Category: In Lockdown

How to use jam jars to freeze extra portions

three jam jars viewed from above containing dark brown and pale brown preserves on a wooden table with yellow marigolds to the left

Cooking from scratch is an important skill for living sustainably, but it takes a big chunk of time out of your day. It makes sense to cook more than you need, and then save the extra portions so you can have a quick meal another day.

You’ll need something to store the extra portions in. Jam jars are a perfect single portion size, infinitely reusable and store nicely in your freezer, but there are some important tips to do it safely.

How to freeze food in jam jars

  • Start saving your jam jars! Jars with wide necks are the easiest to fill and least likely to crack, but save all of them to begin with and replace them with better ones over time.
  • Jars with plastic, or plastic-coated, lids are better than metal ones, because frozen metal can hurt your fingers when you touch it. Protect your hand with a tea towel if you can’t avoid using a metal lid.
  • Soak the original label off the jar in warm soapy water. Some labels come off easier than others. If the label leaves a lot of glue behind and it won’t come off easily, it’s probably best to recycle the jar instead, as it will always stay sticky.
  • Make sure the jar is clean and dry. You might want to sterilise it in the oven or the dishwasher first, but we haven’t found this to be necessary.
  • Fill the jar with food. Leave approximately a 1-inch gap at the top of the jar to give the food room to expand as it freezes.
  • Write what’s in the jar, and the date, on a small sticky label or a reusable tag. Stick the label on the lid, or tie the reusable tag around the neck of the jar, so you know what’s in it later. Labels soak off lids better than they soak off glass jars, so stick the label to the lid to make your life easier later.
  • Liquids expand when they freeze, so put the lid on loosely to start with, otherwise the jar may crack as the food freezes and expands.
  • Now let the food cool down before putting it in the freezer, so your freezer doesn’t have to work so hard cooling it down.
  • Later, when the food is completely frozen, tighten the lid to stop air from getting to the food (you can do this when you next go in the freezer – you don’t have to set a timer).

How do I defrost food in jam jars?

  • Plan ahead when you want to use the food. Instead of defrosting it in the microwave, save energy by taking the jar out of the freezer the night before. Put it in the fridge and leave it to defrost overnight.
  • Heat the food in a saucepan or use it in a recipe. Make sure it’s completely warmed through.
  • If you have any leftovers after this meal, you’ll need to throw them away, because you shouldn’t freeze the food a second time.
  • After use, soak the label off by leaving the lid in a small amount of water for a few minutes. If you put the jar in the dishwasher without removing the label, you will get bits of paper stuck to all your crockery and in the filter.
  • Use the dishwasher to clean the jar and the lid, then store it with the lid on, ready to use it again.

Image credit: photo by Tina Witherspoon on Unsplash

Categories: Food, In Lockdown, Quick & easy, Saves money, Waste

How to take climate action – live minimally

minimalist white living room with wooden floor, yellow chair and modern art

Well-made, purposefully chosen, useful things are at the heart of the minimalist movement, which ties in well with the green movement.

Living minimally is about:

  • clearing out what’s holding you back
  • appreciating the things you’ve chosen to keep
  • only choosing to buy things you really need

Why live minimally?

Buying less, but better quality, helps the Earth’s resources go further and reduces transport and manufacturing emissions. In the long run, it should also save money too.

Simply having less “stuff” frees up space, so there is room to do the things that are more important to us – like having people over, a place to enjoy a hobby, space to work from home, or simply a quiet area to ourselves.

How to use green motivation to overcome your hoarding instinct

Moving towards minimalism can be challenging for some of us.

Maybe we hang on to things because:

  • we might need them again one day
  • money has been tight in the past, or is tight now
  • we don’t want to waste money buying a replacement
  • we don’t want to waste resources buying something a second time
  • we hoard things we wish we had time to do, e.g. hobbies we want to take up, or that we used to enjoy
  • we hoard things because of the memories they hold
  • we haven’t got time to get rid of them in a sustainable way

I’m guilty of literally all of those things.

Here’s how to fight those thoughts that hold us back.

“I might need it again one day”

Well, someone else needs it right now. Give it to them via Freegle or Freecycle, sell it on eBay, donate it to a “Library of Things” or a charity shop. If you ever find yourself needing it again, ask on the same sites, or borrow it from a friend or a Library of Things.

“I don’t want to waste money on a replacement” or “I’m worried I won’t be able to afford a replacement”

This one is particularly hard if money is scarce, or has been scarce in the past.

Ask yourself how many times you’ve used the object in the last five years, and how many of them you own, before deciding whether or not to part with it. For example, I had five inflatable mattresses from the days when my children often had sleepovers. They used to be essential, but they aren’t any more. Someone else will enjoy them more now.

“I don’t want to waste resources buying something a second time”

Someone else needs it right now, and resources are already being used to make theirs.

Maybe you’ll never need it again anyway, and if you do, you might be able to get it second-hand. If you really don’t want to let it go, you could loan it to a “Library of Things”.

Remember, if you have to buy it again in the future, the total amount of resources used is no worse than if “someone else” had bought it now. And by the time you need it again, there may be a more environmentally-friendly alternative available.

“I’m saving it for when I have time to use it”

If you can see that time is coming soon, by all means keep it, and enjoy it when the time comes.

But if you can’t see yourself having time in the future, it’s time to ask yourself some questions about your priorities. Maybe that new hobby isn’t that important to you after all? If so, give the kit away or sell it.

