What are veg boxes, how can they help you cut plastic and why they are great
We’ve been on a mission over the last few weeks to cut our plastic consumption, it is hot topic and for good reason. Having watched the Blue Planet program along with the rest of the nation I felt moved to do more about the plastic I was using.
This month’s HyggeBox considers Natural Living and how our choices impact the environment and our own bodies and health. Whilst thinking, researching and understanding more about how to reduce plastic I discovered the in-depth world of Veg Boxes.
I’ve tried a few and i’ve had one from a local supplier but I haven’t taken them up full time. They can be a great way to reduce waste, eat local and fresher and make a difference. Here’s my short snapshot to help you decided whether they could be right for you.
What are veg boxes?
Very simply, veg boxes are a subscription box that delivers Vegetables and or fruit to your door when you want it. You choose what you want and when. Some of them even have added extras now like bread, milk, cheese and eggs.
Why do veg boxes help reduce plastic?
If you have ever shopped in a supermarket you will know that everything comes in plastic and you can’t really do anything about it, apart from become a warrior and leave it at the till (i’ll save that for another blog!)
With veg boxes they are usually delivered in cardboard and without any packaging on the actual vegetables. If they are local sometimes they will reuse your box too so you don’t even have the cardboard waste.
What schemes are available to me?
Riverford: They supply Organic veg, grown for flavour & delivered fresh from the farm. They started out growing their own veg (and some of the veg is still from their farm) and now they deliver organic veg across the country. You can choose between Small-Bumper which is great for differing sized families.
They have a range that includes things like ‘less roots’ and you can also make your own box and add different items to their pre-selected boxes like bananas (obviously not from the UK) meat products, dairy and some gorgeous things like double chocolate brownies. The prices start at £11.45 for the small and you can choose weekly, 2 weekly, monthly or even a one-off box.
Able & Cole: Bring you organic, ethical, seasonal and sometimes wild produce to your door using their recyclable and returnable boxes. When you add your postcode you can see when they deliver, for me it is once a week to keep emissions down, which I like, presumably if you live in London it is more.
They have a few different boxes including Veg, Veg & Fruit and a recipe box with different ingredients and a recipe card. Their small boxes starts at £13.25 and you can add different produce like cheese, yogurts, meat and even free from goods and household products.
Local schemes: There are also lots of local veg boxes now, if you want something that is closer to home than the big UK ones above. These are a few I’ve come across when looking online
- Sheffield → Regather Veg Box or Moss Valley
- Derbyshire → Twisted Turnip
- East Midlands → Trinity Farm
- Manchester → Manchester Veg People
- London, Bristol & Bath → Farm Drop
You can look up Organic Schemes using the Soil Association
Have these great blogs and more inspirational stuff delivered to your inbox — join our email community here http://eepurl.com/ds3OA9 or follow us on social media we’ve got lots going on →Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest. Don’t forget to pass on our simple living techniques by sharing with friends.
