Happy Anniversary Mr A!

We've always got something to celebrate over at the Almost Average household. And today is no exception. It's our 10th Wedding Anniversary and I've just discovered that the traditional gift for ten years together should be something made from aluminium or tin....

Well, I know Mr A and I agreed on no gifts this year, but....(impish laugh begins)...I'm going to have a root in the recycling bin and see what I can find...

And while I do that, I'll leave you with a wonderful clip of how to celebrate wedding anniversaries, Flintstone style...





ADDENDUM: Sunday October 12

By special request...don't hold your breath but what Mr A got as his "no present" surprise started out as this, an innocent aluminium foil pot:




and after being attacked with a scissors, ended up as this.....



Now who said romance is dead eh!

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A Poem about Rubbish

I heard on the radio earlier that today is National Poetry Day. Indeed I am not a poet and oh yes I know it, but somehow I just couldn't resist.

So, sit back while I torture you with my own contribution.


IT'S A FUNNY OLD THING IS MY RUBBISH

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
It breeds and breeds on its own
I chuck it all in
a huge wheelie bin
Then into a lorry it’s thrown!

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
It springs up from a place called thin air
It gradually appears
and then DISappears
As if it had never been there.

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
It all got too much to take
So I reduced what I bought
and decided I ought
Finish off all the meals that I make

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
I recycle much more than I did
I’m not sure how
but I’ll take a bow
Cos I can finally close my bin lid

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
I no longer create much at all
64 grams it all weighs
with trash from the last seven days
I’ve now got a bin that’s as slim as it’s tall

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
And I’ll tell you this in haste
It’s certainly no trick
and I’m no Clever Dick
It’s all thanks to what we call Zero Waste

It’s a funny old thing is my rubbish
It's even got a new name
It’s no longer rubbish of course
It’s now a RESOURCE
So to send it to landfill’s a shame.

They're funny old things are my resources
They now hang about for all to see
On a hook on my wall
And in bags in the hall
For me to take to the HWRC!

It's a funny old thing is my rubbish
HWRC is what we once called the tip
But it's no longer a dump
so in the car you should jump
It's most definitely worth the trip.

It's a funny old thing is my rubbish
The whole thing now drives me insane
But I think it's time
that I should stop this rhyme
Before I get accused of becoming inane!

It's a funny old thing is my rubbish...................!




Created in a moment of madness on Thursday 9th October 2008 for National Poetry Day

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Are you from Denmark?

Today I have got a special request of an international nature.

I have been approached by a Danish freelance journalist called Sole Møller who is interested in following up consumer's waste related projects in Denmark?

Perhaps you can help and if you can't maybe you know someone who can.

The key requirements are that you need to be based in Denmark and have done something to reduce the amount of waste that you throw away. Whether it's storing your garbage in the basement or if you've taken other radical measures, Sole is interested in hearing from you.

So if you have a story that you would like to share please email him directly at hello@solemoller.com by 20th October.
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Just Gai's Zero Waste Challenge

It may seem like a Tale of Two Cities, yesterday Bath and today Bristol, but I am very pleased to venture over the border into my husband's home city to discover how blogger Just Gai got on with her Zero Waste Week, which was organised by Bristol City Council.

Having already been fairly green for a while, Just Gai and her family of four were initially inspired by the Rubbish Diet and Mrs Green’s Zero Waste Challenge. She had even been considering setting up her own independent challenge. However she admits that it might never have happened if she hadn't seen an advert for Bristol’s Zero Waste Challenge Week in a local magazine. The advert was the impetus she needed and was perfectly timed to give her a few weeks’ practice before the real thing.

Even though Bristol's main event was last week in the form of Zero Waste Challenge Week, her own challenge actually started just over four weeks ago, when she began blogging about her experiences over at www.zerowaist.blogspot.com.

I am delighted that Just Gai allowed me to interview her to uncover more about what she did and how she did it. So, please sit back and relax, while Just Gai and I talk rubbish!


How much waste did you regularly throw out before you started your Zero Waist blog 4 weeks ago?

Approximately one swing bin liner a week.


How does this compare to the amount you threw away during the week before the Zero Waste Challenge Week?

The week before the challenge I threw away 135g of waste, which was about the equivalent of a 1\4 of a carrier bag.


That's a huge difference and in just three weeks. What recycling facilities did you have at your disposal?

In addition to our fortnightly regular bin collection we have a weekly kerbside collection of our black recycling box and brown kitchen waste bucket. We are able to recycle paper, cardboard, glass, tins, aluminium foil, batteries, spectacles, clothes, shoes etc in the black box and raw and cooked food waste in the brown bucket. Plastic bottles and drinks cartons are not collected but can be recycled in bins in our local supermarket car parks. I also have a compost bin and a wormery.


What has been the hardest part of the challenge?

Being organised enough to avoid having to make wasteful purchases. I tend to live from day to day, often picking up food on my way home from work. This is alright if I can get to my local shops but not if I have to resort to my nearest supermarket where almost everything is wrapped in layers of plastic.


What was easier than you thought?

