Zero Waste Week 2018 takes place 3-7th September. We spoke to our friend Hannah from ChicP whose given us her Top 10 Tips on doing your part to be 'zero waste' and as sustainable as possible in your everyday life.
The inspiration behind ChicP was the overriding determination and passion to change the way we approach cooking and food waste.
As the old saying goes - "waste not want not...!"
TOP 10 TIPS
1. Don't waste food. Blend, roast, freeze, pickle or ferment any leftovers or food that you feel is coming towards the end of its life. There are so many ways to give this food a new life and it will taste different and better in a new form :) Its hugely satisfying. If you cant be bothered, don't have time or the space to freeze - don't forget the food waste apps. Olio is a fantastic way of giving food to other people without any effort.
2. Bring plastic bags with you shopping and don't ask for a bag when you're buying take out food either. If your'e about to eat it, you don't need one. Therefore, use as little packaging as possible.
3. Take that re-useable coffee cup everywhere! I even put smoothies in mine now.
4. Same goes for plastic bottles... just don't buy plastic water bottles if you can. Have your own water bottle and if you live in London, a filtered one is even better. Always recycle too.
5. Use all the ends and skins of your vegetables... ie. Root to stem! These can also be blended roasted or used in salads etc..
6. Give your old clothes to charity shops... and buy from charity shops too! I find hidden gem after hidden gem. You're therefore not adding to the constant demand for production of new materials and you're giving to charity while finding one offs . Win win
7. Turn off lights :) It's a big waste of electricity and energy to keep your lights on when you don't need them. Check out 'Bulb Energy' as a sustainable energy supplier- they're prices are cheaper than the big companies (another win win).
8. It's an obvious one but buying seasonal food and trying to buy non imported food one makes a big difference for carbon footprint.
9. All that packaging... try and reuse things like houmous pots.
10. Don't cook or order more than you can eat. Every bit of food that goes in that bin us yet another persons waste, adding to the colossal amounts that go to our landfill every day (the amount of food sent to landfill in 2015 was 7.3 million tonnes, costing UK families £700 per year).
