You can use polystyrene packaging instead of stones in the bottom of pots. This is also particularly good if you have large planters, intend only planting small plants in them and don't want to fill them with masses of compost. Also means the planters are easier to move.Polystyrene packaging has to go with your residual waste at present. Many products are no longer packaged in this but in egg-box type paper and in recyclable plastic bags - marked LDPE 4 - filled with air. This plastic is certainly recyclable with carrier bags and other marked polythene at a larger Sainsbury's. I don't know what exactly bubble wrap is made out of but LBE did somewhere state no bubble wrap. It can of course be reused.Much packaging made out of mixed materials has now been simplified so that fewer different materials are used or materials which easily come apart. There are guidelines for designing packaging that is easily recyclable. (You will now see more orange nets which are all plastic rather than plastic and metal.) More packaging has the materials identified together with recycling guidelines. I'd have thought you took the cellophane off the cigarette packet and removed the silver foil.If it is difficult email the company concerned and ask them what they are doing to make their packaging easily recyclable. Have a look at their Corporate Responsibility page if you can on their website! If you don't comment they assume that that is the kind of packaging you actively want (rather than haven't been bothered to do anything about)! I regularly walk past a pile of clear recycling bags holding unflattened cereal packets. Just undoing the bottom of the packet (the only one I've found hard to do is a porridge one which has no liner) and you gain much more space. Also flattening the large plastic milk containers, large water bottles and Tetrapak-style fruit cartons makes much more space ....and isn't difficult or time consuming if you do it as you go along.
Philippa Bond ● 5941d