Don't let food waste be next year's shock headline - my two penneth

Well Happy New Year everyone.  I can see it's kicked off in fine style!

Having just got used to my back-to-school routine and having my first day at the laptop, this morning I found my Twitter stream awash with the topic of food waste and the media's shock that statistics published by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers reveal that 30%-50% of the world's food never gets eaten.

These are huge figures to contemplate, whichever way you look at it, with growers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers all playing a key part or being affected.

But this isn't the first time that the headlines have been full to the brim with the horror of food waste.  Here's a random sample, taking us back to 2007, when I first became aware of the issue.

2012 - Unilever calls on companies to tackle food waste mountain

2011 - UK families are wasting less food but are told to do more

2010 - UK Restaurants waste 600,000 tons of food a year

2009 - Elimination of food waste could lift 1billion out of hunger, say campaigners

2008 - Brown urges Britons to cut food waste

2007 - Call to use leftovers and food waste

Despite making inroads into the waste mountain, I am very much concerned that each spell of outrage even when followed by best intentions, dwindles back towards stunted action, as we move on - for whatever reason - to other competing issues in our lives and organisations.

However, with austerity biting at politics, retailers as well as the householder, 2013 could very well be the year that we look back on as being a watershed period in all our efforts to tackle this huge issue.  There is certainly enough expertise around us to help, with WRAP offering a bank of resources for the hospitality and retail sectors as well as its Love Food Hate Waste website for consumers.  And saving money is a bloody good carrot to wave in front of our noses.

But even so, it can be very easy to slip into old routines when hit by everyday pressures, and that, especially for the householder, is one of the greatest problems in tackling food waste.

If that sounds like you, there are simple steps to help you grab the problem by the balls, and which will help to ensure that you're not contributing to next year's food waste horror story.


1. Make yourself accountable.   Tell your family, friends, Facebook pals, Tweeters or blog readers that you are determined to tackle food waste.  If you think it'll help to keep you motivated, get them to sponsor you for a good cause.

2. Set a deadline to help give you a focus.   For example, trying to reduce it over the next couple of months.  It takes a while for new habits to form, so commit to going the distance rather than the novelty of a short sprint.

3. Start a food waste diary, to identify what type of food goes to waste and why.  This will help uncover regular waste habits.  And remember, throwing that mouldy fruit into the compost bin is still a waste, even if you think you're going to get some 'free' compost out of it.

4. Use a separate bin to monitor your food waste.   Then rejoice when you see it reduce.

5. Stop buying things that you regularly throw away.  If you reduce the problem at source, you'll have pounds in your pocket and less food in the landfill heap.  Check out my ornamental melons story as a very good example.  If you have regular leftovers when buying takeaways, just buy less next time.

6. Freeze it!  Food labels now advise that you can freeze certain products up until the use-by date.

7. Visiting www.lovefoodhatewaste.com is a must!  You'll get top advice on portions, recipes for leftovers and food storage.


Of course, if you've got fire in your belly and want to do more to either understand or tackle the wider issues of food waste, there are various avenues available, including

• Join food waste campaigner Tristram Stuart and his Feeding the 5000 campaign to help bring an end to food waste in the retail and supply chain.

• Follow Kerry McCarthy MP and her work commitment to drive change through parliament.  See last year's blogpost about her Food Waste Bill.  And of course, you can always lobby your local MP to get behind the issue.

• Contribute to the WI Great Food Debate, the NFWI's series of debates about Food Security, which reaches at the very heart of the organisation.

And last but not least, if you live in Wiltshire, Shropshire or Suffolk and want to get involved in slimming your waste-line either on your own or as part of a community project, keep your eyes peeled for some fantastic Rubbish Diet initiatives coming up.

For instance Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is kicking off the new year with a county-wide Rubbish Diet, which will mentor householders through slimming their bins over a period of 8 weeks. If we get through to the next round of the Nesta Waste Reduction Challenge competition, Rubbish Diet Shropshire will be hot on their heels in the springtime, with a choir, school and football club all joining in with the bin slimming antics.  And in Suffolk, my own neck of the woods, there'll be a lot of fun and games involving local well-known personalities who will be leading the way too.   Tackling waste will be a key topic for each of these projects.

Even if you're not a resident of any of these counties, hopefully you'll be inspired to take action from a distance and come together in National Zero Waste Week, which will be held in September, where there'll be another chance to work together to focus on reducing the amount of food waste, and other superfluous stuff that ends up in our bins.

Hopefully, this should all make for a great 2013, especially if we can pull together to ensure there are no shock food waste headlines this time next year.

And on that note... I'm off to have another word with my 8 year old, who's busy listening to BBC Newsround about this very topic.  Time to remind him about his bad habit of abandoning bread crusts!

A much needed Food Waste Bill

Kerry McCarthy MP, pictured 3rd from right, with parliamentary supporters, including Caroline Lucas MP and Zac Goldsmith MP.

Yesterday I had the honour of being invited to Westminster, to meet Kerry McCarthy MP and to hear more about the Food Waste Bill, which she is presenting to the House of Commons today.

In a nutshell, the Bill would significantly reduce the obscene amount of food wasted by supermarkets and manufacturers by increasing the donation of good food to charities for managed redistribution to those who are living in food poverty in the UK.

Voluntary food distribution does exist in the UK, but this bill would see a much wider implementation,  and Kerry McCarthy brings to government first-hand experience of how successfully a well managed operation can help the local community.  She is patron of FoodCycle, a charity which has a small number of hubs and cafes across the UK, which uses donated food to cater for those in need.  Kelvin Cheung, CEO of FoodCycle, shared with us his passion about the impact that a wider scheme could have on communities.

Tristram Stuart, campaigner and author of the shockingly revealing book Waste, was also in attendance to show his support and demonstrated clearly how what he referred to as an environmental liability could be so easily turned into something of value, prioritising food redistribution to people in the first instance or where appropriate, repurposing the food as animal feedstock.  He asserted that sending food for waste treatment should always be the last option.

Of course under current legislation, much of what was discussed yesterday would fill many manufacturers or retailers with dread, especially over the issue of liability.  It was evident that the solution is to implement models and a legal framework that overcome such problems.  Jim Larson, Program Director, of US based Food Donation Connection, demonstrated how his organisation has co-ordinated food redistribution since 1992, offering a service that helps the industry to identify which food can be donated, ensure it is safely packaged and labelled and properly chilled or frozen to meet the requirements of redistribution. Donor partners, which include well known names such as KFC and Pizza Hut, consequently receive tax reductions for the surplus food that is donated.