Or maybe it is important to you, but you have too many responsibilities. Ask for help, or resign from community roles that aren’t so important to you any more. Remember, everyone deserves a break.

“I’m keeping it because it reminds me of…”

I’m certainly not going to encourage you to get rid of something that means a lot to you.

But consider whether a photograph of the object might hold the memory for you just as well, or whether the object could be turned into something more useful or decorative? For example, have a blanket or cushion made from meaningful fabric; a piece of art made from special greetings cards; or display photos of children’s artwork shuffled on a screensaver, instead of hidden away in boxes where you never see them.

“I haven’t got time to get rid of them in a sustainable way”

You don’t have to do it all at once. Try choosing one thing a day, and put it in a box labelled “charity shop”, “Vinted”, “recycling centre” or “metal for the scrap yard” (or wherever you want it to go). If it helps, keep a list of what you’ve got rid of so you can see your progress. If you feel in the mood, do a whole area (like a drawer, or a Difficult Box). Don’t expect to ever find the time to do a Whole Room in one go. That won’t happen.

Ask other people to help. Maybe your partner doesn’t feel qualified to decide what stays or goes, but they’d be happy to take your sorted boxes to their destinations. Tech-savvy and responsible teens could do a great job of selling your stuff on Vinted or Depop. Your mum or friend might take a bag to the charity shop next time they go to town.

Put things on your local Facebook free stuff groups. For very little of your own effort, people will come and take things away.

Always remember why you’re doing it, and it will become easier as you get rid of things and start to see progress.

Good luck!

Photo credit: Kam Idris on Unsplash

Categories: Consumption, High impact, In Lockdown

How to take climate action – use your vote!

I voted sticker

Actions taken by individuals are important but – let’s be honest – the effect is tiny compared to the impact of actions taken by governments.

We urgently need strong environmental action from our governments, so use your vote to support national and local politicians who put the environment at the heart of their economic and international policies.

Why should I bother to vote?

Many of our current politicians do not seem to care about climate breakdown at all – their promises are as empty as their pockets are full. Voting can feel pointless, particularly if you live in an area that votes overwhelmingly in the opposite direction to you.

But it’s always worth voting.

  • Even safe seats can be overturned, sometimes quite spectacularly
  • Winning parties will be keeping a close eye on the policies and popularity of their rivals
  • The incredibly close Brexit vote showed that literally, every vote counts
  • For women, our right to vote is comparatively recent and hard-won, and we have a duty to the campaigners who fought for our rights – particularly as the overturning of Roe-vs-Wade in the US has shown how easily women’s rights can be taken away
  • Our votes matter just as much in local elections, with the added benefit that you can often vote with your heart as well as your head and get a Green candidate elected

Don’t hold out for a perfect candidate – there isn’t one! Choose the one whose values and policies most closely match yours, because someone else is guaranteed to be voting for someone terrible, and at least your vote can cancel theirs out.

So, encourage everyone you know to use their vote – particularly younger people, who tend to be more progressive overall, but turn out to vote less than older people do. (The BBC states that in the UK 2015 general election, only 43% of 18-24-year-olds voted, compared with 78% of people aged 65 or over [1].)

Younger people’s failure to vote isn’t necessarily due to apathy. It could be because they aren’t sure how to register, or because they haven’t got the time to queue at a polling station while juggling work, children and/or study[2]. From 2023, it could also be because some younger people lack the forms of ID necessary to cast a vote in person. The rules on what ID is allowable discriminate against younger people, people who haven’t got passports or driving licences, and people who move addresses frequently, thereby giving an advantage to the party which is supported by more older voters (you know which party I mean).

How can I get more people to vote?

  • Talk to people, particularly young people, about the importance of voting. Fight apathy with recent examples of supposedly safe seats being overturned
  • Use your knowledge of the system, or your free time, to help people register to vote
  • Use your free time to help them actually vote (e.g. driving them to the polling station or babysitting)
  • Explain that there are new rules about voter ID from 2023, and ask them to make sure they have got the forms of ID necessary to cast a vote in person
  • For busy people, help them arrange a postal vote.
    Literally, everyone has time to vote by post
  • When people say all politicians are as bad as each other, list all the recent scandals you can find on the BBC news website in order of “badness”, and see which party comes up worse
  • Volunteer to support your local Green Party candidate (or whichever candidate they are stepping aside for)
  • Talk to your children about politics, sustainability and social justice
  • While they can’t actually vote yet, young people can register to vote from the age of 16 in England, and from the age of 14 in Scotland and Wales. Encourage/help them to register early, so they are ready if they are old enough to vote when the next election is called (remember, elections can often be called at short notice)

How do I register to vote?

In the UK, you can register to vote here.

When you’ve registered to vote, you can request a postal vote here.

Anyone can have a postal vote and you don’t need to give a reason.

In the US, you can find out how to register here:
Find out how to register (scroll down to the “States With Online Voter Registration” table)
Find out if you’re already registered.

And if you are a US citizen abroad, find out how to vote from overseas here. Please use your vote because the rest of the world really cares who’s in charge in the US, but has no influence over it!

Can I get a postal vote?

The short answer is YES – anyone who is registered to vote in the UK can get a postal vote, and you don’t have to give a reason.

