A challenge - A fortnight without plastic

[PurpleDragon]

I'm sure our local tip has a sign about the lids, but it doesnt say anything about squashing them. Hmm. I'm gonna ask the bloke at the tip.

[Andy Hamilton]

ok I am on Day one and it has not been easy so far as I forgot my lunch and was really hungry.

I popped out to get something to eat at the top of town. First stop an organic supermarker, unless I wanted bread on its own everything was in plastic. - ended up with 2 bannanas then nipped across to the co-op to get some more food and had to have a cake as there was not much snack food not in plastic there either.

For breakfast I had cerial with some home made soya milk so no plastic used there.

Should be ok tonight as I will have allotment fodder for my main meal and then off to the pub with real pint glasses not plastic ones!

[Shirley]

Good for you Andy!

I am still looking for organic bananas that are not wrapped in plastic... used to be able to get them in herefordshire at the organic greengrocer there.

It's about time the supermarkets DIDN'T have to wrap all their organic produce in plastic.

Enjoy the pub

[Muddypause]

No one can say you're not up for a challenge, Andy. It'll be really interesting to hear how you cope.

Where do you draw the line - I mean supposing the carpet in the pub is 50% polyester? Does that mean you have to drink in the car park and get served through the window?

[Andy Hamilton]

No one can say you're not up for a challenge, Andy. It'll be really interesting to hear how you cope.

Where do you draw the line - I mean supposing the carpet in the pub is 50% polyester? Does that mean you have to drink in the car park and get served through the window?

I will answer this a bit more seariously than need be -

The line does have to be drawn somewhere the pitfall with the pub I thought was more along the lines that the pipes that are used to bring the beer up from the cellar and parts of the barrell itself are plastic. So have had to ignore plastic being used in production of what I consume else it would be get really silly. I am sticking to just not phsyically buying plastic.

[red]

hmm been thinking about this -


contraceptives.

they all seem to be wrapped in plastic.

hmmm

actually, I have decided to stop thinking about this now....


red

[Wombat]

Good idea Red!

Andy! great to hear you're up to the challenge and good lck with it. Will certainly be looking forward to hear how you get on. Also great to hear about the homemade soy milk, how did you find the process? easy or hard?

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

I was shocked to how esy it was really. And I think that my hands can withstand more heat than yours I was going to make tofu but the process seems a bit more of an effort and besides I needed milk anyway.

One thing that was trange was feeling like a leaper when I was in town earlier today. I had just been paid and as I have been skint for months I thought about treating myself. Trying to think of what I could buy that would not be wrapped in plastic was a nightmare so I ended up back on the bus home without setting foot in a shop.

Day 2 - Breakfast round daves and so no plastic bought. Lunch of a plate of chips made from allotment spuds. Not had my evening meal as yet but that is likely to be more potatoes, a bit of aubergine that is left and some green beans.

I have a dilemma on my hands though, I am addicted to cheese and I have just ran out. -PLASTIC ALERT - Either I have go into town tommorow and look for cheese that is not wrapped in plastic and does not come from a larger block that is plastic or just do without. Looks like I might have to take the jump and start making my own, how long does the process take?

I will also have to look around for milk in glass bottle as the soya milk is starting to run out.

One thing that I had not thought about was getting the local train. Now train tickets what are they made from here in the uk. more specifically what is the metalic strip at the back made from?

Other things that I have had to give up is shop bought bread from a supermarket - actually I will admit a bit of cheat here I ordered a breadmaker before the start of this challenge and through complications with amazon if only paid for it yesterday. IT is made from plastic. Have I failed due to amazon? WIll you let me off as I technically bought it before the challange?

I rarely buy chocolate but since the challenge I have started to want a bar of dairy milk. - Plastic wrapped of course so will have to just quosh those cravings.

Larger in cans has also been a bit of a no no as I generaly will buy at least a four pack and of course that comes with a plastic thing around them. Bottled beer is too expensive really but it looks like I will have to start buying that once my homebrew supply runs out!

[Muddypause]

Stuff like Brie cheese is sold in Waitrose wrapped in what looks to be waxed paper. Fairly expensive as cheese goes, but soooo good toasted.

Fairtrade chocolate and stuff can be had in paper and foil wrapping.

Is milk in a carton an option? Many of them have a plastic pourer on them now. I think this may be a hard one to crack; haven't seen shop-bought milk in a glass bottle for a long time. Perhaps you can flag down a milkfloat and buy a bottle. Bet you get charged a delivery rate, though.

How about just spending the fortnight living on fish and chips and take away pizzas?

[Wombat]

Sorry, Stew....even the cartons have a plastic coating to keep 'em watertight...

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

Sorry, Stew....even the cartons have a plastic coating to keep 'em watertight...

Nev

Yep, what he said. I have seen uht milk in a glas bottle in corner shops before now. The stuff with a beer bottle cap on it. Will have to have a hunt and see if I can find some of that. I could just buy some more soya beans, but can't think where I can buy them without plastic packaging.

[Wombat]

I'm sure we saw "coffe milk" in glass bottles when we were in Belgium, Andy!

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

actually you have just jogged my memory we have some powdered milk in the back of the cupboard! - hoorah I am of for a cup of tea.

[PurpleDragon]

But what about buying things with your switch card? That is made of plastic.

I spose that is just getting silly.

[Andy Hamilton]

But what about buying things with your switch card? That is made of plastic.

I spose that is just getting silly.

Still a consideration if my card does get lost or stolen within the challenge then do I replace it? I am trying not to actually buy any plastic rather than not use it. I think this has to be one of rules, otherwise I could not use my computer, wear my glasses, use my spade and fork etc...

I guess a real challenge would be to spend a fortnight without even using plastic, but as a glasses wearer and as this challenge is proving to be just that for now I am keeping to not generating more plastic. In short if my card gets lost or stolen then I will have to go into the bank and explain why I want to get money out without my card and don't want it replaced straight away.

Ok so for an update on todays activities. - Toast for breakfast using the last of shop bought bread and the breadmaker has not arrived as yet so looks like I will have to make some by hand tonight if I want bread.

Waffles from a cardboard box for Lunch with some home grown tomatoes. Realised that I had run out of eggs but they are safe as no plastic there. Sorrel and spinach soup (home made) for a snack and beans, courgette, fried green tomatoes with roast potatoes for dinner. No sunflower oil left so will have to use olive oil as it comes in a glass bottle. - will have to have a look tomorrow for more oil that comes in glass bottles.

Drinks have been water and rocks organic blackcurrant with tea made with powdered milk. - If I run out of tea bags then I will have to look for either some more without plastic around the box or tea leaves from somewhere that only packages it in a tin.

I found out that the reason my pasta maker was not being delivered was because I could not use my gift voucher on a product from Amazon that was not distributed by them. So no pasta for the next 11 days unless I can find some that is not wrapped in plastic or make my own with a rolling pin and sweat pouring down me.

I started to think about some of the books that I might want and then decided that I could not be sure that they would not use bubble wrap when delivering them so will have to wait before I use my amazon voucher!