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A Plastic Planet

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 4.4 As Seen In

I am extremely proud to be an ambassador for a Plastic Planets campaign for the plasticfree aisle in all supermarkets. This would of course make plastic three shopping so much easier. It is an extremely valuable contribution to the debate. It would be great if you could pop over to the pop over there check out the campaign and give them your support. At a Plastic Planet.

I am currently hunting down some plasticfree Ferrero Roche’s to celebrate. Tricky. These have to be the most plasticky chocs ever. For now you will have to do with these plastic free, chocolate truffles. Find them here.
Extremely yummylicious. You spoil us ambassador!

Campaigns

But first…. Let me take a selfie… Organised by www.aplasticplanet.com.

A Plastic Planet campaign are collecting thousands of films of ordinary people demanding  a Plastic Free Aisle in supermarkets. Why?  They want to meet with the CEO of a top supermarket and need to prove consumer demand.

Sounds like a good idea? Wouldn’t it be great to buy plastic free food using your own cotton produce bags?  Then here’s what you do….

Video yourself on your phone saying: “My name is [First Name]. I am a Plastic Addict but I am ready for change. I want a Plastic Free Aisle.”
Send the recording to: addict@aplasticplanet.com

Cut and paste the below message and put it on your Facebook timeline along with your video nominating three friends who you think care about our planet and our health to do the same.
“Hi everyone.

I’m backing A Plastic Planet’s campaign to get a #PlasticFreeAisle in supermarkets. Plastic is killing our planet and will affect our health but at the moment there is nothing I can do on my own to stop plastic use. Supermarkets respond to consumer demand. As a consumer I am asking for a plastic free aisle where I can shop guilt and worry-free.

A Plastic Planet are collecting thousands of films of ordinary people demanding change, which they are bringing to the CEOs of the biggest supermarkets to demand a Plastic Free Aisle.

I nominate X, X and X:

My name is [First Name]. I am a Plastic Addict but I am ready for change. I want a Plastic Free Aisle.”

Post your film to: addict@aplasticplanet.com
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with our campaign!

 

Plastic-Free, Worldwide Day

June 5 the world’s first One Plastic Free Day

Organised A Plastic Planet, They want people from  people from around the world to avoid plastic-packaged food and drink products for 24 hours.

Yay

Want join in? Of course you do.Take a photo of the plastic-packaged products they are giving up for One Plastic Free Day and share it on social media, saying why you have been inspired to #PassOnPlastic.

I will be tweeting or posting a tip every 24 hours! Join me at plasticSrubbish on Twitter and the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group

 

More

There are some places in the U.k. That already do this. You can find them here.
Loose Food A to Z
Find out if a shop near you sells bulk food loose. This is stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged ie rice, pasta and salt. And yes these shops do exist in the U.K. There’s just not many of them.
Heres a list of towns with shops selling loose
Find other plasticfree campaigns and campaigners, HERE.

N.B.

lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

And before you go…

If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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Supermarkets & Chainstores Index

by Posted in 3.2 Shops & Businesses, 3.2.3 Supermarkets & Chains

And let me say right now I don’t like supermarkets. They are killing off the local shops and take money out of the community. But for many people they are the only option. So how to make your experience as ethical as possible?

But before you enter those hellish portals please do consider shopping at your local shops. Reasons why here.

Here are some suggestions to make your choice of chainstore shopping more ethical.

I prefer to shop in British owned chainstores if possible. These are my favourites

The Co-op in the UK
Waitrose is owned by staff in the John Lewis Partnership
Will Use Tesco plc, trading as Tesco, is a British multinational groceries

But sometimes of course I have to go where the plastic free products can be found. Like salt in a cardboard box at Lidles. Its always a tradeoff.

Plastic Free News

Waitrose
Waitrose are cutting the use of plastic lined disposable cups in their cafes!
“We’re removing all disposable takeaway cups from our shops by the autumn.You can still enjoy a free cup of tea or coffee when you shop with us; remember to bring your own reusable cup and your myWaitrose card with you.#KeepYourCup 💚
This will save more than 52 million cups, 221 tonnes of plastic and more than 665 tonnes of paper a year.
Find out more: https://bit.ly/2Jwh0d2

The Co-op
Talking of hot drinks the The Co-op are meat to be introducing their own plastic free teabags . Though I have yet to find them!
For those of you who didn’t know, most teabags contain plastic. not just the packaging but actually in the bag.

Morrisons
Starting in May, Morrisons will be inviting customers to use their own containers when purchasing produce from the meat and fish counters in stores, in order to cut down on single-use plastic. Read more here.

Plastic Free Finds

Sometimes supermarkets can surprise you – check out the plastic-free and reduced packaging products here.

