Do you have time for a cuppa? I’d love to catch you up on what’s been happening over the past couple of weeks. I should warn you though – this is a loooong post!
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Firstly, an update on our attempts to try and reduce our household waste. It’s been four weeks now, and we’ve filled our first bokashi bin. It will sit on the back deck under cover for a further three weeks, during which time the contents should ferment into a compostable form.
I’ll let you know how it goes, but we’ve been really pleased so far – it does smell a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought it would, especially given the fish heads I put in there a fortnight ago. And the smell is more of a fermenting odour rather than a rotting one. I think the bins that we bought – Maze 12L Indoor Composters – are particularly good as they have a rubber seal which keeps them reasonably airtight. Some of the others (including the larger Maze one) just have a loose flap on top.
Using these for a month has led to a huge reduction in the amount of waste we have to throw out each week…
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We’ve made a concerted effort to reduce our use of paper towels as much as possible. The family are loving the cloth napkins – I’m not sure they’ll ever go back to paper! I’ve found that we needed a lot more than I thought we would – we’ve currently got two dozen on rotation, which means I only need to wash once every five days or so.
I’m also making more cotton dishcloths – not wiping up spills with paper towels means we need more of these as well. I’m trying a crocheted version this time, but it’s been twenty years since I last picked up a hook, so there’s a bit of relearning to do. By the way, if you’re making these, Bendigo Mills has the most gorgeous seasonal colours on sale at the moment (link is here). The 200g balls are $12 and equivalent to four regular balls in weight. I get about ten dishcloths from each one.
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The mesh bags are working a treat! I know it’s not essential to colour match the veg to the bags, but it did make for a lovely photo…
Last night, I plugged in my headphones, listened to a James Herriot audiobook, and whipped up a stack of these for family and friends…
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We’ve repaired our laundry basket for the umpteenth time. Every six months of so, we talk about replacing it, but we can never figure out what to do with the old one…
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I’ve picked up a big batch of socks from Richard the podiatrist – unfortunately the sockless scanning technology didn’t work out, so he still has oodles to get rid of. If you’re new to our blog, you can read the whole story here and here. I’ve washed and sterilised them all, and will donate half to charity this winter.
The remaining half I’m turning into a sock blanket and oil bottle drip savers…
I cut the top band off the socks I’m using for the blanket, but they were too good to waste, so I zigzagged the raw edges and we now use them in place of rubber bands…
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Our lovely neighbour Ellen gave us a couple of rolls of Who Gives A Crap toilet paper to try. I’m sure they’re a great organisation, and the paper is fine, but after much discussion, Pete and I have decided that we need to buy Australian made. Pete has concerns about the environmental cost of shipping toilet paper from China, whereas I feel that we have so little manufacturing left in Australia that we need to support locally made wherever possible. Obviously this is a personal choice, and I have a lot of friends buying from Who Gives A Crap who are extremely happy with their service and product…
For what it’s worth, I’ve done a bit of research, and our big producers – Kleenex, Sorbent and Quilton – all source their fibre from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accredited forests. They all manufacture here. Quilton is fully Australian owned; Kimberly-Clark (makers of Kleenex) now have the Greenpeace seal of approval and donate to the World Wildlife Fund (this article by the Guardian is particularly interesting).
All of the above come in plastic wrap, but if you buy in bulk, there’s only one piece of plastic packaging to REDcycle every six weeks (as opposed to individually wrapped rolls or two-packs).
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Our rubbish going into the red bin each week is now down to just half a kitchen bin bag. We’ve found these plastic-free Maze bin liners made from starch. They’re expensive, but we only use one a week now, so that’s not a problem…
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Small Man was immediately on board with our waste reduction attempts, but Big Boy has taken a little longer to get his head around it all. So I was very chuffed this week when he packed himself a pita pocket for lunch, wrapped it in a beeswax wrap and then a furoshiki. Success!
