Continuing the celebrations of the first anniversary of The Rubbish Diet, I couldn't resist the opportunity for one extra special challenge and give you a quick video tour of some of the zero waste choices that we have made in our home over the last 12 months.
I've tried to squeeze in 25 examples from all over the house, including our laundry choices and a variety of bathroom products. Our yoghurt maker even got a special airing. The great thing is, by reducing what we've bought, buying some things in bulk and swapping product choices, we've also seen a saving in our well-earned cash. It's just a shame I couldn't include everything. But if I had, I'm afraid you'd be here all day.
So, if you're up for some fast, unscripted, unedited and often out-of-breath babbling, come and have a laugh or indeed a cry at my quick stop tour around the Almost Average Household, then see if you can answer the questions below. Just one word of caution, please bear in mind that the products we've chosen have been selected to suit our own recycling facilities and our particular lifestyle. Other options are available that may be more suited to you.
1. So who spotted the huge sack of potatoes that we now use instead of the huge amounts of pasta that we used to buy? Saves us a fortune, £4 for a 12.5 kilo sack that lasts us for about 6 weeks.
2. And did you notice the tub of bicarb and container of white vinegar that I forget to mention? Great for cleaning sinks, but which sink were they next to? I'll give you a clue, there was also a yellow Ecloth in the vicinity which is perfect for cleaning windows and mirrors without the need for chemicals?
3. Why on earth would I suggest you keep your toilet roll tubes? LOL...answers on a postcard. Most inventive and useful answer wins a free copy of the book when it eventually appears on the shelves!
And finally
4. Did you count the number of examples I managed to squeeze in? I'm afraid I lost count. Oh well...any guesses :-D
I never thought that would happen you know. The blog was only meant to last for eight weeks, as a simple diary for my bizarre Zero Waste challenge. After that I was expecting to take a bow and booger off gracefully, back to what I do best...minding my own business and avoiding the housework.
But there was something about rubbish that got me hooked, and after eight weeks I realised that actually I was only halfway up the rubbish heap and there was so much more to experience. So being keen to see what life was like on the other side, I thought I'd blog on.
And as I carried on talking rubbish, I got even more inspired as I kept bumping into some real inspirational folk on the way. It seemed that we were all after the same thing, to see a world with less waste and one where people can enjoy more sustainable livelihoods.
So, I'm glad I did carry on...because I wouldn't have missed this for the world. You see, I might be celebrating a one year old blog - or indeed the blogaversary of my rubbish challenge - but in truth, I am celebrating the diversity and the wisdom of the folk who have inspired me, mentored me and put up with me along the way.
So many people talking rubbish, from all over the world.
So without further ado, I have the pleasure in giving up the floor to some amazing people who have taken the time to put together some inspirational messages to encourage all those who wonder whether it's worth the effort.
It's a long post and the messages are in no particular order. But please do take the time to read each and every one,....starting with my wonderful friend Ruby, who I must thank for inspiring me to blog in the first place!
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"One year of The Rubbish Diet! Congratulations Almost Mrs Average! It seems a long time since I was trying to foil your attempt at zero waste by secretly stashing plastic coke bottles in your handbag. Not only did my attempt fail, but soon afterwards you were looking through my bins too and had me joining in!
For me the penny really dropped when you visited the landfill site last summer, and the sheer horror of the impact waste is having on our environment hit home. You said that adding your own one bag of waste to the site felt like littering, and you're right - that's what landfill is! I was honoured to be the first to take up the Rubbish Diet Challenge, and the progress I made has been a lasting change. There are things I'll never feel the same about again. Plastic bags, for example - I never use them now in the supermarket, and shop locally as much as I can. Thank you for being an inspiration to me and sooo many others.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that some time sooner rather than later during 2009 there will be a copy of the book, The Rubbish Diet sitting on my bookshelf - it will be an invaluable guide to have for both reference and motivation. Keep up the good work Almost Mrs A, and well done on having such a fantastic blog too :-)"
"The fine words that have fallen out of the fingers of Karen Cannard and flowed from her Rubbish Diet website have lifted many a dark day. She says it 'like it is' and puts her non-purist perspective from a regular everyday gal, into many eloquent words, never overspent. I believe that's the most effective approach to take when encouraging others to live with more thought for the planet and the imprint we all leave and I look forward to what her pen will give up in the year ahead."