Boots

About ? Latest Plastic News ? They have a range of plastic free products. Other Products From Louises database BecoThings Potty ...
Read More

Cooperative Supermarket

Plastic free teabags For those of you who didn't know, most teabags contain plastic. not just the packaging but actually ...
Read More

Lidles

Lidles  is a chain of budget supermarkets. It offers some plastic free surprises. (Click the links to see a review ...
Read More

Lush plastic free products

lush are one of the more forward thinking British companies. They are ethical in all kinds of ways and  sell ...
Read More

Morrisons

A quick overview of some of the plastic free / reduced stuff you can get in Morrisons Supermarket, Huddersfield. A ...
Read More

Tescos

I have one near me so I tend to visit more often then I think is ideal. here are some ...
Read More

The Range – a chain of home & garden shops

Loose pet food, home wares and some loose sweets. Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way ...
Read More

U.K. Owned Chainstores

And let me say right now I'm not overly keen on chainstores. They are killing off the local shops and ...
Read More

Waitrose

Waitrose are cutting the use of plastic lined disposable cups in their cafes! "We're removing all disposable takeaway cups from ...
Read More

Whole Food Market U.K. Chain

Rushing through the Cheltenham suburbs, had to buy wine so lurched into the huge carpark of an out of town ...
Read More

Wilkos

Did you know you can buy loose screw and other fixings at Wilcos - as many or as few as ...
Read More

My Favourite Chains Are…

The Co-op in the UK is owned by it’s members. That’s you. So do use that whenever possible. Sadly they are bad for packaging. Write and tell them.

Waitrose is owned by staff in the John Lewis Partnership and do some excellent plastic free buns and bread.

Will Use

Tesco plc, trading as Tesco, is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer with headquarters in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.[3] It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by profits[4][5] and ninth-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues. It has shops in seven countries across Asia and Europe and is the market leader of groceries in the UK (where it has a market share of around 28.4%),
Wikipedia

Not so keen on

ASDA

Asda Stores is a British supermarket retailer, “headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire.[5] The company was founded in 1949 when the supermarket owning Asquith family merged with the Associated Dairies company of Yorkshire. It expanded into the south of England during the 1970s and 1980s, and acquired Allied Carpets, 61 large Gateway Supermarkets and other businesses, such as MFI, then sold off its acquisitions during the 1990s to concentrate on the supermarkets. It became a subsidiary of the American retail giant Walmart after a £6.7 billion takeover in July 1999” wikkipedia

While Sainsburys is a British company
“As of February 2018, the largest overall shareholder is the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, the Qatar Investment Authority, which holds 21.99% of the company.[6] It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
In April 2018, Sainsbury’s entered talks with Walmart about a proposed merger with Asda, which could form the largest UK supermarket company.[7]”
“The Qatar Investment Authority is Qatar’s state-owned holding company that can be characterized as a National Wealth Fund. It specializes in domestic and foreign investment. Wikipedia”  and Walmart? No thanks. So while I might be able to get paper wrapped butter at Sainsbury’s (check out the cheese counter), Im not sure I like their politics.

Morrison plc are listed on the London stock exchange. Whilst the majority of investors are British or British companies or pension funds, these investments can be held by anyone around the world.

Plasticfree Finds

But sometimes of course i have to go where the plastic free products can be found. Like salt in a cardboard box at Lidles. Its always a tradeoff. See all our supermarket posts here

The biggest supermarket chains in the UK, by market share are:
Tesco (27.8%)
Sainsbury’s (15.8%)
Asda (15.3%) American
Morrisons (10.4%)
Aldi (7%) german owned
Co-op (6.3%) owned by its U.K. members
Lidl (5.2%) german owned
Waitrose (5.1%)
Iceland (2.1%)
Ocado (1.4%)
from the bbc

If you want to buy from a British chain company, I have listed some  HERE

Widely Available At Most Supermarkets

Bread Mixes – Paper
Laundry Powder – Cardboard, no scoop
Fruit and Vegetables – Bulk, take your own bags
Instore Butcher, Deli, Fish Counters and Bakery- Bulk, take bags and containers
Flour, Sugar, Eggs and Oats – Almost always available in paper or card
Frozen Produce in Cardboard – Linda McCartney, Fish (MSC), Potato Waffles Shake box to check there’s no plastic inside

The Rest

Hooray for Louise Bayfield and her  “POSTIVE PRODUCTS LIST (UK) a list of High Street and Supermar-ket products that have no packaging or in some way help reduce packaging.”

The List
The original PDF will be updated as  Louise shops around so do check back there for updates. 

Remember not all stores stock all products. It might be wise to check ahead if you are making a special visit.
There may well be other products that have not been listed.
Feel free to add your finds in the comments box belew.

Once again thank you  Louise for such a fantastic resource!

Homesence

Castile Soap, Larger bottles – Packaging varies but mostly plastic
Shampoo/conditioner/shower gel/ Bath – Very large bottles, sometimes organic and glass packaging
Soap Bars, sometimes organic- Beautifully wrapped in paper/card – Good gifts
Candles – Often votives in glass or metal tins with no packaging or cardboard box
Glassware – Recycled water glasses and sometimes goblets, No packaging other than a small sticker to base.
Many home items are unpackaged other than a price sticker. Some items are surplus. A good place to look for
Zero Waste Kitchenalia – Glass Jars, Stainless Steel Water Bottles, Insulated Travel Mugs, Tea strainers/Infusers,
Reusable Silicone Bakeware, Wooden Brushes, Scrubbers, Coffee presses, Wooden Boards, Wooden Bowls etc…
Some will be in cardboard or unpackaged with sticker.

