DIY: Bi Carb Christmas Ornament Decorations!

An easy, fun activity for Christmas time or any other event you would like custom decorations/ ornaments!). Can also be used as fancy gift tags and they make nice essential oil diffuser disks too! Original recipe found here.

Makes a sheet approx 40 x 40cm to make 10-30 decorations depending on thickness and size :

1 cup Bi Carbonate of Soda approx 280g (approx £1.54)

1/2 cup Arrowroot approx 50g (approx 50p)

Just over 1/2 cup water / 100ml

10-20 drops essential oil of choice (optional) frankincense, pine, lavender, clove, peppermint, cinnamon all great options!

Food colouring (optional)

medium saucepan, wooden spoon, rolling pin, bowl.

Decoration design items: cookie cutters, embossed rolling pins, found items or kitchen items to cut out shapes or press in designs, natural items such as pine cones, ferns for pressed patterns. Toothpick / Skewer to making hole for hanging.

Method:

Place your bi carb and arrowroot in saucepan, stir or sieve to remove lumps. Add water and mix thoroughly. Place pan over medium heat and stir constantly.

After about 5-7 mins the mixture will begin to bubble and start to thicken, continue to stir as the dough thickens and comes together. If using essential oils or food colouring add these now, stir to mix in and remove from heat.

Transfer dough to bowl, cover with damp cloth and let cool for about an hour.

Once cool knead the dough, it should be smooth. Roll out to desired thickness - use more arrowroot if sticking at all.

Now its the fun part - designing you decorations! Use your chosen decoration methods to create your designs. Allow ornaments to air dry for at least 24 hours (can pop in oven on low heat to speed up or we placed ours on a baking tray on top of the log burner for an evening!).

Add any additional design elements such as paint and ribbon can be added once dry.

Zero Waste Tips

Buy your ingredients from a package free refill store if possible to avoid single use packaging.

Use found objects or secondhand items for your design creations.

Use natural materials such as cotton, jute etc for hanging your designs to avoid man-made materials.

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DIY: Reusable Wet Wipes

With the news of the UK Government banning plastic based wet wipes in 2024 and the ongoing ‘Bin The Wipe’ campaign to help put a stop to blocked sewers we thought we’d share this great method for making your own reusable wet wipes shared by Nancy Birtwhistle.

To make 20 wipes you’ll need:

20 squares of fabric approx 15-20cm- thin cotton fabric works best, think old t-shirt/shirt/pillowcases

20ml aloe vera gel

30ml surgical spirit (can leave out if you want an alcohol-free wipe, won’t have the anti-bacterial qualities)

120ml water

optional 2-3 drops lemon/tea tree or essential oil of choice

small tupperware or container to keep them in (if you can find one that has 2 compartments even better- one side for clean and one for used.

whisk/fork and bowl

Method:

Cut your fabric to shape and then wet thoroughly with cold water and fully wring them out.

In a bowl add your aloe vera and beat with whisk/fork with a few tablespoons of the water to emulsify to make into a runny solution. Add all of the remaining water and the surgical spirit and essential oil if using. Mix thoroughly.

Drop the dampened fabric squares into the solution, allowing them to absorb the solution and gently wring them out so not dripping. Fold each one separately into your container and they are ready to use! Any leftover liquid can be used at a later date to create your next batch.

Store in car or bag so they are ready to use when needed. Simply wash dirty used clothes and reuse to make your next batch!

Zero Waste Tips

Try to find aloe vera gel in glass or buy in a large plastic tub that can either be reused or easily recycled. Or to avoid packaging completely use an aloe vera plant - see this video for how to make aloe vera gel direct from your plant.

Use old fabric scraps rather than buying new- use what you have already or head to a charity shop to pick up some suitable fabric.

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Earth Day 2024: Planet vs Plastics

“The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.”

~ KATHLEEN ROGERS, President EarthDay.Org

EarthDay.Org is demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040. The organisation explains that plastics present a grave threat to human health. As plastics break down into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulate through the air we breathe. Plastic production has grown to more than 380 million tons per year. More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire 20th century, and the industry plans to grow explosively for the indefinite future.

“All this plastic was produced by a petrochemical industry with an abysmal record of toxic emissions, spills, and explosions,” said Denis Hayes, Chair Emeritus of EARTHDAY.ORG. “Plastics are produced in polluting facilities that somehow seem to always be located in the poorest neighborhoods. Some plastics are lethal when combusted; other plastics transmit hormone-disrupting chemicals; and all plastics can starve birds and suffocate sea life. At every stage of their life cycles, from the oil well to the town dump, plastics are a dangerous blight.”