"We are what we waste - and the megatons of trash that our careless world leaves in its wake are a stark indictment on our whole society. If we don't change, future generations will curse us for our selfish habits - so thanks very much, Karen, for helping to pioneer a better way. Happy Year One."
"First, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mrs A on her one year blogaversary. It was this blog, alongside a couple of other things in our life that gave us the kick up the derrière we needed to begin our own zero waste journey.
Throughout our six months of zero wasting we have learned two important things. The first is that we can all do something. We like to get across a message of hope and positivity and share our belief that every one of us who does 'our little bit' has a great collective impact. Let's not focus on the things we can't do, or the things that are beyond our control; let's work together to do what we CAN do and celebrate our diversity. In this way we can take responsibilty for our own impact on the environment.
Secondly, the mantra that keeps us going through all of this is 'There is no such place as away'. When you throw something away; where does it go? It doesn't magically disappear; it goes into a hole in the ground, a ship to China, an incinerator or onto the ocean floor. When you keep that image in your mind, it helps you to make better choices at the supermarket!"
"Not everyone can reach zero waste as Karen has or give up plastic as I have, but we don't expect you to! Start where you are. Take the small steps first and see where they lead. Keep your mind and heart open to the possibilities for change that exist around us every day. And let yourself be an example to others. All of our changes together can make a huge difference!"
"Years ago, I hadn't imagined to know, although virtually, a person like you, far from my country, and I never imagined that you would have inspired me, in the small daily gestures. Suddenly I felt the world close to me with the same problems, same ideas, the same desire to do even better, the same love for people and environment around. I learned a lot from you and all those who comment on your posts every day. A blog is much more powerful than a book, a story that goes through the TV because it isn't filtered and is written from the heart. Blogpost is a more human and immediate writing, not passing through other people and undergoing revisions. But your blog is also fun and it communicates a way of feeling very positive, what we all need on a time when we are realizing the extreme superficiality that characterized our lives up now.
Thanks so much to you and all the bloggers who have made the world better until now. I hope to continue reading these wonderful stories changing my life day by day!"
"I used to be that person you'd see throwing the can of diet coke out of the car window....Yes! People can change, I'm the living proof! One step at the time, until the thing you changed becomes a habit, and then take on a new challenge...and it does become in some way, a hobby, to find new ways to not make waste or to save energy. I hope you'll get as much pleasure out of it as I did, and still do!"
"The old expression goes "where there's muck there's brass" but where there's waste minimisation there's gold! I met Karen a year ago now, preparing for St Edmundsbury's first Zero Waste Week and gold is what I found! When I was interviewed for my job I talked about how waste minimisation was my favourite aspect of waste management, so when my manager suggested we run a zero waste week I jumped at the chance.
It was my first project and I attacked it with gusto, organising waste free lunches at schools, signing up businesses to reduce packaging and plastic bag use and recruiting nearly 200 residents to commit to reducing their waste. The cherry on top was something I couldn't have done personally and that has far outlived the original promotion: The Rubbish Diet.
It has served as a source of inspiration for so many people (including me) , I feel proud to have been there from the start. Mrs Average's quirky stories and great advice have continued to keep people enthralled, while my newspaper cuttings are starting to yellow. Whilst the recycling markets tumble and everyone flounders in an uncertain economy, it's more important than ever to reduce waste right at the beginning and not spend our precious pennies on unnecessary packaging and landfilling.
So here's to The Rubbish Diet, still relevant, still interesting, still warm and funny- long may it continue!
I like to talk 'bout recyclin' It's a subject I find so excitin' No matter what company I'm in; I'll rifle in their bin And always find something worth havin'!"
