I intended to start this blog by saying I believe you only have to do something THREE times before it becomes a habit - but then I decided to check up on my views and googled it, and rather depressingly, it seems to be at least 21 or 28 or even 66 days to really change a habit - oh dear!
But, in any case, I have now been to Exeter farmer’s market THREE times, and I would like to think that I will from now not forget again that I can buy all manner of seasonal fruits and vegetables, bread, coffee and eggs (should I choose to buy eggs) which are both local AND can be bought without a shred of plastic wrapping, just by walking across town on a Thursday morning.
I have been reflecting on habits in other ways too: I have been remembering that years ago ( we are talking 1980’s here) I OF COURSE made my own yoghurt and houmous; and that the reason was most likely because in those days you just couldn’t buy it at every corner shop so I didn’t question the fact I had to make it myself. (I also had a phase making my own tofu, soya milk, dandelion coffee, peppermint tea and other delights, with a range of degree of success, but that is another story). And of course a big part of why we use so much single use plastic is because we just take for granted that we can buy anything we want, at any time of the year, in exactly the shape and form we like. Of course in the dark ages when all that wasn’t available I am sure I didn’t spend a second bemoaning the fact that there was no bag of luscious salad leaves available, or mixed colour cherry tomatoes, or strawberries in winter, as those things simply did not exist: another example of the way too much choice can lead to dukkha! As now I feel hard done by if I can’t get those things because I know they DO exist.
Where I am at with trying to go with using less single-use plastic:
- loopaper rolls
- rubbish bags
- quorn pieces
- frozen peas - frozen anything!
- and the bags of lentils, beans, rice and pasta.
these are most hard to substitute so far; in fact impossible …..
What I am also still needing to remember, is to take my own containers & bags with me when I go shopping, for anything from bread rolls to broccoli to loose apples: entirely possible but the habit is not quite there yet!
meet the team!
This is fantastically inspiring - I’m trying this too, but with a bit less success - my partner isn’t doing this with me, so he keeps buying plastic wrapped things!
I know some places that do frozen peas/other veggies in scoop type freezers. Our local farm shop does, and also Dobbies garden centres do too (though I think your nearest one is Shepton Mallet, so quite a way away!)… but I reckon we can find somewhere to get your pea needs met….and probably somewhere to buy lentils/beans/rice loose. In Southampton, Rice Up (our health food store) does that. Maybe someone on here can make a local suggestion for you?
I love your point re convenience. So true.