Recycling Champion of the Year Finalist

Now I was going to have an early night and blog about this in the morning, but the news was far too exciting to keep to myself.This afternoon I received a surprise phone call from Suffolk County Council, to let me know that they had nominated me for this year's CIWM Awards for the category Recycling Champion of the Year.Of course I was chuffed to bits with the news, but my smile got much wider when Anna, the Waste Communications Manager, continued to tell me that I've also been shortlisted and will be put forward as a finalist to the judging panel, who will announce their decision at the Awards...

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Naked deliveries make my day

I feel I must apologise for my absence over the last few days. I'd been so looking forward to tucking into some tasty British food and blogging about my discoveries, but by Tuesday I was all struck down with a nasty cold. Then my appetite skedaddled and my tastebuds followed suit, all disappearing into a big black hole.Hardly being able to speak today I was home alone feeling sorry for myself, coughing with one breath and then sneezing with the other, when suddenly I heard a rat-tat-tat at the door.And what a surprise!It was my lovely friendly postman making a naked delivery.Now, stop your rude...

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British Food Fortnight: Time to tuck into local fayre

As British Food Fortnight commences, it's time to get your tastebuds at the ready and celebrate the best of our country's home-grown produce and culinary talents.And on a personal level, I am really looking forward to the opportunity to explore the regional fayre of the East of England, in particular in my local county of Suffolk.It's only recently that my interest in British food has come to the fore. With the exception of supporting Welsh lamb - representing my affinity to my home country - I used to zip around the supermarket without a care in the world about where my food came from. And...

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National Zero Waste Week: Grand Finale or Anti-climax?

What a funny old week it's been. And unless you've been walking around with your head in a bucket and your ears full of sand, you'll have been aware I've been taking part in MyZeroWaste's National Zero Waste Week, along with many other bloggers and Twitter users across the UK and indeed around the globe.Now the first time I tackled a Zero Waste Week - in March last year - I was very well prepared. I had a plan and I was constantly on the ball, keeping my eyes peeled for any piece of rubbish to bite me on the bum at the least expected opportunity.But this time around I've had a sprained wrist...

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Surviving a Zero Waste Week: Rethinking Rubbish

Damn, blast, splidgery flip flops...I've got some blimmin' rubbish!Look at it. An annoying piece of desperate-to-pop bubblewrap, discovered last night in an empty strawberry carton, which my husband had bought at the weekend.And there I was, thinking I was all prepared for Zero Waste Week, but I'd forgotten about these pieces of cushioned plastic that are now pretty ubiquitous in the soft fruit packaging department. It just goes to show even old hands at this zero waste business can get caught out.Now as you are probably aware bubblewrap is pretty tricky to recycle and it'll be a top notch...

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Almost Mrs Average seeks Zero Heroes and Slim Jims

Help! Help!Arthur are you there? Hilda, can you hear me? Henry? What about you?Please come forward because in the words of Bonnie Tyler, I NEED A HERO, lots of heroes in fact but unlike my Welsh sister, for this mission I am happy to hold out longer than the end of the night.To celebrate National Zero Waste Week I am on the lookout for the unsung heroes of the UK and I am officially starting my search for our fellow countrymen and women who almost never need to use their bin because they create so little waste, people like Tony Sanders from Leicestershire who was featured in his local paper...

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Surviving a Zero Waste Week: Get a smaller bin

So it's the beginning of National Zero Waste Week, which has been officially launched over at myzerowaste.com.And what's my top tip for anyone taking part this week?Get a smaller rubbish bin of course!At least that's what I discovered when I did my first Zero Waste challenge eighteen months ago. Switching from my 50 litre Brabantia to a very small dustbin helped tremendously.So for National Zero Waste Week, there's a new bin on the scene. The one you see above.Of course, the challenge will be to keep it empty and the good news is that at the end of Day One it still is.Which is a blimmin' good...

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Never let a good friend go to waste!

"Yes, please" came the reply to my offer of a night in savouring the delights of gin and tonic.Aren't good friends fabulous!One minute I'd been feeling sorry for myself for having to cancel a few social events last week, due to feelings of pain and discomfort arising from my wrist.The next, there was a plan in place, something which I could look forward to; an opportunity to raise a glass and enjoy a good catch up with a great friend and some mother's ruin."And I'll empty your dodgy Bokashi bin too" she added.Blimmin' 'eck. That's an offer you don't get every day, especially when it involves...

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Back to earth with more than a bump

Well it's all very well going off on holiday and enjoying oneself, but as we know, it's all over in a flash and pretty soon you have to venture home to face up to normality.Yes normality.That's the one.The problem is, when we arrived over our very own threshold we soon discovered the normality that we had left behind had only gone and boogered off on its very own vacation, leaving behind a state of chaos in the Almost Average household.I tried to encourage it back, by doing the washing, a bit of gardening and watching some of my favourite programmes that had been recorded while we were away. ...

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