A sustainability expert says there is one thing everybody should do to bring down their shopping bill and save on food waste.
Pat Kane is Managing Director of reuzi, a zero waste shop that offers affordable versions of every day essentials that are natural and plastic-free.
Pat, who is originally from Rio de Janeiro but living in Dublin, told Dublin Live that if anyone is looking to save money on their shopping the first thing they should do is run a 'life audit.'
This will leave more money in your wallet while also helping the environment, says Pat.
She said: “The first thing you should do when you’re trying to be more sustainable is that you should run a life audit so try to figure out what you’re wasting. Is it food? Are you buying too much?
“Try and find ways to use your leftovers. Today's salad could be tomorrow's sandwich filling for work. You can use your breadcrusts for stuffing, egg shells to crush and use as fertilisers on your plants. You can avoid food waste and reduce the bill, it’s good for your pocket.
Pat's mission is make the world less wasteful and more conscious as a way of tackling climate change. She is passionate about creating a minimal waste kitchen.
“I’d start with understanding my family's consumption habits. Do you cook? What are the meals you cook?
"In Ireland, an average family gravitates towards 20 different meals every year, it could be a curry or shepherd's pie, they go through the same meals very often,” she added.
“So plan to have the ingredients for those meals because they’re guaranteed to be eaten.
Pat also had suggestions on how you can replace the use of plastic in your kitchen.
“If you’re buying often and they’re covered in plastic packaging, see if there’s better ways to go about it. Try and find alternatives that are packaged in glass or aluminium tins, elements that will be recycled. Plastic can only be recycled a couple of times before it loses its value," said Pat.
“Google package free groceries near me and get into the habit of saving your jam jars or mayo jars to hold other things. Try recycling on plastic free accessories such as beeswax wrap instead of clingfilm and tinfoil, and reusable containers to keep your leftovers fresh. You don’t need to go out and buy matching tupperware.
“I’d focus on composting and recycling. You’re always going to have leftovers in the kitchen, whether it’s food or packaging. Cut down your waste, understand composting.
“You can always recycle your plastic, tins, cans and cardboard, but always clean and dry those. A good website to check is mywaste.ie, they’ve great content.
“Recycling and composting is the last resort, meaning you can do nothing else with the product.”
Zero waste shop, reuzi, now has a pop up at the new Brown Thomas, Dundrum.
Reuzi at Brown Thomas will offer bulk refills for deodorant, bath salts, and naked soap bars so customers can stock up on package-free essentials.
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest new straight to your inbox.
