Fed up with plastic packaging

[dexterdoglancashire]

I use the large mushroom ones as growing containers and as chook feeders. The smaller ones I use to collect their eggs. Am rapidly running out of ideas though.

[matthew2riches]

In Asda last summer I actually unwrapped various items in plastic that didn't need to be in plastic and left it all where the bags hang. The woman asked me what I was doing and I told her that it didn't need to be there and you can have it back to put in your bin - I don't want it... She laughed and as I was walking out the shop a man stopped me and told me off. I told him where to stick his request and just carried on walking.

I now do it every week and my bin loves me

[Alison]

We used to have to seperate the glass from the card from the newspapers.... but it was so tiresome for 'ordinary' people that it was unsuccessful and I think people said they would be more inclined to do it if it could all go into the one bin.

The problem with mixed recycling is that it contaminates itself ie paper full of broken glass is pretty worthless and separate streams are much better. We used to have ours separately and it was much better as I was able to be confident that it was recycled properly. I've been to MRFs where they seperate waste and although a lot better than they used to be but they're still pretty rubbish and just makes people think they're doing the right thing when really there isn't that much point.

[lottie dolly]

we have a good recycle system now,a box for glass,a charity bag for clothes ext,purple bag for paper,cardboard,most plastics,tins,tetra packs,clean foil,and food containers from shopping,we have to clean them first,all the rest goes into a wheelie bin,you can pay a small amount a year for a brown garden bin,1 week it's wheelie bin,the next the others,this works out fine,and other places we have access to other places with recycle facilities,like asda,it's a pitty the customers of the fast food places don't use them,instead of our fronts,

[Two_Sheds]

The problem with ...recycling is that it contaminates itself

Sorry, I've butchered your quote to make my point.

Plastics are shipped to China to be recycled ffs: ie made into yet more plastic tat. Wouldn't it be better to be cutting down on plastic use in the first place?
Stop over-packaging items: boycott Easter eggs for a start; buy decent chocolates instead. You get more choc for your money.

If we had to bury all our waste in our own back gardens, we'd soon start cutting back

[Irie Jan]

So darn right!! It needs to be more generic across the country.

Im with this! Everyone bangs on about recycling things, yet there are so many pitfalls to it all, like who, what, whear, when and how! c'mon Sort it out peeps with the power! Get your heads together across the counties and the country, come up with a plan! If one county cant get rid of some waste but can with other stuff, then speak to a neighbouring county that can get rid of what you cant do a swap we have enough articulated lorries, goods trains, barges and probably other means of transport to move thins from one county to the next to get rid of things. This way we could all put everything out to be recycled.There must be a way! The best way would be to cut down on all un nessacery packaging anyway! I don't remember all this stuff around when I was a kid, we did not need it then so why do we now???

I think in part, its because we import too much stuff. Food in particular that we could grow and store happlily here! To show my point on importing food. I saw a tv program a few weeks back, some guy in Egypt making a mint by growing thousands of tones of potatoes in nothing but the desert sand. They were watered and fed nutrients at same time with masive sprinkler things on wheels the water was being pumped from both replaceable and none replaceable underground water sources. Some of these water sauces had taken hundreds or even thousands of years to form. Once gone that will be it The guy just said oh well then I will move on to some other venture! these potatoes were destined for the UK because we want fresh stocks not stuff that had been stored in the traditional ways.

[Two_Sheds]

we have enough articulated lorries, goods trains, barges and probably other means of transport to move thins from one county to the next to get rid of things. This way we could all put everything out to be recycled.

...and that would help how? Why are we using oil to make plastic wrapping, then using more oil driving trucks around to send it to be "recycled" (into what? or does it actually just really get put into landfill anyway?) Why don't we just do without

Hands up who buys recycled items. Recycled loo roll anyone? Kitchen roll? Clothing?

Therein lies the problem: there's no market for recycled goods when people expect everything to be new & shiny & hygienic

[Alison]

Plastics are shipped to China to be recycled ffs: ie made into yet more plastic tat. Wouldn't it be better to be cutting down on plastic use in the first place?
Stop over-packaging items: boycott Easter eggs for a start; buy decent chocolates instead. You get more choc for your money.

If we had to bury all our waste in our own back gardens, we'd soon start cutting back

Not all plastics go to China but I do agree with your point and don't buy products I'd really quite like because of the packaging and it's not really that difficult when you get going. Made a similar point earlier and it does really annoy me that people are made to feel good because they recycle things when really it would be much more valuable to reduce consumption.

Hands up who buys recycled items. Recycled loo roll anyone? Kitchen roll? Clothing?

I do, and also make sure that I buy clothes that last for ages too, really don't like disposable fashion. Currently wearing a pair of perfectly good jeans which I bought about 4 years ago and have a good few years in them yet before them become lottie pants

[taff]

there's no market for recycled goods when people expect everything to be new & shiny & hygienic

I snipped too.
Hygiene....since when do we need to be protected from germs that we've always been exposed to and lived through wihtout the aid of antibiotics/alcohol wipes and sprays?

Since I've been alive,I've not noticed myself becoming ill from various things I'm now told by the advertising giants are bad for me, so bad in fact,I have to rush out and buy something that will kill everything [so you build no immunity to it], I can wipe my hands with a wipes or spray them [in case someone really unhygenic or disease ridden and infectious is sitting next to me] or cover my self in cling film in case of bad vapours made up of acronyms [I made that bit up].
Did common sense fly out of the window in the past 20 years?

[Two_Sheds]

Did common sense fly out of the window in the past 20 years?

Yes, and too-much-disposable-income flew in.

My Co-op has a huge stand of "flu packs" for a fiver. Basically a pack of tissues, some wipes, an anti-bac spray and some other bit of merde, all individually wrapped in plastic, then packaged in a zip-lok plastic case.

Have you all gone mad, people?

Soap kills germs: just wash your hands! *goes off for a lie down

[weekendwellies]

Soap kills germs: just wash your hands!

This just reminded me of my Nan.
She had a big block of green soap on the side of the sink, which was used to clean pretty much everything. One of those old fashioned blocks that looked like it had been cut from a bigger piece (like cheese). No brand name on it or anything.
There was also a bottle of bleach in the cupboard underneath the sink that had a layer of dust on it, it was used so little, but kept for the rare occasions it was needed.

Illness was quite rare in my family when growing up so I guess it worked.

She didn't have a vacuum cleaner either, not until I was about 6-7 anyway and even when she did get one, she preferred her Eubank. (not sure of the spelling on that).

And no fridge until about the same time ( I think my dad and aunt must have got together to get modern things for her). Milk bottles where kept in a bucket of water. And she had a pantry that kept things cool in summer.

All the modern things have their place I suppose, I couldn't do without my automatic washing machine and fridgefreezer, but you are quite right TS, all these modern cleaning, disinfecting potions are for the most part not needed.
Just use soap.