Times have changed since I started this blog. Now I can buy almost everything I need plastic free on line.
My favourite on line shops can be found here.
Welcome To The Source
We are your local plastic-free bulk food & lifestyle store, here to make sustainable shopping easy. Whether you are a foodie or looking to reduce the waste in your daily shop, we are the place for you. We have over 500+ bulk foods and sustainable personal and household products – all 100% plastic free to make your zero-waste journey easier.
Shipping £5.00 but you can name the day
https://thesourcebulkfoods.co.uk
Make Waves Starter Pack https://wearemakewaves.com/
Rather gruesome website that makes it difficult to order individual items. But eventually I got there. L
Our starter packs include 1 applicator and either 1 or 2 refill capsules. ☑️ 100% made in the UK
☑️ Cruelty free & vegan
☑️ Dermatologically tested
☑️ No waste (100% circular refill capsules)
Each refill capsule lasts 4-8 weeks
https://wearemakewaves.com
As ever I’ll be posting my latest plastic free garden finds here and on social media – (most often on Facebook) using the hashtag. #2023plasticfreegarden
Easter Sunday falls on April 9, 2023 so time to get busy. We have a few older ideas to make it less plasticky including refillable eggs and plasticfree sweets. You can find them here.
2023 Update
2023 finds are here
Absolutely disappointed that one of my favourites the M&S Cheese Eggs, with Barber’s Farmhouse Cheddar as whites and a vintage 18-month matured Red Leicester yolk hand-dipped in a duck egg blue wax ‘shell’, does not appear to be the stores. please correct me if I am wrong.
They are doing other plastic free eggs though.
#Easter
Has to be said that egg makers are much more plastic aware these days so you should be able to find one plastic free on the high street.
I am tracking the ones I find.
You can find them and other plastic free easter finds over here on Facebook tagged #plasticfreeeaster2023. Feel free to add your own.
If you can’t, this has to be most ethical, online list of eggs ever – all plastic free and sent to you in plastic-free, onward packaging.
Real Plastic Free
from the website….
We sell Real Foods brand packed in biodegradable cellulose bags We will pack your order using only paper-based materials We are committed to reducing all waste We partner with Real Foods who have been selling natural, organic wholefoods (packed in cellulose) in Edinburgh for over 40 years Real Foods brand is fully accredited by the Soil Association so you can buy our organic products with confidence
Easter Sunday falls on April 9, 2023 so time to start planning.
Absolutely disappointed that one of my favourites the M&S Cheese Eggs, with Barber’s Farmhouse Cheddar as whites and a vintage 18-month matured Red Leicester yolk hand-dipped in a duck egg blue wax ‘shell’, does not appear to be the stores. please correct me if I am wrong.
They are doing other plastic free eggs though.
You can find plastic free easter finds over here on Facebook tagged #plasticfreeeaster2023 Please do add and tag your own finds.
Busy Tagging
Cruising round what’s left of the high street, (use it or loose it), documenting my plastic free finds. Tagging them and posting them on Facebook & Twitter.
So far I’ve used the following
2023
#plasticfreeproducts2023 – for all the plastic free products I’ve source this for this year
Type of products include
#2023plasticfreereusables
#plasticfreesupermarket2023 – type of venue #plasticfree xxxx 2023 – xxxx being the name of the store. So far there’s
(Love to see they still do the loose nuts.) See them here on FB or check out my twitter feed.
To Do
Late to the party but still plenty of time to get involved. Once again Keep Britain Tidy are organising The Great British Spring Clean, a massive litter pick of the U.K.
Back for its eighth year, the Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign.
The Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean 2023 will take place from 17 March to 2 April, and you can pledge to pick up a bag of litter – or more – from today.
“Automation has killed off much of the UK’s industrial heritage, but at MYB Textiles it may just be its saviour. Based in Ayrshire, Scotland, the 100-year-old lacemaker is the only place left in the world working with traditional looms” Read more here
They do the most wonderful but expensive lace made from wool & cotton. Some are 100% natural some have 5% polyester added. The prices are …. well here are some examples
CAMPBELL Material 100% Cotton £104.28 inc VAT
KERRY In the sale Width 152cm Material 95% Cotton/5% Polyester Oat Sky Maize Straw Earth £28.40 inc VAT
RHONA Not in the sale Width 150cm Material 95% Cotton / 5% Polyester £44.30 inc VAT
N.B. lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
Hooray for cakes but increase your chances of a lovely light cake with this plastic-free baking powder.
