Competition feedback

took lots of clothes that i dont wear anymore to the BHF charity shop and reused some padded envelopes to send gifts to friends

Hi Julie,
Congrats on being the first person to comment back and well done on your visit to the charity shop. I bet that feels good. I’m going to be doing a similar thing myself during zero waste week and I’m really looking forward to having a declutter. Reusing padded envelopes is a wonderful way to reduce waste and save yourself money.
Keep us posted on your progress!

Took my little tupaware container to butchers today, and although looked at as though I was a bit mad, used one less piece of plastic when transporting food.
Yay!

Well done Tam! You’ll soon get used to looking mad in public! What was the response of your butcher?

Contacted Bt today and cancelled my phone book, signed up to Love film instead of buying DVDs, my Bokashi bins arrived and I then made the box they came in into a boat for DD and I’ve started clearing part of the garden for next years veggies! What a busy day I had!

Ok, here’s my first pledge update, the things that were already happening in our house or needed some tweaking ( read - kick up the butt, to get them going again )
Have been keeping a track on my blog, with some pictures, please feel free to go take a look.
I am so enjoying focusing on these pledges and have been very inspired by the wonderful Greens.
Will update with more soon.

1.Using home recycling boxes - we are very lucky to have 3 wheelie bins here ( collected fortnightly ) 1 for recycling stuff including glass, 1 for garden waste and the last for everything else.

2.Recycle my tetrapaks - these can be put in our wheelie bin.

3.Call local council to find out what can be recycled - we have just had magnetic leaflets delivered with all the collection dates for bins and what can and can’t be put in them.

4.Start taken non collectible items to a recycling bank - discovered that hubby can take used batteries into work.

5.Take reusable cup to work - hubby already has.

6.Reuse packaging and envelopes - box under the stairs holds all our envelopes and used jiffy bags, we buy labels from various charities to stick over old addresses.

7.Join DVD library - members of Blockbuster, DVDs are sent out to you and you return them within the same envelope.

8.Use local library - never away from the place, we request books on-line and get them to notify us when they arrive via e.mail.

9.Use washable nappies or menstrual products - Used disp. with eldest children but now washable with the little man ( we are loving them )also have made a big switch to washable wipes.Thanks alot to Sarah at http://sarahs-sewing.blogspot.com/ for 2 fab new nappies. Need to restock on menstrual products ( or make own )

10.Start a compost heap or wormery- 2 compost heaps and 1 wormery.

11.Start to prepare gardening for growing veg - we have fenced off an area of the garden ( keep dog off ) and made 2 raised beds - growing lettuce, courgettes,beans, radish,spring onions.Also greenhouse for toms and cucumbers.

12.Start using reusable bags - we have loads of cloth and string bags, always used.Helped a friend to knit a string bag recently and have started, when returning borrowed bits and pieces to friends, to pop them in a reusable and tell them to keep it.

13.Buy loose produce instead of bagged - wonderful at farmers markets and farm shops.

14.Sign up for veg box scheme - have used Woodlands Farm for over 5 years now.

15.Offer one unwanted item on Free cycle or take to charity shop - teas made offered and taken on Free cycle.Car boot full of stuff taken to the PDSA , Salvation Army ( with respect to my friend Queenie )and charity shop helping local people.

16.Send an e.mail greetings card instead of a paper one - Happy Birthday L, he loved his e.mail card.

17.Buy one purchase in bulk to save on packaging - huge bag of rice from Suma co-op.The couple who run the Suma co-op are moving to a new area, so have now taken over running the group, so lots more bulk buying for us.

18.Use a reusable bottle - all 5 of us now have our own bottles, so no need for buying water when out and about.

Good Luck to all with your pledges.

Hi Denise,

You have done marvellously well in making so many changes in such a short time. There are prizes for pledges but surely a prize for the best contribution must be a consideration. Others will definitely take heart from your great efforts.

took my reusale bottle out with me yesterday to the shops and will do so again today

Also bout rechargable batteries for my camera and tv remote :) - good value as well as making an impact

Going to ring up and cancel phone book today also

I finally took some unwanted things to the charity shop which had been sitting around for ages! Yay!

My first milk delivery was supposed to arrive today, but didn’t. I’d best get on that now.

doing well i’ve registered with the no junk mail site, and also stuck a note on my door saying no to leaflets… and chased a pizza guy down the road when he tried to deliver one anyway! also opted out of the bt phone directory, so less incoming paper

i also
- passed on some things (but also got some more, oops!) on freecycle
- bought a wormery for work (on the work card!) and will be bringing my veg in to add to the tea bags
- made a bag from old material to shop with
- got some friends to join freecycle (i volunteer on my local group, so i’m very keen and persuasive!)
- got a mooncup - and it’s brilliant! will tell everyone

Have looked at what I need to tweak on the recycling front and have contacted my council to ask what else can be recycled that are not already on the list for my bins.

I have been sending all my type 4 plastic to Polyprint for over a year now. Will also start a collection for other types to be sent to GHS , thanks Mrs Green.

I have been using an organic veg box delivery scheme http://www.WoodlandsFarm.co.uk based near Boston for 2 years now and have found them to be very helpful and friendly; also the prices quoted include delivery.

I have been using reusable bags for over 2 years, now have quite a collection from different places.

I have the majority of my milk delivered by the milkman in glass bottles.

I keep alot of marg tubs to use as freezer containers.

I freeze any single portions of food that is leftover then once approx every 6 weeks we have “leftovers” night where everyone gets to pick from the array on the table; can be a rare concoction on the plate sometimes.
DH also takes portions to work for his lunch during the colder weather as he has access to a microwave.

I bake all my own bread (using a BM to make the dough) and cakes and pastries.

I have started to make biscuits as well so there will be alot less of these being brought into the house from the supermarkets.

