THE RUBBISH DIET - EIGHT SIMPLE STEPS TO SLIM YOUR BINIf you're keen to reduce your household waste but don't know where to start, why not consider the quick start guide below and follow your very own Rubbish Diet plan. Just remember to regularly weigh-in and watch that bin get slimmer by the week.STEP 1: Set the date! Find an appropriate date when you will take part in your very own Zero Waste Week. During that week your challenge will be to avoid buying or throwing away anything that can't be composted or recycled. A week with zero waste to landfill! Just make sure you've got about 8 weeks...
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Taglicious Tangents
If you follow this blog for my murmurings about reducing waste, then look away now because today I'm going off on a tangent and it's a real 180 degrees one at that.You see I've been double tagged, by the lovely ladies Just Gai and Maisie who have been waiting patiently for me to stop talking rubbish and reveal some random photos and interesting minutiae of my life.So, the photo you see above is in response to Maisie's tag, where she asked me to select the 6th folder in My Pictures directory and then publish the 6th photo in the list. The risk...and then the relief...that it wasn't a photo of...
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Guest Post: The Clean Bin Project
I can't remember how I first came across The Clean Bin Project. It might have been through Mrs Green's site over at MyZeroWaste, but when I first hopped over at the blog, I couldn't help being impressed.I had felt utterly stunned that I had managed to do a Zero Waste Week back in March but over at the Clean Bin Project, blogger Jen had signed up to a much bigger event, a consumer free year no less. A year of buying nothing new! Well you can see where I got my inspiration for my Buy Nothing New month can't you.So as I put my feet up and consider all that I haven't bought this month, it's over...
Greening up your green fingers with Wyevale
It might not be the weather to tempt you out into the garden, but a browse around our local Wyevale store yesterday has resurrected my enthusiasm for tackling our little patch of land.And I needed a pick-me-up having spent the last few days suffering from man-flu (yes I know, I freely admit it I am the only woman to come down with the virus and am happy to defend blokes who suffer from it).So a trip to Wyevale was just the tonic I needed, conducting a recce for the latest chapter in my book. And when it comes to zero waste I was very impressed with what the company has to offer gardening enthusiasts...
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Landshare: a growing revolution
Hugh on Landshare from River Cottage on Vimeo.I'm not the best gardener in the world but in our small back garden we manage an apple tree, a blackberry bramble, rhubarb, leeks and tomatoes as well as some must-have herbs such as rosemary, mint and thyme.It's more of a snacking garden really, not enough to support a family of four, but an enjoyable source of edible goodies for us to pick at.Just imagine if we had more land, with space to share, to grow more produce and the opportunity to learn from others and share the work. Imagine what we might grow then.But with an increase in people who want...
Monday, 24 November 2008
Early Learning: Zero Waste Style
It is well recognised that if you've got young kids in your life, you're guaranteed to end up with a pile of excess clutter filling their bedrooms as well as the remnants of cheap broken toys and packaging filling your bins.So if you're lucky enough to enjoy the company of little angels, the great news is that it is becoming easier to choose a zero waste present that they will enjoy and won't impinge on the sanity of their parents. And even better, you don't have to look any further than your high street, which as far as green credentials are concerned it comes as a refreshing change.Yes ladies...
Friday, 21 November 2008
Elf Needed!
What's a mother to do? I've advertised on Freecycle, I've trawled the charity shops AND phoned a friend...well quite a few friends actually...and I am now running out of ideas.The problem? I need an elf costume...well not for me but for my 7 year old defender of the bins, for his school play.Yes, I know I can get one at Sainsbury's for just £8....yes just £8...but of course my Buy Nothing New month has put the spanner in the works as far as that's concerned. Besides, it seems that all the elves in Bury St Edmunds have bought out the local stock.So, if anyone has any other ideas (sorry ain't...
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Eco Emporia: Desirable objects from discarded things
Why is it that when you've signed up to a Buy Nothing New Month, a whole array of temptations arrives at your door?There I was minding my own business, when an email popped into my inbox last week, bringing my attention to Eco Emporia, a new business whose strapline is "desirable objects from discarded things".No sooner had I hopped onto their website, I found myself wanting so many items, it felt like all my Christmases were coming at once. Here's a company that is not only helping to reduce waste by repurposing discarded items into something desirable, but is also helping craftspeople to earn...
Monday, 17 November 2008
Alara Foods - the UK's first Zero Waste food manufacturer
News from MRW has revealed that Alara Foods, based in Camden London are the first UK food manufacturer to become a Zero Waste company.The UK's main organic muesli producer set itself the goal of Zero Waste three years ago and has now achieved this. The company now throws nothing away, illustrating that it's possible for a company, even a food producer to achieve a zero waste business and manufacturing process. Everything is recycled, composted or reused, including hard-to-recycle polystyrene, which is reused for packing.As well as managing its in-house zero-waste processes, the company has also...
