What happens to our waste in Bristol U.K

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/bins-recycling/where-your-recycling-goes

12 Ideas for reducing recyclable plastic AND landfill plastic

Today is very exciting it's the long awaited 'Window wanderland' in Bristol uk.
https://windowwanderland.com/event/bishopston-bristol-2018/

For those new to the concept, people display anything they like in their windows for a whole weekend and then people walk around to see. Awesome! Even better, the weather seems to be on our side. In our house we have decided to put up some fabric and do a slide show to show the effects of plastic on the planet and offer ideas for reducing using plastic. Hoorah! 

I've been looking on google for slide shows and ideas and realised that over the years I have collected lots of ideas here on this blog.... Time for a round up!

8 ideas for reducing the plastic in your recycling box

1 Get a milkman (I use)   https://www.milkandmore.co.uk/sorrypage/index.html
2 Refill washing liquids in Scoop Away   http://www.scoopawayhealthfoods.co.uk/
3 Take a container to the butcher 
4 When shopping choose glass bottles/ jars over plastic ones
5. Buy a water bottle and take it everywhere.
6. Take a bamboo cup with you everywhere.
7. Get a bamboo toothbrush.
8. Buy a bar of soap instead of liquid soap and shower gel.



4 ideas for reducing landfill plastic - 'NOT CURRENTLY RECYCLABLE'

1 Buy vegetables loose- (make / purchase produce bags to take with you)
2 Buy dry food items loose in ScoopAway pasta, sugar, herbs, four, coffee etc
3 Make your own biscuits/snacks etc 
4 Always take bags out with you

Cleaning the sea

Plastic pollution is seriously damaging the planet, so that is why my family are trying to reduce the amount of plastic that we buy and throw away. Other people are working hard to clean the oceans. Clearly, reducing what goes back into the oceans is paramount. Here are some links to some of the ocean cleaning projects.



http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ocean-cleanup-project-sustainability-electrify-the-world_uk_57da5a54e4b05d79136e440b?icid=gravity_sponsor_eop


also, two surfers from America started 4Ocean and are doing a sterling clean up job!

https://4ocean.com/

You can get yourself a lovely bracelet too!

8 weeks of 'black' bin rubbish

So, my family managed to produce 1 bag weighing 20 KG of landfill waste in 8 weeks. That is 63g per person per week. It is still a lot, however it is a lot less than we have ever produced before. Additionally, we have dramatically reduced our plastic recycling rubbish too. The trick is analysing what you throw away and finding no waste alternatives. So, what are the top 10 plastic recycling tips?

1. get milk from a milkman (see the 'milk and more' site.

2. buy bars of soap and ditch liquid soap and shower gel dispensers.

3. buy oranges and squeeze them when you want orange juice.

4. refill washing liquid and fabric conditioner (many places do this now)

5. make your own yoghurt 

6. choose glass over plastic for jam/ peanut butter/ oil etc

7. make your own hummus

8. carry a water bottle at all times to avoid buying drinks

9. bring your own coffee cup when out and about (refuse coffee cup lids)

10. refuse straws

5 tips for reducing none recyclable plastic

1. buy meat in a butcher and ask for it to be placed straight into your box/glass/Tupperware 

2. bring your own bags to buy vegetables/ fruit

3. choose loose vegetable over the ones in packets

4. buy soap without packaging

5. always carry shopping bags with you

I still can't find away to buy cheese without packaging........

                                         

Dips for the BBQ!

Summer season is here in the U.K which means lovely days hot and sunny that end up in a BBQ followed by a day or too of showers and cloud! Whatever the weather hummus and dips are delicious and versatile. In supermarkets they come in horrible plastic tubs. This photo is of a cannelloni bean and beetroot dip and hummus with pomegranate seeds. I did use tins that will be recycled but all the other ingredients were fresh and bought loose. They taste so much better than the ones in a plastic pot. A tin makes loads and it will keep for a week in the fridge. Yum!

30 days to make a change! June

So, last month was all about using bars of soap instead of shower gels. I hope you found some lovely soaps!

This month I'm going to be all about making small easy changes. Not getting rid of anything but finding friendly packaging. For example, each time I buy a bottle to choose glass over plastic.

I found biodegradable cloths:

https://www.allianceonline.co.uk/chicopee-j-cloth-3000-compostable-j-cloth-hcec3003.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwgODIBRCEqfv60eq65ogBEiQA0ZC5-SK0uBO3ibXUUaP6YD0kAhTCRFWDFbilUv8v4I5FWdwaAteI8P8HAQ

And sponges made from recycled materials. The spong part is biodegradable too!

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=264776316

Good luck and happy shopping!

(almost) Waste free pizza!

Friday night, movie night! 

This week we had pizza. I made pizza dough in my bread maker. The yeast came in a little packet that can't be recycled, I need to research a better one...and the skimmed milk powder has a plastic lid, but you don't need much so I will make a LOT of pizzas with the one box. The rest is waste free.

All the toppings were waste free apart from the cheese. I CANNOT find cheese anywhere, even in delis that do not come wrapped in plastic??

The photo is hilarious, reminds me of the photos you get in the worst fast food places that you can sometimes find yourself in! Thankfully it tasted delicious!