sisters who went to war on plastic - and won: sibling rivalry drove pair to ever-more-ingenious lengths to banish waste – now their diaries can inspire you to do the same - bbq skewers stainless steel

When she picked from the mountains of abandoned packaging, glass paper packaging and plastic bags scattered on the kitchen floor, Teresa Walters had a brainwave.
On Christmas morning, 2017, she emptied the bin for the fourth time in 24 hours. Her daughters —
Seven, nine, twelve.
When her husband James collects a lot of plastic trash, she is opening the gift.
"The amount of plastic we threw away surprised me," Teresa said . ".
"I'm starting to wonder how much we use in the week and how we can reduce it.
"The Walters family is not unusual.
76 kg of British singles on average
Plastic is used every year ,(
5 million tons)—
Enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall thousands of times.
All over the country.
Daily Mail reports on plastic sportspart of a ten-
Annual initiative to eliminate the scourge of plastic waste
Thousands of readers have taken to the streets to collect garbage.
But with small steps across the country, it is our responsibility to change our own home.
Teresa, 38, and Mary Strong, 36, came up with a plan like this: Goto-
Go and see who can reduce their plastic waste in 2018.
"Sisters against plastic" was born, an ambitious project that requires two families-Mary is also a mother --of-
3-reduce their plastic use by changing their weekly shopping habits, meal times and family activities.
However, there are husbands to fight for, young mouths to feed, and daytime work to keep them busy (
Teresa is one of them.
Time secretary and Baker
Mary is a civil servant)
They set themselves a huge challenge, especially when everything from laundry detergent, shampoo to toothpaste and crispy packs comes in plastic packaging.
Based on the amount of waste in January, Mary and Teresa estimated the amount of plastic they usually produce in 12 months.
Then over the course of the year, they kept every plastic used in each house and weighed it, adding up the total number per month and year. Fast-
After 12 months, the two families cut their plastic waste by 3-quarters.
In the healthy competition between sisters, how do they do it. . .
JANUARYMary said: I am an environmental activist.
Friendly sister
'I am like Tom and Barbara because we grow vegetables,' Teresa said.
But we can still get through a lot of plastic.
Our first effort was to replace industrial ketchup and roasted beans with multiple packs of ketchup and roasted beans.
We turned it into a glass bottle.
I started to bake bread, which was better and cheaper than the bread in the supermarket.
I don't have a home, Teresa said.
Grow vegetables like Mary, so I can only eat them in the supermarket.
Corn, eggplant and carrots are often not packed in plastic;
But no salad or berries. go.
I'm from Amazon (£12 for nine)
Start collecting fruits and vegetables.
Other shoppers
The cashiers are very interested in this. Mary: 3.
487 kg plastic waste teresa: 4.
Winner of 592 kg plastic waste recycling Award: Mary fabulli Mali said: "My family has to drink 16 pints of milk every week . "
Carton is our third big waste.
However, compared with 4 pints, the price of 16 pints of glass bottles is 13.
Four boxes 50.
I changed the hand sanitizer and shower gel to a soap stick and we even tried washing our hands ourselves.
One of our biggest downsides is tea, but most tea bags contain polypropylene, a long-standing substance, Teresa said. Durable plastic.
We turn to looseleaf —
A box of 2 PG little tea pots can be made into 80 cups, and the girls like this trendy tea pot.
I buy stainless steel straws from Amazon (£5 for eight)
We swear we don't use plastic straws anymore.
There is no plastic wrap. I bought a reusable beeswax package (£13.
Three 50)—
Made of cotton coated with beeswax and grease
Cover leftovers. Mary: 2. 9kg (
Total decrease of 17% in January)Teresa: 3. 1kg (
Total decrease of 32% in January)
Champion: good news, says TeresaMARCHMary
I have a baby in November.
My idea has turned to how to balance newborns while limiting plastic use.
I have been looking for a detergent replacement and have come across "Eco Egg "--
A hollow "egg" filled with natural clean particles, you throw your clothes into the drum.
My clothes are very clean and smell fresh. Food-
It is wise that we have thrown away ready-made meals and takeout.
Our only love is to put proper butter on the foil.
Teresa said: it is a success to avoid laundry products packed in plasticand-miss.
First of all, let me try.