Postal votes are great if you’re short of time, forgetful, or just don’t like queuing. It means last-minute problems can’t prevent you from casting your vote. And it’s super-useful for people who work full time, have kids to put to bed, have to prepare dinner, have limited mobility, have evening classes to attend, feel vulnerable walking at night, or just don’t like queuing in the rain… which is just about everyone.

I’ll say it again – in the UK, anyone who’s registered to vote can request a postal vote here. You don’t need to give a reason.

So the steps are:

  1. Start early
  2. If you plan to vote in person, make sure you have one of the accepted forms of voter ID
  3. Register to vote here
  4. When you’ve registered to vote, request a postal vote here
  5. Use your vote

In the US, some states automatically send mail-in ballots to everyone who’s registered to vote, but in other states, you have to request them. Find out what your state’s rules are here (scroll down to the “States With Online Voter Registration” table).

References:
[1] BBC News. (2020). Election 2017: If more young people actually voted, would it change everything? [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-39965925 [Accessed 8 Mar. 2020].

[2] BBC News. (2020). Why don’t more young people vote? [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51763333 [Accessed 8 Mar. 2020].

Photo credit:  Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Categories: Free, High impact, In Lockdown, Influence

Climate action – how to use a zero-waste shop

dry goods bins at a zero waste shop

How do zero-waste shops work?

Zero-waste shops sell everyday items, like groceries, cleaning products, personal care items and gifts, without plastic packaging. But, because they’re all about reducing packaging, they don’t work like normal shops!

You can bring your own containers, or buy reusable containers from them the first time you buy something. They’ll write the weight of the container on the bottom, and deduct it when they weigh your goods, so you don’t end up paying for the weight of the container!

Dry goods like pasta, flour and muesli are usually stored in gravity bin dispensers. You simply put your container underneath, open the door at the bottom, fill your container, and close the door again. Wide-necked containers are best otherwise you will make a mess… but they’ll have a dustpan and brush handy.

Spices are usually stored in Kilner jars, with a spoon nearby so you can measure out how much you need.

Cleaning products like washing up liquid, laundry detergent, and fabric conditioner will be stored in large plastic tubs. They’ll either have a pump, or a tap and a spout at the bottom. You put the spout into the neck of your reusable bottle, then pump to fill your bottle, or open the tap. Keep an eye on the spout, particularly when pumping!

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been distracted talking to the owner and spilt laundry detergent on the carpet. Fortunately, they are very forgiving and have towels ready to use.

What other things do zero-waste shops sell?

One lovely thing about zero-waste shops is they are often local owner-managed businesses, so they’ll all be different.
Our local shop sells all sorts of environmentally friendly products like beeswax wraps, reusable period products, cleaning brushes, and tooth-cleaning products. They’ve also got a coffee grinder and a “Notella” machine, which grinds hazelnuts and chocolate nibs into a palm-oil-free Nutella substitute.

More good reasons to use a zero-waste shop

  • Zero-waste shops are great places to meet like-minded people so you don’t feel like you’re doing this all on your own
  • They might be a local Terracycle collection point, so you can recycle your crisp packets and chocolate wrappers when you go in
  • Zero-waste shop staff will probably know all about local seed swaps, have the contact details for joining your local Extinction Rebellion group, or know who to speak to about getting a seat on a coach to a protest
  • Together, staff and customers form a local knowledge bank to help solve problems. If you’re thinking of investing in a major green project, they’ll probably know someone who’s already done it. Or if you want to know how to freshen up your washing machine without commercial products, they can tell you how to do that too
  • Using your local zero-waste shop helps keep the High Street alive and supports local small businesses
  • And of course, it means less packaging waste is produced. The amount of packaging used for bulk delivery of stock is much less than the amount needed to pack the same items individually

How can I find my nearest zero-waste shop?

Easy – google “zero waste (your town’s name) or use this map to find your nearest zero-waste shop (but check your local store’s website before you go, for opening hours, and to make sure it’s still running).

Photo credit: Benjamin Brunner on Unsplash

Categories: Food, High impact, In Lockdown, Waste

How to get your favourite brands to stop using plastic

woman in green top with coffee and laptop in a cafe

Why should I ask my favourite brands to stop using plastic?

While plastic can be recycled, it often isn’t, leading to plastic pollution in oceans, rivers, and even our own bodies via the food chain. We need to stop producing and using single-use plastic items, except for where it’s absolutely necessary.

As individuals, we can make better purchasing decisions – but changes made by companies make it easy for everyone to go greener – whether they want to or not! 

So ask your favourite brands why they’re still using plastic in their products or packaging. A single change made by a company can have as much effect as thousands of their customers making the same choice.

Action:
Ask your favourite brands why they haven’t swapped to paper-based or plant-based wrappers for their products, or why they are still using plastic when they don’t need to.

How do I get companies to stop using plastic?

Start by emailing or tweeting and see what kind of answer you get. The company may be enthusiastic – they may already be doing something about it!

Twitter is a good place to put pressure on companies because they don’t like negative publicity. But however you do it, make sure you’ve got your facts right, and be polite – there’s a person at the other end. Feedback from customer services and the social media team can be a valuable mechanism for convincing management to make the change!

If you don’t get anywhere, see if someone else has already created a petition. Change.org and 38 Degrees are good places to start, or, to petition the government, use the UK government petitions site. If a petition already exists, support it by adding your name, writing to the petition target, or offering help to the petition owner.

