c-g – haha. I did make some fabric shopping bags, however I realised quickly that sending them out to people was going to be costly and a pain in the posterior.

Our local independent health food shop sells home made soap bars wrapped in paper.

Bunnyhop – definitely has potential as a business opportunity doesn’t it!  Sorry that making bags didn’t work out but surely folk weren’t expecting something for nothing?

I bet that home made soap is lovely too and surely paper wrapping has to be better for the product.  A supplier I use sells home-made blocks of soap with a pre-curing weight of 5kg, that should last a while!

Have found soap in the local health food shop, which hasn’t got any wrapping at all.

Also the local book shop sells some greetings cards without the plastic cover. The back of the card is slipped into the envelope, enabling the buyer to see the front.

We have an ethical supermarket that sells soak without packaging, lots of loose dried goods and does refills for liquids.

Have come across some interesting items … remember that shower thread?  Well, here’s a non-plastic washable shower puff made from an ancient fibre and shall definitely be buying one:

More details here:

http://www.allnaturalsoap.co.uk/shop/accessories/natural-shower-puff/#product-meta

Has anyone tried a shampoo bar?  I’d noticed very mixed reviews for them but this one seems popular:

More details here:

http://www.allnaturalsoap.co.uk/shop/men/shampoo-bar/

Shampoo powder?  What’s that all about?  Seeds from the Shikakai plant’s pods ground into fine powder apparently.

More here:

http://www.allnaturalsoap.co.uk/shop/sensitive-skin/shampoo-powder/#product-meta

I’m still singing the praises of white vinegar, it’s been used to kill weeds and also descaled a shower head with hose.  Have trialled another brand and it’s definitely less pungent than the previous brand.

The recipe I followed for making a hand sanitizer was disappointing and will need some tweaking.

Am a total convert to raw milk, purchased some glass bottles from the farm and just use those in the vending machine.  Happy to support a local business.

Looking forward to updates from others!

At the risk of talking to myself here is a stunningly brilliant idea involving inflatables, paddling pools etc and, what’s more, the finished products look amazing:

http://moralfibres.co.uk/how-to-recycle-inflatables-paddling-pools/

I remember someone was using beeswax to cover food items, any chance of an update please?  How long have you been using it for and does it look as though there’s plenty of life left in it?

Anyone using non-disposable cloths ie for washing up, wiping kitchen surfaces?  Would be interested to hear any comments especially with regard to durability, don’t really want anything that falls apart after 10 washes.

Interesting blog and although it’s US based there’s a feature on zero waste grocery shopping in London:

https://www.litterless.com/

https://www.litterless.com/journal/zero-waste-bulk-food-grocery-stores-london

One for the ladies namely to do with loo paper.  I nearly wet myself laughing at this post from:

https://www.litterless.com/journal/zero-waste-toilet-paper

“At home, I’ve reduced my toilet paper use by cutting up my husband’s old white undershirts (some he had since HS). I cut them about the size of 2-3 squares of TP and keep them in a cloth baggie next to our toilet. I like to use the white cloth scraps bc it resembles TP. I use it to wipe my #1, then toss it into a plastic chinese soup take out container that I leave under our sink. I then empty that into our laundry hamper when it gets full. I wash it along with the rest of my undies in hot water setting. We still keep the roll of TP around but one roll now lasts for weeks. For #2, I use the regular TP or the bidet.”

The more I thought about this, the more it made sense but is it a step too far???  The idea of a roll of loo paper lasting for weeks is definitely appealing from a zero waste point of view and an economic one.

I’m still trying to do my bit for the environment with a huge reduction in plastic containers ending up in my recycling bin.  In fact the only cleaning product I buy now is for unblocking the sink, everything else I make.  The downside is buying in bulk and storing it but it can be done.

Let’s hear your updates!

started using Splosh – http://www.splosh.com – for household cleaning products following a recommendation on here.

Not done that well since summer kicked in and work/doing fun outdoor stuff overtook time to spend on homemade things although we bought a natural sponge for the dishes but haven’t tried it yet as finishing up the pack of scourers we had. Switched my dog onto raw food diet and it comes in compostable cartons so no more tins or plastic food sacks. Stopped buying clingfilm and use tuperware or put a plate over things or use a plastic bag that has been saved from something else like empty pasta bag etc. Tried shampoo bar but it made my hair horrible so abandoned that.

