Five Ways I'm Reducing and Recycling

I've recently been feeling really bad that my kitchen bin is full of non-recyclable plastics.  It's things like the clear plastic wrap over a chicken, or the bag my frozen peas were in. Then it struck me, the reason my bin is full of these things is because almost everything else I used to put into it is now being dealt with elsewhere. 

Creating a greener, more eco-friendly kitchen can be done step by step. I'm not doing all I can, but I keep moving in that direction. 

1. Meal Prep When we married we had very little money. It was not an option to let food go to waste. I often make extra portions at dinner. These are then boxed up, and are either frozen for future use or they become lunches. It's homemade ready meals. They are placed right at the top of the fridge to remind people to eat them, or labelled and put in the freezer.

Our local supermarket has a range of 'take out' meals. The containers are brilliant, strong and flexible, and can go from the freezer to the microwave. They can be used again and again.

2. Eat what you buy "£13 billion of food was wasted in the UK in 2015, approximately 7.3 million tonnes. The average household lost £470 a year because of avoidable food waste" Food Waste in England This is an area where I can struggle, but I'm definitely not throwing away £9 of uneaten food each week. I'll make it a goal for next month to track my spending in this area.

3. Kerbside recycling The vast majority of things that used to be put in the kitchen bin are now recycled.

4. Composting Fruit and veg peelings, tea bags, egg shells, paper, etc all find their way to the compost bin. I'm reusing a yogurt bucket to gather food scraps, and at dinner time the bucket is emptied into the compost bin. I'm so looking forward to my first compost made in my own garden.

5. Beeswax Wraps and Stretchy Silicone Covers I've been trying to reduce the amount of cling film I use. Recently I made some beeswax wraps, and these are great for wrapping fruit and cheese. I'm currently waiting for a delivery of stretchy silicone covers.