Steps towards zero waste - 2019

Ladykernow · 1 January 2019 at 12:19PM

Ilona wrote: »

I made some re usable drawstring cloth gift bags, using offcuts of cotton material. Sold some at our Christmas Fair. not many though, 25p each. I gave a lot away to friends after. I think it will take a while for people to get used to them.

ilona

A really lovely idea!

Dark_Star · 1 January 2019 at 9:12PM

I use fabric sandwich bags (look on Etsy for them in the UK otherwise postage is horrendous).

https://www.etsy.com/uk/search?q=fabric+sandwich+bags&explicit=1&locationQuery=2635167&order=price_asc

These can be used for any snacks, not just sandwiches & come in assorted sizes. Machine washable. Some are lined with a form of food safe plastic fabric so that if you have a squidgy egg 'n' cress type filling, then it won't be all over your handbag if it escapes from the bread...

Beeswax wraps also available.

Have carried my own grocery bags for years.

Looking at stainless steel straws...

Have a mountain of vintage pyrex for batch cooking /freezing & it can also be microwaved & bunged in the dishwasher. Which is more than can be said for the average plastic tub...

Love Ilona's bags. 25p far too cheap!

I tried introducing subtle zero waste Christmas gifting with useful items I had made after seeing them on Pinterest. One person asked where I bought it from, another asked what the instructions were for hanging it up... So they didn't even realise I'd made them! Items are designed to be used up leaving no waste or easily refilled. People also got "shop" gifts but slowly slowly.....more handmade bits & less mass produced shop junk next year.

Ilona · 1 January 2019 at 10:15PM

I got these trainers out of a skip, wore them for a couple of years when they started to look very shabby. Solution, paint them with acrylics. I got another years wear out of them, still have them, but can only be worn in the dry, they leak when it's raining.

ilona

*Jellie* · 1 January 2019 at 10:51PM

Hi all!
I have been using fabric to wrap gifts for a few years now. Everyone is well trained and returns all the fabric and ribbons to me for reuse! I would post a picture but I can’t remember how!!

miss_empty_piggy · 2 January 2019 at 1:49AM

Hello
I started to be much more mindful about waste during the summer holidays and I have only put my bins out once since August this year - until today.

Xmas wrapping was super crazy - but not from me. I did the brown paper and string approach. I used ink stamp letters for people's names, or old cards cut up into tags. I then embellished with little sticks with pine cones on that I had collected from the local area. They looked lovely. I did not send any cards as I found that every year I'd go to write cards out and find last years. After 3 years of doing this I decided it an enormous pointless waste of time and money. If people weren't bothered about receiving cards why was I going through the motions of sending them in the first place? Plus they just go into the bin which is waste.

I have also switched to shampoo bars and conditioners, cut up towels for paper towels, facial wipes and antibacterial wipes. I also use a moon cup for menstruation which is brilliant.

For packed lunches I initially used glass jars which are fine. Then I found 4 brand new make up bags in a charity shop. They work great for sandwiches. We invested in two stainless steel lunch boxes (not cheap) and I took salads, sandwiches etc to work in them which was fine in the summer but have since been bought a bamboo one for xmas so that I can put it in the microwave to heat up at work (which I can't do with the metal ones).

I love your bags Ilona and am also planning on doing this for birthdays and Christmas. Plus I have a really long piece of voile that I used to hang as a princess-drape thing on DD2s bed when she was a little girl. I had no idea what to do with it but I think I'll make some produce bags with them.

thanks for the great tips everyone.

I do very much agree that it is not always easy to do this - but it is so important. Whenever I'm tempted to buy something in plastic, I just think of that poor turtle getting the straw removed from its nose and it helps me to refocus. Or, I think about the pictures of plastic floating around in the sea and it helps.

I saw a nice quote the other day "just because we can't do everything, doesn't mean we should do nothing" - I keep this in mind when I feel like I should be doing more.

Be kind to yourselves. x

dragonlily · 2 January 2019 at 10:59AM

Happy 2nd Jan - I'm off work this week and have woke up feeling even more grotty than yesterday, really full of a cold now, and a sore throat. Yesterday was lovely, and avoided any incoming items apart from some bread and crisps my mum gave us, and two squares of fabric she had got for my daughter.

