A Big ‘WELL DONE’ To zero waste and ‘NO plastic’ campaigners

It is amazing how much press coverage and public support there has been for cutting down, or out, plastic use.

Milk is going back in to bottles, there are petitions to tax take away coffee cups and another to stop supermarkets using plastics. There are even a drones flying along beaches to spot plastic so that volunteers can collect it.

Does it take David Attenborough to make these things happen? Or have we finally realised that something is very wrong and just reacted? Or perhaps Brexit is making us think about caring for our Green and pleasant Island.

Supermarkets and the modern food industry can be blamed for our over use of plastic. They supply us with products from all over the world, all year round, and need packaging to transport and protect foods. They, of course, will tell us that they are simply reacting to consumer demand, but may now find they will lose customers unless they change.

And I hope they do. I hope local independent shops capitalise on this consumer demand. Your local butcher or baker doesn’t sell his produce in plastic tubs. In the case of a butcher a complete animal will be delivered, cut up, and given to the consumer. Just think how many plastic tubs a supermarket will use for the same sized animal.

It is the same with many vegetables and this time of year millions of plastic trays with purple sprouting broccoli. Most Farm shops will buy this in a big bag, or box, from a local farmer and sell it loose.

Some shops have gone Zero Waste, brilliant! Simply take in your bags, re-seal containers or jars and get them refilled, and save money!

At BigBarn we love this change in consumer attitude. We see any move away from the supermarket as beneficial to all.

Consumers switching to local can influence what is grown locally and help farmers switch from unsustainable commodity production to growing real food.

This also boosts local economies by providing jobs and keeping the money in the local economy instead of supermarket profit.

So please embrace the anti-plastic revolution and switch to local. And if you find plastic in your local butcher, baker, farm shop or other independent, tell them they are missing a trick and should differentiate themselves from the nasty supermarkets!