So it is the 2nd of September. That means two things. I need to make sure I have my mother’s birthday present (tick) and we are day two into the month of no (or at least as little as possible) plastic.
Mother’s present was quite easy. As I don’t think she reads my blog I can tell you she should be enjoying a rather nice lunch with my stepfather in a rather nice restaurant in London. No plastic was involved in the purchase, preparation or sending of said present and I sincerely hope that there is no plastic involved in the serving of her present either. Though unfortunately I cannnot vouch for the kitchen in which it will be prepared.
As for the September challenge. We have hardly done any shopping and have already failed.
Sunday newspapers – the supplements come in a pre-sealed plastic bag. I imagine it makes the assembly easier, however I remember Sunday newspapers as a child and there was no plastic bag then. My father gets the LA Times which is vast and there is no plastic there either. Letter to Sunday Times on its way.
Quayside market. Wonderful produce from local producer. One beauty of a swede.
Gorgeous selection of onions.
Beautiful variety of tomatoes.
But I had failed to bring any small cloth or paper bags for the tomatoes and they were put in plastic. Have now added one cloth and three paper bags to the little parachute silk Onya bag that lives in my handbag.
Then absolute massive fail whilst my back was turned. The Boss as a bit of a sock thing. He likes them brightly coloured and not necessarily matching. He bought a set of three pairs of very attractive stripey socks and….. let the stallholder put them in a solitary plastic bag all of their own. I had THREE Onya bags they could have gone in. He has promised to be more vigilant in the future.
Today I have purchased some wine (glass bottles that will be used for homemade wine), fruit juice (cartons that will be used as firelighters) and carrots (bought loose). All brought home in one of my plastic free hessian bags.
On all occasions I refused a receipt. Nobody seemed too surprised or fussed. So I wonder, would shops which issue receipts automatically consider having a no receipt option on their till at the buyer’s risk?
Tonight I will do the menu plan for next week and write out my weekly shopping list. I will have to plan very carefully. I suspect what we eat will be dictated by where I can buy the necessary ingredients without incurring the input of plastic. Fortunately the hens are still laying so we will always have the egg option. Although as I was planning on using up the last of the asparagus with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce tonight they had better get laying!
one pair of shoes at a time 
my hessian bags have a shiny lining, do yours? I have always assumed this is some kind of plastic?
No mine don’t. I’ll try and see where I got them from.
In our retail shop we ask the customer ‘do you want a co[y of the receipt’, before issuing one. Unfortunately the credit card machine (nother form of plastic?) automatically spits out the receipt w/ a duplicate.
That’s exactly what I would like. I appreciate that the card machines are not going to give us the benefit of the doubt, but if I, the buyer, am prepared to take the risk of not having a receipt why print one at all? All power to your elbow Patty, I hope that more stores will be like you.
Love this. I dream of being self sufficient one day and just using a local butcher. One day.
If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?
Gillie,
You make everything sound like an adventure, even just saying no to plastic. Well done, and good luck! Just the deliberate act of trying to avoid plastic, even if you do end up with a few plastic items at the end of the month, is great discipline and eye-opener to how much plastic surrounds us.