Which wrap should you choose? Well we prefer reusables over all else so here are some wraps you can use over and over again…
Reusable Wraps
Wrap your presents in cloth and tie with string
Or just use cloth and the ancient Japanese method of knotting. Called furoshiki. YOu can find more info here .
Make or buy reusable crackle paper made from recycled tents.
Make or buy a fabric gift bag
Try this stretch wrap from Wragwrap
fabric bottle bag from Wragwrap
Crackle Paper
I have to admit to using synthetic tents. I feel this is one instance where plastic really is the best product for the job, (remembers sleeping under canvas and shudders #plasticweuse). But what to do when your trusty old tent is no longer up to the job. Well you could re- use it to make crinkly sounding wrapping paper. Or if you don’t camp, or sew, you could buy some recycled Glastonbury tent wraps form these guys….
FESTIWRAP
FestiWraps are made from tents, discarded at UK music festivals such as Lattitude and Glastonbury, and then collected by us. Tents that cannot be recovered by charities and would normally be sent to landfill, are collected, cleaned and used to create fabulous reusable gift wrap. The wrap itself is made from two outer layers of tent fabric sandwiched around a piece of ground sheet. This creates a crinkly sound like paper folding and un-folding, bringing the emotional sounds and experience of a wrapped gift to life. The fastening cord, which makes the FestiWrap so quick and easy to use, is made from the recovered tent guy ropes. You can buy here.
More
You can find other gift wrap options here, plus biodegradable sticky tape, string and pretty ties
And you can read up more about special days and general partying here.
Jerry Bottles
Jerry sell sustainable steel water bottles to raise funds for water projects around the world. They love water so much that they give away 100% of their profits to bring water to those that don’t have it.
We sell steel water bottles to raise funds for water projects. We are committed to promoting the #zerowaste movement and encouraging a cultural shift towards re-useables and sustainability.
Links – twitter – Facebook etc
https://twitter.com/jerrybottles
https://www.facebook.com/jerrybottles/
https://www.instagram.com/jerrybottle/
Please note…
This post was written by the contributor and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
Menstrual Pants
Menstrual pants are knickers you wear during your period. They come with inbuilt protection. Some can be worn instead of a pad or tampon. All provide additional security against leaks.
Already popular in Asian countries they can now be bought in the US. You can read some reviews here.
But as far as I know there is no UK based provider. Until now.
Hi, my name is ruby, co-founder of WUKA Wear.
In the last 50 years there has been little innovation in menstrual products and we have been stuck with the same which contain huge about if plastic and silica gels that gets end up in landfill of down to our rivers and seas.
Every-year, in the UK 200,000 tonnes of pads and tampons ends up in landfill and 2 Billion sanitary items are flushed down the toilet leading to polluted rivers and seas. This is also major reason of death of millions of birds and sea creature.
A person can use up to 16,000 tampons or pads in a lifetime. We are reusable, one set of 3 underwear replaces two years worth of disposables. We are the only reusable period underwear which completely replaces disposable tampons and pads, helping us to be kinder to the planet for us and future generations. We are made up of eco-fabric called Tencel made from sustainable Eucalyptus tree.
We are reusable and allow free-flowing, the benefits of which are huge and eliminates any potential health risks.
We are designed and manufactured in Nepal so our product is made to the highest standards and supports small communities through sustainable employment.
WUKA wear is being created so anyone menstruating can have an ultra-luxurious, hygienic, comfortable and an eco-friendly period – because we care about our bodies and the planet.
we are currently not at the market but coming soon via Kickstarter.
If you like what we do and looking for alternative menstrual product that is good for you and your planet, then please get in touch with us @ www.wuka.co.uk
Follow us Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @wukawear
More
Find out about plasticfree and reusable menstrual products here
Easter
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.
Eggs
Easter egg makers are far more environmentally aware than they used to be and it is now easily possible to buy plastic free eggs if you look for them.