Kate McFarland, Norfolk County Council, UK
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"Hullo dears. This is Baglady speaking from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, which once famous for sectarian rage, now leads the charge to the sustainable age. Here's here's a corny wee little poem on the occasion of the first anniversary of rubbish dieting.
what good luck to celebrate your big day with President Obama now leading the USA the world is now in an awful mess how long it'll last is anyone's guess
so everybody don't be dim let's not leave it all to him rubbish diets, Bagladies, Mrs As and Mrs Gs everyone is needed now let's save the planet - we know how
it may seem hard to give up cars , planes, or fashions, hours in bars but for our kids, it must be done so let's get going - and make it FUN!"
"My grandchildren are sitting looking at me as I type this... but only in my mind because they have yet to be conceived, yet alone born. Cutting down and recycling my 'waste' will ensure that the earth will not be full of toxic waste mountains and that the groundwater will stay clean for them. Those CFL's I have fitted will keep the air clean for them. The local produce I purchase will ensure that our nearby farms will stay viable so they can enjoy fresh food and the scenery that I do. Care in what I buy, Fairtrade, organic and free range will work towards a future free of harmful chemicals for them. Using a renewable energy supplier will ensure that Nuclear Waste does not pollute their world. These actions and many, many more will work towards a future that for them, and for many others around the world, will be one of hope. "
"Tips: - Keep checking with your local council as to what type of plastics etc they will recycle not only in the doorstep collection but also at the Household Recycling Facility. Mine collects all types 1 & 2. But at the HRF I can take types 4, 5, and 6. As well as tetrapaks, batteries."
"In order to make things change, it’s really vital that everyone feels there is something they personally can do to make a difference. Otherwise it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by all that needs to happen and by the complexity of some of the issues. This is the real strength - and beauty - of Almost Mrs Average and the Rubbish Diet. It’s full of accessible advice, fun and overflowing with enthusiasm and energy - just like Karen herself, in fact! And it’s not just about rubbish - it’s also to do with thinking about what we consume and how much. Imagine how much less we would spend and have to lug home if only we didn’t have to buy all that packaging and products that have to be replaced every 5 minutes. We all really can make a difference and this is an easy, inspiring and brilliant place to start.
PS. My tip of the week: cut back on all those boring household cleaning products – two or three basic ones is mostly all that’s needed. And always use a lot less than they say on the box – especially with washing powders. It works just as well!"
"You know, it's barely registered with me that you've only been going for a year with The Rubbish Diet. You sound so settled! Yours was the first zero-waste blog I came across and you're a tough act to follow :) Here's to more years and less waste - cheers! So, what do I want to add to your mass blogaversary post? Can I recycle my thought from a comment a few days ago? (Ha ha...)
One of the most important things you can do as you learn about reducing your waste is spread the word, even if it's only to a few people, or those you think might be receptive. Don't worry about the hardened "bin everything" types (although by all means have a go!), just do what you can. Not being able to reach everyone is no reason not to try to reach anyone at all."
"I think I can sum Grant’s past up by saying that he was a teenager who regularly threw his McDonalds cup and burger wrapper out the car window. If that isn’t the picture of blatant disregard for the environment, I don’t know what is. Fast forward a decade, and the photo of us holding our respective garbage bins (we’re very competitive that way) illustrates almost 7 months of garbage produced so far in the Clean Bin Project. For us, the thing that helped us truly stop buying “crap” and cut down on our waste was publicly telling people about what we were doing. Don’t be ashamed. Make a pact with a friend that you will do one thing to reduce waste – not using plastic veggie bags for example – then rely on each other to make sure you are staying true to your word. We are all responsible for our own actions, but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone."
"Well done for reaching a full year at the Zero Waste Challenge. The agenda has moved on for you with your Zero Waste Gardening trend, including the chickens. It has certainly been a fascinating time with progress in many areas. Who would have believed that we could interact with businesses to good effect; Boots being your latest contact. We have achieved some kind of notoriety by being described as "misguided" by plastic packaging industry websites. Misguided maybe, but the trend just seems to be getting bigger and broader here and worldwide.