Sign the Global Plastics Treaty Petition to call on the United Nations and Governmental Organizations to commit once and for all to:

• Support a highly ambitious Global Plastic Treaty that binds all to the same standards

• A 60% of reduction of all fossil fuel-based plastic production by 2040

• Requiring producers and retailers of plastics to be liable for the cost of any environmental or health-related damages in accordance with the “producer pays” principle

• Public and private sector investments in innovation to replace all fossil fuel-based plastics

• Ban all plastic-related tobacco products including, but not limited to tobacco filters and e-cigarettes

• Ban the export of plastic waste

• End the incineration of plastic waste

• Support innovative solutions and alternatives to plastic in all sectors

• Fully-financed education and public awareness campaigns to inform the public about reasons and strategies for ending plastic pollution

Information from Earth Day 2024

For further info check out:

End Plastic Pollution Toolkits

Plastics Impact Quiz

Find out more about plastics impact on our health

What actions will you take this Earth Day to challenge plastics?

• Sign the petition and share with friends and family to sign too

• Look to refill one new item: check out our products page to see what new item you can refill to avoid single use plastic. Our locations page will let you know where you can find us for refills or plastic free home delivery.

• Say no to plastic clothing- check the fabric content before buying a new piece of clothing and look to avoid synthetic plastic based fabrics.

• Do a beach clean/ litter pick - cleaning your local beach helps reduce the long term impact of plastic pollution.

Don’t underestimate your individual impact! Together we can create huge change!

Want to do more? Check out actions from EarthDay.Org

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Cleaning your home with Citric Acid

Citric acid is a natural disinfectant and an extremely versatile household cleaning product with legendary limescale and rust-removing properties. It contains no harmful chemicals or additives

Here are some of the ways it can be used around the house:

Descaling:  Dilute 1 or 2 tablespoons of citric acid in 1L of cold water and use this solution to descale coffee machines, kettles, cups, taps, showerheads and more Rinse with clear water afterwards. 

Remove limescale:  Remove limescale from your washing machine, put 6 to 8 tablespoons of acid in the drum and run on a cycle (90°C)

Toilet bowl cleaner:  Pour half the bag into your toilet and leave overnight. 

General household cleaning:  Replace vinegar as a cleaner throughout your home.

Whiten yellowed whites: Do on a sunny day! Make sure yellowed items are clean before treatment. In a bowl large enough for your items place 3 tablespoons salt and 3 tablespoons citric acid, then add 600ml hot water from kettle. Stir to dissolve and then submerge your yellowed whites. Leave to soak for 20mins until all or most of the liquid has been absorbed. Take bowl outside, take out items and peg on line to dry in full sun, leave to dry and items should be back to bright white! Rinse whitened items in water and dry again before using.

Info from: Ecoliving and Nancy Birtwhistle Clean & Green.

You may also enjoy:

A zero waste approach to home cleaning

The many ways Bi Carb and Vinegar can clean your home!

How to use natural / green bleach (Sodium Percarbonate)

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How to use natural / green bleach (Sodium Percarbonate)

Did you know that sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in bleach is highly toxic to animals and humans and remains in the environment for long periods? For this reason we actively look to avoid any cleaning products with this ingredient. But there is an eco-friendly alternative if you’re looking for a product that brightens fabrics, removes stains and cleans the home.

A natural bleach, also known as oxygen bleach, green bleach or Percarbonate of Soda. This is a safe and non-toxic, biodegradable alternative to harsh chlorine bleach. When dissolved in water it releases oxygen which acts as a powerful stain remover, deodoriser and disinfectant. It breaks down harmlessly to oxygen, water and sodium carbonate, so completely safe to use.

Here’s how you can use it to replace your traditional bleach that comes in single use plastic packaging:

Stain remover : Use 2-4 tablespoons in a bowl of warm water as a pre-soak to remove stains. As a stain-removal booster, add 2 tablespoon (or 4 tablespoons for tougher stains) to the laundry powder in your washing machine dispenser drawer to brighten whites and eliminate odours.

General cleaner and disinfectant : To make the solution - Add 4 tablespoons in 1 Litre of hot water. Brilliant to clean ovens, bins and toilets. For wood: brush with the solution, wait for 10 to 15 minutes then brush again and rinse well. For Stone: Apply solution and rinse well particularly on limestone, marble slabs, etc.

