Over half way there!

It's hard to believe that we're coming to the end of Week 5 of the BBC Radio Suffolk Rubbish Diet, with only just a few more weeks left.

It's been a busy couple of weeks.  Weeks 4 & 5 have in fact been very hectic.  Although I didn't have any time to blog last week, there were some great features on the Mark Murphy show about how the garden can help reduce waste,  including a Master Composter Betsy Reid, who gave some great advice about composting and using the HotBin for her village's community composting project in Waldringfield.

Karen Kenny, one of Suffolk's allotmenteer experts encouraged us to get gardening, even if all we have is a balcony, where you can still grow produce such as spinach, tomatoes and salad leaves.  The Coffee House in Moreton Hall was also featured too, highlighting their own home-grown herbs, which they use as ingredients in their dishes.  Amongst many other things, they also give away their coffee grounds and promote the idea of a reusable keep cup to replace the idea of disposable cups, which was a great intro to this week's theme of 'Ditching the Disposables', where they are offering free coffee this week for anyone who takes in one of their Keep Cups.

We kicked off this week's challenge, asking listeners to think about the different types of disposable products that feature in their daily lives and to find ways in which they can replace them with either reusable alternatives or make them last longer.  Just because something is 'disposable', it doesn't mean it has to be used just once - take plastic cutlery for instance.  Until it breaks, it can be used over and over again.

This Wednesday's BIG Conversation was reusable vs disposable nappies.  It was a great debate, and if you are pondering using reusable nappies, it really is worth listening into Wednesday's show on iPlayer, where there's even news of a nappy-library network based in Ipswich.

Please do keep letting us know how you are getting on!  We are hearing some great stories of 'rubbish dieters' really making some dents in their bins, with one household reducing their rubbish by 75%.

That's enough to keep us smiling through this grim weather!

Don't forget, if you're at the Suffolk Show next week, Mark and his team will be broadcasting from the BBC Radio Suffolk stand each morning.  I'll be there on Thursday, joining Mark just after 10am and then taking part in one of the Love Food Hate Waste cookery demonstrations at 2:30pm.  You'll see my food chopping skills in action!

Also, do pop along to the Green Suffolk, Creating the Greenest County marquee, where there will be lots of advice about how you can reduce waste in Suffolk, a perfect opportunity to solve any outstanding questions.

And of course, it's not too late to join in!  If you have been inspired by the stories you've heard on BBC Radio Suffolk, you can register to do the Rubbish Diet too.  Just click on the Sign Up button at www.therubbishdiet.org.uk.