No shampoo.... Use the same bar of soap you wash the rest of your body with.

No conditioner.... Massage a very small amount of olive oil into your hair. Can be left in or rinsed out.

No detergent. Use a bar of kitchen soap. Put a bar into a mug or similar container. Run the hot water over itwhile filling the sink. Sunlight Soap has been made locally in Shepparton for over 100 years. Packed in cardboard.

No plastic laundry bottles. Buy laundry powder in cardboard boxes which come without a plastic scoop. Keep a spoon in the box.

No plastic bottles of wool mix laundry detergent. Add the tiny remains of bars of soap to a jar of hot water. Shake. Wash wooden clothing in the mix.

No plastic wrap. Use bees wax. The more it is used, the more user friendly it becomes.

No spray cleaners. Use white vinegar and bi-carb soda. Spray with vinegar. Sprinkle with bi-carb soda. Leave. Scrub. Rinse.

Sourced by Rhona for Food Coop's weekly News Email, late August 2023.  Thanks, Rhona!

Ask your butcher if they will accept your containers - if not, either change butchers or remember to take along your own reusable carry bag.  Ask them to use this instead of a (usually) single use carry bag; or just accept the paper wrapped parcel/s!

Footnote - there were some thought provoking comments to the FB post, including 'Absolutely, but the single most thing a person can do to help the environment is to stop eating meat. I just thought it was a tad ironic that it was at a butcher’s shop!'  Perhaps Karen's post should also be added to 'Hot Topics and Kitchen Table Conversations'.

"1. Buy less and buy natural
Do you really need yet another new fleece? When possible, consider shifting your purchase choices to natural fibers like organic cotton.

2. Use a front-loading washing machine instead of a top loading washing machine
Front loading washing machines shed way less (7X less) microfibers than top-loaders

3. Wash less, and when you do use cool water
A little campfire smell only gives your clothing more character. Washing with cool water won’t make that much of a difference in how clean your clothes come out, and it will avoid the additional shedding from hot water breaking up the fibers.

4. Do not wash with solid items (like shoes or backpacks)
Heavy items lead to more friction, which means more fibers breaking during washing and ending up in the ocean.

5. Separate soft textiles and hard textiles
The goal is to have less agitation in the washer and dryer, so separate out the heavy clothing from light clothing.

6. Avoid using a tumble dryer, air dry instead
Synthetic clothing air dries fast anyway and the dryer may also contribute to microfiber release.

7. Reduce rotation speed when washing
Skip the spin cycle to prevent additional friction from causing more fibers to break.

8. Wash for a shorter amount of time
The more time in the washer, the more chances for microfibers to escape.

9. Use less detergent and without bleach
Liquid detergent is best and use it sparingly.
​
10. Consider using a filter/microfiber system 
Though these devices are not an end-all solution, they provide an intermediate option to reduce the amount of microfibers that go down the drain, and are great ways to raise awareness about the issue. The Guppyfriend is a bag that you place your synthetic clothes in when you wash them. It catches microfibers that may shed from synthetic clothing, but more importantly it reduces the level of agitation in the washer, a significant factor in microfiber release. The best solution to catch microfibers in your laundry is an actual filter attached to your washer. Recent studies have shown that filters like Lint LUV-R and Filtrol 160 have a catchment rate of up to 87% of microfibers."

​
​Source:  Bills and Best Practices for Microfiber Pollution Solutions (2019) accessed 24/4/2022  The list was adapted from https://stopmicrowaste.com/tenfortheocean

It is encouraging that the Coles and Woolworths supermarkets in Benalla both now have REDcycle bins in their foyers to collect soft plastic items for recycling. A Melbourne-based company RedPlas has been collecting and recycling soft plastics for a number of years now, and turning them into products such as benches, signs, boardwalks and bollards. They collect plastics that cannot be recycled in our yellow bins, and that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Items they want include bread bags, silver lined chip packets, clean cling wrap, frozen food and fresh produce bags, bubble wrap, plastic Australia Post satchels and zip lock bags to name just a few. But they DON’T WANT plastic bottles or containers, drinking straws, glass, polystyrene, paper or cardboard. The REDcycle website shows what plastics can be recycled through the REDcycle bins at Coles and Woolies. Basically if it is soft plastic that can be scrunched up into a ball, it can go in the REDcycle bin. A detailed list of what and what NOT to REDcycle is attached below.
​
Kathy Costello

Maybe you are not ready to give up the plastic altogether but there are some easy ways to make a big difference in reducing the amount of plastic waste that is a huge burden to our environment. Recycling goes some of the way to easing the issue; however it is a much better option to avoid the use of plastic as much as possible.

Bring your own shopping bag
I am thinking hessian is best. Or why not make your own out of left over fabric? In addition to bigger carryall bags, you can take your own reusable produce bags or don’t use produce bags at all.

Ditch bottled water
Such an easy way to reduce waste. Keep a refillable bottle handy and take it wherever you go. Bottled water is incredibly expensive compared to the tap. Say ‘no’ to bottled water.

BYO Coffee Cup
Coffee Cups are usually lined with a polyethylene making it difficult to be recycled. Take your own refillable cup....you may even get your coffee at a reduced price!!

Choose cardboard over plastic bottles and bags
Try pasta in a box instead of a bag, detergent in a box instead of a bottle. Even better, see if the cardboard is from a sustainable source.

Say ‘no’ to straws
They are just not necessary. Paper or stainless straws are an option. Get plastic out of the makeup drawer and bathroom

Research microbeads.
Aim for none in your products.

Skip the disposable razor

Re-think your food storage
Try to use glass instead of plastic for fridge/pantry storage. Take your own containers for the left over restaurant meal. Use reusable sandwich wraps e.g.‘Keep Leaf’ eco-friendly bags.

Use cloth nappies over disposable nappies

Shop in Bulk
Consider joining the BSFG Bulk Food Co-op. Keep your eye out for places with refill stations or bulk purchases.

Think about fashion choices
Do you really need another item of clothing?  Consider clothes swapping with your friends and family. Check out the Op Shop.

Travelling?
Try to follow the practices you have at home. Carry a lightweight rolled-up reusable carry bag. Purify the tap water – choose to avoid the bottled water. My daughter recently travelled Sri Lanka, India and Nepal for 3 months and used a ‘Steripen’ handheld water purifier....was fantastic, easy to use, saved heaps of dollars, and heaps of plastic bottle waste.

CHOOSE TO REFUSE
Check out the ABC’s “War on Waste”:
http://www.abc.net.au/ourfocus/waronwaste/
And the website for “Plastic Free July”:
http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
Also recommended reading:
http://treadingmyownpath.com/2017/01/12/onlinezero-waste-plastic-free-stores/

Wendy Baker
​BSFG Plastic Bag Action Group

Check out this link on treehugger.com - ​https://www.treehugger.com/green-home/11-easy-ways-reduce-your-plastic-waste-today.html

BSFG member and paramedic Jenny often travels overseas, both for pleasure and to volunteer as a paramedic in disaster zones.   Jenny reports discovering a great use for those single use shower caps which are provided in most hotels.  Her idea?  To use them instead of single use cling wrap to cover bowls of left overs etc. in the fridge.  Jenny says they fit well on many bowl sizes and that they remind her of  the durable use plastic covers with elasticized edges her mother used in the fridge.  (I'd forgotten completely about these - and suddenly had a flashback of similar covers in my parents' and grandparents' fridges...) Good thinking, Jenny!