Do you remember our Ruby and how she decided to put her own bin on a diet.
Well, I managed to catch up with her yesterday and wow, what a difference!
She told me that her family's amount of recyclables is down almost by as much as 50%, which is amazing! This means they are no longer filling their landfill bin with packaging because of overfilling their recycling bin. These days, it can all fit into the recycling bin with room to spare. This means the amount of rubbish in their landfill bin has also shrunk over the last few weeks.
When I spoke to Ruby she told me "It's as a result of being aware of choices. I've tried not to have too many ready-meals and have started cooking properly instead. I've stopped buying vegetables in packs just because they look nice and have chosen loose products instead, using the paper bags provided by the supermarket."
"Cooking properly has made a huge difference and it's a fallacy that it takes longer to make something from scratch."
"Tonight I cooked a fish recipe that I found on the BBC Good Food website, which used haddock, prawns and Parmesan. It took about 15 minutes. It is fast food but it's fast healthy food and is so much better than buying over-packaged meals. I've also found it very therapeutic just pottering about and cooking. Another website I like using is BBC Food's Get Cooking where they have videos of chefs making things. The link to the site is: www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking/main/"
I was amazed to hear this. When I first chatted to Ruby about her Rubbish Diet Plan, I was careful not to overdo it, as I didn't want to put her off. Even though I suggested buying products with less packaging I hadn't quite expected such a result on the ready-meal front. After all, it was such a major part of Ruby's busy lifestyle!
This is what Ruby had to say on the matter.
"I've always been suckered into the lifestyle portrayed on ready-meal packaging, which has lovely photos on the front, but it's nothing like that when you open it up. I've realised how much we're marketed to and it's something I would now consider complaining about as much as the amount of packaging itself. Supermarkets and producers need to stop such subliminal manipulation of consumers".
I can't help agreeing with her, especially with what I know from my own marketing education that I embraced in the early nineties.
Anyway, the other big news is that the Ruby Household has recently contacted the local council's waste and recycling officer to order a wheelie bin for kitchen waste*. This will also have an impact on their rubbish, so I am looking forward to that chapter.
All of Ruby's latest news will soon be available on Ruby's Rubbish Blog, as soon as she works out how to get her photos off her new camera.
I left Ruby to enjoy her new goodies that had just arrived from Lakeland. She couldn't help being very impressed with the packaging...no bubble wrap...just brown paper that can be easily recycled.
Isn't this great...Ruby talking rubbish. The best thing is...she seems to love the subject as much as me....
...RESULT!
*If you're not sure whether you are up-to-date with your local recycling facilities, why not "ring up your council". LETS Recycle has a list of recycling officers for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You never know what new options are available in your area. You may even find offers on things like Bokashi bins and Green Cones.
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
A trip to the cobblers to boot!
"Twenty Quid?" I gasped in disbelief!
Twenty Quid to replace the soles of an old pair of boots that cost just 35 pounds in the first place! The same boots that have been in the boot of my car for six months.
I must have passed the cobblers over 100 times , but still they remained in the car-boot.
I remember buying them in Marks & Spencers, not too cheap and not too expensive, just priced nicely in the middle.
It had been a bit of an emergency. I had been walking in town, turned a corner and my heel suddenly fell off.
Oh dear, I've just re-read that sentence. Now that would have been a real emergency. Perhaps I should clarify.
The heel of my right boot suddenly detached itself from my FAVOURITE tan leather boots. They were about a year old, and had been a great purchase in a sale at Clarkes and I loved them to bits, quite literally.
I went straight to the cobblers for an emergency repair. I had to wait in a queue, balancing very carefully as not to attract attention and when it was finally my turn, I asked if my boot could be fixed while I waited.
The man managed a glance, looked at me and managed a very gruff "No can do" from behind his beard.
Not even a "sorry love".
So I gruffed off, headed straight to the shoe department of M&S and quickly found my £35 replacements.
But they were not quite as nice as my broken tan leather boots. The ones that fitted my feet like a pair of well worn gloves, in a manner of speaking.
They were not even as sturdy as the old pair and took just six months to wear down the soles, which is why they ended up at the cobblers, together with the original pair of boots that caused the trouble in the first place, with a total bill of £35, which included finally fixing the broken heel.
But can you believe that it took me six months to get there (or a year when you consider the original incident).