Ingredients Baking Powder ingredients: Wheat Flour, Raising Agents (sodium pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate). About Baking Powder Classic raising agent for adding to plain flours when making cakes, scones and puddings.
Buy online from Real Plastic Free. They sell almost everything your greedy heart could desire.
As they say ….Why shop with us?
We don’t sell product packed in plastic We sell Real Foods brand packed in biodegradable cellulose bags
We will pack your order using only paper-based materials We are committed to reducing all waste
We partner with Real Foods who have been selling natural, organic wholefoods (packed in cellulose) in Edinburgh for over 40 years
Real Foods brand is fully accredited by the Soil Association so you can buy our organic products with confidence
We only charge fair rates for postage & packing
We really appreciate your custom and work hard to offer you the best prices we can on your plastic free products”
Plus they have a great product range. I use them all the time and they are great.
Potatoes 🥔, apples 🍏, bananas 🍌, carrots 🥕 and onions 🧅 are some of the top-selling fruit & veg products in UK households. It’s estimated that selling these five items loose would:
Prevent an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging from being thrown away.
Avoid more than 77,000 tonnes of food waste by allowing people to buy only what they need.
Save shoppers a combined total of over £85m per year in uneaten food.
Agree that it makes total sense to #ChooseLoose? Then click the link below to join us in calling on the supermarkets to remove the plastic packaging 👇
Outdoor Cushions
So I’m looking for the plastic-free cushions to go on our purpose-built a pergola.
The pergola has been made out of recycled handrails and secondhand Key Klamp fittings. Never worked with these materials before so there have been a few mistakes made. On the whole though pretty happy. It’s extremely easy to put up and very easy to move around and adapt.
The seats are made with pallets we have collected from here and there.They are 80cm wide.
Now I need something to soften the blow. Most out-door cushions are made from waterproof polyester and filled with plastic foam. Obviously waterproof for outside is a good idea. But…. I don’t like synthetic fibres.
However if I go with an all natural fibres cushion than I have to move in the cushions whenever it rains. In the summer there is very little rain so for much of the year I can leave them out. But Winter is cold and wet. Which means they have to be reasonably light weight and not too bulky. We don’t have a huge amount of storage space. They also have to be cheap. And comfortable enough to sleep out on. I was thinking of some kind of cotton roll-up Japanese futon. Here are some interesting options.
Natural Fibre Mattresses
These mattresses from European store Maisons Du Monde look good. They are filled with cotton scraps look nice and firm – but at 70 cm they might be a bit narrow and at 90 they are rather wide. Plus they look rigid and little heavy. I’m guessing I can’t roll these easily. If at all.
€119.00 – 139 Dimensions (cm): Height11 x Width190 x Depth 90 or 70 Weight (kg): 13 or 15 Main Material: Cotton Made In India Product description Additional information 100% cotton Filling : 100% recycled cotton
Much lighter – can be rolled reasonably priced at But thin. Very, very thin. the websites suggests “And stack other mattresses and cushions to provide more comfort.’ – Indeed.Dimensions (cm): Height7.5 x Width190 x Depth90 Weight (kg): 6.5 – Main Material: Cotton Made In India
I am also liking the look of these. They are the right size. They are rigid and weighty so will be bulky to move but perhaps that is a price I have to pay? But at €199.00 the price is not too unreasonable. But at 141 shipping costs I would have to go to Berlin to collect them myself!
From the website
“SLEEP COMFORT: The Vita-line Futon “Model 12” offers rather pure, firm lying feeling. The processed cotton is a traditional filling material for futons and is very resistant. Initially, the futon “Model 12” is 9 – 10 cm high. During the phase of layering, the cotton layers can lose up to 35 % (load dependency) of their initial height, but they become more firm over time and therefore, become more compact. Coconut as a latexed padding material is relatively firm, elastic and dimensionally stable. It is heat-retaining, breathable and resistant to moisture. This futon mattress offers medium-hard sleeping and sitting comfort. The cover is 100 % cotton.
