Thursday 17th May
10.00am to 12noon

Location

Pauline’s Cafe
137 Little Ealing Lane
W5 4EG

Description

We’re going along to the Ethical Mums coffee morning for new mums. You can also come along and meet other new mums, and have your first tea or coffee bought for you. Visit the Ethical Mums website to find out more and book (£6 entrance fee on the door or £5 online). Parking is free from 10am in adjacent roads.

Saturday 12 May
10.00pm to 2.00pm – whilst there is still compost available

Location

Hounslow Heath Nature Reserve
Staines Road
TW4 5RB

Description

Visit the nature reserve to

• Collect up to 100 litres of free compost (bring your own bags and spade)
• Find out how to buy a reduced price compost bin and have it delivered to your home
• Ask a master composter your composting questions
• Get general information about composting at home

Saturday 12th May
10.00am to 4.00pm

Location

Carnegie Hall
Northcote Ave
Isleworth
TW7 7JQ
Tel: 020 8892 4916 or 020 8814 2225

Description

Go to the showroom to buy good quality furniture at affordable prices.  To take advantage of the best prices take proof of benefits with you.  The showroom is open from 10am to 4pm.

Saturday 12 May
10.00am to 5pm – whilst there is still compost available

Location

Walpole Park
Mattock Lane
W13

Description

• Find out how to buy a compost bin and get information and advice about composting at home.
• Collect up to 100 litres of free compost to use in your garden from the Mattock Lane entrance of the park.

Friday 11 May 2012
08.00pm to 6.00pm – whilst there is still compost available

Location

Townmead Road Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
Kew
TW9 4EL

Description

Come along to

• Collect up to 100 litres of free compost (bring your own bags and spade)
• Find out how to buy a reduced price compost bin and have it delivered to your home
• Ask a master composter your composting questions
• Get general information about composting at home

Thursday 10 May 2012
From 9.30am - whilst there is compost available

Location

Kenton Recreation Ground
Carlton Avenue
Harrow
HA3 8AX

Description

Take along a bag and spade to collect your free compost and get information about composting at home including how to get a compost bin.

Wednesday 9 May 2012
From 3pm - whilst there is compost available

Location

Roxeth Recreation Ground
Kingsley Road
Harrow
HA2 8LH

Description

Take along a bag and spade to collect your free compost and get information about composting at home including how to get a compost bin.

Tuesday 8th May 2012
8.00am to 4.00pm – whilst there is compost available

Location

Brent Household Reuse and Recycling Centre
Abbey Road
London
NW10 7JT

Description

• Bring your voucher from the Brent magazine to collect your free bag of compost. Bring your own bags and spade.
• Find out more about composting at home.

Come along to one of the six compost giveaways between 6th and 12th May for your chance to get good quality compost supplied by Harefield-based West London Composting  where garden and food waste from homes across West London is taken to be composted

The compost will be loose, so residents are asked to come to the events with a shovel and their own bags to take the compost home. As well as free compost, you could also pick up details of your local compost bin scheme and find out more from a compost expert, so you can get composting even more at home. The amount of compost is limited, so residents will be restricted to approximately 100 litres – arrive early before the compost runs out

Home composting is a good way of getting value from your food waste and garden waste. Once the organic material has composted, you will get compost you can use on the garden. There’s lots of thing you can compost at home – our home composting page takes you through the basics

For those interested in home composting, now is the perfect time to get started. You can get a compost bin through your local council or from most garden centres in the area.

You can also order your home composters and composting accessories online, just visit Getcomposting.com and put in the name of your council to see the local offers, alternatively call 0844 571 4444.

Events near you

At all events you’ll be able to speak to people who compost at home and are able to provide excellent advice and their own experiences to help you get more from your compost bin. You can also find out where to buy a compost bin.

Saturday 5 May
Sunday 6 May
Monday 7 May
Tuesday 8 May
Wednesday 9 May
Thursday 10 May
Friday 11 May
Saturday 12 May
Sunday 13 May

Saturday 5 May

Home composting information stand
Osterley Park Garden Centre
Windmill Lane
Osterley
TW7 5PR

Home composting information stand
Syon Park Garden Centre
Brentford
TW8 8JF

Come along and talk to a compost expert between 10am and 4pm at either location.
Back to Events Near You

Sunday 6 May

Home composting information stand
Springtime Safari
Orleans House
Riverside
Twickenham
TW1 3DJ

You’ll find our compost experts at the Safari from 1.30pm until 4.30pm.

