Dealing with plastics

Check out Tim Minchin's video on You Tube about canvas bags
Yesterday was a focus on avoiding using plastics and bringing them into the house, today my focus will be on reusing and recycling plastics.

Reducing Plastics - bags and containers

There was a mention of banning plastic bags in the UK, and some supermarkets have taken this on board. The first step, if you are shopping in a supermarket, is to check whether they offer bags for life, or bring your own plastic bags or alternative way to store your shopping. There is nothing preventing you bringing in storage baskets and putting your shopping in that, that I know off!

The Body shop will accept their own containers for recycling and Ecover provide a refill service for their products in various locations. The ecover site enables you to put in your postcode or county to find the nearest refill centre.

Move from plastic bottled milk to a milk delivery service with glass bottles.


Re-using Plastic

If you have a local convenience store, ask whether they are willing to take your plastic bags to reuse them when people shop in their local store.

Plastic bags can be reused as bin liners, a way to store soppy swimming kits and sports kits and as it is plastic, you can wash them and hang them out to dry to use again.

Look in second hand stores for baskets or check out your local basket maker and get one made to fit either the boot of your car, your local shopping trolley or bike or whatever you use to transport your food items in.

Recycling plastic

Does your supermarket take plastic bags back for recycling? If not, check with your local recycling centre whether they have a designated bin for plastic bags and if not, ask for one to be installed.

Little plastic is recycled presently because there are dificulties involved with that and because there are many types of plastic . Most plastics have a sign at the bottom of the bottle and it is worth checking with the recycling centre what they take.

The plastic bottles left over can be recycled at your local recycling centre, and to put more of them in your box before you take the trip, consider crushing them. The plascan can do this for you easily.


Products made with recycled materials can be checke dout at reuze.co.uk, lots to browse and look for.