FILLING MATERIAL: 1 Latexed coconut layer 1 cm 4 Cotton layers 1 Latexed coconut layer 1 cm COVER: 100 % cotton Non-removable TOTAL HEIGHT: 9 – 10 cm SPECIAL FEATURE: The Vita-line Futon is adhesive-free.
COLOR RANGE: From plain to colorful: 20 colors for the futon cover are available.
HAND-MADE FUTONS BY FUTON24: The company established in 1996 Futon24 produces high-quality futons and natural mattresses. The “Model 12″ satisfies all sleepers who like it a bit firm. This futon is suitable for tatami (straight, closed supporting surface) and for bed bases and sitting base.”
More Stuff
Hair
Bars not working? You can get Faith In Nature refills for shampoo and conditioner at the panda refill in leeds market. Find them here at https://pandarefillshop.co.uk/ in Leeds. Along with loads of other wonderful things.
It’s the big one of course! Valentine’s Day approaches. We have got plastic free candles to set the mood, flowers without the wrap, chocolates, sweets and cards. Even a few ideas for trash free gifts. If your plastic-free sweetie is also a minimalist, there are some nice alternative ideas! And if all this does the trick, some plastic reduced condoms you can compost. Too much info? Head on over here to get loved up!
While it is still a bit cold to be out there, thoughts now turn to the garden and the seeds that need to be sown for the coming year. You need to start planning ahead for plastic free seedlings. You can buy plastic-free seeds and find instructions on how to make your own paper seedling pots here Plus other great plastic free garden related products.
Planning Next Month
The life #plasticless needs forward planing. Come back for updates on lent and Mothers day
N.B.
Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
And before you go…
If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or
Happy new year dear ones. Love to all and hope this year is everything you wish it to be.
Need A Really Easy & Effective Resolution?
I suggest that anyone in need of a new years resolution should try reducing their plastic trash by just one piece. Perhaps say no to straws in drinks, maybe buy, (and remember to use), some reusable produce bags or find a milkman with refillable glass bottles. This has to be the easiest New Years resolution ever. And so effective. Immediately you are making the world a cleaner place! Just think if every one of Britain’s 64.1 million people did this!
“Almost all Yoga mats currently on sale around the world were made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride: commonly known as “vinyl”)…. In order to make PVC soft and ‘sticky’, as is required for yoga mats, many chemicals are added.”
“Rubber/ latex comes from a tree called Hevea Brasiliensis and is a lectin from the bark…. Trees can be tapped for up to 30 years after which they can be used for building or furniture construction.”
And
“Jute is a sustainable plant that is grown in regions of India and Bangladesh in a 4 month period just prior to the rainy season. It is fast growing and uses land that would otherwise be dormant at that time so increasing revenue for farmers.”
No glues – No animal products – suitable for vegans
biodegradable
EXCELLENT GRIP … even with a sweat
See where the rubber is rather worn
My Review
These mats are it is said less resilient than the PVC mats. Well I guess that would be the case – and isn’t that rather the point? However I’ve been using mine since 2019 and its standing up well to the wear. It’s still good and bouncy and the rubber has not disintegrated. There are a couple of slighty worn patches on the top but I think that’s to be expected as I drag my great feet about.
N.B. It smelt strongly of rubber when I first got it but that has worn off.
Packaging
I bought mine from Yoga Studio – visit their web site here
I was delighted to find it came, unwrapped, in a cardboard box i.e. with no other packaging. There was some plastic tape to seal it but on the whole I was very well pleased. Though that was some time ago. You may wish to check if this is still the case
Price
From Yoga Studio, the Eco Yoga Phoenix Yoga Mat – 6mm, currently retails at £48.00
If you find that a bit pricy you can buy seconds direct from Ecoyoga
So I’ve been using this glass, water-filter jug with plasticless refills. And I am very pleased with the product. Should you feel like buying anyone one here’s my gift to you…25% off with this link .
New In Town
So far have found Both Sainsbury’s and Primark are doing plastic free wrapping paper and gift tags. Yay.
Sellotape once again makes biodegradable cellophane tapes. Well done them.
The moral of this story – change is slow but it does happen. Keep on pushing.
I have seen them loose in Wilco or you can buy a pack of 3 online here
The moral of this story – change is slow but it does happen. Keep on pushing….
And they still have high street stores so you don’t have to worry about that pesky, onward packaging!
