Whats your food wrapped in…..

15 October 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 1.2 Plastic The Product 4 Comments

Long ago I bought myself some lentils from a major retailer of whole foods. They came in a clear, crinkly, sharp kind of plastic bag with colorful, crisp images. The bag had no plastic code so I set about researching the packaging. I phoned and asked the producer/ retailer but they couldn’t help me. So I had the packaging analyzed. I can now tell them that it was in fact a film consisting of a series of bonded layers including a 70 micron thick polypropylene and ethylene layer, laminated and printed. Or to put it more simply several layers of plastic each with different properties stuck together.

This method of making plastic films leads to a very versatile product that looks good and has a wide range of uses.

On the down side these films are difficult to recycle. Because they consist of different plastics bonded together it is difficult to know what they are and how to treat them and separating the films is tricky and so very expensive. Films therefore often don’t get recycled but burnt or landfilled.

Just to remind you

Another barrier to [plastic] recycling is the widespread use of dyes, fillers, and other additives in plastics. The polymer is generally too viscous to economically remove fillers, and would be damaged by many of the processes that could cheaply remove the added dyes. Additives are less widely used in beverage containers and plastic bags, allowing them to be recycled more often. . Yet another barrier to removing large quantities of plastic from the waste stream and landfills is the fact that many common but small plastic items lack the universal triangle recycling symbol and accompanying number. From Wikipedia on plastic recycling

So if you need to buy something in plastic, try avoid the film and go for easily recycled polythene. You can find some suppliers here….

Plastics used to package food include the following. Copied from practical action

Films

Film Type	Coating	Barriers to Moisture	Air/Odours	Strength	Clarity	Normal Thickness Micrometers
Cellulose	–	*	***	*	***	21 – 40
Cellulose	PVDC	***	***	*	***	19 – 42
Cellulose	Aluminium	***	***	*	–	21 – 42
Cellulose	Nitro- cellulose	***	***	*	–	21 – 24
Polythene (low density)	–	**	*	**	*	25 – 200
Polythene (high density)	–	***	**	***	*	350 – 1000
Polypropylene	–	***	*	***	***	20 – 40
Polypropylene	PVDC	***	***	***	***	18 – 34
Polypropylene	Aluminium	***	***	***	–	20 – 30
Polyester		**	**	***	**	12 -23
Polyester		***	***	***	**	–
Polyester		***	***	***	–	20 -30

Table 1: Properties of selected packaging materials
* = low ** = medium *** = high. Thicker films of each type have better barrier properties than thinner films. PVDC = polyvinylidene chloride.

Laminated films

Lamination of two or more films improves the appearance, barrier properties or mechanical strength of a package.

Coextruded films

This is the simultaneous extrusion of two or more layers of different polymers. Coextruded films have three main advantages over other types of film:

They have very high barrier properties, similar to laminates but produced at a lower cost.
They are thinner than laminates and are therefore easier to use on filling equipment.
The layers do not separate.
Examples of the use of laminated and coextruded films are as follows:

Type of laminate	Typical food application
Polyvinylidene chloride coated polypropylene (2 layers)	Crisps, snackfoods, confectionery, ice cream, biscuits, chocolate
Polyvinylidene chloride coated polypropylene- polyethylene	Bakery products, cheese, confectionery, dried fruit, frozen vegetables
Cellulose-polyethylene-cellulose	Pies, crusty bread, bacon, coffee, cooked meats, cheese
Cellulose-acetate-paper-foil- polyethylene	Dried soups
Metallised polyester-polyethylene	Coffee, dried milk
Polyethylene-aluminium-paper	Dried soup, dried vegetables, chocolate

Type of coextrusion	Application
High impact polystyrene- polyethylene terephthalate	Margarine, butter tubs
Polystyrene-polystyrene- polyvinylidene chloride-polystyrene	Juices, milk bottles
Polystyrene-polystyrene- polyvinylidene chloride-polyethylene	Butter, cheese, margarine, coffee, mayonnaise, sauce tubs and bottles

Sew Plasticky Obsessed – guest post

8 October 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 4.4 As Seen In 8 Comments

Was delighted and rather flattered when the wonderful Offset Warehouse asked me to guest post. This fantastic company sell organic, fair-trade fabrics, proper cotton on a wooden reel (very hard to find!) and peace silk (doesn’t result in the death of the silk worms). They have a great customer service. And they will post your fabric out in cardboard boxes. Plastic free. All round good guys.

