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We are the Zero Wastrels…

We all know we need to use less single-use plastic. But it’s easier said than done. Here we’ll chronicle the experiences we’ve had so far: the triumphs and the setbacks. If it’s useful to others, that’s great – and if you have any advice or hacks, let us know. Together we can achieve great things. […]

The Greenhouse: A Zero-Waste Fringe Venue

The Greenhouse is a pop-up theatre, located under Edinburgh’s Salisbury Crags in the grounds of Our Dynamic Earth. Made entirely from found and recycled materials, it resembles nothing so much as an attractively ramshackle allotment shed – but it represents a whole lot more. The brainchild of BoxedIn Theatre and supported by The Pleasance, The […]

Drinking at the Fringe

As Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall said on a recent visit to the Fringe: ‘It’s a plastic nightmare!’ We take his point. A stroll around the various beer gardens lays bare the terrifying reality: thousands of single-use plastic drinking vessels and food containers are used for ten minutes and then casually thrown away. Sure, some venues are trying […]

Diary 31/7/19 – Reflections on a Plastic-Free July

Well, July is at an end, and so is the Marine Conservation Society’s Plastic Challenge. Did we get through the month avoiding single-use plastic? The answer is: pretty much. There were a few exceptions: I failed to find an eco-friendly hair-dye, and I’m not ready to embrace the grey just yet. I’ll keep looking, but […]

Deodorant

Smelling nice seems to be a major preoccupation with the general public, particularly in the summer months – indeed, in 2019, the global anti-perspirant market will amount to an estimated 75 billion US dollars. We haven’t used anti-perspirants in years, but we do want to smell nice, so deodorants are clearly the answer. They tend […]

Breakfast cereal and granola

Breakfast cereal hadn’t been a problem until this week. We both really enjoy it, but it’s an occasional pleasure, not a regular go-to. A box of corn flakes bought in June saw us through to mid-July, and then – because we’d signed up for a plastic-free month – we filled a container with bran flakes, […]

Handkerchiefs

In the process of trying to eliminate single-use plastics from our lives, we’re becoming more aware of packaging in general, and of the disposable culture we’re living in. As a hayfever sufferer who’s also prone to sinus infections, I used to get through a lot of tissues. And, usually, I bought the handy little plastic-wrapped […]

Food Waste 2: Pesto

One of our favourite food waste hacks is ‘sort-of’ pesto. Admittedly, the traditional recipe comprises basil, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan, while our ‘sort-ofs’ often include… um… none of these. The first time we made it, we were looking to use up what was left of a dying basil plant, and made substitutions for […]

Food Waste 1: Croutons

Okay, so you bought a delicious fresh loaf a few days ago and used most of it, but now you have an annoying hunk left that is rapidly going stale. What to do with it? What we do is cut it into chunks and store it in the freezer. When we’re planning to have soup, […]

Teeth

One thing everybody agrees on is that we all need to look after our teeth. But a quick glance around the average bathroom reveals that there’s a lot of plastic lurking in the cabinet. Most toothbrushes are entirely made of the stuff. Admittedly, they aren’t exactly single-use but, once finished with, they’ll be around for […]

Makeup and Makeup Removal

I don’t wear a lot of makeup – and often go without completely – but I do like a bit of concealer and a brightly coloured eye (okay, two brightly coloured eyes). The stuff in my cosmetics bag is all quite old and – predictably – encased in plastic. I’d barely given it a thought […]