Reducing single-use/disposable plastic
72 watchers
Jul 2019
5:35pm, 10 Jul 2019
3,431 posts
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run free
If it is for food - so has Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose allowed you to use your own boxes For dry foods, oils, and often cleaning up liquids - look for Zero Waste shops close to you Here are 2 links: zerowastenear.me thezerowaster.com Over the days we've discussed some single-use items: 1. Instead of bottled water - BYOB & can fill in pubs, cafes or use the refill app refill.org.uk For fizzy water - use a soda streamer 2. Instead of disposable razors/sanitary stuff - Fetchies have talked about a reusable shaver / reusable sanitary items - which should be cheaper over time. 3. Instead of taking a paper or plastic bag for veg/fruit - Reusable bags for food & produce. Also as mentioned above supermarkets are accepting your take away containers 4. Instead of clingfilm / food bags for left overs- Using a plate to cover food, or can splash out on a silicon lid or beeswax wrap. As well as using take away containers. How's that for a start |
Jul 2019
5:35pm, 10 Jul 2019
20,939 posts
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Red Squirrel
I think the saving money thing is a bit of a red herring (pun intended). People want to making food shopping convenient when actually it would be good to change how people think. Good quality food should be a priority. Spending a bit more at independent shops with local produce, where the staff are passionate and knowledgeable surely must be the way to go. Spending more time shopping and getting the whole family involved should be important too. The big monthly shops at supermarkets can be a false economy. Most of my friends have got freezers crammed with stuff and no room to fit anything else in. They often don't know what's at the back and how long it's been in there. That cannot be cost-effective. They'd do better buying weekly, locally and independently. Some of my friends and acquaintances say to me that they can't afford to pay local butcher, fishmonger etc prices and can't be bothered to go to different shops. Still, they eat and drink out/get takeaways a fair bit. I factor any take-away food or eating out into my food budget. More false economy stuff to think about. I paid off a large debt by setting a low weekly food budget and shopping once a week. I need to add that I've never earned anywhere near the national average and I'm on my own. I budget well and want to have social responsibility regarding independent traders because I still want them to be there in years to come.
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Jul 2019
5:36pm, 10 Jul 2019
20,940 posts
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Red Squirrel
The comments above continue from my post on P124
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Jul 2019
5:40pm, 10 Jul 2019
20,941 posts
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Red Squirrel
I'm on a roll here (more crap food-based pubs). Buying loose from locals such as greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers etc means you can decide how much you buy of course. That was really helpful when I was on the restricted budget to pay off the debt.
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Jul 2019
5:57pm, 10 Jul 2019
13,016 posts
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Rosehip
if you have a local butcher/greengrocer/fishmonger - they're few and far between these days 
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Jul 2019
6:50pm, 10 Jul 2019
6,047 posts
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WA
We're lucky in that we've all 3. And a local baker. We are quite rural tho, I don't know if that makes a difference. Finished another ecobrick today. SweetPea says plastic is taking over our house as there's always a pile drying or waiting to be stuffed. Really makes you realise how much there is AND I'm doing my best to avoid *stuff wrapped in plastic* as much as I can. |
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Jul 2019
7:00pm, 10 Jul 2019
13,018 posts
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Rosehip
We have a baker, that's not as good as it used to be and seems to use an awful lot of ready mixed stuff in big plastic bags. We have a butcher, but he's struggling to get custom and doesn't keep many choices - good for ordering in advance, but no good if you go in for something specific. There is a great farm shop for veg - but it needs the car to get there, horrid walk on fast road with no pavement - only walked it once - try to combine picking up a bi-weekly veg shop with another journey, but it doesn't always work. No fishmonger - for miles as far as I know. Market seems to have died a death and if it does appear sells plastic tatt and not a lot else. When I'm organised I buy meat online (http://rosewood.farm/ for beef - Rob's Dexter is really, really good) - but it comes frozen in plastic bags - less packaging than supermarket trays and re-useable as dog-poo bags - but still plastic bags. There is a facebook group for smallholders selling their meat and fowl - if you're lucky you can find someone local - it'll probably be the best meat you've ever had and all reared as sustainable as is possible - eat better but eat less of it and the cost works out about the same as supermarket. |
Jul 2019
7:20pm, 10 Jul 2019
42,245 posts
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Velociraptor
I can get meat, vegetables, milk, butter, basic cheddar cheese and eggs from local producers within walking distance of home. Apart from the vegetables, none of it's much lighter on packaging that the supermarket versions.
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Jul 2019
7:28pm, 10 Jul 2019
13,019 posts
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Rosehip
forgot eggs - I can just walk across the green for those -and have to take my own (cardboard) eggbox to put them in - maybe we should live on eggs and fruit and veg from the garden - be one way to drop the excess weight I'm carrying!
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Jul 2019
7:51pm, 10 Jul 2019
1,322 posts
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Silvershadow
As I said in my blog last week, I took containers to Sainsbury’s for meat but there was nothing on the counter I wanted. Only large Sunday roast type joints. If I wanted chicken pieces or mince or cubed lamb. I had to buy a pre-packaged. I agree at the butcher you can buy exactly what you need. How many times have I used 500g of mince when 400 would be adequate. You can also cut down on the meat and add more veggies to stews, curries and the like.
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