And on the topic of the beeswax wraps, they’ve been the bee’s knees (ugh..sorry). We haven’t used a single piece of clingfilm or a new plastic bag in over a month (we have used recycled bags though). If you haven’t made any of these, I’d encourage you to have a go. And for what it’s worth, we tried adding a little jojoba oil to them, but I really can’t notice a difference, so I’d suggest you save the dollars and just use the wax sheets. Our tutorial on making them is here.
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Moving on to other things…
Dianmari left me a comment last post about substituting leftover sourdough starter for yoghurt in cakes. It worked! I tried it in the blueberry coffee cake – our starter Priscilla is never particularly acidic, but the cake was delicious nonetheless. Pete thought it tasted a bit like berry pancakes. Worth experimenting with if you have leftover starter! The tip was originally in this post by Chocolate and Zucchini…
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Our neighbour Mark allowed us to raid his fig tree this year, and Pete turned the surplus crop into amazing fig and nectarine jam…
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We visited Carriageworks a couple of weeks ago to view the Katharine Grosse installation. It was magnificent, but we were all troubled by the massive amount of fabric used – 8,000 metres of super heavy duty canvas. And given that the work was spray painted after the fabric was hung, it would be impossible to rehang it anywhere else. One of the volunteers told us that the fabric was all going to be unpicked and then shipped (!) back to Germany to the artist. I hope she turns it into something else…
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A cooking class update on lovely Stephen, who nearly set fire to his kitchen baking his first solo loaf of sourdough. His second loaf was rustic but serviceable.
His third loaf was unbelievably good – it looked like the product of a fancy artisan bakery. He told me he’d “done some reading” and that because he was adding rye to the mix, he’d had to judge the water quantity “by feel”. Watch this space, folks. I’ll let you know when he opens his microbakery…
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I placed my first online order with Harris Farm and was delighted with how my goods arrived. Apart from the carrots and onions (which I’d ordered in bags – obviously I still have a lot to learn) and the half a celery, the remaining veg were all loose in the cardboard box. They’d clearly made an effort to carry through their plastic-free stance to home delivery.
A tip – if you subscribe to the Harris Farm newsletter (at the bottom of this webpage), they’ll email you a barcode that will give you 5% off all vegetable purchases in store. And the first time I used my code, they emailed me a $20 introductory voucher for their online service…
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I finally tried Emilie’s sourdough pita breads, and they’re fabulous! It’s from her book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple – have you picked up your copy yet?
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Last Sunday, I baked three burnished loaves of sourdough…
…and traded them with Tom of Living Fossil Gallery for a $15 discount on this 400 million year old orthoceras plate. If you ever want to get into fossil collecting, orthocerases are a great place to start. They’re very affordable, and highly underrated in my opinion…
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Finally, let me end this long-winded ramble with a couple of photos from yesterday morning’s walk. The sky was filled with the most amazing cotton wool clouds…
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If you’ve made it all the way to the end, thanks for reading! It’s been lovely having a cup of tea with you! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life. ~ William Morris
Wonderful post and thank you for the inspiration. I love the beeswax cloth that I got for Christmas. (I hate clingfilm) and it makes bread baking so much nicer. Muwah! Maz.
I love that quote, thank you! xxx
Thank you Celia! I may not bake nor make jam, but selfishly stated, this has been a very ‘useful’ post for me besides bringing me up-to-date with your ‘doings’ :) ! Have meant to buy a Bokashi bin for ages; now I shall and will copy you! Cooking everything from scratch there are a lot of ‘leftovers’! Have bought Quilton t rolls forever – must admit ’cause their 24- and 30-roll offerings are normally the cheapest – now I feel I am doing something for Australia as well! Well, Sydney is growing towards us at an amazing rate but Harris Farm is still not available . . . but the deliveries come to within a few kms, so . . . would love to join you and get my stuff from there . . . . thank you for all . . .
Eha, if you sign up to the Harris Farm newsletter, they give you free home delivery on your first three orders. I hope you can make it work for you! :)
Thanks, Celia, but at the moment the deliveries still stop short of me . . . am keeping a watchful eye on the situation . . .