Quite a few unrecyclables found in the loft though, so didn't end up feeling very anti waste but can't do anything about the things that are already there I guess. Did find some original boxes though from toys my daughter wants to sell, so those are down and can hopefully be used to send them to their new home's in too, wrapped in brown paper.

re learning how to sew, the basics don't require a lot of time and effort to learn and you may be able to skill-swop with someone like me, who learned the basics decades ago and does them without thinking. Mebbe worth asking around your circle of friends and acquaintances? I'd hate not being able to sew as it closes off a whole world of useful and MSE activities.

You know I hadn't thought about this at all, but on thinking about it my two aunty's can both sew. I don't think they do it regularly but both defiantly can. They would know enough to help me set up my daughter's new machine etc. I have messaged the one who lives very close to me to ask, and have offered to help with something back. Great idea! *woo hoo while finishing typing she has said she will come round Friday afternoon - and whilst 'not an expert' thinks will be able to get her set up to use it*

Ilona, you are so creative

.

Darkstar

I tried introducing subtle zero waste Christmas gifting with useful items I had made after seeing them on Pinterest. One person asked where I bought it from, another asked what the instructions were for hanging it up... So they didn't even realise I'd made them! Items are designed to be used up leaving no waste or easily refilled.

That is a score!

Miss empty

"just because we can't do everything, doesn't mean we should do nothing"

I think that sums it up really well for me, being realistic if I try and go too crazy I am not going to manage this, but step by step, I could definitely improve.

As I am off work, I am going with my daughter, my dad and his partner for lunch and a look round the shops today. It is an annual tradition as we don't spend a full day together at Christmas itself. I do have some Christmas money left but am looking to window shop today and keep that for our trip away to Devon in February half term.

I did splurge a little yesterday, on an online course from an author I like called 'the Happiness Experience Project' https://courses.gretchenrubin.com/happiness/ . Christmas money on something for self development rather than actual items

x

miss_empty_piggy · 2 January 2019 at 9:18PM

Hope you are feeling better soon dragonlily

I have read the Happiness project a few years ago - thanks for the link. Take care xxx

SmlSave · 2 January 2019 at 10:05PM

To those of you thinking about stainless steel straws I can recommend them! Though I would go with straight ones so you can see how clean they are.... the bent ones are more natural to drink from but I worry even after scrubbing with the little brush because I can't see!

jackieblack · 2 January 2019 at 10:30PM

dragonlily wrote: »

Can you even get hankies anymore?

Yes, you can!
My Dad has always preferred a proper cotton hankie to tissues and we’ve bought loads over the years - last place I saw them was in Dunelm last weekend, on a sale shelf alongside slippers/scarves etc, have also seen them in M&S, Tesco (F&F), Asda (George) and Sainsbury (Tu)

Alternatively, you can make your own by cutting a square of fabric (old cotton shirts etc) and hemming all round

GreyQueen · 2 January 2019 at 10:41PM

:T Glad your auntie is going to come and help so quickly, dragonlily. I'm sure you'll be astonished at how easy basic machine sewing is.

A few good tips;

1. The presser foot (the bit that holds the fabric down under the needle) has a spring. Keep the presser foot down at all times unless you need it up to thread the needle/ remove or add fabric.

2. When starting sewing, leave a tail of thread from the spool, and another from the bobbin, about 4 inches long and grasp them firmly together in your left (or non-dominant) hand. Pull backwards as the machine goes forwards. Sounds a bit strange but it gives the fabric a bit of tension before it gets going and is fed under the presser foot.

3. The reverse function is very useful at the start and end of a line of stitching - reverse for a few stitches to hold the row in.

4. When pinning two pieces of cloth together, arrange the pins so their ends face you as the cloth goes thru the machine - you can pull them out easily as you work. You can set them at right angles to the line of stitching and can sometimes machine over them without breaking the needle, but it's a bit iffy and not to be recommended.

5. If you need to make a neat right-angle turn on a row of stitching, take you foot off the treadle and, with the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and turn the cloth - you're pivoting on the needle so it's only do-able in the down position. Lower the presser foot and off you go again.

6. If you want to make neat little corners, for example on small cloth bags, stitch to the corner, swivel and do a couple of stitches across on the diagonal (cutting the very tip off the corner), swivel and then continue straight stitching at right angles to your original direction. When you come to turn it right-side out, cut the corner across the diagonal close to the stitches first.

When you turn the bag/ cushion/ whatever, right-side out, you can use a pin from the outside to ease the corner our, making it neat and sharp rather than clumpy.

Have a super time playing with the new machine. HTH.

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Steps towards zero waste - 2019

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