National zero waste week – day 2
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National zero waste week - what are you doing to reduce landfill waste?
Welcome to day two of National zero waste week; how are you all getting on?
We have lots of people doing their best to reduce the amount of landfill waste they create.
Whether you are reducing, reusing, recycling or composting there are heaps of ways in which you can get involved.
- Maisie has vowed to give up biscuits, chocolate bars and sweets unless they are in fully recyclable packaging.
- Sharon is giving up carrier bags
- John is saying no to plastic bottles
- Poppy is going to be baking cakes nd making yogurt and even the cats are joining in with reducing their landfill waste
- Mrs A is; well I’m not sure what she’s doing, but I’m sure it’s good.
- Mike has been growing his own food on his balcony
- Sarah is taking a look at her plastic recycling to see if she could do more
- Louie is looking at compostable packaging for fruit and vegetables and seeing whether they are a good choice or a bit of greenwashing
- Sooz is going to take a refillable bottle and her own reusable shopping bags when out shopping
and there are many more people over on Twitter and Facebook all doing their thing. And let us not forget our friends over at “Plastic Bag Free” who are gearing up for their first International plastic bag free day on Saturday (12th September 2009)
You might well be wondering what we are doing to celebrate!
Last year for zero waste week, we had a completely zero waste week of our own; not generating any landfill rubbish at all!
During our council’s zero waste week at the beginning of this year, we attempted a zero waste week again and I believe we had a couple of items at the end of it.
During Recycle Now’s zero waste week we decluttered our garage.
So what are we up to this year?
Well, it’s big, it’s beautiful and it’s a bit different.
But you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!
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To that end I have just put a batch of shortbread in the oven to put in the cookie jar.
Hi Mrs Green,
Like Maisie today plastic bottles were avoided as part of my pledge by purchasing a glass bottle/metal cap alternative for fruit juice.
Hi Mrs G – LOL…I think the answer to that is neither do I 😀
Well the truth is, I’m living my normal life, pushing an extra effort to aim for zero waste week whilst juggling some madcap ideas whilst I’m at it.
I’ve been busy tweeting about the National Zero Waste Week, desparately seeking more Zero Heroes that we haven’t uncovered yet and I’ve also been creative with gadget mapping gadget.
Hope all’s going well with you and I can’t wait for the next installment 😀 x
Of course the other thing we’re starting this week is the twice daily walk to and from school which also curtails our jumping in the car and going out so much – so much much less car use.
I’m going to follow your example and switch from small to big bags of crisps for my daughter. Just have to resist finishing them off while she’s at school…
I’m also trying to break her fruit puree habit. The toddler eats homemade stuff but she refuses and demands the stuff in plastic pots. At 4.5 it’s about time she moves on!
no biscuits, no cakes unless homemade, no supermarket shopping, I find this works well, as we make a list and stick to it. fresh coffee beans, and they will put them in a paper bag. meat is delivered to our house via the traveling butcher, (we live twelve miles from the nearest shop.) the baker delivers as well all without plastic packaging. I am begining to feel zero waste. the only problem is the butter paper, is it able to go in to the paper recycling?
@maisie dalziel: Oh yum, sounds delicious; shortbread is one of LMG’s favourites here 🙂
@John Costigane: Hi John, well done on your pledge; I hope the juice was good. Have you ever made your own? I find if I squeeze the juice from 1 orange I can water it down to fill a glass as it is so strong. More vitamin C that way too 😉
@Almost Mrs Average: You’re doing fab Mrs A; you’ve done so much to help promote the week; we are very grateful to you. How is your wrist now?
@Sarah: That’s great Sarah – how is the school thing going?
@Charity: Hi Charity; we’re getting on really well with this idea and it’s a handy way to get them doing some fractions and division LOL! But yes, you need to avoid the temptation yourself! I’ve found that filling old containers with home made stuff usually wins – I do this with coconut yogurt. I have an old tub that I keep refilling with my home made version 😉
@sandy: Hi Sandy, you’re doing so well! The butter paper depends on the type – the laminated / foil type cannot be recycled, but the stuff that comes in grease proof paper (usually the cheaper own brand or ‘value’ lines funnily enough) can be composted or recycled.
Oh, seems I’ve missed most of the fun?!
I thought the zero waste week was later on, somehow?
Well, anyway, we’ve made some small improvements (& some bad relapses – sigh!) so… hmm?!
@Mrs Green: Fresh fruit juice is best. The reason for mentioning the clear glass alternative at Lidl, is to highlight this Zero Waste option for posters generally. There are other choices than plastic bottles or Tetrapaks for consumers. Apple juice bottling was shown in Countryfile recently and appears to be waste-free, glass with metal top. I have yet to buy one to verify.
WRAP has covered the glass issue and are hoping to increase the coloured glass percentage in clear bottles to deal with the foreign source/UK recycling problem this material has. It is a difficult issue since contamination of clear glass, in recycling bins, is hard to prevent. Mixed cullet from such batches devalues the material’s value.
@Layla: Hi Layla, I was thinking about contacting you, but figured you must have your reasons for staying away – too busy trying to save your part of the world, perhaps 😉
You’ve made great progress this year and are a real champion for change – how are things? I find it hard to read your blog on that black background I’m afraid. If you made it more easy on the eye I would be there more often to keep up with your latest.
Anyway, great to have you back with us.
@John Costigane: I’ll have to look out for the fruit juice you talk about – I don’t think I’ve seen it, but then again perhaps I haven’t looked properly; thanks for that!
Hi Mrs Green!
My blog is no longer black (for a while now), wish you’ve said something about it earlier!
I hope this one’s easier to read, do tell if it still isn’t, & I can tweak it again!
Will send you an e-mail.. Do send notice of important things and challenges anyway! 🙂
We have fruit & veggie juice in glass bottles in Slovenia, not so sure about the top lids.. Do tell if yours are fully recyclable!
Since the value of recyclables has fallen, the glass is no longer collected separately here, it’s all mixed together.. I wonder what they do with it/from it too..
Hi Layla,
Loving the new look – thank you! It’s great you can get fruit and vegetable juices in glass too – I need to see what we have a available over here as I don’t think I’ve looked. I know you can get 1 pint delivered from the milkman of orange juice in a glass bottle.
Mixed glass is not so good as separated. Over here it’s used as road ballast (?sp) as far as I know…
My milkman also delivers apple, cranberry and a fruit cocktail one, all in 1 pint glass bottles.
It is 93p/pint so when comparing to supermarkets etc, that would have to be taken into consideration if necessary.
There are some juices /cordials which come in glass bottles,
Rocks cordials come to mind and also some of the more rustic/organic type ones.
We are still drinking the elderflower cordial I made last year and then froze in 1ltr squash bottles, lovely diluted 1:5 with ice cold water.
@John Costigane:
John have a look at http://www.milkandmore.co.uk if you type in your postcode it will tell you if there is a milkman who could deliver to you.
Glad you like the new look, Mrs G! 🙂
We drink elderflower syrup here too! (I had to google it up to see if it was the same thing!)
It’s yummy!
(& Mum made it again, after I told her about the iffy fate of plastic and glass bottles..)
She’s made what I think might be the cordial in the past years, not this year somehow.. We’ll be sure to make it next year..
We’ve also made the peach/carrot/apple juice in the past years when we had a lot of peaches. We don’t have so many now, but I even contemplated buying some in bulk and making the yummy thing! Maybe next year!
We’ll also can apple juice which usually turns to cider then (not so many apples this year, but still…) & we’ve bottled grape juice in the past, though it can be too acidic on its own.