Single use plastic cutlery

[Daisy]

When i visit the tip i am amazed at the amount of plastic rubbish.

It's disgraceful, Plant.

I suppose we are all guilty in our various ways, but sometimes it's really difficult to avoid the plastic. Why on earth would anybody wrap turnips!!

On a slightly different note, but still waste, I rejected a 500g packet of organic mince when the Sainsbury order came as it only had 24 hours on the 'use by' date. The driver entered it in his little machine for a refund and then gave it back to me, saying 'freeze it'. I hesitated, thinking I might be able to freeze if for Eva (you should freeze raw dog meat for 7-14 days before use). "It's free" he said. He explained he always offers date-rejected items to the customer. If they go back to the shop they will just be thrown away, because the time scale is too short to get the item back on the shelves! OH asked if they went to a food collection charity, and he said no, they're just thrown away.

[Daisy]

I hope you can see this little video about packaging food!

https://www.facebook.com/jimmyreesofficial/videos/the-guy-who-decides-packaging-/376069930510677/

[WeeGranny]

OH only drinks Waitrose's fizzy water, so I'm guilty of buying bottled water! Most of the other drinks I buy come in glass bottles or cans.

I've got those shower cap things for covering food, but if you're not careful, the elastic comes away from the material. They're languishing in a drawer now!

I try not to use too much plastic, but I think shops need to cut down on their packaging and find alternatives, so we consumers don't have so much to get rid of.

I've got a stash of Waitrose recyclable bags too Plant, but our council won't accept them in the green waste, no recycling if they're full of veggies. So they've got to go on a compost heap. OK if you've got one, not such a good idea if you haven't!

[Gemini]

"I try not to use too much plastic, but I think shops need to cut down on their packaging and find alternatives, so we consumers don't have so much to get rid of."

WG, I so agree! We have to do our best of course, but we end up feeling guilty because the fruit or veg or bottled water that we want is in plastic. The manufacturers should be doing their bit!!

[Daisy]

The problem with supermarkets is they do everything on such a huge scale and plastic packaging is convenient - it protects the goods, portions them up, makes labelling and handling easier and gives them a longer shelf life.

In days gone by we'd go to the local grocers and have our butter and cheese cut and weighed out, ditto with bacon, meat (at the butchers) and all vegetables, most sweets. At one time even salt came in blocks wrapped in paper. But we didn't have the huge number of choices and almost no ready meals type of products. I can only think of things like cake mixes which were very popular, or tinned goods.

They need to do a radical rethink of how goods are packaged and which goods could be safely not packaged or be in more planet-friendly packaging.

I think the only thing that will galvanise them into urgent action is for us to stop buying the worst plastic offending items.

[Lizzie48]

My new mattress has just been delivered, when I finally got through the plastic I discovered the mattress.

[Daisy]

Lizzie - I'm sure lots of items are over-packaged. But I hope your new mattress is comfy.