An eco-friendly woman is so green she doesn’t even own a bin – and fits all her monthly waste into a JAM JAR.
Canny Adele Morgan, 23, recycles virtually everything and generates hardly any rubbish.
She turns all her food into compost, makes her own toothpaste, cleans her home with vinegar and orange peels and uses pillow cases as shopping bags.
Adele uses coconut oil as a moisturizer and make-up remover and her toothbrush is made of bamboo.
The brush does have plastic bristles which are just a handful of things she has to chuck out every month – which all fits into a jam jar.
Adele cuts out many items which come pre-packaged in plastic trays or boxes.
The only things she has to throw away include razor blades, dental floss, plastic shower gel packaging, make-up sponges and vegan chocolate packaging,
Adele of Penryn in Cornwall says she went full green after watching an environmental film named A Plastic Ocean and decided to change her lifestyle completely.
The hotel worker has done away with waste almost entirely and creates just a small jar’s worth of rubbish each month.
She said: “I don’t have a bin. I just have this jar which I use to store all my landfill waste for a month.
“The secret is to go to bulk-stores. Once a month, I take the train to Penzance and do a massive monthly shop at The Weigh Inn.
“It’s a shop where you can buy in bulk and I take my own bags and fill them up.
Sometimes I take my pillowcases and fill them with rice and pasta.
“I don’t buy anything in packaging. It’s taken me a while and it involves a lot of research on where to find certain things.
“Some things I won’t buy are cakes and sweets, as they always come packaged.
“Instead I make my own cakes and biscuits. I am also going to start making my own pasta, as you can’t buy loose spaghetti.”
Adele, a vegan, has also completely given up using single-use items, such as straws and coffee cups.
She continued: “I have reusable sandwich bags and I never use plastic food wraps either like Clingfilm.
“I bought these wax wraps instead. You can get bees wax, but I use soya, as I don’t use any animal products.
“The wax melts with the heat of your hands and seals around a dish just like plastic. I also have my own bamboo coffee cup. It cost me £10 and I’ve had it for ages.
“Most coffee shops are happy to fill it for me and some even offer a discount.
“I’ve found a place in Falmouth, which does loose tea and you can take in your jar and fill it up, which is amazing.”
Adele has now started her own blog, Minimal Impact Kernow, and hopes to inspire others.
She added: “A lot of people think it’s more expensive to do this, but the secret is that you don’t have to buy fancy gadgets, just reuse what you have.
“It’s all about getting away from single-use items. I don’t buy anything I don’t need. I am also much healthier, as I don’t eat processed food anymore.
“This is a journey and it takes a while. I am still using my make-up and I have craft stuff which I am still using up.
“In fact, most of my rubbish is things that I’ve reused which I bought before I started this project.
“It’s just about trying your best and making small changes.
“It doesn’t matter how small, it’s going to make a difference. You can only do what you can and I don’t judge people.
“A lot of the time it’s convenient to buy something and we don’t realise the impact it has on the environment.”
Adele’s top tips for cutting down on waste:
Analyse the items in your bin: What are the main categories of rubbish you throw away? Start to research and think of alternatives.
Stop using disposable items, including:
Coffee cups: Buy one made of bamboo fibres instead and take it with you.
Straws: Plastic straws can be replaced with one in glass, bamboo, paper, silicone or stainless steel.
Plastic carrier bags: Easily replaceable with reusable bags made of jute, hemp, cotton or canvas.
Plastic water bottles: Use a stainless steel bottle instead.
You do not need to go out and spend money on fancy zero waste equipment. Reuse what you already have and use up old products before purchasing new ethical and sustainable items.
Charity shops are an excellent place to find glass jars and non-plastic containers or Tupperware.
Shop locally and package-free.
Compost food waste.
Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one instead. Plastic-bottled shampoo, conditioner and body wash can easily be switched to bars of soap and shampoo bars.
You can read more of Adele’s top tips on her blog here:
https://minimalimpactkernow.wixsite.com/zerowaste/single-post/2018/01/10/A-beginners-guide-to-Zero-Waste—Easy-swaps