If no one else is already running a campaign, you could start your own petition on Change.org or a similar site. But to give it the best chance of success, first, ask yourself if you’re committed to following it through. The most powerful petitions are started by people who are really committed and have the time to meet the petition target in the real world and work together for solutions – like the campaign we’ve highlighted below.

Finally, consider getting together with others to organise a boycott of the product or even protest at the organisation’s headquarters or sales outlets.

Cut the plastic – an inspiring example of a great eco campaign

Ella Daish’s campaign to encourage supermarkets to make all their menstrual products plastic-free is a great example of a successful campaign.

Ella was working as a postal worker when she noticed the amount of rubbish on her delivery route. First, she took steps to reduce the amount of waste she produced in her daily life; one of the changes she made was switching to eco-friendly period products. But no one else seemed to be aware of the problem.

She decided to take on the suppliers and started her campaign, on Change.org, in early 2018.

Ella’s petition, which calls on supermarkets and manufacturers to cut the plastic from their period products, now has more than 230,000 signatures. Ella met with decision-makers from Procter & Gamble, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Boots, Morrisons, Aldi, Kotex, Lil-lets, Carefree, Lidl, Bodyform, Asda, Superdrug and the Co-op, and the campaign featured in the national news and international magazines.

As a result of Ella’s campaign:

  • Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and Superdrug stopped producing plastic tampon applicators, which she says has prevented 17 tonnes of plastic from being produced annually
  • Eco-friendly ranges of tampons, pads and reusable products are now available in most supermarkets, giving customers a greater choice
  • Lil-Lets, Superdrug, and Morrisons developed and launched their own eco-friendly ranges

Photo credit: Adam Satria on Unsplash

Categories: High impact, Free, In Lockdown, Influence, Uncategorized, Waste

How to clean with natural products

lemons, a natural cleaning product, on a grey wooden board

Why clean with natural products?

There are several good reasons to use natural cleaning products instead of man-made cleaning chemicals, including:

  • Keeping hazardous chemicals out of waterways and landfill
  • Avoiding contact with hazardous chemicals in the home
  • Avoiding plastic waste
  • Saving money

Bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, and lemon juice are effective, cheap and widely used for cleaning metal, hobs, ceramic tiles/sinks and laminate surfaces (but should not be used on marble, slate, wood and other natural surfaces).

How to clean with bicarbonate of soda

Bicarbonate of soda is commonly used in cooking. It’s usually combined with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, which produces carbon dioxide bubbles, and makes whatever you’re cooking really light and fluffy.

However, bicarbonate of soda is also really good for getting burnt food off pans. If you’ve ever burnt food onto a pan you’ll know how hard it is to get it off without a huge amount of scrubbing – you may even give up and accept that this is just how your pan is from now on.

The easiest way to remove burnt-on food is to put about a centimetre (half an inch) of water in your pan, add a couple of teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda, and mix. It will fizz a bit. Now heat the pan gently, while you gently rub the burnt-on bits with the end of a wooden spatula. After a couple of minutes, the burnt bits will dissolve and rub off. If it’s really badly burnt on, you might need to refresh the mixture and have another go.

The best way to avoid getting burnt-on bits in the first place is to use a lower temperature and stir regularly. This is particularly true with cast iron or ceramic pots, which only need a very low temperature because they hold the heat so well.

Warning: test on an inconspicuous area first, and definitely avoid using bicarbonate of soda on marble, slate, wood and other natural surfaces.

How to clean with white vinegar

White vinegar is great at removing grease and burnt-on food in your kitchen.

Thoroughly clean an old spray bottle so no traces of the previous chemicals remain. Half-fill the spray bottle with white vinegar, then fill the rest up with cold tap water. Shake gently to mix. Spray onto kitchen grease or dirt, as you would use a commercial cleaning product. Leave for a few minutes, then scrub/wipe it away with a damp cloth, and dry it.

I have tested this mix on my metal hob, stainless steel pans, ceramic-coated pans, glass oven door and glass hotplate. It works just as well as my old favourite commercial product (Fairy Power Spray).

Warning: test on an inconspicuous area first, and definitely avoid using vinegar on marble, slate, wood and other natural surfaces.

If you use non-stick pans and trays, CookingLight says you can use the 50:50 vinegar/water mix on non-stick surfaces (we haven’t tested this).

How to clean your washing machine with white vinegar

You can also use white vinegar to clean the inaccessible inside parts of your washing machine. The inside of your washing machine will get gunked up over time, which can leave your clothes smelling musty even after they’ve been washed.

Every couple of months, put about one cup (roughly 250 ml) white vinegar into the dispensing drawer, then run the hottest wash you can, straight away.

Wash a normal load afterwards to get rid of any vinegar that might be lingering in the seals (vinegar might damage the seal if it’s left to sit for a while).

Job done.

How to clean with lemon juice

I use lemon juice to clean my ceramic sinks and chrome-plated taps in the bathroom. All you need is a splash of lemon juice straight from the lemon or the bottle.

Neat (undiluted) lemon juice cleans the dirt and limescale from my ceramic sink and chrome-plated tap better than Cif used to. Just drip it on and leave it for 15 minutes, wipe it down with a rag or scrubber, and finally rinse off with water to prevent stickiness.

How to clean your showerhead or tap with lemon juice

You can also use lemon juice to clean limescale from showerheads and tap outlets.