They have a wooden advent calendar reusable with little drawers for plastic free treats for each day. sadly the product itself comes in plastic but you will get years of use and … you can’t win them all!
They also have canvas sacks and stockings for the end of the bed. These come in plastic free packing and being canvas are obviously made from natural fibers.
Reason why you want to use natural fibres can be found here. Because no one wants their Christmas socks to last for ever!
Dunhelm Mill are still doing duvets in plastic free packaging. N.B. some of the duvets have man-made fibres in them… but at least the packaging is cardboard.
Packaging – Inner bag: Compostable Recyclable Outer carton: Recyclable. Made from bio-film from renewable sources.Comprises cellulose from wood-pulp, produced in carefully managed plantations Compostable certified by the EU and the USA
You can buy it and lots more here….
Real Plastic Free
We sell Real Foods brand packed in biodegradable cellulose bags We will pack your order using only paper-based materials We are committed to reducing all waste We partner with Real Foods who have been selling natural, organic wholefoods (packed in cellulose) in Edinburgh for over 40 years Real Foods brand is fully accredited by the Soil Association so you can buy our organic products with confidence
Biodegradable products break down through a naturally occurring microorganism into simple, stable compounds which can be absorbed into the ecosystem.More about biodegrading here
What is compostable?
To be classed compostable, items must biodegrade within a certain time (around the rate at which paper biodegrades), and the resulting biomass must be free of toxins, able to sustain plant life and be used as an organic fertilizer or soil additive. For a man-made product to be sold as compostable, it has to meet certain standards. One such is the European Norm EN13432. You can find out more here.
Talking of composting, theres a new logo on the block. “The Home Compostable verification logo clearly identifies and differentiates packaging materials as biodegradable and home compostable. This means that the biodegradable packaging will break down under specific home composting conditions back into water, carbon dioxide (CO2) and biomass.”
N.B. lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
wanted to buy a phone case for a while but biodegradable ones are pricey. One cracked screen later and so glad them to come across these.
“Mobile phone case by eplanita is made from wheat straw that is completely biodegradable and recyclable TPU. This combination makes the mobile case kind to the environment. The iPhone case will only start the degradation process once under the soil or in a commercial compost.
Resilient and Durable
Shock Absorbing TPU
Raised Edges
Slightly Matted Texture
Anti Fingerprints, Scratches, Stains
12 Months Warranty”
Prices are very reasonable iPhone XS Max eco case £9.99
The packaging is all recycled card
Also on Amazon Europe & USA
I had to buy mine from Amazon (I Know – reasons!), so the onward packaging was cardboard too.
Found a company here that sells all kinds of biodegradable things and sends them a packaging free including compostable mobile phone covers which is what I’m interested in
0% plastic. Made from 100% plants
Designed and produced in Sweden
29 vibrant designs
100% compostable
Recycle your case and get a new one at any time with A Good Loop
How to recycle: Compostable but we ask you to use A Good Loop
Thats a company that’s serious about accountability.
What is Wheat Straw Plastic?
Wheat straw plastic is a renewable and sustainable alternative to some solid plastics
is BPA free and is a food-grade material that has been approved by the FDA.
a natural by-product of wheat production.
is completely biodegradable. Better yet, wheat straw plastic products can also be melted back into a pulp and used again to create new products.
Wheat straw can be composted at home in a compost heap as well as commercially at a suitable recycling centre.
Advantages include…
“By using this agricultural waste product, there is less need to cut down forests to produce the paper we need.
Being a profitable source of income for agricultural farmers means they can sell this waste product instead of having to burn it. The benefit is less air pollution and less CO2 being deposited into the atmosphere.”
Read full article here https://wastenil.com/is-wheat-straw-biodegradable/
About Compostable Plastics Compostable plastics come in various forms and could replace most non biodegradable plastics. You can read all about compostable plastics here
Home Compostable? Many products ( especially compostable plastics), have been tested under industrial composting conditions. Therefore, while a product might be classed as both biodegradable and compostable, it might not break down in a backyard compost bin. That said I have composted many such products in my own bin.
Welcome to our monthly round-up of news and products.
Yes I know its Summer but this month I am busy buying jumpers. There’s no trusting the British weather.
