On Saturday Lisa from The Source presented a workshop for our Simple Living Toowoomba group and gave us lots of tips on replacing plastic in our daily lives.
I am sure many of those attending are already cutting down on plastic by using produce bags when buying fruit and vegetables....
...and have stopped using plastic straws. However if they haven't then reusable ones are available from Lisa's store.
It is always interesting to see what products are available from different outlets. There are a number of 'The Source Bulk Foods' stores in Australia and there might be one near you. We are fortunate as we are also able to buy similar products from Green Dandelion who are usually at the Farmers' Market at Cobb and Co each week. On their Facebook page there is a link to an interesting article from the National Geographic called '10 Shocking Facts about Plastic'. That is very sobering.
Some households are doing really well with reducing plastic and it helps if everyone is on the same page. I keep telling the menfolk to take the Coles and Woolies jute bags from the car into the supermarket but they always forget and come home with yet another 15cent bag from the supermarket. Hopefully they will eventually get used to changing habits and take the bag with them.
After starting this post last night the NBN cut out again but the technician arrived this morning and after a couple of hours found a little wire under the house that was very old and needed to be replaced and that solved the problem. He said that moisture can affect 'the node' and people often tell me that when it is windy their NBN is dodgy so it was possible that the recent damp weather had also contributed to the problem.
Have a great day everyone!
I don't have reusable straws. The only time I use a straw is when I go to a restaurant, which doesn't happen often. But I always use my cloth grocery bags. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd glass jars and containers to store food.
I'm glad that your internet is back, Chel. I remember how once I was on the phone for hours when I had internet problems.
Your roses are beautiful.
I hope renovations are going smoothly.
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Nil, we now have a new back door and stairs so things are progressing.
DeleteOh I hear you about the slow changing of habits. But now G actually takes the mesh produce bags too, after lots of talking and watching things togeather and me discussing how upsetting I found the whole environmental issues. Success! He still buys the cucumber wrapped in plastic f it is better value for money- we need to get the supermarkets to stop providing those options!
ReplyDeleteYour workshop looks fab. Such an important topic.
Xx
Emma, hopefully the menfolk will soon get the message about using reusable bags. It is just a case of changing habits.
DeleteChel we are lucky as the NT went plastic bag free years ago. We have been through all of the settling into new routines when we lived there. Aldi have always required you to have your own bags or purchase on of theirs. If we forget to take a back in we just stack everything back into the trolley and take this to the car and then transfer items to the bags.
ReplyDeleteI have never liked drinking from straws. I do wonder why we dont have the waxed paper ones still available. I worry about the steel ones not getting clean enough or little people wandering around and falling over with one of these in their mouths. I'll just stick to not using one.
We still have plastic storage containers that we use for food saving in the fridge. These will be with us for some time to come. We all prefer the aluminium or the glass water bottles that we take with us all the time.
Removing plastic is going to be a slow and gradual change. It's the over packaging of product in the supermarket that drives me nuts. Why do sweet potato have to be on a plastic tray and wrapped in plastic? That really is just stupid!
I will now get off my soap box. Hope the wet weather eazes off and you can get those renos happening.
Jane, Lisa from The Source has a little bottle brush type of thing to clean the straws. I never use them so it is not an issue but a lot of people do I guess. I agree with you about the supermarkets...so ridiculous! It is going to be hot at least until midweek next week..the same as you probably.
DeleteWe've had the NBN now for a little while,Chel, and so far so good. It can be a bit slower at busier times though. I did the fruit/veg shop today and came home without any extra plastic which is a good thing. I had a reusable bag, some fruit/veg drawstring bags and a couple of brown paper bags I've been reusing over and over again. Hope your reno is coming along well. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteMeg, We got the NBN last year and it has been fairly good and I have learned how to reboot the modem and register the WiFi Telstra phone that came with the modem. It has been okay since the technician fixed the loose wire. I don't like the fact that you can't use the phones when the NBN is down though.
ReplyDeleteDon't start me on NBN stories lol! I think it is going to turn out that plastic was a mistake as far as food and water bottles etc.... our food and water have all contained plastic particles and I dont think this is good! This is not to mention the pollution aspect. I have always found stuff stored in plastic tastes like plastic! So my old glass jars are still my first choice. I always loved Pyrex and Corningware too... so gradually I am using those and freezing in pyrex etc as well. In SA we have had bring your won bag for years and I use baskets. I love baskets!
ReplyDeleteDave and I keep a couple of fabric shopping bags in our car, because even us devout users can sometimes forget, lol. That little strategy has saved us from buying plastic, so many times. We also love our stainless steel, drinking straws. The cleaning brush for them is so handy for cleaning other things in the kitchen too - like the funnel. As well as the plastic straws that come in our kids steel drinking bottles, for school.
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