As Plastic Free July 2017 draws to a close, it’s time to assess how it went in the Spot of Earth household. I felt like there were some big improvements on our 2016 challenge. There was definitely a reduction in our plastic consumption compared to last year. This was partly because our middle child didn’t…
Week Three of Plastic Free July was always going to be a tough one. It was our middle child’s birthday on Tuesday and also the last week of term. I seem to remember last year it was a difficult week as well and week three in 2016 also generated waste that impacted on week four.…
We’re halfway through Plastic Free July and it’s been a more challenging week this week. My husband has been raiding the ‘reduced to clear’ section at the supermarket for a start. This is great because it saves us money and we feel like we’re saving food from being wasted, unfortunately it inevitably comes with more…
Plastic Free July 2017 is underway. With week one done and dusted, I thought it was time for a blog update on our progress so far. For comparison, here is my picture from week one of Plastic Free July 2016: This is week one’s plastic consumption for Plastic Free July 2017: That’s quite an improvement…
If we continue with our current habits of plastic consumption and pollution, it is predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. So it’s great to see people coming up with inventions like this that can reduce the amount of plastic floating in the sea. Solutions to plastic pollution…
Our children are now 10, 7 and 5. I’ve been trying to declutter the children’s bedrooms lately and it made me think about the toys and equipment they’ve played with most during their childhood so far. I think we could have coped with just ten sets of toys and equipment. What’s more, most of these…
We’ve been through a gradual process to eliminate waste from our packed lunches. As we first became more aware of our plastic consumption, I would wash and reuse every plastic bag as many times as possible before throwing it ‘away’. Then I bought brown paper bags in bulk online and used those for sandwiches, snacks…
If there’s one thing guaranteed to ignite debate in a zero waste Facebook group, it’s the topic of diet. I don’t think anyone can deny that a plant-based diet is better for the environment, but not everyone is ready for full-blown veganism. Furthermore, everyone’s dietary needs and lifestyle situations are different. A young, singleton in…
It’s that time of year again. I’ve boiled about a dozen eggs, the kitchen table has been commandeered and tensions are running high. Yes, it’s the traditional Easter egg competition. I can just about cope with World Book Day costumes, but Easter egg competitions finish me off. This year there was a double whammy. Not…
Nothing makes me happier than knowing that our own eco living journey has inspired others. Just after Christmas, our middle child’s best friend’s mum (are you following me?) told me all the changes she’d made since reading my blog and following my Facebook page. These included changing her cleaning products, switching liquid soap to bar…
This is my first blog post of 2017! I don’t think I’ve ever blogged this late into the start of a new year before. My blogging mojo has gone astray, but I’ve been determined not to panic. It’s happened before and it always comes back. I find it’s important not to force it, otherwise my…
Back in spring an idea was floating about the Zero Waste Bloggers Network about putting together a travel guide. Volunteers were called for. I volunteered, as did many others. Six months later, the Zero Waster’s Travel Companion is here and available to buy. That’s the short story. Here’s the longer version… The idea behind the…