Ikea

Crisp breads – Paper
Kilner style Jars – Good value – Paper and sticker
Loose sweets pick & mix stall with paper bags

Ocado

Cake Mix, Wright’s – Paper
You cleaner refills – A concentrated eco cleaner in small plastic bottles

Poundland

Selection of glass kilner style jars – great for those on a budget
String

Robert Dyas

Borax Substitute, Dri-pac – Cardboard

Staples

Toilet Tissue, Maxima – 100% recycled – Large cardboard box, no inner tubes
Toilet Rolls, 8 pack – 100% recycled – Plastic wrap, recycle at Sainsbury’s
Envelopes, various sizes, business size bulk packs – 100% recycled – Cardboard box
Tea and Coffee – Huge catering size packs, various packaging, shake box to check there’s no plastic inside

T.K. Max

A write up here from Liz Hodge.

Missed Some?

If you have a review of a supermarket please send us a link and we will add it. Leave the link in the comments below.

Which Chain

Here are a few tips to help you choose a supermarket. Some are more ethical than others. or you might want to buy from a British company. Read more HERE>

 

Shopping Tips

If you want to buy loose, you will need to take your own reusable packaging – produce bags, tupperware even compostable disposables. You can find them here.
The plastic free freak should remember that
metal lids to glass jars are of course plastic lined .
Tin and cans including those for cosmetics are also plastic lined
Paper and foil wraps will be plastic lined.

Choose Well
If you really can’t do without it and you have a choice a plastic wrapped products, choose to buy the one in simple plastics that can easily be recycled

More Ways To Buy Food

Here is a list of food types category with purchase details
Loose Food
Find out if a shop near you sells bulk food loose. This is stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged. A list of towns with shops selling loose food.

Milk 
Delivered in glass bottles but double check before you order

Other Considerations

Whole food Market A supermarket case study
How to eat plastic free Buying only from supermarkets HERE.

Buy British and cut those air miles. Some ideas HERE

N.B.

lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

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Commercial Composting

by Posted in 3.1 Composting Tagged ,

Ever wonder about how much waste we really throw away each year? Well, studies estimate that 30 to 40 percent of the food produced in the United States goes to waste 30 to 40 percent of the food produced in the United States goes to waste, often ending up in landfills. In 2014, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study found that the U.S. tosses over 3.8 million tons of food every single year.

That’s tragic because so many people in the world are going hungry. Food waste also contributes to global warming and disposing of it costs a lot of money. Using our food more efficiently would be a more permanent solution to the problem, but there are some things we can do to improve our disposal process as well. With composting, disposal doesn’t have to mean the end of food’s useful life and may even have some positive environmental attributes.

How Composting Works

Composting allows us to recycle organic materials, including many food items, yard waste, animal products and paper products. It uses a natural process that’s integral to life here on earth, the decomposition process that breaks down these materials into rich soil from which plants can grow.

Composting takes that natural phenomenon and accelerates it using one of several different methods. Individuals and families can compost their food and yard waste in their own backyards. Large companies sometimes compost their own leftover materials. Some local governments also organize composting operations, and local businesses might offer composting services to nearby residents. These services can be a perfect, easy-to-use solution to our organic waste disposal problem.

Composting Methods

Beyond simple backyard composting, there are a number of methods that large-scale composting operations employ.

  • Aerated Static Pile Composting

One of the simplest methods for composting large amounts of waste is aerated static pile composting. It involves placing well-mixed organic waste into a large pile, along with bulking agents such as woodchips or shredded paper. This method can produce compost within three to six months.

  1. Aerated Windrow Composting

Aerated, or turned, windrow composting involves placing waste in rows that are about four to eight feet tall and 14 to 16 feet wide. These rows, called windrows, must be turned occasionally so that the inner part of the pile ends up in the outside and vice versa. This method is ideal for particularly large amounts of waste.

  1. In-Vessel Composting

In-vessel compost allows for more control of the composting process and produces results quickly. In this method, compost is placed into contained spaces such as large drums, enclosed tunnels or other containers where machinery regularly turns it. This produces usable composts in a few weeks to a few months.

How to Get Involved

Other popular methods of disposing of household organic waste, such as garbage disposals, can be useful but don’t have all the same capabilities as composting. Garbage disposals, for instance, can’t handle solid items like peach pits. Regular trash collection has environmental consequences.

Composting can take care of many different kinds of waste, is environmentally friendly compared to other methods and produces a useful end result – compost that can be used to grow crops and other plants.

