Eco Show and Tell

By Sofya Firsakova and Shiri Atsmon

Our monthly spotlight falls on reducing waste tied to food and drink, whether that is packaging, transport or storage. Whilst reducing waste from food and drinks may seem overwhelming, small changes in our daily habits can make a big difference. To make it easier for you, we’ve created a guide full of options you can use to make more sustainable choices.

A Quick Overview 

What Is the Issue?

Plastic waste is a growing problem in the UK and beyond. Consider these alarming statistics:

• 35.8 million plastic bottles are used EVERY DAY in the UK
• 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are used per year in the UK, but only 1 in 400 are recycled. Producing these cups takes almost 1.5 billion litres of water and 152,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Examples of unsustainable packaging are everywhere: wrapping of fruit and vegetables, food trays, boxes, crisp packets, takeout containers, disposable coffee cups, cans, foil wrappers, tetra packs, bottles, food pouches, single serving condiments etc.

Learn more about London’s packaging footprint (webinar from ReLondon):

What Will Reducing Waste Achieve?

With changes, the impacts could be significantly minimised. For example, if all apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose: 60,000 tonnes of food waste, 8,800 tonnes of plastic packaging and 80,000 tonnes of COZe could be saved. Moreover, valuable resources such as water and energy would be conserved. Some inspiring campaigns actively working towards a solution include Bring it, Barnet (NLWA, Plastic Pact (WRAP) and Plastic Free Communities.

What You Can Do

Say No to Pre-Packed Fruits and Vegetables

Choose to refuse pre-packed fruit and vegetables. Buying plastic-wrapped or packaged fruits and vegetables can be convenient, but unfortunately it creates plastic waste. Instead, consider looking out for loose fruit and vegetables in your local grocery store.

Living in Finchley Church End, my go-to shops to buy plastic-free fruits and veggies are Bekem Food Store (Market Place NW11 6JP) for their huge variety of tomatoes, and Mega Food Centre (on Ballards Lane N3 1LP) for the fresh produce and delicious olives and bread.

Don’t forget to bring enough lightweight bags to pack your veggies and fruits, both these shops will weigh them at the till for a fast check out. 

Shop Packaging-Free

Have you been to Impact Store, located in 6 Station road, Finchley Central, N3 2RY? Bring your own reusable containers and refill them with anything you can think of, from pantry staples to tasty snacks. You can also shop online and get what you need without packaging, delivered to your doorstep.

Ditch Disposables and Carry Your Own Reusable Containers

Consider using a reusable coffee mug, for example a collapsible one which won’t take too much space in your bag. The same brand also offers collapsible food containers – which proves themselves useful for taking home leftovers from meetings or from dining out – we were also impressed by reusable silicone bags which take little space in your bag but then expand as needed and help you reduce food waste, cooking time and save money too.

Store Food Sustainably

There are many plastic wrap alternatives for covering food. Storing and packing food in the containers already on hand, such as clean glass jars, is a great start. Another popular solution is the tried and tested upside down plate on a bowl. Many people find reusable silicone bowl toppers or wax wraps to cover food in bowls, pots and pans a useful option too.

The photo below gives some more ideas from us on how to reduce waste from your food and drinks packaging and storage. They are shown underneath the 5 R’s of recycling: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle. You can also check out the “Bring it, Barnet” campaign by North London Waste Authority or the Bin Bag Challenge website.

Tune in to our very own zero-waste webinar. Fast forward to minutes 50:40 to 57:30 where we discuss the above ideas in more detail:

Get involved in Community activities

Reducing waste isn’t just an individual effort; it’s something we can do together. No matter how much time you have available, here is a variety of ways to engage your community:

Further ideas/ links to involve your community include:
● Print the Plastic free July poster and hang on a community board
● Organise a plastic free/ waste free picnic
● Play the waste Bingo
● Invite some friends for a trip to the Refill shop in Finchley Central
● Send these resources to a local food/drinks business: video
and plastic-reduction toolkit . They can also order a free Bring it, Barnet display materials here or check out helpful advice here

National campaigns and specialist websites

We’ve rounded up some helpful resources which provide expert guidance on topics related to reducing packaging waste. Look through these for actionable advice and inspiration.