I have always loved nature. I grew up outdoors, swimming, camping, playing in the dirt. I feel guilty and strange when I spend too much time inside. I talk to trees and flowers, bees and birds.

My challenge

Substantially use the other 'R's: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refill, Rethink, Refuse

Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made

This week I fulfilled a new step in my journey to reducing even recyclable waste.

I am somewhat addicted to hummus. I…. Love it. I buy little plastic pots of it nearly every week – and I feel shame and regret every time I wash and place a pot and its lid in the recycling bin. I have used a few as planting pots or water catch for planting pots, but the majority are thrown out.

I used to make hummus a lot but haven’t for a few years not sure why. I hope not out of laziness and embracing convenience, but that’s realistically the reason.

So, no more excuses and no more procrastination! This week I made a batch – a delicious, low fat, slightly truffly batch – and I am super motivated by the results and intend to make it a regular thing.

One can of chickpeas (still producing recycling :/), half a lemon, a big tablespoon of tahini, a little rapeseed oil, some garlic, miso, black pepper and paprika, and anything else that may make it a special flavour, makes an easy 3-4 times the size of shop-bought bowl of it. So one batch has saved me buying and binning at least three plastic tubs. I did recycle a can, though. But all the other ingredients either don’t have packaging or use small amounts of stuff that will last ages til it has to be recycled, like a glass bottle of rapeseed oil. So, I’m counting it a victory.

We also use a lot of Yeo Valley Organic Natural Yogurt in our house, which ethically I’m good with except the plastic pots.. So this week I’ve had Milk and More deliver Pure and Natural Greek Yogurt in glass. We’ll see!

Saturday we’re getting our first seasonal, organic fruit and veg box delivered by M&M. Oh! And I found out this week I live 10 mins walk from their diary and distribution centre in Weston! So I also feel great about the food miles 🙂

17.03.2022

Alf Coles commented on Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made 3 years ago

This is inspiring to read Shandin! (Thanks to your link early in the month, we had our second M&M delivery - felt really good putting the empty bottles out for collection - and an amazing link back to my childhood, where this was what happened everyday - and with the delivery of milk in an electric powered "milk float" - and that was in the 70s, seems almost unbelievable to think that technology was being used everywhere at that time, admittedly they went pretty slowly ... (my parents always had the front door open and I remember one milkman used to actually deliver the milk into our fridge!).) Respond

Shandin Rickard-Hughes commented on Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made 3 years ago

Thanks Alf for the encouragement! Yes I agree it does feel good to put the bottles out. I am also really pleased with some of the other products they do, like sparkling water from Devon where 100% of the profits go to charities working on access to good water around the world. I have been reflecting a lot over the past year and especially this semester, taking Climate Change Education and doing this challenge, that there are actually so many things in the 'old days' that really had it right compared with our behaviours and assumptions now. Why have we moved away from some of these things, like electric milk floats and fresh local products being delivered, which were always quite sustainable and just lovely? It is wonderful to be part of this effort to learn together and share resources. I am going to send some of these things through to the central sustainability team and share some of my reflections with them after to hopefully help them develop a bit more of a resource bank to promote things like Terracycle and M&M, etc. more widely. Respond

cCHANGE Team commented on Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made 3 years ago

Hi Shandin, Wow, your post came out just at the right time! I have also developed a bit of a hummus addiction lately and had been thinking about making my own to cut down on the plastic containers. I think homemade tastes good too. So I am now inspired to do it, after reading about your success! It's so good to see how you are all inspiring each other in this challenge and helping each other find less impactful ways to do things. M&M sounds brilliant. One thing I also remember about milk deliveries was the personal connection with the person delivering. I love the question you ask "why have we moved away from this?". I am thinking one big reason these things have been phased out is due to the capitalistic system and finding less costly and more efficient ways to do things. But as that Donella Meadows' quote points to in that post I made on the homepage, some things can't be measured in our current system. The benefit of connecting with another person, if only briefly each day, has actually been found to be substantial; giving a feeling of being seen, heard, matttering. I really see through your post how your challenge is linked to other benefits - socially, culturally, environmentally. Yesterday our coaching post was on courage, have you ever reflected on courage and your relationship to it? Could courage be important for creating a sustainable and equitable world? Thanks for everything you are doing! It's inspiring to read your posts and comments and feel your passion. :) Best, Leonie Respond

cCHANGE Team commented on Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made 3 years ago

Hi Shandin, How is your challenge going? We've only got two days to go! Nearly there. It would be wonderful if you could give us a little update now as we are nearing the end of the 30 days. It doesn't have to be long and it doesn't have to be perfect, if it has been hard to keep the challenge going. Maybe you could share some reflections on some of the themes we explored in the last weeks - courage, values, beliefs, creating ripples around us, what it takes to create change. Or you could just share whatever you want. :) Hope we will see you on Friday at the wrap up. Missed you at last week's check-in. Best, Leonie Respond

Shandin Rickard-Hughes commented on Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made 3 years ago

Hi Leonie, Thank you very much for your comments. I am glad that we have been able to connect and share a love of hummus and resources for your relatives in the UK to do new sustainability things like M&M and the tea bag change as well :) I think the time is really ripe to bring this question forward - why did we move away from the way we did X? in communities - there are a lot of people who still remember milk deliveries, not being able to afford waste, volunteering in their community, etc. that would love to see a return to many of the 'old ways' that were so much more sustainable than this drive to always be more and more 'efficient' (i.e. make more money).. an interesting space - I have research questions tingling.. Yes my challenge and my reflections and direction are all trying to link the environmental, social and cultural frames - I guess you could say that I am looking at this through the integrative lens. This is a good shift for me, as I think I would previously have been more Critical discourse, but the past 6 months or so have pushed me to be even more open and observant and empathetic. I have certainly thought about courage, very much. I think it is the key that is missing in government to make the bold changes that we must make - 'leaders' are too worried about their popularity, re-election, backlash, etc. I try to be courageous but recognise I need to step it up - have more hard conversations, call people and organisations out (nicely) rather than being complicit. I am working on it :) Thank you agin - it has been a mental and emotional journey and I feel really good about it. Respond

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Day 17: Make your own instead of ready made

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