Wasted

What has lockdown meant for you? I know it’s not over yet but I’m sure we’re all feeling a little less locked-down than we were a few weeks ago and it’s been such an interesting period to study all sorts of things - like human behaviour, for example. It was also the moment when our half-baked switch from imperial to metric came back to haunt us. Does anyone actually know what two metres looks like?! I felt like walking around holding a four metre stick across my chest just to show them. ----- Lockdown for me has been about catching-up with all the things I neglected last year while getting the ball rolling on the Wasted project. That included accounting and bookkeeping for my property business, general “life admin”, sorting out the garden and lots of household DIY – leading to me putting a self-tapping screw through my finger on Sunday and spending most of Monday in A&E (hence this 1st June post didn’t get uploaded as planned). DM me for the address for Get Well Soon cards. ----- One other thing I did much more of in lockdown (it’s not exercise) is online shopping. Someone always benefits from a crisis and it’s an unfortunate, and slightly cynical, reality that Amazon (and its richest-man-in-the world owner) have done very well during this Coronavirus pandemic - but this increased use of online shopping had me looking closely at packaging. From cardboard that gets collected at the kerbside by my local authority to LDPE bags and bubble-wrap that go to the recycling bins at ASDA, I don’t think any packaging became waste from the items I bought. I was particularly impressed with these water-soluble starch packing peanuts. ----- What has your experience of packaging been with your lockdown shopping? And how much of it have you been able to divert into your recycling bin and away from landfill? I’d love to know in the comments below. ----- Credits: This video is a DIY job. No fingers were injured in the making of this footage. ----- Tags: #yourwasteyourresponsibility #re

Coronavirus is here and the urgent priority right now is to deal with that emergency. That means saving lives by stopping it from spreading while working on a vaccine. But when it’s been successfully suffocated and society has recovered (which it will), I wonder how we’ll reflect on it. And will we finally start to look closely at what we eat? We have a dreadful habit of refusing to connect connected things when we fear the lifestyle and habits we take for granted are at risk. How many of us drive less now or changed household energy providers because of the Australian bush fires or Californian wildfires? Very few, I would guess. ----- Ebola, SARS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, BSE/vCJD (mad cow disease), seasonal flu and now COVID-19 (suspected to have started in a Wuhan wet market that sold live animals) are all animal-derived illnesses. Even the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed 50 million people has been traced back to a Kansas chicken farm by many leading historians and the World Health Organisation classify red and processed meat as carcinogenic to humans. The fact remains that the only argument left for eating meat is “I like the taste of meat”. Given its undeniable links to climate change and global epidemics - not to mention the unnecessary suffering and execution of animals - can we really defend it any longer? ----- According to Wikipedia, the name coronavirus is derived from the Latin corona, meaning ‘crown’ or ‘halo’, which refers to the characteristic appearance reminiscent crown or solar corona around the virus particles - but isn’t it a strange coincidence that ‘coronavirus’ should be an anagram of ‘carnivorous’. Oh, and ‘veganism’ is an anagram of ‘saving me’ - thanks to James Aspey for that one. I know it’s not easy, but don’t you think it’s time we all started to change our diets? ----- Credits: Images from What The Health - and thanks to @marilinsal and @amirasahraoui for their contributions. ----- Links: @jamesaspey @wthfilm ----- Tags: #vegetarian #ve

Sugar is one of those store cupboard staples and my builders tea just wouldn’t be the same without a teaspoon of the sweet stuff - but where it comes from to find its way to our supermarket shelves varies from brand to brand, with some familiar household names using suppliers thousands of miles away. ----- Silver Spoon is homegrown though. They use sugar beet grown by 1,200 British farmers in East Anglia and every pack proudly displays the Red Tractor logo. The beet then travels just 28 miles to the local British Sugar factory in Bury St Edmunds where, in a few simple steps, they turn it into their familiar range of Silver Spoon sugar products. Compare that to another popular brand, Tate & Lyle, who the Daily Mail reported in 2017 use suppliers who import beet stock from as far away as 5,000 miles from countries such as Belize. That’s quite a difference in carbon footprint. ----- Sustainability is at the heart of what they do at Silver Spoon too and they’ve been refining their methods for 30 years - from the homegrown sugar beet to recyclable bags that use paper sourced from FSC certified forests. They send nothing to landfill and their excess production energy helps to power British homes via export to the National Grid. You can see the short video about the Silver Spoon Field to Spoon Journey by clicking the link in our bio. ----- We think that all makes Silver Spoon British Granulated Sugar a worthy first product for our Wasted Whitelist. A mainstream product you can easily find in supermarkets and convenience stores across the UK. ----- Credits: Images from British Sugar. ----- Links: @backbritishsugar @redtractorfood ----- Tags: #wastedwhitelist #britishsugar #fieldtospoon #yourwasteyourresponsibility #reducewhatyouproduce #noexcuseforsingleuse #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #watchyourwaste #passonplastic #makeachange #bethechange #waronwaste #zerowaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #refuse #repair #restore #repurpose #rethink #compost #sell #donate