When you hear the success of schemes such as this, which offer obvious solutions to the industry's wasteful practices, it is hard to comprehend why we've accepted this amount of waste for so long.  And it is both obvious and urgent that a solution must be found for the UK.

The Food Waste Bill, which is being presented to Parliament today, will:

1. Place a legal obligation on large supermarkets and large manufacturers to donate a proportion of their surplus food for redistribution to charities, which redistribute it to individuals in food poverty. Food which is unfit for human consumption should be made available for livestock feed in preference to disposal.

2. Encourage and incentivise all other businesses and public bodies which generate food waste - from small food retailers to restaurants - to donate a great proportion of their surplus for redistribution. This would enshrine in law the waste hierarchy that will have to be implemented by all business and public bodies by 12-12-13 under the latest EU Waste Framework Directive.

3. Remove any (real or perceived) barriers to food donation. A UK version of 1996 US legislation, The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, is needed, which protects good faith donors and recipient agencies/foodbanks from civil and criminal liability, except in cases of gross negligence and/or intentional  misconduct.  It would apply to all potential food donors - including individuals, private companies, food retailers and manufacturers, caterers and restaurateurs

Hearing shocking statistics that 50% of edible and healthy food gets wasted across the EU, I have great hopes that today's reading will spur our own government into action and I urge you to encourage your local MP to support the bill and help change legislation.

This final week of The Rubbish Diet Challenge encourages you to look outside the home and become aware of the wider waste footprint.

And you certainly can't beat a touch of citizen-led enthusiasm to raise awareness of something so important as the food waste issue, whether it's asking your council to take the lead in analysing its own waste, contacting your local supermarket to highlight your concerns or inspiring your local school to embark on a food waste project.

And you know, this stuff is really not rocket science. It truly isn't.  While the decision-makers of our country embark on life-changing legislation, those who want to, really can inspire change at a local level too, illustrated by the latest food-waste research project that is being undertaken by the Eco Club at our local primary school, where members are weighing waste daily and looking at ways in which they can reduce their impact on the food waste mountain.

As well as hoping for good things at a national level, I am also clearly excited about seeing their findings and discussing the opportunities that arise.

Encouraging action being taken by our local primary school, as illustrated in its latest newsletter.

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Kerry McCarthy is the MP for the Bristol East constituency.  The Food Waste Bill has already received cross-party support and will be presented after Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on 14 March 2012.  For more information visit www.kerrymccarthymp.org.

Monday Meeting: The Rubbish Diet Challenge Wk 3

Blimmin' 'eck, don't these weeks come around so fast.  Already we're getting cracking with Week 3 of The Rubbish Diet Challenge and what a week we've got coming up!

After testing out your recycling muscles and sending you off shopping, this week we're going to tackle the slops.  Yes, it's time to talk food waste.

Now food waste is a topic that's really close to my heart because four years ago, when I first attempted to slim my bin, I was a total slopaholic. You know the kind of thing.  My life was very much like..."if you cook too much food, no worries, just bung it the bin".  "If you buy too much take-away. no worries... just bung it in the bin."  "Rotten bananas? No worries...let's aim them at the compost bin"..... and so on, culminating in my wasteful habits being symbolised by my ornamental melons, where I confess how bad I really was.

These days, while I am by no means Mrs Perfect - and yes the only reason my husband threatens to join Twitter is to he can post pictures of various dodgy carrots and floppy rhubarb - our food waste has reduced down remarkably, just by changing shopping habits, combatting temptations and understanding family patterns. And in doing so, we've saved a stash of cash too.


This week's mission, should you choose to accept it:

So, if food waste is your thing, let's get those sleeves rolled up and get rummaging amongst those slops for your Week 3 mini-challenges,  As ever, all these suggestions are supported by a relevant section in The Rubbish Diet Challenge guide.

1. Keep a food waste diary, to discover what types of food are regularly thrown away. Think of ways to reduce these, either by reducing the amount you buy or serve, storing the items differently to extend shelf life or using them differently. The website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com has absolutely loads of advice that can help. I also love blogger Kate Stuart's Monthly Food Waste Challenge, where she picks an ingredient commonly wasted every month and finds new ways of reusing it. Last month it was cream and this month it's bananas! She'd welcome your own ideas if you want to join in and you can also catch her on Twitter at @turquoiselemons.

2. What are your other food waste traps? Think about the situations that lead up to food waste. For example, no-time to cook, cooking too much, different appetites, an interrupted schedule, or a disorganised kitchen? Now list solutions that can help turn this around and work on these over the next month.

3. Organise a family meeting especially if you have children, so that you can discuss ideas about how you can reduce your food waste. Ask for suggestions about their favourite meals and if there is something they really don't like, consider taking it off the family menu.

4. If you're not a confident cook, start experimenting more and challenge yourself to turning leftovers into new meals with some simple herbs and spices. Try to add just five recipes to your repertoire over the next month.

5. Consider solutions such as home composting, wormeries or bokashi bins for remaining food waste that can't be resolved easily, but treat that as part of your rubbish diet too and see if you can slim that down along with your rubbish bin. This also applies even if your council has a food waste collection.

Well, I hope that gives you all food for thought this week - yes, I know I couldn't resist that little pun.  Meanwhile, let's catch up with our bin slimmers, i.e. the households who have volunteered for me to mentor them along the process.  Most of them will be having their rubbish collected this week, so let's see how they're doing.  (Results will be updated as they come in).

1.  Terry-Anna.
Household: 2 adults, in Ipswich Borough, Suffolk. 
WK1 Weigh-in: 1.5 large bags, filling one third of a wheelie bin (fortnightly):  WK 3: 2 half-size bags.

2.  Ness.  @NessyThompson
Household: 2 adults & 5 children, a rural village in Mid Suffolk
WK1 Weigh-in:  2 full wheelie bins (fortnightly).  WK 3: 1 wheelie bin, containing just two rubbish bags.

3.  Donna.  @Donna_De
Household: 2 adults, in Tower Hamlets in London. www.beatinglimitations.com/blog
WK1 Weigh-in: 1 30L rubbish sack. (weekly).  WK 3: 1 30L rubbish sack, now only 3/4 full.

