Still on the Same Subject as Yesterday

 Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday. So much more rubbish going into bins now than 60 years ago and even more than  back in the days when a  dustbin was literally only for dust and ash.

And a message for Viv commenting as Country Cottage. As you are only two miles away you've probably worked out where I am so call in if you go by and say hello!

 

More about Zero Waste Week and using less plastic.

Last week I remembered to go and look at the Choose Refills van when it visited the village. They've been in business from early spring and stop by the playing field once a month. I've been meaning to visit since moving here.

I picked up a price list and bought a wooden dish-washing brush - which has replaceable heads.
 

 

I'm already getting loo rolls wrapped in paper delivered, no waste Smol dishwasher tablets also come through the post in a cardboard pack. I use Washing Soda + Ecover laundry liquid for clothes and Ecover washing up liquid when not using the dishwasher. I use knitted dish cloths and bicarb and white vinegar for cleaning.

The van has started doing some food things now too but not things I use although I'll probably get white vinegar from them as long as it's food grade.

I've written about other "planet friendly" things in posts labelled Small steps to a smaller footprint but I reckon not flying anywhere is the easiest thing I do on the list of Good Ideas to Save the Planet!

 

Day one challenge for Zero Waste Week was to share the information ✔ Done by blogging about it.

 

Back Tomorrow 

Sue

Zero Waste Week 6th - 10th September

 It's  Zero Waste Week 

This is a  post of random paragraphs!

Zero Waste Week is an environmental campaign to reduce landfill waste, and takes place annually during the first full week in September. It is a non-commercial grass-roots campaign to demonstrate means and methods to reduce waste, foster community support and bring awareness to the increasing problem of environmental waste and pollution 

 It started in 2008 from a blog by Rachelle Strauss.

Using the 5 R's............................. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot,  the organisation tries to help schools, businesses and individuals change the way they think. But despite 13 years of promoting the idea I'm not sure things have got any better. There's just as much packaging in supermarkets as there was years ago - if anything - after Covid there's even fewer things unwrapped. AND more packaging is used for all the on-line shopping we do now.

 

In Suffolk the waste in our grey rubbish bins goes to an incinerator which opened in 2014.

From the East Anglian Daily Times at the time...................................

 Every single bag of general refuge from households and businesses in the county is going to a £180million incinerator plant in Great Blakenham, near Ipswich – preventing any rubbish going to landfill.

The burning process creates enough energy for electricity to be pumped to 30,000 homes and saves taxpayers £8million a year through cutting landfill taxes, according to Suffolk County Council.

 

So I guess that means our rubbish isn't rubbish at all - but fuel -is that good?

Our green topped recycling bins are sorted and I hope things are sent off for recycling - who knows? There's also no way of knowing how much stuff is rejected although if what the previous owners here had put in the recycling bin is anything to go by then it's probably quite a lot. Rejected things are added to the  rubbish that goes to the incinerator.

 

I have a brown garden waste bin which costs me £57 a year but it's strictly garden waste only. I brought one 'dalek' compost bin with me which I've been using since moving in, but that will need to sit all winter so fruit and veg scraps will have to go in the general rubbish bin. Maybe that's why, back in March I went mad and bought a new book and I said I'd tell you if it was useful. So................

......I've hardly looked at it!! until writing this and I fished it off the shelf for a closer look. I'll try again and let you know if it was a useful purchase. (and the cover is meant to look mucky!)

 

In 2019, I wrote about reducing plastic HERE . Looking back at that post I can see that not having a cat has reduced my waste. But that's a drastic way to cut waste.

 

I printed off the chart  to fill in for Zero Waste Week. The heading says......... Item, Why am I throwing it away, Improvement, Where will it go.

I might do it just out of interest but won't worry too much about the stuff that goes in the grey (for incineration) bin.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

 

 

 

 

What Happened to "Small Steps to a Smaller Footprint" ?

When I wrote about food waste on Friday I was reminded that  last year I tried a couple of things in an aim to use less plastic, but never reported back on how the plan went

This was one thing I bought to try and be rid of liquid hand-wash in the small basin in the downstairs bathroom.

 

 It didn't last long because after a few weeks - and despite trying to rinse it - it got so gungy that I chucked it in the compost bin.

 I am still using these vegetable bags both in the fridge and when out shopping

 

Although there seem to be even fewer fruit  and vegetables to buy loose thanks to the pandemic and perhaps avoiding food being handled.

Another trial last year to try and replace the cheap sponge scourers

This was another fail (and waste of money). It was rather big and if used to scrub mucky cooking things all the gunk just got caught in the fibres - nasty. I use a hand knitted dishcloth for most dish washing and this little brush below usually works after first soaking pots and pans, this was a Christmas gift from a friend a couple of years ago and is still last well. They are easily available now and last longer that a synthetic sponge scourer.

I  still use Bi-carb for cleaning the sinks, basins and drainer.

 

Wonder what other things I can try that are NOT a waste of money.