And they have a great blog, Sew Obsessed, full of useful posts on how to make your own beeswax wrap or zero waste skirt. And of course there’s my contribution on how to cut plastic consumption – natch!

Sign up and you get loads of useful tips and 5% discount on your next fabric order. Order now and make your own reusable witches hat for halloween!

Halloween Outfits

5 October 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade, 3.1 Special days & Parties Tagged 3.1.5 Halloween, 3.2.4 make 2 Comments

Want a halloween costume that doesn’t involve a lot of plastic?

The skull T was found over on Pinterest along with lots more very clever cut out ideas – some with instructions. The rest you might have to work out for yourself. Eek!

Martha Stewart can show you how to make cut out skeleton teeshirts. Which strikes me as rather strange. I didn’t think that was her thing.

If you are not so crafty, you might like to go as a head on a box!? Or 50 shades of grey…

More plastic-free Halloween ideas here.

: 50 Shades Of Grey

Thermoplastics and Thermoset Plastics

23 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 1.2 Plastic The Product Tagged 1.6 Definitions 3 Comments

Plastics are divided into thermoplastics and thermoset plastics.

Thermoplastics can be heated and shaped many times.

Thermoplastics pellets soften when heated and become more fluid as additional heat is applied. The curing process is completely reversible as no chemical bonding takes place. This characteristic allows thermoplastics to be remolded and recycled without negatively affecting the material’s physical properties.

Thermoset plastics can only be heated and shaped once.

Thermoset materials are usually liquid or malleable prior to curing and designed to be molded into their end form, or used as adhesives. Others are solids like that of the molding compound used in semiconductors and integrated circuits (IC

Thermoset plastics contain polymers that cross-link together during the curing process to form an irreversible chemical bond. The cross-linking process eliminates the risk of the product remelting when heat is applied, making thermosets ideal for high-heat applications such as electronics and appliances.

These polymers are highly cross-linked, which means the molecules have extremely strong chemical bonds. Once you’ve initially heated them up to set them into the shape you want – hence the name “thermoset” – they’re irreversibly bound. That means they’re much stronger than thermoplastics, but also that heating them up again won’t break down the bonds in a way that enables you to usefully reshape them, as with thermoplastics. It’ll just char them and crack them instead.

Thermoset plastics that can be remoulded and recycled several times over when heated to about 100ºC are possible, claim researchers in The Netherlands.

The self-healing polymers make use of the Diels-Alder and Retro-Diels-Alder reactions between thermosetting polyketones and bis-maleimide, allowing the strong covalent bonds of the thermoset materials to be broken and reformed.

Examples of some thermoplastics.

Name	Properties	Principal uses
Polyamide (Nylon)	Creamy colour, tough, fairly hard, resists wear, self-lubricating, good resistance to chemicals and machines	Bearings, gear wheels, casings for power tools, hinges for small cupboards, curtain rail fittings and clothing
Polymethyl methacrylate (Acrylic)	Stiff, hard but scratches easily, durable, brittle in small sections, good electrical insulator, machines and polishes well	Signs, covers of storage boxes, aircraft canopies and windows, covers for car lights, wash basins and baths
Polypropylene	Light, hard but scratches easily, tough, good resistance to chemicals, resists work fatigue	Medical equipment, laboratory equipment, containers with built-in hinges, ‘plastic’ seats, string, rope, kitchen equipment
Polystyrene	Light, hard, stiff, transparent, brittle, with good water resistance	Toys, especially model kits, packaging, ‘plastic’ boxes and containers
Low density polythene (LDPE)	Tough, good resistance to chemicals, flexible, fairly soft, good electrical insulator	Packaging, especially bottles, toys, packaging film and bags
High density polythene (HDPE)	Hard, stiff, able to be sterilised	Plastic bottles, tubing, household equipment

Properties and uses of the thermoset plastics.