Home composting information stand
Isleworth Spring Fair
Isleworthians Club
Memorial Ground
Wood Lane
TW7 5ED

Visit our stand to find out about home composting between 12 noon and 5pm.
Back to Events Near You

Monday 7 May

Home composting information stand
Petersham Nurseries
Church Lane
Off Petersham Lane
Richmond
TW10 7AG

Challenge us with a question, find our stand from 12 noon until 4pm.
Back to Events Near You

Tuesday 8 May

Brent Compost Giveaway
Brent Household Waste and Recycling Centre
Abbey Road
London
NW10 7JT

The giveaway begins at 8am. Bring a shovel and your own bags to collect compost. Remember to bring your voucher from The Brent Magazine, if you forget you will not be able to take home free compost. You will be limited to 3 bags, approx 100 litres of compost. There is only 10 tonnes of compost, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Compost will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Back to Events Near You

Wednesday 9 May

Brent Compost Giveaway – second day added!
Brent Household Waste and Recycling Centre
Abbey Road
London
NW10 7JT

The giveaway begins at 8am. Bring a shovel and your own bags to collect compost. Remember to bring your voucher from The Brent Magazine, if you forget you will not be able to take home free compost. You will be limited to 3 bags, approx 100 litres of compost. There is only 10 tonnes of compost, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Compost will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Harrow Compost Giveaway
Roxeth Recreation Ground
Kingsley Road
HA2 8LH

Bring a shovel and your own bags to collect compost between 3pm and 7pm. You will be limited to 3 bags, approx 100 litres of compost. As well as compost you can get help and advice so you can get the best compost from your compost bin at home. There is only 10 tonnes of compost, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Compost will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Back to Events Near You

Thursday 10 May

Harrow Compost Giveaway
Kenton Recreation Ground
Carlton Avenue car park
HA3

Bring a shovel and your own bags to collect compost between 9.30am until 1pm. You will be limited to 3 bags, approx 100 litres of compost. As well as compost you can get help and advice so you can get the best compost from your compost bin at home. There is only 10 tonnes of compost, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Compost will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Hillingdon Compost Giveaway
Highview Farm
Newyears Green Lane
Harefield
UB9 6LX

If you live in Hillingdon borough go along to West London Composting between 4pm and 6pm to collect up to 3 bags of their 10mm compost. You must take along your Hillingdon First card, you cannot collect compost if you leave your card at home.
Back to Events Near You

Friday 11 May

Richmond Compost Giveaway
Townmead Road Household Re-use and Recycling Centre
Kew
TW9 4EL

Bring a shovel and your own bags to collect compost from 8am. You will be limited to 3 bags, approx 100 litres of compost. As well as compost you can get help and advice so you can get the best compost from your compost bin at home. Compost is limited, it will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Hillingdon Compost Giveaway
Highview Farm
Newyears Green Lane
Harefield
UB9 6LX

If you live in Hillingdon borough go along to West London Composting between 4pm and 6pm to collect up to 3 bags of their 10mm compost. You must take along your Hillingdon First card, you cannot collect compost if you leave your card at home.
Back to Events Near You

Saturday 12 May

Home composting information stand
Twickenham Farmers Market
Holly Road car park
Twickenham
TW1 4HF

Come along and talk to a compost expert between 8am to 1pm.

Ealing Compost Giveaway
Walpole Park
Mattock Lane
W5 5EQ

Come along to the vehicle entrance on Mattock Lane to find out everything you want to know about composting at home, advice starts at 10am and finishes at 5pm. You can also collect free compost at the same time. There is only 10 tonnes of compost, the amount you can take home will be restricted but once the pile has gone there will be no more available.

Hounslow Compost Giveaway
Hounslow Heath Nature Reserve
Staines Road
TW4 5RB

Not only can you collect a few bags of free compost to use on your garden at home but you can also meet Paul, a local compost expert, and see his wormery at work. Advice and compost is available from 10am to 2pm. Come early to avoid disappointment.
Back to Events Near You

Sunday 13 May

Home composting information stand
Ham House Sow and Grow Event
Ham
TW10 7RS

Seek out a composting expert at the SWLEN stand.