To unblock and clean a sink drain : Pour 2-3 tablespoons in the hole of your sink, add boiling water on top. Wait few minutes and rinse.

Cleaning and sanitising your reusable cleaning cloths : Recipe and method

Info from: Is it really Green Georgina Wilson-Powell, Ecoliving and Nancy Birtwhistle Clean & Green.

You may also enjoy:

A zero waste approach to home cleaning

The many ways Bi Carb and Vinegar can clean your home!

Cleaning your home with Washing Soda (Soda Crystals or Sodium Carbonate)

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DIY: Eco Cleaning Reusable Cloths

This is a great method shared by green living hero Nancy Birtwhistle and her Clean & Green book. Sometimes your reusable cleaning cloths or face cloths/ make up pads need a deeper clean than the washing machine can offer. This method avoids harmful chlorine bleach and instead uses natural green bleach. It is a safe and non-toxic, biodegradable alternative to harsh chlorine bleach. When dissolved in water it releases oxygen which acts as a powerful stain remover, deodoriser and disinfectant. It breaks down harmlessly to oxygen, water and sodium carbonate, so no nasty chemicals entering the environment and no single use plastic bottles either!

You’ll need:

2 tablespoons washing soda

1/2 teaspoon natural bleach

500ml hot water - or enough to cover your cloths

large glass microwave-proof bowl

plate large enough to cover bowl

your grubby dishcloth or flannel, make up pads

Directions:

Best done at the end of the day. Add your washing soda and natural bleach to a large bowl, pour over the hot water, pop in your cloth and make sure it is submerged. Place the plate over the bowl, place in microwave on high for 1-2mins until boiling, turn microwave down to just 100 watts and microwave for a further 30 mins. In effect it is being brought to the boil and simmered for 30mins which can be done on a hob if no microwave. Leave the cloth in the bowl/saucepan overnight to cool and then rinse with cold water.

Alternatively for a quick whitening, sanitise and freshen add 1 teaspoon natural bleach to a bowl, pop in your grubby cloth and pour over sufficient boiling water to cover. Leave for 30mins and once cool enough to handle rinse with cold water and either use straight away or dry.

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Cleaning your home with Washing Soda (Soda Crystals or Sodium Carbonate)

Washing soda / soda crystals / Sodium Carbonate is an eco-friendly heavy-duty cleaner for surfaces and floors throughout the home. Soluble in water, it cleans, removes odours, saponifies grease and neutralises acids.

Especially effective at removing grease, cleaning heavily soiled surfaces & floors, and clearing blocked pipes. Its softening property intensifies the efficiency of cleaning agents in laundry detergents and washing up liquids.

Buying soda crystals plastic free means you can avoid chemical heavy cleaners that are sold in single use plastic packaging.

Here are some of the ways it can be used around the house:

Clean kitchen surfaces, hobs, extractors, bins, ovens and inside fridges : Dissolve 200g of soda crystals in 1 pint (500 ml) of water. Spray or wipe the solution onto surfaces. Leave stubborn marks to soak for a minute or two, then wipe them down with a clean cloth. Do not use soda crystals on aluminium surfaces.

Greasy pans : Mix 200g of soda crystals with every pint (500 ml) of water. Soak greasy pans in the solution of soda crystals and hot water. Leave for a few hours and wipe clean.

Cleaning washing machines : Run a hot wash with nothing but 500g – 750g of soda crystals added to the detergent dispenser.

Boost Laundry detergent : Add two tablespoons of soda crystals to your detergent dispenser to soften water and aid cleaning.

Cleaning toilets : Neutralise odours and clear limescale by pouring 300g of soda crystals down and around the bowl. Leave overnight before flushing away.

Blocked Pipes : Pour a mug of crystals down the plughole. Flush through with hot water.

Cleaning Soft Furnishings : Recipe and method

Cleaning and sanitising your reusable cleaning cloths : Recipe and method

Info from: Ecoliving and Nancy Birtwhistle Clean & Green.

You may also enjoy:

A zero waste approach to home cleaning

The many ways Bi Carb and Vinegar can clean your home!

How to use natural / green bleach (Sodium Percarbonate)

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DIY: Eco Cleaning Soft Furnishings

This is a great method shared by green living hero Nancy Birtwhistle and her Clean & Green book. As Nancy explains specialist dry-cleaning of furniture and furnishings often involves aerosol sprays, solvents and chemicals which are toxic to the natural environment. This method uses eco-friendly products and is easy to do at home.