Many people don’t have room, time or ability to compost their own waste. For these people, commercial composting methods are the solution. Contact your local government and search for nearby businesses to see if organic waste collection and composting services exist in your area — and whether you can get some freshly made compost for your garden.

Bio:

Emily is a sustainability writer and the editor of Conservation Folks.

Please note…

This post was written by the contributor.

Read more about composting, compost bins and other rotten posts HERE

Guest Post & Plastic Free Promotions

We love to feature guest posts. If you have something to say about #plasticfree living let us know. You can read more about submissions HERE

NB we reserve the right
not to post
to remove guest posts.

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Bleaching Paper

by Posted in 4 About The Alternatives Tagged

Until the 1990s, chlorine was mostly used for bleaching paper because it does the job very efficiently. The downside is that the process results in dioxins. Paper mills a major sources of dioxins in the environment.
Dioxins are known carcinogens that bioaccumulate in the food chain. You can read more here. They are very nasty and we do not want them lurking in the water or our body fat. Thankfully safer alternatives are being developed. Please consider choosing one when you buy any paper product.

Unbleached – BEST
No process is used to brighten the fibre and the resulting paper is the natural brown colour of untreated wood pulp.

When buying bleached paper heres what to avoid and what to buy

Elemental Chlorine. NO.
This is the old school method. A chemical gas is used to brighten paper fibers but results in the most dioxins.

Elemental Chlorine Free. IF YOU HAVE TO
“Uses a chlorine compound, most often chlorine dioxide, that significantly reduces dioxins but does not eliminate them. Paper companies using ECF often say that dioxin is “nondetectable” in their wastewater. This refers only to the sensitivity of prescribed tests, and does not necessarily mean there are no dioxins. State-of-the-art tests are often able to detect dioxins when prescribed tests find them nondetectable.”

Totally Chlorine Free YES
Non chlorine alternative bleaching processes, including
oxygen,
peroxide
ozone bleaching systems

None of the above result in dioxins or chlorinated toxic pollutants.

Processed Chlorine Free YES
When recycled fibres are used in the finished paper this tells you that the recycled content was originally bleached without chlorine or chlorine compounds as well as new the virgin fibres.

The Worldwatch Institute (Paper Cuts, 1999) reports that a mill using standard chlorine bleaching will release about 35 tons of organochlorines (dioxins and chlorinated toxic pollutants) a day. An ECF mill will release 7-10 tons per day. A PCF/TCF mill will release none.

N.B.

Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

And before you go…

If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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Pasta

by Posted in 3.1 Food & Drink

An essential in our house. Quick and easy but hard to get plastic free.

Fresh Pasta

Apparently you can make your own pasta. I even bought the machine. Still not made any!

Dried pasta
An essential in our house. Quick and easy but hard to get plastic free.

Good news is that the Jar Tree in Leeds Market  sells wholewheat spaghettis and pasta twirls both brown and white loose. And  I think the Nut House (also Leeds Market) might sell white pasta tubes.

I love Leeds Market. I love it. Its a great place to buy #plasticfree almost everything. Read a review here

Loose Food

As the plastic movement grows more shops are selling naked food; stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged ie rice, Some sell pasta. Heres a list of towns with shops selling loose food.

Buy Online

But loose food shops are still few and far between, Don’t despair. It is possible to buy food online loose and plasticfree. You can even use your own cotton produce bags for some things. READ MORE HERE.

Better Plastic
Cant be denied that all the above options are expensive and if you really can’t do without it (who can), and you have a choice of plasticless and plastic wrapped products.

Almost Plastic Free Barilla
Barilla sells all sorts os pasta in a cardboard box with a small plastic window. Lots of supermarkets sell it.

Pasta Polythene Bags

Many products like dried pasta come packaged in lovely looking, printed, laminated plastic film.  Or to put it more simply several layers of plastic each with different properties stuck together. 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.
Simple polythene bags are easy to recycle. You can read more about that here.

Check the recycling info on the package to find out more.

Tescos
Sell pasta in bulk in polythene bags. Sadly they don’t do whole wheat or organic pasta like this so you will have to make do white white pasta twirls. Possibly other supermarkets also do this.

More

Supermarkets & Chainstores
Because sometimes we have to shop there and yes you can get plastic free and zero waste stuff. Read  our supermarket reviews here.

If you want to buy loose, you will need to take your own reusable packaging – produce bags, tupperware even compostable disposables. You can find them here.

Feel guilty buying plastic packed food? So do we but sometimes you have to so we apply the special treats rule. read more about the three levels of plastic free food

See all our food posts via the food index

N.B.

lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

And before you go…

If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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Asking for sponsors….

by Posted in 5 Blog Social Media & Map 4 Comments

Long term readers will have noticed that Google ads have arrived on site. I never wanted to but I need the cash. Until now all the work done has been done in my spare time and for free. I see it as my pro bono environmental work. I will continue to do work for free because I believe in it.

I also pay for the hosting and other costs of putting it online. That doesnt cost a huge amount but my income is not huge either.

