Well we are now a quarter of the way exactly through our year.
So far I am fairly happy with the progress we have made.
We still do have a lot of boxes of "stuff" to sort through and decide what to do with. Once the weather is better though we will definitely be doing some carboot sales.
I have joined my local Freecycle group, althouigh I haven't as yet put anything on.
I also listed some books on ebay and then the ones that didn't sell went onto Green Metropolis . Donna thanks for that link.
We joined in Earth Hour on Saturday, it was easy for us really as we had to up early Sunday morning we all just went to bed, and surprisingly fell asleep.
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Monday 31 March 2008
Tuesday 25 March 2008
WEEK ENDING SUN 23 MARCH
Not quite so good this week but that is partly due to the boys Easter Eggs which came in non- recyclable type 3 plastic - Cadbury's very bad.
The Nestle eggs they also got came in type 1 plastic which is recyclebale so for once a thumbs up to Nestle.
RUBBISH - kitchen bin 1 bag, extra plastics 2 bags
IDEAS TO BE WORKED ON DURING THE COMING YEAR
This is a list of ideas following on from the audit I made which we can work towards during the next 3-9 months.
1. Get the greenhouse erected and start growing some salad foods for the summer.
2. Continue scavenging/beachcombing wood so that again next winter we will not have to purchase any.
3. Continue de-cluttering, have made a start but got a little side-tracked ; Jackie is my inspiration for this.
4. Continue to monitor the amount of rubbish we put out for landfill, and try to reduce this as much as is possible.
5. Write every 6 months to both the Local and County Councils and MP about the lack of certain recycling facilities in our area (may just get fed up of receiving the letters and actually do something).
6. Continue to use the car in cumlative journeys rather than lots of little trips.
1. Get the greenhouse erected and start growing some salad foods for the summer.
2. Continue scavenging/beachcombing wood so that again next winter we will not have to purchase any.
3. Continue de-cluttering, have made a start but got a little side-tracked ; Jackie is my inspiration for this.
4. Continue to monitor the amount of rubbish we put out for landfill, and try to reduce this as much as is possible.
5. Write every 6 months to both the Local and County Councils and MP about the lack of certain recycling facilities in our area (may just get fed up of receiving the letters and actually do something).
6. Continue to use the car in cumlative journeys rather than lots of little trips.
Monday 24 March 2008
GREEN AUDIT - after 3 months ( DAY 84)
As we are nearing the end of the first quarter of our greener year I have been doing a little "audit" to see if we have come any further than when we started.
I have found the following things:
1. All lightbulbs are now eco - friendly, as I have even managed to find some for my spotlights in the kitchen.
2. All paper, cardboard, steel, aluminium, glass, and plastics that the Uk recycles are recycled.
3. All veggie and fruit waste is composted either in the home composter or the collection bin provided by the council.
4. All garden waste is dealt with the same as in 3 above.
5. I have purchased plugin timers for my washing machine and dishwasher, so they can be run in the early hours on cheaper electric.
6. The central heating (oil) is only ever on if really cold or someone is ill, we use extra layers instead, and the boys have a small electric heater they use if necessary for short time in their bedrooms.
7. We do have a coal/wood fire in the living room and the wood is all scavenged/beachcombed, admittedly we do buy coal and this is something I will be looking at.
8. I use the car only one maybe two days per week now for errands, making sure I combine all trips into that one or two.
9. We have cut down on our consumption of processed foods, ie. cookies, pies, pasties etc in favour of more home cooked/baked items.
10. All junk mail has stopped since I signed up up for the scheme run here in Uk which deletes your details from mailing lists which are sold to marketing companies.
11. Any clothes the boys have outgrown are either passed on to someone who can use them or are given to charity for them to sell/use.
12. I have found 2 companies whom I can post things to to be reycled, although this does cost me postage I feel this is better than it going to landfill, these are water filter cartridges, and type 4 plastic.
I have found the following things:
1. All lightbulbs are now eco - friendly, as I have even managed to find some for my spotlights in the kitchen.
2. All paper, cardboard, steel, aluminium, glass, and plastics that the Uk recycles are recycled.
3. All veggie and fruit waste is composted either in the home composter or the collection bin provided by the council.
4. All garden waste is dealt with the same as in 3 above.
5. I have purchased plugin timers for my washing machine and dishwasher, so they can be run in the early hours on cheaper electric.
6. The central heating (oil) is only ever on if really cold or someone is ill, we use extra layers instead, and the boys have a small electric heater they use if necessary for short time in their bedrooms.
7. We do have a coal/wood fire in the living room and the wood is all scavenged/beachcombed, admittedly we do buy coal and this is something I will be looking at.
8. I use the car only one maybe two days per week now for errands, making sure I combine all trips into that one or two.
9. We have cut down on our consumption of processed foods, ie. cookies, pies, pasties etc in favour of more home cooked/baked items.
