2: Rachel Carson - our reluctant zero waste role model

Rachel Carson is a woman with a mission. A chance encounter with some shocking images from Chris Jordan, of albatrosses suffering the effects of plastic pollution, set her on a journey with the aim of producing as little waste as possible.

This episode is a long, twisty, sometimes unexpected, sometimes serious and sometimes funny journey through Rachel's experience of reducing her household waste.

Rachel's Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/onestepatatime61/ and people are welcome to contact her with questions about going zero waste.

Rachel gives us some very useful tips and tricks on where to start with reducing our household waste: 

Start in the bathroom. Replace things with plastic-free alteratives as you run out.Cure your bath soap. Try and go for palm oil free.  Toothbrush - could use a bamboo toothbrush if you don't use an electric toothbrush, otherwise keep that as they are probably better. Toothpaste tabs instead of tubes of toothpaste. Shampoo – shampoo bar or “beauty cubes”. Vinegar rinse.House cleaning: cheap white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, tiny amounts of washing up liquid, citric acid, damp cloth, metal scrubber. Persevere and don't expect everything to feel like for like!

Here are some links to people and ideas mentioned in the show:

The other Rachel Carson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_CarsonChris Jordan – Albatross images and movie: https://www.instagram.com/albatrossthefilm/Natalie Fee and City to Sea: https://twitter.com/nataliefee?lang=enSuma (wholesale wholefoods): https://www.suma.coop/David Wallace Wells – The Uninhabitable Earth - on twitter @dwallacewells Greta Thunberg: https://www.instagram.com/gretathunberg/Lush: https://uk.lush.com

Rachel has also kindly provided us with some further links that might help people keen to take their own zero waste effort more seriously:

https://www.ingreens.co.uk - "Lowry is a delight! Handwraps everything in old magazines and wallpaper"
https://www.anythingbutplastic.co.uk/ "Gives you so much great information about each product under headings such as 'Why is it better', 'Is it worth it?', 'Material ratings' and 'FAQ about this product'. I buy fluoride toothpaste in tablet form (denttabs) from here."
https://www.theplasticfreeshop.co.uk/
https://www.peacewiththewild.co.uk/
https://www.boobalou.co.uk/
https://allnaturalsoap.co.uk/ "Buy a box and keep in your airing cupboard. It'll last years."
https://primalsuds.com/ "I buy this funky soap for school. This great little company sent me extra soap because I'd missed the fact that I could have ordered an offer and got an extra bar... top marks for honesty."
https://twofarmers.co.uk/story/ "Order a box, employ restraint and treat like the occasional treat crisps should be. The wrappers are genuinely compostable."
https://hodmedods.co.uk/ "Growing British pulses and grains including quinoa and, from September, chickpeas - wrap in pape