But as the blog, and the plasticfree movement grow, it is becoming increasingly demanding. I can’t afford to spend any more time on it so I am looking for investment that will allow me to take time away from my self employed paid work.

So if you have any spare change and are looking for a cause to sponsor – or have found what we do useful – consider bunging it our way and buy another #plasticfree hour for the cause.

Why support me?
I have been living, travelling and promoting a plastic free lifestyle for over decade now.
I was one of the first plasticfree bloggers raising awareness about plastic pollution.
I have a huge database of plastic free alternatives and life style hacks up on the website, I regularly share information on social media sites and host an online discussion group via Facebook.
I am the only person curating this kind of resource on this scale

Why Is This Important?
Advising people about the plasticfree alternatives is vital because
Plastic waste has already fundamentally changed the ecosystem with unknown consequences.
Plastic pollution looks ugly, costs a lot to clean up and is killing animals.
Problematic plastic and plastic misuse needs to be stopped at source.
People need to be aware of plasticfree altenatives before they can choose them.

So if you think what we do is worthwhile, consider buying us a coffee.
Many thanks for your contribution.Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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Creams & Lotions – Recipes

by Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade, 3.1 Personal Tagged , , 1 Comment

The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone other than me. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully.

Disclaimer

Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
a) doesn’t have any training in this field,
b) most of what they know comes from Google,
That’s me I mean.

If you want a better informed opinion I suggest you head on over to the Aromantics website. They will sell you everything you need to make sun tan lotion including recipes you can download as a PDF. They have been in this game for years and are far more qualified then I am.
The following is an account of my own experiences which may help you in your own research.

It is so easy to make your own creams and lotion that once you start you will never look back. The advantages are huge; you get to control what goes on your skin, be way more eco-friendly and save a whole load of cash. You can make almost anything the cosmetic companies sell but without the palm oil, dodgy chemicals and weird colours. Though you can have all those too if you want.

Lotion and cream is basically a mix of oills,waxes or butters with water combined using an emulsifier. Lotions are thinner, cream more solid.

Do you really need to make a cream? Many times you can use an oil or butter neat. But sometimes they are just too oily.

Many commercial creams including E45 use mineral oil. That’s derived from the same gloopy black oil we use to make petrol.

ingredients

To make cream or lotion you will need

Oil, butters & waxes.
There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. Generally speaking the richer the oil the heavier the cream, the more water you put in the lighter the lotion. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you.  See my guide to oils here.

Water
There is much talk of using distilled water but I use tap.

Cooking thermometer
VERY useful .

Emulsifiers:
Water and fat do not naturally mix, you need to use an emulsifier.You have to add other ingredients to turn what is basically salad dressing into lovely thick cream. So in addition to oils and water you will need an emulsifier.

Notes On Emulsifiers

The most complex ingredient in cream is the emulsifier. The water and oils are simple enough but this is what makes them bind together.

There are a few completely natural emulsifiers  but they  do not give consistent results.
Most commercially used emulsifiers are manufactured. They are most often derived from coconut oil and palm oil. More recently, rapeseed has been used.
But some are produced from pig fats. Check what you buy.
I have tried a few with varied success BUT
A combination of VE Emulsifier, MF Emulsifier and Cetearyl Alcohol works every time and can be used to make a wide range of products from thick creams to thin lotions.

VE Emulsifier or Glyceryl Stearate is a vegetable-based emulsifier
Cetearyl Alcohol is a vegetable based emulsifying wax
MF Emulsifier or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate  can be fermented from lactose (milk sugar)but more commonly comes  from nondairy sources such as cornstarch, potatoes and molasses.


Palm Oil
Please note that all the above also may be derived from or include palm oil. Be sure to buy from a good practice supplier. For example there should be something this note on Aromantics VE emulsifier “The Palm oil that is used in both in MF/VE emulsifiers comes from suppliers that are either members of the Round Table of Sustainable Palm Oil or a subsidiary company or who are members of FEDIOL which supports sustainability. FEDIOL is a European industry federation based in Brussels”.
You can read more about palm oil here.

Preservatives

Optional?

Oil on its own does not go off – there is no water for bacterial to feed on. Once you have added water to oil then it can. Now your creams are vulnerable to bacteria. Preservatives will help “keep” your cream. I don’t use it as it can cause skin irritations. And I find cream without I less itchy on my skin. I have had a few pots of cream go mouldy but we are talking maybe 5 in the years I have been making my own creams. You can read up and buy preservatives here Aromantics

However there is a growing movement on the internet that insist the bacteria that could grow in your creams could be harmful if spread on the skin. Obviously bacteria can grow in your cream  which is why preservatives are added. Without preservatives your cream might have a shorter shelf lie.  As to wether it is harmful I cant find any actual research linking cream to infection but i suggest you research more.

For me being able to use moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin flare up is a worthwhile risk. However I do store it in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time to scoop some out. 

Pots
to put your cream in.

