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Listed below are comments made by theoriginalmrsgreen between Sunday, 17th August 2008 and Sunday, 31st August 2008.

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• Back to plastic? 6:04pm on 31 Aug 2008 Wow Chris - an 80% reduction is amazing; just imagine if everyone in the UK achieved this.
  
  You've done brilliantly, and of course there will be some 'convenience' products that you return to, but even so, I feel sure you will keep to at least a 50% reduction.
  
  Loseley sell yogurt in glass jars. It's vastly expensive, but my daughter assures me it's worth a 12 out of 12 LOL!
  
  Enjoy the celery and the bin bags and thank you for such an excellent blog. I've really enjoyed reading it, everyone's comments and sharing some information of my own.
  
  We're starting our own zero waste challenge tomorrow, along with another 60+ people which we are really looking forward to.
  
  Anyone who is interested in joining in and being in with the chance of winning some great prizes for reducing their waste can find all the details on our pledge and win page.
  
• Top tips from plastic-free bloggers 12:33pm on 30 Aug 2008 Great tips shared by some wonderful people all across the world. Thank you Chris, for a great blog.
  
  I've really enjoyed reading your experiences over the past month and feel sure you have inspired many people to look at their waste in a different way.
  
  The best thing we have done to reduce our plastic consumption is to take reusable containers to places like butchers and deli counters. Even supermarkets have been obliging us with this. This means we can buy meat, fish and salady items with no packaging to dispose of.
  
  
• Once a month 3:11pm on 29 Aug 2008 I'm glad you've covered this topic, Chris - it is one that needs highlighting as the implications of disposable sanitary protection on the environment are massive.
  
  I use washable pads and get on really well with them. I would highly recommend them to anyone - you just treat them like washable nappies and soak them in cold water (you can add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil or some hydrogen peroxide if you like) until you do your next wash.
  
  You save heaps of money as well as doing something positive for the environment, so it's win-win.
• In the bathroom cabinet 10:55am on 27 Aug 2008 #27 VikEvans,
  
  Regarding the cellophane. My understanding, from talking to a rep from LUSH is that this 'cellophane' is safe to put in your compost bin. it's a kind of biodegradable plastic.
  
  In addition, you can specify that any items are sold unwrapped or put into recycled paper bags.
  
  LUSH employ an Environmental Officer who's job is to take her environmental knowledge to the company to make sure they are doing all they can for the environment.
  
  Her name is Ruth and she can be emailed at:
  savetheplanet AT lush.co.uk
  
  HTH
• Aisle be there 10:46am on 27 Aug 2008 great post, Chris - thank you for such interesting information; lots to look into and read up on :)
• In the bathroom cabinet 6:09pm on 26 Aug 2008 We have a couple of articles on our website which may help people.
  
  cosmetics companies who refill and recycle and ways to reduce plastic packaging
  
  I have done the bicarbonate of soda and cider vinegar rinse routine (Bungalowbabe; I've never seen vinegar in a plastic bottle, only glass; it's amazing how many different products people have access to, isn't it?!) with great success. I did this for three years........
  
  You've taken one step in the right direction Chris, with the reusable flannels, so give yourself a pat on the back.
• Soleful 2:04pm on 22 Aug 2008 well done Chris, you've had another successful week. Your husband's 'slip up' is just human nature at its best..........
  
  I think you've learned a valuable lesson that we all need to be more aware of too, with your sandals buying.
  
  Something that I think about a lot, whenever I hear people complain about how expensive something is, is that maybe we should question why things are so 'cheap'.
  
  There is often a hidden cost that we need to figure out before making a purchasing decision.....
• Junk raft meets Savage boat 3:36pm on 20 Aug 2008 It was a similar story that set us on our own zero waste path; in particular reducing as much plastic as we could.
  
  The ocean floors are in a sad state and marine life is being adversely affected :(
• Beefed up 1:47pm on 18 Aug 2008 #34 hydroscooby.
  
  We all have our difference challenges to deal with. I could make a guess at 'how I would manage' if I had to live your lifestyle, but that would only be a guess, so it would be worthless information.
  
  All I can do is answer the original poster with how *I* manage things in my day to day life. It seems that some of my ideas wre inspirational for them, which is great.
  
  Job done!
  