  • Put enough lemon juice in a plastic bag, so that when you put the showerhead or tap outlet in the bag, the head is completely submerged in the lemon juice. Start with about 100ml (less than half a cup) and add more if you need to. The tighter you fasten the bag to the tap, the less lemon juice you will need
  • Fasten the bag in place with a couple of elastic bands, making sure the lemon juice covers all the limescale
  • Leave it for about half an hour, then carefully remove the bag and see if the limescale has reduced or can be picked off
  • Put the bag of lemon juice back on if necessary; this will depend on how much limescale has built up. You might need to replace the lemon juice if there is a lot of limescale and it seems to stop working
  • You may need to scrub or chip the limescale off if it is very hard, being very careful not to scratch the tap or showerhead itself. However hard this is, it will still be easier than it would have been without the lemon juice

Warning: test on an inconspicuous area first, and avoid using lemon juice on marble, slate, wood and other natural surfaces.

Does lemon juice or white vinegar kill bacteria?

Both vinegar and lemon juice are traditionally used to preserve food because the acidity slows down or prevents the growth of bacteria. But do they actually kill bacteria, like most commercial cleaning products do?

It’s fair to say that acidic substances like lemon juice and vinegar kill some bacteria. One study into the effectiveness of household natural sanitisers found that using a lemon juice-vinegar mixture (in a 1:1 ratio) for 15 minutes reduced the number of bacteria to an undetectable level [1] while another study stated, “The combined use of vinegar and sodium chloride (table salt), with use of an appropriate treatment temperature, was found to be markedly effective for the prevention of bacterial food poisoning.”[2]

So using lemon juice or white vinegar as a cleaning product should certainly kill more bacteria than using just soap or water would – but it is unlikely to result in a completely bacteria-free environment.

If killing bacteria is very important to your situation, you’ll need to find products that meet your own specific requirements.

Does lemon juice or white vinegar kill viruses?

Vinegar and lemon juice certainly can’t “kill” viruses – because viruses are not alive so cannot be killed. Viruses can only be disabled by vaccinations, anti-retroviral drugs or lack of access to a host cell, which is why vaccinations, masks, wiping things down and handwashing are vital tools in the fight against COVID-19 and other coronaviruses.

If disabling viruses is very important to your situation, you’ll need to find products that meet your own specific requirements.

So why use natural cleaning products?

My reasons for preferring natural products are:

  • I’m not looking for a product that removes every single bacteria. Washing hands, cleaning surfaces and good food hygiene is enough for the majority of people
  • I don’t want to create plastic waste with every purchase.
    Using natural products means I can refill my glass containers cheaply at the zero-waste store
  • I don’t want to put toxic chemicals into the water system
  • I don’t have the time, or the knowledge of chemicals, to read every label and research whether a certain chemical is bad for the environment or my family. Even if the current establishment claims something is safe, remember DDT and glyphosate? These chemicals used to be permitted, but are now proven to be carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). I’d rather stick to simple products that I know are safe, and which (so far as I can see) work just as well as commercial products

And finally – did I mention?
Don’t use lemon juice, vinegar or bicarbonate of soda on marble, slate, wood or other natural surfaces, and test on an inconspicuous area if you’re not sure!

[1] Yucel, S. and Karapinar, M., 2005. Effectiveness Of Household Natural Sanitizers In The Elimination Of Salmonella Typhimurium On Rocket (Eruca Sativa Miller) And Spring Onion (Allium… – Pubmed – NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15698693 [Accessed 12 April 2020].

[2] Entani, E., 1998. Antibacterial Action Of Vinegar Against Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria Including Escherichia Coli O157:H7. – Pubmed – NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9713753 [Accessed 12 April 2020].

Photo credit: Caroline Attwood on Unsplash

Categories: Cheap, Chemicals, In Lockdown

How to cut your food waste

loaf of bread with knife and wheat on a black background

We’ve been trained by supermarkets and cautious parents to only eat food that looks perfect, a habit which contributes to the 9.5 million tonnes of food the UK wastes, every year[1].

Once you change your way of thinking, you’ll be amazed at how much edible food you used to waste.

Make a plan and think ahead

Plan your meals in advance

Plan your meals for the week so you can:

  • use up anything you’ve got left over
  • plan something easy for busy days
  • batch cook on days when you’ve got more time
  • defrost tomorrow’s food overnight (chilled food cooks quicker, so it uses less energy than cooking from frozen)

Shop with a list

Shopping with a list helps you stick to a budget, avoid impulse buys that go to waste, and avoid buying accidental duplicates of things you already have.

Freeze food in portion sizes

Cut your garlic bread or pizza into portion sizes before you freeze it, then only defrost what you need (useful for everyone, but particularly if you’re cooking for one, or if you have small children who eat earlier than you do).

Use jam jars to freeze batch-cooked food

Each jar is the right size for one person, so you only defrost the quantity you need. This is particularly useful for families that have a mixture of meat-eaters and vegetarians/vegans.
Learn how to freeze food in jam jars.

Using up food that’s about to go bad

Learn the difference between use-by dates and best-before dates

Find out the difference between a best-before date and a use-by date – misunderstanding could be causing you to throw away perfectly good food.

Leftovers

Use your leftovers to make a quirky lunch tomorrow (e.g. fish fingers in a wrap with lettuce and mayo; chilli in a bap; roasted vegetables with pasta).