If you cant find anything on your local shops these people supply plastic free food on line. Bet they have something…
Online Plasticfree food
This is an interesting option that allows you to buy basic foods on line plastic free. You can even use your own produce bags. Read more HERE
Refillable Eggs
An even greener option is to have a reusable, refillable egg. For example…
You can buy papier-mâché eggs like these… online from here
If your decorating skills leave something to be desired you could try these Beatrix Potter tins can be bought here
There are lots more on eBay and Amazon
Obviously the packaging might be plasticky but contact the supplier and see what they can do. If nothing then console yourself with the thought of all the future plastic you will be saving by going for a reusable.
Then you fill them with sweets and chocolates….
Sweets & Chocolate
You can still buy sweets loose in shops and even some supermarkets. I have seen those pastel chocolate eggs available which are of course ideal.
you can find loose sweets and ethical chocolate here
Or if you are feeling ambitious you try your hand at #plasticfree truffles – egg shaped of course. Find the recipe here.
Don’t Like Sweets?
But one of my favourites has to be the M&S Cheese Eggs! yes. M&S has launched a pack of six wax-covered Mini Cheesy 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’ and sold in what looks like a cardboard box. For obvious reasons I can’t get out to check.
Don’t like Cheese? Gasp! Flowers are always nice….
Flowers are always a lovely way to celebrate Easter for older or less chocolate orientated people. But gettting them plastic free can be tricky…..
More Special Days, Gifting & Parties
More Special Days, Gifting & Parties
How to special celebrations like Halloween and Christmas. Also those general chocolates/ flowers kind of days.
Plus gifting plastic free. Tips on cards, wrapping, sticky tape and others.
And of course how to party plastic free. The booze, the cocktail shaker the disposable cutlery. Then, when everyone goes home – finally, how to wash up.
See all our posts HERE
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
Christmas Crackers Reusable
As they sound – a cracker that can be used over and over again. Probably not completely plastic free, (those ribbons look synthetic), but a great way of reducing your trash.
These are made by a UK company Keep This Cracker. The following was taken from their website.
What makes our Gift Box Crackers so unique?
Slide open the box and it goes Bang! just like a cracker. Fill with your own gifts and personalise them for any occasion. Easy to reuse just feed a new snap into the slots at each end.
Sadly it looks as though the crackers come in plastic packaging. Check with the supplier…
I haven’t actually used these but you read about Westywrites experiences with reusable christmas crackers here.
Fill
You could fill them with plastic free sweets if you can’t find suitable gifts.
There are loads of printable joke sheets up on Pinterest. They are truly corny. But they come with snowmen. Here’s and example.
Make
And if you are crafty you can make your own crackers. I have never done this but there are instructions up on Pinterest. Looks fiddly to me! You can buy cracker snaps from craft shops and on line.
Buy
You can buy crackersnaps and more reusable crackers from Amazon. You can read about our Amazon links here.
 |
 |
 |
| Refillable Crackers – Bundle of 6 snaps £2.50 |
Refillable Crackers 4 Packs (Folk Green) £12.75 |
Refillable Crackers 4 Packs (Ornate Jade) £12.75 |
More
You can find lots more plastic free Christmas tips here…
And you can read up more about special days and general partying here.
Advent Calendars
Covered in plastic and full of trashy sweets, they just add to the huge amounts of Christmas rubbish. So here are a few plastic free ideas.
The cheapest and easiest way is to make your own fabric calendar that can be rolled up and stored taking up minimum space.
This has to be one of the simpler design on the internet but just in case you cant work out how it’s done, here are the instructions.
If you don’t have a sewing machine try a fray free fabric like felt, some big hand stitching and glue and make one like this on pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com.
Kits & Ready Made
You can buy fabric kits that contain with everything you need to sew your own, plus instructions. Cut out and assemble. Easy as.
You can also buy fabric calendars ready made.
These are available from Amazon. more details here
If you really don’t like sewing, try a toilet roll advent calendar. You can find out more from www.oh-write.blogspot.
But this one has to be my absolute favourite. Little individual wrapped presents hung on a stick. So cute.
It is featured along with other wonderful if rather intimidating ideas here on Pinterest
If you don’t have the time or inclination, you can get wooden calenders with little drawers that you can use year after year.
These too are available from Amazon. more details here
Treats
You will need to get some little plastic free treats – sweets are always good and easy to get hold of.
Or little gift vouchers for fun things to do…..
