How can I reuse or recycle pre-packed sliced meat packaging?
After writing Wednesday’s post about deli counter plastic wrapping, I got thinking about pre-packaged cooked meat packaging and what a pain they are to reuse or recycle.
The ones I’m thinking of are used in the UK for sliced meats such as ham or roast beef/chicken, “continental sausages” (ie chorizo, salami etc), or wafer thin water-injected animal shavings (mmm!). The packaging has a semi-rigid shallow plastic tray and is covered with heat sealed plastic film. According to the misc pack of salami we have the in the fridge, the packing “currently isn’t recyclable (but because we care about the environment, we’re working on it)”. (Uh huh).
There is obviously a reduce option – although depending on the alternative provision, you might end up with as much plastic anyway.
Most packs only contain a single layer or a few slices max so the plastic tray is a little too shallow to use in the usual plastic tray ways – a saucer under plant pots, a paint palette for budding Monets – so are there any other ways they could be reused instead?
I’ve been putting these in with plastic bottles – our bottle banks now take rigid plastic, which I understand is used to burn, to fuel the recycling of the bottles.
I have been using them to create jewellery. http://www.flickr.com/photos/abscraft/4408641590/ This one is made from the clear packaging from Sainsbury’s cooked meat, I do use the black one as pictured but it tends to delaminated and bend…so I use it for areas in the background or as larger parts less fiddley than the flowers so it is protected against damage.
I think if you were doing small prints, they would work quite well as a shallow ink tray for a roller.
I hear you! I have just moved to the UK and I am absolutely flabbergasted at the amount of recyclable totally unnecessary packaging for food.
When buying food in a plastic tray is my only option, I like to reuse the trays for organising the fridge, having all my cheeses sitting on one tray and smallgoods in the other for example or little off-cuts of vegetables that I’m endeavoring to use in my next stock or stir fry.
Also, reconsider buying from the deli. It’s fresher, cheaper, there is less packaging involved and you can choose your portions.
Donate to a school or similar for crafts
I use plastic food trays to grow seeds in, especially cake trays that have a hinged top