The majority of our meals are cooked from scratch using the fresh veg from the box and meat from the “meat farm shop”, or butchers.

I pledged to keep my beautiful boy’s second birthday as low waste as possible
So did we manage it? Yes!
We wrapped his main present, a fire engine, in a length of bright fabric with a big ribbon around it and a homemade card tag. So no waste. His smaller presents were the things we had collected from car boot sales so unboxed. We popped them in a cloth bag and he pulled them out one by one. Present from DS1 was wrapped in brown paper and string recycled from the veg box and then stored away for more use. Present from DD1 was wrapped in recycled sketch pad paper which has been kept for further use. We asked for no birhday cards and instead we had a little hard backed notebook which we asked everyone to leave a drawing, poem or comment in. The book itself has been covered in fabric and embroidered with his name as a permanent keepsake to be used in future years. And our birthday cake was homemade dairy free organic chocolate fudge cake. yummmy!!!
So the total waste from his birthday was a tiny little bundle of plastic wrap about the size of a 25g ball of wool.

Wowee - I take a day off from answering any comments and look what I come back to! Well done everyone.

Alabama; a busy day indeed. Do keep us posted on your progress with the bokashi bin. What are you planning to grow in your garden?

Denise; I think you are single handedly saving the world You’ve achieved so much and I’m glad you’ve seen the opportunity to use this challenge as a way to tweak things already in place. You’re doing great!

Julie; where did you managed to source rechargeable batteries for a good price? Many people find the outlay to be quite prohibitive.

ruth_dt; what happened to the milk?? Very cool on your trip to the charity shop; that is my own pledge too, as well as doing the zero waste week. I’m really looking forward to it!

sunshine_mel - I love the image of you chasing the pizza delivery down the road to give him his leaflet back LOL!
Getting a wormery for work is brilliant. I’ll be interested to hear what your colleagues think. Tell them about the mooncup too!

Maisie, you have a lot of great things in place already. I’m glad you’ve found somewhere else for the plastic and it seems you are really on top of the whole food waste issue by cooking things from scratch. The idea of your hubby taking leftovers for his lunch is really good. It saves waste, packaging, time and money - you can’t beat that!

Becks, your story is amazing and very inspirational. The idea about a notebook for people to write in, instead of individual cards is just brilliant. And I bet the bag of pressies to dip into went down really well. I love the fact that with a little thought, the wrapping can be a gift too.

Well done everyone - keep up the great work and give yourselves a pat on the back for such brilliant achievments

I confess that many of my pledges have been up and running for some time now, but I will endeavour to enforce and educate where I can.
1.will use home recycling boxes provided by my council - actually hoping to recycle less here, by cutting down on the amount of papers and pre-packaged goods that we use.
2. I will recycle my tetrapaks - education needed here! I was shocked to find that my DH didn’t know what a tetra pack was and was putting these in with the cardboard.
3. I will start taking non collectible kerbside items to a recycling bank - already doing this, but hope to be more organised with it to keep down the piles waiting to be dispatched.
4. I will switch to at least one recycled product - hoping to have a leisurely shop to fill this one.
5. I will recycle an old mobile phone - yes, I must ditch one of the phones I have sat in the cupboard.
6. I will take active steps to stop junk mail being delivered - items returned and actively refused.
7. I will offer one unwanted item on Freecycle or take to a charity shop - done.
8. I will use washable cloths instead of kitchen towel - another education item. DH is very attached to kitchen roll
9. I will cancel my telephone directory / Yellow pages - I did this, but they came anyway! DS ran down the road to give the latest white page directory back to the deliverer!!10. I will buy one purchase in bulk packaging to save on waste - done. Need more cupboard space.
11. I will join and use my local library - got my first library book in ages about a month ago, but I also have a large backlog of secondhand books bought from a school fete to plough my way through.
12. I will buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger and use them - we do this.
13. I will use a reusable bottle for water - trying to always have a full bottle with us when we go out.
14. I will start a compost heap - I love my compost bin!
15. I will make one meal from leftovers - we very, very rarely throw food out.
16. I will start using reusable shopping bags instead of carrier bags - carriers are still creaping in, but a lot less and even DH is getting the idea
17. I will buy loose produce instead of bagged - yes.
18. I will sign up for a vegetable box scheme - yes
–
*19* I will action my own recycling or waste reduction pledge as below; Educate others in my household to do the same as me - On going project, but we seem to be getting there.

Hi Poppy, I think you highlight a really important point with number 1. I’ve felt for some time that there are two ‘levels’ of the zero waste challenge. the first is to recycle as much as poss and buy alternative products for things that cannot be recycled. But I do see a time when changing shopping habits further to REDUCE recycling is better.
My friend has been putting tetrapaks in with the cardboard too - I think it’s a common mistake. I have trouble letting the kitchen towel go too - it’s such a convenience thing. I did think about not putting it out on the worksurface for the duration of zero waste week to see how I got on!
Love the image of you returning your BT book!
Well done; you’ve done loads already, but I love how you are finding ways to do more

Well, the butchers gave me a *bit* of a funny look.It was more everyone else in the q who (if I cared) might have put me off… funny thing was most of em had re-useable bags though… surely its just a natural progression?!

re: kitchen towel.. I’ve found the best thing to do is cut up an old tea towel, then stuff it in an old tissue box to take out and use the bits as needed. Taht way you get the same feeling of convience and can ‘trick yourself’ into the whole kitchen towel thing. Just remeber to chuck them in the machine, not the bin!

Wow, am so inspired by everyone’s fab posts, such great ideas.Becks party post is fab, really something I want to achieve for my son’s 1st birthday in September.
Thanks for the comments for my last post.
Again have added some photos on my blog, please go take a look.
Some pledges we have been working on.

1.Talk to a family member or friend about recycling - DONE - spoken to my parents and a good friend, made both aware of Freecycle and the three R’s.

