This week's chosen items of waste are a number of empty chocolate packages. The cardboard boxes and foil wrappers have been recycled but the plastic trays that held the choccies remain.
I didn't buy any of these boxes of chocolates. They were all Christmas presents. Which brings me to the problem - how do I let my friends (and family) know that I do not want any waste without causing offence?
I was grateful for the effort to which some of my friends went to offer me environmentally friendly presents - fairly traded and sustainably wrapped. However other presents contained varying amounts of plastic (admittedly some of it hidden). Not that I can claim the moral high ground, as many of the presents I gave my family and friends were wasteful.
Judging by her list of Christmas presents Jen at The Clean Bin Project seems to have got the message across.
Perhaps the trick is to lead by example.
Weekly Weigh-In = 290 g
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Week 1 - Plastic Straws
I thought I'd start with an easy item? My younger daughter loves plastic straws. This week's rubbish contained two of them, one red and one yellow. I bought two packs (the others are blue and green) from Ikea some time ago now and she's been steadily working her way through them ever since. There can't be many left now.
They're easy because they're quite unnecessary - or at least they are to me. But she likes them. And suddenly it's not so easy.
If I lived on my own it would be so much easier to avoid waste. But I have a husband and two teenage daughters and although, as chief shopper and cook, I control most of what we buy and eat, it's only right that I take my family's wishes into consideration, even those involving plastic! There are some things I just won't buy, some that are open to negotiation and others to which I reluctantly give in.
But to return to the straws, there are 3 options:
They're easy because they're quite unnecessary - or at least they are to me. But she likes them. And suddenly it's not so easy.
If I lived on my own it would be so much easier to avoid waste. But I have a husband and two teenage daughters and although, as chief shopper and cook, I control most of what we buy and eat, it's only right that I take my family's wishes into consideration, even those involving plastic! There are some things I just won't buy, some that are open to negotiation and others to which I reluctantly give in.
But to return to the straws, there are 3 options:
- refuse to buy any more and let her learn to live without them
- buy a reuseable plastic straw
- get her to buy her own
I think I'll go for no 2.
Weekly Weigh-In = 385 g
PS Mrs A is hosting the Carnival of Trash at The The Rubbish Diet today. Well worth a visit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)