Most Tampons are made of cotton, rayon, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene. Some of these materials are not bio-degradable. Organic cotton tampons are biodegradable, but must be composted to ensure they break down in a reasonable amount of time. Rayon was found to be more biodegradable than cotton [30].
Wikkipedia
Generally, tampons are blends of cotton and rayon, along with synthetic fibers, but each manufacturer’s products are different and considered proprietary.
In the United States manufacturers aren’t required to fully disclose what goes into a tampon or pad. That’s because they are regulated and approved as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration Read more here.
Tampon Components Function Material
Applicator Helps to comfortably insert the tampon Cardboard made of tightly wound paper or plastic with pigments for color
Absorbent Core Provides protection by absorbing and storing menstrual fluid Cotton and/or Rayon
Thin Fabric around Absorbent Core Helps with smooth removal; helps form the absorbent skirt on certain designs Rayon and polyester or polyethylene and polypropylene
String Used to remove the tampon; also has a braid on certain designs Cotton and/or polyester; Polypropylene braid
Thread Used to attach the string to absorbent core Cotton-wrapped polyester or polyester
Fragrance: Only on versions labeled as scented. All other versions do not include fragrance. Provides a fresh scent Fragrance ingredients like those found in other women’s products
Much as I love the Mooncup ( an internal, reusable, menstrual cup ) there are times when it is just a little bit, well, hands on! Occasionally you need to use disposable internal protection but the impact on the planet, and possibly your body, weighs heavy on your mind. And quite rightly so!
Step up Natracare who realising that “Most applicator tampons are made from 100% rayon or a mixture of rayon and conventional cotton, overwrapped with polypropylene, a by product of the petroleum industry. The applicator tubes of many brands are often made from plastic.” have brought out a completely compostable, organic cotton tampon with cotton cord. It has a biodgradable cardboard applicator. The tampon comes wrapped in paper and packed in a cardboard box. “They are non-chlorine bleached and women can be reassured that they do not contain synthetic materials, such as rayon, or chemical additives such as binders or surfactants. Certified organic cotton removes the risk of direct exposure to residues from chemical pesticides and fertilisers used on traditional cotton.”
Testing
I was given some to sample which I dished out to the laydeez. I and they can confirm that they work as well as any other. But over here at PIR we test rigorously and I did the bag test. You know the one where you carry round your emergency tampon that gets jumbled up in the bottom of your bag Yes for sure some people out there have special little wallets – I don’t. So here’s a bit of news for the rest of you bag sluts: the paper wrapper lasts just as well as plastic. Weeks later a bit battered but still fine. You can see the full range of Natracare products here , and stay tuned to PIR for more reviews. Coming up next – pantyliners (how I hate that word) You can find lots more plastic-free, menstrual products here
Non Applicator Tampons – massively plastic reduced
While the actual tampon is as above and plastic free, the wrapping is plastic. “Our non-applicator tampons are wrapped in polypropylene due to obligatory medical device regulations!”
BUY
You can buy these products in shops. If you want to get them on line try Ethical Superstore or Amazon
Talking of stunning, look at these cycling outfits. Made not from synthetics but lovely merino wool. They do tops and cycling shorts.
As cyclists, we know that when it comes to clothing comfort is king. Jura Cycle Clothing jerseys are British designed and made of 100% fine Italian merino wool. They are both lightweight and durable, allowing maximum performance in comfort.
Did you know merino wool has fantastic wicking properties? And it’s itch free, breathable and anti-bacterial – meaning you can ride for days without washing your jersey!
Our unisex jerseys are popular for their great retro design so, whether you are out for a casual ride to the pub or powering up the Col du Galibier, you will not only be comfortable, you’ll look stylish too!
Sadly they ar a little out of my price range I haven’t actually tried one but I love the designs and of course that they are made from wool. They have some great reviews.
NB They are actually made in Turkey. You can buy from HERE
Hats
Research has shown that broad-brimmed hats provide protection equivalent to an SPF (sun protection factor) of approximately 5 for the nose, ears and neck. [For a discussion of the shade provided by hats, see “If You Can See the Sunlight, Seek the Best Shade”] click here
Although nothing can guarantee 100 percent protection, the hat is an important weapon in the skin protection arsenal.
So I am currently hat hunting!
Also Sun related….
Ever Seen A Sheep With Sunburn?
So tell me buddies – is this true? I don’t want to cast nasturtiums on any ones credibility but you do hear and awful lot of nonsense out there in google land. Can anyone confirm? Does woolen fabric absorb U.V.?