4. Amy. @AmyMarpman
Household: 2 adults in New York City.   www.beyondthebluebin.com
WK1 Weigh-in: 2 bin bags - estimated 9kg / 20lbs. (Weekly) WK 3: 1 small bag - 3.6kg / 8lbs

5: Kate. @BusinessPlumber
Household: 2 adults, in a rural village in Mid Suffolk : www.businessplumber.co.uk
WK1 Weigh-in: 1 unusually full wheelie bin - incl Christmas waste. (fortnightly): WK 3 2 & 1/2 kitchen waste bags.

6: Jax. @LiveOtherwise
Household: 2 adults, 3 children & a baby on its way, in Suffolk Coast. http://liveotherwise.co.uk/makingitup/
WK1 Weigh-in: 7 small bin bags - filling one third or half of a wheelie bin (fortnightly). WK 3?

7.Melanie
Household: 2 adults, 2 children, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire
WK 1 Weigh-in:  3 large bin bags, almost filling a whole wheelie bin. (weekly).  WK 3?

8.Tim @Dotterel
Household: 2 adults, 3 children, Lincolnshire.  www.bringingupcharlie.co.uk
WK 1 Weigh-in: 1 full wheelie bin (fortnightly). WK3: 3/4 full, with 13 small bags.

Don't forget, just because the Rubbish Diet challenge is already in WK 3, it doesn't mean that you can't join in.  Just visit the online guide to catch up with everything you need to do.  There's also lots happening on Twitter too, so to join in the conversation just use the hashtag #therubbishdiet, or tweet @karencannard.

And if you're a blogger, remember to share your latest blogpost on the topic using the clever little linky below.  If you're got any questions, please feel free to get in touch.


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Ornamental melons & food waste

(Photo credit: Bettnet on Flickr Creative Commons License)

How I wish I had the patience to carve fruit like this.  The best I can do is to create an oddity of star-shaped slices from a hacked apple, a technique I learned a while back when trying to reinvigorate my children's interest in fruit.  They were going through that phase, turning up their noses at anything but grapes and for a while much of the produce that I used to cart home from the supermarket would end up in the compost bin.

In short, our home was embellished with a weekly bowl of fruit whose purpose had become increasingly ornamental and it seemed I was the worst offender.  Not only did I keep buying it automatically without thinking the issue through, I'd repeat shopping habits that were just plain daft.

For instance, take my love of melons.  I'd spot them in the supermarket and pop one - or even two - in my trolley in anticipation of enjoying it later, thinking about the mouthwatering taste and refreshing texture.  Then I'd arrive home, unpack, juggle the children and cook dinner and end up too blimmin' knackered to even think about taking a knife to the fruit I'd imagined myself devouring.

This pattern would repeat itself for days, with the melon perched on my kitchen worktop. Against a backdrop of busy family life, thoughts of its stickiness and mess-creating potential would stand in the way of the promise of it tickling the tastebuds.  Eventually, it would just go off, creating that all familiar pungent melon stink and end up being tossed into the compost bin.  The following week it would be replaced by a whole new fresh piece of fruit and the cycle of desire and inconvenience would begin once more.

When I told this story on  Radio 4's Woman's Hour last week, I was met with an incredible response from friends and Twitter followers.  The tale of my ornamental melons attracted a fair portion of light-hearted innuendo banter, but after the laughs were over, reactions settled into shared stories of similar habits that friends recognised in themselves, telling me about their ornamental pineapples and other fruity installations.

It really is startling that - thanks in part to habits like this - as a country we still throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food, which could have been eaten.  That amounts to roughly £50 of food being wasted in domestic bins per month.  Extrapolate the melon story to the contents of the fridge and wasted leftovers, it becomes easy to see how this mounts up.

The experts say that tackling food waste comes down to planning and they are right.  Planning meals, budgeting properly and taking a shopping list really does help.  However, I'd go beyond that and say it also requires much more. Realising the impact on the family budget. awareness of why food waste is such an environmental issue, being able to identify with your own daft habits, developing a conviction to change and then adopting new ideas that enable you to do so are all equally important factors.

Four years ago I was totally pants at managing food waste.  As well as the fruity debacle, I'd think nothing of tossing out-of-date yoghurts in the bin along with leftovers from the serving bowl.   I'm a terrible planner, a half-hearted cook and even now a shopping list still fills me with fear of control as opposed to the helpful guide it should be. 

However, I stumbled through all sorts of changes in my habits.  I stopped buying the stuff that I'd regularly throw out. I swapped the time-consuming huge weekly shop for a couple of very short visits, instead buying only the fresh produce that we really needed and I also got into the habit of using up leftovers.  We saved loads of dosh in the meantime.   I admit that I am by no means the picture of perfection.  Threats from my husband, who sometimes reveals an unusal desire to post up some of my more dodgy looking carrots, could bear witness to that.  But addressing food waste has really made an enormous impact on our household.

So, if food waste is your thing and you are now determined to do something about it, don't just take my word for it.  I can tickle you away from using your rubbish bin, but for some really decent advice you'll find no better website than www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.  It's full of facts and figures to get you motivated and is packed with top tips that range from using up veg that might appear to be at death's door, recipes for leftovers, how best to use the freezer and understanding date-labelling.  If you use Facebook, you can also keep in touch with updates via the new Love Food Hate Waste community page.

Now coming back to those melons...I've just done a quick calculation and reckon I've probably saved somewhere in the region of £300 in the last three and a half years... and that ladies and gentleman is without the "Two for £3" deals. 

Flippin' 'eck. 

£300. 

For once I declare myself officially speechless!

The Rubbish Diet Challenge: Week 3, Waste Not Want Not

Welcome to Week 3 of The Rubbish Diet Challenge, where this week I am taking you into the kitchen to find out how much food gets thrown in your bin.

Managing food waste is one of the most important areas of waste reduction. Not only has it huge potential for slimming your bin, but by reducing what you throw away can save you money and provide environmental rewards too.

According to WRAP's LoveFoodHateWaste campaign if we all stop wasting food we could have eaten, the CO2 impact is the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road. That's a startling statistic and when I first heard it, it really made my jaw drop in surprise.

So in Week 3, I will be revealing what type of food waster I was, in the hope that even the least careful of folk will see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And I've included tricks for using up leftovers as well as advice about portions and ways of dealing with waste if you just can't simply eat any more.

And if you're a stranger to the kitchen with the exception of visiting the microwave, I hope to inspire you to grab your apron, or lab coat and start experimenting with food. There's so much more to being a rubbish cook, than simply being rubbish in the kitchen. You never know, you may even be tempted to have a go at making pasta or bread as an alternative way to cut down on packaging.