Bread

Freeze sliced bread before it goes stale. When you freeze it, put a piece of kitchen roll or a piece of teatowel in the bread bag – this will absorb any excess moisture so the bread doesn’t go soggy when you defrost it later. You can toast bread straight from frozen, or defrost as many slices as you need, overnight, in a reusable bag.

If your bread has already gone stale, or no one ever eats the crusts, grate them or whizz them up in a food processor. Use the breadcrumbs as a crunchy topping for a pasta bake, or breading for nuggets.

Fruit

You can freeze fruit that’s gone a bit past its best (but not mouldy). The fruit will be squishy when defrosted, so use them in a recipe where you don’t expect them to be firm, like a smoothie, porridge, overnight oats, a crumble or any baked fruit recipe. Bananas can be frozen and used as a base for a smoothie, non-dairy ice cream, or banana bread.

Vegetables

Freeze vegetables that are past their best (but not mouldy) and roast them later. Tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables work really well, as you expect roasted vegetables to be squashy anyway.

Save veg peelings/tops to bring extra flavour to soups or stock.

Save your potato peelings and make homemade “crisps” in the oven.

Broccoli stems are nice when sliced thinly, brushed with oil, seasoned and lightly pan-fried.

The leaves of many root vegetables can be sauteed like chard, or used to make a variation on pesto.

Salad

Put a piece of kitchen roll, or a piece of a tea towel, in your bag of salad leaves or spinach. The leaves will last much longer before they start to go slimy.

Use excess salad leaves or spinach to make pesto – a super-easy mid-week meal.

Eggs

Eggs last a long time past their best-before date, but if you have some that you are sure you won’t use in time, you can freeze them. Crack the egg as normal, then freeze the white and yolk either together or separately in small containers.

Milk

Milk can be frozen, but be careful because liquid expands when it freezes. Follow these steps to avoid splitting the container:

  • Loosen the lid
  • Very gently, push in the side of the bottle (not so much that the milk comes out of the bottle!)
  • With the side still pushed in, tighten the lid
  • Now freeze it
  • When the milk expands, it will just push the side of the container back out, and the bottle shouldn’t split

Cheese

Grate bits of hardened cheese and freeze them, then use them later for cheesy toppings.

Random leftovers

Use odd leftovers in quiches, mixed through rice, on pasta, roasted and served on a slice of puff pastry, or in omelettes.

Why not have a “whatever” night every week, when you finish up whatever’s left over in the fridge? This should save money as well as introduce some variety – you may find a new favourite meal.

[1] Food surplus and waste in the UK – key facts. October 2021. rep. Available at: https://wrap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-10/food-%20surplus-and-%20waste-in-the-%20uk-key-facts-oct-21.pdf (Accessed: January 2, 2023).

Photo credit: Victoria Shes on Unsplash

Categories: Food, High impact, In Lockdown, Quick & easy, Saves money, Waste

Make your own lunch

lunchtime sandwich roll with brie walnuts and salad

Bad memories of the sandwiches you used to have to eat at school? Don’t worry, things have moved on.

Using last night’s leftovers to make your lunch prevents food waste – but you also get to amaze your colleagues with the unending variety of your lunches. If you usually buy your sandwiches at the supermarket, you’ll also save money and prevent plastic waste.

Try different types of bread, rice, salads, or pasta, served with a mixture of fillings, spreads, or whatever your kids didn’t eat from last night’s dinner.

Some ideas that are definitely better than yet another cheese sandwich are:

  • left-over vegetarian/chicken nuggets with chilli mayo and salad leaves served in a wrap
  • left-over (vegan) fish fingers with lemon mayo in a wrap
  • uneaten naan with yoghurt and cucumber
  • cooked-too-many roasted vegetables with couscous
  • reheated pasta and sauce, topped with a few fresh tomatoes
  • reheated chilli served up in a bun like a sloppy joe
  • almost any leftovers folded into an omelette (egg or chickpea based)
  • wilted salad leaves whizzed into a pesto with garlic, lemon juice and cashew nuts, served on toast
  • leftover vegetables mixed through a bean salad, with a simple vinaigrette dressing

Photo credit: Nikizhang on Unsplash

Categories: Food, In Lockdown, Quick & easy, Saves money, Waste

Eating better Step 3 – cut out dairy & eggs

dairy-free milk made from almonds and cashews

Why cut out dairy and eggs?

Cow farming, including growing crops for their feed, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. So cutting out dairy is an easy way to reduce your environmental footprint.

Many people also choose to cut out dairy for ethical reasons. Cows only produce milk if they’ve been pregnant, in order to feed their calf – but the dairy industry relies on removing the calf from its mother so we can use the milk instead. The separation distresses both the mother and the calf, and male calves are usually slaughtered at just over a year old.

You may think that eggs are cruelty-free – after all, supermarket eggs aren’t fertilised, so no animal is directly killed to produce that egg. However, chickens farmed for eggs (layers) and chickens farmed to produce the next generation (breeders) are usually kept in overcrowded conditions that lead to aggression and disease. Farmers routinely give their chickens antibiotics “just in case”, which leads to antibiotic resistance. And male chicks are an unwanted waste product of the chicken breeding industry, routinely killed at just a day old.

So do we need dairy and eggs?

The simple answer is no! The dairy industry has spent decades convincing us that we need cow’s milk to keep us healthy, but it just isn’t true – in fact, 68% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant, avoiding dairy products altogether, and suffering no ill effects whatsoever[1].

