Zero Waste Week – Part 2+3

I’m back with another Zero Waste Week post! Today I’m discussing the second and third challenges as set by Katie!

Challenge 2 – Tackle a Weak Spot

After auditing the waste over the weekend there’s a number of things that struck me. I’m hoping to tackle each of these weak spots…. even if it’s just small changes.

1. The amount of packaging that comes with kids toys is crazy! Excess plastic everywhere. I need to stop buying them so many toys – they don’t need them!
2. I throw away too much food! I’m a sucker for the BOGOFs and 3 for £10 meat deals. So I stock up on food and then promptly forget that it’s in the fridge. This leads to me finding food in the fridge which has gone past it’s use by date. My plan therefore is to start meal planning and meal prepping to cut down on the waste.
3. Nappies! Whilst my kids are potty trained, they still wear a nappy overnight just in case. So I have at least 14 nappies being thrown out every week. Most nights they’re dry but I’m not happy to reuse them.
4. I recycle a lot of stuff already but the thing that always ends up in the bin is cellophane wrapping. And it’s this that bothers me most.

Challenge 3 – Shop Thoughtfully

For each of these areas, I can make small changes by shopping thoughtfully. I’ve already made some small changes such as swapping bottled handwash for bars of soap. But there’s more I can do…

1. Toys – On occasions such as birthday and Christmas, I’ve found Babi Pur which sell products made from natural and sustainable materials. There’s some lovely toys there!
2. Food waste – My plan is to start meal planning and meal prepping to cut down on the waste. By meal planning, I can buy less and reduce waste. Vegetable peelings are already being put into the compost bin and leftovers fed to the dogs so I’m not doing too bad!
3. Nappies – The real question is, why am I using disposable nappies at all? I’m going to make the switch to reusable nappies!
4. Unrecyclable cellophane wrapping – this is my main bugbear as I can’t change how my purchases are packaged. I’ll discuss more in my next post as this feeds nicely into Challenge 4 which I will post about on Friday.

What are your weak spots? Have you made any small changes to reduce your waste?