Sunday 27 September 2009

Product Switcheroo - waffles and wrapping paper...

After taking part in My Zero Waste's National Zero Waste Week and reading lots and lots of blogs about how people are reducing their waste I decided I really could do so much more to reduce what I throw away, so to start I'm making some small steps...

1. Sometimes when I'm having a studenty-food moment I'm not so interested in anything healthy or organic and NEED potato smiley faces (sadly I don't seem to be able to find Alphabites anymore, which were my processed potato option of choice) but sadly they come in a plastic bag, which can't be recycled here. However, they are easily replaceable with potato waffles, which come in a nice, recycleable, cardboard box.

2. Wrapping paper, this is a Mummybiscuit switcheroo, cos I use newspaper, magazines or fabric to wrap things up, but Mum doesn't like that, and she was 'persuaded' (lol) into buying some loose sheets of wrapping paper from a locally owned card shop (10p a sheet too!) rather than a roll of paper wrapped in un-recycleable plastic! Yey for Mummybiscuit!

Very small steps to start with, but one day maybe my bin will be empty!

5 comments:

  1. Wowee - brilliant ideas. I find a lot of the Birds Eye frozen stuff comes just in cardboard.
    Love how your Mum is still on board too!

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  2. That's great! It's funny how after doing that challenge you just can't seem to look at packaging the same way!

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  3. Thanks Mrs Green :D
    Hurrah for birdseye - I also live off Linda Mcartney sausages and sausage rolls - cardboard packs, vegan and soya free = a very happy Susie!
    My Mum doesn't get much of a choice sometimes, but she puts up with it well lol

    Hi Julia, thankyee :) You're right, I'm on a packaging reducing mission now!

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  4. Great to see you on a packaging reduction mission!

    Do know that paper or cardboard with foodbits on it, or with a layer of wax/plastic is probably not recyclable, at least it's not here, so do check... :)

    I planning to make my own potato chips - from potato, you know!! :)

    My Mum used to be a fan of plastic or cellophane too, is slowly getting persuaded into going greener too... :) Yay for greener Mums!! :)

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  5. Hmm I think the cardboard thing is fine here, I checked on my council website, and it says to put cardboard in the kerbside boxes but doesn't go into any great detail, I do check the packets though to check they're not made of composite materials (like card adn plastic) cos I know those aren't recycled (well, actaully tetrapacks are now in a new recycling bank at the supermarket - yey!)

    Crisps are something I'm hoping to cut down on, I eat a LOOOT! of them...do let me know how your chip adventures go!

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