The future looks promising with links to other environmentally-conscious trends improving. Zero Waste is the future and everyone who joins in will be part of the change to a better, sustainable, lifestyle. I wish you all the best for the next 12 months and hope we all can combine our efforts to maximum effect."
"Inspiration is all it takes – sometimes it comes quickly and sometimes it has to develop. I’ve learnt to be patient, open minded and positive. Ask questions, talk to people and mention the issues carefully – its amazing how many others are interested and will make small changes with hardly any effort. As Karen taught me – you don’t have to be a fanatic but if we all make a little effort, its better than us all making no effort – and trust me, she’s a good teacher! Watch Wall-E if you want to see what the earth will look like if we don’t try……."
Alison Williams aka Baba, The Wirral, UK
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The Beaufoix family have not looked back from our bin slimming venture. Miss E (8) and Miss M (3) have taken the whole thing on board and know exactly where to put apple cores, paper etc and if they're unsure they ask. Our compost is coming on nicely and has been a major part of our bin slim, and I am planning on planting some potatoes and onions soon in an attempt to begin supplying our own veg and therefore slimming our bin and our purse even more.
Our bin "Stinky Simon" is not quite Saintly Simon yet but is definitely sweeter and tends to be about half to three quarters full every 2 weeks which is amazing. We never have to make extra trips to the tip now and are much more careful about picking goods with more friendly packaging or none at all.
Another result of our bin slim is that my parents too are much more environmentally aware and have also acquired a compost bin.
Thank you so much Almost Mrs Average, you're an inspiration and a star. Looking forward to the next year of bin slimming and shrinking our carbon footprint.
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Recycling behaviour is continuing to evolve across the UK and statistics shows that for the first time the overall amount of waste created is decreasing in many areas. There is no stronger evidence to prove that those little individual decisions to reuse plastic bags, buy loose vegetables and home compost your tea bags really do contribute to significant environmental benefits.
Thanks for all your work over the past year and lets hope that 2009 will take the Rubbish Diet to the next level. Well done Mrs Average.
Daniel Sage, Strategy and Policy Manager for St Edmundsbury Borough Council
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And last...but most definitely not least...a message from a 7 year old boy, who I love, adore and cherish and who's got something to tell the whole wide world on behalf of himself and his 4 year old brother. "Recycle what you can, eat all the food you buy and put more things in your compost bins."
Joseph Cannard, the bin defender, Suffolk, UK
Well, I don't think I can say fairer than that!
The only thing that's left to add, is to thank you all for inspiring me on this journey and playing your own part in what's been a life-changing experience for us all.
Goodness knows what will happen in the next twelve months...but I'm sure it will be exciting.
Here's to a fantastic year in reducing waste, from whatever angle you look at it. And I'm going to leave you with one of my favourite memories of the year, of which Ruby reminded me last night.
She sent me this, a photo of the occasion I refused a carrier bag while shopping in Harrods Food Hall. Instead I pulled out a reusable bag from my handbag. The only thing I can't believe is that I happily paid £8 for four pieces of fruit....just FOUR pieces of fruit. How things have changed!
So while you enjoy the photo, I'm off to celebrate by listening in to Tracey Smith's Internet radio show on Apple AM, Slow Down and Green up (every Wednesday at 10.00am) ...and then I'll head off to the market for some local fruit with some down-to-earth prices!
Thanks so much for joining in and huge thanks too to all you lovely people who follow the blog, whether you lurk silently or dare to leave comments, as well as all those bloggers in my sidebar - I'll be back with some more fun and games tomorrow!
Lots of love
Mrs A xxx
oooohhh......I nearly forgot one of my favourite You Tube videos below: _____________________________________________________
Almost Mrs Average and her Rubbish Diet - The Inside Story
In January 2008, my local council set up a bizarre challenge: for one week in March, in order to reduce the rubbish that went to landfill, participating households should not buy or use anything that produced waste that couldn’t be recycled or composted.
A Zero Waste Week!