Process

Heat the Fat Stage ingredients in a double boiler (or a metal pot on hot water) until above 75°C. Use a thermometer to check.

Boil the water add the MF emulsifier and other Water Stage ingredients to 75°C.

Take off heat. Now pour the Fat Stage into the Water Stage in a slow steady stream before they drop below 75°C.

Mix well – I use a hand blender.

Allow to cool. Whisk occasionally to achieve a nice creamy consistency. As the mixture cools it becomes thicker and more creamy. It will reach its thickest consistency when it has cooled down to room temperature.

When the temperature is below 40°C you can add active ingredients
perfumes or essential oils and other magical things to make you look years younger.

You can also add specialist ingredients to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.

Put the Cream into jars and label.

Take Care

That everything you use is clean, very clean.
Make sure you have enough pots to store your cream in.
That you label it – and date it. Believe me you will forget!

Recipes & Kits

Here are some sample recipes.

Supermarket Cream (My recipe)

You can buy all these ingredient from the supermarket.  I cut the olive oil with the lighter almond oil because I find it rather heavy.
Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!

Fat Stage

  • 20g Cetyl Alcohol
  • 70ml Almond Oil Tesco’s or Asian Shop
  • 30ml Olive Oil
  • 20g coconut oil Tescos or Asian Shop
  • Water Stage
  • 800ml water
  • 40g MF emulsifier
  • Fancy Aromatics RecipeTo be honest I think this recipe has way to many ingredients but I like this company, I have used their products many times and think that this will probably make a nice cream. It is also useful to have a recipe that lists by percentages.You can experiment and use different oils, or even less oils. Just make sure the percentages stay the same. For example you can cut the thistle oil and use 10% Apricot Kernal Oil.

    By percentage
    Fat Stage (above 75°C)
    2% Cocoa Butter
    3% Macadamia Nut Oil
    7% Apricot Kernel Oil
    3% Thistle Oil
    2.5% VE Emulsifier
    2% Cetearyl Alcohol

    Water Stage (above 75°C)
    4.5% MF Emulsifier
    69% Boiling Spring Water
    2% Glycerine

    Third Stage (below 40°C)
    1% Preservative 12 or Eco
    1% Vitamin E Simulated Natural
    2% NFF Complex
    1% Essential Oils of your choice

    From Aromantics

    Rich Tropical Delights Cream (My recipe)

    Much easier far fewer ingredients. I cut the olive oil with Almond because I find it rather heavy.
    Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!

    Fat Stage

  • 25 g VE Emulsifier
  • 20g Cetyl Alcohol
  • 70ml Almond Oil
  • 30ml Coconut Oil
  • 20g Shea butter
  • 10g Cocoa butter
  • Water Stage
  • 800ml water
  • 40g MF emulsifier
  • Design Your Own
    You can adapt the mix of oils for the above recipes based on your personal preference.
    If you want to design you own cream from scratch, follow these guidelines…
    style=”font-size: medium;”>Emulsifiers 5-8%
  • Oils 12-20%
  • Water, Additives, and Botanicals to 100 %.

Trouble Shoot
Cream too thick? You cannot add more water once the mixture has cooled. This ruins the cream – it will not rub in. You will need to make a thinner lotion and mix your creams to achieve the desired consistency. You can add more oil and mix well. This of course makes your cream more oily.

Lotions

If you want a thinner cream add more water at the water stage.

Kits

If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk  It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.

Anti Aging, Sun Tan Lotion & Fake Bake
You can add  specialist ingredients to your base to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.

Buy

Aromantics is a good and ethical supplier of ingredients but expensive. I buy a lot of stuff in bulk from other suppliers. Ebay is a good source. Prices vary so do shop around.

I store my creams in old jars but for display  I have bought some glass jars with metal lids.

Plastic Spoiler

Most plastic base ingredients come in plastic bags but I get huge amounts cream out of one small bag of ingredients so I consider it a worthwhile compromise.

Making Personal Care Products 

Its quicker then  trying to choose between a hundred different shampoos and it’s really simple, fun to do, so much cheaper  and  I get to control what goes on my  body, where it comes from and what environmental impact it has.

Lots more info here on  toothpaste and other products  
and making other stuff – here.

Making creams while travelling

You cannot carry a years supply of home made cream in your rucksack so here are some ideas about making your own home made creams in hotel bedrooms.

Kits
If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk  It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.