Well I wasn't planning on rushing back after the lack of customer service that I'd received in the first place and although there are other cobblers in town, they are off the beaten track and I would have had to have gone out of my way.
Besides, I had yet another pair of sturdy boots to replace the ones with the worn down soles, which were bought in the middle of a sudden downpour when I could no longer bear the squelchy feeling in my feet.
So I suppose I was pretty much sorted.
What worries me now is that both of these boots could have been candidates for landfill. In fact, the reason I've kept them in my car boot is not with direct intent to take them to the cobblers, but to save them from the hands of Mr A, who at one time would have just dumped them in the bin out of sheer frustration of having a couple of seemingly useless items hanging around the house.
Thanks to the Zero Waste Week challenge, I was able to justify my otherwise eccentric ways. At last there was an external justification to keep hold of them. I suppose I could have taken them to the local amenities site for recycling, but a dose of laziness intervened.
And I am so glad it did...
...because last week I collected both pairs of boots from the cobblers, the same store that turned me down in the first place. However, it's no longer run by the gruff man (who, I now know was correct in his assessment) but a cheery Scot who holds a great pride in customer service.
Hmmm, £35 to save two pairs of boots.
I suppose when you think they have been saved from landfill and you consider the cost of two brand new spanking pairs, that really does seem a bargain.
So if you have some old shoes that might be in need of repair, check out your local cobbler. Most shoes can be brought back to life whether they are in need of new heels, reinforced soles or just a pair of insoles. However, if after 20 years of service, they really have seen better days, don't just send them to landfill, instead drop them off at one of the local recycling centres that can be found at Recycle Now! The materials can be reused for other things.
My oldest shoes are about 10 years old, which is not bad going. I even think they'll be back in fashion this year, which goes to show there's plenty of life in them yet.
Ooooh did I say "fashion", better not get me started on that one!
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Monday, April 28, 2008
Me, Me, Me...Revisiting Almost Mrs Average
Hello, hello, hello. I'm back from my "week off" and it's been a fun old week consisting of experiments with yoghurt, making a Jedi costume and drinking cider with Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley...
...okay, I exaggerate...Tony Hadley was in the same room while opening the East Anglian Beer Festival in Bury St Edmunds. We didn't quite get the opportunity to chew the fat over a beer, but we did engage in some brief banter while he was posing for press photos on the other side of the bar.
Anyway, we start the week with the news that The Rubbish Diet is featured in our regional newspaper, The East Anglian Daily Times and I'd like to extend a warm welcome to readers who have popped over as a result. Also a huge thank you to Sheena Grant for such a great write-up.
It's fabulous to be back. I really did miss the blog last week.
As ever there was so much happening in the world of trash, I was itching to get out my laptop and add my two-penneth, but in honour of International Downshifting Week, I managed to refrain.
Instead, I took the opportunity to have a good old ponder over the events of the last few months. I still find it bizarre how having reduced our family's landfill waste has led to so much attention and that it has had such an impact on how others look at their rubbish.
However, it really is great when people tell me their stories of how they now rethink their habits, e.g. a mother from school who now uses containers rather than clingfilm for packed lunches, another mum who's changed her toiletries for products that use recyclable packaging and there's regular reader Baba, whose household has even developed a new catchphrase. Apparently "I'll tell Amost Mrs Average" can often be heard amongst the four walls of their kitchen, when pondering throwing things away.
...All from having set up a blog and talking rubbish to anyone who'll listen.
Some people may have described me as an eco-warrior, campaigner or an activist. I'm not quite sure if that is true. I'm just someone who thrives in a creative environment and loves to share a few good ideas (and some frustrations) through the joys of writing.
At the end of the day, I am still your Almost Mrs Average. I'm the same person who set up this blog 3 months ago when I decided to take personal responsibility for our household waste, joining a whole host of other people who are already doing the same thing but who are not eccentric enough or have got better things to do than to write about their efforts.
When you think about it, trying to reduce your rubbish shouldn't be anything special as it's no different to taking personal responsibility for looking after your home and garden, your finances or your diet. It's just a simple lifestyle choice, which like many other decisions offers a positive change to your personal life.
It's like having a blimming good declutter. Call it Feng Shui for your bin if you like and the best thing is, you don't have to be rich, green or eccentric. It's something that an average person can happily attempt, even if it means reducing your rubbish by just 10%.