Strangely, reducing waste had been one of my new year’s resolutions. I wanted to do something about my bins. So I was keen.
The council were keen. They wanted to know why I was interested so sent me some questions, and they wanted a photo to feature in their local magazine.
I considered this: images of my smiling face, accompanied by bin bags, would greet residents as they breakfasted, lunched or dined. Everyone would know my business.
I didn’t like people knowing my business.
I was less keen.
“But it’s good because you’re average.” They asserted
“Hmmm. I suppose I am almost average.” I hesitated.
I could see their point. This kind of stuff was normally the domain of the Greens, or even the Thrifties. I was neither. I was just an almost average woman, with my almost average family, living in an almost average house in Bury St Edmunds.
But this was not your average challenge. This was something that would take me out of my comfort zone. I would need to challenge and change habits of a lifetime – and those of the rest of my family – and if I was to slim my bin in time for Zero Waste Week, which was only two months away, I would need to take it very seriously. And, as I agreed, I realised I would need the help of others, particularly the Greens, the Thrifties and a whole host of everyday folk who knew more about this kind of stuff than me.
“I know I’ll never do it” I said to Daniel Sage, the head honcho of our council’s Zero Waste campaign, as he was sat on my sofa eight weeks before our target date – 17th March – the end of Zero Waste Week.
“I suppose you could always stop using Clingfilm”, quipped the photographer who accompanied Daniel for the photo-shoot of me and my bin for the council’s newsletter.
"But could I really tear myself away from my much loved Clingfilm?" I wondered. Surely it couldn’t make that much difference, even if I did. Or could it?
So a year ago, my Zero Waste challenge began.
I wasn’t quite convinced that ditching the Clingfilm or indeed anything else would really get me that far. Yet, I was raring to give it a go.
After all, I thought I was pretty good at recycling, not because it was a keen interest of mine, but because I felt I could recycle, so I should recycle and I ought to do my best with the facilities on my doorstep. And we’re always told we should recycle. It’s part of society’s rules.
And having grown up with the mantra “waste not want not” as a child, I’d never really liked the idea of throwing things away. So I’d always followed the rules, but not giving much consideration to why.
(Our WEEKLY landfill waste 12 months ago)
We had two bins – one for general waste and one for recycling. I was always careful about what I did with my cardboard, my paper, and the plastic bottles that came my way, putting it all into my recycling bin.
Then there was my compost bin, which had been swallowing my vegetable peelings for years, not because I put it to good use on some vegetable plot, but because it just simply felt the right thing to do.
I’d also have my lazy days, the victims of which were yoghurt pots with pictures of Noddy and Big Ears, which were too fiddly to wash out so would be bunged in the bin. But I was still frustrated by the amount of stuff my family threw out, including the masses of drinks cartons that weren’t recycled locally, my husband’s holey socks and the kids’ wasted food
It wasn’t entirely out of environmental concern, though that was a factor. It seemed sensible and appealed to the side of my nature that loves a challenge.
But ZERO Waste! Now that definitely seemed an impossible challenge that was right up my street.
MY ZERO WASTE CHALLENGE
Before I could get cracking on my three huge bin bags I threw out each fortnight, I realised I needed a foolproof plan for the next seven weeks. I particularly needed a change in attitude.
So I imagined that I would have to bury my family’s household waste in our very own back garden.
Picture that. Odd bits of plastic, chicken carcasses, crisp packets and kids’ toys buried in your beautiful garden. That was enough to get me motivated.
But I had to keep motivated, so I set up this blog, The Rubbish Diet, the perfect name I thought, because slimming my bin was like a diet, but unlike many other diets this was the only one where aiming for a Size Zero was accepted.
And while I waited I wondered who would possibly have the faintest interest in my rubbish? But I didn’t have to wait long to find out because people were interested and began to leave comments.
Even more strangely, I became interested in their rubbish. Before I knew it, I was talking rubbish with hundreds of other people. Advice began to roll in from people all over the world, encouraging me along with top tips about freezing this, recycling that and keeping an eye out for the other.
