Posted by Last weekend, Upcycle Your Life at Fearon Hall in Loughborough helped spread the word about reducing waste with a fun morning of crafts and activities.
Transition Loughborough sold seed potatoes and brought seeds to swap, sharing the secret of origami seed packs too.
Get along to the allotment after 5pm on 21st March for the start of growing season.
Charnwood Chai helped people connect with each other, while Utilise Loughborough provided tasty soup made from food that would have otherwise been wasted, and Fairtrade tea and coffee from the Co-op to celebrate the launch of #FairtradeFortnight.
The crafting swap shop let people share their crafting stash and declutter. And I took people through the basics of eco cleaning.
There was also crafting with the Forest of Thoughts, including making badges from old plastic bottle tops and fabric scraps.
Eco Cleaning
If you want to keep your spring clean as low waste as possible and avoid lots of packaging, washing soda is a handy ingredient.
Add to water along with a few drops of aromatherapy oil if you want to add an aroma. You can make this in glass jars or use it in a spray bottle. Vary the amount of washing soda based on the packet, as the amount you need depends on use (e.g. cleaning floors or spraying surfaces). A little goes a long way.
Bicarbonate of soda is a great stain and smell remover, while vinegar and newspaper makes mirrors and glass sparkle with a little added elbow grease. Lemon can make a mild bleach – add salt if you need more abrasion. A lemon half zapped in the microwave will also help the microwave smell sweeter once you wipe it down.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on cleaning products. Turn tattered clothes into dishcloths and dusters, and use simple home made cleaning products to save money and reduce waste.
Next month’s Upcycle Your Life is on 24th March 10am-noon. It’s garden themed, so expect miniature garden making, decorating plant pots and getting to know local gardening groups, while learning how to reduce your waste.
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