2.Switch to at least one recycled product this week. DONE >>>> Happy Botties , we’ve switched to Novelle 100% recycled.

3.Take active steps to stop junk mail being delivered to my home - GO LOOK -http://www.stopjunkmail.org.uk/

4.Use washable cloths instead of kitchen towel - already use washables for washing up but need to stop with the kitchen towel.Will be following Tams wonderful advice and using old towels and also have started knitting dishcloths and will make some bigger to use as kitchen towels.All the yarn is washable but also compostable at the end of its life.

5.Cancel yellow pages / telephone directory - Thanks Queenie for the number, will call tomorrow. DONE … call 0800 671444 ( in the UK ) …. easy.

6.Make one card from scraps for a birthday or Christmas - DONE ….. 2 birthday cards made 18/8 for P & H.Such great fun, no more shop bought cards from us.

7.Buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger and use them - we do have some of these, need to sort them out, recharge them and get them used. SORTED … dug recharger out, found batteries and bought some new ones, made sure everyone knows where it is and how to use it.

Still afew to work on, menu planning and meals from left overs, will look at that tomorrow and also my personal pledge of making and using home-made cleaning products.

Great going everyone.
Big Love to all.

Mother Earth is Smiling.

Tam, I like your idea about the home made kitchen roll. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that really, because this is what I did for bum wipes when Little Miss Green was a babe.

I can do that soon because we have a couple of bath towels that are so thin they are getting holey. I think I might have a little job coming on - thanks for the inspiration!

Denise, you wonderful woman - Becks idea is lovely isn’t it?

How did your family / friends take the recycling and Freecycle info - was it helpful to them or were they unsure of your intentions? Every time we speak to someone it is a seed sown. Sometimes those seeds sprout straight away and other times they take a while to germinate, but I think it’s important that we just keep trying gently and you’ve done well with this

Your pledges are going so well; you’re really whizzing through them all - Mother earth is smiling indeed; she even bought the sun out for us today………

So far I have bought some Onya weigh bags and bought loose fruit and veg; baked my own bread and cakes(eaten too many cakes too!)and given away a couple of items on freecycle. I now plan to look through the list again and try a few more things.

Update…Registered with the mailing preference service to stop receiving junk, bought a reusable water bottle, DH got some rechargable batteries after i had a chat with him (again, think it’s sinking in, lol) about redusing waste and recycling etc, made my sis a b’day card and reused an evelope to send it ( I received some envelope labels free from Ecover along with a pack about saving water).
Bokashis are going well so far. The bins can take a lot and no smell! Slowly getting garden ready for next years planting. It’s currently a drive way but as we don’t have a car there’s no need for one and lots of need for yummy veggies

Not sure if this where im supposed to put this, you know me…

ah found it, easy when you look.

so my pledge, hmm not as easy as i thought the enthusiasm certainly went straight out the window the first time i was having to pull all the tins out of the bin that ian insists on throwing, and with him being a smoker the bin can get pretty grim.

he opened three tins of soup, i was in time to save the third tin hitting the bin, that was progress cause he left the third tin on the side for me to wash and put outside in the recycling hmmm

his policy is if the council dont collect it …. for years now i have had a contraption on the wall for him to squash his beer cans i think the only time its been used is when i demonstrated it to him.

well i have managed to get a carrier bag full of bits for the recycling but i still havent sorted the kitchen food waste. the best solution i have come up with is my bin liners are biodegradable.

i dont cook fresh food often enough to feed a wormery.

i cheated with the bag of recycling as the very next day a bbag was put through the door to be collected the following wweek good news was ian put more in than i did.

but its not all doom and gloom when we have been to the shops for lunch i have taken my own bags instead of having fresh ones and today he went off to get a french stick for breakfast and before he left i heard him say ‘oh better get a bag to take with me’

this is going to be slow and painful but well get there - one day.

Love Sue

I will start to use the home recycling boxes provided by my council,I will call my local council and find out what I can recycle,I will start taking non collectible kerbside items to a recycling bank,I will help a neighbour by taking their items to a recycling bank,I will talk to at least one family member or friend to promote recycling,I will switch to at least one recycled product this week,I will offer one unwanted item on Freecycle or take to a charity shop,I will use washable cloths instead of kitchen towel,I will send an email greeting card instead of a paper one,I will use a refill scheme for one product,I will start a compost heap, wormery or bokashi,I will make one meal from leftovers,I will start using reusable shopping bags instead of carrier bags,I will buy loose produce instead of bagged,I will make something like bread instead of buying in plastic wrap,I will switch to a brand that uses recyclable packaging for one item
I will get some wool from a charity shp t make a lap banket.
I will cook all meals from scratch and buy no precooked foods.
I will leave unnecessary packaging at the till Asda’s, tell them why I’m doing it.
I will preserve or freeze al the excess vegetables in thhe garden to use over winter.

thank goodness yu have sent me an email with my list as I would ever remember them all.

Good luck everyone

I have just ordered two bokashi bins

I have signed up for an allotment. They have a really long waiting list so we are going to find out about other schemes a bit further from home.

Tracy, you’ve made some great headway with your pledges. If you would like to write a review at some point of your onya weigh bags, that would be fab. You’ve discovered the downside to homemade goodies though - zero waste but not zero waist LOL!

Well done Alabama; some more ticks on the list for you. Good to hear that the bokashis are behaving themselves.

Sue, you are amazing. I remember trying to do recycling ‘by myself’ before Mr Green was bitten by the bug and it was so challenging. You deserve a medal for your determination; I gave up until he was supporting what I wanted to do. At least he is now taking his own bag; let’s hope it’s the first step of many Enjoy your bokashi bins.