And that is how The Rubbish Diet concept was born, with a challenge, a blog and some much needed faith.
As with any other diet, however, I soon realised that slimming my bin was not an unconnected activity. It was linked to my whole lifestyle. It was not just about recycling; it affected how I shopped and the things I bought, right through to how I cooked when I brought the ingredients home. I started to look at every aspect of my life with a fresh pair of eyes, whether I was cleaning the house or enjoying family celebrations. Even school holidays were met with the rigorous tests to see if they conformed to The Rubbish Diet rules.
It may have felt like a mid-life crisis, but what I was really going through was a complete, old-fashioned lifestyle makeover. I revisited everyday habits from decades gone by and updated them for 21st century living.
As the weeks progressed, I became aware that it was not just about me and my family following the rules in our home environment. I gradually woke up to the impact of rubbish on landfill and the environment at large and I began to realise the importance and the urgency of what I was doing.
Finally the big day came and on 10th March 2008 Zero Waste Week began.
It started off badly, when on Day One I cut my finger and was offered a plaster, but we recycled, we composted, were very careful with our shopping and, at the end of the week, that plaster was all my family threw out to landfill.
One single plaster, thanks to some imaginative attempts to eliminate some sellotape and a few sweetie wrappers.
The story was also broadcast on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, which felt as bizarre as the challenge itself.
People now often stop in their tracks when they hear that all I threw out in one week was one single plaster from an unexpected cut. However, the plaster isn’t the important player here.
What’s more significant is since attempting the challenge, the amount of rubbish now sent to landfill by my almost average family can now fit into one single carrier bag.
That’s one single carrier bag per month.
If it wasn’t for the odd clumps of cat litter, we wouldn’t have to put the wheelie bin out for months, or even a whole year.
(Our monthly rubbish: December-January 2009. Just one carrier bag)
However, The best thing about the whole experience is having inspired others to follow suit, a whole host of average people, including ready-made Greens and some Thrifties too. And the funny thing is, a year on from taking up the Zero Waste challenge, I too seem to be turning a funny shade of green and I've become more wise with my pennies too, saving a whole stash of money along the way. Perfectly timed for the Credit Crunch.
I was never the first to slim my bin and I won’t be the last. And there are many others all across the world who live a minimum waste life but don’t shout about it, because it is just part of their lifestyle. It is such a deep part of their nature, they would probably wonder what all the fuss is about.
But for those new to a Zero Waste challenge, who may feel daunted about taking so much on I say take it easy. Go slowly and tackle your habits step-by-step. And if you're concerned about the effects on your recycling bin particularly at a time such as now, you'll probably find that it will slim down along with your landfill bin. You see it's not just about recycling more. It’s also about reducing your ‘baggage’ in the first place and re-using what you do have.
My Rubbish Diet experience has indeed been serious in nature, but I’ve also tried to show that it’s about fun and that you can still let your hair down. It’s all about enjoying life and allowing your inner cheeky monster to help you deal with challenges that arise. You’ll sometimes need to say no to people and look at your habits with a fresh pair of eyes. And when you start living life with waste in mind, you will find ways to comfortably break free from expectations of 21st century living but without sticking out like a sore thumb.
There will be challenges and unexpected ones at that. But the one thing I have learned is that reducing my waste was a lot easier than I thought and if I can do it, anyone can. You don’t have to be green and you don’t have to be thrifty. You don’t even have to be average. You just simply need the gumption to rise to a challenge that could just change your life for ever.
So that was how it all began, a story which includes some extracts taken from the book, The Rubbish Diet: Achieve Zero Waste in 8 Weeks. However, I also want to tell you how the first year has ended, with the news that my publisher experienced a shake-up just before Christmas, and therefore will no longer be in a position to publish the book. But with the advance winging its way over, and my agent busy looking for a new home for the book, I am still feeling upbeat because this is not the end of the story or indeed my journey. There's no doubt for me The Rubbish Diet is only the beginning of the most wonderful lifestyle makeover that my family could hope to experience. But, there'll be more on that later this week. Come back tomorrow and enjoy some words of wisdom from a whole host of people I've met on the way, including folk who I regard as new friends, and read their inspirational messages.
