Julie Lowe from Ashton-under-Lyne is passionate about reducing her household waste, especially plastic. In this guest blog post, Julie shares her story with us, as well as sharing her top 5 tips for going plastic free.

We started our plastic free journey by accident. It was a New Year’s resolution in 2019 to always take a bag with me when I went shopping because I was hopeless at remembering them and spent a fortune on 5p plastic bags. I had hundreds at home. I treated myself to one of those bags which fold up small and started to take it with me all the time. We soon realised what an impact it had in reducing our plastic bags.

We then noticed the amount of plastic around our food in the supermarket and invested in reusable, washable bags for our veg. At this point we changed where we did our shopping to a supermarket which did a wider range of loose vegetables.

The supermarket also advertised reusable plastic boxes to take raw meat home in, which we purchased. Our fridge was becoming a plastic free zone, and we were becoming quite passionate about our plastic use, vowing to reduce it even more. We didn’t try to replace everything at once. We did one bit at a time. We changed back to having a milkman and stopped using bin bags (why do you need them if you are recycling properly). I made some mistakes and I still am, but that’s OK because we are trying to change. I once tried to make my own cleaner out of white vinegar and orange peel. I didn’t mind the smell but my family did!

I have had the same three plastic washing up bottles since February 2019. When I’m on my last one I take it to a re-fill shop. We have a few quite near and we plan our visits to them for when we are going in the area to save on our carbon emissions. For shampoo and conditioner I use an old Jack Daniels bottle with an old hand soap dispenser as a lid with a straw. These I get refilled too.

Search for your nearest plastic free shop

Another big change was buying a metal reusable water bottle as up to this point we bought bottled water. Manchester has the best drinking water so all they were selling us was the plastic bottle!

Download the Refill app to find out your nearest free tap water refill point

We used to think we didn’t have enough time to shop on our local market because we were working; how wrong we were?  We discovered it is an amazing place to shop for plastic free. We swapped tea bags for tea leaves and coffee jars for beans which we buy from The Market Grounds on Ashton Market – well worth a visit as the homemade cakes are delicious. All the stall holders have been amazing, not one of them minds us taking our containers to be filled with meat from the butchers. We get our bread, cheese, fruit and veg from the market too.

As you know you can’t put plastic bags into the recycling bin and I don’t want to put them in general waste so if we do buy something in a plastic bag (for example, tortilla chips which we haven’t found plastic free and I can’t make them ourselves) we save them up and take them to a supermarket who has a plastic bag drop off.

It’s a bit scary at first to say no thank you to plastic and you feel a bit silly but people are nice and supportive. They think it’s a great idea when you explain what you are doing. We use it as a bit of a game to find a product plastic free and we have encouraging friends who let me know when they have found something plastic free.

If you are thinking about going plastic free, I’d encourage you to have a go, it’s been a fun journey and we haven’t finished yet.

My top 5 tips for starting to go plastic free are:

1. Research – have a look online what products you can get plastic free. More and more are becoming available every day. Instagram and Facebook are great for this. You can also join plastic free groups.
2. Always plan what you want to buy before you go shopping and take enough containers. Reuse your jam jars, as they make great containers for lots of things. Make a list. Know what you are going for. You will save money too in the long run because you are not being tempted and only buying what you need, which means less food waste.
3. Never forget your bag and always take a spare one. There are some great ones for sale.
4. Don’t be scared to say no to something if it’s in plastic. If you take your own container they are saving money. Use your local market. If you spend £5 a week locally it makes a huge difference to the local economy.
5. Make sure you know what can be recycled in your bins in your area. I get asked all the time.

To follow Julie’s journey, you can find her on Instagram – @plasticreducer

With the rise of people choosing to pass on plastic, the range of more sustainable disposable items has sky rocketed. As a result, we are getting lots of people asking whether compostable coffee cups, straws and cutlery can go in the food and garden bin.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. No matter what’s on the label, compostable or biodegradable cups, straws and plates can’t go in your food and garden bin. And here’s why.

First of all, let’s clear something up. Biodegradable and compostable do not mean the same thing.

The terms biodegradable and compostable are sometimes used interchangeably but they actually mean very different things. Let’s look at the dictionary definitions.

biodegradable
adjective
1. A substance or object capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms

compostable
adjective
1. Something that can be used as compost when it decays

This means that biodegradable items can break down within the environment with the help of bacteria or other living organisms. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for the planet. For example, some plastic bags can biodegrade into tiny pieces in around 20 years but they are still harmful to the environment.

Meanwhile, if something is compostable, it means it is made of organic matter and it can completely break down to make nutrient rich compost.

So if all these things say they are compostable, why can’t I recycle them in my food and garden bin?

They may be made from natural materials, and therefore compostable, but compostable coffee cups take years to breakdown whilst food and garden waste only takes six weeks at a In Vessel Composting facility.