More
You can find lots more plastic free Christmas tips here…
And you can read up more about special days and general partying here.
Produce Bags Cotton From Spain
Co/Fo sell produce bags made from 100% organic cotton bags.
They are well made, in a range of handy sizes packed in beautifully design, printed carry cases, (printed with 100% water based, non toxic ink).
The smaller bags have a metal toggle closure, the larger have a draw string.
They all have tags with the weight of the bag clearly marked so you can ask for it to be subtracted from the total weight of your purchases.
Check out the range
CO/FO Fruit and Vegetable bags.
Set of 4 Fruit and Vegetable bags and 1 cotton carrier/storage case.
Drawstring bag
Individual bag size: 30 x 35cm
Tare weight: 30 grams
Grains, Rice & Bean Bags
Set of 4 bags stored in a cotton carrier case. Individual bag size: 20 x 30
Tare weight: 20 grams
Metal closure keeps bag sealed tight, not letting any items escape.
Label loop allows you to hold the bag easily.
Nuts & Dried Fruit bags / Set of 4
A Set of four 100% Organic Cotton bags for your dried fruits, nuts, candy and more…
Individual bag size: 17 x 20 cm
Tare weight: 15 grams
Extra Large CO/FO Bread bag with drawstring closure.
Set comes with two different bags – A large bag for bread loafs, potatoes or large vegetables, and one long baguette bag that easily fits 2 french baguettes.
Carrier Bag
And you can take all your shopping home in their great shopper that waxes lyrical about the joys of shopping fresh, the smell of crusty bread and other delights. I was carrying a weeks worth of baked beans in mine but still…..
Mission Statement
But they are not just pretty bags, Co/Fo have a mission.
In their own words……
Based in Barcelona, CO/FO is the brainchild of Tina Ziegler and was created in response to the urgent need to raise awareness about plastic pollution while drawing attention to our daily habits that collectively form part of the global environmental problem.
As part of this they run various projects including the great plastic of our lives, a collection of photos of people and their trash – a weeks worth of plastic that is.
If you want to get yourself some good-looking, reusable produce bags and do your bit in the battle, go to the Co/Fo store
You can read up about other kinds of produce bags here
And loads of other ways to wrap it up, plastic free right here
Do Your Bit Produce bags
DoYourBit is an organic cotton reusable bag company locally run in the UK that aims to put an end to the excessive amount of plastic packaging we find in shops and supermarkets like Tesco or Asda. The goal is to focus on package-free items which produce zero waste. From fruits and veg to bread or nuts, to be used for non-food items or also as gift wrap instead of using the disposable one time use stuff most people use nowadays – you can use these bags any way you wish!
Originally from Canada but now living in the UK, when I first moved here it came as a shock to me how much plastic there was and how few zero waste options there were. I began searching and it wasn’t even possible to buy produce bags locally. I had to order them online and have them shipped from elsewhere in Europe. Since then, I decided to start up DoYourBit with the hope of spreading the word of using less plastic disposables and creating change in a world where plastic is everywhere. My goal is to help everyone do THEIR bit to reduce the environmental impact they have on the planet.
Not only is DoYourBit a local company but the material is also locally sourced from a fair traded fabric company which helps us do our bit by buying locally as well! You can use these bags for everything; at the bakery, farmer’s markets, supermarkets etc. They are 100% handmade and machine washable.
Details:
- Drawstring bag 34x28cm (with olive green cord)
- Sets of 3 or 5 bags available
*Different bags sizes can be requested and custom-made for customers
For more information, you can visit DoYourBit at
FB @doyourbituk
Instagram @doyourbit.uk
Etsy doyourbit.etsy.com
Ebay ‘DoYourBit produce bags’
More
You can find more reusable produce bags here
And check out our guide to buying food plastic free here…
Loose Food A to Z
Find out if a shop near you sells bulk food loose. This is stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged ie rice, pasta and salt. And yes these shops do exist in the U.K. There’s just not many of them. Heres a list of towns with shops selling loose food, organised alphabetically.