Home composting information stand
Chiswick House May Fair
Chiswick
W4 2RP

You’ll find our compost experts at the May Fair from 1pm until 4pm.
Back to Events Near You

Saturday 28th April
12noon to 4pm

Location

The Docking Station
108 High Street
Brentford
TW8 8AT

Description

What is a swish – I hear you ask. It’s a simple idea that’s lots of fun – bring along at least one item of good quality, clean clothing, pair of shoes, or accessories, to swish.

Bring your items to the Docking Station and we’ll give you a ticket for each item left so when all the clothes, shoes and accessories are hung on rails and organised the doors will open for you to swap your tickets for quality items which are new to you!

Drop items off to swish – 12noon until 1.30pm
Getting great new items from the swish – from 2pm until 4pm

The Docking Station café will be open during the event to buy delicious refreshments while you browse the rails.

For further information, email info@westlondonwaste.gov.uk or contact@bragonline.org.uk

Saturday 28th April
10.00am to 4.00pm

Location

Carnegie Hall
Northcote Ave
Isleworth
TW7 7JQ
Tel: 020 8892 4916 or 020 8814 2225

Description

Go to the showroom to buy good quality furniture at affordable prices.  To take advantage of the best prices take proof of benefits with you.  The showroom is open from 10am to 4pm.

Monday 23rd April
1pm – 2.30pm
2.30pm  – 4pm

Location

Kingbury Children’s Centre
Fryent Primary School
Church Lane
London
NW9 8JD

Description

A lively and informal chat about nappies and the environment. Meet local mum Helen to hear about how much she loves the washable nappies she uses on her little one. Bring your family to the stay and play group and meet other parents who use or want to use washable nappies. If your child takes part in the activities please give a voluntary contribution of £1 to the Children’s Centre.

Thursday 19th April
3.00pm to 5pm

Location

Feltham Children’s Centre
Feltham Hill Infant and Junior Schools
Feltham
Middlesex
TW13

Description

Hounslow Council will be launching their new real nappy taster pack to help parents see how washables can fit into their lives. Come along and have a look at the modern, easy to use and extremely cute washable nappies. Saffy, Hounslow nappy guru, will be on hand to talk you through how to use them and how you can benefit. If you’re a Hounslow resident you can also apply for your taster pack. Simply bring along proof of address and proof of pregnancy or your childs’ birth certificate.

Monday 16th April
3.00pm to 5pm

Location

Pauline’s Bakery
Little Ealing Lane
Ealing
W5 4EJ

Description

Come along and meet Peas and Love, a local company selling washable nappies. You can have a look at the modern, easy to use and extremely cute washable nappies. Amanda will be on hand to talk you through how to use them and how you can benefit. You can put in your washable nappy order and receive either a 10% or 20% discount on selected brands of washable nappies. Contact amanda@peas-and-love.co.uk for more information if you can’t come along on Monday.

Monday 16th April
9.15am to 11.15am

Location

Brentford Children’s Centre
North Road
Brentford
TW8 0BJ

Description

Find out what you always wanted to know about washable nappies but were afraid to ask. Saffy, local Nappy Guru, will be available to answer all your questions and explain how she’s used washables with her son. During the stay and play for non-walkers session you can also see her vibrant collection of modern and easy to use washable nappies.

Saturday 14th April
10.00am to 4.00pm

Location

Carnegie Hall
Northcote Ave
Isleworth
TW7 7JQ
Tel: 020 8892 4916 or 020 8814 2225

Description

Go to the showroom to buy good quality furniture at affordable prices.  To take advantage of the best prices take proof of benefits with you.  The showroom is open from 10am to 4pm.

Thursday 12th April
10am – 11.30am

Location

Willow Childrens Centre
Barnhill Road
Wembley
London
HA9 9YP

Description

A lively and informal chat about nappies and the environment. Meet local mum Helen to hear about how much she loves the washable nappies she uses on her little one. Bring your family to the stay and play group and meet other parents who use or want to use washable nappies. If your child takes part in the activities please give a voluntary conribution of £1 to the Children’s Centre.

We’ve also just put online the presentations and workshop summaries from our West London Nappy Summit, have a look through the presentations and see what’s going on and what you could help us with.

Supporting many of the events this week is Saffy. A local resident and mum who loved using washable nappies on her son and decided to become a nappy guru to help others get the benefits from using washables instead of disposables.

Saffy Clarke, Nappy Guru, tells us about cloth nappies and how they fit into her routine…

A day out shopping in the sales. Getting ready to go…Nappy Bag, check. Oyster card, check. Toddler (hard to miss him), check. Bus, missing, presumed late.