  I throw ideas out into the public arena with the knowledge that some will be useful to people, and others not. And that's ok. I'm not here to justify my choices or make others change their mind, to criticise or judge. I'm just here to offer information if I think it might help someone.
  
  I cannot personally see a challenge with having to pack lunch for the day; I certainly used to have a lifestyle like the one you indicate in your post. I managed a zero waste lunch most days, and managed to clean my home with minimal waste.
  
  zero waste? No, but minimal, yes.
  
  I agree with you that a consciousness of our waste production is the first step. Plastics may well have 'made it possible' for us to achieve a manic lifestyle; but I wonder what the long term implications of this will be...............
• Beefed up 4:44pm on 17 Aug 2008 #13 aspidermonkey:
  
  
  (a) work full-time
  
  I will start by saying that I do not go out of the home to work full time (unless you count home educating a child, being a housewife and mother and running a house full time ;) so you can discount my thoughts on this if you wish.
  
  I find that recycling more and changing my shopping habits does not take much more of my time. It did when I first started, but how long does it take to rinse a can and put it into a container rather than throw it in a bin - 30 seconds?
  How long does it take to crush a plastic bottle and put the lid back on - 5 seconds, perhaps
  And how long does it take to put a newspaper in the papers collection rather than the bin - well, as long as it takes me to walk there.
  
  The important thing i found was to set up a home recycling area that worked for us. Make it as easy as you can for yourself - a container for compost scraps where you prepare your veggies, a paper recycling tray next to your computer or in the lounge where you read your daily papers, tins and glass storage in the corner of the kitchen or buy the back door. Do whatever it takes to make your system efficient for YOU.
  
  With food shopping, it's good to plan your meals by looking at what you already have in. If you have meat that has just a day left on it, then buy some fresh veggies to go with it, but no more meat. If you have sad looking veg, then make some soup and buy some fresh bread - but no more onions and carrots.
  If you have wilting fruit then make a smoothie or fruit pie and buy less next week.
  plan this weeks meals around last weeks leftovers.
  
  Making a list and sticking to it saves you time wandering aimlessly around the store, saves you money because you are focused on what you need and saves waste because you know what you need.
  
  Taking reusable bags to the shop takes no longer than taking a free carrier bag or a plastic produce bag, it just requires prior thought.
  Onya bags and the onya weigh can be a solution to this ;)
  
  
  (b) do not earn much money, (my attempts to be green stretch my wallet, but luckily the 'reduce' aspects means that i probably don't buy and waste as much)
  
  Our efforts have not cost us hugely in terms of money. All of our recycling receptacles are old boxes we had in the house. I've bought three shopping bags, but you can make your own if you're handy with a needle and thread.
  Making yogurt, bread, cakes and 'convenience meals' can save you money. Signing up for a box scheme is cheaper than buying from a supermarket (as RIverford organics announced in the news this week), buying meat from a local butcher ensures better quality meat that does not go off..........
  Viewing leftovers as ingredients saves a third of your food bill, if WRAP's figures are anything to go by.
  
  Visits to the recycling centre are incorporated with other errands so that they do not 'cost' in fuel.
  
  (c) work at the lower-rungs in a 'non-eco' workplace... how can we see our efforts at home filter into our work? For example, in the past my suggestions for phasing out styrofoam water cups have been laughed off by peers and deemed economically unfeasible by management.
  
  Just do it anyway! Once upon a time we were laughed at for recycling tins and cans - it was a 'fringe hippy' thing to do. Now a lot of us do it. Likewise the shopping bags idea - once upon a time shopping trolleys came in brown PVC or tartan and were for Grandma's only; now they are refered to as 'Trolley Dolly's' and come in a wide range of funky prints.
  
  Lead by example and just explain your choices if asked. You don't have to change the world, just your own life if you choose to.
  
  (d) live in urban (rented) dwellings: no garden, no animals, no culture/system of recycling in apartment blocks, not even a suitable space for a worm-farm!
  
  You can still grow things without a garden - sprouted seeds and herbs in the kitchen windowsill, tomaotes in a hanging basket and salad leaves in a window box for example.
  
  You could try a bokashi system, but will need a friend or relative with a compost bin to donate your fermented goods. An avid gardener would bite your hand off for such treasures.

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