'Ban the bin' challenge is over

Linda Ware admits her experiment was 'extreme'

A woman has completed a three month challenge to live without putting out any rubbish or recycling.

Linda Ware, from Neath, was concerned about the amount of household waste that ended up in landfill sites, so set about living a rubbish free existence.

She shunned supermarkets and only bought fresh produce which was locally sourced and not pre-packed.

But she admitted it would have been difficult if she had not had the time to devote to the challenge.

Ms Ware said staple items like flour and fats came in paper that could be composted or burnt and milk in re-useable glass.

"My dustbin has been empty since 1 October - I have put nothing in it at all," she said.

She said 80% of the waste from her kitchen was composted.

The first thing I actually did was question did I need it instead of saying did I want it? Linda Ware

"I have no plastic waste - if you decided not to buy plastic all you have got to do is go back to source.

"I take my own bags and I can buy anything - potatoes, onions, green beans, chillies, peppers - anything I want, I can buy loose.

"The plastic bags have been with me since before October. After I have used them I will wash them and dry them so they will recycle and recycle and will last for years."

Ms Ware said milk and orange juice was delivered by her milkman in re-useable glass bottles.

"He does not bring cream in glass, it is the one thing I failed to get so I had to go without.

Lot cheaper

"Sugar comes in paper, eggs in their own shells in boxes - all recyclable. Flour and all your fats you can get in paper. If you want oil you can get it in glass bottle.

"I have found that's been a lot cheaper as well."

Using her sewing machine she has even recycled cloth to make her own quilt.

"Since I was doing it with food it led me into the fact I wanted to do everything. The first thing I actually did was question did I need it instead of saying did I want it?

"Then you say can I live without it and that changes an awful lot.

"What I did was extreme and I did it because I had the time to do it. If I had not had the time to do it, it would have been difficult but I can say the more I did it the far easier it got.

"I set myself a challenge for three months not to produce any waste to go into landfill and I did achieve it.

"Since then I just can't bear to put anything into my bin - you just don't wont to go back."