So if you're ready to crack on with Week 3 of the Rubbish Diet Challenge, find out what you're in for at:

http://tinyurl.com/TheRubbishDietWeek3

Oh and I almost forgot, I did a spot of reminiscing today and if you didn't catch it at the time, here's one of the recordings I did for BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour a couple of years ago.



STOP PRESS

iPhone users - there's an exciting new app available from www.wasteawarelovefood.org.uk, which will help you plan your meals from your phone with a recipe finder and portion planner. You can download it directly from the itunes store.

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There are more ways than one to avoid food waste

Christmas is a time when food waste can sneak up from behind faster than can you can say boo to the cooked goose on your festive table.

Yesterday, I discussed how we've handled our leftovers this year and I'm pleased to add that apart from a few vegetables, there is now nothing left from our Christmas dinner and with the time on my hands I even managed to make a crumble from the plums that have been sitting in our fridge since autumn.

If you're looking for other ideas on what to do with all the gubbings in your fridge, as well as the the LoveFoodHateWaste recipes, I can recommend a visit to Mrs Green over at MyZeroWaste who has some fantastic suggestions for sorting out your turkey.

And if you prefer to spend your evenings curled up under the blanket with a book rather than huddled around your computer, you'll do well to check out this fabulous book by Kate Colquhoun. Entitled The Thrifty Cookbook, 476 ways to eat well with leftovers, it offers excellent advice on turning old bread into croutons and even shows you how to make gnocci. For those who can't tear yourself away from taking your laptop into the kitchen, you'll be pleased to know there's even a website of the same name with lots of tips and free advice. You can find it at www.thethriftycook.co.uk.

Of course using up your cooked leftovers to create fantastic meals will do your bin the world of good this Christmas and should never be under-estimated when it comes to saving you cash.

However, there are some other options for managing potential food waste that you may like to consider too, which go beyond feeding the cat or dog, and here are just some of them.


1. Watch the birdie

The RSPB is always appealing for the public to feed garden birds, especially in Winter, and you may be surprised at how much of your Christmas food can be fed to our feathered visitors. Christmas cake and mince pie crumbs as well as more regular food such as rice, breakfast cereals, grated cheese, cooked potato and fruit will all help them join in your festive celebrations. However, the RSPB warns against giving birds cooked turkey fat, stating that it is highly dangerous as it can smear onto feathers and ruin the water-proofing and insulating qualities needed to keep them warm during the winter. For more information, visit http://www.rspb.org.uk

2. Support Food Banks

Using up cooked food or opened jars of food is one thing, but what about unopened food that you have no intention of using? It could be something you've been given as a gift or bought yourself only to find no-one else in the house likes it. Don't just throw it in the bin. That would be a real waste. If you have a local foodbank consider donating it instead.

The Haverhill Food Bank is one such community project, which was created to help local people in Suffolk, with the support of the Trussel Trust, who itself has launched a growing network of food banks around the UK to help feed people in crisis.

The initiative welcomes unopened and in-date tins of food amongst other products to help bridge the gap for those in need for three days until other agencies come to their aid. Anglia Food Bank, operated by the Newmarket charity Newmarket Open Door, also collects and distributes food to vulnerable people and supporting agencies throughout the region.

It may not always be practical or feasible to donate the odd item from your Christmas hamper, especially if you live miles away from your nearest Food Bank, but it could be worth getting in touch to find out if your local community could offer collective support.

Schools, churches and community groups often organise collections of food, so you may be able to help in this way and find a home for your unwanted jars and tins. If you don't know where your nearest food bank is, your local church might have the necessary information, especially as they often get involved in co-ordinating collections of this kind.


3. Share amongst your friends & family

If you open a packet or jar of something that you find is not to your taste, the natural reaction may be to throw it in the bin. Instead of just bunging it into landfill, ask your best friend if they'd like it, or take it around to a family member.

It may feel like an irrelevant offering, but when passing it on highlight that you don't want to waste things uneccesarily and that you've committed to reducing your food waste and the methane associated with it. However, be prepared to be the target of the most obvious jokes that come your way and keep smiling in the knowledge that you're not some mad acquaintance, but someone taking positive action in the right direction.


4. Don't compost too soon.

If you're a fan of composting and keen to reduce your rubbish this way, that's fabulous news. However, beware of composting too soon. Bananas that look worse for wear, as well as the odd bruised apple, can easily be classed as candidates for the compost. Consider making smoothies or banana cake instead and indeed apples can be juiced or chopped and made into crumble or apple cake. And don't forget broccoli stalks. I used to bung these in the compost but have recently discovered they can be tasty additions to soups. More hints and tips about using up fruit and vegetables that might be on their last legs, can be found at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. You can save yourself stacks of cash.


The final hurdle - there are other ways to avoid landfill.

Of course, there comes a time when your only option is to throw some of your food away. You can save fruit & veg peelings from landfill by composting, either via your council service or through your own facilities at home, but did you know that you can divert your cooked food waste too?

It's not advised that you put untreated cooked food into your compost bin, but if you don't have a council food waste collection, there are still options available to you to avoid sending your waste to landfill. There is an associated cost with each of these options, but it's worth it if you can afford it and you'll also get the added benefit of nutrients being fed back into your garden.

A Wormery (vermicomposting) is a good start and makes great compost too. Wormeries are small enough to fit into the tiniest of gardens and accept all sorts of cooked food waste including pasta, rice, cereals as well as fruit and vegetable peelings. However, they should not be used for meat or fish waste and are also poor processors of citrus fruit peelings. Aside from that, they are very versatile and create a fun experience for children too. More information about composting and wormeries can be found at Recycle Now's Home Composting site, www.recyclenow.com/compost/

Bokashi bins are a fabulous alternative for anyone who wants to manage cooked food waste including meat and fish (and bones). A kit comprises a couple of specially adapted bins, with a nozzle for extracting liquid run-off (which itself can be diluted and used as plant feed). Food waste is managed by adding small layers to the bin and sprinkling Bokashi bran on top of each layer. Gradually the layers build up and are then left to ferment for a couple of weeks, before adding to a compost bin, wormery or simply buried in the ground. More info about Bokashi systems can be found at www.wigglywigglers.co.uk.

The Green Cone is a food digester that can be sited in a garden with sufficient drainage. It looks very much like a compost bin and accepts all sorts of food waste including cooked and raw meat as well as bones. More info about The Green Cone can be found at www.greencone.com.

