How exactly did you come up with the idea for the swag and what prompted your decision?
I really believe in eating as much natural unprocessed food as possible. I was a very frustrated consumer throwing away expensive fruit and veggies every week. Once I had my children I felt a greater responsibility for doing the right thing by them and the legacy we leave. I started asking my girlfriends and realised they were equally upset with the waste and over use of plastic. I knew there had to be a better way, I started on a period of observation and discovery, I noticed my veggies sweating when sealed in plastic and it dawned on me that they were living and breathing. If I was sealed in plastic, I wouldn’t last long either, right then, I knew the solution had to be permeable and The Swag journey began.
What is the best way to use it?
Dampen your Swags, wring out excess water and place your fruit, veggies & leafy greens all into one Swag (if you like). Over the weeks, when your produce is used, move the leftovers into a small Swag with a red coloured trim (for instance) this way you know the small red trimmed Swag is your ‘go to’ Swag for all cooking as it’s the Swag you need to use first. It’s as simple as that.
How important is it that we all make more of a conscious effort to utilise sustainable practices in our homes?
When my father passed he was saddened with the world we were leaving for the next generation. I took this on-board and wanted to make a difference in my own way. Reduction in food waste, reduction in single use plastics and household composting are three easy things we can do which can significantly contribute to healing our planet and securing our future. There is also the savings, an average household throws away roughly $700 in fresh produce per annum. What could you do with the money saved.
Apart from using the Swags, what are your top tips for reducing food waste at home?
Don’t shop when hungry and just buy what you need. Have ways of using your produce when its past its best e.g. frittatas, smoothies, stir fry, pizza. Use The Swag to extend the life of your produce and of course when your produce is beyond salvation put it back into the earth by composting.
What is your favourite way to use up leftover fruit or veggies?
Once I started on this journey of less waste – I was amazed how much I could actually freeze – bananas, berries, mangos to use later for fruit for smoothies or frozen grapes as an alternative to ice cubes. You can sauté all your veggies for a soup and freeze it. You can even freeze partial cans of beans for when you need them; just transfer to a covered container (preferably glass) and freeze.
Why should we all have a set of Swags in our kitchen?
The Swag is about looking after you and your family’s health. With The Swag your veggies will remain vibrant, crisp, tasty and healthy for so much longer. Giving you the chance in this crazy busy world of ours to actually have a night (or two) off cooking without coming home to dead fruit and veggies. The Swag system is passionate about no plastic and it fills the gap perfectly from the store to your fridge so that no plastic is involved. The bi-product is you’ll waste less, save money and you’ll be able to buy MORE fruit and veggies because you know you’ll have little or no waste. So, you’ll save money and your local fruit and veggie shop will love you for it as you’ll buy MUCH more fresh produce because you’ll have confidence it’s going to last!
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