We’re introducing something new for 2020. It’s called the Wasted Whitelist and we’ll be using it to identify products that we rate highly for production, packaging and pollution. We may even give it its own Instagram account one day - and it definitely needs a logo (this one’s a draft version). ----- What we now know, from a grim general election and that cop-out at COP25, is that our actions - the things we do every day and the choices we make - are going to be vital in tackling the climate emergency and wider environmental issues challenging the future of society. In our specialist area, waste, there are heroes and zeroes and loads of products that sit somewhere in between. Our new Wasted Whitelist will highlight the best of them. ----- This won’t be premium products from high-end sustainable manufacturers. It won’t always be products designed to be ethical from the outset, although we’ll continue to promote them. We’re talking mainstream products from mainstream manufacturers that are widely available. And we’re talking products, not companies, so you may see some stuff on the Wasted Whitelist that’s made by huge firms you don’t have a particularly high opinion of - but this is important. The big brands of this world aren’t going to disappear and by choosing their more ethical, environmentally responsible products we can steer them in the right direction. ----- Products that we deem worthy of the Wasted Whitelist will appear on clearly tagged posts on this account throughout the year, so we hope you find them useful - and please feel free to use the hashtag #wastedwhitelist for any products you feel are worthy of the accolade. We’ll take a look at them all! ----- Credits: Images from Wasted Limited. ----- Tags: #peoplepower #decisivedecade #yourwasteyourresponsibility #reducewhatyouproduce #noexcuseforsingleuse #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #watchyourwaste #passonplastic #makeachange #bethechange #waronwaste #zerowaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #r

Tags: #consciouschristmas #ecochristmas #sustainablechristmas #ethicalchristmas #christmas #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #waronwaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #refuse #repair #restore #repurpose #rethink #compost #sell #donate #wasterevolution #wasteeducation #wasted

The gift of thrift. I’ve learnt a lot about thrifting recently and I have to say, there’s so much more pleasure in finding treasure in charity shops and vintage boutiques than there could ever be in high street shopping. Day 16 of our Christmas Advent Calendar is all about second-hand brands and preloved fashion. ----- This little collection comes from vintage boutiques across the UK and abroad but if you’re thinking that’s a lot of clicking compared to the simplicity of shopping from those big national retailers, think again! Because every one of these sellers can be found on ASOS Marketplace. Click, browse, order - it’s easy to save materials, save energy and save our planet. Get online and in a matter of minutes you’ll be simply having a wonderful thrifting time. ----- Credits: Images from Boutique SecondLife, Frankie’s Thrifts, Eliza Likes, Marcel Gracieuse. Babydoll Vintage, True Vintage and ProtectMe Boutique. ----- Links: @boutiquesecondlife @frankiesthrifts @eliza.likes @babydoll_vintage_ @truevintage @marcelgracieuse @protectmeboutique @asosmarketplace ----- Tags: #thrifting #vintage #preloved #consciouschristmas #ecochristmas #sustainablechristmas #ethicalchristmas #christmas #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #mindfulness #makeachange #bethechange #waronwaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #refuse #repair #restore #repurpose #rethink #compost #sell #donate #wasterevolution #wasteeducation #wasted

I think this needs to be the year that everyone who hasn’t got one, gets a reusable water bottle. There shouldn’t be a cup holder, desktop, handbag or man-bag in 2020 that isn’t graced by one. Day 15, of our increasingly late Christmas Advent Calendar posts, might help you choose. ----- We’re starting with a brand I love - Joseph Joseph - who’s Dot Active water bottle is surprisingly affordable and features LED dots in the lid so you can set hydration targets. The Global WAKEcup bamboo bottle looks amazing, scored highly with The Independent and has an integrated strainer for adding fruit and the plastic Eva Solo My Flavour bottle has a skewer for a visible fruit medley (if infusing is your thing) . The classy Black & Blum glass bottle features a charcoal filter made from tree branches which softens water and adds minerals. ----- If you love sparkles in your water, the rose gold vacuum bottle from trusted household brand, Thermos, is designed to keep your drink fizzy. And, a slight curve ball here, why not also invest in a Soda Stream - that 1980’s gadget that’s making a sensational comeback as a carbonated drinks maker for the plastic-free generation. ----- Personally, I like the taste of water from stainless steel bottle. Our friends at Daylesford Farm team up with 24 Bottles for theirs and their stylish Clima bottle looks great. I have an orange one which I treasured until someone dropped it and dented the body and lid. It’s fine, it’s just a thing; I still use it but have barely spoken the culprit since. The Jerry bottle looks great with its clean military design and then, finally, there’s the vast Chilly’s bottle range. My daughter has one of these in matt white, and she loves it. ----- Credits: Images from various. ----- Links: @josephjosephofficial @globalwakecup @evasolo_official @blackblumdesign @thermosuk @sodastreamgb @daylesford @24bottles_official @jerrybottle @chillysbottles ----- Tags: #consciouschristmas #ecochristmas #sustainablechristmas #ethica