“Merino wool has the property of absorbing UV radiation and thus keeping away from your skin. Merino wool fabrics have a sun protection factor of 40+. The time you can stay in the blazing sun with a Prosa merino shirt without getting a sunburn will be 40 times longer. Synthetic fibres and other natural fibres cannot offer comparable protection without having to rely on the use of questionable ingredients.
Merino wool has a UPF of 40 and more. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. Just like a sunscreen with the abbreviation SPF, the Sun Protection Factor. These terms indicate how much of the UV radiation is retained. Conventional cotton T-shirts have a UPF of about 10, which means that approximately 10% of UV radiation can penetrate your skin. A UPF value of 40 means that more than 97.5% of the radiation is retained. So you are well protected with your prose shirt.”
How Shady Is Your Shirt
You can buy sun resistant clothing. UPF, the ultraviolet protection factor, measures protection from UV radiation in fabrics. A shirt with a UPF of 30 indicates that just 1/30th of the sun’s UV radiation can reach the skin. However a lot of it is made from synthetic fibres as they are better at blocking out UV. In a controlled laboratory study polyester provided more protection than cotton, linen, acetate, and rayon fabrics of similar construction (Davis, 1997). Sigh. another way to achieve a high UPF is to chemically treat the fabric. If synthetic fibre, chemically treated clothes don’t appeal to you, you will have choose your natural fabric carefully.
A quick and very rough test for UPF-factor is to fabric up to the light source. The more light shines through the more UV hits your skin. Loose weaves of fabric allow more transmission of rays thorugh than more closely woven fabrics. So lightweight closely woven fabrics may provide higher UV protection than heavy weight but coarsely woven fabrics Color–darker-colored fabrics transmit less UV rays, thus they block more radiation than the lighter-colored ones.
Laundry–washing fabrics increases their protectiveness because shrinkage and the loosening of fiber ends creates a tighter weave. Further, the UV protectiveness of a fabric during use depends on overall quality of fabric, stretch, and wet versus dry condition (Curiskis, 1996). Interesting read here https://msu.edu/~aslocum/sun/protectclothing.htm
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
DISCLAIMER
Absolutely no animal testing
The information in this blog is for guidance only. None of the recipes or tips in this blog have not been tested on anyone other than me and some fearless chums. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully. Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
Time to buy new panties, knickers, bloomers, draws, step-ins – call them what you will.
I am a simple woman with few needs – I want full coverage, cotton and no silly plastic packaging.
But as you know buying such is not easy!
Where to go? Well Marks and Spencers is the traditional choice for pants. Veer away from the five packs in plastic bags and look at the knickers on hangers.
The hanger is of course plastic. However the boy behind the counter assured me the hanger was REUSED – not recycled – REUSED. So on purchaseleave your hanger behind, pack your panties in your own bag and off you trot!
You might be able to find some cotton ones though last time I was there they were all synthetic fibres.
More Info
Ready Hung Clothes
I used to think that when the clothes arrived at the shop they came in boxes? and were unpacked. Then they were hung on hangers that would, if I refused them, be re-used to hang more clothes. This is not the case. Many clothes now come by which I mean packed in a plastic bag and already hung on its own hanger. I’ll just say that again. Every piece comes with its own hanger! If I refuse a hanger chances are it will not be reused but thrown away.
Recycled Or Not
Though the bags and hangers can be recycled I have no way of knowing if they will be. Even if they are, recycling is only a more responsible form of waste disposal. It still comes with an environmental cost. Just because plastic can be recycled is no reason to use it to create everlasting trash and in such ludicrous amounts.
There are other styles to choose from including a stylish fair trade hipster style knicker are made from turquoise bamboo jersey.
N.B. The organza bags, lace and elastic are all synthetic but the production team are fantastic! And they don’t come ready hung on plastic hangers or in plastic packs. I think it is a good trade off.
Malbar Mamesahib is organised by Kerala Crafts, a charitable body established in 2001, registered as a charity in October 2010.
“Its objects are to help provide an alternative to a life of poverty by supporting 5 projects in Kerala, Southern India:
Valsalya Bhavan – an home for rescued girls aged between 5 & 16 years
Adelaide Bhavan – independent living for older orphaned girls
Vimala Welfare Centre – meeting the needs of marginalised women
Malabar Memsahib – a women’s stitching co-operative in mid-Kerala
Fair Cotton Cooperative Alliance – a range of fair trade cotton products”
This is an area where you want to do your own research and decide what level of protection you need. I do not use antiseptic or disinfectants because I don’t do surgery on my kitchen table or have a low immune system. I keep stuff clean and it seems to work. BUT this is a subject about which I know little. This is my understanding of it. I strongly advise you to do your own research. Here goes…..