Keep us posted, Shazzie; let’s hope you find something soon

I’m really not good at the whole menu planning and shopping accordingly, I really wish I was.
So we have decided this week, to have a ” No Shop ” week - apart from some cereal and milk picked up at local Co-Op, in the hope that we will use up all that food lurking in the cupboards, freezer, larder etc and also make a note of the meals we have to help us with menu planning next week.

I see Alabama has already meantioned the free kit from Ecover ( go to their site and register ) Great pack with a Hippo for the loo, information on saving water and the effects of lack of water / dirty water in other countries and also some labels for re-using envelopes.

On the sharing the Recycling Word with friends and family - am really proud of my parents, after talking to them, they called me and asked if I would put a couple of items on Freecycle for them, which I did. Both were snapped up … hurrah !
With my neighbours I used the, letting them know dh can take used batteries into work, rather than throwing them in the bin ( knowing their son is a heavy battery operated toy kid ! ) and also singing the praises of the rechargable batteries … little seeds bear big fruits … watching and waiting on the one.

Coming up to last of the kitchen roll ( which when used has been composted ) then NO more … stack of t-towels, ready and waiting.

Started on my personal pledge of making and using house-hold cleaners …. bulk bag of bicarb ( another tick on the list - bulk buying )lemons, tea-tree oil and I’m away.
When our stock pile of Ecover washing powder has gone, we will go back to making our bucket full of “gloop” for cleaning our clothes.Don’t know how we got out of the habit of making and using that, we had been for a good couple of years … scary how the old “buy one get one free” sucks you in !

So pleased everyone is doing do well and big thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas and tips.

much love and care
Denise x

Hi Mrs Green,

As part of my pledge to find myself new Zero Waste products, I found 2 examples.

At Wittard, I was able to buy coffee beans in a paper bag, reusable or compostable, to replace the aluminuim combination waste products in universal use. I enquired about instant but they did not provide this at present.

At Lush, Deodorant-only soap was available, the male type for me. This consists of a bar wrapped in recycled paper. I enquired about shaving soap, a future possibility.

I hope to find other examples before the weekend.

The bins have arrived and the arguments begun

your not leaving them there are you?

so Mrs Green why cant i put cigarette ash and butts in the bin??

and why cant i put tea bags in the bin??

very confused

Hi Denise, it sounds like things are going really well for you. You are putting so much time and energy into your pledges. I’m pleased that sharing your ideas has been so positive. Looking forward to hearing how you get on with your home made cleaning products And yes, thank you Alabama for the Ecover link; I’ve signed up for my kit too and was reading about their actions.

John, great to see you joining in. Well done on your finds today. I know the whittard packaging didn’t turn out quite as expected, but I’m sure you will be able to do something with it. The LUSH visit sounded promising; let us know how you find the deodorant.

Sue, oh dear - we didn’t foresee arguments over the kitchen counter tops LOL! I’ve never used a bokashi bin, but I’m sure there will be others who can give you lots of advice and ideas. Tea bags - can’t they go in them??

no there is a very useful green tick items and red cross items on the red cross items it says no tobacco ash! and no tea bags.

the green tick says pizza, burgers, cakes, bones etc

well we have just done our dump trip with tins and plastic.

yeuk the bag was full of rain water and my fingers were alls sticky, due i think to a tub of pineaple that ian didnt was out and i wouldnt mind but it was a non recyclable tub me thinks, hard clear plastic!!!

I mentioned to ian this was not recyclable, you should have seen his face - big mistake - he had put it in the recycling and not hte bin i should have been happy with that.

i explained the plastic should be able to stretch and dropped the subject.

i also mentioned the lids of the drink bottles which he says wasnt him.

i need to tread gently here at least he is putting them in the bag and not the bin.

bokashi is started cant say i like the smell of the stuff you sprinkle over the top, way too sweet. the bins are still in the kitchen which is a good sign.

oh and i put a tea bag in goodness what harm can it do???

Hi Mrs Green,

The deodorant block is a culture shock. The scent is a bit like aftershave and after 4 hours is still there. I was advised to keep the block out of the bathroom, and damp heat. It is in a glass container with a temporary lid in a bedroom.
I have also ordered a steel safety razor with bladesfrom ebay, after Beth’s posts on Chris’s blog. She also suggests baking soda under arm. What do you think of that as an option?

Oh Sue, you are such a stalwart! I don’t see what harm the odd tea bag will do, but I’m no expert on bokashis. Sorry to hear about your tussles with Ian - one step at a time, eh? As you say, he is thinking about recycling at least, and that is a good step to have taken. It’s very confusing when you start out, with lots of conflicting advice, which doesn’t help at all. Let’s hope he understands why it is good to try and figure things out rather than give up.

John, the deodorant block sounds good. Do they do unscented? I don’t always like lingering scents, unless they are very mild.
I can see how damp might be a problem for it - I guess it would start to disintegrate. Wow, good luck with the safety razor; I’m not brave enough for that!
Baking soda can work well. I have used it in the past when there has been nothing else in the house. Not exactly easy to apply, but it certainly works because it both absorbs moisture and neutralises odours. You could scent it if you wished with some essential oils - frankincense and sandalwood would be a nice, male scent. Or something citrusy, lemon would be a good one as it is antibacterial. Have fun! Do the sniff test and let us know how it is!

Hi Mrs Green,

That’s it baking soda and a squirt of lemon juice! I will try it sometime but the bar will last ages. There were a number of different types but only sniffed one or two “male” types but there were plenty of others. The scent is only noticeable close-up ie nose to under arm.

The safety razor probably needs a bit of careful practice initially, but the thought of no mixed plastic/metal waste blades plus no plastic blade holder will prove decisive. I am sure it will suit the female requirements as well but I will definitely give you the full picture to aid you decision.

Are you preparations for next week complete?

