A demoralising amount of plastic Sods law dictated that this week, Zero Waste Week, would be that week that things run out. So I’m left with loads of plastic bags that used to contain loo roll, pasta, spinach and peppers. More than usual! I had heard that you can fuse plastic together by ironing but then I found this tutorial …
How to make cosy slippers from an old wool jumper
This was originally an extra large lambswool jumper that got into the washing machine by accident. I’m not sad about it, it originally came from a second hand market stall so it has had plenty of use. If you don’t have a shrunk jumper to hand this would work with fleece too. The important thing is that the cuff is …
5 Easy Zero Waste Life Hacks
This quick list has some ideas for making zero waste part of life. There are all easy, minor hassle options that can save you money too. Save stale bread I love sourdough bread but it gets pretty hard after a couple of days. Whizzed up in a blender it makes the most amazing breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top of baked …
Zero Waste Week 17 Day 3 – Bloody cat food pouches
This attempt at upcycling has put me into a VILE mood. I’ve got 2 cats. I was going to rescue just the one cat but when we went to pick him up we were told he hated children. So do I sometimes but I tend not to bite them or jump at their faces with my claws out. So, in …
5 ways to stop waste paper getting into your house
1) Stop the junk mail. Other than put a sign on your door there are a few strategies you can take to stop the junk mail at source. If you are in the UK you can register with the Mail Preference Service. This is free and will remove your name and address from industry mailing lists. Royal Mail have a …
Zero Waste Week 17 Day 2 – Not so #TrashfreeTuesday
I started off Tuesday thinking that trashfree wouldn’t be too difficult. I had no plans to leave the house other than to get some bread. Our local bakery uses brown paper bags as packaging, no danger there…… What I didn’t plan for is the incidental waste that happens through the day. Cat food pouches, empty bags from spinach and pasta. …
Herby Oven Croutons Recipe to use up Stale Bread
This recipe uses up any sort of savoury stale bread and makes leftover soup into something special. Ingredients Stale bread. Any of the following: garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, parmesan and/or lemon zest if you like. Big flakes of Malden salt work well on croutons. Olive oil or refined coconut oil. Method Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Pour about half …
Zero Waste Week 17 Day 1 – sneaky trash and a fly tip result
Day 1 of Zero Waste Week 17 was supposed to start with me giving blood, which is very wasteful in terms of packaging but I’ve had a bad cold so I rebooked for next week. Instead I’ve spent most of the day on a city treasure hunt with my son. To lure my teenager out of his room takes the …
How to make coasters out of yarn twine
I’m trying to cut down the amount of stuff I put in the rubbish. Our local council take scrap fabric as clean rags but it is much better to find a way to use it instead of recycling it. This tutorial shows you how to make yarn twine and how you can sew it into coasters. It is easy, pretty …
What is in my bin before Zero Waste Week?
In a nutshell – the week before I’m attempting Zero Waste Week I look in my bin and recycling to see what I can improve on. There is a great rescource over on the Zero Waste site, it is a nicely laid out printable chart that helps you log your waste. If you are considering lowering the amount of stuff …
Getting Ready for Zero Waste Week 2017
In a nutshell – Zero Waste Week is a campaign to draw attention to the fact that waste doesn’t just disappear. I did it with my son 5 years ago and we are going to do it again. There is a Facebook group for the week too. Our first Zero Waste Week My son was 9 back in 2012 when …
How to make vegetable drawstring tea towel bags – Guest post by Vicky Myers
Vicky Myers makes beautiful things by reusing materials. She does her bit towards saving the planet with ‘sustainable style’ and says that sewing, DIY and knitting help her maintain her equilibrium. Taking your own veg bags instead of using the stores plastic bags can make a big impact on the amount of plastic you use. Like reusable water bottles, reusable …