We get to Hounslow town centre, and head straight to the department store to use the baby change facilities (and check out the sales, of course!) It is Code Brown – an explosive nappy! The liner catches most of it, which flushes straight down the toilet (where the poo is supposed to go, rather than end up in landfill). Handily I also have my cloth wipes with me, so clean him up, pop the wipes and dirty nappy into the nappy bag, and put a lovely fluffy clean nappy on my son. Ready to go!

With another baby on the way, I am relieved that I bought cloth nappies and wipes, and can use the same ones on my new born. I worked out that we saved around £1,000 by buying cloth rather than disposables the first time round, and using them for a second time means saving even more. I’m also relieved not to be buying and carrying bulky packs of disposables. More room to carry sales bargains!

When I get home, I put the nappy bag straight into the washing machine, no fiddly separating. After running a rinse cycle with just the nappies, I put the rest of the clothes in to wash. On a 40-60 degree wash, the nappies come out clean and fresh. No boiling, soaking or pummelling needed! I tend to do a wash every other day, with the amount of clothes that we all wear it’s not an extra burden to wash the nappies too.

So, what about those savings?

Each disposable costs 20p – each child has around 6,000 nappy changes – which works out to £1,200 per child. Not cheap! I calculated that by spending £250 on all the cloth nappies, costs of washing at just under £100 (see Clean Green Nappy for calculations) and then saving another £250 by buying cloth wipes instead of throwaway ones, we were quids in by using washables!”

You can find Saffy on facebook and twitter, as well as on her website.

Find out even more

If you’d like to know more about real nappies, or are interested in becoming a Nappy Guru yourself, you can contact us, or e-mail Saffy via her website. You can also read our nappies page.

Wednesday 28 March 2012
7.30pm to 9.00pm

Location

The Leaf and Bean
Duke Street
Richmond
TW9 1DH

Description

Come along and find out all there is to know about cloth nappies! Saffys Nappies will be on hand to offer personalised advice to help you find the right cloth nappies for your family. All are welcome! The Leaf and Bean offer hot drinks and home made cake at very reasonable prices. Have a cup of tea or coffee, relax and chat to others about their experiences of using washable nappies. Remember Richmond council offer £50 cash back to residents towards the purchase of your cloth nappies(per child) and Hounslow provide vouchers of £54 to help pay for your cloth nappies.

Saturday 24th March
12.00am to 3.00pm

Location

Westcott Park Community Centre
13 Ferguson Drive
W3 6YP

Description

This event held by Catalyst Gateway gives you the opportunity to learn how to fix your bicycle with a little help from Dr Bike, make bird feeders from recycled material and swap items you don’t want anymore for things you do want.  We will also be there giving advice to help you get more from the food you buy and reduce your food shopping bill.  View the event flyer for more details.

Tuesday 20 March 2012
9.00am to 1pm

Location

Maple and Ash Conference Suite
Hammersmith Hospital

Description

Did you know that almost 7% of the rubbish in West London is disposable nappies? That’s 16,844 tonnes of nappies going to landfill each year costing the taxpayer £1.68 million.

The West London Waste Authority, working with Real Nappies for London, are holding this nappy summit to bring together residents, the NHS, interested professionals and individuals to bring forward experience, thoughts and ideas to help residents and businesses save money, promote choice and prevent waste.

This event, hosted by the West London Waste Authority brings together a range of speakers to talk to you about their experience and interest in alternatives to disposable nappies. Our speakers will discuss with you:

• The costs of nappy waste to local authorities
• Reducing disposable nappy waste in your home, nursery, children’s centre or hospital
• The reasons parents’ choose to use real nappies
• Enabling parents to have a choice and supporting them in their choices

Little is known about the use of alternatives to disposable nappies in West London, we know that in Hackney and Islington up to 10% of parents are happy to use real nappies representing a significant cost saving to individual householders, to institutions and the local councils. In West London we all need to ensure that those parents who want a choice are informed, encouraged and supported.

Come along, listen, talk and help develop a plan of action in West London.