Hi John, I don’t feel particularly prepared, but certainly more relaxed about things now. I’ve been asking Mr Green to provide me with his meal requirements for our zero waste week and it’s been ‘in a minute’ or ‘later’ for the past 4 days…….
Keep us posted on the safety razor and good luck!

Hi Mrs Green,

I am glad things are progressing smoothly.
A funny thing occurred when I logged on here, I usually key “my” then myzerowaste.com jumps near the top of a list to click on. Yesterday, I did this and “myskip.com” appeared in the first 9 places, with the usual off the list, further down. I now key “myz”. Of course you wont see this as its your blog.

John, it sounds like you are getting an auto complete in your browser. It’s an annoying thing to have happen, especially if you key in a mis-spelling. Clearing it entails clearing all autocompletes and cookies which means starting over……..
Perhaps myskips will get pushed down the list again if you don’t use it? I guess that depends on the browser you use.

I can now recycle tetrapaks at my local supermarket so I take them when I go shopping. Check your local supermarket- they were descibed as a trial run so the more people who use them the more likely they are to stay. I also take them for other family members who don’t live near to a tetrapak recycling bank.

Freecycle is great! Everyone should join their local one if they haven’t already. It’s amazing what you can get rid of on there, and you can pick up some good stuff too rather than having to buy new. This week I have taken a bag of stuff to a charity shop and given away another bag of stuff on freecycle.

Excellent news LinnyG and thanks for sharing that here. Tetrapaks can be recycled with the caps on, according to tetrapak.co.uk. BTW, you can easily fold them down to make them flat before putting the caps on. Much easier to store…

You can thanks Mrs Green for Freecycle (if you’re in Gloucestershire) and yes, it’s a great way to pass on stuff that you no longer need, but still has life in it. Sounds like your having an ‘autumn clearout!’ Feels good, doesn’t it and it makes space for better things to come in …

I think I got a bit over excited and ticked too many boxes…need to work hard now!

So of the 20 I ticked I will pick 5 for this week and work on them..

1) actually put the recycling out this week - not collect it all in the kitchen, let it all pile up, and my husband in a fit of despair throw it all in the bin.

2)I’ve gone to that mail preference thing to stop the junk mail - we’ll see how it goes!

3)I have joined the local library online and will take a walk down on Monday to pick my card up - and perhaps get some books to help my eco aims!

4)I - well me & the kids- have started making all our xmas cards from ones we got last year..and they need to make a card for their brownie badge so 2 birds, 1 stone.

5)I now have a stunning collection of jute shoppers for when we go shopping..I still need to take the baby with me though, as I need the pram to hang all of the bags from…don’t know what I will do when he starts walking everywhere!

I think I might be able to squeeze some more in this week..thinking of starting on the garden if the weather improves.

Hi Mr Green,

I posted my most recent Zero Waste alteratives: Lush deodorant bar, Columbian coffee beans in reusable packs,
all-steel razor and blades. The hunt is on for even more countrywide alternatives.
Peoples responses have been terrific. The Green family have done a fantastic job in presenting their Zero Waste outlook.

my two main objectives are to

1) be consistent with making my own lunch for work…i have plenty of reusable containers courtesy of take away eating housemate

2) water bottle, i play handball 4 times a week, and quite often forget my own drink…happened yesterday, but i kept the bottle which i am using now, and will do until it gives in and i’ll buy a proper reusable one (any suggestions on good ones?)

the other pledges are going to be easier to tackle compared to these two…lets see how it goes

Hi azjh77 - welcome to the competition. Yes, it’s easy to get carried away and sign up for loads of things, but it’s great you have pared it down to 5 to focus on! that should make it more manageable, especially with children to take care of.
I can totally relate to number 1; we used to do that as well. A good recycling system is one of the first things to get in place. You might find our monthly July for challenge gives you some helpful tips. Your other pledges sound great - good luck!

Thank you John; we’re really pleased with the way things are turning out and we’re delighted to have you ‘officially’ on board - this shows that whether you are a complete novice, or a seasoned zero waster, there are always things that we can do to improve our actions.

Soly - hi and welcome. It sounds like you are well set up for taking your own lunches, thanks to your housemate! it’s really good when we can think of ideas of creative re-use.

Regarding the water bottle, lots of people like the Sigg ones. Personally, I’m not sure about the lining inside the aluminium, but if you’re not concerned over aluminium then that isn’t a problem.

Obviously there are the WeWantTap ones, which are new on the market and Bisphenol A free.

Another one you might consider are the Camelbak - although I’m not sure how easily they are available over here. They are good for sporty people because, due to the use of a kind of built in straw, you don’t have to tip your head back to drink - they are excellent for cyclists.

Like you, I would continue with the one you have, recycle it if you can when it dies and spend the meantime looking around for something that suits you.

Phew - finally I’ve done my pledge which hopefully will be showing soon :o)

Can anyone give advice for compostable waste methods for small quantities - both in food waste and for disposal as our growing area is just a few pots. The bokashi had been my first plan but needs a burial site so wasn’t ultimately suitable.

Hi Kris,
Well done on signing up; your name will appear soon I would think a wormery is your best bet. These can even be kept indoors if you don’t have much outdoor space. The experts in this are in Hereford at Wiggly Wigglers. The ‘liquid gold’ you get from a wormery can be diluted and added to your pots; so it’s the perfect solution for you. There is a fantastic page on their site all about looking after worms here

I started up a neighbourhood rota (well, only 3 houses!) for clearing the plastic bottles and taking them to the civic amenity site. Worked a treat and I haven’t got to go do them again for a month! Good luck to all, Ray Smith

My final pledge is done:). Had a good clear out this weekend and gave a load of clothes to the local charity shop and a load to my sisters. Feels so good to be clear of clutter and doing something good for the envoronment! We’re also using some old shelves to make a play kitchen for DD for her birthday too. These pledges have really got me thinking about how to re-use things instead of just getting rid of them. Thanks for the inspiration!