Thanks for sharing the info on loo paper. I have considered giving the Who gives a crap a go but my gut feeling (🤔) was to avoid the added complication of ordering the family toot roll online or making an ongoing commitment. Now i have a very concrete reason to stick with what im buying as I too prefer to support Oz made…in everything except tinned tomatoes. The Italian are far superior.
I would love to argue in defence of local tomatoes, but I can’t. You’re right, the Italian ones are so much better! 😆
The only thing about Italian tomatoes is that they have different laws regarding labelling. They can label something made in Italy if it is packed there. So unfortunately they can be Chinese tomatoes rather than lovely Italian ones! That is why I stick to Aussie ones. SPC Ardmona tomatoes (who also supply Aldi) are delicious and local
The bread looks perfect. I use alot of dish towels during the week wiping up spills. It is amazing how much you have been able to reduce the waste in your household. I can’t wait to see how your sock blanket turns out.
Have a wonderful week!
Manuela, the sock blanket will be a fun project – not planning anything interesting design-wise other than turning each sock around so the one white stripe isn’t always in the same spot. I’ll keep you all posted! xx
Celia, thank you for the catch up! I love the bread pics and I always have leftover starter so will definitely look at using it in a cake next time – the oven is on anyway… Your posts are inspiring me to look at what we use and how we can reduce our waste. I am making very small steps but it is a start.
Alison, I think what we’re doing is small steps too, but it’s been amazing to see how they can all add up! The leftover starter in cake is genius – I replaced it for buttermilk yesterday (but added a little lime juice as priscilla really isn’t very sour). Pete loved it!
My No. 1 bokashi bucket is festering away nicely despite a swarm of fruit fly maggots (the little buggers are in there if you open the lid for only seconds and of course, it’s fruit fly heaven in there). I’ve drained it 3 times now and despite initial misgivings, the Husband is now on board and having fun with it. It is a little smelly, but we’re having very hot weather and I’m sure it’ll be fine in the Dry. I’ve also bought myself a load of 10 ply cotton yarn in a natural colour, and I’ll be taking some on holiday with me next week to crochet some dishcloths and face washers. It may be a false economy, but I got 10 balls for a fraction of the Bendigo price. I shall see how they perform over time. And there are another two bags of plastic recycling to go to the Redcycle bin later today. So, thanks for the inspiration, I enjoyed our cuppa and update :-)
Kate, that’s a bargain price on the cotton, did you get it online? The Bendigo is 200g balls, so four times regular size, and I thought $12 was a good price for that!
Sadly, it was a damaged kit for a crochet cotton wall hanging, and all instructions inside (including country of origin) were missing. I really bought it because I want to see if I can actually do this; I don’t want to waste ‘good’ yarn on a monumental stuff-up. The balls are 100g and the yarn is textured, a fine tight weave thread wrapped around a softer, looser one. I thought it might be a good texture for scrubbiness. We shall see what my extremely dodgy crochet skills produce…
Reading of your efforts made me a bit embarrassed that my household is not doing anything to reduce our waste. What would be the easiest way to start Celia?
Are you in Australia? If so, an easy first step would be to collect your soft plastics and recycle them. Also, take reusable shopping bags wherever you go. The post just before this one was about what we’re trying to do in our home – some things are much easier than others!
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2018/01/27/a-waste-reduction-plan/
I love reading your posts- all the way from snowy, north-west England! So many good ideas for living a a less “heavy-footed” life- thank you!
And I love knowing that you’re reading from the other side of the world! Thank you! :)
Thank you for sharing. I have taken a couple of ideas from you already, I’ve knitted one dishcloth but am planning others. I might crochet my next one as I feel it will be quicker. Also I have bought some soaps from a friend who makes them from her goats’ milk and am planning to make some white cotton or bamboo face cloths and give them as gifts when birthdays come around. The other thing I’m going to try is the waxed wraps. I have some pure soy wax left over from making candles at Christmas – I have checked with the company that it doesn’t contain anything else at all, such as paraffin – and I am certainly not short of spare fabric!
