Freezing left over food or taking it into work
People tended to make more use of local shops and markets, using
refill schemes and bringing along their own containers to be
refilled for all sorts of things from their lunchtime sandwiches
through to refills from the local delicatessen.
There was a lot more home cooking and where products came in
disposable packaging, some people chose to make their own instead,
including making home made yoghurt, bread and pasta.
Some parents with young children used reusable nappies which
helped to keep a significant amount of waste out of the bin.
Everyone was very conscious about avoiding packaging and buying
food such as vegetables loose wherever possible.
Regular recyclers found that there was still more that they
could recycle and people with old compost bins started using them
again, with other people ordering new ones for the first time.
One of the biggest challenges for people was remembering and
thinking ahead and one participant coined the phrase 'Precycle,' as
a reminder that it's easier to reduce waste if you plan ahead, such
as remembering to take a bag out with you when you go shopping.
Overall, everyone saw huge reductions in the amount they threw
in the bin even if they were already doing a lot to start with and
a lot of people we have spoken to intend to carry on with some of
the changes they have made.
The weeks have been a great success and encouraged everyone to
look at how they can reduce what goes in the bin. Several
people commented that they now recycle things they didn't think
about before the zero waste week.
Zero waste week demonstrated that for a short time such as a
week, it is possible to dramatically reduce the amount of waste you
throw away and each year we're hoping to build on
this success!
For further information about the week please go to
Zero Waste Challenge Week and
Zero Waste Challenge Week Guidance and Tips.