But we do need calcium – we just have to get it from other sources.

Cutting out dairy is getting easier all the time, but if you’re finding it difficult, you don’t have to do it all in one go. It’s better to take small successful steps towards the goal, rather than try to do it all at once and fail. Personally, I found it very easy to give up milk and yoghurt, while cheese took several years. But any progress is better than giving up.

Eggs are a good source of protein, and they are often used as a source of fat and for their binding properties in traditional recipes. The fact that egg is used in so many ways means there’s no one-size-fits-all alternative, and we have to be a bit creative, using vegetable oils, flax seeds, and even apple sauce depending on what property of eggs we’re trying to substitute for.

What are some non-dairy sources of calcium?

You can get calcium from many sources other than dairy products. According to the NHS article “The Vegan Diet”,[2], you can get calcium from:

  • green, leafy vegetables e.g. broccoli, cabbage and okra
  • fortified unsweetened soya
  • rice and oat drinks
  • calcium-set tofu
  • sesame seeds and tahini (an ingredient in hummus)
  • pulses (peas, beans and lentils)
  • bread (in the UK, calcium is added to white and brown flour by law)
  • and dried fruit, such as raisins, prunes, figs and dried apricots

What are some dairy alternatives?

Vegan milk alternatives

There are plenty of different plant-based milk substitutes. Oat, almond, coconut and soya milk are all well-established and popular, while more recent products include milk made from peas and even potatoes. I find oat milk is the most versatile, and it also has the lowest environmental impact – but all plant milks have a lower impact than dairy milk, so whichever plant milk you prefer, go for it.[3]

Vegan butter alternatives

Butter can be replaced with nut butter (like peanut butter) or excellent vegan butter alternatives like Flora Plant Butter, which is available in a block for baking or a tub for easy spreading. Many other vegan butter products are slimy and tasteless, so I’d urge you to avoid wasting your money on them and go straight for the Flora. Alternatively, you could just not use butter at all, and swap it for vegan pesto (we recommend Sacla), vegan mayonnaise (Hellmans) or any jam (jelly).

Vegan egg alternatives

When baking, eggs are easily replaced with alternatives as varied as banana, apple sauce, aquafaba, flax seed, baking soda, lemonade and vegan yoghurt. Use a good vegan recipe to make sure the right balance of fats and moisture is retained – don’t just substitute at random (baking is more like chemistry than cooking and goes wrong easily).

If you miss the egg running out of your breakfast butty, egg yolk can be replaced with vegan butter mixed with nutritional yeast (no one really likes the white bit anyway, right?).

Scrambled eggs can be mocked up using tofu, and omelettes made using chickpea (gram) flour.

Vegan alternatives to honey

Alternatives to honey are agave syrup (which comes from cacti, and is virtually indistinguishable from runny honey) or maple syrup (which has its own delicious flavour).

Vegan yoghurt alternatives

Yoghurt is an easy swap – there are many vegan yoghurt alternatives available. I prefer the coconut-based ones but that’s really a personal choice.

One great thing about buying a big tub of plain vegan yoghurt is its versatility. You can mix it up with agave syrup one day, defrosted fruit the next, then crunchy oatmeal and raisins, jam, or whatever you fancy. Plus if you’re looking for something savoury, you can spoon it straight from the pot, onto a curry, chilli or nachos. Add a splash of lemon juice as you serve it to make it a little bit more tart if necessary.

Vegan cheese alternatives

Vegan cheese took a huge step forward in 2022 with the release of Cathedral City’s Plant Based Dairy Free block. It’s an absolute game changer as (unlike all other vegan cheese) it actually tastes and behaves like mature cheddar. Go on any vegan group and ask what their favourite cheese is, and you’ll see it’s the clear winner. It does smell quite a lot, but you could argue, so does good real cheese.

For other types of cheeses and more recommendations, check out our eco-friendly alternatives page for a list of our favourite vegan alternatives!

Next:
Step 4: go completely vegetarian

Previous:
Step 2: stop eating beef

[1] Storhaug et al, (2017). Country, regional, and global estimates for lactose malabsorption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, volume 2, issue 10, P738-746, October 01, 2017

[2] nhs.uk. 2021. The Vegan Diet. [online] Available at: <https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/> [Accessed 17 January 2021].

[3] the Guardian. 2021. Almonds Are Out. Dairy Is A Disaster. So What Milk Should We Drink?. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/28/what-plant-milk-should-i-drink-almond-killing-bees-aoe> [Accessed 17 January 2021].

Photo credit: Sandi Benedicta on Unsplash

Categories: Cheap, Food, High impact, In Lockdown

Eating better Step 4 – go completely vegetarian

tomato quiche, vegetarian meal

Cutting out all meat (including chicken and fish) is the next step after beef and dairy.

There are so many reasons to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle – improving your own health, stopping cruelty to animals, reducing your impact on the environment, and saving money. Plus there are so many delicious alternatives to meat.

Don’t worry if you slip up sometimes. 95% there is better than trying and giving up altogether. Do what works for you, but work towards the goal.

Why stop eating chicken?

Chicken has less impact per head than cattle, but there are more of them, and they eat a lot of food. According to Greenpeace, nearly half of the soya the EU imports from Brazil is fed to chickens. This soya is grown on land that used to be rainforest – which accelerates the climate crisis and pushes wildlife towards extinction.[1]

Why stop eating fish?

