of way. I also want to reduce single use plastics over the next year

Must check out those Japanese "bags from a scarf"

I've always carried round a fold-up shopping bag in my handbag for years before the attempt to stop supermarkets handing out plastic bags. But it is difficult to find ones that are stylish/not made from "artificial" type material/etc - and I do have a LOT of scarves....

I've just opened a new bag of Porridge Oats. Well done Aldi for using paper bags, why can't Tesco do the same?

ilona

Hello all! I am looking for recommendations for those reusable bags for fruit and veg shopping, any suggestions on which ones are any use? I’m also looking for something to use as you storagr along the same idea?

I got my reusable bags off Amazon Princess MP.

Epic fail on the plastic for us today - we went out for the day, planning to eat lunch in a cafe or pub but couldn't find one we liked. Ended up in the coop buying a pot of hummus with carrot sticks, a pot of olives, a pot of eggs with Mayonnaise and individually wrapped cheeses in a net bag

I think we need to plan ahead a little better....

You can also buy the reusable net bags from Lakel*nd if you have one near you.

It's annoying when you plan to eat out and can't isn't it? Especially when you end up having to buy stuff in plastic which you were trying to avoid. Hope you still enjoyed your day out.

Denise

I've been working on being more environmentally friendly - I bought a few things last year to make packed lunches and eating on the go easier;

- stainless steel tiffin lunchbox
- stainless steel straws with cleaning brushes and a little pouch
- cutlery in a pouch to keep in my bag so I don't have to use plastic ones for salads etc
- stainless steel water bottle
- unpaper towels to replace paper towels and use as napkins

I also got silicone stretchy wraps that replace cling film and some silicone freezer bags for leftovers, soups etc that can also be used as reusable snack bags and are dishwasher safe. I have the Ikea glass storage boxes with the bamboo lids as well and they look great in the fridge and surprisingly haven't broken any yet despite being very clumsy.

I wrapped my presents in brown paper with Spirograph designs I did on it (saw it on pinterest) and tied them with plain string. Trying to stick to a tight budget as well as reduce the amount of rubbish we produce. Next on my list is to get some mesh produce bags for buying veggies in the supermarket- it drives me crazy buying loose veg and then having to put them in plastic bags to stop them falling through the gaps in the trolley, but then putting them loose on the conveyer seems to cause some kind of issue or complaining from the staff!

I just use a cardboard box cashier takes things out weighs them then pops then back in I do have an old net bag that I use for onions, it drives DH crazy he's weird on the fact that others handle his food, he forgets that I wash and wipe over everything I bring home from the shops, but I guess that some people would think im weird for doing that

-
I am just wondering if bags made from net curtaining would be suitable/ possible. The fabric is fairly weightless. I sometimes see pieces of it in the charity shops. Just a thought.

Yep this is my intention. However, I am still trying to work my way through a stockpile of shampoos and shower gels that I seem to have had years! Getting there slowly but surely.
The thing that really does worry me is seeing the amount of plastic milk bottles that we seem to go through. I need to find a milk-man.
Does anyone still use them? I hope that I can find one locally as it will kind of defeat the object if they are having to drive for miles to deliver my milk.

One of the easiest ways to cover leftovers etc in the fridge is really old skool. Leftover on a plate? Put an upside-down bowl over it. Leftover in a bowl? Put a plate on it as a lid. Simples.

I have a small fleet of six small and medium pyrex tureens, all sourced from bootsales for pence. They're ideal for storing food and you can see what you have in there.

I'm a bit frustrated in my efforts to go plastic-free in the food line, tho. Head of celery on the market, grown locally in my region and completely unpackaged - £2. Or a Spanish-grown imported head of celery in a plastic sleeve for 47p in the supermarket next door. Loose carrots on the market? 2.5 times the price of bagged carrots in the supermarket a few yards away. All the loose produce I see is more expensive than the bagged in the supermarket and 2-2.5 times more expensive on the market.

Being pretty hard up, these aren't things I can just grit my teeth over and pay up. My best veggies are the ones I grow myself on the allotment and cart home in the bike basket, entirely packaging free.

