Day 1 and 2 of our plastic free year

This might have been a rash new year decision and, to be honest, I'm largely to blame, along with the BBC, David Attenborough and the wonderful Blue Planet II series. Who could not have been affected by the image of that Sperm Whale trying to eat a plastic bag? It defies belief that the Government continue to allow the mass production of single use plastic, but, it is what it is, as they say, and we have to do what we can to show our defiance.

Step in Becky and a slightly more reluctant Paul . . .

We're only two days into our new lifestyle and we've already had to accept compromise. Problems so far:

Where can we buy the following items without also having to purchase non-recyclable plastic?:

1) Crisps
2) Pasta
3) Yoghurt
4) Rice
5) Chocolate biscuits

Now I'm sure you can - but once you start to look at it, plastic is everywhere. Apparently this has only been the case for the past 70 years or so. How on earth did we survive without the stuff? Well, I remember going to the butcher's and getting meat in paper bags and going to markets where you could weigh your own cornflakes etc. I also remember going shopping with my mum and getting cardboard boxes for your groceries and certainly buying fruit and vegetables in paper bags.

So Day 1 and 2 consisted of:

1)  Ordering 1000 brown paper bags ready for all those plastic-free purchases
2)  Asking the man behind the Deli counter in both Tesco's and Morrison's to put raw meat in our Tupperware (multi use) container. Tesco's didn't quite get the hang of it, but full marks to Morrison's for understanding first time!
3) Purchasing a 25 kg paper sack of jumbo porridge oats (From Ceres Health Foods, Yeovil) 
4) Decanting cherry tomatoes, bilberries and grapes immediately post purchase into Tupperware containers and asking checkout staff to bin the rubbish. It goes against the grain having to buy it that way in the first place, but the grapes were reduced to 35 p and we'd already shunned the plastic bagged reduced parsnips at 19 p and I like to think the inconvenience caused will eventually lead to a major outcry on the part of supermarkets.
5) Emptying a multi bag of crisps directly into our canvas shopping bag
6) Taking the wrapper off multi-pack non-alcoholic beer and putting cans into our aforementioned shopping bag.
7) Lots of further plastic-free ponderings - comments/suggestions/ideas welcome!

Decanting porridge from Ceres Health Food Shop