FOOD

“We’re faced with waste at every turn,” says the chef Tom Hunt. “You’ve got to be really dedicated and have time to put systems and intentions in place if you want to go plastic-free at Christmas. That said, it’s really fun to do, much easier than you’d imagine and the benefits are infinite and incredible.”

Hunt runs Poco, the Bristol restaurant recently crowned Most Sustainable Restaurant of the Year. At home, in 2016, he also had a completely waste-free Christmas.

“When people think about going plastic-free, they worry about money and time,” he says. “But honestly, shopping this way will save you money. It’ll improve your health and diet because you are eating much less processed food, and it’ll make you slow down a little bit, in a good way. There’s no better way to invest your time than shopping in your community and cooking for friends and family.”

First, he explains, I need to create a shopping kit. Jam jars, egg boxes and containers must go into a bag, so that when I shop, I can buy loose produce and fill them up. Dry goods can be bought in bulk, every few months, from a wholefood shop. Meat and vegetables should come from a market, where I can select the right quantities and find the best quality at lower prices.

“If you’re using goodquality products you can use less of them and cook them incredibly simply,” he says. “You don’t need any impressive cooking skills. If you don’t have a local farmers’ market, there are veg-box delivery companies that are plastic-free, or nearly so.”

Lazy and low on time, I order a Christmas Veg Box from Eversfield Organic (£15.50, feeds 4-6, eversfieldorganic.co.uk).

They are delivered to my door, plastic and hasslefree. Now I just need to work on my mince pie recipe.