Saving the world, one small step at a time!

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I have set myself a challenge this month... reduce un-necessary plastics when I shop.

There has been so much in the news over the past months about the devastating effects that plastic is having on our environment, yet as I look around me, all I see is the stuff! My focus this month is to cut out plastic that cannot be recycled or re-used in any way. We should all know and live by the mantra "Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot", but the "rot" part doesn't count when we use plastics, so we have to be more aware than ever!

So, I am trying. It will probably be an eye-opener, given that most supermarkets and also independent stores use plastic packaging for many items, including fresh fruit and veg and also meat. My aim is to log how I get on each time I shop and to make a note of the good things that are happening out there in our local stores. I have to add that Sainsbury's is my local supermarket (and much frequented!) but I will be trying the smaller local shops as well as small 'local' supermarket chains to see what I can buy plastic free.

Day One

So, I nipped into Sainsbury's to grab a few bits today. Now, I am fully aware of the food I can get in recyclable packaging, and regularly drop off a bin bag full of plastic packaging to their recycling point: bread, bananas, toilet rolls, family packs of water - all these (and more) come with recyclable labels. Look out for the "Can be recycled at larger stores" label.

I find it harder to buy Organic in recyclable packaging. Today I nearly opted for an unpackaged large sweet potato, instead of my usual Organic choice, but it didn't feel right, so I had to take the plastic netting option. This should be changed. Sainsbury's do stock a fruit (think it might be oranges) in a recyclable net - I know because I had one recently. So, why can't all the nets be like this? Maybe it was a trial... but I wonder how many shoppers bought the pack because of this feature?

So, despite the sweet potatoes, I gathered loose mushrooms into a paper bag and picked up loose oranges and grapefruit. I didn't take one of the plastic bags for them as I would be disposing of the skins, but Sainsbury's fruit and veg bags are clearly marked as recyclable so I do use them. In fact I use them instead of freezer bags and wash them when I can to re-use them again and again until they break! Saves me buying too!

I didn't need meat today, but I did look at the packaging for my usual selection. Of course it is all in plastic. I thought about going to my local butcher, but even he puts the meat in plastic bags (sometimes two!). What I know I can do is recycle some plastic trays for the meat, like mince and whole chickens. The chicken breast portions I usually buy come in a polystyrene tray wrapped in film. Pretty sure that neither of these can be recycled...

The rest of the shop was good for recyclable plastic and I realised how conscious I was already about the packaging I use. I am a fervent recycler at home!

Day one complete...Let's see how the rest of the month goes!