To be horrified at how much waste we produce but think food producers are to blame?

[malificent7]

Dp, dd and I live here ft. Dsd lives here pt. Our bins were collected on Wednesday and already on Sunday the recycling and wheelie bin are full again.
Main culprits are bulky plastic milk containers, things like mushroom cartons, pepsi/ fizzy water bottles..cardboard packaging etc.

However, the council only collect wheelie bins every 3 weeks. I think the reasoning behind this is that peopke will ve forced to recycle more. Great in theory. In practice many things can't be recycled.
Really i think food companies need to think of alternative ways of packaging food...quite what i don't know.

@MrsSkylerWhite

How on earth is leaving the packaging on the packing shelf in the shop littering. What a silly comment.

Do you think the manager throws it on the pavement?

Leaving excess packaging at the shop is the norm in Germany, which as a nation generally do very well in waste reduction and recycling.

My current bugbear is multipacks. The type of canned catfood we buy is good in that it is in a cardboard tray with a polythene overwrap, which is recyclable, but a lot of other multipacks come in the non recyclable stretchy plastic.

Must see if someone on Terracycle takes these, but I think food manufacturers should move away from multipacks, especially the ones that are wrapped in plastic. Pretty much every shop has a till system that could cope with multipack pricing without multipack packaging and some do it anyway. Often if you buy canned soup in Asda, there's a price for one can, and you can get 6 tins for £4 or 8 for £5. There definitely needs to be more of that.

We need to be careful about paper packaging too. It’s actually worse for climate change in terms of the amount of CO2e used. Obviously there are also issues about plastic particles with plastic packaging and so it isn’t a simple issue but picking up a paper bag to put mushrooms in isn’t necessarily a better option.

Best option is to take your own packaging.

@malificent7

Dp, dd and I live here ft. Dsd lives here pt. Our bins were collected on Wednesday and already on Sunday the recycling and wheelie bin are full again. Main culprits are bulky plastic milk containers, things like mushroom cartons, pepsi/ fizzy water bottles..cardboard packaging etc.

However, the council only collect wheelie bins every 3 weeks. I think the reasoning behind this is that peopke will ve forced to recycle more. Great in theory. In practice many things can't be recycled.
Really i think food companies need to think of alternative ways of packaging food...quite what i don't know.

I massively agree with you OP on all counts. I think though, and I'm including myself here, that sitting around lightly complaining makes us all part of the problem (me included). If we really care we need to choose a side and come down heavy on it - petitions, demonstrations, innovation, campaigning, making big noise for change. Else nothing will change.

Plastic covered cucumbers the most pointless plastic around

The shelf life of cucumbers is massively extended by wrapping in plastic (unlike some other fruit and veg) which has various implications for logistics. I'm sure I read an article that said that overall shrink wrapping cucumbers is worthwhile packaging.

Where we are things like multi packs of tins beans for example don’t exist, if they have offers on its simply from x amount of tins/ bottles you get the deal. So one tin 50p, if you buy at least 3 of same type 45p each

I think it’s fine to have to be more responsible for items yourself. Whilst we get certain items collected, we have to take all glass/ metal to collection points

Also, this is probably key, we don’t pay a council tax for bins, we are charged simply per bin collected and per weight! So if you choose to fill bin to top for general waste you will pay far more. Other Recycling collected for free.

I love how everyone says get a soda stream. Even the basic soda stream from Aldi is £60. Not every one has a spare £60 to even buy the cheap one let alone the £150 to £200 for the real ones.
The replacement gases are around £15 a pop in Argos so again not cheap.
Over time there would be a cost saving but that is no good if you can’t afford the initial outlay.

@Meloncurse

Plastic covered cucumbers the most pointless plastic around

The shelf life of cucumbers is massively extended by wrapping in plastic (unlike some other fruit and veg) which has various implications for logistics. I'm sure I read an article that said that overall shrink wrapping cucumbers is worthwhile packaging.

Or you could buy unwrapped and put it in a Tupperware container which is reusable for years and will make your cucumber last.

Or if you have a small outdoor space even a balcony on a flat you can grow your own. Cost pennies for around 5 cucumbers per plant and easy to grow in a very limited space.

