Growing up in Amsterdam I grew up in a push bike culture. My family never owned a car, we didn't need one, our shopping got tied to the back of our bike and off we went. Australia however is very much a car culture; this brings with it a few advantages and a few disadvantages which I won't go into right now.
One of the advantages is that we always have a big lockable space on wheels in which we can store items we may need throughout the day.
When it comes to reusable items to reduce our waste I most often hear 'but I never remember to bring it with me'; so why not create your own Reusable kit which you always stash in a big bag or tub in the boot of your car.
Items you could include in your Reusable kit:
- A KeepCup; www.keepcup.com.au Australians throw out approximately 2.7 million coffee cups each day. If you drink one coffee a day your KeepCup could help you save 365 single use coffee cups each year.
- Reusable Shopping Bags; As of July 2018 Coles and Woolworths will ban single use plastic bags. Stock up on some reusable shopping bags and have them ready to go in your Reusable kit.
- Plastic or Glass containers; Just in case you want to grab some Sushi on the go or you end up getting an unexpected take away meal it's always good to have some containers ready to avoid using the single use throw away ones on offer.
- Water Bottle; This one off course goes without saying! Always have your water bottle with you so to stay hydrated and so you don't have to purchase plastic bottles. Papaya Art make some really pretty water bottles; www.papayaart.com
- Reusable Bulk Food Bags & Produce Bags; Useful for when you go shopping at your local bulk food store or buy some fresh veggies. Always have your own reusable bags handy so you don't need to grab paper or plastic bags which will end up in the bin. My Last Bag will have the Reusable Bulk Food bags and Veggie bags ready for retail in Spring 2018. The small bulk food bag doubles up as a pastry bag for at your local bakery.
- Olive oil bottle, peanut butter jar, olive container; this is off course depending on what you buy and where you shop. I've listed these here as this is what is in my Reusable Kit. I get my olives and olive oil from the local market and have them refilled every week. Instead of buying a new jar of peanut butter when I need it adding a jar to the collection each time, I use the same jar every time and refill at the local bulk food store. Off course you can add or omit items that suit your household to your kit.