If you were waiting in anticipation of today's news, I am so sorry to have kept you hanging around. It's just that after I cleaned the floors, made some cookies and popped the teapot on the table, my guest of honour arrived and for the rest of the day we both talked rubbish.
T'was a good job Cockney songsters Chas 'n' Dave weren't listening in, otherwise they may have been tempted to change their lyrics.
Yup-yup-rubbish rubbish. Yup-yup-rubbish rubbish
You see, my guest wasn't just anybody. It was my new friend Fran who'd popped over to pick up my booty of unrecyclable odds and single sods as well as a whole stash of broken clutter, that unless rescued by Fran could have easily ended in landfill, including the remnants of my smashed teapot featured at the top of this post.
Here she is pulling out stuff from my special bin-bag...
And here are the contents arranged beautifully on my coffee table...
Look at that gorgeous range of almost useless clutter, a fascinating collection of broken hair clips, netbags, solidified paint, broken scissors, vitamin blister packs, odd slippers, expired marker pens, a bashed phone and all sorts of broken bits of toys. There's even Mrs G's plastic inner from her roll of sellotape in there somewhere.
Now it might seem bizarre to hand over a bag of rubbish to an innocent looking friend and even more peculiar to be handing over Mrs G's rubbish too.
But then Fran is no ordinary friend. She's in fact an artist and no ordinary artist at that. In truth she's a real rubbish artist...hmm - perhaps that would sound better if I said she's an artist who is interested in rubbish. And if you've been following the blog for some time, you might even remember that I interviewed her about her fascinating work, back in July
Anyway, before I get lost in my Ronnie Corbetts or indeed my Harry Hills, meandering on a mile long thread and losing you at the next turning in the road, it's suffice to say that being an artist who is interested in rubbish, my special mission over the last few months has been to collect lots of landfill-destined trash for Fran to put to great use in her next exhibition, which is coming up soon.
Cleverly titledLife Savings: The Art of Recyling, the installation will be on show at New Cut Arts, in Halesworth, Suffolk, running from 10th February to 14th March. If you are in the area do pop along. You can find out more about Fran's fabulous work, which profiles a whole range of major environmental issues at her website www.flyintheface.com.
Fran's visit today really couldn't have come at a better time. By sheer coincidence and great timing, meeting up with her today marks the start of a week-long celebration in my zero waste journey.
It was indeed a year ago today I was pondering the daunting nature of taking part in a Zero Waste Week.
Feeling out of my depth at the task in hand was bad enough not to mention the reality of becoming a community champion in the local council's publications.
So I set up a blog. And after many umms and ahhs over the name, The Rubbish Diet was born along with a whole network of friends to go with it, who came to the rescue to help me keep on track as I stepped up to the challenge of slimming my family's bin.
And blinkey blimey it worked!
I never believed it would.
But it did.
And you know the rest.
And as you know, I feel a whole new person because of it, on a path to living lighter and with more consideration for our planet, its people and our resources. I'd never have guessed so much would have arisen from slimming my bin.
So in celebration, my writing this week will be dedicated to looking at the past, the present and the future, with a few little surprises thrown in.
And I would dearly love you to be part of it, whether you're new to the blog or have accompanied me all along the way.
You see, the journey to zero waste is not just about me. It's about you too, no matter who you are, where you come from or why you find yourself here. It's about us all pulling together to make the small changes that will create the big difference in the long run.
Readers of this blog have inspired me to keep going over the last twelve months, as have my own visits to other blogs or websites where I find like-minded people tackling the same issues in their own way.
So with the actual anniversary of this blog being this Wednesday, 21st January, I would like to celebrate in a very special way, with your participation.
Whether you're a regular commentator or a lurker, I would love you to email your words of wisdom, to inspire others who are just finding their feet in their journey to reduce waste. It would be great if you could send a photo to accompany your message too. But if you're shy, just a name will do.