I suppose you could think of me as an old-fashioned girl who takes advantage of 21st Century opportunities, enjoying modern life with a sensible approach. If I get given the odd carrier bag, I won't fall to the power of guilt in the same way as I don't confuse common sense with obsessiveness.
You certainly won't find me telling people where to stick their rubbish and I definitely wouldn't want to teach grannies (or indeed grandpas) how to suck eggs. That would be rather rude.
I'm just happy to carry on with my tales of ordinary living, some of which will make you laugh and some will make you cringe. I only hope that whatever the outcome, they will continue to inspire.
And on that note, I hope that regular readers managed to have a gander at Ruby's Rubbish update which she posted on her Living in Bury St Edmunds blog. I'll be summarising Ruby's efforts later this week, but the big update is that she's now also set up her own rubbish blog, which you can find at www.rubysrubbishblog.blogspot.com. It's worth taking a look to see how she is being affected by the problem of overpackaging.
Another blogger who will be trying her hand at her own Rubbish Diet soon is Jo Beaufoix at www.jobeaufoix.com. Jo is busy doing an audit on her rubbish this week, so we can work out the easiest way to slim her bins. There'll be more on that soon.
So with Ruby being "Miss April" and Jo signing up as "Miss May", if there are any volunteers who also fancy having a go at slimming their own bins and who want to join up for June, just drop me a line at enquiries@therubbishdiet.co.uk.
I can see The Rubbish Diet calendar coming can't you? - Now that would be a fun project, as long as it could be recycled of course.
The other big feature that is coming up this week is an interview with Andy Hamilton, one of the twins behind www.selfsufficientish.com and their new book The Selfsufficient-ish Bible. So watch this space to find out more about their book, what it was like being on BBC Breakfast's famous red sofa and of course what they've got in their bins.
Oh, and I might also tell you about my visit to the cobblers! Such excitement I know. I always like to leave a good cliff-hanger!
____________________________________________________________________
...okay, I exaggerate...Tony Hadley was in the same room while opening the East Anglian Beer Festival in Bury St Edmunds. We didn't quite get the opportunity to chew the fat over a beer, but we did engage in some brief banter while he was posing for press photos on the other side of the bar.
Anyway, we start the week with the news that The Rubbish Diet is featured in our regional newspaper, The East Anglian Daily Times and I'd like to extend a warm welcome to readers who have popped over as a result. Also a huge thank you to Sheena Grant for such a great write-up.
It's fabulous to be back. I really did miss the blog last week.
As ever there was so much happening in the world of trash, I was itching to get out my laptop and add my two-penneth, but in honour of International Downshifting Week, I managed to refrain.
Instead, I took the opportunity to have a good old ponder over the events of the last few months. I still find it bizarre how having reduced our family's landfill waste has led to so much attention and that it has had such an impact on how others look at their rubbish.
However, it really is great when people tell me their stories of how they now rethink their habits, e.g. a mother from school who now uses containers rather than clingfilm for packed lunches, another mum who's changed her toiletries for products that use recyclable packaging and there's regular reader Baba, whose household has even developed a new catchphrase. Apparently "I'll tell Amost Mrs Average" can often be heard amongst the four walls of their kitchen, when pondering throwing things away.
...All from having set up a blog and talking rubbish to anyone who'll listen.
Some people may have described me as an eco-warrior, campaigner or an activist. I'm not quite sure if that is true. I'm just someone who thrives in a creative environment and loves to share a few good ideas (and some frustrations) through the joys of writing.
At the end of the day, I am still your Almost Mrs Average. I'm the same person who set up this blog 3 months ago when I decided to take personal responsibility for our household waste, joining a whole host of other people who are already doing the same thing but who are not eccentric enough or have got better things to do than to write about their efforts.
When you think about it, trying to reduce your rubbish shouldn't be anything special as it's no different to taking personal responsibility for looking after your home and garden, your finances or your diet. It's just a simple lifestyle choice, which like many other decisions offers a positive change to your personal life.
It's like having a blimming good declutter. Call it Feng Shui for your bin if you like and the best thing is, you don't have to be rich, green or eccentric. It's something that an average person can happily attempt, even if it means reducing your rubbish by just 10%.
I suppose you could think of me as an old-fashioned girl who takes advantage of 21st Century opportunities, enjoying modern life with a sensible approach. If I get given the odd carrier bag, I won't fall to the power of guilt in the same way as I don't confuse common sense with obsessiveness.