The Programme

09.00 Networking

09.30 Welcome and introduction – Hilary Vick, Real Nappies for London

09.45 Waste prevention is a priority – Sarah Ellis, WLWA

10.00 An innovative approach to reaching expectant parents in Hillingdon – Jane Woodley, Acorn Pack

10.15 Using real nappies in a nursery – Nasso Christou OBE, Head of Archway Children’s Centre

10.30 Questions

10.50 Refreshment break

11.05 My experience of real nappies – Jenny Vaughan, Parent and Health Professional

11.20 Workshop discussions:

• Using real nappies in a nursery setting – led by Nasso Christou
• Learning about washable nappies through existing channels
• Improving access to alternatives
• Natural Infant Hygiene or Elimination Communication – led by Rachel Richardson

12.00 Feedback

12.20 NHS Sustainability Day, Real Nappy Week, and the Great Cloth Diaper Change

12.35 Closing comments followed by networking

How to book

This event is free to organisations providing services in Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow or Richmond and in this area as well as individuals living in the area.  If you wish to attend but are not local to this area there is a fee of £20.  

To book on this event email nappies@lcrn.org.uk.  Alternatively please call 020 7324 4709.  Don’t forget to tell us your name, the organisation you represent, what part of the area you cover or live in and give us your contact details. 

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis with preference given to those based in the six West London boroughs.

Download Nappy Waste Summit details and send them to interested friends and colleagues.

Although TV’s can be upgraded with a digital box, we are expecting that residents will use this time as an opportunity to upgrade their existing television sets in preparation for the Olympics, Queen’s Jubilee and Euro 2012

Two million TV sets are discarded every year – most end up in landfill sites. Lead and toxins contained in these items can cause soil and water contamination. This can have a harmful effect on natural habitats, wildlife and human health.

DHL’s environmental service-offering, Envirosolutions, is working together with West London Waste to encourage everyone to recycle their unwanted TV’s responsibly and make sure that you know where you can take your WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment).

In the UK, the amount of electrical waste we create in one year would fill the new Wembley Stadium 6 times!

If you would like further information about where you can recycle your unwanted TV’s and further electrical items, please visit your local authority website or access the recycling bank locator on Recyclenow

A useful website for more information on the digital switchover, visit digitaluk.

Give a different type of card 

• Use the alphabet magnets on the fridge to say your Mothers’ Day message
• Get a personalised card with pictures of you and your mother together, so it can be framed
• If you have young children, get them to draw a picture or make a card for Mothers’ Day
• Call your mother and say “Happy Mothers’ Day” – especially if you won’t get around to seeing her
• Send a e-card, text or email to your mother
• If you’ve found the perfect card, make sure it gets recycled if it ever becomes unwanted

Don’t say it with flowers

• Buy a house plant instead – they’ll stay alive for ages and are a great reminder of you!
• Buy a fruit or a vegetable plant for the garden if your mother is green fingered
• If you do want to buy flowers, ask for them to be wrapped in paper which can be recycled. Then, when the flowers die, put them in your compost bin
• Buy a recycled vase for your flowers, there are lots of them out there, so browse a search engine for a unique gift

Give a gift from the heart

• Let your mother have a lie in
• Make her a breakfast, or invite her round for lunch  or dinner – visit Love Food Hate Waste for recipes to use up the food in the house
• Treat your mother by booking her a beauty treatment, or take her somewhere she has been wanting to go for a while
• Spend time with her doing things that she likes to do
• Make it a day free of chores for her!
• Clean and tidy the house
• If she needs something doing in the house, e.g. cleaning the windows or clearing the gutters, why not do it for her?
• Repair or fix any items that your mother loves – you could replace their watch battery, or get a new heel or sole put on those special shoes they always love to wear
• Arrange a surprise family visit  (but bring the food and drink with you, so she doesn’t end up cooking!)
• Buy your mother a membership to something they love (such as membership to DVD rentals) or a course that they want to go on (i.e. a soft-furnishings making course)
• Buy some pre-loved jewellery – second-hand jewellery can have a lot of character and charm and be in great condition. You can buy it from specialist stores or charity shops.

