Are your worms housed in plastic?

Composting vermiculture can be done indoors

The “plastic-free life” lobby has rightly come in for trenchant criticism over some of its wackier critique, aims and objectives.

By the way, I undertake to visit and interview for PRW anyone who has ripped out of their house electrical wiring insulated with wicked and sinful plastic, and replaced it with the shellac-impregnated cotton braid variety.

It’s great – indeed essential – to take individual responsibility on sustainability and resource efficiency, but this is best exercised in more rational directions.

In the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, the “reuse” bit is perhaps the most neglected. This is an area where left-field suggestions can have merit – for instance one from the Life Less Plastic  blogger, who writes: “I know it sounds a little crazy, but indoor worm composting means producing less waste and using fewer plastic garbage bags – two things I really want to do to help the environment. … To create my bin, I bought a few used plastic bins off of Craigslist and used [a] great instructional video …”

Shame and triple shame on commenter Anonymous for the predictable dogmatic remark: “First time to your blog about less plastic and the first picture is of a plastic bin. Were there no other options for the box other than plastic, even used plastic seem contrary to your goals.”

How often do we reuse empty margarine or ice cream tubs for storing dry foods or putting leftovers in the fridge? We probably do it without thinking, but it’s both rational and responsible.

The most dogmatic plastic-free lifers are into stainless steel containers to replace plastic in their homes. C’mon, what are the data on weight, carbon footprint and whole-life cost for those? Need only wealthy consumers apply to join this exclusive club?

I’ve seen the “reduce, reuse, recycle” slogan extended to “repair”. That raises a host of other questions about built-in obsolescence, the disposable society, etc. etc. But they’ll do for another day.

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