Zero heroes: oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.

The Zero Heroes waste minimising campaign is now up and running. £40,000 is available to be shared according to how much waste we save between now and June 2014.

And we have not got off to a very good start.

Here's the map showing Newick in the lead.

















And here is us. We have not only failed to reduce our waste, we've actually put more in.

So it's time to start sorting out our lives, folks, and putting less stuff in the waste bin.

Food for thought

Christmas is coming and the business of shopping for it is not too far away.

Christmas is a time of cheer, feasting, and usually lots of leftovers. It's estimated that we in the UK will throw away around 230,000 tonnes of food this Christmas. Low Carbon Ringmer's handy guide to Christmas eating will help you save waste and save money.

1) Be realistic. Conquer the fear of not having enough which makes you put far too much on the table.
2) Plan ahead. Use a shopping list and resist the temptation to buy extras.
3) Smaller portions. At mealtime you don't need to pile each plate high. People can always go back for a second portion. And a third.
4) Self service. If your guests fill their own plates, they're likely to take as much as they want, not more.
5) Store leftovers safely. Two hours is enough for hot food to cool before going into the fridge; then it's available for other meals.
6) Compost everything you safely can. Vegetable and fruit peelings, leftover veg that isn't going to be used - in the compost bin, not the waste bin.
7) Create new meals. If you're anything like us, you end up with a chunk of turkey, some mashed potatoes, and a bowl of tomato and courgette salad. That makes a meal. "Turkey on a bed of mash with tomato and courgette trimmings."

There's more at: http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/