Secondhand September and Zero Waste Week

So I'm doing my bit in regards to single use plastic and using up all the plastic in my house. using my own bags in the supermarket and I've purchased washable food nets and ditched the cling wrap for reusable covers. I have my coffee mug for when I go out and carry a reusable water bottle.

Nothing that can be used gets thrown away here, ever. Cardboard boxes and toilet rolls get used to make seed trays, even shopping bags when their handles or sides can no longer be repaired are reused.

Sometimes I have no control over what waste comes into my house in the form of packing and often when I do a large food shop I find that despite my requests not to pack in plastic, that while I'm unloading the trolley a few bags have sneaked in.

We had a tonne of personal and work paperwork that needed shredding, the last lot I cut up by hand, but this time we purchased a shredder to ensure all personal details were destroyed. All blank sheets have been saved to use for printing, writing shopping lists, drawing plans for the garden on etc. Once shredded I used the plastic packaging and the box to put the shredded paper in.

I will attempt to find a paper recycling bin somewhere in Dubai that isn't already over flowing, but recycling is not an easy option here.

We've been having a bit of a sort out, reusing old sheets in the car for the dog and covering outdoor furniture to protect it from the harsh summer sun. Our steam mop and fan both broke at the same time and needed replacing, the old ones were put outside by the bin as people will often take to use for spares and repairs, however you try finding someone that can repair or actually has the spares.

All this is being donated to a friend from Sri Lanka who organises and arranges aid for those back home.

Hubby had a sort out of his wardrobe under duress, there's a suit in there over 20 years old, he hasn't worn for 15 years. These clothes will be put out the front of the house for the local workmen, gardeners, car washers, dog walkers to help themselves too. There's a pile of my clothing in a suitcase waiting to be distributed to a care home in South Africa later this year.

I'm in the UK next week, we have a flat in a small Welsh town, it's full of charity shops. I shop in these when I'm home before I go into the main stores. I'll also be using eBay to purchase pre loved goods for Christmas and birthdays.

Our son gets married later this month, I've completed my Mother of the Groom outfit with a fascinator from the British Heart Foundation.

I've returned and borrowed books from the local dog park, been using the washing up water for the plants and grass, selecting low temps on the washing machine as the cold water runs at 30c anyway, buying products in bulk to reduce packaging and save on finances and using the air con sparingly and turning the temperature up a notch or two.

I'm doing what I can and where I can to recycle, reduce waste and re purpose unwanted goods. Every bit we do, helps more than you realise.

Charity Shops for Going Green

We don't have charity shops in Dubai, but we do have places we can take our unwanted items to and in most cases if you just put stuff outside your front door, someone will take it away and make use of it.

I try to find a home for nearly everything I no longer need. When we lived in South Africa it was easy to get rid of everything, from newspapers to line the inside of shacks with to keep warm in winter, to broken electrical items that would be dismantled and components sold. Even our recycling was collected and sold on, especially plastic bottles.

I learnt quickly that even out of date food was a vital resource for many also.

I'm currently in the UK, I don't have much for donations, but I'll often bring things over with me if I have space in my case that I know will be of use here to others.

What I do a lot of in the UK is buy from charity shops. They will be my first go to point for everything, whether its for a hat for our sons wedding in September to a new wash bag for my travels.

My current charity shopping list:

• Books to read
• Jeans
• White trousers
• Casserole dish

I've noticed the prices in the charity shops have increased in price and I've noticed worn clothing only a fraction of the price cheaper than buying new in the stores.

Whilst out looking for a casserole dish, I ended up purchasing a new one for £1.75 in Wilko, as the charity shops were charging over £2. I can't help but think that some of them are pricing themselves out of the market. I know the point is to rehouse and reuse unwanted goods, but I'm not prepared to pay over the odds to do so.

• Do you use charity shops, either for donating or purchasing? 
• Do you favour particular charities? I like the Dog's Trust for clothing.
• Do you find the cost of items has gone up and the quality has gone down?
• Are there too many charity shops in the high street?