Principles

Some my personal principles.

Principle: Prefer unpackaged products

Fundamentally, this principle boils down to not bringing crap (packaging) into the house; crap I'm going to have to spend time & effort throwing out (or recycling). It's particularly relevant to pre-packaged fruit and vegetables; not only do these often come in shrink wrap and protective trays, and all manner of other things for my convenience, but they're also often a lot more expensive than their unpackaged cousins. I recall comparing the loose broccoli with the shrink wrapped broccoli at a major supermarket, and discovering that the shrink wrap had somehow tripled the price.

Principle: Prefer reusable and repairable over disposable

For me, the grand advantage of reusable products is that they're not going into the waste stream. And I think reusable products make so much more sense considering the time and effort I might spend shopping for replacements for disposables.

Choosing products for reuse often means I can pick quality, artisan-made, heritage products that will last a lifetime; things I can form a lasting relationship with, and that will take on their own personality over time. I include clothes and shoes in this category: I have a few pairs of shoes that are good quality, repairable (and British made!), and also a bespoke suit. At the other end of the scale, I have a refillable fountain pen that I plan to use for the rest of my life. I'm also teaching myself to shave with my straight razor, rather than using disposable safety razors.

Principle: Prefer solids over liquids

I choose soaps and washing powders over shower gels, liquid soaps, and laundry liquids, because the latter products are all largely water. I'm effectively paying for water, and the packaging it requires, to come into my home; something I already pay the water company for.

I'd far rather buy a solid product, such as soap, which also requires less packaging (and certainly less plastic packaging), and which contains less of something I already have in my home.

Principle: Food - seasonal first, local second; and FairTrade where not local

Although, let's be honest; local usually means the same as seasonal, at least for fruit and vegetables. But if I can't get something locally - within a smallish number of miles, at any rate - I'm happy for it to be grown in Britain, in the current season.

Equally I prefer to buy my meat, eggs and such like from local producers; there's a great satisfaction in knowing that an animal was reared locally, and that my money is going straight back into the local economy, undiluted by big business, transport costs and so forth.

Principle: Decline plastic bags

I decline carrier bags when I've only got a few things to carry (after all, I have pockets).  I don't double wrap items (decent bags don't need double wrapping; everything else is well-sealed).  I've broken the habit of helping myself to a carrier bag - that short term helpfulness that has a cost in the longer term.  I've made that decision a point of principle, I've considered it; that's my Perfect Right Choice.