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Gift wrap reusable

by Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade Tagged ,

Which wrap should you choose? Well we prefer reusables over all else so here are some wraps you can use over and over again…

Reusable Wraps

Wrap your presents in cloth and tie with string
Or just use cloth and the ancient Japanese method of knotting. Called furoshiki. YOu can find more info here .
Make or buy reusable crackle paper made from recycled tents.
Make or buy a fabric gift bag
Try this stretch wrap from Wragwrap
fabric bottle bag from Wragwrap

Crackle Paper

I have to admit to using synthetic tents. I feel this is one instance where plastic really is the best product for the job, (remembers sleeping under canvas and shudders #plasticweuse). But what to do when your trusty old tent is no longer up to the job. Well you could re- use  it to make crinkly sounding wrapping paper. Or if you don’t camp, or sew, you could buy some recycled Glastonbury tent wraps form these guys….
FESTIWRAP

FestiWraps are made from tents, discarded at UK music festivals such as Lattitude and Glastonbury, and then collected by us. Tents that cannot be recovered by charities and would normally be sent to landfill, are collected, cleaned and used to create fabulous reusable gift wrap. The wrap itself is made from two outer layers of tent fabric sandwiched around a piece of ground sheet.  This creates a crinkly sound like paper folding and un-folding, bringing the emotional sounds and experience of a wrapped gift to life.  The fastening cord, which makes the FestiWrap so quick and easy to use, is made from the recovered tent guy ropes. You can buy here.

More

You can find other gift wrap options here, plus biodegradable sticky tape, string and pretty ties

And you can read up more about special days and general partying here.

VOCs

by Posted in More Information Tagged

Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are a class of chemicals that are volatile.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds which means they contain carbon atoms. That easily become vapors or gases.

Which makes them great as a base for paints And ink. Anything that needs to dry quickly.

VOCs are released from burning fuel such as gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas.

They are also released from many consumer products as they evaporate.

They can contain fluorine, bromine, sulfur, nitrogen and other elements.

Cigarettes
Solvents
Paints and thinners
Inks
Adhesives
Hobby and craft supplies
Dry cleaning fluids
Glues
Wood preservatives
Cleaners and disinfectants
Moth repellants
Air fresheners
Building materials and furnishings
Copy machines and printers
Pesticides

paint thinners
degreasers
aerosol cans
dry-cleaning products
paints
photographic supplies
printers and photocopying machines and supplies

Toxicity

Whenever the weather is hot, VOCs are more likely to be present in the air we breathe, and therefore more dangerous to human health. Not all VOC are known to be toxic, however in some cases there are clear negative effects, depending on the compound, the length and intensity of the exposure. Formaldehyde, diesel exhaust, styrene, benzene and perchloroethylene are known or suspected carcinogens, and heavy traffic, smoking and various types of workplace exposure can pose serious health risks. Known health effects include:
respiratory tract problems
headaches
fatigue
dizziness
nausea
liver and/or kidney damage
problems of the central nervous system
Read more here
When VOCs combine with nitrogen oxides in the air, they form smog.

Substances Toxic VOCs Listing
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethene
1,2,3 Trichloropropane
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane
1,2-Dibromoethane
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,2-Dichloroethene
1,2-Dichloropropane
1,3-Butadiene
2-Butanone
2-Hexanone
Acetone
Acrolein
Benzene
Bromodichloromethane
Bromoform & Dibromochloromethane
Bromomethane
Carbon Disulfide
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
Chloroethane
Chloroform
Chloromethane
Dichlorobenzenes
Dichloropropenes
Ethylbenzene
Formaldehyde
Gasoline, Automotive
Hexachlorobutadiene
Hexachloroethane
Hydrazines
Methyl Mercaptan
n-Hexane
Nitrobenzene
Stoddard Solvent
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)
Toluene
Trichloroethylene (TCE)
Vinyl Chloride
Xylenes

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Extracts

by Posted in 3.1 Food & Drink Tagged , , 2 Comments

Did you know that simply by steeping herbs, peel and fruit in alcohol you can make extracts? I discovered this quite by accident when researching what to do with an excess of leggy lavender from a rampant bush. I found a post about lavender vodka and because I refuse to follow recipes, I used far too much lavender.  Rather than a delicately flavoured beverage I ended up with a murkey liquid which, lucky for me,  turns out to be an extract.

Make Your Own

Extracts are strongly flavoured plant extracts. They used to flavour drinks and food. They are a great way of using up a glut of something and preserving it for use later in the year. They are incredibly easy to make and have to be the easiest way of preserving.

The alcohol used is usually vodka and the general rule of thumb seems to be to buy mid range. Too cheap and the nasty flavour intrudes, too expensive and it is a waste of good vodka. Some recipes also suggest rum.

The method is the same.

Take the herb put it in a jar cover it with vodka and leave in a cool dark place remembering to shake occasionally. Time steeping varies with the herb and the recipe.
Once done you strain off the liquid through a sieve and them some fine cotton.
Here are some steeping guidelines.

  • Lavender – flowers steep for 4 weeks
  • Vanilla use the beans steep for two months.
  • Mint leaves one to two months.
  • Citrus Extracts use the rind of the fruit but not the bitter white pith. Use organic unwaxed fruit. steep for 5 to 6 weeks.
  • Cinnamon bark (sticks) steep for two weeks.
  • Berries  6 to 8 weeks or longer.

    • Apparently extracts will keep for  3-5 years.

