How much ARE YOU WASTING?

It's Zero Waste Week, so Jo Dunbar and her family of four decided to give themselves a challenge to try to live more sustainably for seven days

- JO DUNBAR

Every year, Brits chuck away around 9.5 tonnes of food waste. And according to a survey by British Wool, an average of 72 items of clothing a year each too. With a brimming recycling bin, commitment to walking where possible and always taking bags for our groceries, I had thought that our family’s green credentials were fairly good. But it turns out we could be doing a heck of a lot more. Our family (myself, husband Chris, 41, Will, nine, and James, seven) took up the challenge to try to live more sustainably and generate zero waste for a week. Here’s how it went…

£1.17 billion worth of fruit, veg and bread is wasted every year by Brits, according to Sainsbury’s

Monday 

I feel smug as I start the week by fetching in our glass bottles of milk. After we’ve walked to school, I bung on some laundry and hang the clothes on the washing line. 

Dinner is a curry made using the remains of a roast chicken from the weekend, a spoonful from an already-open jar of curry paste and some cherry tomatoes and spinach that are looking a bit sad.

It seems like a great start – perhaps zero-waste living isn’t so hard after all!

Tuesday 

Ordinarily, I grab a takeaway coffee without thinking but today I march into Costa with a reusable mug. And I’m given an extra green bean reward point for my efforts.