Reducing food waste has become a major priority in the UK. With 8.3 million tonnes of food being thrown away by households each year, it has become a serious environmental issue. By taking measures to reduce what is wasted in the first place and avoiding landfill wastage, the CO2 savings could be the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road...

...and as for financial savings, a family with children could be saving as much as £680 a year.

I can certainly support that statement. By buying less, cooking smaller portions and reusing leftovers, we've already saved ourselves around £1000 during the last couple of years. And that goes for Christmas too. Our Christmas bills this year have significantly dropped in more ways than one.

I just wish I could see the same results on my hips!

As no-one else in the family really likes Christmas cake as much as I do, it looks like I'd better watch out.

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National Zero Waste Week: Grand Finale or Anti-climax?

What a funny old week it's been. And unless you've been walking around with your head in a bucket and your ears full of sand, you'll have been aware I've been taking part in MyZeroWaste's National Zero Waste Week, along with many other bloggers and Twitter users across the UK and indeed around the globe.

Now the first time I tackled a Zero Waste Week - in March last year - I was very well prepared. I had a plan and I was constantly on the ball, keeping my eyes peeled for any piece of rubbish to bite me on the bum at the least expected opportunity.

But this time around I've had a sprained wrist as well as such a busy social calendar that it could make your eyes pop with the velocity at which I've had to fit it all in.

So apart from the odd little lie to the kids "Sorry they had no crisps, have a packet of foil & paper wrapped Rolos instead" and the odd little fib to Mr A "Sorry they had no Minstrels, have a packet of foil & paper wrapped Rolos instead" as well as collecting a handful of disposable cotton handwipes from a bunch of folk I've never met before at a Twestival visit to an Indian restaurant, I haven't really given it a great deal of attention.

Yes as far as my personal Zero Waste Week contribution has gone, it's simply muddled along with the rest of my life.

Now this means it could have been an absolute disaster but the great news is my resident foodie fusspots have done an amazing disappearing act this week. With a husband travelling around the East of England living off buffets at every turn and kids now back at school returning home with a ravenous appetites, the bin has been in pretty good health.

It's been so good, we've had absolutely nothing for the Bokashi bin and as for the chickens, they've been looking so blimmin' disappointed at the lack of any spare scraps, that by the end of the week I was feeling emotionally blackmailed into cooking extra portions of pasta just for them.

Geez, it comes to something when you spend the best part of your forties trying to REDUCE food waste then suddenly find that you need to CREATE some, to ensure the whole menagerie are blimmin' fed.

So with no unrecyclable\reusable packaging during the last week and no cooked food waste to hit the Bokashi bin, I was feeling on top form, thinking I would have a completely empty bin...

... until our pair of black and white moggies got all sniffy and refused to eat the last scraps of their Whiskas cat food left in their bowl from Saturday.

So the amount of rubbish created this week has been just a few bits of the cats leftovers.

Not bad eh....especially when our usual weekly rubbish is normally about a quarter of a bin bag..

...and I am chuffed to bits I can fit it into the brand new wheelie bin that I dug out especially for National Zero Waste Week!

It's the one on the far right of the picture above....that's right...the one at the very end of the row!

Here's the photo again to save you scrolling back up.




And here it is being picked up by the friendly bin man ...



But don't get excited yet because amongst all this good news and celebration over our week's worth of waste, I am left with a HUGE dilemma because when we returned from a trip to the seaside yesterday, my King of Declutter, the beloved Mr A, shifted everything around in the dining room, so he could find room for a huge painting of Southwold that he commissioned for his 40th birthday.

It involved shifting out a load of crap from what's been a much under-used room in the last few months.

And in doing so uncovered this...


Yep, it's a bag of miscellaneous "rubbish" according to Mr A, which he sorted out about a month ago, but forgot to "throw out" - i.e. surreptitiously take to the tip while I was busy elsewhere.

Of course being the offical head of the household, he tells me that this doesn't actually count to National Zero Waste Week, because it is a bag of "old rubbish" and as it happens, I've not had chance to sort it yet and I am sure it will be smaller by the time I've finished with it.

But forget Mr A's excuses. I think I should leave it for you to decide what should account for our official weigh in?

My small bag of cat food or Mr A's unexpected bag of household crap?

Who gets your vote?

I know it could be tricky, so while you make your mind up, I'm going to enjoy a cup of tea in our nicely restyled dining room, where I will be getting ready to join in the Jonathan Vernon-Smith show on BBC Three Counties Radio this afternoon.

Today's debate is the issue of new wheelie bins for managing food waste.

Yep I'm talking rubbish again - for a change.

Hmm, I wonder if he'll show me his, if I show him mine. Question is, which bag should I show him?



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Fishy business

According to news in today's Sunday Telegraph, the Conservatives have unveiled proposals to bring an end to what they refer to as "scandalous waste" in the fishing sector, hoping to change current EU policy.

To protect fish stocks, the EU Common Fisheries Policy currently enforces a limit on the number of fish that fishermen are allowed to catch and bans crews from landing any fish outside the quotas, forcing fishermen to throw them back into the sea, even if they have died during the fishing process.

The Telegraph reports the shocking statistic revealed by Bill Wiggin, the shadow fisheries minister who is quoted as saying "For every cod we buy in our local fish and chip shop another fish is being chucked back into the sea due to a system that is immoral and environmentally wrong".

Hear-hear!

The Tories are now seeking EU support for a pilot that would enable fishing crews to actually sell "over-quota" fish with the revenue shared between fishermen and the Government, allowing the profits to be reinvested back into the fishing industry. And it looks like the Conservatives are confident that the EU will accept their proposals.

If so, it will add to the sea of change which has already seen a U-turn by the EU allowing knobbly carrots and bendy cucumbers to return to the shops.

Thank goodness. At last is seems that our very bonkers world is getting less bonkers by the day, a slow process but good news all the same.

Who knows, one day even bananas might get a reprieve.
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Do you ever stare at the broccoli?

Do you ever catch yourself staring at the broccoli, the avocado or even the melon?

You know the kind of thing... by the time you've bunged it in your trolley, carted it home and put it in the fridge you've gone off the idea altogether. If your taste buds don't play tricks on you, the social gremlins soon will, tempting you to change your plans at a drop of a hat.

And you end up staring at what was once your object of culinary desire and watch it slowly wilt and wither. You know you should eat it, but somehow you lose your appetite for something so limp and off-colour.

Well...if you live in a disorganised house like mine, with a bunch of faddy eaters, and where there are more comings and goings than the local hostelry, help is on hand...

....in the form of a little gadget called the Fresh Pod. Here it is...all lovely and green....as is the broccoli!