Microbes
The world is full of microbes – micro-organisms – or germs. “Microbes are single-cell organisms so tiny that millions can fit into the eye of a needle. They are the oldest form of life on earth. Microbe fossils date back more than 3.5 billion years to a time when the Earth was covered with oceans that regularly reached the boiling point, hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Without microbes, we couldn’t eat or breathe.Without us, they’d probably be just fine.” Which is maybe why we seem determined to wipe them out. Microbes are everywhere. Inside you outside you swarming all over that keyboard you just touched to type in that fantastically appreciative comment.
They can be divided into four main groups – bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Some are good such as the composting microbes, some are bad such as the pneumonia germs, some just bumble about doing what ever it is they do in their teeny tiny world. “By and large, the vast majority of the microbes on this planet are not those that make us sick. We have only scratched the surface to what microbes are out there, and more of them are harmless or even beneficial to us,” Says a scientist.
Kill THEM!!!!!!
But still we want them dead. And here’s how.
Antiseptics & Disinfectants
What are they and now are they different
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that slow or stop the growth of micro-organisms (germs)
They are used on living tissues and cells on external surfaces of the body and help prevent infections. Though they are antiseptics they are often called skin disinfectants,
Antibiotics destroy micro-organisms inside the body, NHS website says…Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infection. They work by killing bacteria or preventing them from reproducing and spreading. Antibiotics aren’t effective against viral infections, such as the common cold, flu, most coughs and sore throats.
Disinfectants destroy microorganisms which infect nonliving objects.
You would use an antiseptic to clean your hands, a disinfectant to clean your breadboard and an antibiotic to kill pneumonia Wikkipedia tells us that Some antiseptics are true germicides, capable of destroying microbes (bacteriocidal), while others are bacteriostatic and only prevent or inhibit their growth. Antibacterials are antiseptics that have the proven ability to act against bacteria. Antiseptics are not antibiotics.
Using Antiseptics and Disinfectants
This is not meant as advice I am just relating my personal choices. I never use disinfectants or antiseptics. I clean with soap and bicarbonate ( which is mildly antiseptic but not as good as vinegar).
Most Common Uses
Disinfecting The Home
Food preparation, kitchens and bathrooms are the obvious places for disinfectants. You don’t want bad germs in your food. I do the obvious things like wash my hands before eating and after I have touched anything dirty. I keep cooked and uncooked food separate. I don’t eat raw meat. I store food in clean conditions. I wash the chopping board if I have used it for meat before I use it for anything else. I have two boards that I use when preparing food. I clean fruit and veg before eating. For all of this I use soap and hot water. soap and a good scrub. I don’t think think that anything else is necessary. , Also disinfectants kill all microbes, the good the bad the stuff we don’t know what it does yet. Which is unessecary and possibly harmful. There are arguments that living in a sterile atmosphere lowers resistance to infection as the body has not built up any resistance. Clean not sterile is my mantra.
We need to talk about vinegar…..
Commercial disinfectants are extremely effective. Green alternatives are billed as kinder less harmful. They are certainly less harmful to the microbes because they don’t work as well.
Vinegar & Essentail Oils Vinegar is the much touted disinfectant of choice for the plastic free. It is about 5% acetic acid. It’s the acid that kills bacteria and viruses, most probably by denaturing (chemically changing) the proteins and fats that make-up these nasties. It is good but not as effective as common commercial disinfectants. Vinegar will not kill salmonella, “which can transfer from raw meat to chopping boards and onto other foods to give us food poisoning.” Ammonia, baking soda, vinegar, Borax, “are not registered with EPA and should not be used for disinfecting because they are ineffective against S. aureus.
Hydrogen peroxide can also be used The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved hydrogen peroxide as a sanitizer. It can kill salmonella. Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and melons that were infected with strains of E.coli. Essentail Oils – there is even less evidence for efface of essential oils and they take a lot of resources to produce.
Cleaning A Wound
For a long time hydrogen peroxide was used as an antiseptic on open wounds and grazes. Now many recommend against it saying it also kills off healthy tissue and beneficial bacteria. In short using any antiseptics on an open wound is an area of medical controversy.
“In clinical practice, antiseptics are broadly used for both intact skin and wounds, although concerns are raised based upon their effect on human cells and wound healing. Opinions are conflicting. Some authors strongly disapprove the use of antiseptics in open wounds.[6-8] On the other hand, others believe antiseptics have a role in wound care, and their use may favor wound healing clinically.[9,10]
Web MD claim that cool running water “is the best treatments for common wounds, and that you should rinse the wound for at least five minutes to remove it of debris, dirt, or anything else that may be in there. The water will clean the wound out well enough for your body to take over without harming the still living tissue around the wound.“
I don’t get many wounds and when I do, I don’t use antiseptics. Most cuts and scrapes seems to clear up with out infection – even when travelling in some of the dirtier places. Again, not a recommendation just an observation.