10. All junk mail has stopped since I signed up up for the scheme run here in Uk which deletes your details from mailing lists which are sold to marketing companies.
11. Any clothes the boys have outgrown are either passed on to someone who can use them or are given to charity for them to sell/use.
12. I have found 2 companies whom I can post things to to be reycled, although this does cost me postage I feel this is better than it going to landfill, these are water filter cartridges, and type 4 plastic.
Monday 17 March 2008
WEEK ENDING SUN 16 MARCH
Again this week we have only put out 1 small bag of rubbish to be taken to landfill.
The recycling bin was again full, so again a good thing in that it isn't going to landfill but still too much excess packaging.
I am feeling the need to start buying my groceries at places that do not have packaging, and would love to be able to shop in an old style store where butter etc was cut froma slab and then wrapped in recyclable greaseproof paper.
All in all a fairly good week.
Rubbish - 1 bag
The recycling bin was again full, so again a good thing in that it isn't going to landfill but still too much excess packaging.
I am feeling the need to start buying my groceries at places that do not have packaging, and would love to be able to shop in an old style store where butter etc was cut froma slab and then wrapped in recyclable greaseproof paper.
All in all a fairly good week.
Rubbish - 1 bag
Wednesday 12 March 2008
DAY 72 - mar 12
I have continued to look at the packaging which comes into my home. Still too much, but alot is unavoidable as it is part of the grocery items. Certain items come ready wrapped and there is no avoiding this type of packaging.
I have been keeping a separate bag for non-recyclable plastics and have just put a bag full into the rubbish bin for collection on Monday, this is 2 weeks worth of type 3, 5, 6 & 7 plastic which is not recycled in UK.
The bag from my kitchen bin is smaller than the one posted in the photo, due to my separating the plastics out. This is now a large carrier bag size rather than a small bin liner size.
I have emailed my local and county council to ask them when they are going to recycle type 5 as that is the one with the most volume, ie. margarine tubs, yogurt pots etc.
I have been keeping a separate bag for non-recyclable plastics and have just put a bag full into the rubbish bin for collection on Monday, this is 2 weeks worth of type 3, 5, 6 & 7 plastic which is not recycled in UK.
The bag from my kitchen bin is smaller than the one posted in the photo, due to my separating the plastics out. This is now a large carrier bag size rather than a small bin liner size.
I have emailed my local and county council to ask them when they are going to recycle type 5 as that is the one with the most volume, ie. margarine tubs, yogurt pots etc.
Monday 10 March 2008
WEEK ENDING SUN 9 MARCH
Only had a large carrier bag to go into the rubbish bin this week due to the fact I have been keeping non-recyclable plastics in a separate bin liner. 2 weeks worth has made a bin liner full.
These are type 3,5,6 &7 plastic which are not recycled in UK.
The amount of non-recyclable plastic used in this country is shocking, but I don't really know how we as consumers can make any changes when in some cases we have to buy the things in these particular types of plastics as there are no alternatives.
I have emailed my local and county council asking when they will be recycling type 5 in particular as that is the one with the most volume ie. margarine tubs and yogurt pots.
RUBBISH - 1 small bag and 1 bin liner of non-recyclable plastic
These are type 3,5,6 &7 plastic which are not recycled in UK.
The amount of non-recyclable plastic used in this country is shocking, but I don't really know how we as consumers can make any changes when in some cases we have to buy the things in these particular types of plastics as there are no alternatives.
I have emailed my local and county council asking when they will be recycling type 5 in particular as that is the one with the most volume ie. margarine tubs and yogurt pots.
RUBBISH - 1 small bag and 1 bin liner of non-recyclable plastic
Tuesday 4 March 2008
DOING WELL ON THE RUBBISH FRONT - DAY 63 - mar 3
Again we only have a similar size bag to last week and the recycling bin was full, this is good, but some of the recycling was excess packaging which shouldn't be there in the first place, so that is an area to re-look at.
I am going to keep pestering my council to provide a recycling collection or place for type 5 plastic, this is the main thing in my bin now.
Maybe if the government banned plastic bags from supermarkets and shops then the retailers would have to find an alternative form of packaging, ie corn starch bags or recycled paper.
I am going to keep pestering my council to provide a recycling collection or place for type 5 plastic, this is the main thing in my bin now.
Maybe if the government banned plastic bags from supermarkets and shops then the retailers would have to find an alternative form of packaging, ie corn starch bags or recycled paper.
Monday 3 March 2008
WEEK ENDING SUN 2 MARCH
We again had a similar size bag to last week.
Can't seem to get it down any further than this.
The main problem being that my council do not recycle type 5 plastic and there are only so many tubs you need/can use for storage.
I will just keep pestering them to improve their recycling facilities.
The recycling bin was full again, which is good but some is excess packaging so that can be re-looked at.
RUBBISH - 1 bag from kitchen bin
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