This years theme for Zero Waste Week 2015!
- Swap clingfilm for using resusable containers with lids or covering bowls with plates – read more here, This is good for storing food in the fridge, the freezer and while out and about as lunch and snack boxes.
- Use reusable cleaning cloths – find out more here!
- Use cookware that is naturally non-stick and/ or has a lid instead of using foil and baking paper
- Take reusable containers to buy cheese and meat to avoid disposable packaging.
- Buy milk in reusable glass bottles (although upsettingly this article says Dairy Crest, a major supplier in the UK are planning to stop selling milk in glass bottles)
- Use reusable containers with lids use a reusable water bottle
- Take reusable bags with whenever going out the house.
- Swap disposable sanitary products for a menstrual cup (or reusable sanitary towels – this isn’t something I have tried though).
- Don’t use wetwipes – find 10 ways to avoid them here
- Find out about alternatives to toilet paper here (I could only hack it for a month – can you do better than me ?;)?)
- Use a body brush instead of single use exfoliators
- ‘Shop’ on sites likes Freecycle and Freegle.
- Host or attend clothes swap parties
- Reuse fabric to wrap up gifts for family members
- There are loads of ways to reuse glass jars e.g. as plant pots, vases and for all kinds of storage.
- Reuse envelopes as note paper and – I make a never ending fridge magnet notepad.
I will review my reusables that need replacing every so often and see if I can find some longer lasting reusables. I will also see if I am using any disposables still and try to work out alternatives.
I’m thinking of things like the reusable plastic containers I use to freeze food in – every so often they break and I have to chuck them (or take them to my parents for recycling as they don’t recycle them in my area). I have been meaning to find longer lasting plastic free alternatives for a while now, so this will be a good motivator to get going with it!
So what will you pledge for Zero Waste Week 2015? Go on – you know you want to join in 😉
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I like this challenge. Very timely. I think I could definitely get the family to consider packaging more carefully. We do use our long life shopping bags (mostly – I confess I do forget occasionally). I wonder how else we could reuse and/or reduce the amount of packaging? I have washable zip-lock bags. Perhaps I could take them with me to the market/grocers/butchers. Perhaps if I try to shop less at the supermarket, too, because they always use the most packaging. I'll give it a go. I think packaging is probably one of our family's worst areas, environmentally-speaking, and I'm sure we're not alone in this respect! I also need to find something to use as a food waste bin. It's not much good having a compost heap but no means of putting food scraps in it (bit daft really!). Hmm. This will take some thinking. Thank you for the prompt!
Good luck with reducing your packaging Sandy! If you don't have a food scrap bin you could improvise with any container with a lid or even fill a bowl which you keep a plate over in the mean time.
Like this. wonderful thought
So inspiring ! We signed up and wrote the french zero waste week article 🙂