Purchased a hand meat mincer today and extracted enough meat from the bone to make two meals. Generally only manage to make one from the same quantity. Mincer cost £15, must have saved £5 already.

I am usually only slightly conscious of what waste I produce. But this site has kick started me into being much more aware. Since reading this site and pledging to change my wasteful ways, here is what I’ve been doing:

1. I will start to use the home recycling boxes provided by my council

I already do this, but in the last few days I have been extra-careful to sort my waste into what is and is not recyclable. My non-recyclabe bin is being emptied less and my home recycling boxes are filling up.

2. I will call my local council and find out what I can recycle

Prior to beginning #1 in earnest, this was my first step. I have discovered my kerbside collection includes clothes, which is a huge bonus! Time for a sort through all those old clothes …

3. I will start taking non collectible kerbside items to a recycling bank

I have my car boot packed already to take some scrap metal to the metal recycling area of the local tip. I’ll be stopping on my way home from the office tonight.

4. I will help a neighbour by taking their items to a recycling bank

Linked to number 3, I have asked my neighbours if there is anything they need taking to the recycling station and have been given a number of items to add to my scrap metal. Every little helps!

4. I will talk to at least one family member or friend to promote recycling.

I will be spending the day with my mother tomorrow, who will be getting a copy of my list from the council of what can and cannot be recycled. I’ve also pinned the list up in work, and offered to give more information to anyone who needs it.

5. I will recycle an old mobile phone

I had a good rummage through my drawers on the weekend, and found 3 old mobile phones which are now in the “use and reuse” mobile phone store in the office.

6. I will take active steps to stop junk mail being delivered to my home

All junk mail I receive from now on will be returned unopened to the sender, and any forms I fill in will be scanned carefully for the “opt out box”. And companies that phone me from now on will be told to take me off the list. I have also switched from paper statements to online statements at my bank, to cut down further on unnecessary mail.

7. I will offer one unwanted item on Freecycle or take to a charity shop

My partner had a black bag full of old clothes which have been waiting to be taken to the tip. These are being rehomed at the local charityshop tomorrow along with any I find in my wardrobe rummage!

8. I will take reusable cup to work / Starbucks

I have bought a mug in Tescos for 99p which is now sitting on my desk … this will stop at least 5 paper cups going into the bin each day in work! (In my defence, I always reused the paper cups as much as possible)

9. I will use washable cloths instead of kitchen towel.

On my lunch break today I purchased washable cloths which I will use both in work and at home to mop up spillages. These will be washed when needed and I vow never to buy kitchen roll again!!

10. I will buy one purchase in bulk packaging to save on waste

I have yet to do this week’s shopping, but when I do, I plan to buy as much non-food items as possible in bulk to both save petrol (less “top-up shopping”) and money.

11. I will start keeping and reusing old envelopes and packaging

I already do this as much as possible. When envelopes cannot be reused as envelopes they are usually good as scrap note-paper until they are recycled.

12. I will use a refill scheme for one product

I have been on the internet and have ordered re-fillable printer ink catridges for my printer. These are made from plastic, but will last as long as my printer.

13. I will switch to washable nappies or menstrual products

Another item on my shopping list this week is the Mooncup I haev read about this week on the BBC Magazines “Month without plastic” forum. I will be trialling this during my next period.

14.I will buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger and use them

I already use rechargable batteries for my digital camera and will be buying more for my other battery operated devices. I haev also bought energy-savign lightbulbs and fitted them around the house.

15. I will use a reusable bottle for water

I have kept a plastic bottle bought before my Zero-Waste pledge and this will be reused over and again until it falls apart. When this happens, I’ll buy a more durable type!

16 I will plan a weekly menu and shop accordingly

This is something I have already been doing for years to save money and food waste. It works a treat and I would recommend it to anyone!!! You can save a fortune in shopping each week!

17 I will take a zero waste lunch to school or work

I began my Zero Waste lunch campaign today, with sandwiches wrapped in compostable paper, an apple and a banana (the peel and core of which will be composted at home) all in a canvas bag. No waste in sight!

18. I will start using reusable shopping bags instead of carrier bags

I have bought a number of canvas and re-usable bags over the weekend and these will now be used whenever I go shopping. I vow never to pick up a plastic bag in a shop again!!

19 I will buy loose produce instead of bagged.

This will be done on my next shopping trip. I will also favour items with less packaging … the less the better! This is something I feel we really need to take a stand on as a consumer group.

20. In addition I will reuse all paper as scrap in the office, before taking it when it is fully used to the recycling facility. I will then only buy recycled paper.

This is being done, and my scrap notepads are being distributed around the office. People are liking the idea and are taking it up themselves. There is a lot less paper being thrown out today in the office. Let’s hope this lasts!!

Phew!!

Thank you for the advice about Wriggly Wigglers - i’ll have another look at the site (I’ll be perusing the details of the flowers as well after seeing your lovely bouquet!)

I’ve started my pledge with a little groundwork, taking out the existing bin bag and prepping for the future with the new bags for organic and dry waste. Hopefully this will really highlight what is going in the bin - I’ve flattered myself that I’ve kept quantities reasonably small, don’t throw out much wasted food and cook from scratch most of the time so avoiding a lot of packaging, but since corralling everything into a smaller tighter bin space it has brought home how many chunky packets come in with supermarkets meats as well as other goods like soft fruits. And unlike say coleslaw pots they aren’t usefully reusable.

I had success at the Farmers Market with buying olives in my own sealable tub, and was pleased to see the the poultry stall is now open to serving individual breast portions into your own container so will do that next time. I do like the convenience of using the supermarket so may even be brave enough to try asking at the counters if they will use my own container.