I bought that Broccoli (or Calabrese as it's known on the market - we're posh here you know) well over a week ago, hoping to have it for a Sunday lunch...but yes but no but didn't!

Now I don't normally go for gadgets, but as the Fresh Pod is sold by a local company based in Thetford and I'd heard such good things about them I thought I'd give it a try. After all, in the current economy and wanting to make every effort to reduce food waste in what is my haphazard life, who could blame me. When I rang up to find out about it it, Colin, one of the co-directors kindly offered to drop one off for me to try out. And I am so glad he did.

The pod sits in a refrigerator salad draw or in a fruit bowl and works by removing the ethylene gas given off fruit and vegetables as they ripen. By removing this gas from the environment the ageing and ripening process is slowed, keeping fruit and vegetables fresh for up to 4 times longer than normal. The Fresh Pod sachets also have the added benefit in that as well as controlling ethylene gas, research has proven it also kills bacteria, viruses, fungi and moulds found in fridges.

The sachets last six months after which time they need to be replaced. However, the contents of the sachets are recyclable and make a great fertilizer sprinkled on pot plants or in the garden when no longer of use in the fridge.

So for a gal who's not really into gadgets, that's me very much convinced. Okay, there is a small amount of packaging that can't be recycled, but I'm told they're working on that and it's neither here nor there when it comes to my veggies.

So thanks to Colin and Fresh Pod, the future looks firmly green instead of floppy yellow.

And yes, I still stare at the broccoli, but only in amazement.

And I promise I'll get round to eating it before the month is out! In fact, I'll have it for lunch THIS Sunday.



For more info about the Fresh Pod, visit www.freshpod.co.uk.

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You say Tomayto I say Tomahto: but none of us would throw one away.

(Photo by Flickr's Alincolt)

Since emerging from my bin this week, I decided to make the most of my new-found freedom.

Yes I know... give the girl an inch and she'll take a mile and all that.

And indeed I have. I am oh so guilty m'lud, but I am not sorry! I have been having way too much fun.

Over the last few days, I've taken a virtual tour of New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. to catch up with some fellow trash-talkers and get us all together to ruminate about our rubbish, garbage and trash.

So pull up your chairs ladies and gentlemen. Grab a drink and come and join us for the first international gathering of garbloggers.

Yep, according to an article on the North American Take Part website, this is what we're called. And there are growing numbers of bloggers all over the world talking rubbish. We may use different words or pronounce them differently, but we're all talking about the same thing, waste, whether it's general waste, food waste or plastic.

The world's garbloggers are truly amazing people and I am so pleased that I've caught up with four of them to take part today. I can't wait to introduce them. So come and join the fun as it's time to say hello.


All the way from Christchurch, New Zealand, we have Matthew, who along with his other-half Waveney, are following the most amazing challenge by living rubbish-free for a whole year. Yes a year!

When you consider that my own personal challenge was a Zero Waste Week, a rubbish free year sounds incredible. Having begun the challenge in February, you can follow their progress on their website www.rubbishishfreeyear.co.nz.



Please say a big "Hi" to Sarah from Toronto in Canada, who along with her partner Kyle, decided to go garbage-free for 31 consecutive days back in Spring. They each achieved their goals in different time-frames and the great thing is they're still keeping it low.

Just like me, the only thing that Sarah threw away during her challenge was a plaster, or band-aid as they say in Canada. What an amazing coincidence.

To find out more about Sarah's and Kyle's experiences, pop over to their website Say No to Trash, which can be found at nomoregarbage.wordpress.com



I'd also like to welcome Beth from Oakland, California over in the U.S.

Beth is celebrating the anniversary of her blog this week, which she set up out of concern over the effects of plastic on nature and the environment. Inspired by EnviroWoman's Plastic Free Year, she wanted to explore the possibilities for eliminating plastic waste, looking at alternative uses for plastic that already exists, finding ways of recycling and reusing as well as exploring non-plastic substitutions.

Beth has managed to reduce her use of plastic packaging and other products to an amazing level. You will be truly stunned at her achievements but I shan't give the game away. Go and have a peek yourself at www.fakeplasticfish.com.


Last but certainly not least, I'd like to introduce Jonathan, a journalist from Boston, Massachussetts. Jonathan's specific interest is food waste, which he has been researching since 2005. This is a major issue in the U.S. with statistics revealing that 40% of food is needlessly wasted.

Jonathan's research experiences include volunteering in a homeless shelter that rescues wasted food from restaurants and supermarkets and has worked in the produce department of a large grocery chain. As well as writing a book on the subject, his research and personal experiences can be found at his website www.wastedfood.com.


With the introductions out of the way, it's time for me to get nosey.

So guys, this really feels like you're the A-Team against landfill. What incredible achievements! Tell me what has been the hardest thing about your individual challenges?

Matthew: No nachos! We can't buy the chips, sour cream or cheese! Other than that the hardest part was starting, our apathy had a strong gravitational pull.

Sarah: The hardest thing for us was going out, and also receiving gifts from others.

Beth: For me it was giving up convenience foods and remembering to plan ahead. I used to live on frozen meals and energy bars and other individually wrapped snacks. The snacks and energy bars were the first things to go. It took a while to let go of the frozen meals. I thought I could buy only meals that came in cardboard boxes (instead of plastic trays) with only a thin layer of plastic across the top. But then I learned that any cardboard container that holds food is also lined with plastic to keep it from leaking. So at that point, I just let go of all frozen foods except ice cream.

Another tricky thing has been to remember to bring my travel containers with me (water bottle or travel mug, bamboo cutlery, leftovers container) to avoid disposables. It's a habit now, so I don't really have to think much. And if I do leave the house without them, I either make sure to sit down and eat somewhere that provides durable dishware or I go without. I've learned I won't starve if I have to wait a bit to eat.

Jonathan: Regarding food waste, the hardest task has been convincing businesses to change their ways. Getting a restaurant or grocery store to donate or compost food is an uphill battle, because it requires them to do things a little differently. If that requires spending money, even if it's an investment that will pay off later, you'd better hope that the people running the company have their heart in the right place.


What have you found to be the easiest thing?

Matthew: Once clear of the aforementioned gravitational pull, the whole thing has actually been surprisingly easy. It took us about three months to really get into the swing of things and to find alternatives to products and items we've been consuming for years, but now that that is done we are finding it surprisingly easy to not have a rubbish bin.

Sarah: Giving up things like chips and tooth floss.

