There has been ample news in the press over these past few weeks about the effects of recycling and the benefits that it has on the environment.

However, all this being said, it is important to think about the necessities of all this extra packaging. I once read an article not that long ago about a lady who was asked to give up plastic for a week. She found this incredibly difficult and indeed with a family, it proved even tougher! With all good intentions she tried her hardest to avoid purchasing items which were encased in plastic wrapping. As a result, she bought:

• Loose fruit and vegetables from her local market (using brown paper bags as opposed to the plastic ones that are provided in supermarkets)
• Tinned goods which could then be recycled
• Meat and fish from the butchers and fishmongers
• Long life milk (which she soon found was cheating as the flip-lid is plastic)
• She had to avoid jam jars as the lids are plastic
• She made her own bread as the packaging in bought bread is not biodegradable

All in all, it was a very challenging experience and one which I think we should all try and emulate. It may be difficult to buy a tooth brush as it comes in plastic packaging, DVDs as they have plastic film around them and margarine as it comes in a plastic container. However, all is not lost! Despite the local councils in the UK still being stringent on collecting plastic in the recycling collections, it is possible to at least reduce your consumption of plastic and to re-use any plastic containers where possible. Unfortunately in the UK we consume over 100 tonnes of plastic every year, increasing five fold since the 1950’s. At present, only 7% of plastic in the UK is recycled, with the rest going to landfills. How can we reduce our usage of plastic, glass, paper and recycle more? Here are a few ideas:

Support your local specialist shops and buy only what you need over the counter. The quality of the meat and fish is much better and it does not come in unnecessary plastic!

Reject unnecessary plastic packaging such as small plastic bags in the supermarket for fruit and vegetables. Instead, where possible, pop to the local market and pick up your fresh apples there.

Use recycled paper for your printer where possible, and don’t forget to print double sided!

Recycle pots and tubs where possible. Ice cream tubs and bath salt holders, jam jars etc can all easily be re-used for storing all sorts!

Buy from the milkman - If you are fortunate enough to still have a milkman, use him! Get your milk and orange juice delivered and recycle the glass bottles!

Make sure you keep a couple of plastic bags on you so that if you pop to the shops on a whim you do not need to take a new one from them to carry your purchases.

Re-fill your water bottle so that you do not need to buy another when you are out. In addition, at work, take your own mug and glass so that you do not use the plastic ones that are often available at the vending machines.

Choose eco-friendly websites who take recycling and looking after the environment seriously. For example, at BoBelle www.bobelle.co.uk we gift wrap items in acid free tissue paper (which of course can be re-used and is un-bleached), we send items in 100% recyclable packaging which is filled with biodegradable filler.

Recycling is not always easy and unfortunately in our country recycling is not as readily available as it should be. However, often writing to companies expressing your concern about their packaging, or indeed refusing to buy from companies who do not take their ethical stance seriously can be beneficial. There are plenty of fabulous companies out there who supply wonderful products which are environmentally friendly and readily-available. Checking out directories is a good way as they often have unbiased opinions and plenty of companies to choose from.

Claire Watt-Smith
CEO BoBelle
www.bobelle.co.uk
cws@bobelle.co.uk