A girl on the telly had crocheted some small circles, which she used for face cleansing and removal of make up. These then got washed in the laundry. She’s saved on using and throwing out lots of cotton wool wipes and tissue.

I don’t own a car, I rent the size of vehicle I need if I need one, I use a community shared car for supermarket trips if needed. I use public transport, ride to work when I can and recycle as much as possible.

Cut as many plastic bottles out as I can and try and carry a reusable water bottle when I need one.

None of that is too hard to stick to which helps a lot.

Cinnamon_girl:

We’ve had our beeswax wraps for about 5 months. Between the wraps and Tupperware, we’ve not used clingfilm since.

They just need a little wash in cold water with soap (refilled Bio-D, naturally ;-). They’re mainly used to cover cheeses in our household.

My wife tells me that there are YouTube videos showing how you can make your own!

My next ‘saving our planet job’, is to dissuade people from buying and using glitter.

It’s used on children for face painting, which then goes down the plug hole when getting washed off, ending up in our water courses.

There was a headmistress somewhere that banned it’s use in her school.

Summer has officially come to a close in Scotland.

They have summer in Scotland?

I watched this last night, worth a watch if anyone missed it.

the secret life of landfill – A Rubbish history

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bgpc2f

Transferred to a renewable energy provider.

Bought an electric car for the family car and I now cycle more than 70% of my mileage.  Fuel cost has dropped from £240/m to £35 and £15 of electric.  We’re essentially a 1 car and a bike family for 80+% of our time.

Replaced all bulbs in the house with LED.

Sealed as many gaps in the house as I can find.

My solar panels are ordered and will be installed in March next year along with a powerwall.

Haven’t used a disposable coffee cup for over 12 months.  If I don’t have my reusable cup with me, I either sit in or cant have it.

Have used only a handfull of carrier bags in a year.

Installed a smart thermostat and a smart meter.

Have started working for Pod Point (electric car charger company)!

Fix the chargers at Bath uni please?!

Sorry, not keeping up!

surroundedbyhills love the idea of buying concentrates and adding your own water.  That company have come up with some great ideas.

myti well done on giving up clingfilm and sounds as though you’re really making an effort.  Plastic bag usage I’m finding tricky to reduce ie bin liners, putting food portions in freezer.  Perhaps I should just reuse them like what you’re doing.

Bunnyhop yes I’ve seen those here:

http://moralfibres.co.uk/diy-reusable-cotton-wool-pads/

Glitter and, yes, you’re right in dissuading folk from buying it:

http://moralfibres.co.uk/eco-friendly-alternatives-to-glitter/

Ben_H so glad you’ve seen this and it’s encouraging to hear of your good experience with beeswax wrap.  One q especially as you’re using it with cheese – does it retain any odour once it’s been washed?  I shall check out theYoutube vids, thanks for the tip!

Kev shall check that out, thanks.

Daffy blimey, you’re on a roll!  That’s a massive saving on fuel especially over a year.  What’s a powerwall?  Seriously impressed with your achievements, well done.

Mike community shared car sounds good, does it have to be pre-booked or what?

Zero waste shop: anyone use one?   They seem to be springing up around the UK although nowhere near me!  As a one person household the idea of buying smaller amounts definitely appeals and may well encourage me to eat a more varied diet.

Am ready to roll with making beeswax wraps but unfortunately items are gathering dust due to lack of energy.  Oh well.

What changes have you all been making then?

This year we’ll probably be having another unsuccessful round of IVF, thereby failing to breed and not having any money left for material consumption.

Other than that we car share or cycle to work, and have reduced meat consumption, usually buying local from farm shop.

wonny j, that sounds very sad and tough to deal with.

Did you find it difficult to reduce your meat consumption?  Were you eating it every day?

Picking up on this one,

@cinnamon_girl – we haven’t found it very difficult, although it has involved a lot of “experimental cooking” to find out what sort of things we like cooking. Dhals are now a favourite.
We definitely weren’t big meat eaters in the first place.

Plastic bag usage I’m finding tricky to reduce ie bin liners, putting food portions in freezer

You can get re-usable silicone bags for freezer food.