Beth: Giving up plastic produce bags. Easy easy. I carry a few cloth produce bags in my backpack and have learned that most produce doesn't need a separate bag anyway.

Jonathan: Saving leftovers is the easiest way to cut food waste. You'd be surprised how many people elect not to keep the remains of their meal, whether at home or a restaurant.


What has been the impact upon yourselves and your habits?

Matthew: It is very unlikely that we will go back to having a landfill destined rubbish bin in our house again now that we have formed new habits. Also we have been impacted by how often there are complementary bonuses of being rubbish free, in that products where the manufacturers have thought about packaging often seem to be fair trade and/or organic. By focusing on one aspect we are finding it easier to consume more ethically generally.

Sarah: Our project had a huge impact on us. It changed the way we live. It taught us a lot about balance, patience, humility and change. We are still learning how to live happily within a world we are not happy with, and how to make changes within our own lives.

Beth: It's generally made me more aware of what I buy and the choices I make. It's not just about the plastic, although noticing plastic has helped me to slow down and shop more consciously. It's about paying attention each day as I live my life to the world around me: what's offered for sale in stores; what's being littered on the ground; what others are doing to contribute to or help alleviate the problem. I think giving up plastic has made me a more conscious person all around.

Jonathan: Since I began researching the topic about three years ago, I've made a few changes in my habits. First, I plan the week's dinners before shopping. I make a grocery list and, within reason, try to stick to it. I also try not to overeat, as that leaves more of each dinner for the next day. In addition, whatever I don't eat or isn't edible (peels, scraps), I compost in my backyard (or feed to my dog).


What you've done has generated a lot of interest from the media. How do you think you've influenced others through your writing and media coverage?

Matthew: We have been blown away by comments from folk and their assertions that we have inspired them in some way. I think that people find environmental militancy, or a guilt trip, unattractive and a turn off, and that the majority of people respond best when encouraged and supported.

Sarah: Ummm, er well we've gotten mostly positive responses and people say we are inspiring. Some people have also said we're weirdy beardy sideshow freaks, but hey beards are good and I like sideshows, so that's cool. It was really a project for ourselves. I made it public because I hoped to help other people who were interested in doing similar projects. We learned a great deal over the few years it took us to achieve one garbage free month and I didn't want the knowledge to go to waste (no garbage!). I like to share. It was hard work, and I thought people could benefit from our discoveries instead of having to do all the research and mistake making themselves.

Beth: I hope that I have shown them that if someone like me can do this, they can too. Because I'm not a professional environmentalist or professional writer. I'm just a regular person with a regular job who woke up one day to some horrific facts about what we are doing to our world and realized I had to do something to help.

Jonathan: I would hope that I've convinced some folks to examine their behavior and think about how they can trim their waste. If everyone does their part, we can make a massive dent in the amount of food that goes for naught.


So what would be your top tip for anyone else who was thinking about reducing their garbage or rubbish?

Matthew: Move your rubbish bin out of your house into a shed, garage or trash can outside. This means you start becoming acutely aware of what it is you are throwing out and more likely to consider this when purchasing items. Especially if it is winter and you have to trudge outside!

Sarah: Treat it like a budget or a diet and somehow (keeping a list, taking photos, keeping your garbage in view etc.) keep track of all the garbage you obtain.

Beth: Just one tip? Try to shop in stores that have bulk bins where you can fill up your own containers instead of purchasing pre-packaged items. Give up bottled water. And when you need new durable goods, ask yourself if they really need to be new or if borrowing or buying used would work instead. There. That's three tips!

Jonathan: Start composting. You'll be amazed at how much less garbage you'll have. By recycling paper and food—the two largest materials discarded in the U.S. waste stream—you're almost halving your trash output.

Before you throw away anything, think about whether there's a better place for it than the trash. Think about whether it can be repurposed, recycled or composted.

***

Wow, what fabulous advice guys. It's at times like this I wish I had a podcast, so the whole world can hear you ... hmm now there's an idea for next time.

It truly highlights that the issue of waste is an international one and that more and more people in all corners of the globe are not just recognising the problem but are taking responsibility for their own actions. And what actions eh! Despite my best efforts, I can't imagine what it must be like to live rubbish-free for more than a week, let alone a month or a year. Reducing plastics is another challenge in itself and as for tackling the subject of America's food waste, what a feat.

I've had a great time delving into everybody's experiences. It is a real privilege to have gathered everyone together in one virtual place and I would like to say a huge thank you to Matthew, Sarah, Beth and Jonathan for their valuable time.

I wish there was both time and space to include other "garbloggers" but it would have got really crowded on my little blog, especially as most people would hang out in my experimental kitchen and you know how small that is.

However I recommend that when you have a spare few minutes, pop along to one or more of the websites listed below, where you will find encouraging stories from many other people about reducing waste. You'll also find a few artistic inspirations along the way.

And don't forget, if you do want to find out more about the projects featured above, please visit and introduce yourself. You'll learn loads and get a huge welcome at the same time. Also if you want to see Beth's Flickr stream showing her weekly plastic tally visit: www.flickr.com


Oh...what's this coming in the room?

...oh wow it's a birthday cake.

I wonder who that can be for?

Eh it's time to celebrate Beth's first anniversary...

Don't be shy Beth...And don't worry, it's all home made! The butter came in a wrapper not a tub and I've ditched the plastic candle holder.

So while Beth blows out the candle...perhaps it's time for a toast or three...


"Congratulations to Beth and to Sarah & Kyle on their amazing achievements. "



"Good luck to Matthew and Waveney for their rubbish-free year."



"And to Jonathan, best of luck with your book and to raising awareness across the pond."



And before you go folks, I'm sorry I was stingy on the food but you know I don't like to over-cater. If your tummies are still rumbling, I suggest you join me at Jonathan's for his weekly Friday Buffet. Beth, you bring the cutlery and Matthew and Sarah go round up Waveney and Kyle quick.

...And I'll bung that rotten tomato in the compost.

Oh.... and before I forget... if you've enjoyed today's gathering, let's make it a regular event. Why stop at a party when we can go the whole hog and have a carnival. How exciting is that...a carnival! Drop by next week for your invitation. I often say that other people's rubbish is fun and it really is!