You’ll need:

2 tablespoons washing soda

2 tablespoons washing up liquid

300ml warm water

bicarb in sugar shaker (optional)

medium sized bowl

shower puff

dry towel

Directions:

Measure the washing soda and washing up liquid into the bowl and add the warm water. Swirl around with your hand until crystals have dissolved. Add the shower puff and work at the solution until the suds rise to the surface and the bowl is filled with white suds.

Rub only the suds onto the upholstery and massage over the whole area with the shower puff. If furniture is pale a sprinkle of bicarb (1 tablespoon per square meter) can be added and massaged in further.

Leave the furniture for 15mins, return and rub over again with the shower puff. Use the dry towel to rub away the suds and any bicarb paste. The furnishings will be only very slightly damp and should be left to dry for a few hours before using.

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Repair resources list

Here’s a list of our favourite people and companies that have helped us repair and repurpose items: (Let us know if you have any to add!)

In person repairs:

Repair Cafes across Cornwall - Find your nearest repair cafe, they have volunteers that can help repair a number of different items, a great local resource.

Make A Mends (Redruth) They can help with clothing repairs and upcycling. They run a Fix It Club on Sundays 11-2.30 in Redruth, email info@cn4c.org.uk for more info.

The Queens at 46 (Camborne) Repair and alter clothes.

Upcycle Kernow CIC (Portreath) Run a number of different upcycling workshops throughout the year, have a tool library and run a repair cafe and do clothes swapping events!

Flotsam Flo (Redruth) Run repurposing workshops turning hard to recycle plastics and wetsuit fabric into bags and accessories - you can take along your own material to repurpose at one of her workshops.

Meet Make Mend (Falmouth) Monthly darning and repair group run on the last Thursday of the month 7-9pm at Stitches and Cream, run by Laura (07703733391)

Postal service repairs:

Birkenstock repair from The Boot Repair Company Service to repair your beloved Birks

Vibram Sole Repairs Service to repair Vibram soles

Finisterre Repairs Service to repair your Finisterre items

Online Tutorials / Diy Kits:

Socko Darning Darning kit and online lesson

Kintsugi Kit Perfect for mending broken household items

Fixits Mould and mend fix it sticks

IFIXIT Online resource with repair guides, parts and tools and online forum

Brands we like due to being easy to repair, remember you don’t have to buy new, always look for secondhand options via reselling sites:

Dualit Repairable kitchen appliances

Kohn Rikon Great quality cookware with replaceable parts

Magimix Easy to repair kitchen appliances

Patagonia Great repairs service

Buy Me Once Great online store full of products built to last

Why we changed to dishwasher powder from tablets

We've changed from dishwasher tablets to dishwasher powder and want to fill you in as to why!

We used to stock Ecoleaf dishwasher tablets which we thought ticked all the plastic free boxes but now we are not so sure. Before stocking them we checked with our supplier about the water soluble outer, known as PVA (polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl alcohol). At the time of our initial research we were a little nervous given the very plastic sounding name but were reassured that PVA dissolves into an aqueous solution of PVA first in water and then with the right microbes it breaks down to just water and CO2. Our supplier confirmed this and that this process occurs either aerobically or anaerobically depending on the treatment process conditions, either within a septic tank or water treatment plant. We were happy with this at the time but have since come across some articles that made us think twice about PVA.

As the name suggests, PVA is a plastic and it seems that the sticking point comes with the uncertainty over how quickly it actually dissolves from PVA into water and CO2. The details are all a little fuzzy with no firm or clear answers. Scientists from Newcastle University conducted a comprehensive study exploring the ingestion of microplastics in deep sea trenches and found polyvinyl acetate within the samples they collected, which means that PVA is reaching our oceans and is not always breaking down within the treatment plants. 

This gave us some cause for concern and we felt that it was best to be cautious and see if we could find an alternative. One of our existing suppliers, SESI Refill offered a dishwasher powder that is vegan, cruelty free and made in the UK plus its delivered in a refillable plastic tub, so we thought we'd make the change! If you'd like to give the new Sesi powder a try let us know and we can add a free sample to your next order. 

You can read more about SESI dishwasher powder. If you are worried about where to get your rinse aid, why not look into making your own, with cardboard packed citric acid and either water or vinegar. 

