Good Buys to Avoid Waste

In 2018, two sisters challenged each other to see which of them could reduce their waste the most. Here are the ways they found useful.

• Mesh grocery bags for fruit and veg (but berries are usually in plastic containers).
• Swap hand wash and shower gel in bottles for soap bars.
• Stainless steel straws.
• Ditch clingfilm and use re-usable beeswax wrap (made from cotton coated in beeswax and oil) to cover leftovers.
• Switch to loose leaf tea (most tea bags contain a plastic called polypropylene). 
• Instead of using detergent, buy an Ecoegg, a hollow 'egg' filled with natural cleaning pellets, that you put in the drum with your clothes.
• Or try Splosh powder sachets that dissolve in water to make detergent.
• For toilet paper, Who Gives a C***, delivers recycled, paper-wrapped rolls to the door.
• Morrisons online supermarket recycles bags (the driver takes them back) and offer a 'wonky veg box' containing seasonal produce.
• Aldi's own brand dishwasher tablets are plastic free.
• It's worth taking a Tupperware container to the butcher's counter in supermarkets - ask nicely and they will put your purchases in the container.
• Try bubble bath lolly sticks from Lush, which are packaged in water-soluble starch chips.
• A British company Wyatt and Jack recycles broken paddling pools and beach inflatables into beautiful bags.
• Conkers can be turned into washing detergent by chopping and soaking them in water. It works.
• New baby? Try washable cloth nappies or Naty nappies made of soft, plant-based material. And use re-usable baby wipes (one brand is Cheeky Wipes).
• Tesco, M&S and Oxfam sell Christmas cards in boxes instead of plastic wraps.
• Crisps - British brand Two Farmers uses compostable packaging.
• Bamboo coffee cups.
• It is possible to make bin liners from old newspapers - look for online videos.

Source: Sisters who went to war on plastic, Daily Mail, 4 Feb. 2019