The only thing you can put in your food and garden bin (aside from food and garden waste) are compostable food bags with the EN13432 seedling logo on which are used to line the kitchen food caddy. These bags are made from potato starch so break down at the same rate as food and garden waste. This also includes Co-op’s new compostable carrier bags which are being rolled out across Greater Manchester.

So if it’s not food or garden waste, it belongs in your general waste bin.

What’s the solution?

Ditch single use items and choose reusable alternatives. There are so many reusable coffee cups and straws available now. Lots of coffee shops with give you a discount when you take your own cup in too! Why not put a set of cutlery in your bag so you can say no to single use forks? Check out our blog post on reusable items for more great ideas.

Stamps

You’ve got mail! Used stamps from cards and parcels can be donated to some charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support, RNIB and Oxfam.  Just tear them off the envelope and start collecting!

Electrical items

If you have electrical items still in good reusable condition, whether it’s a toaster, a hairdryer or a lamp, you can donate them to some charity shops. If you have a broken electrical item why not see if you can get it repaired before replacing? Find a repair cafe near you. Or if it’s beyond repair, take it to your local Recycling Centre – never put electrical items in the bin!

Pens

We all have a surplus of pens scattered here, there and everywhere around the house but when we really need one we can never find one. If you have one too many pens or other stationery you can donate them to some charities and education projects.

Make up and toiletries

If you have any unused makeup or toiletry gift sets from Christmas and birthdays you can donate them to Elle for Elle which will help women and children in refuge accommodations. There are six drop off points in Greater Manchester.

Hazel from Emmaus Mossley explains why shopping second hand this Christmas is the way to go.

If you’re here and reading this guest blog then you’re sure to know some of the benefits of shopping second hand and reducing your consumption of new products. I want to share with you some of the wider benefits of shopping second hand, and also give you some food for thought in your preparations for this Christmas.

Spend less, waste less

Depending on how you do it, shopping for Christmas – whether it’s decorations, gifts, presents or even food shopping – can become stressful and may cause you guilty feelings as a result of consumption, waste and the big impact on our planet. The climate emergency is causing anxiety for a lot of people and, as a society, there are many issues around how we shop and consume products generally, not least at Christmas.

By choosing to shop second hand first, you are making a conscious decision to support the environment. Your purchases will keep items in use for longer, reduce waste and limit the consumption of fresh resources. The second big benefit of shopping second hand is price. You can bag some fantastic bargains at prices much lower than when they were new, despite little, if any, difference to their quality and function.

The range of pre-loved items available is another reason why you may choose to shop second hand. How else could you find some unique retro baubles or that original first-edition book as a gift for a family member? There are so many places to source fantastic second hand items – whether it be online places such as eBay, Depop or Facebook marketplace, or more traditional outlets such as vintage emporiums, antique stores and my area of expertise, charity shops.

In my role of Retail Manager at the Emmaus Mossley Secondhand Superstore, over recent years I have seen how people from all walks of life have embraced second hand at Christmas time. You really can source a pre-loved Christmas tree, decorations, lights, cards, presents, secret Santa gifts, stocking fillers and vouchers all from charity shops.

Make your pound do more

Greater Manchester is blessed with so many fantastic charity stores dotted across our city region. When you purchase pre-loved items from these shops, you’re not only keeping items in use for longer, you’re also helping to fund charitable work across all areas of society. Whether it’s homelessness, support for children, help for older people or animal welfare, combating health issues or some other local cause, a pound spent in a charity shop is a pound well spent.

Here at Emmaus Mossley we support 26 formerly homeless people by providing them with a home, work, training and individual support. All of the funds raised in our Secondhand Superstore goes to support formerly homeless people at the Emmaus Mossley community. We are possibly one of only a few charity shops where the people serving you are the direct beneficiaries of your purchases.

Of course, in the run-up to this Christmas I would love for you to shop with Emmaus Mossley but equally, I’d encourage you to shop second hand and support your local charity shops too. Visit the Charity Retail Association website to find a list of charity shops in your area. Another benefit of shopping second hand from charity shops is that you’re shopping local – reducing emissions from the delivery miles of new products produced in all corners of the globe.

Despite the second lockdown, there are still many ways you can shop secondhand and support your local charities. Check out if they are selling online and, if they offer gift vouchers, purchase some for when charity shops can reopen.

Our Christmas sale plans

This year, more than others, we know that many people and households may be cutting back on what they usually spend in the run up to Christmas. We want to help everyone get sorted for Christmas without breaking the bank.

In order to minimise risk and not attract a large number of people on a single day, we decided not to have our usual big Christmas launch event. Instead, our original plans were to spread the Christmas sale over multiple weeks, but news of the second lockdown put pay to that.

We now plan to sell much more via our online channels and our eBay Charity Store, offering both delivery and a click and collect service. We know that both Emmaus Bolton and Emmaus Salford are also planning to sell more online during the next few weeks and no doubt many other charity shops too.

Despite all that is going on in the world I do hope you have a good Christmas. If you’d like to find out more and support Emmaus Mossley, please visit our website and call in to our Secondhand Superstore when we’re allowed to reopen.