Naked Lunch
The view from the top of the bottom of the world
Last night was 'eating dinner in front of the telly' night, because we are all class here at Chez Blueday. So after watching Black Books I set up the lap top for a viewing of The Story of Stuff. It may be that I am the last person in the known universe to have discovered this fab presentation of the facts of the production of consumer goods that is easily assimilated even by eight year olds, but that is me, not-the-early-adopter.
I wanted to show the family why I am getting a bit tetchy about..stuff. And waste. And packaging. And disposable anything. There is one little moment among the many moments in this video that is making me rethink every action today. For every garbage can we trail out to the kerb, there were SEVENTY garbage cans-full of waste generated up-stream, in the resource generating process, in the manufacturing and transportation and distribution. SEVENTY.
Today we drove most of the way up a mountain, then scrambled up the last bit to the top in the brilliant sunshine and bitter cold of the first weekend of winter. We took a picnic, with salad rolls and thermos and slice, and chocolate, all the usual. Here I need to confess - I am the plastic wrap queen. I rather like my sandwiches to stay together, and arrive fresh in situ. Today I packed the rolls into a lunchbox with no plastic wrap. Yes, sometimes I do live dangerously. The rolls were firmly packed, and all survived. They were not stale (der, they were inside an airtight plastic container. What have I been thinking all this time?) Because, somehow, humanity managed picnics for a number of years before the invention of plastic. I remember my mum telling me that her mum wrapped her school sandwiches in nasturtium leaves to keep them fresh. I wonder how the sandwiches stayed together? I will find out. Stay tuned.
Does anyone else cater for plastic-free picnics?
Tonight is rubbish night. That bin out on the kerb has seventy ghost bins gathered behind it, reproaching me.
Small child, big mountain. No rubbish or pollution, because we have outsourced it to somewhere far, far away.
Comments
I use reusable containers a lot, but my weakness is plastic bags. I like how they stack up in the freezer for space efficiency. I will wash and reuse them if they hold things like breads or berries, but not if they held raw meat. I need to rethink my addiction to them.
http://myhealthygreenfamily.com/blog/wordpress/plastic-wrap-alternative-diy-beeswax-cotton-wraps/
http://tutorialadventures.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/updated-tutorial-making-your-own.html
Scary knowledge about the garbage bins ...
frances
I have seriously cut my waste since watching the Story of Stuff, but mainly because we can recycle so much now. You made me think that there is probably 70 bags of waste for every bag we recycle too. Oh no!
Two weeks ago I gave up squirty soap and replaced it for bars of soap! I knew that I had to do it for ages, but I like hygienic squirty soap, much better than slippery, messy, and possibly germ-ridden bars of soap. I made the change anyway and its not so bad - we survived unscathed :) No more plastic pump-action bottles. It will probably work out cheaper too.
My next thing to tackle is disposable cleaning wipes. When the kids were babies I got into bad habits, because of worrying about germs. Now I need to go back to a good old fashioned dish cloth and rags. Then I may be ready to face my tin foil habit!
And I recycle religiously too Judy, but I'm beginning to think that may not be enough..
Frances, how does the wax paper go in the compost? Do you shred it up a bit, or just throw it in? Does it compost completely?
It must be possible to live without disposable plastic, surely. It only became routinely available during my parents' lifetime. Have we come to depend on it so much in less than 60 years? Clearly the answer is Yes to that..
I don't use cling wrap for picnics. I put the sandwiches in containers. Yes, they are plastic but some have lasted us for 20 years. Packed well, sandwiches don't move or get squashed. I bought the Tupperware sandwich boxes for my daily sandwich. I use Cling wrap for one son. The other is happy to use the Tupperware containers.
Now, shallow of me I know, but I was so excited you mentioned Black Books. I LOVE that show. I took my son to see Dylan Moran live. What a psychic connection between you and me? (OK, so millions like Black Books, and like to go on picnics, but I like to feel unique, and uniquely connected to another unique person!)
Way to go Jo!
frances
Nearly 7 years later we are still using it. As we have it i will continue to use it but I also use greaseproof paper and it is especially good for cheese. I find that wrapping cheese in plastic makes it sweat. Like others, I have plastic boxes that I have been using for years and will continue to do so.
Plastic is here to stay but if we use it wisely we can reduce our waste.
Another comment that struck me along the way somewhere is that recycling is all well and god but it's still stuff. I ache when I use or turf out plastic bags (I hate reusing ones that have had meat too) so I try and use other containers in the fridge and freezer now. In fact I hate plastic, but there are disadvantages like price to stainless steel and breakability of glass (had one explode all over me the other day - scary) but as you say, we survived before plastic and the way the world is going, we will soon have to survive without it once again. Well, not unless we're willing to pay an exhorbitant amount for it.
Bel and Dunc, I just read your post about the beeswax wrap - that's brlliant! And yes, our kids were completely absorbed in The Story of Stuff - it's such a great resource, works for little kids and teenagers and adults.
Thanks for the composting advice Frances. I'll give it a go. One less thing to throw out.
Lizzi, that is hilarious about the catering size cling wrap. I always buy the biggest size that will fit in my drawer. Hoping to make this one last a nice long time as I wean myself off it. I'm certainly not going to be throwing out all my plastic containers, as you say, they last forever, but I'll certainly be working on the disposable plastic that seems to clog up my bin. Thanks for the greaseproof paper tip. Clearly very useful, and compostable. Currently my cheese goes in a plastic lunchbox (big hunks of cheddar) or ziploc bags (deli cheeses). 'm thinking wrapping the deli cheeses in greasproof or baking paper in a plastic or glass container would be better.. thanks!
Jessie, scary, glass exploding in the freezer. I think I have decided to go with Pyrex, which is safety glass, and apparently crumbles into pebbles, rather than shards when it breaks, which sounds better! Also, I have chipped the rim of a Pyrex dish before, and it doesn't have that sharp edge that normal glass does, and after a few goes in the dishwasher, has smoothed off nicely.
One of the first more difficult words my kids learnt was sarcastic, as in asking,"Are you being sarcastic?" Moi? No, no, no,no well, yes.