Some great arguments in this thread as for the op I constantly re-use all my pots and when I need to get rid of some I pop them on a social media site for free. Hopefully then they get even more re-use from another gardener. As for the bigger picture... those who have posted what have you done recently to reduce your plastic consumption? I see it as little wins by little people will effect the bigger picture later on. For example I was a manager for a food retailer, products are ordered based on demand. We did a trial based on loose produce, literally gave the customer the majority option of loose over packed. What do you think came top?! Thats right the one packed in plastic still. If I could of I would have got rid of pre packed fruit and veg where there was an option to swap. If people bought loose and didn't pop it in a plastic bag to take it to the till the supermarkets wouldn't order the plastic trayed and wrapped product. It's all based on demand! and convenience for us. Same goes for my children if I can have a wood version of a product I buy it, cost doesn't matter to me on that issue as I can repaint, sand or fix wood. Not everyone has the money to consider that option tho.
I work in Waitrose and it's always the loose stuff left over at the end of the and not the prepacked stuff. No point blaming the retailers ( no matter how convenient that may be ) when , as you so rightly point out, the customer has the choice, and choose prepacked.
When I'm buying loose veg in the supermarket I put them in the trolley loose ... the lovely people at the checkout are fine with that. I used to re-use paper bags from the farm shop, but the farm shop is no more
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
When I'm buying loose veg in the supermarket I put them in the trolley loose ... the lovely people at the checkout are fine with that. I used to re-use paper bags from the farm shop, but the farm shop is no more
More people must be doing this because a few years ago I was always asked if I wanted a bag for them but no one bats an eyelid now. It may be different in England though due to the difference in plastic bag laws.
Waitrose loose mushrooms are great by the way. I hope they don't stop doing those. They run out of paper bags way before the mushrooms though so I don't know if people are nicking them or using them for other veg?
A few years ago I bought 3 Streptocarpus plugs from Dibleys and they came in small starch based netting moulds, no need to remove, just plant up. Got me wondering how these are made? A quick web search and there's an Instructable that just uses corn starch, vegetable oil and water. Not tried it yet as I'm not sure how messy it is to microwave or how to cure it after moulding.
Lately I came across an American website that uses rice hulls in a similar process for making biodegradable plant pots that will last up to 5 years outside. Checking the retail price, about $6 for 12 x 3.5" pots. Not sure what that would mean if buying from a GC in the UK.
It was a perfectly reasonable question. How much extra would you pay to have an "eco friendly pot ?" as yet, nobody has said how much extra THEY would pay. My point is, it's all very well saying "THEY" should do something about it, but what are WE prepared to do? and how much extra are WE prepared to pay for it
Yes Hostafan, It was a reasonable question, in common financial terms, but not from a wildlife perspective, there economics are not part of business practice, their welfare is irrellevent to the cost of pots
Can envelopes and bags with plastic windows be recycled? I just assumed the plastic bit was plastic film and I have been diligently tearing them apart, paper in the grey bin and film in the black. Need I bother any more?
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No point blaming the retailers ( no matter how convenient that may be ) when , as you so rightly point out, the customer has the choice, and choose prepacked.
When I'm buying loose veg in the supermarket I put them in the trolley loose ... the lovely people at the checkout are fine with that. I used to re-use paper bags from the farm shop, but the farm shop is no more
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Lately I came across an American website that uses rice hulls in a similar process for making biodegradable plant pots that will last up to 5 years outside. Checking the retail price, about $6 for 12 x 3.5" pots. Not sure what that would mean if buying from a GC in the UK.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
https://recycling.co.uk/recycling-envelopes/