Please note…
This post was written by the contributor and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
Razor
Shaving is a big part of almost every adults life wether a beard or a bikini line. Back in the day razors were reusable items now of course they are plastic and throwaway. Obviously something has to done about this. Both the husband and I have trialled the razors on the market. Heres a quick synopsis of our findings:
Not shaving:
Electric reusable razor – plastic but long lasting – my preferred option.
Metal safety razor with a reusable body and a disposable metal blade – did not work for either of us:
Metal cut throat razor with a blade you can sharpen – way too scary for us:
Disposable razor – the husbands preferred options but he has found ways to extend life and reduce use:
Not Shaving…Happy Days Of Hairy Legs
Razors always gave me a horrible shaving rash so I stopped shaving my legs. This was back in the 80’s when I was a student. In those days and social circles it was perfectly acceptable to stomp round in D.M.s, proudly sporting fuzzy legs. How I miss them. But times change and so do bodies. Now everyone is depilated to within an inch of their labia and with age my leg hair has got thicker and blacker. While I would never go for a Brazilian I did feel the pressure at work to shave my legs. And I gave in. It was that kind of job and office.
Electric Shaver
But age did not change my extreme reaction to razors so for a long time I waxed. Then one day I tried an electric razor. Wahey. No shavers rash at all. I know that an electric razor is made from plastic but my battery operated Phillips has lasted years and is still going strong. I appreciate that shaving your legs is not absolutely essential but there is a strong social pressure to do so. I think a reusable plastic shaver is plastic fairly used. What do you say?
A Dry Shave Is A Greener Shave
PLUS an electric shave is a dry shave which cuts down on your hot water use. Apparently the most carbon intensive part of your shave is the hot water used. Wet shaves are way less green. You can read more about this here.
You can read more about the plastic we use here….
Metal Safety Razor 
This has a metal body and takes double sided, disposable metal blades which you have to replace.
Husband being a tightwad he bought a rattly old thing from an Indian bazaar. he hated it. I spent ages trying to persuade him to give the metal razor another go. My argument is he bought a rubbishy, cheap thing and paid the price. His argument was TWENTY FIVE QUID FOR A RAZOR. And yes they are expensive. But that said you save loads on the blades over time and of course cut your waste. Finally I made and executive decision and went and bought him one.
Using A Safety Razor
Well neither of us could get the hang of the safety razor. Hubby still cut himself to bits I still got a revolting shaving rash But there are others out there who swear by them. Check this out
Reviews
After posting about our close shaves with a razor in some of my favourite zero waste groups, I got loads of positive responses. FYI I have quoted some below. Thank you for taking the time guys….
“I love my safety razor i use it with my homemade coconut oil soap as it lathers well. (On my legs and underarms) yes i do shave slightly slower but have never cut myself (well not so far!)”
Others say that you have “to get the angle right when shaving, and it is a difference since you don’t need to apply any pressure to the handle. I just let it glide along the skin and it works great, the one and only cut I got was when I turned the angle too sharp and pressed down by accident.”
Buy
I got a Merkur Razor. It is a metal razors with disposable old style double-edged blades from our local hardware (Huddersfield) shop which is wonderful.
But I could have got him a Mutiny Box Shaving Kit. These guys are ” Anti-corporate! Anti-plastic! Anti-animal testing! Vegan friendly! Carbon Neutral! Yoghurt-knitting! Lentil-weaving! Tree-hugging! Wet shavers!”
And they sell a shaving kit which as long as you don’t mind the synthetic bristles (plastic) in the shaving brush, is almost plastic free. I haven’t used them so cannot judge the quality but I like their style.
And at 24.99 very reasonable indeed. Check out the website…
Ebay
You can also get razors, and the replacement blades, on Ebay.
Blade Plastic Spoiler
Sometimes the blades will come in a plastic box but it is possible to get them in cardboard. I quote from Facebook here: “I’ve been buying blades from http://www.shavelounge.co.uk/and they have free delivery in the uk. I bought a package of different kinds of blades since I wanted to try them out and they all came in cardboard and individually wrapped in paper.”
Straight Razor
Seems the hard-core, zero-waste find the safety razor too easy and have moved on to a straight razor which, (I think), is also known as a cut throat razor. Yes one of those Sweeney Tod things.