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Fishy business
According to news in today's Sunday Telegraph, the Conservatives have unveiled proposals to bring an end to what they refer to as "scandalous waste" in the fishing sector, hoping to change current EU policy.To protect fish stocks, the EU Common Fisheries Policy currently enforces a limit on the number of fish that fishermen are allowed to catch and bans crews from landing any fish outside the quotas, forcing fishermen to throw them back into the sea, even if they have died during the fishing process.The Telegraph reports the shocking statistic revealed by Bill Wiggin, the shadow fisheries minister...
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Your very own DIY Island
With the economy in crisis, the housing market taking a dip and sales of recyclates going down the pan, thanks to a tip-off from blog reader Simon, over at UV Artist, I think I've found the solution....Right, I'm off to raid the recycling centre....I'll be away for a while, not building an island quite yet but working towards my looming deadlines, so please feel free to chat amongst yourselves. And don't forget Jo Beaufoix will be hosting the Carnival of Trash tomorrow, so do pop over to www.jobeaufoix.com to say hello._________________________________________________...
Do you ever stare at the broccoli?
Do you ever catch yourself staring at the broccoli, the avocado or even the melon?You know the kind of thing... by the time you've bunged it in your trolley, carted it home and put it in the fridge you've gone off the idea altogether. If your taste buds don't play tricks on you, the social gremlins soon will, tempting you to change your plans at a drop of a hat.And you end up staring at what was once your object of culinary desire and watch it slowly wilt and wither. You know you should eat it, but somehow you lose your appetite for something so limp and off-colour.Well...if you live in a disorganised...
Monday, 10 November 2008
Sent to Coventry
I'm been off on my virtual travels again, this time popping up in the West Midlands at the Coventry Telegraph where the lovely Tara Cain has invited me to write a guest column for her wonderful blog From Dawn till Rusk.You'll never guess what it's about this time...Okay...you've got it out of me...rubbish, blogging and book deals. If you fancy a peek at the inside story, you can find the post here.Huge thanks to Tara for sharing some of her blog space. While you're there, do have a gander at some of her other posts, her blog is an excellent read._______________________________________________...
Friday, 7 November 2008
Carnival of Trash Time
Here's my gorgeous blog friend Jo Beaufoix who writes a very funny and often poignant blog over at www.jobeaufoix.com. I've known Jo for what seems like years but has only been a couple since I started blogging over at my other blog 21st Century Mummy. I've hardly hung around there since I've been talking rubbish over here, but we've remained good friends and I even had the pleasure of meeting her for real just recently.Anyway, before I lapse into one of my Ronnie Corbetts you might remember Jo from when she did The Rubbish Diet challenge earlier this year and managed to get her bin Stinky Simon...
Thursday, 6 November 2008
In Remembrance
I'm finding it really hard to get going today, because yesterday was the funeral of a very special lady, Mr A's Grandma, who recently passed away only a few weeks after her 95th birthday. We travelled over to Bristol, where we gathered with family and old friends for what was a very emotional service.So my usual topic of conversation is far from my mind. Instead I'm finding myself thinking about my elders and in particular Rose.Grandma Rose as she was known to our children was a beautiful and gentle woman, full of kindness, consideration and spirit of fun and yesterday was a celebration of...
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Mrs Smith and her rubbish proposition
I'm afraid I'm away today, got important things to do, but while I'm off on my travels our Tracey has popped over to show her face and has a wonderful proposition for you. Do you wanna see what it is?...then click on the button and find out what's in store._________________________________________...
Monday, 3 November 2008
I'm obviously a latecomer...
This did make me smile. A beautifully packaged message.The observant ones amongst you will have noticed that the clip was created for Buy Nothing Day 2006. If you think you've missed out on a fantastic event, then you'll be pleased to hear this is now an annual occurence and you're just in time for Buy Nothing Day 2008, which is taking place around the world on 29th November (or 28th November in the U.S. and Canada).According to the U.K. based BND website, the rules are simple. "For 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend...
Green cleaning: quite literally!
"Mummy look what Little T has done!" announced my seven year old prefect, rushing up to me with photographic evidence to prove it.I had suspected the silence was a sign of creative genius, but when I last looked, little T was sitting in a very angelic position,at the dining table ready to turn a toilet roll tube into a green train. I certainly hadn't expected green footprints and handprints to decorate our beige stair carpet.Mr A was sleeping off a late night at a Halloween party, while I was up early to finish an article. I wasn't feeling particularly well, I had a cold coming on so I was pleased...
Saturday, 1 November 2008
NOTHING NEW!
Apologies for the behaviour of that naughty Delores yesterday. Fancy packing me off to landfill with a flea in my ear just so she can sort out my cleaning affairs. Tsk - as if I haven't got anything else to think about. It is nice to have a clean bathroom though!Now it might seem extreme but I have officially named November as my BUY NOTHING NEW MONTH, which means, apart from birthday gifts for family members, food and other household essentials, I shall not buy anything new for the next 29 days!It all starts today!And I can tell you, it's going to be blimmin' hard.Not only have I got a wedding...
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