I also tidied a few bits into the bin outside - they had been sitting in the recycling area despite being a difficult mix of packaging detritus. There really wasn’t anything salvageable bar one long battery that had been accidentally tossed into the mix which I recovered and put with a few more ready for the next run to the ‘tip’.

Next stop - thin my collections of padded envelopes and carrier bags and consider what my Christmas card vision might be for this year

lone battery even

Ray, I really love your pledge. This is something we are thinking of starting in January. I hope it grows and you get more neighbours on board with your idea. It’s great because it’s helping to rebuild communities with a common cause.

Alabama - you’re doing great. I know what you mean about clearing clutter; it’s a good feeling, especially when it benefits the environment or other people as well. The play kitchen sounds wonderful - pictures please!

parkstreetmike - that’s an innovative solution to the pledge you have taken on there; really inspiring! I know a couple of people who grind their own flour, which just amazes me.

Jenny’s pledge; we’re so pleased to have you here taking part. Clothes collection is great isn’t it? And collections are changing all the time, so it’s always worth rechecking every few months. I’ve just been reading through your actions and you’ve done so much - well done and keep up the fantastic work.

Hi Kris; I think you’re right about getting to know exactly what goes into your bin. We started to look at this a few weeks into our challenge and it gave us insight as to how we could improve things. Very cool on finding olives and meat to buy in your own containers. Enjoy planning your Christmas cards.

We live in France and constantly try to reduct our landfill waste…..growing our own veg, composting, re-usable bags etc. Where we live all of our recycling goes into one big yellow bag, newspapers, plastic bottles,foil,cardboard and even tetrapaks and is collected once a fortnight and sorted by hand at the waste depot. Glass bottles have to be taken to a bottle bank but there is always one even in the smallest village. My pledge to avoid using clingfilm will be a challenge for me….I’m sorry to say. I’ll let you know how I get on!!

still going strong on the no bottled drinks…just bought a re-usable bottle and will unveil it when this one dies (4 more refils according to we want tap)

spent the evening sorting the cluttered mess that is (well was) my room…i now have a pile of envelopes, two bags of unwanted clothes for oxfam, and a few books to give away

i alswo found a couple of paper oags round the house that i will ue as produce bags when i go to the covered market later, remembered my cotton shopping bags (yay) and will start going to the bakers again (i do most of the time anyway, but sometimes i’m a bit lazy)

I will start to use the home recycling boxes provided by my council – I would do if my council actually provided them. Shame on Birmingham City Council. However I have purchased my own boxes to collect recycling in and take it fortnightly to my parents’ house (who have a doorstep collection). I have also emailed BCC to request a box as no-one in my area has them yet…I will wait in anticipation!

I will recycle my tetrapaks – I have shamefully been putting these in with my paper recycling (taking care to remove the plastic lid and wash them out) and taking them to the recycling bank. After reading various articles this week I have realised the errors of my ways and am collecting these to recycle separately.

I will call my local council and find out what I can recycle – Done. Although Birmingham City Council is rubbish in comparison with most other councils. They won’t even take the packages that Sainsbury’s claim “most local councils will collect”. Apparently it is in their 2008 plan. Only 4 months left for them to get their act together. Although they did tell me including tetrapaks in doorstep collection is also on this 2008 plan which is promising.

I will start taking non collectible kerbside items to a recycling bank – Keeping separate box for tetrapaks and the likes of, and will be sending my girlfriend regularly to the recycling depot – she has just moved offices to literally next to it, so we won’t be causing too much of a carbon footprint to drive there either! And although I didn’t tick the box to help a friend/neighbour take stuff to recycling banks I have offered to take all my parent’s tetrapaks etc to the bank too. Looks like I am surpassing my pledges now!

I will talk to at least one family member or friend to promote recycling – Talked to my mum about taking your own containers for deli/meat/fish produce in supermarkets and net bags etc for fruit/veg. She loved the idea and is going to do it when she goes shopping on Thursday.

I will switch to at least one recycled product this week – Have purchased recycled toilet roll and recycled bin liners (although I am using these less and less as I have some plastic bags that I have sinfully picked up when I didn’t have a reusable one, which I have now started using for this purpose)

I will recycle an old mobile phone – My girlfriend got a new phone a couple of weeks ago and the old one is still lying around – had pledged to recycle it but she is going to give it to her dad instead. Still technically recycling!?!? I will make sure whatever phone he is currently using is recycled anyway!

I will take active steps to stop junk mail being delivered to my home – Registered with the Mail Preference service last night online (I thought I had done this before but I still get stuff through). I also called the worst culprits who I bank/have credit cards with to tell them to stop sending me junk (although Virgin Money told me it would take up to 3 months to stop!?!?). I have also bought one of those stickers to put on my letterbox saying no leaflets etc – just awaiting delivery.

I will cancel any newspapers or magazines that I no longer read – The only one I get is Sky which is a big waste of time anyway – have emailed them to request that I don’t get them any more.

I will offer one unwanted item on Freecycle or take to a charity shop – Sorted out a few items of clothes to go to a charity shop. Making a pledge to start buying more clothes from charity shops too (technically recycled?). Have also joined my local freecycle group this week with a view to putting items on there in the future (and having a look if anything takes my fancy!).

I will take reusable cup to work / Starbucks – I don’t often have coffee out but I have already tackled my work about use of plastic cups with the water cooler, which have since disappeared and everyone is using glasses instead now. We have always used mugs for hot drinks anyway. Work are yet to come back to me on my concerns about the lack of paper recycling facilities (they are adamant there is no need as the office should be paper-free, which in theory is great, in reality we are throwing away a ridiculous amount of paper everyday)

I will use washable cloths instead of kitchen towel – Already do this – although I do still have kitchen roll but will now be only using for extra messy meals and fingerfood and making a conscious effort not to use it when a reusable cloth could be used.