• As a Waste Authority, our suggestions to inspire people for climate week are (surprise, surprise) to do with waste prevention! Here are some of the practical actions undertaken by us at home or work;
• Look after your belongings, to make them last longer – e.g. follow the washing instructions
• Repair goods – either by yourself or ask the professionals to repair them
• Buy items that you use on a regular basis in bulk – rice, lentils or washing up powder
• Keep a reusable bag with you – either in the car or in your handbag
• Keep hold of cardboard boxes – to use to make costumes for costume parties
• Donate unwanted textiles, shoes, working electrical goods or furniture to charities
• Buy second-hand goods
• Use up food before it goes off
• Keep any scrap paper to use to make notes or lists
• Re-use ice cream or margarine tubs for food storage
• Before you throw anything away, offer it to family members, friends or work colleagues
• Think about sharing goods with family members or friends
• Have a composter at home
• Buy products that encourage you to refill
• Use empty bread bags to put your lunch in
• Use the plastic wrap that magazines come in as bin bags
• Keep take-away containers to take lunch to work in or to store foods in before putting in the freezer
• Keep empty glass jars or plastic pots to store odd things such as drawing pins, paper clips or pens
• Hire or borrow clothes for a special occasion, rather than buying new
• If you are a regular hot drink drinker, buy a re-usable hot drink cup and ask your local coffee shop to fill this cup, instead a plastic disposable one
• Buy chillies, garlic and ginger in bulk when on offer – chop or grind and freeze in usable portion sizes
• Buy meat in bulk – separate or chop into usable portions and freeze
• Freeze leftover curries – for times when you might be working late or when you can’t be bothered to cook
• Freeze leftover pizza dough and save for next time
• Re-use old socks as a duster or stuff an old sock with old socks and sew the open end to turn into a cat-toy for a cat to play with
• Keep old, worn down clothes – cut them up and use them as rags when cleaning
• Keep the gift bags you receive presents in and re-use them when you are giving gifts

On Monday 12th March 2012, the first day of Climate Week, the employees of West London Waste Authority at the Twickenham office will be having a “leftover lunch”. Each employee based at the Twickenham office will bring in their leftover foods or dishes that they made, using up food from the fridge, freezer or cupboards to share with their colleagues and to learn how we can all “Love Food, Hate Waste”.

Wednesday 29 February 2012
7.30pm to 9.00pm

Location

The Leaf and Bean
Duke Street
Richmond
TW9 1DH

Description

Come along and find out all there is to know about cloth nappies! Saffys Nappies will be on hand to offer personalised advice to help you find the right cloth nappies for your family. All are welcome! The Leaf and Bean offer hot drinks and home made cake at very reasonable prices. Have a cup of tea or coffee, relax and chat to others about their experiences of using washable nappies. Remember Richmond council offer £50 cash back to residents towards the purchase of your cloth nappies(per child) and Hounslow provide vouchers of £54 to help pay for your cloth nappies.

Saturday 25 February
10.00am to 1pm

Location

All Saints Church
Uxbridge Road
Hanworth
Middlesex
TW13 5EE

Description

West London residents can declutter their homes of unwanted and broken electricals at this special Bring Event on Saturday 25 February. What’s more, you’ll be helping the environment if you come along! Each year in the UK we go through over 1.2 million tonnes of electrical waste into landfill. That is the equivalent of 150 thousand double decker buses! By recycling old electricals instead of throwing them away, you will be helping to save landfill space, save valuable resources and prevent environmental degradation.

DHL Envirosolutions who work in partnership with West London Waste Authority to recycle waste electricals are organising the event. DHL Envirosolutions will take away all the broken electrical equipment to be recycled.

A hero in keeping our food fresher for longer and in freezing foods for later; the fridge-freezer is a valuable tool in preventing food waste that can be found in any UK kitchen.

However, research has shown that food and drink is thrown away because they were not used in time i.e. it has passed a date label (e.g. use by, or best before date), has gone mouldy or looked, smelt or tasted bad.

But never fear – as most of our perishable (and often expensive) foods are stored in the fridge-freezers, we have come to save the day and help you with some top fridge and freezer tips;

Fridge tips 

• Make sure the fridge thermostat is set at 5°c
• You can store most of your fruit & veg in fridge (with exception of: pineapples and bananas – just keep them cool place instead; potatoes and onions need to kept in a cool and dark place)
• Fresh fruit and vegetables need to breathe – don’t store them in sealed containers/bags
• Foods with a high fat content, such as meat and cheese, need to be wrapped well, otherwise they will dry out
• Leftovers can be kept up to two days in the fridge – cover with a lid or with cling film
• If you are not going to use the food or drink before the use by date…freeze it

