40 Day Plastic Free Challenge

40 Day Plastic-Free Challenge: Day Two

It seems my lent challenge idea was not so novel after all. This article in The Metro dates back to last year but it is probably  even more relevant today as the situation is worsening but on the plus side is being addressed more and more than before by companies and individuals alike. Time for the government to step up now especially reading about the actions taken by other countries around the world. The plastic bag issue is probably the most commonly addressed here in the UK but what about other packaging?

Day two of my challenge is to stop buying shop -bought bread. My family takes in pack lunches to work and school nearly every week-day plus there's the weekend too so we probably go through a loaf or more each week. Unfortunately we cannot recycle these plastic bags very easily at the moment and I do not live near a local bakers where I can nip in with my 100% cotton produce bag asking for a fresh white loaf. My parents lived in a remote hamlet in France for a bit and a local baker in their van would do the rounds with fresh bread of the day...sounds idyllic doesn't it?

Is there a gap in the market for surburban London perhaps? So the other option? Bake them myself.

I've had a bread machine for several years now but only really used it as a nice treat - fresh bread on a Sunday, Hot Cross buns at Easter or Foccacia bread for buffets and picnics for example. It gave up on me a couple of weeks ago and the manufacturer had made it impossible for us to replace the motor belt which was the only thing wrong with it. So that's another conundrum I'm faced with - disposing of electronics but maybe that's for another post.
Anyway back to the bread, I think the main advantages include the unbeatable taste of freshly baked warm bread (obviously), the amazing aroma (another obvious ..even at 6.30am this morning when it woke me up), plus you get to know exactly what is in it and finally no plastic bags to put in the bin. (Note to self - find bulk supplier of yeast rather than all those small sachets.) So are you sold on the idea yet?
The main disadvantages I suppose are timing and planning - no more last minute dashes to the convenience store but if I have all the ingredients in bulk it should not be a problem (crossing my fingers). The other downside is that it does not go as far - no matter how hard I try I cannot cut it thinly enough. So doorstep sandwiches it is.

Tried some wholemeal rolls for a change too today hoping that they'll stay fresh a bit longer than sliced bread.

Join me for Day 3 tomorrow for more zero waste antics. Again would love to hear your stories.

40 Day Plastic Free Challenge

As Lent starts I thought I would try something different and do 40 days of cutting out single use plastic - not sure if this is easier or harder than giving up biscuits! Many of us are probably stuck in the same old routine of buying plastic milk bottles, toiletry bottles, plastic wrap and so much more. So I am using this as a much needed nudge to change my behaviour one day at a time. The going may be slow and there may be many mistakes along the way but hopefully I will find some easy swaps and great alternatives to use going forward. Why not join me on my journey? Wish me luck...

Day One: Naked Toiletries

Shampoos and shower gels are purchased regularly in our house and I wanted to cut down on the plastic bottles as well as choose a more natural product that inevitably ends up down the plug hole and out into the world beyond. I often walk straight past Lush thinking that the strong scents wafting out would give me a headache the moment I walked in the store. But I had heard much about their naked packaging as well as their much publicized opening of their new store selling waste-free products only so took the step over the threshold.
When I walked in I did not know were to start so commandeered an assistant and asked for help choosing naked a shampoo bar and a facial wash bar to get me started as I was running low on the usual bottled stuff back at home. They're not cheap at approx £7 a go but I think they last about 80 washes. The assistant asked about skin and hair qualities before we started and she even let me test them on my hand to get a feel for them. I eventually chose a honey based shampoo bar and a Jade based facial bar. They will take a bit of getting used to but I will let you know how my skin and hair feel at the end of this journey. My daughter was with me and of course she did not want to feel left out so she got a lavender bubble bar which you can break off in chunks for each use. I will review these items and update the blog later on once they have all been used a few times.

I would welcome your stories below about products you have tried and other great places to buy similar waste free products.
Be sure to join me tomorrow for Day 2 of my 40 day zero waste challenge