Name	Properties	Principal uses
Epoxy resin	Good electrical insulator, hard, brittle unless reinforced, resists chemicals well	Casting and encapsulation, adhesives, bonding of other materials
Melamine formaldehyde	Stiff, hard, strong, resists some chemicals and stains	Laminates for work surfaces, electrical insulation, tableware
Polyester resin	Stiff, hard, brittle unless laminated, good electrical insulator, resists chemicals well	Casting and encapsulation, bonding of other materials
Urea formaldehyde	Stiff, hard, strong, brittle, good electrical insulator	Electrical fittings, handles and control knobs, adhesives

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/resistantmaterials/materialsmaterialsrev3.shtml

Find out more about the above plastics and many others here .

Don’t know your PETS from your hamster. Think Polymer is a girl’s name? Check out this collection of definitions essential for understanding plastic! 

Kettle

21 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.1 House, Office & Garden Tagged 3.2 house, 3.2.2 Kitchen, 3.2.3 Buy On Line, 5 Content Veiw 3 Comments

People are always asking about plastic free kettles. There is one very easy answer – get a stove top kettle. That’s it. Spend a bit more and you can get one that doesn’t have a plastic handle. Spend a lot more and you get a kettle you will be handing on to your kids. I am saving up for this one.

Shropshire Made Traditional Kettle

Hand spun body and lid with durable hard anodised finish.
Precision cast spout for perfect pouring.
The base of kettle is very thick 1/4 inch (6mm) aluminium, we machine grind this flat to ensure rapid boiling on range hobs.
Hand turned British oak handle & knob.
Lovingly hand made in Britain.

A stove top kettle for use on range stoves, electric, gas, ceramic and halogen hobs. The perfect companion for country cottages, retro conversions, Victorian kitchens, Edwardian homes, glamping and garden cooking (it complements Netherton Foundry garden hob).

Comes in two sizes and the packaging is cardboard.

Cheaper Kettles

The downside is they are over a hundred quid. You might want to look at some of the cheaper options below. The cheaper kettles often have plastic handles. Very cheap kettles often warp with time. You need a good heavy bottom!

Amazon Catalogue

Here are some links to products sold on Amazon. Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before I did it. Heres why I went ahead…..


		Grunwerg Cafe Ole Stainless Steel Stove Top… £11.82

Wesco Classic Line Stainless Steel 2 Litre … £49.99	Garden Trading Enamel Stove Kettle – Flint £31.50	Yoshikawa 1 Litre Stainless Steel Fons Drip… £74.99

This Changes Everything

16 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 6 archive Tagged 4 Sustainable Book Club 2 Comments

by Naomi Klein

“The most important book yet from the author of the international bestseller The Shock Doctrine, a brilliant explanation of why the climate crisis challenges us to abandon the core “free market” ideology of our time, restructure the global economy, and remake our political systems.

In short, either we embrace radical change ourselves or radical changes will be visited upon our physical world. The status quo is no longer an option.”

Q&A for the sustainable book club

1. What effect did reading the book have on you e.g. did you feel motivated to do something about climate change or did think there is no hope?

I think there is always hope and I believe the world is improving. If you think I am being too Pollyanna and feel really depressed about the human condition, I recommend “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined” by Steven Pinkerton

“Tribal warfare was nine times as deadly as war and genocide in the 20th century. The murder rate in medieval Europe was more than thirty times what it is today. Slavery, sadistic punishments, and frivolous executions were unexceptionable features of life for millennia, then were suddenly abolished. Wars between developed countries have vanished, and even in the developing world, wars kill a fraction of the numbers they did a few decades ago. Rape, hate crimes, deadly riots, child abuse―all substantially down.

How could this have happened, if human nature has not changed?

Pinker argues that the key to explaining the decline of violence is to understand the inner demons that incline us toward violence and the better angels that steer us away. Thanks to the spread of government, literacy, trade, and cosmopolitanism, we increasingly control our impulses, empathize with others, debunk toxic ideologies, and deploy our powers of reason to reduce the temptations of violence.

Pinker will force you to rethink your deepest beliefs about progress, modernity, and human nature.”

2. Do you think that we really do only have two years (or probably less now) to do something about climate change and if so, why are we not all focussed on doing something about it? Why are governments ignoring the issue? Why is this short deadline not all over the headlines all the time?

I really don’t know. Too big a problem? So many scares in the papers that turn out to be unfounded? It is an invisible threat?

3. What, if any, practical suggestions for helping to do something about reversing global warming did you glean from the book?