I'm having trouble with my internet connection again. It righted itself a couple of weeks ago and was showing as being properly connected but has now reverted to telling me it's not connected - sometimes I can get online and sometimes not - all very odd. I can get online on my phone for emails but it's too fiddly for blogging (for me anyway, sure it's fine for people less technically challenged!). So if I disappear that will be why, although I've not a clue what to write about tomorrow so I might not be back anyway! 

Sue

 

Admitting to Food Waste

 Unlike many  people I've not done much "Zoom-ing" during the pandemic. We've done family ones which is OK and I tried WI but that  just didn't appeal and then if I do hear about something that I'd like to join in with - I forget - Hopeless. The East of England  Co-operative Society did a online presentation about food waste, food banks and growing food which sounded interesting. I registered for it, saw the reminder email in the morning and then promptly forgot until bedtime - bit late then as it was on at 6pm! Luckily it was  available a day later on You-Tube so I didn't miss much except the chance to ask questions - which I doubt I would have done anyway.

 

A nudge about food waste was much needed......... as I'm horrified by the food waste I seem to have created while emptying the cupboards and eating down the stocks.

 

If anyone had asked me if there was any very out of date food in the cupboard I would have said "no of course not" but there was. In a tub a pack of really old short grain rice....2010! - and I don't even like rice pudding and this pack had moved house twice.....HOW? There were some things that were bought for Colin..... so that's 3 years ago.....a couple of tins of soup which I don't really like but could have eaten but kept just in case. Just in case of what? Now they are too old to go into the food-bank collection box at the Co-op.

In the big freezer in the garage there were portions of home made food which I'm eating my way through and much prefer to a tin of soup BUT why did I buy a pack of Yellow-Sticker chicken thighs and then put them in the freezer without splitting them? When I defrosted there were 10 small thighs. 10! for one person...........I'm eating them as quickly as I can but don't even like meat much anymore.

Certainly find it much more difficult to avoid some wastage now I'm on my own.

 

 What is worse is that I watched a programme that said now - in 2021 - 45% of our food is imported and only 16% of the fruit eaten here is grown here so food is travelling miles to be chucked out.

 

I enjoyed the 'challenge' weeks of eating really local food so with that in mind plus being unable to produce much food of my own and hoping to reduce waste, once I'm settled I'm going to try much harder......remind me please!

 

Back Tomorrow

Sue

 

Another Change

I've never been enthusiastic about using hand-wash in plastic bottles, mainly because it costs more than soap.
At the kitchen sink I have this, bought many years ago from the Suffolk Show - a two piece pottery soap dish

and I also use soap in the bathroom upstairs where the basin is a big one. But in the downstairs bathroom the basin is teeny and the soap kept falling off it's ledge so I've been using a pump bottle.

Then I came across this to use in place of a soap dish and small enough to sit on the small basin.

It will be used as soon as I finish the hand-wash bottle which is still half full and I'll see if it does it's job properly or will it become manky and disgusting!?

Back Tomorrow
Sue

A Long Running Swap

This isn't a new swap  for a smaller footprint/greener life but something I've been doing for ages.

This is what I use for cleaning the sinks, basins, oven and down the drains, it works a treat and no nasty chemicals into the septic tank. This new big ol' tub is a cheap way of buying it and as it's a Food Grade Bicarb it can be used if needed for cooking too. I can't remember when I last bought a tub so this amount must last  about 6 or 7  years. The pot I store it in on the kitchen window sill is one of my favourite bits of old kitchenalia.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

A Possible Swap

I'm will be trialing another swap for a smaller footprint as soon as I've used the last of the sponge scourers. Although it might not work how I need it . I use hand knitted cotton dishcloths for washing up.

I was hoping this thing will replace sponge scourers but will it be rough enough?, also it might be a difficult swap because of the price...............

8 cheap scourers are 40p, they last me many months. They go into the rubbish sack so are incinerated in Suffolk's big incinerator producing electric for the National Grid. So it's the making of them that's the main problem............. where? and using how much water and energy?

On the other hand the loofah was £2.95 from a fairly new company (I think) called LoofCo.They are a natural plant, a member of the cucumber family, produced in Egypt by small producers and fairly traded. Described as Long Lasting, Non Scratch, Flexible, Durable and Compost-able.

I'll let you know how I get on in due course.

Hello and welcome to more new followers and thank you for lots of comments over the last few days


Back Tomorrow
Sue

Fruit and Veg Bags

I'd already bought a pack of three of these re-usable vegetable and fruit bags from Asda (£1)and then had 3 more bigger ones from a pen-friend for Christmas.

I keep some in my bag and try to use them - not always possible as many supermarkets are still selling pre-packed in plastic bags.

I've passed a couple onto other people.

There isn't much I miss from the year in Ipswich except for the brilliant fruit and vegetable shop that was not far from home with fresh stuff in everyday and hardly anything pre-packed.

Guess what I did after writing this post a couple of weeks ago? ..........Instead of putting 2 of these veg bags back in my handbag after taking this photo, I put them all in the drawer, so when I went to Morrisons the next day..................I hadn't got them to use!!...........Duh!