Fruit shells that have been used as natural substitutes for centuries, £ 10 per bag, but they look and smell strange.
I tried the soap. £1. 50)
You rub the fabric like a lost stick.
It removes curry stains from jeans, but I feel like a housewife in my 1920 s.
My favorite is a British company called Splosh.
They sent me 5 powder bags which were dissolved in water to make detergent. Mary: 2. 463kg (15% reduction)Teresa: 2. 974kg (4. 1% reduction)
Winner: Mary Parry Mary said: I changed my usual cream to soap and water.
I don't wear many brands.
My skin looks good.
But washing your hair is another thing.
I ordered a shampoo bar at Plastics Free, an online store in Cornwall.
It smells cute though.
Like avocado and lemon
My hair is greasy.
James and I tried plastic. Free toothpaste.
Technically, you wipe the toothbrush for a few seconds and brush it.
It smells spicy but tastes like soap. Yuck.
Teresa said: As a mother of three girls, I can't get on board with shampoo from the bar.
Instead, we wash our hair less.
I used to do this every day;
It's twice a week.
Another change is toilet paper.
We found a brilliant company called "who gives C *" that provides recycled paper
Roll to the door (£40 for 48).
I invest in plastic. Free deodorant (£8.
Month Day PlasticsFree. co. uk)
Made of coconut oil, cocoa butter and baking soda.
I doubt it, but it seems to work. Mary: 2. 451kg (0. 5% reduction)Teresa: 2. 825kg (5% reduction)
Champion: James and I took the kids to Germany and Spain for half. term.
We carry our own water bottles all over the place and fill people --
Even on the plane.
We got some gaze.
But the foreign market is good for picking unpacked fruits and fresh fish.
We eat a lot of lollipops: Chocolate ice and Coke net are not plastic.
Teresa said: We went to Lanzarote with some friends. this is the first time we have taken the children abroad.
It wasn't until we got to airport security that we realized we couldn't bring our water bottles in, so we had to buy new water bottles on our departure.
Back home, we had a big wedding for our 70-year-old, a plastic disaster.
From drink bottles to fruit from Pimm, my trash can is full of plastic (
All brought by guests).
I fell off the carriage. Mary: 2. 237kg (9% reduction)Teresa: 3. 221kg (14% increase)
Winner: TeresaJUNEMary said: we test online shopping
None of the big supermarkets are doing well.
In Okado, there is no choice to go without bags;
Tesco provides us with vegetables in plastic bags;
Asda puts loose baked goods, fruits and vegetables into polyethylene.
Morrisons are the best: Not only do they recycle bags (
The driver took them back)
But they offer 3.
50 "unreliable vegetable boxes" containing seasonal agricultural products ".
Teresa said: My little daughter asked Mary to talk to me about her class at school. It goes well —
They asked a lot of questions and came home full of ideas.
My victory this month is the dishwasher.
I checked all the supermarket boxes, shook them and looked down at the back --
I must be very angry.
But I can't find the plastic. free.
Finally, I saw Aldi's own brand and it was great. Mary: 1. 853kg (17% reduction)Teresa: 2. 457kg (23% reduction)
Winner: TeresaJULYMary said: during the barbecue season, I have been buying steak and hamburgers in Morrisons, where you can take Tupperware to the butcher's counter to fill them up.
Other supermarkets will do the same if you ask well.
This is the best time of year for the vegetables in the garden, we have zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, peas and beans.
Teresa said: Mary gave me some plants that started to bear fruit, but I couldn't feed a family of five with a handful of tomatoes.
I purchased a vegetable box from a local farm store so we can get delicious vegetables insideseason produce.
We have a plastic.
Free picnic with kids on weekends: Strawberry and melon string with cardboard support boat. Yum! Mary: 1. 781kg (4% reduction)Teresa: 2. 305kg (6% reduction)
Winner: TeresaAUGUSTMary said: we focus on packaging and I am shocked by a lot of things
Especially online orders
Wrapped in foam or polyethylene.
A great discovery is from the lush, wrapped bubble bath lollipop in the water
Soluble starch tablets
We run an "inflatable amnesia" that sends 14 kg broken paddle pools and beach inflatable toys to a British company called Wyatt and Jack, Teresa said
For my little daughter's birthday, I tried to put the gift in the party bag.