Freezer tips

• It is safe to freeze almost any food; if the food has a use by date, freeze it before that date. To eat the food, defrost it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours
• Always label foods that you have stored in the freezer with their contents and the date that you freeze them, to prevent you finding UFOs in the freezer (Unidentified Frozen Objects)
• Freeze foods in portions, as it defrosts quicker and you have the right amount of food you need to make the meal
• Keep a freezer list: note down items as you put them in the freezer and cross them off as you take them out – handy, as you know what you need when you go food shopping
• Grate hard cheeses and freeze in portions and use straight from frozen on pizzas, omelettes and pasta bakes
• Freeze leftover cake in slices and defrost a slice of a tasty treat
• Meat that has been defrosted and cooked thoroughly can be frozen again. Just defrost thoroughly in the fridge and re-heat until piping hot and serve
• Parboil potatoes (for 5 minutes), cool and freeze them for later. To use, just thaw them overnight in the fridge and roast as normal
• Freeze eggs before the best before date – just crack them first, then beat and freeze or separate the whites and yolks and freeze individually. Defrost in the fridge and once defrosted, use like fresh eggs and within 24 hours of defrosting
• Freeze over-ripe bananas – peel, cut into three and freeze. Blend from frozen to make a breakfast smoothies, or defrost and mash to add to a banana bread recipe
• Freeze leftover milk in ice cube trays – a handy tip if you are leaving on holiday so you’ll have milk in the house when you return
• Freeze leftover wine in ice cube trays – to use later when making stews, sauces, or to add to the mince when making bolognaise

With £860 million worth of food sitting in UK freezers, we can feed ourselves for 11 days just with the food in the freezer. Although food can be safely stored forever, the quality of the food deteriorates after three months, so it is best to try to eat frozen food within three months of freezing it. So why not make once a week or fortnight a freezer food night?  We’ve come up with some recipe ideas to use up the foods we found in our own freezer –

Leftover frozen pesto, sweet corn and peas – defrost the pesto and boil the vegetables from frozen, then add to pasta

Frozen egg white – Defrost and add to another egg to make an omelette or defrost and whisk and add to an American pancake recipe to make extra fluffy pancakes or whisk up to make meringues

Frozen ice cream – take scoops of ice creams, put in a blender and add some milk (depending on the thickness of the milkshake you prefer) and blend. Add your favourite chocolate bar (broken into pieces) for extra added sweet treat

Frozen bread or pitta bread can be toasted from frozen to be used in place of burger buns

Frozen potato wedges – cook and use instead of chips as accompaniment to dishes

Frozen crushed garlic, ginger or chillies – can be used straight from frozen to add flavour to main meal

Frozen pastry – defrost and use to make a hearty pie, tarts or pasty

Frozen seafood – added to stir-fries or curries straight from frozen, or

Use up those leftovers meals that are saved for a rainy day.

Traditionally, pancakes are eaten to use up the butter and eggs before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday is a time to indulge and an opportunity to use whatever you have got in the kitchen. We don’t just mean the chocolate or fruit you have, but vegetables and meat too.

Start off with our basic pancake recipe (it makes between 6 and 10 pancakes)

• 1 medium egg (beaten)
• 125g (4oz) of plain flour – for a lump free pancake sieve the flour
• 300ml (half pint) of milk
• 1 pinch of baking powder

1. Mix together the ingredients above with a whisk and make sure it is lump free
2. Heat up a frying pan and pour in a little vegetable oil (do not use olive oil as this will make the pancakes taste of olive oil)
3. When the oil has warmed up, use a kitchen towel to spread the oil around the pan – this also makes sure that the pan is coated with a minimal amount of oil
4. Pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan and quickly rotate the pan, to make sure the batter spreads around the pan
5. Cook until the edge of the pancakes come away from the pan – do not be tempted to stir or flip until the batter slightly changes colour and the edges stop sticking to the pan
6. Using a spatula, loosen the pancake and flip it over (don’t worry if you can’t flip it like the TV chefs, it’s better to eat it from the pan than the floor!)
7. Cook until the second side of the pancake is golden brown
8. Fold and serve hot

If you want to eat at the same time as the people you’re feeding, place the unfolded pancakes between sheets of greaseproof paper onto a plate placed on top of a pan of simmering hot water and cover with a clean tea towel to keep them warm until you are ready to eat them.

How could you eat yours?