There has also recently been an update in that New York City is considering limiting the types of laundry and dishwashing detergents available. The bill would make it illegal to sell or distribute detergent pods or laundry sheets that contain polyvinyl alcohol, also known as PVA or PVOH. If approved, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Ethical Consumer further confirmed our concerns in their Jul/Aug 2024 issue where they write in their detergents guide “There is some disagreement over whether polyvinyl alcohol (also known as PVA and PVOH) is really biodegradable and the extent to which it is harmful. But the Beat the Microbead campaign includes PVA in its red list of ingredients found to contain synthetic polymers which are commonly considered to be microplastic ingredients. The NGO, the Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS), is campaigning against the use of biodegradable plastics, stating that they “can present similar hazards in the natural environment to plastics, and the testing methods for biodegradable plastics do not yet reflect realistic use or existing environmental conditions.” Ruta Almedom, Head of Science at CodeCheck, told us “PVA can’t be considered readily biodegradable. The method often used by companies to claim biodegradability only works under specific circumstances, which do not reflect environmental reality. The often used Zahn-Wellens test (OECD302) shows if a substance is ‘inherently biodegradable’- meaning it is not persistent. However, this does not prove that this substance is also readily biodegradable in the aquatic environment.” We therefore deducted points from companies that were using PVA.” 

Reading this made it clear that our choice to stop stocking products with PVA was the right choice. It’s really frustrating as a lot of these products are currently marketed as plastic free which is really confusing and very misleading for consumers. 

 
Articles from etee, Plastic Oceans, Pub Med, Royal Society Publishing and Bloomberg.

If you have an Ethical Consumer subscription you can see their checklist here. 

If there are any PVA experts out there reading this and can help with our concerns please do get in touch! 

Beach Clean Ups Work!

Do you take part in beach cleans? We’ve got good news for you, Norwegian research organisation Norce has, for the first time, found evidence that beach clean ups rapidly and dramatically reduce the amount of microplastics in the environment! Their study, conducted on an island near Bergen, found that a year after plastic items were removed from the shoreline, the amount of microplastics on shore and in the water fell by as much as 99.5%.  

It’s believed that the high levels of UV light and warm temperatures found in shallow waters leads to the plastic disintegrating much more quickly than previously thought. This study suggests that the regular removal of large pieces of plastic from beaches and waterways before they are exposed to the elements dramatically reduces the amount of microplastics that are generated. The study noted that the rapid breakdown of larger pieces of plastic into microplastics only happens when the larger pieces are exposed to the elements. Plastic that ends up in deep ocean waters will not break down so rapidly due to reduced sunlight exposure and colder temperatures.

Reported in Sky News, Gunhild Bodtker, senior researcher at Norce, said, “I was happily surprised because it means the clean-up has efficiently reduced the leakage of microplastic into the sea. And that is really good news.” As a result of these findings, she encourages everyone to: “Clean up plastic on the shores, clean up all the plastic in the environment. It really makes a difference.” 

Fantastic news! Make sure you head over to our Mindful Beach Cleaning Blog for advice on how best to remove litter from our shorelines and not disturb precious ecosystems.

Sky News

Take 3 for the Sea

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International E Waste Day

Did you know you can recycle anything with a plug, battery or cable?

International E-Waste Day is here to highlight our ‘invisible’ electronic waste. A yearly event to encourage us to rummage through our drawers, cupboards and attics and look to recycle our old electronics into something useful.

E waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams. According to the UN, 8 kg of e-waste per person will be produced worldwide in 2023. This means 61.3 million tonnes of electronic waste discarded within a year - more than the weight of the Great Wall of China. Only 54% of e-waste is officially reported as collected and recycled and the lack of public awareness is preventing countries from developing circular economies for electronic equipment.

Invisible e-waste refers to electronic waste that goes unnoticed due to its nature or appearance, meaning its recyclable potential is often overlooked. Some examples that you’ll likely to find at home are: electric and electrotonic toys, e-cigarettes, power tools, smoke detectors, wearables, smart home gadgets, e-bikes and e-scooters or simply cables. A study in 2022 showed that of the 74 average total e-products in a household 13 are being hoarded (9 of them unused but working and 4 broken). Small consumer electronics and accessories (such as headphones and remote controls – often not recognised as electronic items) rank top of the list of hoarded products. If these gadgets remain in drawers and cupboards, the valuable resources they contain cannot re-enter the manufacturing cycle and are lost meaning that precious virgin resources continue to be used to create new products. In the UK discarded or hoarded household electricals cost the economy £370 million per year of lost valuable raw materials such as gold, copper, aluminium and steel.