You certainly won't find me telling people where to stick their rubbish and I definitely wouldn't want to teach grannies (or indeed grandpas) how to suck eggs. That would be rather rude.
I'm just happy to carry on with my tales of ordinary living, some of which will make you laugh and some will make you cringe. I only hope that whatever the outcome, they will continue to inspire.
And on that note, I hope that regular readers managed to have a gander at Ruby's Rubbish update which she posted on her Living in Bury St Edmunds blog. I'll be summarising Ruby's efforts later this week, but the big update is that she's now also set up her own rubbish blog, which you can find at www.rubysrubbishblog.blogspot.com. It's worth taking a look to see how she is being affected by the problem of overpackaging.
Another blogger who will be trying her hand at her own Rubbish Diet soon is Jo Beaufoix at www.jobeaufoix.com. Jo is busy doing an audit on her rubbish this week, so we can work out the easiest way to slim her bins. There'll be more on that soon.
So with Ruby being "Miss April" and Jo signing up as "Miss May", if there are any volunteers who also fancy having a go at slimming their own bins and who want to join up for June, just drop me a line at enquiries@therubbishdiet.co.uk.
I can see The Rubbish Diet calendar coming can't you? - Now that would be a fun project, as long as it could be recycled of course.
The other big feature that is coming up this week is an interview with Andy Hamilton, one of the twins behind www.selfsufficientish.com and their new book The Selfsufficient-ish Bible. So watch this space to find out more about their book, what it was like being on BBC Breakfast's famous red sofa and of course what they've got in their bins.
Oh, and I might also tell you about my visit to the cobblers! Such excitement I know. I always like to leave a good cliff-hanger!
____________________________________________________________________
Monday, April 21, 2008
Try Zero Waste for Earth Day
It's Earth Day this Tuesday (22nd April), so if you fancy doing something different and are up for the challenge, why don't you attempt Zero Waste for just one day. It doesn't even have to be on Earth Day, any day this week will do.
All it means is buying nothing with packaging that can't be recycled or composted and throwing nothing away in your landfill bin. Some ideas include cooking less to avoid food waste and while you're at it, skip the crisps and chocolate bars. If you have a packed lunch avoid clingfilm and use a container or aluminium foil instead. Have I made it sound easy? I hope so.
Challenge your friends, family and colleagues and indeed other bloggers. It's just for one day, but you never know....you could get hooked!
P.S. I am still on a blogging break as mentioned below. This post has benefited from the advance publishing feature of the test version of Blogger. I know it's cheating, but the technology is there to be used! So while you are busy getting enthused or scratching your head over the possibilities, I'm enjoying that spell of downshift time and will probably be in the garden planting my sunflower seeds.
____________________________________________________________________
All it means is buying nothing with packaging that can't be recycled or composted and throwing nothing away in your landfill bin. Some ideas include cooking less to avoid food waste and while you're at it, skip the crisps and chocolate bars. If you have a packed lunch avoid clingfilm and use a container or aluminium foil instead. Have I made it sound easy? I hope so.
Challenge your friends, family and colleagues and indeed other bloggers. It's just for one day, but you never know....you could get hooked!
P.S. I am still on a blogging break as mentioned below. This post has benefited from the advance publishing feature of the test version of Blogger. I know it's cheating, but the technology is there to be used! So while you are busy getting enthused or scratching your head over the possibilities, I'm enjoying that spell of downshift time and will probably be in the garden planting my sunflower seeds.
____________________________________________________________________
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Bin there, darn that, and even bartered the T-shirt
I'd like to extend a warm welcome to readers of The Times, who have found the blog in today's Body & Soul supplement, as well as a huge thank you to columnist Anna Shepard for the mention in her Eco-Worrier section.
What a busy few months it's been since I started my council's Zero Waste challenge three months ago. Did I say three months...?
That means for a whole quarter of the year, I've been talking rubbish!
Who could have guessed there would be so much to talk about. Even curiouser, who would have thought it would get into the papers, the radio and on TV or that I would be interviewing Oliver Heath about his own recycling habits.
Anyway, for one week I'm going to ditch the trash-talk and avoid all forms of temptation to touch the subject.