***

Some other incredible rubbish sites with fabulous trash content
(and in this game that's a real compliment)

myzerowaste.com: The Green Family's Zero Waste Challenge (UK)

rubysrubbishblog.blogspot.com: Ruby's Rubbish Diet (UK)

jobeaufoix.com: Jo Beaufoix's amusing post about her Rubbish Diet (UK)

reducewaste2008.blogspot.com: Sue's account of healthy cheap meals and minimising waste, (UK)

homecompostingrecyclingforum.com: John Costigane's 104 week bin bag challenge (UK)

flyintheface.com: Artist Fran Crowe's challenge of walking to save some sea (UK)

visibletrash.net: exploring the more quirky side of trash (U.S.)

lastnightsgarbage.com: A photo collection of trash in New York City (U.S.)

saveyourtrash.typepad.com: Ari Derfel's collection of 12 month's trash (U.S)

everydaytrash.wordpress.com: Leila Darabi's closer look at what we throw away (U.S.)

365daysoftrash.blogspot.com: Sustainable Dave's attempt at throwing nothing away for a year (U.S.)

plasticfree.blogspot.com: Now into its second year, follows EnviroWoman's progress of living without plastic (Canada)

rifiutizerotrapani.blogspot.com: Thoughts on the waste situation in Italy (Italian)

dandaworld.blogspot.com: Danda's musings on waste and other things (Italian)

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Why I no longer send food waste to landfill

Yesterday I was invited by the Jonathan Vernon-Smith consumer show to join in the food waste discussion on BBC Three Counties Radio. If you're in time, you can catch it again on the listen again feature (about 2 hrs & 52 minutes in) and hear us laughing about out-of-date chocolate and taking microwave meals off to your friends if you've been invited for dinner ... all in an attempt to reduce food waste of course.

On a more serious note, food waste is a real hot topic at the moment, following research last year by WRAP, which revealed that a third of all food we buy is thrown away.

That's like buying six bags of fresh food at the supermarket and throwing two in the bin when you leave, just because you couldn't be bothered to take it home or you changed your plans just after you got past the checkout.

If someone told you they did that, you would probably think they were bonkers. Yet in the UK we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of wasted food per year and this startling figure includes 5,500 chickens that are bunged in the bin, with full packaging intact, everyday... yes you did read that right...EVERYDAY.

When you add the fact that that we don't just spend money buying all this food, we also pay more to throw it away, the picture of lunacy becomes bigger. Then there's the environmental damage, caused by rotting apples and other organic matter in landfill, creating 18 million tonnes of of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

Phew...all from thowing the odd bit of meat or banana skins in the bin!

Food waste has become a personal issue of mine, not because I have always been perfect in minimising waste, but because it used to be the main cause of having an overloaded and smelly old bin!

However over the course of slimming my bin, I have discovered a few tricks of the trade in managing to reduce my contribution to the landfill problem, so I thought it was worth revisiting the ideas.

1. Buying little and often: I am absolutely rubbish at forwarding planning and would find myself throwing things in the bin because they were out of date or had gone off, so I now buy more fresh produce and meat in smaller quantities as and when I need them, allowing me to cook as the mood takes me. This also means I can make a quick visit to the market and benefit from the best deals.

2. Buying in bulk: I'm a lady who falls by the wayside of temptation, so I buy essential toiletries and other items in bulk, reducing the need to make regular visits to the larger supermarkets. My life of buying an extra dozen things I didn't really need is now over and no longer relies on my poor willpower. I can hardly believe my visits to the supermarket were once a leisure activity...these days I always make a quick getaway.

3. Reducing portions: I've become more careful with portion sizes, only cooking what I know we will eat. We can always top up with something else if we're hungry, even if it's a slice of bread. As far as takeaways are concerned, curries are our downfall, but now we just share one dish and eat it all, rather than buying one each and wasting the leftovers.

4. Using up fresh leftovers: If I know there are going to leftovers, I put them aside and try and reuse them for another meal. For example a bolognese dish can be quickly turned into a chilli-con-carne, just by adding a few simple spices.

5. Feed the birds: With two kids, the trickiest thing for us is sometimes bread crusts. The birds now lap these up together with some other odds and ends. It is a real treat to see our new visitors in the garden and the children love spotting the different types of feathered friends.

6. Feeding the worms: Of course even with best efforts, there is always going to be some food waste and we don't have the benefit of a separate food waste collection service from our local authority. However we already had a composter which is good for uncooked fruit and vegetables and it produces just enough compost to mulch our garden every year.

We can't use the composter for cooked food waste because of the risk of vermin and with this in mind we got a couple of bokashi bins, which can be tucked away in the corner of our small kitchen. It allows us to add our plate scrapings (including meat and fish scraps), over which we sprinkle a layer of specially impregnated bran. When full, we leave it to ferment for a couple of weeks before putting it in the composter and the worms love it! It's like hosting a worm party!

We also have a wormery, which helps us cope with the odd emergency when we run out of our bokashi bran. However, it can't handle meat or fish. The children treat the wormery as pets and we do have to be careful about keeping the temperature right in winter, making sure they are cosy in their blanket. The wormery seems a popular choice for a fly gathering at the moment, but I've picked up some excellent advice from Wiggly Wigglers, which I will share very soon.

The one thing I have learned is that food waste is very personal. Some people are great at managing it without any help of garden gadgetry, others (like me) are not so great unless they can step up to a lifestyle overhaul and get the right toolkit in place.

And yes, I still have the odd mishap, as I am human after all, but the best bit is, I no longer have to bung my food waste in the landfill bin, which means it no longer gets heavy or smelly and leaves me with one less thing to worry about!

If you want to read more about how I've dealt with my own family's food waste, try the following posts: How to be a rubbish cook; Look at my lovely worms and Putting an end to food in landfill.

For examples of how other consumers are also making the change have a peek Mrs Green's gorgeous site http://myzerowaste.com/how-to-reduce-food-waste/
where she's got some excellent tips. Specific details from other Bokashi users, including some other composting techniques, can be found at The Big Sofa, Faites Simple and Simon Sherlock's site.

More background detail about food waste in general can be found at WRAP's research site as well as their Love Food Hate Waste website.


In the meantime, I've got to get my skates on...because this morning I am off to explain all this to a group of primary school children.... yep... 60 of them... now that seems more scary than the first day I came face-to-face with a bagfull of worms, or indeed the WRAP event last week!

60 kids, eh?!

Yikes!

There's a big risk they could eat me for breakfast. So if you don't hear from me soon, send in a rescue party!


ADDENDUM: - If you would like to hear a great "all things considered" review of Bokashi bins, then tune in to Emma's podcast at the Alternative Kitchen Garden. Thanks Emma, aka Fluffius Muppetus for sharing the link.
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