I decided to ask local shopkeepers to place items such as meat, fish, olives etc directly into my plastic containers rather than in a plastic bag. I was afraid they would refuse to do so or, even worse, not take me seriously, but I needn’t have worried because, in the event, they were all very happy to oblige, even in my local supermarket.


Do you think it has been easier or harder living in a city, or did it make very little difference?

Never having lived in the country I am not qualified to answer this question but I would imagine, perhaps incorrectly, that a city council would be able to offer a wider range of recycling facilities than a rural one. Also, unless the rural community was able to offer a variety of local shops, which is increasingly unlikely, then residents might be forced to use neighbouring supermarkets, which are generally more wasteful.


Do you think that blogging about your experiences made a difference to how you tackled the challenge?

It was your blog and that of Mrs Green that set me on this path and posting my experiences on Zero Waist helped me concentrate my thoughts and inform my actions during the run up to and the challenge week itself. It was also the means by which I was featured in Bristol’s Evening Post which enabled me to reach a wider audience. I was encouraged by the comments and support I received from those who read my blog and were kind enough to leave comments. Blogs are useful vehicles for exchanging information and useful tips. They put a human face on what can be a rather depressing subject.


How do you think the challenge will impact on family life from now on?

I will never be able to shop again without giving as much consideration to the outside of a product as to what’s inside. Which is not to say that I will never buy anything wrapped in plastic again. However, when I do, it will be because there is no viable alternative. My family were very supportive of my challenge and, with the exception of the odd packet of sherbet and bag of crisps, went without many of their favourite foods. I am acutely aware of the danger of forcing the issue with teenagers, but I hope that my daughters (aged 14 and 16) appreciated what I was trying to achieve and that, even if not immediately, it will have a positive influence on their lifestyle in the future.


How would you encourage others to have a go at a Zero Waste challenge?

I would urge them to give it a go. I relish a challenge and so I had to go for broke. To those who are less foolhardy than myself, I would suggest that they start with one thing and wait until they are comfortable with it before moving on to another. Investing in a reuseable shopping bag to avoid plastic carriers is as good a place to begin as any.


From reading your blog, it is evident that after a "shaky" start, you managed a number of consecutive Zero Waste days, when nothing went in your bin at all. I am sure readers will be keen to find out what you had in the bin at the end of the week. Can you show us?

At the end of Zero Waste Week I threw away 5g of waste, comprising 2 pieces of plastic tape and 5 plastic labels and a metal seal from a string of chorizo sausages.





And what amazing results too, just a tiny amount of plastic that can easily fit into the palm of her hand.

As you know, I'm getting to like poking my nose in other people's rubbish and I am truly grateful that Just Gai obliged and something tells me her swing bin could be looking for new accommodation.

But seriously what will happen now? On her blog Just Gai acknowledges that she won't be able to keep this up on a permanent basis as there are too many essentials that her family just can't live without such as pasta, couscous and pitta bread, all of which are packaged in unrecyclable plastic. However she plans to carry on taking her containers to the shops, will recycle all plastic bags and will continue to bake more.

The other great news is that even though the challenge is over, Just Gai hopes she will continue to blog about various waste issues from time to time over at her Zerowaist blog.

So while I'm cracking open the champagne to celebrate her hard work and resounding success, please do keep popping by her blog to see how she's getting on. If she's not around, try her other excellent blog, which can be found at www.justgai.blogspot.com.

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How the Bakers fared in Zero Waste Week

Last week, I promised I would catch up with the Baker family regarding the successes of their Zero Waste Week challenge, which was organised by Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Judith kindly provided me with a full summary of how the week went. It really brings home the actual issues to hand and helps put things into perspective for the average family, which is why I've sought permission from Judith to publish the full update.


SO....IT'S OVER TO JUDITH

"First the good news: the bin lorry passed my front gate at 8.30 this morning but there was no bin bag for it to collect from the Baker family. So it was indeed Zero Waste Week, for the first time ever. Should we break out the elderflower champagne?

Later perhaps - and, as always, the truth is more complicated.

Just before the screeching of brakes announced the imminent arrival of the Bath & NE Somerset Council refuse truck, I snapped on my rubber gloves and delved into the bin under the sink to see whether there was anything to put out.

There was indeed a little bit of rubbish. Not much, less than a quarter of one of our normal mini-swing bin liners. It was pretty well all plastic film of one sort or another, the sort not taken by Polyprint or Impact (at least, not according to their website). But there was nothing smelly or 'orrible, so I just weighed it (200g) and left it. And there was yet another lightbulb (150g). Hmm, what is going on here - that's three in two weeks. Low energy, short life?

Not all rubbish makes it into the main kitchen bin immediately, so one regular Monday morning task is to empty the bins in other rooms.

• Sitting room: all paper and card - no problem.

• Giant bin in my home-worker office: full to overflowing, but all paper which will go in the green crate on Thursday.

• Bedrooms: one family member has had a heavy cold so there was a mass of tissues. Someone once told me you can put used tissues on the compost, but I draw the line at putting tissues full of cold germs in with my vegetable peelings and grass clippings. Instead I wrapped up the tissues and put them in the bathroom bin, which is where the bad news breaks.