The messages will be compiled into one huge blogpost on Wednesday to celebrate what has been achieved over the last twelve months.
Go on, I'd love you to participate. Almost everyone's got something to say about rubbish and waste. If you can join in, just email your words of encouragement to karen@therubbishdiet.co.uk. Please note: all material will need to be with me by tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon (6pm GMT).
Well it's been real fun but long day. I really have got no idea what I will write about in the morning. I've just been too busy to think.
I think what I need now is to sit down with a nice glass of wine and have a real good ponder.
Yes that's it. That's a real good plan, especially as you know I'll recycle the bottle.
So night-night all. Sleep tight. And don't let the nightmares about the world's recycling bite.
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.
I am also co-hosting a seminar this afternoon at the Norfolk Waste Partnership Annual Conference.
They are both major milestones in my life.
It is the first time I've ever made jam and it's also the first time I've been a speaker at a waste conference.
But I'm not sure what's more nerve-wracking. Making jam has always seemed too scary to contemplate, but as I ponder addressing an audience of at least 50 professionals....well...jam seems so easy.
It really is bizarre how things happen. About a year ago, I was wondering how I could waste less and how I should cook more. Then came the St Edmundsbury Zero Waste challenge.
So I created The Rubbish Diet and blogged. I blogged about rubbish and landfill, packaging and recycling, food waste and cooking, composting and bokashi bins and have somehow emerged from an average disinterested recycler into what WRAP refers to as a "super committed recycler".
The blog has been significant in this process, attracting a virtual community of people who have come together to share ideas. The Zero Waste Week may have provided the purpose and the goal, but it's this virtual village that has encouraged momentum, enabling new ideas, new skills and new thoughts to be discussed as each week goes by.
It has also been amazing to witness the growth in the number of blogs that discuss waste. Even waste professionals are now poised to blog about their own personal challenges. And whether they act as temporary diaries or become something more permanent, I believe blogs have a key role as a catalyst for social change.
But why is blogging about waste so important?
For the blogger it is an opportunity to raise issues, confront challenges and appeal for advice. It creates a forum to pull together useful information and feature recommendations that can help a community of interested people, whether it is local, national or international. It also acts as a cheap form of therapy when the going gets tough and you wonder whether you're alone in the world with your mad ideas.
For the reader it offers an insight into someone else's thought-patterns, disovering ways of doing things that you've never considered before. With this comes a reassurance that ideas are safe to try. For some there is a also sense of voyeurism, an opportunity to delve into other people's lives and become a nosey neighbour from the comfort of your own home. Some blogs are so compelling, it is hard to leave them alone.
Blogging about waste is the equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing and as rubbish is something that affects us all, there will be something to interest most readers. Yet every blogger who discusses the subject will offer their own unique perspective and attract a group of readers that differs from the next. And this is the key, an opportunity to share ideas with many different communities across the world.
So back to today and Norfolk's Waste Conference. The subject of this afternoon's seminar is Setting up a zero waste village, which is being led by David Roman of Monmouthshire Community Recycling and my role is to offer support on promoting the importance of community champions.
I believe that local community champions are highly significant to zero waste projects, providing a human face to demonstrate and promote best practice. From a marketing perspective, an average family is a profile to which most other "average" households can relate.
But wouldn't it be great if community champions blogged about their experiences too. Just imagine if every county across the country had its own zero waste bloggers, focusing on personal challenges at a local level but engaging with an audience in a national or indeed international context?
And who knows where blogging can lead.
I know there's the book deal but on a more levelling note, let's face it, if it wasn't for blogging, there'd be no way I'd be making jam. And for inspiration in this area, I can only thank none other than Strawberry Jam Anne, a fabulous blogger who writes about anything but rubbish.
Seminars and Jam eh? Who would have guessed how life can change on the road to zero waste?
So it's huge thanks to everyone out there for making it so enjoyable. I didn't know you 10 months ago, but I'm glad I do now. And that is the significance of blogging about waste.
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