If you’re looking for gadgets to gift this Christmas, it’s possible to find some eco-friendly electronics these days. For Day 13 of our Christmas Advent Calendar, we’ve rounded up some tech that’s either ethically made or helps make an environmental impact. ----- House of Marley, a brand inspired by reggae legend Bob Marley, are arguably the most sustainable electronics company out there making a range of headphones, earphones and portable speakers using materials like organic cotton, reclaimed hemp, recycled PET, aluminium, stainless steel, leather, FSC-certified wood and cork. Brighton-based Gomi make some beautiful one-of-a-kind Bluetooth speakers too, if you can get your hands on one. They use “non-recyclable” flexible plastic waste like plastic bags, bubble wrap, food wrapping and pallet wrapping. ----- Away from audio devices, there’s the stylish LARQ Bottle - a refillable water bottle unlike any other that neutralises 99.9% of harmful odour-causing bacteria using a built-in UV-C light. Nimble make portable and wireless smartphone chargers made from aluminium and plant-based materials. In the home the popular Google Nest Learning Thermostat helps save energy and save you money, and is effortless to use through it’s superb design and intuitive smartphone app. ----- Finally, for the big spenders amongst you, there's the new HP Elite Dragonfly laptop. The world’s lightest compact business convertible, it’s constructed using recycled ocean-bound plastics. ----- Credits: Images from various. ----- Links: @houseofmarleyuk @houseofmarleyuk @gomidesign @nimbleforgood @googlenest @hp ----- Tags: #consciouschristmas #ecochristmas #sustainablechristmas #ethicalchristmas #christmas #yourwasteyourresponsibility #reducewhatyouproduce #noexcuseforsingleuse #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #watchyourwaste #passonplastic #bethechange #waronwaste #zerowaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #refuse #repair #restore #repurpose #rethink #compost #sell #donate #wasterevolutio

What better to step into a new decade than some fancy new footwear? Day 12 of our Christmas Advent Calendar is all about sustainable shoes. ----- As far as the major manufacturers go, German brand Adidas are arguably the most ethical sportswear brand. They've doubled production of their Parley trainer range this year, turning ocean plastic waste into cutting-edge running shoes. The Good On You app gives Adidas a "good" ranking and we expect that to improve further with innovations like the 100% TPU, 100% recyclable [FUTURECRAFT:LOOP] shoe. ----- Our friends at WAES make a stylish 100% plastic-free shoe range, using hand-poured natural rubber soles, Zouri make vegan footwear with organic cotton and ocean plastics and Call It Spring make chic sustainable shoes for all occasions with insoles made from Bloom foam - an amazing product made from algae, not plastic. And, if designer footwear isn't within your gift buying budget, maybe just go for eco-friendly flip-flops. They're useful all year round and Ocean Refresh make theirs from waste plastic recovered from the Brazilian coast. ----- Finally, there's the Leonardo DiCaprio backed Allbirds range which Time magazine called the "most comfortable shoes in the world". Ethically made and packaged - and machine washable too! ----- Credits: Images from various. ----- Links: @adidas @waesfootwear @zouriveganshoes @callitspring @bloomfoam @oceanrefresh @allbirds ----- Tags: #consciouschristmas #ecochristmas #sustainablechristmas #ethicalchristmas #christmas #yourwasteyourresponsibility #reducewhatyouproduce #noexcuseforsingleuse #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #watchyourwaste #passonplastic #bethechange #waronwaste #zerowaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #refuse #repair #restore #repurpose #rethink #compost #sell #donate #wasterevolution #wasteeducation #wasted

Patagonia Inc. are a clothing company unlike any other. Founded back in 1973 by accomplished American rock climber, Yvon Chouinard, they’ve been environmental activists for 40 years - identifying harm to our planet long before it became daily headline news. ----- Patagonia’s core business concentrates on sports apparel and outdoor wear. 1% of its total sales go to environmental groups through One Percent for the Planet, an organisation Yvon Chouinard was a founding member of. In 2016, 100% of their Black Friday sales – totalling $10 million - went to environmental organisations. In June 2018, they donated the $10 million they’d received as part of Trump’s tax cuts to groups devoted to the protection of air, land and water, or finding solutions to the climate crisis. Since 2017, they’ve accepted the return of good condition own-brand clothing for which customers earn credits they can spend on new merchandise. ----- Patagonia believe the environmental crisis has reached a critical tipping point and that without commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, defend clean water and air, and divest from dirty technologies, humankind as a whole will destroy our planet’s ability to repair itself. The protection and preservation of the environment isn’t what they do after hours - it’s the reason they’re in business and every day’s work. ----- Now you know what you know, you might want to add Patagonia, the activist company, to your list of ethical brands for your Christmas shopping. They ship internationally and have a website for UK customers at eu.patagonia.com/gb/en ----- Credits: Video and text excerpts from Patagonia. ----- Links: @patagonia @1percentftp ----- Tags: #climatestrikes #globalclimatestrike #climateemergency #climatechange #onepercentfortheplanet #yourwasteyourresponsibility #reducewhatyouproduce #noexcuseforsingleuse #fightforyourworld #savetheplanet #watchyourwaste #passonplastic #bethechange #waronwaste #zerowaste #antilandfill #reduce #reuse #recycle #