Eco Group

TIPS FROM ST MARY’S ECO GROUP

1.    Use foil or waxed wraps in place of cling film to cover food in the kitchen.
Cover items cooking in the microwave with reusable Flexible Silicone Tops or Glass Lids.
(Wax wraps must not be used in the microwave!  They are brilliant for wrapping and covering foods, but never for cooking - they will melt in heat and become a fire risk!)

2.    Try using less cling film and foil for storing foodstuffs in your kitchen.  Greener options  are Reusable Containers, Wax Food Wraps and Bags, and also various types of Silicone Tops.  These can all be bought online as well as at kitchen gear shops.  The latter are often more expensive than online, but it is good to use and support local shops if possible.

3.    Look for ‘LOAF’ food wherever possible (food which is Local, Organic, Animal Friendly) The downside of this is price - it is often more expensive in more specialised shops or supermarkets, but may be less at the local Markets and Farmer’s Markets.
Full information on LOAF can be found online - if you cannot get online yourself, find someone who is happy to help, and maybe meet for coffee and chat together!

4.    Try to look for loose fruit and veg in shops and avoid being tempted by multi-buy offers on perishable foods - eg ‘Buy 1 get 1 free’ - unless you feel sure you can use them all before they spoil.  Sounds a good deal, but it can easily lead to unused items going out of date or going off and ending up being wasted, and is rarely good value. 

5.    Shun multi-buy plastic wrapped packs of tinned goods, canned drinks, loo rolls, etc to cut down your excessive plastic waste at home.  Look for these items packed in cardboard or paper.  They are becoming available more frequently, and if we buy them more often and shun the shrink wrapped stuff, the shops hopefully would be more likely to keep stocking them - and try to encourage their suppliers to cut the use of this mountain of unnecessary plastic wrap.