I’m not sure how the soy will work – I’d read somewhere that it had to be pure beeswax, but I’ve since seen companies selling vegan wraps, so the soy could work well. For what it’s worth, we’ve found sheeting weight fabric to work the best for the wraps – thinner patchwork fabric is ok too but not as durable. Have fun! :)
It took exactly a cup of coffee to read! I always used an old carrier bag to line my land fill (non-recycling) bin but when free plastic carrier bags stopped, I realised that I didn’t actually need a liner. So much waste is just habit. Bin management is complicated here; we have four bins – landfill, recycling (tin, plastic, paper but our council doesn’t take glass though some do), food waste and garden waste. I wish manufacturers would label all packaging with recycling information.
Anne, you really are a true kindred spirit. I was just saying to Pete a couple of days ago that if I was in charge, companies would all have to add instructions on their goods about how to dispose of packaging. Interestingly, the toilet paper manufacturers are one group that tends to do this – probably a good thing given how much TP gets used! :)
You live the most interesting life. Many of us would love to have half your talents.
You are very kind, lovely one. And I think you’re one of the most talented people I know! xxx
Brilliant post Celia, proving that being environmentally aware (and doing something about it) doesn’t have to be dry and boring. Well done on your waste reduction – I have some way to go to match that 😃
It’s not a contest, Kim! :D I’m just reporting in on what we’re doing, but I think we’re really just at the start. x
If only everyone else had ‘started’ as well as you. Your family are really great at this – and we all need to try harder because there isn’t a spare planet to go to when we have worn this one out!
Too hot for a cuppa but a lovely way to unwind in reading all your updates – am finding your reducing waste really interesting and sourdough – the yoghurt substitute tip is one I might try – am not feeling so inclined to bake bread with our current heatwave.
Have you written much about your worm farm – I got one last year and am still feeling quite new to the worm farm and would love to hear about your experiences. Need to get more comfortable before I start on a bokashi bucket but maybe some day.
Johanna, I’ll ask Pete about it and try to take some photos for you. It’s a big part of our garden, but he manages it and he uses a lot of the worm juice as fertiliser. I get all Asian and grossed out by the wiggling worms and rotting food, so thank goodness for Pete! :)
You have done amazing with waste reduction! You have given me some great ideas to add to out waste reduction efforts. I like the use of the sock to catch oil. I hate picking up a bottle of oil and feeling the drips. I have an odd sock that I am going to use for that right away.
Lori, since taking that photo, I’ve cut the bottom off the sock and just left a sleeve around where the neck of the bottle widens- I find it easier to grip the bottle that way as the stripey socks are quite smooth and a bit slippery. I don’t think it would be a problem with a chunkier sock.
This post was not a word too long! Loved reading about all the green, thrifty things your family does. Can’t wait to read more about your waste reduction efforts.
Lovely Laurie from Maine, thank you for reading! :) xx
I so enjoy your blog. Very different from where I live, and that is part of the fun.
All the way to the end..and with great pleasure 😁
Thanks Fiona! :)
For what it’s worth, there are people here in the U. S. doing what they call homesteading or frugal living. It’s a return to a simpler, more self sufficient way of life, raising as much of their own food as possible and being aware of those things that provice sustainablilty. Several mention they have eliminated toilet paper entirely and use cloth wipes [ http://www.frugallivingnw.com/reusable-cloth-toilet-paper-faqs/ https://redandhoney.com/how-to-get-started-with-family-cloth-and-why-you-might-actually-love-it/ ]. They have a covered bucket with disinfectant into which the used cloth wipes are placed or a “wetbag” and then those are laundered and reused. I have to admit, I would never be able to get my spouse to agree or use such a thing, I would be willing to try it at least. I think we all should do as much as we can to stop the masses of waste we produce. You’ve given some very helpful ideas and I’m working on several. Thanks for the update.