There is now also the issue of ‘fast-tech’, seen as the new ‘fast fashion’. Cheap, everyday electricals that often have a short lifespan – meaning they may be seen as disposable even when they’re not. In the UK 1 fast-tech item is bought every 16 seconds. Almost half a billion FastTech items were thrown away last year, and a shocking 90% of them were discarded soon after being bought. From fairy lights and fans, to handheld vacuums and single-use vapes – inside every one of those products are valuable materials that could have been recovered and reused.

Batteries are also an issue with 123 tonnes of batteries thrown away each year in Cornwall. This is around 5.35 million batteries, approximately 20 thrown away per year in each of Cornwall’s 270,000 households. Batteries can cause problems when processed with rubbish through the Cornwall Energy Recycling Centre. They are also poisonous to our natural environment so proper care is needed when they’re no longer needed. With batteries we should be looking to reduce our need, using items that can be recharged rather than items that require replaceable batteries. Or if you need to use replaceable batteries then look to invest in rechargeable ones, saving money and helping the environment.

Lets use International E Waste Day as an opportunity to have a big clear out and put those resources back into the system! Head to Recycle Your Electricals to find your nearest donation and recycling points if you’re unsure of where to go.

In Cornwall you can take your electrical items to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC). Examples of items you can recycle at an HWRC are:

Kettles and other kitchen electrical appliances

Broadband routers

VHS/DVD players

Old computers and laptops

Games consoles

Digital cameras

Electric toothbrushes

Children’s toys

Mobile phones

Batteries

Can’t get to a recycling centre? WeeeCharity recycle new, used, non working and broken electrical items and offer a collection service. And Cloud 9 offer a free collection recycling scheme for unwanted hair styling tools.

Also don’t forget that you can head to a local repair cafe to try to fix any electricals that have stopped working, meaning you don’t need to buy new and can save precious resources.

Read more about International E Waste Day

Recycle Your Electricals

Cornwall Council Electronic Waste Info

You may also want to watch:

Welcome to Sodom : The worlds largest electronic waste dump. Vimeo link to stream.

You may also want to read:

Recycling Facilities in Cornwall

Why Refuse, Reduce and Reuse come before Recycling

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2023: We've turned 5 - lets see how much plastic we've saved!

Wow, we can’t quite believe we made it to 5 years! Its been a wonderful journey meeting you all and helping you avoid single use plastic! For a bit of fun we thought we’d take a look to see how many pieces of single use plastic we’ve kept out of the waste stream.

At least an INCREDIBLE 180,846 pieces of single-use plastic avoided over 5 years!

A few fun stats:

At least 90,961 single use plastic food packets, including 1159 packets of muesli, 2373 packets of basmati rice and 1111 packets of pasta!

19856 plastic tea bags avoided by switching to Westcountry Tea Co plastic free tea bags

At least 14660 plastic bottles avoided by refilling, including 3439 bottles of washing up, 1639 hand wash and 933 fabric conditioner!

Around 38311 individually wrapped dishwasher tablets avoided by switching to plastic free versions

17057 single use plastic items avoided, including 376 tubs of dental floss (which as a side calculation means avoiding 15040 meters of plastic floss!), 672 plastic toothbrushes, 436 washing up sponges, 150 plastic razors and 95 plastic wrapped packets of cotton wool pads!

What a great achievement! We want to take this time to thank you so much for your support and congratulate you on your efforts. We know that changing habits can be hard but you are all leading the way. By choosing to shop small, local and refill to avoid plastic packaging you are challenging the norm and bringing about larger changes to industry.

Thank you for shopping plastic free with Incredible Bulk!

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Ro: My plastic free journey

Meeting our customers is one of the best parts of our jobs! We are always inspired by their efforts to go plastic free and love hearing their journeys of how they came to start shopping plastic free and we thought you might do too! It is always inspiring to hear from others and in this brave new world of zero waste and plastic free its great to pick up hints and tips from each other and feel part of a wider community that together will make great change!

Ro refills at Penzance. She often pre-orders so she can quickly pick up her box of refill goodies quickly!

Here’s her story:

In 2020, when the recycling collections stopped for a while, I realised that the only answer was to avoid buying things I could not recycle at home. This meant avoiding all the plastic packaging. I had to step up my game pretty swiftly as my recycling mountain was growing fast!

Finding Incredible Bulk and being able to refill my store jars without using plastic was a big help. They have a wide range of goodies as well as a helpful source of plastic free information and ideas on their website.

To avoid plastic packaging I found I was baking more things at home, such as fruit bars, flapjacks, biscuits, cake. I went back to making hummus and a range of pesto mixes using nuts and pumpkin seeds instead at pine nuts. I stopped buying fruit or vegetables wrapped in plastic, and stopped buying bread, pastry, and pasta. Like many others, I baked bread and found soda bread a great option as I could make it in 20 minutes.

