I'm trying to save our planet

Watchdog on BBC said that Waitrose own brand toilet wipes are biodegradable. And there are some called 'Safe To Flush' something like that. No other wipes should be flushed.

I dont take seriously anyone who talks about saving the planet UNLESS they have given up flying which I think is the biggest problem.

Sainsbury's are selling reusable bags for vegetables at 30p each. Great, except that all the vegetables I wanted to buy were in plastic packs ! ( too large for our needs I might add). They have done away with reusable plastic lids for their own brand yoghurt, cream etc. Now we have had to buy a pack of plastic pots with lids to decant the yoghurt, since we don't use it all in one serving - hope to keep it for at least a week. Sainsbury's pots are still plastic though. It's all a bit of a muddle. If the supermarkets took the lead and really thought it through, it would make a big difference.

We do what we can, however,

Fossil fuel companies have driven the climate crisis, by exploiting the world's oil, gas & coal reserves.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions.

Have a look at this, it's very interesting.

Solid shampoo and bar soap must save this household throwing away dozens of plastic bottles every year. Food put into plastic containers (bought years ago!) rather than covered with cling film, washing powder in a box, vinegar used as the main cleaning agent in this house. I am also trying to buy 'pre loved' clothes; the makers of clothing that I like have all sunk without trace over the past few years so I am buying items on ebay - saving the planet hopefully, and saving me some money.

I bought loads of cheap cotton cloths. I use them instead of paper towel. I just chuck them in the washing machine. I hope to get solar panels put on my boat before I retire... I also hope to grow the veg I eat once I get the garden attached to my mooring organised. Yes we can all do our bit...every little helps.

Yes, do what you can at home, but please don't think that giving up plastic bags and shampoo bottles will save the planet. Give up your diesel car and if you really need one, get a low-emission one. Stop flying to holiday destinations (I concede you can if you have children living abroad) and stop buying new clothes every season, and stop washing them so frequently.
There's a lot of panic about; please don't get hysterical. The climate changes all the time and humans and hominid predecessors have lived with it all. The UK is doing quite well in terms of CO2 output - 43.5 per cent lower CO2 than in 1990 and 2.5 per cent lower in 2018 than 2017. Extinction Rebellion should try protesting in Beijing or Delhi - but of course, they should go by train!

All the things people are striving to not buy/use are the things that never featured in our daily lives.
I never used disposable nappies or wipes, always carried several flannels and small towels. Moist toilet wipes are clogging up our sewers.
Preaching to the converted is actually not that helpful, go to the countries that are the offenders and try and convert them.

All of the above plus second hand clothes. There was a programme on yesterday saying that "fast fashion" is the biggest culprit - worse than flying! Plus laundry egg or Econuts for washing clothes and always a 15 minute wash.

There are some great ideas here, thank you all. I'll not buy any more wipes, even if they are 'biodegradable'.

It sounds as if Tupperware parties may make a comeback!

Right, off to make some mesh bags. Any further suggestions would be much appreciated.

Doing everything I can including careful use of gas and electricity, planning shopping so there is no food waste, using cloth shopping bags that can be washed from time to time, composting etc. Also running a campaign to save waste of prescription medicines and NHS equipment. Here is the link if anyone wants to have a look/sign/share
chng.it/PDLCHdQM

We have 3 ' hot composters ' so even cooked meats and bones can go it them ( We don't eat meat so not used )
We put all cooked food waste ( but again should avoid having in the first place , don't cook too much food )
Vegetable peelings, all paper waste which we shred or tear , coffee grounds, tea leaves most waste really.
Only put the washing machine on for full loads . Don't own a dishwasher or a tumble dryer. We don't fly ( haven't in over 20 years )
We do own a car . Our local council have a fairly good recycling ethos so we do recycle plastic , metals etc.
Quite a fair amount of my clothes are from charity shops . I also use my local library rather than buy.

Wow you are an inspiration thank you...a couple of new ideas there for me

Can't help thinking all this is 100 per cent better than Extinction Republic..........

The water companies say constantly that NO wipes should be flushed away, not even the ones that claim to be flushable. I’m not sure about how bio-degradable any of them are though.

Hellsbelles, wow there's loads there to help. I'm going to write your post down (see, I'm not going to use the printer!) to remind me.

Unfortunately my daughter and family moved abroad in june so need to fly to see them....otherwise i would definitely give up flying

Nansam please try to ditch the wipes completely!!

Biodegradeable things need the right conditions to actually degrade and stuck in landfill generally isnt the right conditions.

So think reusable dishcloths and cleani g rags. Old fashioned cotton discloths and dusters can still be bought or use squares of old towel or t shirt, like we used to before wioes were a thing.

For your botty then flannels can be bought cheaply enough. If thats a step too far then regular toilet paper for the worst and a wash if extra is needed.

Funnygran I've never flushed them, they always go in the black bin!

Riggie yup, won't buy any more - promise!

I despair when I see all the plastic bottles in the supermarket. I used to buy handwash in a plastic bottle but now I buy the refills, made by Carex. They are 85% less plastic. I do everything else I can think of.

Cut flying to one trip per year or similar. Every little makes a difference.

Just because you can't be a planetsavingangel you can still do something.

I am currently bidding for a winter coat on ebay.
The one I have is falling to bits and it's at least 25 yrs old.
Wish me luck!

Good luck, Grammaretto! EBay is fun, isn't it. That's where I get most of my clothes.

I absolutely stopped buying pig products, cow milk, and hand wash. I buy Oatly, and soap. I had to give up the car anyway so that was not a problem. I got a nice mob scooter instead.

My lifestyle is very economic purely because I like to save where I can to pay for things I want to buy - the pot is only small.

My indulgence is flights to our little place in Spain which obviously are big in terms of carbon footprint so I went on a website which analysed every spend from car size, house size, public transport, flights, heating, ready-made meals, new clothes, gadgets, paperbacks, newspapers, diet etc.

Mine came back with a score equal to uk average in spite of the flights which shows I’m mostly on the right track. In view of this, I’ve decided I will stop flying when planes stop flying to wherever I want to visit.