The Rubbish Diet goes on virtual tour

After packing my virtual bags to eat my way around the county last week, I've had only a moment to air my laundry before setting off again, this time to set up camp at The Green Living Forum, where I am inviting members to join in The Rubbish Diet Challenge to slim their bins in just 8 weeks!There will be opportunities for participants to discover what those recycling labels really mean and try out new ideas to reduce waste at home, work or in their communities, following an eight week slimming plan that culminates in a Zero Waste Week.Members will be able to share ideas each week at the regular...

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From the Rubbish Diet to the Suffolk Diet and other news!

Today marks the final weigh-in of the Waste Reduction Fortnight on my street and as I type, the recycling officers are busy monitoring the success of the project in this part of St Edmundsbury.  Our street is the first to reach the end of the project and over the next couple of weeks will be followed by the other participating streets throughout the rest of Suffolk.  So has it been a success in our Almost Average household?  Well I can confirm that it has.  Regular readers may remember that two weeks ago at the beginning of the project, our fortnightly rubbish weighed in at...

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From ring pulls to a stylish evening bag

I recently spent an evening out with a group of girlfriends, where we were discussing what I was going to wear to the Greenest County awards that are taking place next week.  Although I'd sorted my dress, I hadn't quite got around to thinking about my bag....Well I've got loads of bags to choose from but it was quickly obvious my Waitrose bag-for-life would be a far too big for the event and my Recycle for Suffolk bag just didn't match my shoes and I do have a Greggs bakery reduce, reuse, recycle one, but it's a bit long on account of accommodating baguettes.So it's a good job that Fi my...

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Baglady comes to Suffolk

Does anybody recognise this lady?  Perhaps not.  So let me introduce her as Shirley Lewis, veteran environmental campaigner from Northern Ireland.  If you are still drawing a blank, here's another photo that might help, especially for anyone who might have been in Bury St Edmunds today...when Shirley Lewis visited the town in her alter ego as Baglady. Baglady is a well-known campaigner in Northern Ireland and works with schools and campaigners to promote the idea of living ASAP (as sustainably as possible), encouraging children and adults to take up pledges to do something positive...

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Nothing much to report here...except....who stole my recycling?

I'm amazed that I'm still with you today, especially after this morning's surprise, when I went to put out our recycling bin and discovered it was hardly worth bothering about.  There was so little in there, I almost fell inside with shock.  You get the image: head first, legs dangling upwards, crying for my neighbours to come and rescue me.   "Almost fell"  I said, just almost, but hold onto that vision while it lasts.It was a very surreal moment. When I first opened the bin it was empty.  I then tipped the contents of my kitchen recycling bin into the wheelie bin...

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The Landfill Prize 2010

This has to be my favourite time of year, when John Naish, author of Enough, announces the winners of The Landfill Prize, to hghlight all sorts of novelty gadgets that form Britain's cleverest rubbish.    Having succeeded to get my nomination for SatNag in the 2009 Top Ten, I failed to get around to even nominating anything this year, but I am enjoying the results all the same.I've included the Top 3 here, of which there are already a couple that are really making my sides hurt with laughter, much due to the nominators' comments as well as the items themselves. I just wish that...

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The Rubbish Diet Challenge, Week 8: Your very own Zero Waste Week

I've shown you mine, so will you show me yours!At last it's the very week you have been waiting for, or well at least I hope you have.  It may be 36 hours late thanks to all the comings and goings this week, but finally I can present you with your very own guide to help you plan your Zero Waste Week.But before rushing on with the job in hand, you might want to grab yourself a cup of tea first or -  if you're still up late - a large brandy to settle your nerves.   Because this is no quick memo.  In fact it's packed with more than 13,000 words of advice, links and anecdotes,...

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Don't be a tosser and other Suffolk rubbish news!

I interrupt this broadcast with the news that there will be a slight delay in publishing the latest guide to The Rubbish Diet Challenge, on account that I've been tied up in Suffolk all day.When I say "tied up", I'd like to reassure you that I haven't actually been physically restrained or strapped to my wheelie bin and dragged around the county.  I've actually been busy floating between a whole range of exciting projects that have been launched today. The morning kicked off with a live interview with BBC Radio Suffolk's producer Philippa Taylor, at my local bus stop, for the station's...

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