I suspect reusable toilet paper might be more than I can manage (especially as I’d be the one laundering it), but Pete keeps arguing for a bidet. ;-)
it’s the middle of the night, the cat didn’t come home which is unusual, she usually asks to be put to bed in our laundry about 11pm. My 3 sons never caused such fretting. So a cuppa with a friend was the very thing, thanks. Your bread looks anazing as usual, I have to stick to more traditional styles as Bill can’t manage crunchy loaves with his dentures. Shame. I picked up a big, gingham supper cloth from Vinnies yesterday fot $1.50. It’s in excellent condition but probably quite old as it’s very soft. I was planning to cut a couple of furoski from it but will try to make beeswax cloths instead. We use copious quantities of clingfilm and I’d like to stop that. You have inspired me to tackle the fruit/veg waste next. Cheers
Sandy, the beeswax wraps have been life changing. I was really skeptical at first, because I wasn’t sure how I’d clean them, but I just wipe them down with a clean wet dishcloth and let them dry. If they’re a bit grotty, I wash them with a little dishwashing detergent and cold water and hang them up to dry. The homemade version aren’t as “clingy” as the bought ones (as I couldn’t be bothered with resin or jojoba oil) but they’re completely fine and I can easily compensate for lack of cling with a rubber band. :) Hope the cat was ok!
What an interesting life you lead.
I can’t tell you what a compliment that is coming from you – I’m always marveling at your glorious travel photos! xxx
Fabulous post and very inspirational! We’re nowhere near as good as you at reducing our waste but we’re doing what we can. Today we went to the supermarket and although we don’t have mesh bags, Big Man latched on to the fact I didn’t want to put all our veggies into plastic bags…made me smile! Am hoping to make the Brioche from the Artisan cookbook soon, fingers crossed 😀
The mesh bags are really easy to make, T, and I think you’d enjoy using them! Good reason to explore a Scrapstore.. ;-) And look forward to hearing about the brioche – I haven’t tried that recipe yet! xxx
Fantastic ramble MRS. I often think of you as I work through my “reduce, reduce”. Having family support is critical. Whispering: I use cloths in the toilet and this has reduced our need for TP massively. (Of course no-one knows around here – they would be appalled!) cut up old T shirts are the best! ssshh) giggle – c
Seriously woman, you’re a superstar. I read about that, but just can’t bring myself to do it. I know who’d have to wash them all and I’ve been there, done that, with nappies, not going back! :)
I remember asking Mother what did they used for sanitary napkins during the 1920s-30s when she was a teenager. She said they used quite soft older cloths……so nothing new.
days4girls.org
That was a lovely cuppa! I have a couple of things to investigate after this catch up post … some Bendigo mills yarn and those bin liners. We’ve been using the “Who Gives a Crap” toilet paper here for a couple of years and join with others to source bulk boxes of it at a cheaper cost. No plastic at all. I also like their support of WaterAid. I think It is sometimes about weighing up what fits best with your ethics, as you’ve done. By using beeswax wraps, and plates on top of bowls and reusable glass containers, we have eliminated cling wrap completely. Meg:)
Yes, I’ve heard only good things about Who Gives a Crap, and wish them every success. I really wanted it to work, but unfortunately, it’s just not a good fit for us, especially now that we in Sydney have a way to recycle the plastic packaging. It then becomes hard to decide which is the lesser of two evils – one large bit of plastic versus all the paper used to individually wrap each roll and the big cardboard box. But it really was the locally made point that swung it for us in the end. The beeswax wraps have been life and consciousness altering! :)
PS. fair warning on the Bendigo Mills cottons – they’re hard to resist! :D
what a great catch up. We have been reducing our plastic use and had bought a couple of reusable vege bags, now I need to try and make some more. What pattern did you use for your crochet cloths? I would love to try and knitting is beyond me :)
Viki, I wasn’t kidding when I said I hadn’t crocheted for 20 years! I didn’t have a pattern, didn’t have the patience to figure out how to read a pattern again, so I just made a chain and did rows of double crochet (which I believe is called treble crochet in Australia). I also crocheted into the holes between the stitches rather than into the stitch itself because it was easier on my eyes. It worked fine though! 4mm hook and 8ply cotton. (I hope that makes sense!) :)
thank you so much, that sounds about my level of crocheting
Always lovely to hear from you Celia. Cheers
Thanks Judy! x
Dear Celia, you are the master or should I say the “mastress” of everything, you are amazing. Thank you for sharing your creativity with the world.