We also drastically reduced meat consumption in our house recently since my daughters have gone “pesci” – my wife an I remain “flexi” – haven’t found it that hard actually and am quite enjoying investigating and experimenting with a lot of N African and E Mediterranean spice mixes, I alos like that sweet potatoes come unwrapped. Big issue with the fish is that the plastic it inevitably come wrapped in is black, which is harder to recycle – if it gets recycled at all that is. Also just moved to glass milk bottles being delivered, which has a retro cool about it but is a bit of an eye opener at 80p per pint.

Big issue with the fish is that the plastic it inevitably come wrapped in is black, which is harder to recycle – if it gets recycled at all that is.

Go to a proper fishmongers or if you must use supermarket, Morrisons lets you take in your own container.

A zero waste shop is opening down the road from me so I should be able to start buying cleaning /washing products there, taking my own bottles and also dried goods like grains, nuts and seeds. It will take a bit of discipline though to not just buy everything at the supermarket in one big shop as I currently do. I hope they are not ridiculously overpriced though as that will make it a harder decision.

Proper fishmongers are becomingly increasingly rare.

Well I’ve got a bag of inner tubes up in the loft and a couple of sewing machines I could potentially use to knock some stuff up. No doubt easy to get a good supply as well.

Industrial amounts of vinegar were purchesed from the Chinese C&C and handed out to family.

Sister in law gave us beeswax cloths for Christmas.

Eating less meat, hoping to catch my own but we’ll see how that goes. Thinking rabbits and pheasant, apparantly my dad is never done seeing the daft beggars getting hit by cars.

Other than that I’ve not got very far, I do intend on getting more done this year.

I hear you on the retro appeal of milk bottles. 😊

My girlfriend chased down our milkman(!) to get him to start delivering. Whenever I worry/quibble about prices of milk/juice/coffee, I remember how much a pint of beer now costs and I’m happy again.

Happy to see this thread is still going!

wonny j – experimental cooking sounds good, so easy to make the same old same old when really there’s so many recipes online and just needs a bit of effort.

molgrips – really, where from please? I’ve been batch cooking today following a meat shop yesterday meaning dozens of plastic bags have been used and feel guilty.

myti – lucky you and do report back. I think they’re a great idea from the point of just buying the quantity you think you need resulting in less waste. I would buy more spices and dried goods for example if they weren’t in industrial sized quantities with a shortish sell by date.

squirrelking – another white vinegar fan eh?! Love the idea of hunting for food if you’re a good shot, pheasant makes a tasty meal.

Another glass milk bottle fan, filled with raw Jersey milk from a local farm.

Not had a car for over 15 years. Did it for money reasons initially but now could not justify owning one. Mainly just one person moving at a time and at a time of choice so trains work well.
And I love riding bikes everywhere.
I’ve stopped using bubblewrap for parcels and use scrunched up newspaper instead.
Err thats it for now apart from a ‘less meat, more rice and veg” diet.

The problem with this is that if you truly want to be eco-conscious you wouldn’t be able to do anything, other than live a miserable subsistence existence. You certainly wouldn’t be riding a modern bike – aluminium and carbon fibre are not materials that are particularly great for the environment when you take into account all the factors of their production.

I find the notion of limiting personal freedom (cars, travel etc0, very worrying, especially when individuals call on governments to have responsibility for enforcing it.

As for limiting air travel, has anyone considered the effect that this might have on developing countries that rely heavily on tourism and few other economic resources?

As with all of these things, reality is a lot more complicated than the rather simplistic ‘this thing is bad, this thing is good’.

Unfortunately, humans have an obsession with apocalyptic scenarios (much of the middle ages was spent with the assumption that the end of the world was nigh), and the environment has become a suitable cause for the type of zealot who a few centuries ago would have been obsessed with Revelations.

JP

Keep up the good work JP!

The problem with this is that if you truly want to be eco-conscious you wouldn’t be able to do anything, other than live a miserable subsistence existence. You certainly wouldn’t be riding a modern bike – aluminium and carbon fibre are not materials that are particularly great for the environment when you take into account all the factors of their production.

Why does it need to be so black and white? I think that doing a bit/adjusting your behaviour where you can is still worthwhile. It’s not like if you don’t go live in a mud hut and live off the land then it’s all pointless, doing things like cutting back on plastic is no bad thing.

Has anyone tried a shampoo bar?

Yes, the one that we have at the moment works but having used it makes your hair feel really squeaky until it’s dried at which point it feels fine.

I’m not saying that taking measures to recycle, cut down on plastic use, etc are not worthwhile – I’m just pointing out that a single minded pursuance of an eco agenda does not necessarily lead us to some sort of modern utopia.