Eating fish (particularly those caught by large-scale commercial fishing operations) causes significant harm to marine life. In addition to over-fishing (which endangers animals further up the food chain), commercial fishing methods like trawling, gillnets and longlines catch many more species than intended. Affected species include whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks and other species of fish, which may be injured in the process, and are discarded.

Discarded fishing nets and tackle (known as “ghost gear”) make up 10% of plastic pollution in the ocean – and up to 70% of floating macroplastics (the large bits). This plastic waste poses a threat to marine life for decades.[2]

Next:
Step 5: choose a vegan diet

Previous:
Step 3: cut out dairy & eggs

[1] Greenpeace.org.uk. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/is-eating-chicken-better-for-the-environment-than-beef/> [Accessed 10 January 2021].

[2] the Guardian. 2021. Dumped Fishing Gear Is Biggest Plastic Polluter In Ocean, Finds Report. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/06/dumped-fishing-gear-is-biggest-plastic-polluter-in-ocean-finds-report> [Accessed 10 January 2021].

Photo credit: LUM3N on Unsplash

Categories: Food, High impact, In Lockdown, Saves money

Eating better step 2 – stop eating beef

black brown and white cows in a green field in sunlight

Why should I stop eating beef?

Cutting out beef (and dairy) is the most effective way to reduce your environmental impact, according to Oxford University research into the environmental impact of farming.[1]

Poore and Nemecek of the University of Oxford compared the greenhouse gas emissions caused by farming and processing animal products with those of substitute vegetable-based proteins, like peas and soy. But they didn’t just look at one study. This was a meta-study, meaning they analysed the data from multiple studies in order to overcome any bias and understand the overall trend. They analysed 570 consistent and high-quality studies, covering approximately 38,700 commercially viable farms across 119 countries, and 40 food products, representing about 90% of the global protein and calorie intake.

So how bad is beef for the environment?

The study’s results show that the production of just 100g of beef protein (about half a steak, or a portion of chilli) causes an average of 50kg (110 lbs) of greenhouse gases to be produced. The worst producers caused a staggering 105kg (231 lbs) of greenhouse gases to be produced. In comparison, lamb causes 20kg of greenhouse gases per 100g produced.

However, the production of plant-based protein has significantly less impact on the environment. For example, tofu causes just 2kg (just under 41/2lb) of greenhouse gases per 100g, and peas just 0.4kg (less than 1 lb) per 100g.[2]

What can I replace meat with?

Try going meat-free a few times a week so you can learn how to use other ingredients like lentils, mushrooms, tofu, Quorn or vegan textured vegetable protein alternatives, then cut out beef altogether.

Cutting out beef could also save you money because vegetables are generally cheaper than good-quality meat.

You’re allowed to fail sometimes! Don’t give up – all progress is good.

Next:
Step 3: cut out dairy & eggs

Previous:
Step 1: go meat-free a few times a week

[1] Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth (Accessed: February 20, 2023).

[2] Poore, J. and Nemecek, T. (2018). Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science, 360(6392), pp.987-992. Fig. 1.

Photo credit: Kate Spencer

Categories: Food, High impact, In Lockdown, Saves money

Eating better Step 1 – go meat-free a few times a week

meat free meal with salsa, chips, dip and tomatoes

Why should we cook without meat a few times each week?

Avoiding meat and dairy products is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your environmental impact.[1] That’s because meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories – but they use 83% of farmland and produce 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions![2]

But if you and your family are used to eating meat and dairy, completely cutting them out isn’t going to be easy. That’s why we recommend going meat-free a few times a week to start with. It’s an easy way to introduce die-hard meat eaters to alternative foods without making them feel too cheated and resistant.

How do you start cutting out meat?

It’s easy to find out just how tasty meat-free and dairy-free meals can be. If you’re not used to cooking, most supermarkets now stock a good range of vegetarian and vegan ready meals.
Meanwhile, practice making some easy meals. Eating sustainably is easier, cheaper and more interesting if you know how to cook from scratch.
Check out our list of eco-friendly food alternatives for our guide to the best dairy and meat replacements.

If you have some experience cooking, start by searching Pinterest or BBC Good Food for recipe inspiration. You’ll have a lot of fun discovering foods you didn’t know existed. Look for recipes with a small number of familiar ingredients to start with, or swap out the meat in a meal that you’re used to making.

Can you save money by going meat-free?

Vegetables are generally cheaper than meat, so eating plant-based meals can save you money. For example:

  • You can buy the ingredients for vegan chilli, including plant-based mince, for £2.01 (Aldi, April 23)
  • It would cost £3.85 if you made the same chilli with minced beef (Aldi, April 23)

Alternatively, if you’re buying ready meals, you can save money by buying a side dish and treating it as your main. For example:

  • Buy cauliflower cheese (Aldi, £2.09 for 750g) instead of a family-sized beef lasagne (Aldi, £3.69),
  • Buy aloo gobi saag (Sainburys, £2.50) instead of chicken tikka masala (Sainsburys, £4.25).

Next:
Step 2: stop eating beef

[1,2] Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth (Accessed: February 20, 2023).

Photo credit: Ralph (Ravi) Kayden on Unsplash

Categories: Food, In Lockdown, Quick & easy, Saves money, Waste