Other than that, it's extremely rare for me to buy anything new and therefore packaging doesn't enter my world and therefore doesn't have to leave it.

Grey queen do you not have a wholesalers close to you? ours has a little spit and sawdust shop alongside open to the public the prices are comparable to the cheaper supermarkets

Ilona, that's a brilliant idea! I would say I'm going to do the same next year, but i fear I probably wouldn't get a round tuit

No. I live slap-bang in the centre of a city with a central produce market and small stores like tosspots metro and sains local. About 0.75 miles away, I can get at medium-size supermarkets such as smallish Sains and Aldee. At 1.25 miles out I can get at a couple of Liddlys.

Big supermarkets are about 3 miles away and there are no veg wholesalers within 8 miles.(I have seen local independant greengrocers topping up their shop's supplies in Liddly and my indy greengrocer's wholesaler is about 40 miles away). Should add that I cannot afford a car (nor afford bus fares) so go everywhere on foot or by pushbike - and have ME so long-distance biking isn't an option.

However, I am now on 1.5 allotments and am planning a bumper harvest for me and the extended family for 2019 - I shall be on £land early in January getting my onion sets.

I am thoroughly t'd off about CeleryGate and grind my teeth when I hear folk in the media burbling on about how loose produce is always cheaper as my experience is completely otherwise!

Full disclosure; I have been 'into' zero waste for over 5 years now.

I make reusable produce bags from old net curtains, have done for the last few years. Advantages: they weigh almost nothing: the checkout operator can see what's inside: you can just pop them in the washing machine: NO PLASTIC!! I get loads of positive comments about them and give lots away. They are the easiest thing in the world to make - sew a channel at the top to thread string/ cord through, sew up the sides and you're done. I cut the fabric with pinking shears so no extra sewing to stop them fraying. If everyone used them, think how many plastic bags wouldn't be made. Please have a go, it doesn't matter if they're not perfect!

There is benefits to both city and rural living, zero waste is now bang on trend ( not a bad thing) but prices do reflect this I guess.
For once im trendy rather then just having short arms and deep pockets

I don't have any old net curtains, but will have a look in some charity shops as I have a sewing machine and could easily do this rather than ordering some ready made from ebay that come from China!

Happy new year and all the best for 2019!

We went with our daughter to friends last night, and I did not drink anything alcoholic. First time in a long time, and had a really lovely time. Cluedo, sing star, watching the London fireworks on the BBC. My friend makes the most fabulous homemade pizza, so it was all really quite fab.

I was hoping today, I'd wake up raring to go, but the cold and cough I felt I was starting with has now developed. As we don't seem to have any tissues I have succumbed to Christmas themed paper napkins (bought long before I ever thought of reducing waste). Zero waste alternatives? Can you even get hankies anymore?

My ten year old has been going for sewing lessons once a week for the last couple of months. They are brilliant, an hour and a half for £10 including materials, and she loves it. As such, her grandparents have bought her a sewing machine for Christmas. Maybe that could be something she could make for me?

I have never learnt any sewing skills although my nana was an amazing sewer and knitter. It was great as she'd alter things for me, and even sorted us out with curtains when we got our first home. I wish I'd appreciated her talents more, and took the opportunity to learn. I'm wondering whether to save for a few lessons myself, as seeing and hearing about some of the great things being made is very inspiring.

Nonnadiluca

That is fab, and repurposing

Thriftwizard

So many lovely ideas, I particularly like this one, I haven't heard of that before.

Grey queen

Re the cost of things, I get frustrated by the fact it is expensive to cut waste at the moment, or as you have pointed out with the celery, to buy British over food that has travelled many miles. You have the right idea with your allotment, must be very satisfying too, eating food you have produced yourself! Again, skills I wish I had took the time to learn.

I am excited about the year ahead. It is so lovely to have a place now to share baby steps and get ideas and inspiration .

As for today, it is time for all the Christmas decorations to be put away, and then round to my mums for the rest of the day. Whatever you are doing today, have a wonderful time.

x