It’s in the bag

When REDcycle’s attempt to hide a billion or so plastic bags in secret warehouses finally unravelled like a dropped roll of Gladwrap, we all agreed it was very bad indeed.

In the rush to say how bad it all was we kind of missed the point that those billion or so bags were previously our bags and that we use an awful lot of them.

Earlier this month Australian Marine Conservation released a study confirming that after the Singaporeans, Australians are the second biggest single-use plastic users in the world.

The organisation’s research showed that plastic packaging, as well as choking sea turtles and turning up in our children’s bloodstreams, was annually emitting the CO2 equivalent of six million cars.

And although recycling did help the situation a bit, we weren’t much good at it even when the system was functioning.

The bottom line, according to the study, was simple – if we want to cut plastic pollution we need to use less plastic.

Easier said than done, as anyone who ever did the food-shopping would know.

So this month in a nod to Plastic Free July we want to make explicit many of the things we’re doing to help make using less plastics easier done.

Here are some of the things;

The first and best thing we do is not wrapping fruit and veg in plastic – we know there are plenty of plastic bags and Tupperware-type containers out there waiting to be put to work. 

Our loose leaf greens, pine nuts and desiccated coconut are packed in fully home compostable eco cellophane bags made from wood cellulose.

We’re very proud to announce that after much research and legwork the farmers at CERES Microgreens have found a new home compostable bag – that’s one with farmer Jess above.

Our very own plastic-free CERES Bakery bread sports all-paper recyclable packaging.

There’s also Fair Fizz, our very own bottle saving soda-maker CO2 refill cylinders for around half the price of your average Soda Stream swap.

Delicious & dark Corner Store Coffee employ a home compostable bag for their Fair Trade specialty beans.

Dirt have refillable laundry liquid pouches and Dr Planet sell 1L and 2.5L bulk castille soap.

Then there’s the forty-three organic bulk nuts, dried fruits, pulses and grains you’ll find packed in Detpak reusable biodegradable and compostable paper bags.

Fair Wood’s sustainable firewood comes packed in repurposed onion sacks.

And of course there’s Schulz Organic Dairy’s refillable milk in glass that’s saved over a million plastic bottles from being made!!

All this comes in our returnable, reusable, recyclable cardboard boxes, paper cooler pouches, wood pulp cooler boxes and water bottle ice packs that you just put out for your driver to collect before your next delivery.

We’re forever asking ourselves the question, can packaging be fairer?  So if you have an idea or have heard of a better way we want to know about it – email us at info@ceresfairfood.org.au

Have a great week

Chris