We update it as we go along so do check back for our latest finds. and you can subscribe to get our monthly updates delivered to your virtual door. There’s a subscription form at the bottom of the page.
My Woolovers cardigan has turned up. Hooray. A kitted hoodie. the best of all worlds.
I ordered from them because the garment is made from natural fibres and they send their cardigans out in almost plastic free packaging.
The sealing strip and some thread reinforcement on the top were the only plastic to be found on the outer paper bag.
This was exciting enough but I opened it to see the cardigan itself packed in a degradable compostable cornstarch back. People will tell you that you cannot compose them in your garden composter. They are wrong I have composed of many of these bags.
The label was cardboard and attached with string
The receipt, sadly, had a plastic liner attached. I don’t really know why.
But on the whole a fantastic effort.
They also make a range of other environmental claims including
We will ensure at least 95% of our collections are made from natural fibres.
We will use more recycled yarns.
We will replace our garment care labels & tickets with a natural alternative.
They sell other plastic free products. I got these tea lights in cardboard a box.
About
Langholm CapitalWoolOvers is a UK based direct-to-customer retailer of own-brand knitwear and jersey apparel. It was founded in 1989 and acquired by Langholm Capital in 2015.
Welcome to our monthly round-up of news and products. We update it as we go along so do check back for our latest finds. and you can subscribe to get our monthly updates delivered to your virtual door. There’s a subscription form at the bottom of the page.
Off to Leeds Kirkgate Market, Covered Market City Center, to buy some woolen fabric.
I used to go to Jacks, a small stall, selling all types of fabric, including end of line remnants of Yorkshire made wooden fabric. Not any more. They have closed.
Other fabric stalls include B&M who do a great range which you can preview via their Facebook page. handy.
BUT they nolonger sell wool.
So I was extremely glad to see Fletchers Fabrics were selling lovely fine wool at the bargain price of £5 a meter.
I stocked up on supplies and as usual I’ve got rather too much.
However I have made myself a pair of very lovely pants.
Here is an introduction to why you might want to, and how you can, start sewing plastic free. Plus all mysewing projects to date. Read More
Weighing My Fabric
I am recording my fabric usefor sewing differently. In the past I weighed finished article of clothing. However this did not take into account all the offcuts. Which are considerable.
So when sewingam now weighing the fabric piece before I start and counting the whole.
This is because I keep a track of all the fabric are use. Or rather all the fibres I use both natural and synthetic. Why? Because I want to see if I can live within my global share.
My Global Share
As an experiment I have pledged to use no more than my fair global share of fibres Whats a global share? Currently the global consumption of clothing works out (roughly) at 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres. Why not just use 11 .74 kg of natural fibres?
Fabric production like everything has an environmental impact and carbon footprint, a rather large one actually. I would argue that it is not sustainable for us all to have 11.74 kg of natural fibres a year. This is one of the promoted benefits of plastic, that it takes the pressure off natural resources.
Synthetic fabrics mean less land grab to grow cotton. But synthetic fabrics like any other plastic are massively polluting.
So if we cannot produce more, we have to consume less. This is how the equation works for me: We cannot exceed current levels of production: We cannot expect others to want less than we have: We cannot swamp the market with synthetics: Therefore I have to live with my global share of natural fibres. But can it be done?
I have no idea how this works under carpet because I don’t do carpet but it might be useful for those of you looking for a sustainable underlay. However I can tell you that so far it has done an excellent job of insulating our van
When converting our empty steel box of a van into a cosy camper home we had to line it with some form of installation.
Two downsides…on closer inspections I saw what appeared to be some synthetic fibres in there. On asking I was told that it was guaranteed 80% wool but some synthetics did slip in.
Anyway 2 years ago I glued it to the van where it still remains. It does indeed keep the van warm and or cool. So far so good.
It now needs to be counted as part of my fair share fabric I guess?
1588 grams per m2 15m2 on a roll is a whopping 23.83 kg. Obviously that is to be devided between natural and synthetic and the 2 of us using the van.
Comes in at 11.92
At 80% wool that 9.53 natural fibres. Yikes!
The next question is how do I count it as part of my fair share fabrics. As it is incorporated into the van I suppose I would have to do divide the weight of the material over the years I use the van and if of course I sell the van on and it would no longer be my fabric.
Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
And before you go…
If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or