Sustainability Mondays: starting again

This is about all there is of my veggie garden at the moment: a few tomatoes,
chillies and herbs in pots, along with a treasured curry leaf tree.

This is a bad day to be starting sustainability Mondays, because I've achieved a big fat fail on many of my resolutions in the past week. But it's a good place to record beginnings.

1. Plant Something -

• Nothing this week.
  

2. Harvest something - (including buying local food)

• lettuce and salad greens
• herbs from my garden and that of a friend
  
• two courgettes from the neighbours
• ...but I did manage to buy all of my veg from the local market gardeners
• Bought locally-grown dried chickpeas, puy lentils and garlic
  

3. Preserve something -

• Harissa
  

4. Waste Not (reducing wastage in all areas)

• I really failed here. Bad: I hosted a BBQ on Saturday which has resulted in a lot of empty glass bottles (which I will take to the recycling centre in due course), and also bought several bottles of softdrink to have something to offer the drivers. I never drink softdrink so I was taken aback at how expensive, bulky and wasteful of plastic it is.
  
• Bad: I have bought quite a bit of bedlinen, all of which came wrapped in plastic. Most of which is now in the bin because it can't be recycled even as bin liners: fail.
  
• Good: But at least I've purchased a second-hand washing machine which is very water and power-efficient.
• Good: purchased a second-hand BBQ grill plate and old recycled colonial bricks with which to make a bookcase, from the tip shop.
  

5. Want Not (preparing for shortage situations)

• Bought 10 kg of potatoes from a colleague's garden, which will probably last me through the winter
  
• Used the BBQ to lay in a few small drygood supplies for variety.
  
• Otherwise, nothing much this week. Money earmarked for the stockpile has gone to other household essentials this week.
  

6. Build Community Food Systems –

• All of my house guests were intrigued by my lifestyle, and many are fellow souls (this being Tasmania!)
• Blogging about it
• Supporting local people who are growing food.
  
• Exchanging goods and favours with my neighbours. I gave them travel tips and coffee, they gave me zucchinis and helped me build the frame for my bed.
  

7. Eat the Food –

• Herbs and lettuce leaves from pots
• The local potatoes, in potato salad
• Local butternut squash, puy lentils and red onions, turned into a warm salad over harissa, lemon juice and olive-oil dressed salad leaves
  

8. What I bought:

• Way too much!
• Plastic: a vacuum cleaner and a dustpan and brush. Plastic around pillows and quilt covers. Softdrink. And veg which I'd rather be growing.

How was your week?