Those of a sensitive disposition should look away now:

• 2 old toothbrushes and one empty tube of toothpaste (35g); 1 empty bottle of cold remedy with an non-removable metal-and-plastic cap and two empty plastic pill packets (another 35g); Tissues and ummm ... feminine hygiene products (sorry, I did warn you) 200g The dratted contact lens pods - a rigid plastic dish and a plasticised foil lid (150g, two weeks' worth for 3 of us)

It was not a huge amount, certainly not enough to make me change my mind and run after the bin lorry, but it is clear that this is an area that needs a lot more work.

Finally, a review of the recyclables. In the cupboard under the stairs, along with the green crate for bottles, paper, tins and soft plastic containers, there is 475g of plastic wrapping destined for Polyprint.

I really do not mind sending one pack a month of very tightly screwed up magazine wrapping, frozen pea bags and bread bags to Norwich at a modest £1.52 a time.

Also awaiting action is 100g of rigid plastic. I tried hard not to acquire any at all this week, but my daughter and I would have starved on the long train journey home from York to Bath if we had not bought a prepared salad and a yogurt each.

I will send it to GHS, so it did not end up in the bin this week. But I am not going to make a habit of it, because the economist in me screams "This is madness". The pots needed washing up (warm water, eco-washing up liquid) and careful drying; they are bulky and will make an awkward parcel. And I simply do not believe it is sensible for individual households to post yogurt pots round the country.

I have heard a rumour to the effect that Bath & NE Somerset is considering collecting a wider range of plastics in the next 2 years. For me, that can't come soon enough. I would even be willing to take them to a Council depot, as I do with my Tetra-Paks, as long as it does not mean a special journey. (By the way, one of my neighbours takes his plastic back to the supermarket, on the basis that if they are confronted with it, they will mend their ways and start wrapping food in compostable or fully recyclable packaging. But garbage guerrilla action isn't my thing. Yet.)

Two lessons from this week: (1) packaging and forgetfulness are the enemy of zero waste, at least in this household, and (2) I would do a lot better if retailers reviewed their packaging policies and the Council collected plastics. "

Huge congratulations go to Judith and her family for reducing their rubbish to just under 800g in a week. The event has shown that even if a family's rubbish is still low, it is always worth signing up for a Zero Waste Challenge as it provides new opportunities to reassess the facilities that are available.

However, the news doesn't look good regarding Judith's plastics. I caught up with Sarah George, Waste Campaigns Officer for Bath & North East Somerset, one of the key organisers of the challenge, who confirmed that despite rumours there are no timescales or definite plans for extending plastics recycling at present. I guess this may change as markets are firmed up and infrastructures are developed in the future.

I also asked Sarah for some feedback on the council's Zero Waste challenge.

"We've been really pleased with the response to this year's Zero Waste Challenge Week". She told me

"Altogether 4 adjacent authorities have taken part and we've had staff teams, schools and community groups all getting involved and giving the challenge a go. We are looking forward to seeing how we can develop this challenge further in the future."

One of the adjacent authorities that Sarah mentioned was Bristol, where Just Gai has been participating her Zero Waste Week. So as we leave the Bakers with a congratulatory round of applause, do come back later this week to see how Just Gai has got on.

But before we head off to Bristol, I'd like to thank Judith for both participating in and supporting this blog. Her insight is a valuable one, as we strive to tackle this thing we love to hate...waste....! And her experience has definitely proven that once you've done a Zero Waste challenge, life can never be the same again.

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It's carnival time again

It's incredible how quickly time flies when you're having fun and next week, it's carnival time again! Yes, The Rubbish Diet will be hosting issue 4 of the Carnival of Trash.

So, if you've got something to add on the subject of waste, whether you call it trash, garbage or rubbish, your work will be welcome here.

Please submit all entries at the Carnival of Trash page which can be found at: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_4478.html

The deadline is 10th October.

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Sucking Strawberries on a Saturday night

Good grief - I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror just now.

I looked like I was sucking lemons instead of strawberries. It was a scene worthy of Candid Camera and I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or just finish the whole punnet.

If you've never tried it you should really give this a go, even for entertainment purposes alone.

You see, this afternoon I stumbled over the most amazing fact that strawberries can be used as a natural whitener for teeth and are reported to remove stains such as those caused by tea and coffee.

According to an article at Health, you just need to mash up a single strawberry and mix the pulp with some Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) to create a paste. Then apply with a toothbrush and leave it there for 5 minutes. The malic acid from the strawberry will be left to do the work, after which you brush again and rinse.

However, it was the advice at Natural Elements that appealed to me, which simply recommended biting into a strawberry and rubbing the pulp over your teeth.

So having asked Mr A to pick up a punnet in town this afternoon, I have now worked through its entire contents.

It wasn't that I'd overlooked the fact that only one strawberry was needed, they were just so damn tasty.

And the best thing is, I'm sure it's worked!

I just hope Mr A wasn't expecting a dessert tonight because he will be disappointed!

So next time you get a chance to indulge in these delicious red beauties, I suggest you give it a go. Just try and keep a straight face while you're at it!

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