'Reduce, Reuse & Recycle' - help with the 'Reduce' part please

[justkeepswimming]

We recycle everything we can in our recycling bin.
We compost everything we can in our compost bins.
We reuse everything we can think of/Freecycle stuff/pass it on to friends.

But we still feel that we throw away too much rubbish (2 black sacks a week, though they are not full, just our kitchen bin gets full so we empty it halfway through the week, so prob just over 1 full sack).
Dh and I were talking and he said we need to work on the Reducing part.

So, helpful tips on how and where to reduce our rubbish please

Extra info:
We have 2 LOs in nappies, ds1 (2yrs) is in disposables (sorry, hangs head in shame!) but ds2 (5mo) is in half and half disposable/washables.

We tried dishwasher liquid instead of tablets but DH didn't think it worked properly.

I think most of our rubbish is that sort of plastic wrap that most food comes wrapped in (ie cucumbers, pack of breadsticks, just for examples from lunchtime today!).

Look forward to getting some really useful tips, tia.

can someone point me to the clingfilm thread please? am intrigued...

You could get your dishwasher stuff from Simply - they are those dissolvable wrappers, and the little buckets are reusable or recyclable (though they are category 05 PP so they won't go in the regular recycling)

Ok new list:

abel & cole for veg (fruit as well?)/check & compare for local supplier
find local farm shop
shampoo bars from lush
dishwasher powder (in big tub)
(look out for what i can get refilled in health food shop)
no more cling film
maybe milkman (esp as milk bottles are huge!)
maybe grow some other stuff - will see how tomatoes do first, we aren't v green-fingered!
Bokashi bins - sound fab
soap nuts (ebay)
use my washables more
(ditch the eco balls!)
use local fruit/veg shop more (i do go there and take my own bags so no packaging normally, it's just when is asda...)
buy an onya bag! - ok so i just want one of those! (err, sewing, not a strong point!)

it's a bit of a mish-mash of a list, will try to tidy it up and discuss with dh this weekend - after fitting the new water butts

ps cling film thread

X posted, jks

thank you !!!

Dont use baby wipes at all. Use good old flannel and water, keep one pack of wipes for those emergencies or going out.

LOL at the idea of leaving it at the supermarket, but surely that still means waste for some-one to throw out, which does not reduce the waste being thrown out in total?!! .

this is where I get soapnuts I reccomend you use on of those mesh bags that come with the detergent tablets or a little zip top laundry bag instead of the tie top cotton bag they come with as they tend to get wound up in them selves and hard to undo.

if you arent keen on the able and cole stuff (i loved it but with fussy dh it didnt always get used). then buy stuff in the supermarket with the least amount of packaging. i rarely use those plastic bags unless i am buying small items. so will put spuds loose in the trolly, same with apples etc.

ah kids in bed

pavlov - i sometimes use the washable wipes, sometimes not, whatever is close to hand really.
also if my pot of chamomile tea/water is empty then i will use normal wipes to avoid the wander-off-to-refill-pot-and projectile-poo-happens-as-soon-as-i-turn-my-back situation

dartmoor - i will get some soapnuts asap and try them out - got a mesh bag already (with my washable breast pads which never did the job!), then if we're happy with them i can finish up what washing stuff we've got in and stick with the soapnuts, hoorah!

misdee - (how's the pg going btw? i'm a mystery pg announcement thread stalker!) i do try not to add to packaging by using those plastic bags for fruit & veg and have bought some stuff loose, but i wouldn't want to have 20-ish potatoes rolling around in my trolley!
will try to use the grocers around the corner more - they have 10% off on wed & thurs so that's a reason to get organised and go on those days.

have shown dh the list, will print it out and make it our (somewhat delayed) new years resolution list!

thanks for all the tips, any more from the evening crowd?

Lidl powder dishwasher is incredibly cheap, as well as less packaging than tablets.
Farmshops sell potatoes in 25 kg bags (can reuse bag for rubbish, or burn or shred 4 compost heap). Can buy rice in similar 10 kg bags.

ps: our big problem is biscuits, dont have time to make them & many come in plastic trays.

If you're not too fussy about biscuits, then if you go to a market (not farmers, just normal) you can buy big cardboard boxes of what they refer to as broken biscuits, but are actually usually whole and a rather interesting lucky dip selection. V cheap and minimal packing. They may do single variety boxes, but my dad loves the lucky dip type so thats all I've seen.

I have just swopped to dishwasher tablets from a big bottle of powder because I found some phosphate free tablets in vegetable based soluble plastic. So the only packaging left at the end is a cardboard box.
They are a French supermarket own brand but surely similar exists in the UK.

psychobabble do you have your rocket pesto recipie?

Im making pesto on friday and as well as basil i have loads of rocket going mad in my garden at the moment!

you could get a mooncup and washable STs / PLs...

i have just put an order in with moonrabbits, and cant wait to try them out

www.moonrabbits.co.uk/

aha nanny - i have a mooncup [proud emoticon] - tho i am on the minipill & bf so prob not need for it for a while...
haven't had a chance to use it yet, got pg before it arrived in the post - not the planned order of things obv

otherside - that sounds interesting, maybe i need to go to the supermarkets without LOs so i can actually read the packets not just grab and go!
what is the brand name just in case i can find them here?

cmot - that is interesting about the biscuits, don't know of a normal market here tho. ds1 would love that plan!

we have weaknesses for biscuits too, and crisps - and their packets can't be recycled i don't think, oh and peanuts

so, soapnuts, how much should you pay for them on ebay? want to try them out without getting fleeced!!

have just bought some from dartmoors link.

I also prefer liquid soap and we have a couple of these Soap Pumps from Pampered Chef the dd's love them as they use far too much soap!

am loving this thread BTW.

is there anywhere you can recycle things like crisp packets? we can put plastic in our recycling bin but not that sort i don't think?

doh! thanks justkeepswimming! Nemo fan in your house by any chance?

i've just bought some too, thanks

Just to say on the topic of Eco Balls, I think they are amazing. They get all the poo out of DS's nappies that DH forgets cant be arsed to scrape off. They also get out baked bean sauce and berry juice which a lot of powders don't. I am beyond delighted with them.

You can also buy washable sanitary towels from minkiwhich I have recently done. They are cheaper than the one nannyL linked earlier.

Not sure if this link appeared earlier in the thread, but here is an online site for booking a milkman www.milkandmore.co.uk/

I'm very pleased with my delivery generally, but the eggs come in plastic boxes, which is a major pain, as I can only recyle them in the supermarket carpark collection point