@Proudboomer

I love how everyone says get a soda stream. Even the basic soda stream from Aldi is £60. Not every one has a spare £60 to even buy the cheap one let alone the £150 to £200 for the real ones. The replacement gases are around £15 a pop in Argos so again not cheap. Over time there would be a cost saving but that is no good if you can’t afford the initial outlay.

There's plenty of soda streams available for £50 to £100 including gas, no need to pay up to £200 for a 'real' one whatever that means, the cheaper ones are just as real.

Maybe if you don't have enough slack in your budget for a relatively small discretionary purchase that will save you money in the long run and reduce your plastic consumption, you shouldn't be buying so much totally unnecessary fizzy pop to fill a bin with the bottles in a few days?

Do people really think leaving their excess packaging on a shelf in the supermarket will make changes. No all it does is create extra work for the person that has to remove it.

Aldi are the cheapest soda streams at just under £60 including one gas canisters that will need replacing. Argos sell the replacements at £15 each.
A bottle of cheap supermarket pop is around 50p so quite a large difference or are saying that only the richer in our society should be able to have a fizzy drink?

How about shampoo bars. The cheapest are the likes of wilkos for £8 (half price at £4 at the moment so stock up if you can) and their cheapest shampoo is £1. If you are on a limited budget that is a big difference. The bars last longer but you can’t not wash your hair whilst saving the extra to by a bar.

@SisyphusDad

Sorry but I have to disagree. We're quite good at recycling - paper and plastics bins generally full for bi - weekly collection, and grey bin less than half empty.

What really winds me up is the way that we (me and two teenage DSs) waste bread. I try very hard to use what's in the bread bin before I buy any more but I have to admit that I usually fail dismally. I think the main thing is that we (I) lack discipline. Any suggestions very gratefully received.

We don't get through much bread so often have bits that are past their best. I freeze them and bring them out when making things like bread sauce, bread and butter pudding, summer pudding or if I want breadcrumbs for something.

You don’t pay for the replacement canisters each time though, you pay refills price once you buy the canister once.

We bought two canisters so we always have one full and no rush with empty. They cost €6 from our local supermarket as ‘refill’ which is basically just an exchange for a new one. We usually get refilled when we also have 10/15% voucher off shop so it’s lower again. Each canister does around 60litres.

www.friendlysoap.co.uk/product/lavender-geranium-shampoo-bar/

I've bought these bars in health food shops, they're £2.79 in my local shop. They do seem to last longer than a bottle of shampoo too. They do shampoo, conditioner bars, shaving bar, regular soap. I actually prefer the bars from soapnuts.co.uk but they are more expensive & you don't really see them in many shops, which is a shame.

I do wish we could get sodastream gas refills locally though. Nearest place that does it is over an hour by public transport. I don't drink pop/squash but DH & DD do. I would like to be able to drink fizzy water as more than a rare treat though, I usually don't because of the plastic bottles.

Do people really think leaving their excess packaging on a shelf in the supermarket will make changes. No all it does is create extra work for the person that has to remove it.
Makes no difference to the person- they get paid whether they clear packaging or stack shelves. The supermarket will have to pay to deal with the rubbish so it is a viable idea as it will cost them.

It is absolutely not a viable idea at all. The supermarket recycles what waste it can and disposes of the rest. The only thing you are actually doing is leaving rubbish for someone to clear up behind you. Dress it up however you want but essentially you are leaving your rubbish for another person to clean up. If you don't like the packaging buy something in different packaging or out loose.

@SisyphusDad

Sorry but I have to disagree. We're quite good at recycling - paper and plastics bins generally full for bi - weekly collection, and grey bin less than half empty.

What really winds me up is the way that we (me and two teenage DSs) waste bread. I try very hard to use what's in the bread bin before I buy any more but I have to admit that I usually fail dismally. I think the main thing is that we (I) lack discipline. Any suggestions very gratefully received.

Hi SisyphusDad, my suggestion would be to freeze it. We normally manage to eat between half and 3/4 of the loaf before it gets dangerously close to be off/mouldy. At that point I freeze it. Then, if it's sliced, I just put the slices straight into the toaster and if it's bread rolls I chuck them in the oven if I am baking/roasting something else or just leave it to defrost outside. No bread wasted this way. Hope it helps.