My biggest change was to make my own dairy free milk as I had bags of tetra packs building up in the shed. I had made soya milk before but settled on cashew milk. I did not have heat it and with a good blender, I didn’t have to strain it.

It does take more time, but it has also made our diet healthier. Mum, who was living with us and had dementia, tried each new recipe without hesitation and enjoyed most of it. The meal that stopped her in her tracks was gazpacho soup. She definitely was not going to have cold soup, no matter how hot the weather! Happily she really took to eating soda bread and stopped having the indigestion she had suffered from for years.

I still miss things like crisps, but roast potato skins cooked with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt are a good substitute!

Tom: My plastic free journey

Meeting our customers is one of the best parts of our jobs! We are always inspired by their efforts to go plastic free and love hearing their journeys of how they came to start shopping plastic free and we thought you might do too! It is always inspiring to hear from others and in this brave new world of zero waste and plastic free its great to pick up hints and tips from each other and feel part of a wider community that together will make great change!

Tom has been a super loyal customer of ours. He used to refill at the van when we visited his office at Falmouth Business Park but as we haven’t returned since the pandemic he now orders a plastic free delivery.

Here’s his story:

When I first started refill shopping it took a bit of time getting organised but before long I'd be coming into work every Tuesday afternoon armed with a big rucksack full of empty containers ready to get refilled by Gemma and Jack, along with a bunch of toilet rolls if there was any room left in my rucksack!

When the pandemic hit and the big blue van (for some reason I still picture it as green in my mind, must be something to do with the name!) had to stop operating, Jack started delivering straight to the door which continues to this day. I have to say getting a hold of some second-hand 2 litre plastic containers to refill for washing-up liquid, laundry liquid, fabric softener, shower gel, toilet cleaner etc. early on really helped, I now get them refilled every month or so.

Whenever I'm in the bathroom looking at my old shower gel dispenser (which I refill) I'm horrified to think of how many would have gone to be "recycled" had I continued to buy them rather than getting refills. And this goes for all the other cleaning/bathroom products.

I'd probably say the Bombay mix is my favourite as a treat (although I did sneak a few of the chocolate covered Brazils back in the early days which were delicious). And their olive oil is great!

I will continue to shop with these guys as long as they can deliver, and if they can't, I'll definitely make an effort to track down the big blue van!

Lucy: My plastic free journey

Meeting our customers is one of the best parts of our jobs! We are always inspired by their efforts to go plastic free and love hearing their journeys of how they came to start shopping plastic free and we thought you might do too! It is always inspiring to hear from others and in this brave new world of zero waste and plastic free its great to pick up hints and tips from each other and feel part of a wider community that together will make great change!

Lucy has been a customer of ours since we started. She’s a real plastic free hero and hunts down the van for refills at a number of our locations as well as occasionally ordering a plastic free delivery when she can’t get to us!

Here’s her story:

My 11 year old son inspired me to start shopping package free. He wanted us to do 1 month plastic free one summer holiday as he’d learnt about plastic waste at school and we’ve been doing it ever since! My top advice would be to shop around to begin with and to rethink your usual shop. I went from 1x Tesco delivery a week to now being plastic free. Walk up and down the aisles and make notes of products to swap out for plastic free. Go into shops you would never usually go into, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll find. We love being able to bulk buy rice, pasta and noodles from the van and not be restricted from the usual small packets at the supermarket. My top tip for living with less impact on the planet would be to reuse everything! So much more can be refilled than you think - shampoo, olive oil etc. Be brash in supermarkets, say you’ll only buy it in plastic free packaging!

Clare: My plastic free journey

Meeting our customers is one of the best parts of our jobs! We are always inspired by their efforts to go plastic free and love hearing their journeys of how they came to start shopping plastic free and we thought you might do too! It is always inspiring to hear from others and in this brave new world of zero waste and plastic free its great to pick up hints and tips from each other and feel part of a wider community that together will make great change!

Clare used to visit the van when we set up at Newquay Community Orchard and now orders a plastic free delivery!

Here’s her story:

I was inspired to start avoiding single use plastic when I started noticing it in the sea. I wanted to try and be as eco friendly as possible so thought I’d try refill shopping and would now encourage anyone who was thinking about trying it to give it a go! I love all the items in the van, but my regular refills are washing up liquid, pasta, herbs and spices and normally some sort of treat such as the vegan pick and mix! Another top tip for living with less impact on the planet would be to shop second-hand!