I will send an email greeting card instead of a paper one – Is one of my friend’s birthday tomorrow – will be sending a facebook birthday message rather than a birthday card.

I will cancel my telephone directory / Yellow pages – I have done this before with BT but Yellow Pages and Thompson still deliver – I have scoured their sites to see how to opt out.

I will buy one purchase in bulk packaging to save on waste – Bought toilet roll in a pack of 16 and a big bag of pasta instead of smaller ones.

I will start keeping and reusing old envelopes and packaging – Already do this, if not for posting things, as scrap paper before recycling. I also love EDF Energy’s bills that come in a reusable envelope instead of sending everyone a pre-paid envelope when most people don’t use it. Why don’t all companies do this? My paper recycling is full of these stupid things – and there is only so many I can use myself.

I will use a refill scheme for one product – I have been on the Ecover website today and have found two pharmacies local to me that take part in the Ecover refill scheme – I will be taking a trip up there when I next need washing up liquid/washing detergent/bathroom cleaner (I am all set at the moment).

I will switch to washable nappies or menstrual products – Am already a converted mooncup user. Would never go back to anything else! I have been looking at Minxpads and will be purchasing a couple so I never have to use disposable pantyliners again.

I will buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger and use them – Have had a charger for ages to use with my camera batteries. I am now starting to use them in the few other products I have that require batteries (tv remotes etc), and will never buy any disposable ones again.

I will use a reusable bottle for water – I have started carrying the water bottle my gym gave me when I joined with me everywhere. No more plastics there.

I will plan a weekly menu and shop accordingly – I only tend to do a big shop once a month then get fresh stuff from my local shops, so I already have minimal food wastage. I have looked more closely at fruit/yoghurts etc that we take for lunch and planned this so that there will be no waste. Bananas are the biggest culprit in our house as neither of us like them once they have gone brown – but any overripe ones I will be turning into smoothies or banana bread from now on.

I will make one meal from leftovers – One meal this week (whenever I have the least time to cook) is going to be jacket potatoes with veggie chilli which is in the freezer from last week’s tacos.

I will take a zero waste lunch to school or work – Done – as I am sat here typing this I am tucking into a zero waste lunch – sandwiches in a Tupperware box (no need for clingfilm, foil, or whatever else people wrap sarnies in) a pear and a slice of homemade banana bread (in another Tupperware box) with a smoothie in a reused Innocent Smoothies bottle. The only waste here is the bag that the bread was originally in (although I am going to look into buying unpackaged loaves in the future).

I will start using reusable shopping bags instead of carrier bags – I have a great collection of these now which are always in my car so I don’t forget them. I don’t know if you can get them over here, but I bought a few folding nylon bags from a supermarket in France when I was last over there (they fold into an inbuilt pouch to a square about the size of a credit card) which I carry around with me in my bag (they fit in pockets, tiny bags and have a key clip to hook on anywhere, so there are no excuses!). I used this when I went high street shopping on Saturday and one comfortably housed everything I bought.

I will buy loose produce instead of bagged – bought loose potatoes, onions, bananas etc. Although I am finding that most supermarkets tend to wrap their organic produce rather than have it loose, which gives me a bit of a dilemma (although most of it is compostable). I have been looking at a site that does organic veg boxes, and will probably be going with that instead (again looks like I may be surpassing my pledges!!)

I will make something like bread instead of buying in plastic wrap – Made banana bread to take to lunch (and saved throwing out over-ripe bananas).

I will take a reusable container to the deli / butcher – Am going to do this for deli purchases in our next big shop. Quite nervous about getting funny looks in the supermarket, but I will let you know how I get on. I used to get funny looks for reusing bags only a few months ago and now everyone’s doing it (or should be)!

I will switch to a brand that uses recyclable packaging for one item – Have purchased the whole range of Naked BodyCare from Boots (shampoo, conditioner, body scrub, showergel and handwash) most of which are in recycled bottles (the handwash is in 100% recycled bottles). They are also 97% natural so no horrible SLS or Parabens either! I bought an innocent smoothie too yesterday with a 100% recycled bottle – which I will continue to reuse to take my homemade smoothies/juice, or bulk bought ones, to work before I recycle it.

oops that was a longer post than I thought…got carried away on my lunch break!

Have just bought 3 large compost bins and have allready managed to reduce my kitchen rubbish to less than half.

SUCCESS

This morning ian asked me can these plastic bottles be recycled? i didnt look up i assumed he meant a milk bottle so i just said yes.

when i went in the kitchen his shampoo bottles were sitting on the side waiting to go into the boxes outside.

think weve cracked it.

I will offer one unwanted item on Freecycle or take to a charity shop - three bags full of kids clothes taken to charity shop. It’s brilliant - the clothes they actually wear fit in their drawers now!

I will use washable cloths instead of kitchen towel - knitting dishcloths is fun and the girls are slowly learning to use a washable rather than kitchen roll. I’ve also sliced up some old muslin clothes, which are great for replacing kitchen roll.

I will switch to washable nappies or menstrual products - I’ve always used cloth nappies with my children. Number four is in cloth right now. I’ve never used cloth menstrual pads though, so I’ve made myself a few and I’m going to use them in conjunction with my mooncup, for ‘backup’.

I will start to prepare my garden for growing veg - I do this anyway, but that last couple of years I’ve let my garden go somewhat. Mainly I’ve either been pregnant or nursing with small children underfoot, which makes things a little difficult. My eldest is 9 now, though, and loves to garden! We’ve planted some kale to give us some early spring greens already.

I will start using reusable shopping bags instead of carrier bags - I’m getting quite a decent collection of reuseable cloth and plastic bags. And best of all, I’m actually remembering to take them to the shops with me!

Still to do: I will sign up for a vegetable box scheme & I will make something like bread instead of buying in plastic wrap (need to dig out bread machine!)