For the love of pies why?
Because “it gives me a closer shave and cause I don’t have to change a blade.” Rather “you just have to sharpen it every once in a while and use a strop at home before each use to align the blade.”
And not just for the gents but “a small Dovo made for women that I adore, it’s great for getting to the back of the knee and the bikini.”
Any one fancy guest posting on the straight razor? I would love to know more but I am never, ever going to try myself. I say I am clumsy is to understate. Currently got two fingers wrapped in plasters from a rather nasty paper cut! Quite frankly I would prefer to look like a monkey then return of the mummy.
Disposable Razor
Husband went back to disposable blades limited his use of them by growing a beard. So on trend!
For the few bits he still has to shave he used a Gillette blades with the reusable handle. Being, as already stated, careful in the wallet region he hoards those heads and uses them for ever.
Read this Indestructables post on how to keep your blade sharp for months .
Or you could invest in a Razor Saver “The Stay Sharp Razor Saver keeps your blades clean and free of hair, skin and soap buildup that lead to dull blades and uncomfortable shaves. Patented friction technology cleans and sharpens to make you feel like you’re shaving with a brand new blade, every day! Works with all men’s and women’s blades including cartridge, disposable and double edge blades, and guaranteed to extend the life of your razor up to 6 times your normal use.”
You can further cut your plastic by getting a “Beautiful, Oiled Beechwood Handle, Fits Mach3 Blades” They also do oak and olive wood.
Paper versus plastic versus reusables
So if I don’t want to use plastic bags then would I suggest using paper as an alternative? Well actually no I wouldn’t.
Cutting down trees to make disposable paper products is very bad for the environment
Converting hard wood into paper bags is difficult work and results in more pollution than making a plastic bag.
Heres are some statistics are quoted on Wikipedia
- Pulp mills contribute to air, water and landpollution. Discarded paper is a major component of many landfill sites, accounting for about 35 percent by weight of municipal solid waste (before recycling).[1] Even paper recyclingcan be a source of pollution due to the sludge produced during de-inking.[2]
- Pulp and paper is the third largest industrial polluter to air, water, and land in both Canada and the United States, and releases well over 100 million kg of toxic pollution each year.[5]
- Worldwide, the pulp and paper industry is the fifth largest consumer of energy, accounting for four percent of all the world’s energy use. The pulp and paper industry uses more water to produce a ton of product than any other industry.[6]
That’s not to say that plastic is a clean product but most sources agree it takes less resources to produce a plastic bag than a paper bag.
It also takes less resources to transport them. Paper is much heavier than plastic, more bulky and more expensive to move.
It is often argued that plastic bags are more likely to be reused usually as bin liners or as dog poop bags. If recycled bags were not available, users would have to buy plastic bin liners and poop bags new. Which means f course that plastic bags are still being used but in a less sustainable way.
But not all plastic bags are reused as bin liners and not everyone has a dog. Many bags are used once and then discarded.If all plastic bags were recycled say their advocates they would beat paper bags hands down. But they are not. Most end up in landfill some end up as litter. Not all paper bags are recyled either but if they are dropped as litter they quickly biodegrade. Plastic bags do not and accumulate in the environment with serious consequences.
Indicator of Environmental Impact |
Plastic bag |
|
| Consumption of nonrenewable primary energy |
1.0 |
1.1 |
| Consumption of water |
1.0 |
4.0 |
| Climate change (emission of greenhouse gases) |
1.0 |
3.3 |
| Acid rain (atmospheric acidification) |
1.0 |
1.9 |
| Air quality (ground level ozone formation) |
1.0 |
1.3 |
| Eutrophication of water bodies * |
1.0 |
14.0 |
| Solid waste production |
1.0 |
2.7 |
| Risk of litter |
1.0 |
0.2 |
The Scottish Report (2005) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/57346/0016899.pdf
But while paper is more environmentally damaging, plastic pollution is reaching unacceptable levels and has to be tackled.
We have to stop using plastic to make disposable bags. We have to find sustainable alternatives.
Reusables Rather Than Disposables
For all the above I would be cautious about suggesting paper disposables as an alternative to plastic disposables.
