A woman who wanted to generate less waste has been so successful she no longer owns a bin – and claims the rubbish she accumulates in a month can fit into a jam jar.
Adele Morgan, 23, a hotel worker from Penryn, Cornwall, says she recycles virtually everything, avoids single-use items and entirely and refuses to buy cakes a.
She turns all her food into compost, makes her own toothpaste, cleans her home using a combination of vinegar and orange peels and uses pillow cases as shopping bags.
Adele, who buys groceries in bulk once a month from wholesalers to cut down on packaging, says she was inspired to pursue a new, greener way of living after watching an environmental film named A Plastic Ocean.
Adele Morgan, 23, a hotel worker from Cornwall, doesn’t own a bin, recycles virtually everything and generates hardly any rubbish
Vegan Adele has now managed to drastically reduce the amount of waste she accumulates, and says shecreates just a small jar’s worth of rubbish each month.
Speaking about her lifestyle overhaul, she said: ‘I don’t have a bin. I just have this jar which I use to store all my landfill waste for a month.
‘The secret is to go to bulk-stores. Once a month, I take the train to Penzance and do a massive monthly shop at The Weigh Inn.
‘It’s a shop where you can buy in bulk and I take my own bags and fill them up.
She has done it so effectively that she now fits all her monthly rubbish into a jam jar
Adele says she went full green after watching an environmental film named A Plastic Ocean and decided to change her lifestyle completely
‘Sometimes I take my pillowcases and fill them with rice and pasta,’ she revealed.
‘I don’t buy anything in packaging. It’s taken me a while and it involves a lot of research on where to find certain things.
Revealing that she feels healthier since cutting out processed foods, she added: ‘Some things I won’t buy are cakes and sweets, as they always come packaged.
‘Instead I make my own cakes and biscuits. I am also going to start making my own pasta, as you can’t buy loose spaghetti.’
Adele uses coconut oil as a moisturizer and make-up remover, and her toothbrush is made of bamboo.
‘The secret is to go to bulk-stores. Once a month, I take the train to Penzance and do a massive monthly shop at The Weigh Inn,’ she revealed
She turns all her food into compost, makes her own toothpaste, cleans her home with vinegar and orange peels and uses pillow cases as shopping bags
The brush does have plastic bristles, which count among the handful of things she has to chuck out every month.
Her monthly jar of waste typically includes things like razor blades, dental floss, plastic shower gel packaging, make-up sponges and vegan chocolate packaging,
Adele has also completely given up using single-use items, such as straws and coffee cups.
‘It’s all about getting away from single-use items. I don’t buy anything I don’t need. I am also much healthier, as I don’t eat processed food anymore’, she says
Adele cuts out many items which come pre-packaged in plastic trays or boxes
She continued: ‘I have reusable sandwich bags and I never use plastic food wraps either like Clingfilm.
‘I bought these wax wraps instead. You can get bees wax, but I use soya, as I don’t use any animal products.
‘The wax melts with the heat of your hands and seals around a dish just like plastic. I also have my own bamboo coffee cup. It cost me £10 and I’ve had it for ages.
‘Most coffee shops are happy to fill it for me and some even offer a discount.
Adele, a vegan, has also completely given up using single-use items, such as straws and coffee cups
She brings her own cushion covers as bags for her groceries and uses coconut oil for beauty
‘I’ve found a place in Falmouth, which does loose tea and you can take in your jar and fill it up, which is amazing.’
Adele has now started her own blog, Minimal Impact Kernow, and hopes to inspire others.
She added: ‘A lot of people think it’s more expensive to do this, but the secret is that you don’t have to buy fancy gadgets, just reuse what you have..
‘It’s all about getting away from single-use items. I don’t buy anything I don’t need. I am also much healthier, as I don’t eat processed food anymore.
‘Most coffee shops are happy to fill it for me and some even offer a discount,’ she says of bringing her own cup to coffee shops
Her waste: The only things she has to throw away include razor blades, dental floss, plastic shower gel packaging, make-up sponges and vegan chocolate packaging
‘It doesn’t matter how small, it’s going to make a difference. You can only do what you can and I don’t judge people,’ she says of helping towards a greener planet
‘This is a journey and it takes a while. I am still using my make-up and I have craft stuff which I am still using up.
‘In fact, most of my rubbish is things that I’ve reused which I bought before I started this project.’
Encouraging others to do their own bit for the environment, she added: ‘It’s just about trying your best and making small changes.
‘It doesn’t matter how small, it’s going to make a difference. You can only do what you can and I don’t judge people.
‘A lot of the time it’s convenient to buy something and we don’t realise the impact it has on the environment.’