Many thanks for lots of tea-towel/tea cloth comments yesterday and hello to a new follower - welcome.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

Not Just Any Old Toilet Rolls

I don't know what the delivery guy thought when he brought me this box

This is what was inside

It's a sample pack from a company called Who gives a crap. Toilet paper, kitchen paper and tissues. All made from recycled paper or bamboo, with 50% of profits going to build toilets in parts of the world where the 'luxury' of a loo is rare.
I'd been looking at their website occasionally  because I knew they did these free trial packs (£3 delivery charge) now and again.When you have a septic tank there is always a worry about blocking up the drains which is why I didn't want to order a bulk purchase straight off.

Many years ago we always used 100% recycled paper, we would go up to Norwich to a wholefood warehouse and collect loo rolls 8 dozen at a time at a time, flour by the sack, muesli and dried fruit in big 10kg bags.It saved us a lot of money back then When the children moved out we didn't need so much of anything and the warehouse stopped people going in to collect their own stuff and that was the end.
Being on my own I don't use a huge amount of loo paper so can afford to do another little bit to help a good charity - I've been a Wateraid supporter for a while so this is another way to help improve sanitation and water supplies so that more children don't have to miss school or spend hours carrying water.

I was a bit concerned as this TP is 3 ply but it seems to be OK, I've tested it for breakdownability!
The bamboo paper didn't break down so easily so I won't be using that, I've given that away.

The catch to having this cheap free sample is that you have to sign up for a regular delivery. I shall get the first one in a few weeks time but will then need to cancel as I won't need more for about a year!

This is my first post under the label "Small steps to a Smaller Footprint". I'll do more posts about things I already do and future changes.


Back Tomorrow
Sue

Plastic for Recycling or into the Rubbish Bin?

Our September meeting at small WI will be a lady from Suffolk County Council telling us everything we need to know about recycling. I think we will be asking her pointed questions about where our plastic we put into the recycling bins actually ends up. Then there is all the news about plastic in the sea and now getting into animal feed, and the increase in people in this country trying to cut down on single-use plastics so I thought it would be interesting to record what plastic went into my bins (both recycling bin and rubbish bin) in a week. Hopefully by doing this I can then see about looking for alternatives and reducing in future.

I started on Monday 12th

Fruit punnet is PET1 so recyclable but its plastic film cover isn't . One piece of cling film there that I needn't have used.Stir fry sauce pouch. I bought the plastic Red Wine Vinegar for making tomato relish from Morrisons  as that's where I was shopping a few weeks ago. I've now found a glass replacement. (see end of post). Wrapping from hot cross buns ( shared with Florence and Youngest daughter - Florence loves Nana bringing hot cross buns!

 Tuesday 13th
Not much today
Top wrapper from pack of ham. The bottom bit went in the bin when it was opened. I always put the ham in a container but keep the top plastic film for the date.

Wednesday 14th
I'm now buying the cat food in foil containers as foil is recyclable but still have lots of pouches to use up.  My frothy coffee sachets.(Ooops forgot the coffee sachets off Monday and Tuesday photos).
  The seal from a jar and a few other bits. (I was interested to see Aldi doing wonky strawberries - they were cheap but needed eating very quickly).
Plastic fruit punnet.PET1 into recycling.

Thursday 15th
The net from a fruit punnet, a bag from supermarket veg; The backing from double sided sticky tape and labels; wrapper from milk bottle; coffee sachet.
Milk bottle and fruit punnet into recycling

Friday 16th and Saturday 17th
Cat food wrappers, coffee sachet, rice packet (is there any other way to buy rice other than in a plastic pack?) quavers crisp packet (took these to eat at the car boot I was helping at, with a sandwich, as I had to go so early before breakfast!).
Into recycling was a plastic cappuccino  coffee 'jar' . Saw this in Lidl, a while back as a one-off although I worked out afterwards that it cost more than the Asda coffee sachets - typical!

Sunday 18th
Not much yesterday

I researched what  Suffolk County Council  will RECYCLE A-Z

And this is what happens to my bag of general non-recyclable rubbish (I don't have a wheely bin - as it's too far to drag it down the lane)

"Every single bag of general refuse from households and businesses in the county is going to a £180million incinerator plant in Great Blakenham, near Ipswich – preventing any rubbish going to landfill.
The burning process creates enough energy for electricity to be pumped to 30,000 homes and saves taxpayers £8million a year through cutting landfill taxes, according to Suffolk County Council."


Replacements found so far.
Aldi do Red Wine Vinegar in Glass. Well done Aldi AND they have peanut butter with no salt,sugar or oil added, - in glass - Well done again.  (better value too than the Meridian in Plastic tub which I was buying)

I eat lots of fresh fruit so ought to look for fruit punnet replacements? What fruit is sold loose in Supermarkets? bananas, apples sometimes, melon?  At the fruit shop near where we lived on the edge of Ipswich they still use paper bags for their loose fruit but driving there would use twice as much fuel - a silly idea.

If only all fruit I love was like this - fresh from the garden. The plums, which I'm picking a few at a time,  have wasp and plum moth maggot damage so need cutting open and bits cut out before eating and the few late summer raspberries were a surprise - But NO packaging!

I have no idea if this was a typical week, and also no idea how this compares to other single person(+cat) households, it would be interesting to find out.

Back Tomorrow
Sue