Haven’t finished it yet so don’t know if there are any personal practical guidelines but she seems to say that this problem has to be addressed by drastically changing our political and economic organizations. So far I have found no advice on changing a greedy, self-serving consumers into a caring, green socialists. And that is what needs to happen if we are to change our politics and economics. That- or a green junta take over.

4. Is it better to address the problems of climate change individually or collectively?

Ideally we would be addressing this issue along with global poverty and the massive inequalities of wealth and property. And war, terrorism, genocide and other disruptive, discriminatory, violent, unfair and destructive practices. Marginalized people cannot afford to care about the environment. It starts with world peace, equal rights and wealth redistribution. Which have to be addressed collectively. However that might be some time coming so in the meantime everyone has to take personal action – on all of the above and their own CO2 emissions.

5. What would you be willing to do to combat climate change?

I hope I live a carbon reduced lifestyle already. But of course you can always do more.

As part of my personal-wealth-redistribution project I am trying to use only my global share of textiles this year. Check out only the My FairShare Textiles to see how I am getting on!

6. Is going back to basics the solution to all our problems or should we continue to look for and rely on technological solutions?

If we believe in fair shares for all then we in the developed countries need to consume a whole lot less so that others can have more of the resources. If that is what is meant by basic then yes of course. But technology is what is keeping us alive. At a very basic level it has given us clean water, means we can grow enough food, share ideas in minutes over thousands of miles and harness energy from the sun. We need advanced technology alongside fair and rational consumption. We have to learn to take as much as we need not as much as we want and to share frugal tips on our Apple Macs. But of course we need to keep on learning and developing solutions. Especially need to concentrate on finding ways to create greener electricity

7. What political system would support a sustainable future (it can be an imagined one)?

Green socialism

8. Should we all move to the moon?

Yes, I love cheese.

9. If it is too late and we can’t stop global warming, should we or should we not worry about throwing away rubbish and polluting our planet?

No we don’t know how it will all pan out. All we have is the present and we are obliged, as adults, to live as responsibly as we can right now. Lets make it as nice as we can now. Second guessing the future is no excuse not to act.

10. Would you recommend this book to your friends and family?

Not sure. Most of the greens I know are also a little bit red. I don’t see how you can be an environmentalist and not believe in some form of communism, by which I mean the communal owning of and so equal benefitting from worlds resources. Recommending this would feel like preaching to the converted. Personally I find it is rather long on theory and (so far at least) short on practical solutions. In fact I am finding it difficult to finish.

I would recommend these website though…

25 ways to cut you carbon footprint

EPA Climate Response

Mashable fight climate change

And Ben Goldacre one of my favorite science writers (I highly recommend his book Bad Science), says this on the subject and recomends some excellent resources

Realclimate.org is always a good resource on climate stuff, and written by proper climate scientists.

Here they specifically address the rather elderly claims in The Great Global Warming Swindle:

www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/03/swindled/

And here are a couple of more general guides to arguing with a climate sceptic, that cover the same ground:

gristmill.grist.org/skeptics

illconsidered.blogspot.com/2006/02/how-to-talk-to-global-warming-sceptic.html

If you prefer books, Mark Maslin’s Global Warming – A Very Short Introduction is also very good, explains the science, and specifically addresses the climate skeptics claims.

Looking forward to the next book club. Why not join us?

Bottle reused as a bum washer

13 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.2 Outside the U.K. Tagged 6 Travel Blog 6 Comments

Yes, you might think I am over sharing here but come the zombie apocalypse this information could come in handy. Plus there is a whole world out there who don’t use toilet paper, some of them because they think it is a dirty habit.

I love my husband dearly. We travel together we work together and we share everything. Well almost everything. There is a line I really don’t want to cross. That line is grubby tissues in the bathroom bin. And when I say grubby I mean night soil, poop, fecal matter what ever you want to call it.

Notice, toilet roll, bin…

The plumbing in many parts of China lack strength. While the bathrooms in most hotels are adequate and clean, you cannot put your used toilet paper down the loo. Instead it has to go in a bucket by the side. An open bucket with no lid. Bad at the best of times but when the toilets are squats you are closer to the bucket than you would ever want to be.

So we have bathroom rules. Wash before wiping. Use water and not loo roll to remove any …. erm.. residue. You can then use a (small no waste) piece of paper to dry off.

To this end I have repurposed a plastic bottle as the Acme Portable Bum Washer.