My solution would be to replace all disposables with reusables whenever possible.
Where disposables are offered they should be biodegradable and certified compostable so if they do end up as litter they will cause no damage to environment. I believe the current end problems of plastic pollution are greater than the initial problems of paper production pollution.
I would suggest
- limited use of paper bags
- limited use of compostable plastics such as PLA plastic.
Bag Tax
However it is a very close call and the problems of paper pollution are big and not to be ignored. Nor would I like to see compostable plastic used to excess.
I would see all disposable packaging reduced as much as possible. Products should be sold loose and all onward packaging should have a clean up tax attached i.e. All bags and packaging have to be paid for.
People bringing their own bags and packaging would obviously not have to pay
Reusable versus plastic bag case study….
The Environment Agency a UK government body has done a Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags Report SC030148 Read the report your self right here. It claims you would have use a cotton bag 393 times before its environmental impact equalled that of plastic bags.
Here are their maths….
It takes less resources to make one plastic bag then it does to make a reusable cotton bag.
Therefore a cotton bag has to be used 131 times before it equals a plastic bag.
If the plastic bags are then reused twice (so they are used 3 times in total) the cotton bag has to be used 393 times before it equals the environmental impact of the 131 polythene bags used 3 times each.
If the plastic bag is reused as a bin liner ( which is what most people do with them) then it is 327 times.
Do your cotton bags fall apart after 393 uses? Fall apart so badly they cannot be repaired? Mine don’t.
I have fair-trade organic string bags which I bought back in 2006 when I started my boycott. I am still using them and the cotton produce bags I bought at the same time 6 years later ( and still now in 2015 come to that) .
Here are my maths….
Say I use one string bag 3 times a week. That would be for the weekly supermarket shop, the trips to the local butchers and green grocers, town on a Saturday to get library books and bits and bobs, carrying cabbages from the allotment, carrying cushions and all the other gubbins you use a bag for.
So say I use one string bag a very conservative 3 times a week over 52 weeks, (and the bag does go away with us and has been all round the world ), I will use that bag at least 156 times a year in total
Over 6 years I will have used that bag 936 times. My cotton bag is already 3 times greener than the plastic alternative and is good for many years yet. Actually it is even greener. You can get so much more in a string bag then a plastic bag. My string bag is worth at least 1 1/2 plastic bags for capacity.
When my bag does fall apart I will reuse it as a net to grow beans up then eventually compost it in my own compost bin.
Conclusions
If I didn’t have a reusable bag I would have to have used 312 plastic bags 3 times each in that time.
That’s 312 bags in the trash to be disposed of. They will most likely be landfilled or incinerated. Some of them might have blown off the truck during transportation. Wind blown refuse is a documented cause of litter.
Because we spend a lot of time abroad, some of them would have gone into bins in isolated villages in remote parts of the world – places that lack a waste collection service. Those bins would have been emptied into the river.
Produce bags…
As for produce bags; does any one reuse a produce bag 3 times – I don’t think so. Once as a dog poop bag maybe. But even if you do my cotton bags still win hands down.
Some Alternatives
Glasses / Tumblers/ Pint Pots
When we go travelling, camping, partying or picniking, we take our own steel tumblers for wine and other beverages. They don’t smash like glass and are light weight and easy to carry.
Tumblers
These glass size tumblers are great. We got ours in India. You can often find something similar in Indian/Asian shops.
Pint Pots
At festivals we like to drink pints. But they often come in plastic. Forget festivals even. In the U.K. there is a worrying trend in pubs to serve drinks in plastic pots, especially if you are drinking outside. It is really horrid. So we need to take our own pint pots out with us and preferably something that won’t break in our bag and cant be used in a street fight!
We did consider buying a Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Pint Cup. This holds just under a pint and is made of stainless steel BUT we had serious reservations that have prevented a purchase. First it’s not quite a pint, second it is imported from America and finally they are very expensive. The cheapest is being sold £7.95 per glass. Not that green and frankly over our budget.
So we stopped going to festivals (increasingly more than we can afford) and try to drink in pubs that serve in glasses.