DIY: Eco friendly pesticide and weed killer recipes

Avoid both single use plastic and nasty chemicals when you make your own garden treatments for weeds and pests.

We’ve taken these recipes and advice from green living hero Nancy Birtwhistle and her Clean & Green book.

Recipe for an eco-friendly pesticide for Greenfly, Whitefly and Aphids:

Only apply in the evenings, when the weather is dry and still. Use at the first sign of unwanted visitors and repeat as necessary. For use on fruits, veges, garden and house plants.

You’ll need:

500ml water

1 tsp eco-friendly washing up liquid (our sesi washing up is perfect!)

2 tsp grapeseed oil (look for glass or tin bottles rather than plastic)

2-3 drops clove bud oil

funnel

bottle with spray attachment (look to see if you have any spare old ones in the house before buying new!)

Directions:

Using a funnel, add the water, washing up liquid and oils into the spray bottle. Shake well and it is ready to use!

You can also check out Nancy’s other recipes that use either rhubarb or nettle leaves.

Recipe for powdery mildew on roses and edible plants:

Use at first signs of an attack, spray well in the evening when weather is still. Repeat weekly as necessary.

You’ll need:

1 tsp bicarb

3 drops eco-friendly washing up liquid

350ml water (100ml warm, 250ml cold)

500ml bottle with spray attachment

Directions:

Place the bicarb into the spray bottle, add the warm water and shake to dissolve. Add the washing up liquid and the rest of the water, shake to mix and it’s ready to use!

A natural deterrent for slugs and snails:

Use at the first sign of slug or snail damage, applying when dry or after a shower.

You’ll need:

eggshells

salt

Directions:

Whenever you use an egg get into the habit of rinsing the shell under the tap, removing the slimy membrane and leaving it to dry. Once you have a collection of 6 or so shells simply crush them to a fine crumb. Stir through half a teaspoon of salt and then sprinkle along your row of veggies and plants. Don’t go too close to the plants as too much salt is poisonous.

Weed control for patios, paths and pavers:

You’ll need:

salt

kettle of boiling water

Directions:

Choose a time when the weather is forecast dry. Pour a thin stream of boiling water over your weeds and immediately follow up with a sprinkle of salt. After 4-5 days the weeds will have shrivelled and died back with no toxic chemicals being used. When considering how much salt to use, consider the size of the plant and how big its root is - a larger weed will need a good teaspoon of salt. Remember salt will kill your precious plants too so only for use in controlled environments and not your flower beds or veg plots.

We hope these recipes help you in the garden and allow you to avoid shop bought versions that will come in plastic bottles and often contain harmful chemicals.

Further reading:

Gardeners World 10 Organic Gardening tips

Garden Organic

Online Course: A Seasonal Guide to Wild Gardening

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Vicky: My plastic free journey

Meeting our customers is one of the best parts of our jobs! We are always inspired by their efforts to go plastic free and love hearing their journeys of how they came to start shopping plastic free and we thought you might do too! It is always inspiring to hear from others and in this brave new world of zero waste and plastic free its great to pick up hints and tips from each other and feel part of a wider community that together will make great change!

Vicky has been visiting the van in Gweek since we started and also uses our home delivery service when she can’t make it to the van so she never misses out on her refills!

Here’s her story:

I have always used health food shops but as I was trying to cut out plastic as much as possible I decided to give refill shopping a go! Buying in bulk and refilling jars where possible is a great way to shop with less impact on the planet. For anyone thinking of shopping package-free I would say just go for it! We haven’t really looked back since starting and have really noticed how much less plastic is in the house, its great!

Hildegard: My plastic free journey

Meeting our customers is one of the best parts of our jobs! We are always inspired by their efforts to go plastic free and love hearing their journeys of how they came to start shopping plastic free and we thought you might do too! It is always inspiring to hear from others and in this brave new world of zero waste and plastic free its great to pick up hints and tips from each other and feel part of a wider community that together will make great change!

Hildegard visits the van regularly at Lostwithiel Market and has been shopping with us from the start. Here’s her story:

I started refill shopping as I wanted to avoid waste and plastic. My top tip for living life with less waste is to simply take the time to think about what you can do; all small actions count, such as saving bags and jars to reuse and refill instead of throwing them away and buying new. For anyone thinking of shopping package-free, go for it, it’s a no brainer, you can only win! I love everything in the van but I regularly buy porridge oats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat and salt as my staples! I also refill hand wash and other cleaning products.