Tuesday 14 December 2010

'Tis the season

for Quality Street,




Miniature Heroes ,

Roses,



etc, etc.

Tins of calorific indulgence cover "the desk at the end" from December 1st until mid January (people take in their unwanted chocs after xmas hoping others will eat them so they don't have to break their post Christmas diets.)

But take a moment to reflect on the packaging. Take a minute to read the recycling instructions on a box of Quality Street - as follows...

"Once you've enjoyed the sweets separate the coloured outer wrapper and recycle the foil as you would a drinks can.

You can put the coloured outer wrappers on your compost where they'll decompose. This is a much greener way of getting rid of them and it'll help your plants grow strong.

Remove the window from the empty carton and put the window bit in the bin The card can then be quickly and easdily recycled... By doing these thingsa you'll be doing your bit to help look after the planet, so why not treat yourself..."


This took the whole idea of of sneaking a quick bite of chocolate into a"whole"nother sphere - the team trying desperately to separate foil from cellophane, ripping windows from the cardboard and wondering whether the office can recycling bin men would respond favourably to lots of bits of Quality Street wrappers mixed into the "Cans only" bin. Such fun! (Hey - times are desperate in the Civil Service - we have to scavenge laughs where we can)

Why, I wonder, is there a cellophane window in the middle of the outer packaging? Given anyone over the age of 3 knows what QS look like I'm not sure there needs to be a hole over which they need to stick, (with glue), the cellophane, so that we can see the multi layered wrappers within. So in this age of austerity and in a bid to live a greener life if you must send me chocolate please do it in the form of



which succeed on both counts - non fattening centres and non wasteful wrappers! A box will do nicely but I can think of a variety of useful things to do with a bucket if you must send one!

Love Wend

12 comments:

  1. Interesting - wonder how many people will actually read those instructions and how many packets will end up in landfill anyway! At least being retired I don't have temptation put in front of me as I did at work so shouldn't have to worry about all that recycling business this year!

    Jane

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  2. I love the idea of the sellaphane in my compost bin! Merry Christmas. xxxx

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  3. I can't even read the instructions on packets these days..the writing's so small! Just bought a drum of 'Celebrations' half price. We're trying to resist the urge to open it before Christmas! :0)

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  4. Oh to have a "desk at the end" situation going on....... yum!

    Fascinated to read the recycling instructions... it made me get up and look at the packets of Quality Stree I have bought as extra presents. I would never have given it a thought and just put the box in with the cardboard. I have picked up a tub of Celebrations also and it is recommending that you reuse it and that it is freezable and washable! I have always kept tubs and tins anyway, but it is good to see them being printed with recycling ideas.

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  5. Golly, I didn't know Maltesers came in buckets. Why do they put cellophane over the foil anyway, foil alone used to do the job quite well and we certainly don't need those silly windows in boxes (the ones in envelopes are quite enough fiddle!). Still they are trying to get the recycling done.

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  6. I don't bother with all that malarky- I just make my angels wings from sweet wrappers. The hardest bit need I say, is the scoffing of the choccies. LLX

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  7. Do you do the same after Easter too, when in this house at least we have even more unwanted Chocolate. I know now to send it all to the 'desk at the end'!

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  8. We always used to save the coloured cellophane with the old Christmas cards for art projects the following year, stain glass windows, gift tags snipped with pinking shears and decorated with bits of coloured foil. They used to be precious resources - and as a primary school teacher I always came home with lots of chocs - have to buy my own these days.

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  9. I didn't even think about the wrappers being recycleable x

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  10. I'm with you!

    However, I have been know to buy the cellophane wrapped sort just so I can use the cellophane in my textiles!

    I hope you have a lovely Christmas Wend
    Best wishes
    Carolyn

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  11. Loving the look of those Maltesers!! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
    Love
    Jo xx

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  12. did someone say chocolate?
    hehe
    happy holidays!
    x

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