A Month of Living without Plastic - What the weekly shop looks like

I think our weekly shop looks pretty similar to our shop pre-2019.  There is just one main thing missing and that is all the completely unnecessary single use plastic.  On most things I have managed to find a work around. The first month going plastic free was a real eye opener.  Plastic is everywhere and on everything.  I think we did pretty well though, and going cold turkey on plastic really challenged me and the household’s creativity with food and how we live our lives.  A side effect I did not anticipate is it has made me far more conscious of waste, this is purely due to the fact that there is hardly any rubbish in our landfill bin so when I do go to put something in the bin it is more obvious.

Slowly as I use up things in the house: shampoo, shower gel, cleaning products, loo roll I am looking into alternatives but I am not panic buying greener alternatives at the expense of the plastic we already have in the house just going in the bin or going to waste.  Generating waste for the sake of it is not the aim of the game.  I find the plastic I do have I think twice before I recycle it, can I use this for something else, should I hold on to it and refill it at a later date?  I am beginning to value the plastic I have in the house.  After all, once I have finished what is in it, I will not be buying any more.   

What does going plastic free cost?  Thankfully not more in money terms; It costs more time:

• Initially the time has been in understanding what the packaging is made of on everyday items and knowing what I can buy and what to avoid, finding the new places to shop. 
• Time organising all my bags, product bags, jars and Tupperware before leaving the house to go shopping.
• Time in going around different shops and stalls to get all the things I need for the week.  Although I am finding traditional market halls, Altrincham, Knutsford are ideal for getting my weekly shops. Or large supermarkets with a meat and cheese counter.   
• Time to plan the weekly shop and meals which ultimately lead to less waste.
• Time to cook meals and snacks from scratch.  

What we had to give up because we couldn’t find a work around:

Butter only a few years ago the ‘cheap’/’value’ butters used to be in paper packaging, then they all moved towards this mixed material wrap.  As it is mixed plastic material it cannot be recycled so it has to end up in landfill.  Since the end of January we have started buying butter again.  I weighed this up in my head instead of the recyclable containers of margarine or spreadable.  If less than £25% of recyclable plastics are actually recycled, the amount of waste material in a wrap for butter is considerably less than the 75% of the plastic tub that will not be recycled.  I buy the largest block of butter I can find to reduce the ratio of butter to packaging.

Yogurt is in plastic containers.  We have since started buying this but I am looking into making my own to save needing to buy so much.  I am only buying containers that can be completely recycled. 

The main things I have learnt after the first month with no plastic is it is not always convenient and it can be more time consuming as you fill your own bags and containers rather than grabbing the convenient bags or packs of items.  And it is certainly not always cheaper for individual items.  But I think being mindful about plastic has made me more aware of waste and in particular food waste, and the planning of the weekly shop.  Reducing the meat I am eating has meant our plastic free weekly shop is not costing any more than it did last year.

Going plastic free and becoming more conscious of waste has not cost more, in fact doing both has made me more aware and thoughtful about what I do buy, ultimately saving money.   This is especially true if you don't rush out and buy lots of new green stuff (metal straws, bees wax wraps, metal water bottles, bamboo cutlery)! For me its about finding new habits for my shopping, a new isle to walk down and new areas in which to shop.