Cartons and handmade sweets
Just pack the paper bag. Mary: 1. 465kg (18% reduction)Teresa: 2. 559g (11% increase)
I managed to get rid of the potato chips and yogurt pots at home, but since I couldn't find any other options, we didn't have them. Crisps (
And their plastic wrapping paper)
Our nemesis!
While it's hard for me to find a garden center to take back the plastic basin, my greenhouse is full of lettuce, rockets and cucumbers.
Next year, I will sow from the seeds.
Teresa said: I set up a unified recycling team at my child's school. It takes off —
Hundreds of items were donated and sold, we raised £ 300 and provided 48 pieces of clothing for children in Africa.
Mary and I look into plastic.
Free Pet Supplies
Not a bag or bag, but a box and a can.
Our cat loves the leftovers for Sunday dinner.
At the same time, my husband developed a beautiful technique to turn old newspapers into bins --
Fold a few sheets of paper along one of the sides, and then attach them together to form a huge square, thus interlocking them.
Fold the square diagonally, fold the angle inward, and flip the edge around the top to make it stronger (
Online video will help you perfect it! ). Mary: 1. 193kg (18. 5% reduction)Teresa: 2. 026kg (20% reduction)
Winner: TeresaOCTOBERMary said: inspired by the Teresa uniform project, I launched a plastic-
Free group buying.
Dry Goods.
Rice, beans, pasta, etc.
A large quantity of goods from wholesalers and encourage friends and neighbors to use their own containers to purchase goods.
I 've been experimenting with conkers.
I read online that by chopping them up and soaking them in water, they can become detergents. I'm amazed —it works!
We are installing a new kitchen, mainly from Ikea, which is not very good for packaging, Teresa said.
This is half the responsibility I wasted in October.
I was scared by another plastic charity bag in the mailbox and I put a sign on the door telling them to stop shipping.
Sad, but necessary.
I convinced PTA to stop using disposable cups at the meeting.
I collected a second box.
Take the mug, take them to the meeting, and take them home to wash. Mary: 747g (37% reduction)Teresa: 2. 221kg (9% increase)
Winner: Mary Norbe Mary said: My son was born and it was a happy but challenging month
I'm sure he's going to be zero. waste baby.
I got advice on washable diapers from my local NCT "diaper library" and studied the ecology
Products such as Nati diapers, made of soft plantsbased material.
I have baby wipes that can be reused (Cheeky Wipes)
Although Ella's Kitchen has recyclable packaging, I plan to make baby food by myselfup.
Teresa: Mary is a miracle.
I can't believe she's still using her newborn to reduce plastic waste!
I started working on plastic.
Free Christmas essentials
Most supermarkets are packed in plastic, but Tesco, M & S and Oxfam are sold in boxes.
Scrunch rules apply to wrapping paper (
It doesn't unfold if you wrinkle it, it can be recycled)
But I'm making my own packaging in newspapers and magazines. Mary: 883g (18% increase)Teresa: 1. 493kg (32% decrease)
Winner: TeresaDECEMBERMary said: I finally found compostable potato chips from the British brand "two farmers", which helped to satisfy my desire for snacks with little sleep
Cutting plastic for Christmas is the most basic: recycling foil plates from shredded meat pies and buying cheese with wax paper.
We found a lot of plastic.
Free cookies, including some full of chocolate Brussels sprouts, with a smile on everyone's face.
Teresa said: The theme of this month is hosting, so I cook and bake in the kitchen most of the time.
I found some great ecosystems. Friendly gift
Such as bamboo coffee cups, craft supplies, bath bombs, and even shaving utensils.
The only thing I ban directly is the chocolate coins in the plastic mesh.
Our trees are decorated with wooden decorations and paper snowflakes.
A real family effort. Mary: 321g (64% decrease)Teresa: 1. 328kg (11% decrease)
The overall winner is. . . MARY! Mary: 3. 166kg (91% decrease)Teresa: 3. 264kg (71% decrease)
Winner: Mary, they said, "how good a year!
Mary won the finish line, but we all learned a lot and changed more than we thought.
Our children, husbands, friends, family and neighbors are now cutting plastic waste.
And it's just to show that having a young family and a busy life doesn't mean it's impossible.