You can go traditional, serving the pancakes hot, with lemon juice and sugar, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, try these combinations:

Savoury

• Wrap up your chilli with cheese
• Pieces of ham or chicken with chopped up vegetables and cheese
• Pepper, onion and mushroom with pesto
• Leftover roasted meat with branston pickle
• Pork and apple
• Cut up salmon fillet, with broccoli and added sweet chilli sauce
• Mixed vegetables with crème fraiche
• Leeks with goat’s cheese

Sweet fillings

• Slices of banana with chocolate spread
• Mashed banana and peanut butter
• Apple and orange slices with yoghurt
• Honey and crème fraiche
• Fun-sized chocolate bars or Creme Eggs, placed inside a folded pancake, then micro-waved for 30 seconds

There are lots of other ideas out there, just search the internet and magazines for ideas. Don’t forget to ask your friends and family too.

Top tips for leftover pancakes

• Fill up them up with your favourite sandwich filling take it for twist on lunch
• Spread chocolate spread or jam on them, fold them into cigar shapes and add them to your lunchboxes
• Save the plain pancakes and use them instead of a wrap for a Mexican dinner or use them instead of the cannelloni in a spinach and ricotta cannelloni baked dish
• Or freeze them for future treat. Place them between sheets of greaseproof paper and place into freezer bags and freeze. To reuse reheat from frozen with the pancakes stacked and covered with foil in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 1 on a high shelf for 10 – 15 minutes.

Keeping your lemons for longer

If you bought lemons for pancake day but didn’t use them here are a few ideas to make sure you don’t have to throw them away.

• To get most of the juice from your lemon – roll it hard up and down on the worktop or put it in the microwave on high for 10 seconds
• A slightly-squeezed lemon can be rejuvenated by placing it in just-boiled water for a few minutes
• Freeze leftover lemon juice in ice cube trays to use when a recipes calls for a squeeze of lemon
• Grate the zest and freeze for a later date
• Freeze slices of lemon – perfect to add to drinks on a hot day or for a party

Sunday 12th February
09.00am to 3.00pm

Location

The Vision Warehouse 15 
Kendal Avenue 
Acton
W3 0AF

Description

Residents of West London have been generously donating their unwanted Christmas presents to a giant ‘give and take’ in Acton, and last weekend anyone who wanted could come along and take what they wanted.

This community exchange event has been organised by green charity Healthy Planet to remind us that it is better to reuse and recycle than to send useful items to landfill – as well as to give cash-strapped Londoners a chance to get things they may not otherwise be able to afford.

So far they have given a huge amount away – including over 15,000 books, 80 televisions, beds, musical instruments, cameras, games consoles, toys, clothes and loads more – even an unused rowing machine from someone with good intentions, but no time!.

There is one weekend to go: a special half-term weekend of ‘give and take’ that is happening on 11 and 12 February at the Vision Warehouse, in Acton. The ‘giving’ will be from 9am to 12pm, our volunteers will then sort and organise in time for the ‘taking’ to commence at 1pm and last until 3pm.

People are being encouraged to stick around in between for all sorts of activities for the kids! Free stuff for children and fun activities are available for all. CBBC star, Priyanka Patel, from TV show “Sadie J” will be there for the afternoon of the 11th and children’s author Nick Halliday will be signing copies of his latest book “The Lonely Tree”.

Saturday 11th February
09.00am to 3.00pm

Location

The Vision Warehouse 15 
Kendal Avenue 
Acton
W3 0AF

Description

Residents of West London have been generously donating their unwanted Christmas presents to a giant ‘give and take’ in Acton, and last weekend anyone who wanted could come along and take what they wanted.

This community exchange event has been organised by green charity Healthy Planet to remind us that it is better to reuse and recycle than to send useful items to landfill – as well as to give cash-strapped Londoners a chance to get things they may not otherwise be able to afford.

So far they have given a huge amount away – including over 15,000 books, 80 televisions, beds, musical instruments, cameras, games consoles, toys, clothes and loads more – even an unused rowing machine from someone with good intentions, but no time!.

There is one weekend to go: a special half-term weekend of ‘give and take’ that is happening on 11 and 12 February at the Vision Warehouse, in Acton. The ‘giving’ will be from 9am to 12pm, our volunteers will then sort and organise in time for the ‘taking’ to commence at 1pm and last until 3pm.

People are being encouraged to stick around in between for all sorts of activities for the kids! Free stuff for children and fun activities are available for all. CBBC star, Priyanka Patel, from TV show “Sadie J” will be there for the afternoon of the 11th and children’s author Nick Halliday will be signing copies of his latest book “The Lonely Tree”.