    Interesting articles
    Three main reasons for using alcohol 

    post

    Water carbonated / fizzy drinks

    by Posted in 3.1 Food & Drink Tagged , 4 Comments

    I have long wanted a Soda Stream to make my own fizzy water for soft drinks and, more importantly, mixers for gin -the best of all spirits. For now I am buying tonic in tins (but they of course come plastic lined), or bottle (plastic-lined, metal cap and very expensive!).

    But it has to be a SodaStream Crystal Sparkling Water Machine ( see one here) because these take glass bottles rather than plastic.

    Until now there have been 2 drawbacks to this scheme. Recently I have been traveling… a lot. No fixed abode means no large kitchen appliances. Extended travel also results in limited income and those things cost around £110.00 pounds. Yes I am sure I would make the money back in the long run but in the short term I simply don’t have the cash.

    Recently however the planets have aligned. I now have a kitchen and I got a bargain on Ebay. A new Soda Stream machine in original packaging for less than half price. Given my gin drinking habits, I will soon make that back!

    Yes the machine is plastic but I consider this to be plastic that ultimately cuts my plastic consumption. And of course it is cutting my consumption of  disposable plastics while it is a reusable item.

    Packaging

    The Soda Stream itself was well packaged. The box is shiny cardboard (maybe plastic coated) with one little plastic carry handle. Inside it was all brown card protective units. Yay!

    The Ebayer I bought it off sent it wrapped in bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard and plastic tape.

    If I had got it from a shop it would have been almost plastic free… but when you are skint you often have to compromise. Sigh.

    Bottles & Gas

    It was so cheap because it came without a bottle. At least that is what I understood the blurb to say. So I bought some gas and a glass bottle from Amazon. I know it was wrong of me and I wont do it again but they too were bargains.

    The Amazon packaging was cardboard with plastic tape and the original soda stream gas and bottle packaging were (plastic coated?), shiny cardboard.

    The gas bottle itself had a plastic cap and a seal. And a plastic sleeve with information printed on. I see no reason why this could not be paper.

    Not In My Bin….

    The tape had to go on my monthly plastic tally but the boxes I free-cycled. There’s always Ebayers who need packaging.

    Syrups

    To make fizzy drinks you need to mix the carbonated water with concentrated cordial. You can buy a range of Soda Stream mixers to make all manner of beverages from cola to tonic. They come in plastic bottles and while this represent a massive cut in overall plastic consumption, I think it is avoidable.

    You can buy cordial in glass bottles from most supermarkets but it is really easy to make your own and you get to control how much sugar and other nasty additives go into them. I find commercial soft drinks, even tonic, to be way too sweet.

    To date I have made raspberry fizz and ginger and lemon sparkle. Both taste great with gin!

    Raspberry Fizz

    Go to Bently Grange PYO fruit farm and get some raspberries. Boil them up with some sugar. Strain. Add fizzy water. Yay!

    Ginger & Lemon Sparkle

    Boil ginger pieces, lemon juice and sugar. Strain. Add fizzy water. You can save the ginger to flavor other stuff with. Goes great with melon!

    Grapefruit & Lavender Blush

    Juice of the grapefruit, few heads of lavender the last dollop of jam. Add some sugar, boil.

    Storage

    If you put enough sugar in I guess these cordials would last a long time. I don’t use much sugar so I make small batches and keep them in the fridge for a few days. If I make a lot I  freeze the cordial as cubes of icy flavour.

    Find more recipes in the plastic free cookbook

    Subscribe…

    by Posted in 5 Blog Social Media & Map 6 Comments

    Anyone out there want to subscribe to my blog? Desperate to read my posts as they steam… hot off the press I mean? Well now you can. Finally got an E mail subscription plugin thats free, easy to use and set up.

    So here’s your chance to sign up. Please do -would love to have you aboard..

    [email-subscribers namefield=”YES” desc=”” group=”Public”]

    Facebook

    Facebook groupf eaturedI have 2 Facebook pages which  highlight the problems of plastic pollution and the people tackling it and a  group for chatting sharing and hanging out with like minded plasticless folk.

    Please do feel free to join me at any or even all (keen!). I would love to have you along Here is a quick intro followed by more detailed note.

    • Plastic Is Rubbish–  group, join, share, rant, post. A resource for plastic less living.
    • Planet Trash – A page of images showing  plastic pollution the world over and the biggest list of anti plastic groups on Facebook. If you want to be on it, contact me there. Read more here.
    • Plastic Free U.K. – linked to the U.K. plastic free directory. This page is linked to the U.K. plastic free directory, a list of U.K  groups, people, organisations, businesses and individuals interested in tackling the consequent problems of our misuse of plastic. If you have a project please send a write up so we can feature it.

    Instagram Also got me an Instagram account which I now almost understand..

    Pinterest Love it – people there are so creative. Loads of really useful ideas and pictures of lovely #plasticfree products.

    Twitter Natch!

    More

    You can read more about plugins here.

    The above plugin is called Email Subscribers & Newsletters and is by Store Apps.  It makes my longterm plan of ditching Jetpack a little bit more achievable.