The final day
The children are so excited for tomorrow supermarket shopping visit, however I have not told them of the news that we are still going to try and live a reduced plastic future.
The cost of this month to last month
June 2019 I spent £544.21 feeding the 6 of us and the 3 animals
July 2019 ended with a total spend of £589.93 feeding the 6 of us and the 3 animals
So plastic free has cost me £45.72 more
This is where I am going to have to seriously watch what replacement alternatives cost, I have to express that the little supplies that have been in the house in July prove that this challenge has been costly which annoys me. Why should this be? I just did not know where to find the alternatives and where I have shopped has been farm shops, butchers, fish deli, eco waste free shops and fresh meat counters. I have had to buy replacement plastic free alternatives online that have occurred a delivery charge such as toilet paper, shampoo and conditioners, eco cleaner etc.
This is where supermarkets have us in the bag and control where our money is spent due to the cost of their food covered in plastic being so cheap. I can see how the eco waste free market shops and farmers barn style shops are cashing in on the climate change emergency regarding plastics which is wrong. I know they could never match the supermarket prices and buying there fresh locally farmed products come at a price for them. Plus they are have changed their packaging to plastic free alternatives which have a higher suppliers cost. (WHY?) The eco waste free living is a niche market and can only be offered to a home with a disposable income, to families that can afford it and families that can afford the time to bake everyday bread and snack alternatives. As a family of 6 we like fruit snacks however a pack of crisps or a pack of biscuits go a long way due to their price. We are facing this climate problem in the wrong way and I'm getting crosser waiting for something to change that is just not happening. I read an article today that children in the school holiday in deprived areas are not been given meals due to families not able to afford to pay for food, it's so bad that schools are now opening up in the holidays to feed the kids. How will they be able to change their habits for climate change if all they can afford is the cheap plastic covered supermarket options. Whilst the food is being brought in plastic the supermarkets feel there is a consumer market still wanting plastic but they don't consider the families that don't have an option but to buy these plastic covered items. It's just wrong, food should be offered without plastic at the same or cheaper prices. The other thing I witnesses is that the farm shops, zero waste shops etc promote plastic free but guess how their products are being delivered to their stores? Yes you got it in plastic from their suppliers. These are however big plastic bagged products that then get filled into the shops containers. When I asked how they get their products delivered they mentioned "in larger plastic bags". They said it was to reduce the plastic in their consumers homes, so we their consumer could live a less waste option. Annoyed that these type of shops advertise plastic free life style but can only buy their shop supplies in plastic and charge extra for us to have the privilege of this contradiction.
So whilst you all digest this honest post I still believe that I am doing good by reducing my individual household waste to landfill and I feel good about that too. I feel good that I am not wastefully buying in bulk for the products to go out of date before I have had the chance to use them. I feel good spending the time with family members experimenting on recipes I have never done before. Spending the time with the kids teaching them how to cook but also laughing a lot with them when the cooking process goes wrong or did not work and finding out solutions together how we can improve the recipe next time. We must all try to change our habits regarding less waste to landfill but it does not have to be stressful just do one thing at a time everyday. The plastic free lifestyle does work out in the end and if I can do it with such a large family then anyone can. I know from the knowledge I have gained doing this challenge it is going to work out cheaper in the long run with our health improving too.
The Journey as of today
My waste black bins, two of them were always full before plastic free July and today one bin goes out with only three bin bags in it. Whilst the two recycling bins were full only one was put out last week and half of that recycling came from the plastic I had already in my home from previous months as i did not want to waste the products but use them up.
I received a lovely vegetable box from Mike who has an Allotment, he has some great tips on how to grow your own food simply and easily. His you tube channel below on the link.
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| https://www.youtube.com/user/woody24562530 Thank you Mike for the box of goodies |
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| Some supermarkets are going in the right direction but they need to act faster and we the consumer should not be blinded by their sale tactics to buy more unnecessary bulk buying. |
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| My toilet paper delivery arrived and the kids thought the box was delivered to the wrong house due to its logo. We did laugh!! So as my Plastic free July comes to an end I am thinking of keeping this blog going with a different name although maybe not writing it everyday. I believe we can all change our habits if we try so I will look at where I have brought my alternatives throughout this month of July and offer a blog with these links for everyone else to try. Sharing this blog has been a pleasure and I hope that you have all enjoyed my journey. Thank you for keeping me going Karen |
Brilliant Karen. Thanks for your inspiration, enthusiasm and honesty. To be fair, I am not sure that the "packaging free" shops, farm shops etc. are cashing in on Climate Change. Most are small businesses trying their best to do what they believe in and inevitably have much higher costs per item than the big supermarkets that often have their suppliers and growers over a barrel to keep their costs low. As far as climate change is concerned there are things that we can all do that have more impact: changing to renewable electricity suppliers, using public transport, bikes and walking when possible rather than using the car, insulating our homes better and turning down the central heating a degree or two and even eating less meat will help a lot. Reducing how much single-use plastic we use as individuals gives a strong message to supermarkets and other suppliers and helps reduce plastic pollution in litter, in our rivers and the seas so what you are doing is very important in inspiring the rest of us. Well done. Fantastic.
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