JP

jjprestidge – as someone who regularly asks myself whether I could make less impact/change what I do/think before I buy/monitor what goes in dustbin in order to do better etc etc., it’s these small changes that help and multiplied they have a bigger impact. As chvck says, it doesn’t need to be so black and white. We just need to think about what we’re doing.

Shampoo bar – thanks for that, am still holding off!

Quick review on the shower puff pictured at the top of the page – made from ramie which is a natural fibre. Not easy to get a lather without adding extra shower gel, mildly exfoliating. Biggest bugbear was that it didn’t dry out. Rather disappointing overall.

The problem with this is that if you truly want to be eco-conscious you wouldn’t be able to do anything, other than live a miserable subsistence existence.

Don’t think it’s quite like this. The planet can support a certain amount of people living their life at a certain level. The trick is finding that level, where if everyone on average lived at that level then the natural world would replenish at a rate equal to or greater than the population consumes it.

That doesn’t mean we can’t have things, do things and go places. We just need to tone it down and make beter decisions. Personally, for me I think it’s too late sadly, there are far too many selfish people and people with their heads in the sand to turn it around now.

How some people are going to be able to look their grandchildren in the eyes in future, I don’t know. There are no excuses for the rampant consumerism we have now, the impact this is having on the natural world and the problems stacking up for future generations to deal with is well documented. Choosing to ignore it is a personal decision, entirely down to self-absorbed, entitled, selfish lazy attitudes. Putting your wants above others needs.

Don’t think it’s quite like this. The planet can support a certain amount of people living their life at a certain level. The trick is finding that level, where if everyone on average lived at that level then the natural world would replenish at a rate equal to or greater than the population consumes it.

That doesn’t mean we can’t have things, do things and go places. We just need to tone it down and make beter decisions. Personally, for me I think it’s too late sadly, there are far too many selfish people and people with their heads in the sand to turn it around now.

How some people are going to be able to look their grandchildren in the eyes in future, I don’t know. There are no excuses for the rampant consumerism we have now, the impact this is having on the natural world and the problems stacking up for future generations to deal with is well documented. Choosing to ignore it is a personal decision, entirely down to self-absorbed, entitled, selfish lazy attitudes. Putting your wants above others needs.

All of this.

It’s the same sort of thinking that makes people vote certain ways. If you tend to think ‘me, now’ then I reckon you’re more likely to vote UKIP>tory whereas if you think ‘others, later’ you’re more likely to vote liberal<Green.

‘Others, later’ is the way we should all be trying to live our lives.

Well thanks to TFGM, this month the zonal pricing on the trams has cut the cost of my commute, made driving to work much less appealing and made public transport more flexible

kayla1

Member

Don’t think it’s quite like this. The planet can support a certain amount of people living their life at a certain level. The trick is finding that level, where if everyone on average lived at that level then the natural world would replenish at a rate equal to or greater than the population consumes it.

That doesn’t mean we can’t have things, do things and go places. We just need to tone it down and make beter decisions. Personally, for me I think it’s too late sadly, there are far too many selfish people and people with their heads in the sand to turn it around now.

How some people are going to be able to look their grandchildren in the eyes in future, I don’t know. There are no excuses for the rampant consumerism we have now, the impact this is having on the natural world and the problems stacking up for future generations to deal with is well documented. Choosing to ignore it is a personal decision, entirely down to self-absorbed, entitled, selfish lazy attitudes. Putting your wants above others needs.

All of this.

It’s the same sort of thinking that makes people vote certain ways. If you tend to think ‘me, now’ then I reckon you’re more likely to vote UKIP>tory whereas if you think ‘others, later’ you’re more likely to vote liberal<Green.

‘Others, later’ is the way we should all be trying to live our lives.

I understand your points, but I think this is overly simplistic. I’m a natural liberal, (big and small L) and am firmly in the remain camp in relation to the EU. However, I have a strong dislike of policies that encroach on the traditional notions of liberalism.

I would suggest that moderation and changing of habits can have a beneficial effect on the environment. What will ultimately produce the most wide ranging and meaningful results, though, will be technological solutions. When we try to predict the state of the environment in 100 years’ time we’re doing something akin to the Victorian Tory politician who predicted that London streets would be 6ft deep with horse excrement by the end of the 20th Century, given the expected rate of population growth at the time.

JP