Instructions

Fill the bottle with water
Squirt letting the water trickle over the affected area,
Clean with your hand
Dry

Ooo and don’t forget to wash your hands afterwards, with soap – though I am guessing I didn’t I need to tell you that.

The Acme Portable Bum Washer can be used in anywhere, massively reduces your consumption of tissues and feels far more pleasant that scratchy loo roll

But don’t just take my word for it, here’s a rather more in-depth write-up titled “how to wipe your arse with your left hand” – say it how it is buddy, and this quick overview of toilets and wiping habits the world over.

See other plastic free wiping options here.

This post is my contribution to Zero Waste Week (‪#ZerowasteWeek) the brainchild of Rae Straus (also featured in our P-f U.K. directory). Each day, for 7 days, we will feature a tip to help you eat, drink and – ermmm – excrete in the most sustainable and rubbish free- way, backpacking kind of way. Each post will appear up on our advent calender of trash free tips. See them there.

Halloween Celebrations

13 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade, 3.1 Special days & Parties Tagged hidays 6 Comments

Halloween can be truly a time of plastic madness what with the masks, fake blood and sweets. I beg you to consider just how evil all that plastic is. So here are some plastic free ideas…

Pumpkin Lanterns

Each year finds me busy carving my own biodegradable lantern. It’s easy ; buy your self a vegetable, hollow it out cut out a face (or message) and stick a candle in. You can then make soup out of the innards.

I used to be too tight to buy a pumpkin so used swede instead. I have to admit that swede soup is not as nice. Also pumpkins are easier to carve – its hard work hollowing out swedes.

More plastic free fun…

Get (or make) some fabric trick or treat bags to take out with you – not to my house obvs.
Buy plastic free sweets for when the ghouls come calling.
Use compostable disposable partyware
Make a reusable burlap witches hat .
make your own costumes

Halloween Outfits

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Candles

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How to party…plastic free….

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Halloween labels and flour paste!

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Halloween colouring pages for kids

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Halloween Witches Hat

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Party Bags Trick or Treat

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Sweets, Snacks & Nibbles

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Drinking The Chinese Water

12 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.2 Outside the U.K. Tagged 3 water, 6 Travel Blog 2 Comments

But what about the water? In China according to my tap water info graphic the tap water is not safe to drink. So we are drinking boiled rather than bottled water. Most rooms have a kettle and if they don’t you can get a flask of hot water at the reception. The trains all have a water boiler at the end of the carriage.

Many people advise bringing water to a hard boil for 5 minutes, and perhaps longer at higher elevation. More current literature, however, suggests merely reaching the boiling is sufficient and effective.

If you prefer a belt and braces approach, let the water cool and treat it with your Steripen. Of course you will need to have your own reusable water bottle. We have two.

When you get bored of water there is always fizzy orange – see our next post…..

Returnable glass bottles

11 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.2 Outside the U.K. Tagged 00 edit 5 Comments

Want something other than water? You can still get drinks in returnable bottles in China. You can get yoghurt in glass jars. And some one to recycle them for you.

Tiffin Tin

10 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.2 Outside the U.K. Tagged 00 working, 5 Content Veiw, 6 Travel Blog 2 Comments

There is some fantastic street food in China but they serve it in polystyrene (styrofoam) trays. So you will need to carry your own tiffin tin Dont worry if you forgot to pack one, the Chinese love tiffin tins. We got this beauty in a small supermarket. It has a screw on lid so is very secure and even a handle which made boiling water in our yurt easier. Rather it made making the tea with the boiling water so much easier.

China biscuits

9 September 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.2 Outside the U.K. Tagged 6 Travel Blog 1 Comment

Glad to see even the smallest of Chinese towns has a bakery that sells loose biscuits. Shame about the bags. Seems we are the only people in China not using plastic bags. What happened to the bag ban then?

And yet despite their love affair with plastic, it is possible to live waste free in China. You can get loose cakes and biscuits, seeds and nuts from market stalls and really good bakeries. Even some supermarkets will sell them unpackaged by weight. Actually they sell a lot of stuff loose too, beans, flour and rice – but that may be of less use to the backpacker.

You need to take your own bags be prepared for confusion and a lot of giggling! That is why we travel with an ancient Chico bag and some produce bags. I bought these bags when I first started my plastic boycott in 2007. Since then they have been all round the world with us cutting plastic all the way.

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