@EastWestWhosBest

Get milk from the milk man. It’s the best option as it’s closed loop recycling. As for fizzy water and Pepsi then get a soda stream. I only by fizzy drinks in either glass bottles or cans. Yes manufacturers are partially to blame but you can take some responsibility.

It's not that easy. My area used to have a milkman (who was my uncle 😂) but he retired and had to close the business because no one wanted to take it over. And I'm only going back maybe three or four years. No milkman now, and even the big companies don't cover my village as its not profitable for them. The village shop used to sell milk (and orange juice) in glass bottles but that's stopped too due to Covid as they can't (won't?) take the bottles back.

Again buying milk from a milk man is more expensive.
There is no argument that it is better for the environment using a glass recyclable bottle delivered in an electric vehicle but milk or more charge 81p a pint for their milk where as Tesco is 80p for two pints.
If you are on a limited income with young children then you are going to either have to cut your milk consumption in half which isn’t possible if you have young child or continue buying it with the weekly shop in Tesco.

It is absolutely not a viable idea at all. The supermarket recycles what waste it can and disposes of the rest. The only thing you are actually doing is leaving rubbish for someone to clear up behind you.
I actually disagree. If the supermarket is having to pay someone to spend time clearing it recycling it then if enough people start doing this it is in the supermarkets interest to change their packaging. Remember that by far the largest brand in any supermarket is its own brand.

@Proudboomer

Again buying milk from a milk man is more expensive. There is no argument that it is better for the environment using a glass recyclable bottle delivered in an electric vehicle but milk or more charge 81p a pint for their milk where as Tesco is 80p for two pints. If you are on a limited income with young children then you are going to either have to cut your milk consumption in half which isn’t possible if you have young child or continue buying it with the weekly shop in Tesco.

Yes but I am able to afford it so my opinion is that I should pay the extra for the more eco friendly option because I can, but I don’t blame anyone who can’t afford it. I get oat milk in a glass bottle from the milk man. Grown and produced in the U.K. and a similar price to Oatly.

@Proudboomer

Again buying milk from a milk man is more expensive. There is no argument that it is better for the environment using a glass recyclable bottle delivered in an electric vehicle but milk or more charge 81p a pint for their milk where as Tesco is 80p for two pints. If you are on a limited income with young children then you are going to either have to cut your milk consumption in half which isn’t possible if you have young child or continue buying it with the weekly shop in Tesco.

Or cut consumption elsewhere to be able to afford the milk. Obviously for some people there is nothing to cut, but for many there is and for them it's about priorities.

I saved some Christmas and birthday money and bought our Soda Stream. We have a local Lakeland where we exchange gas bottles for £11.99. Though I usually have money off vouchers when I go so it’s a bit cheaper.

www.lakeland.co.uk/search/Soda%2Bstream%2B

Plus soda stream do their own scheme
sodastream.co.uk/products/60l-exchange-cylinder-single

We keep jugs of water in the fridge to use with it, as well as other soft drinks.

The supermarket won't spend money though for someone to clean it, what actually happens is the cashier or cleaner or anyone who happens to walk past it is expected to do it as part of their duties. They won't be given extra hours for it, they will just be expected to fit it in with their normal shift hours on top of their normal work. So actually you are making life more difficult for the supermarket worker. If you want the top bosses to sit up and notice either don't buy it or post them the packaging.

@sweeneytoddsrazor

The supermarket won't spend money though for someone to clean it, what actually happens is the cashier or cleaner or anyone who happens to walk past it is expected to do it as part of their duties. They won't be given extra hours for it, they will just be expected to fit it in with their normal shift hours on top of their normal work. So actually you are making life more difficult for the supermarket worker. If you want the top bosses to sit up and notice either don't buy it or post them the packaging.

I quite agree. The person who has the say in how a product is packaged won’t have a clue this is happening. All that will happen is some poor sod on minimum wage has to pick up all the crap left lying about the place when then restock or whatever. If you want a supermarket to rethink its packaging then write to them or contact them on social media.