Glogg Pots
However Glogg felt our pain and came up with some proper, U.K pint pots made from stainless steel, right here in England. And at £5.00 a pot – just about affordable! Wahey!
This is from the website….
Sustainable
- Stainless steel is the no-compromise alternative to disposable paper or reusable plastic cups
- Diverts landfill waste with each use
Durable
- Can be reused indefinitely
- Won’t deteriorate over time
Safe
- Constructed from certified 304L food grade stainless steel
- Won’t shatter like glass or shard like plastic
UK Designed and Made
- Quality, without compromise
- Supporting British jobs, skills and industry
- Reduced environmental impact compared to Far East imports
- UK trading standards compliant for sale of alcoholic drinks
Buy
You can buy from the website…. or via Amazon.
Onward Packaging
I wrote to them about their packaging and here’s the reply
Our pint cups have taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to turn into a reality and we are immensely proud of them!
All cups bought from our website just come in a cardboard posting box with no extra packaging at all. While we are not wholly against plastic, we are very much against waste of any kind and it just isn’t necessary to send people packaging they are simply going to send to landfill. Of course, the box can be reused or recycled.
We do also sell through Amazon fulfilment centres and, unfortunately, cups sent to Amazon have to be in plastic bags to comply with their regulations. We never purchase plastic though, we always reuse bags from elsewhere. The local printers we work with often have products that come to them individually packaged but that don’t need to be repackaged once printed, so we use bags that they no longer need. We know it isn’t ideal but it is the best we can do to avoid waste.
Hopefully that tells you what you need to know but feel free to come back to me at any point with any other questions.
Using Them
There is of course no guarantee that you can use them in the pub of your choice. Pubs often have funny ideas about using and then reusing pint pots. But the more of us keep on asking the more likely change is. See you at the bar!
More
If none of the above suit I have tried to source some alternatives. Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source.
Plastic Reusable Branded Glasses 
If you are having a big party or event you might consider theses reusable branded cups. Yes they are plastic but they get reused throughout the night and can be kept at the end as a keepsake. A great compromise where glass cannot be used but disposables are just too wasteful.
Compostable Disposables
If you really must use disposables here are some compostable options….
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If none of the above suit I have tried to source some alternatives. Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source.
If you can’t buy local, I have put together and Amazon catalogue. Yes I know…
Do note – I have not used these myself so I cannot say how well they perform or what the onward packaging is like. You will have to check with the suppliers. Any one who has tried them, can review them or can recommend some other great product please do leave a comment. Together we can make changes.
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| Primeshop-30ml Stainless Steel Tumblers Gla… | ||
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| InterDesign Polished Stainless Steel Forma … £10.49 |
Audi Stainless Steel Tumbler | Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Pint Cup – 47… £8.48 Not quite a pint, pint tumbler. Read the reviews. |
If you buy a product via this link we may one day get an affiliation fee. That’s not why we do it. Good job as we never have made enough to get paid. We do it to show what is available
Chop Sticks Folding
The curse of the plastic chopstick wrapper means that eating plastic-free South East Asian style can be hard work. So too can carrying full size chopsticks – they are too long and pointy for comfort. So it’s a big cheer for the clever Chinese for these push and click “folding” chopsticks.
Open them up slide them together and they are full size sticks. Pull them apart and seal them in the handy carrying pouch and they are easily transportable little things of beauty. Made of stainless steel and wood they look and feel good.
They are also great for taking to places closer to home where they give you those disposable chopsticks.
We got ours in Beijing but you can of course get them on Amazon.
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| Lifeventure Knife, Fork, Spoon Folding Cutl… | Travel Stainless Steel Foldable Pocket Chop… |
Being committed to local shopping I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source.
If you can’t buy local, please do check the links in the posts. They link direct to the suppliers. Do consider buying from them and support their online businesses.
If you can’t do that then I have put together and Amazon catalogue. Yes I know…
Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them. Heres why I went ahead….. No we are not entirely happy with Amazons recent history. However these links are for 3rd party sellers, we have always found the Amazon service to be good and their packaging usually compostable. In the absence of anything else we feel we can recommend them.
If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. That’s not why we do it.
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Also useful is folding cutlery and tiffin tins. Here’s the rest of our plastic free travel kit