Cornelia, that’s very kind of you! Thanks for reading! Hope all is well in California! :) xx
Most welcome my dear sourdough friend!! All is well over here.
Really admire your efforts on waste reduction. So much to learn from you..
Thank you, but I hope you can learn WITH us, as we’re still figuring it out ourselves! :)
Yay!!! You’ve come over to the dark side and started crocheting. Are you hooked yet?? :) :)
I bought some beeswax wraps last time I was home and I love them – I’m afraid I don’t look after them very well but they are surviving my tough love. As you know, I’m on a one woman mission here to reduce plastic use and failing miserably. I’ll keep on keeping on though xx
It’s a hard job in Tokyo, Nancy! Not quite hooked yet, but I’ve finished my first dishcloth. See you very soon!
I’m impressed! Well done.
Thank you, lovely! Hope the cold has eased up a bit for you! xx
A wonderful post Celia and a great re-inforcement of ideas working towards less waste.In the end, it’s about being mindful of your purchasing decisions and not just grabbing the same old things out of habit. My husband is addicted to plastic dish washing scrubbers which don;t last that long and I’m trying to find a natural substitute with a wooden handle. I don’t use many paper towels, but as they are made of recycled paper, like our Aussie toilet rolls, the clean ups go straight into the compost bin. All sorts of used paper, non shiny type, gets added to the compost bin under my sink. It adds the much needed carbon to the mix. I fill close to a bin a day, which then gets carried down the yard to mix with leaves, spent straw and so on. Bones and stock go in too. The only thing we don’t compost is mussel shells- they never seem to break down and become annoying in the garden.
I have a collection of dishcloths. When washing, I recycle the water onto a nearby garden or onto the patch of grass out the back, creating a green barrier for those scary bushfire days. We recycle the water from our showers in a bucket- that gets carted out to the front garden. ( not vegetables). Years ago there was a site comparing the chemical components of the main wash powders and liquids on the market. We took our list to the supermarkets in order to buy those with the lowest sodium and phosphorus… on the whole, from memory, the liquid ones were better for recycling water.
Of course, now that China no longer takes our recycling, this issue will become more important. Most people- me included- think they are doing their bit by putting stuff into recycling. Now that assumption needs to be questioned.
You are a leader in our global village Celia. I love these posts and sorry for the long rave.xx
Fra, you do SO much. Good for you, I’m always inspired by how much thought you put into things like this! I think you’re absolutely right about the recycling mindset too – recycling takes an enormous input of energy, so we really need to think about how we can reduce. We are becoming a generation of plastic haters, but plastic has its place – I’m washing and reusing plastic bags, and my little KeepCup has been used daily for six months now. EVEN if takeaway coffee cups were made of paper and recyclable (and they’re usually not), it would STILL be massively better to take a reusable plastic one. What we really need to do is THINK a lot before we buy and consume and discard – and I promise I’m not on my high horse about that, because I’ve had a lifetime of buying and discarding. But I’m trying to reform my ways as best as I can! :) PS. I love it when you rave, you raver, you. :) xx
‘We are rav-ers, I got all my sisters with me’ why did that family song pop into my mind. Yes, plastic has it’s place for sure. I like little storage boxes and my zip lock bags for bread freezing which get washed out and re- used over and over. But we are no where near you with small bags of rubbish- a long way to go yet. Small steps.