It's not that I don't like it, it's more that I love it so much that I can't stop, whether it's the chat, the blog or indeed the offline ideas. However there are times when a woman has to think about other things, not least her children, husband, cats...oh yes and herself. And don't forget the cake! Cake is important too.
So as it's International Downshifting Week, I've decided to follow some top advice and slow down, take a few days off and spend some extra time with my family and friends, doing lots of fun things.
I'm also going to volunteer some of my time to help out in the world beyond the giant, at my son's primary school, which is very exciting indeed.
Then there's the big clear out. Being the Queen of Clutter, I need to look after my husband's interests, especially as he prefers the minimalist look. So a declutter exercise is on the cards! If the folks from my local Freecycle or LETS group are looking in, you can expect a few give-aways being advertised very soon.
So what are the chances of me staying away from the blog?
Probably as likely as staying off the chocolate, but I'll have a go.
However, if like me you are a rubbishoholic and you need some extra inspiration to keep you going, there will be plenty to keep you entertained. While I am away, feel free to have a nosey around the blog, where if you're a newcomer, you can find out how things went during Zero Waste Week and how I managed to get away with just one plaster.
If you still want more info, Peter at Junkk Male will keep you up-to-date with all things current. For an international feel, it's also worth having a peek at Say No To Trash in Canada as well as America's Wasted Food.
However, please don't forget Bury St Edmunds' very own Ruby (and my very own 'guinea pig'), who is following her own Rubbish Dietplan. Ruby has written an update on her progress. As I'm off this week, you'll be able to find it on her own blog, Living in Bury St Edmunds. If you get a chance, please pop over and encourage her along...I know she will appreciate your help.
So while I am relaxing, please feel free to comment and chat amongst yourselves. Just keep it clean and above board. I will return even more enthused to share my latest rubbish news, including details of another volunteer who is attempting to slim her bin.
In the meantime, I'm grabbing a cup of tea, putting my feet up and relaxing with the paper...
Now, where was that cake?.....
____________________________________________________________________
What a busy few months it's been since I started my council's Zero Waste challenge three months ago. Did I say three months...?
That means for a whole quarter of the year, I've been talking rubbish!
Who could have guessed there would be so much to talk about. Even curiouser, who would have thought it would get into the papers, the radio and on TV or that I would be interviewing Oliver Heath about his own recycling habits.
Anyway, for one week I'm going to ditch the trash-talk and avoid all forms of temptation to touch the subject.
It's not that I don't like it, it's more that I love it so much that I can't stop, whether it's the chat, the blog or indeed the offline ideas. However there are times when a woman has to think about other things, not least her children, husband, cats...oh yes and herself. And don't forget the cake! Cake is important too.
So as it's International Downshifting Week, I've decided to follow some top advice and slow down, take a few days off and spend some extra time with my family and friends, doing lots of fun things.
I'm also going to volunteer some of my time to help out in the world beyond the giant, at my son's primary school, which is very exciting indeed.
Then there's the big clear out. Being the Queen of Clutter, I need to look after my husband's interests, especially as he prefers the minimalist look. So a declutter exercise is on the cards! If the folks from my local Freecycle or LETS group are looking in, you can expect a few give-aways being advertised very soon.
So what are the chances of me staying away from the blog?
Probably as likely as staying off the chocolate, but I'll have a go.
However, if like me you are a rubbishoholic and you need some extra inspiration to keep you going, there will be plenty to keep you entertained. While I am away, feel free to have a nosey around the blog, where if you're a newcomer, you can find out how things went during Zero Waste Week and how I managed to get away with just one plaster.
If you still want more info, Peter at Junkk Male will keep you up-to-date with all things current. For an international feel, it's also worth having a peek at Say No To Trash in Canada as well as America's Wasted Food.
However, please don't forget Bury St Edmunds' very own Ruby (and my very own 'guinea pig'), who is following her own Rubbish Dietplan. Ruby has written an update on her progress. As I'm off this week, you'll be able to find it on her own blog, Living in Bury St Edmunds. If you get a chance, please pop over and encourage her along...I know she will appreciate your help.
So while I am relaxing, please feel free to comment and chat amongst yourselves. Just keep it clean and above board. I will return even more enthused to share my latest rubbish news, including details of another volunteer who is attempting to slim her bin.
In the meantime, I'm grabbing a cup of tea, putting my feet up and relaxing with the paper...
Now, where was that cake?.....
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