A Rich Girls' Game?

The end of the month. Did you participate in Plastic Free July? I'm afraid I didn't, but I applaud the efforts of people like Kezzie and Bev who have tried incredibly hard to avoid all single use plastic, cut back on packaging and recycle other people's rubbish.

But I continue to be frustrated that it is jolly difficult to avoid single use plastic if you are also attempting to balance the budget. Since the children were tiny, even though our income then was very low, we believed it was right to buy Fairtrade foods, and free range eggs. It cost more, but justice and animal welfare were/are important issues. Similarly we opted for recycled paper products where we could.
But I'm so aware that it costs more to buy loose veg in many supermarkets. I may take my own box to the Waitrose deli and buy cheese for Bob - but the price per kg is considerably higher than the prepackaged stuff. We cannot all walk round the corner to a brilliant street market, where the cheerful trader will decant his cut price spuds straight into our cotton shopping bags. Fifteen years ago, I remember using a "weigh&save" store near Leicester Market, for dried goods. It did work out cheaper than the supermarkets. And in the last millennium we sometimes called in at a cooperative near Northampton which sold stuff cheaply and simply. But now so many similar stores are charging more for their goods. I guess that higher business rates etc make it harder for the retailers.

Furthermore I know that many hardworking low income families are short of time as well as cash, so pick up cheap fast food for their households - and that means more plastic, polystyrene and paper rubbish. 
What can I do? If I cannot avoid all the packaging, then I'm deliberately trying to re-use as much as possible. Plastic bread bags are taken outside, crumbs shaken out and then the bag is inverted and folded and put into a drawer to be used again. Foil bags from ground coffee go into the freezer, full of stock or homemade soup. Cardboard cereal packs are flattened for use in Crafting, and the inner bags go into the bread bag drawer for future use. Jars are washed out for storage. Rant: I'm saddened that nowadays so many glass jars with metal lids have to arrive with a nasty "tamperproof" plastic collar. 
But the whole "going plastic free" does feel like a rich girl's game sometimes. The BuyItOnce principle is all well and good - but you need money upfront to buy the better quality item. Farmers' Markets offer quality, locally produced loose veg - but at twice the price of the plastic bag of carrots in the supermarket. 
But it has been interesting reading the blogs this month and seeing how others have managed. I'd like HughFW to go back to his street and see how the residents are managing now. It has to be an ongoing change of mindset if it is to achieve anything. 

Crash diets may have a short term effect on weight and appearance - but all the experts agree it is longtime reformation of eating habits that keep people slim and healthy. Similarly we must all be more mindful of the perils of the Throwaway Society if our planet is to stay healthy. Much damage has been done - but we need to work together on this. Not just by remembering the 3Rs of reduce reuse recycle [now extended to 5,6,7...] but by trying to make it easier for everyone, whatever their income, to participate with us. There is no Planet B