Lovely long post = generous sharing of inspo > changing our world for the better. Investing your time & energy, asking nothing in return > Pay it Forward at it’s best. Encouraging everyday I Can Do This confidence. Awesome ♡
❤️❤️
Oh Celia, you sure do get me thinking! I had no idea WGC toilet paper was from China. I thought I was supporting an Australia company. Serves me right for not reading up and just ordering. Hubby & I are having a rethink…
The pita pockets are on my ‘to try’ list so I think I’ll do them tomorrow, yours look fabulous. Enjoy your weekend!
Cath, I believe they ARE an Australian company, but they manufacture in China. It’s a hard decision to make!
[…] some truly amazing lifestyle and cooking inspiration, head over to the lovely Celia’s blog at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. I promise you won’t be […]
Dear Celia, I really enjoy reading your posts and your enthusiasms , all your thoughtful unpacking and research is truly inspiring. Have found myself improving on the bread front, dusting off the bokashi, ironing wax into Cotton wraps infusing vodka with vanilla beans and making that Irish cream whiskey. Thankyou for sharing. You enrich my life with your creative community and palpable joy.
Nina, kind comments like yours make this blog worth writing! Thank you for reading along! :)
You’ve solved my problem of finding mesh bags – brilliant. And also didn’t realise you could make your own wax wraps. I’ve just started using them and it’s fine. Not missing cling film but need more. I also reuse plastic bags. Do you wash tin-foil?!
I don’t, but I do wash and reuse foil trays. Usually our tin foil is only thrown away if it’s been under a meat bake, but I’ll try washing it and see how I go – thanks for the tip! xx
Thanks for doing the research on loo paper. We currently use Who Gives a Crap bamboo paper, but I’d really like to support Australian production. Will give the Quilton and Kleenex a look.
Nat, I believe the sorbent is Australian owned too, but I couldn’t find more info on it. The Kleenex is owned by US Kimberly-Clark, but they manufacture here.
Celia, you have already changed my life, but now I have even more ideas to follow up on.
I’ve been composting for quite a while but now have a worm farm too.
Serviettes picked up from op shops are slowly taking over from paper towels.
Cotton dish clothes are now the go, I love doing different patterns. And thanks for the link to Bendigo Wool.
Toilet paper – I’ve been buying iCare: Australian owned and made, 3 ply, 100% recycled. I’d do the cloth wipes but the family is not interested.
I do use cloth wipes (cut up old towels) though for my grand daughter.
Next project – beeswax wraps.
Small steps, but starting to make a difference.
Thanks for your wonderful example and ideas.
Lovely post. I’m cutting down on plastic as much as possible, returning lots to Coles, don’t feel too bad about cardboard because that goes under the mulch in the garden.
Italian tinned tomatos are SO tempting – particularly tinned cherry toms which aren’t made in Oz – but ever since a sibling mentioned this I’ve been unable to buy them. Wonder if its possible to find which are the ethical companies… https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/oct/24/the-terrible-truth-about-your-tin-of-italian-tomatoes
I am very impressed by your environmental progress and thank you for some tips. I purchased some of those wax beads and will be making my own wraps.
Wow, impressive! I’m so glad that the waste reduction is going well for you. It’s inspiring to try and be at least more eco-friendly, though I’m not sure I can really make much of a change yet. I’ll keep an eye out for paper and bamboo products.
Also, the foods look great~ :3
Celia darling, you never cease to amaze me! XX
What an inspiring life philosophy you have – I can’t believe that I haven’t seen your wonderful blog before. I’m passionate about waste reduction too (although am hardly in your league!) and have a similar problem going on with my plastic laundry basket. It is almost beyond use and I desperately want to replace it with a cane basket but haven’t found a sustainable way to dispose of it. I will let you know if I find a solution.
new fan here lol,, I join the many others i see, I love your posts, I found ou through the Furoshiki folding tips I googled!! I am so glad,, I won’t miss a post! Best wishes from Canada!!