Skin Disinfectants ( Antiseptics)
Removing bacteria from the skin is done to prevent the spread of disease. The area of skin you need to keep cleanest is your hand which carry microbes from place to place by touch.
Soap
The easiest way to disinfect the skin is to wash with soap and water. But don’t bother with anti bacterial soaps. “Washing your hands is extremely important for preventing the spread of infectious illness, especially at critical points like after using the toilet, changing the baby, or handling raw foods. But consumers can’t assume that antibacterial soaps are better for this than other soaps.”
Soap doesn’t kill bacteria but removes it .
“harmless and harmful microbes stick to the oil your hands naturally produce, and, absent removal, willingly hitch a ride until they reach their ultimate destination (inside of you or somebody else) where they can in some cases wreak havoc…. [washing hands]… for at least 20 or more seconds at a time, is a highly effective way of removing bacteria despite the fact that the bacteria doesn’t die, but is simply flushed away when you rinse (or wiped off on a towel).”
Alchohol
If you have no soap and water or that is not appropriate you can try alcohol. Both ethanol or ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, or isopropanol can be used as antisceptics and have similar effects. However ethanol or ethyl alcohol is the stuff that makes you drunk isopropyl alcohol, or isopropanol (also known as rubbing alchohol or surgical spirit) is made from propene derived from fossil fuels and water.You can read more about it here
If you want a petroleum free product use ethyl alcohol.
ethyl alcohol.
Can be used as a skin disinfectant. It effective against a wide range of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi, and kills most bacteria, fungi, and many viruses on the hands and skin.
It is commonly used as skin antiseptics, often in the form of wipes Wise geek
It is
effective against a wide range of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi,
kills most bacteria, fungi, and many viruses on the hands and skin
is commonly used as skin antiseptics, often in the form of wipes or gels, and for disinfecting surfaces
Its main main effect on microorganisms seems to be to coagulate essential proteins, rendering them ineffective, and causing cell death or inhibiting reproduction.
It may also have a dehydrating effect and may interfere with the functioning of cell membranes. Wise geek
Mouth & Mouthwashes
Now this I do use. I have a troublesome wisdom tooth that occasionally flares up. I can keep it at bay with a rigorous tooth cleaning regime. When it is bad I use a salt mouthwash. And I have used hydrogen peroxide which seems to work.
Sodium chloride (salt) solution can be used as a mildly antiseptic mouthwash.
Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a mouth gargle The Merck Manuals recommended diluting the 3% hydrogen peroxide 50 percent with water, but suggest it as a rinse and part of a treatment for trench mouth, for example. The FDA has approved 3% solutions of hydrogen peroxide for use as a mouthwash. Most sources said to use it only for a short time, however, such as part of a treatment of a mouth infection. A report from Well-Connected (written or edited by physicians at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital) recommended against extended use, saying that overuse may actually damage cells and soften tooth surfaces. We were not able to find any authoritative information about hydrogen peroxide and canker sores.
Hydrogen peroxide may be amongst the better options.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved hydrogen peroxide as a sanitizer. It can kill salmonella.
Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and melons that were infected with strains of E.coli.
You can use of hydrogen peroxide is to bleach hair. The concentrations are between 3% and 6%.
It can be used to clean blood stains out of clothes and brighten colours but do be careful it doesnt actually leave bleach marks.
DISCLAIMER
Absolutely no animal testing
The information in this blog is for guidance only. None of the recipes or tips in this blog have not been tested on anyone other than me and some fearless chums. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully. Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
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
Pets are not really my area of expertise. I had a goldfish once but that’s it. So please if you can add anything useful to this post, dive in.
Homemade Dog & Cat
When we were pet sitting in Loas, we would buy meat from the market and boil it up with rice. That kept 2 dogs and 3 cats going.
1 kilo rice
1 kilo mainly liver and a bit of intestine
Boiled the meat – drained the water used that to boil the rice.
Mixed the two together.
Lasted for 9 feeds they were fed twice a day.
The weight of the container may make a difference at checkout. Some shops subtract the tare weight but other don’t. The tare weight is the weight of the empty container.
One of the joys of living plastic free is that you have all kinds of useful base ingredients in the cupboards so should you ever forget anything, like a birthday say, you can easily remedy the situation with this fantastic bodybutter / intensive repair cream, any old guff to suit cream…. in minutes!
Here’s my recipe for super-fast, super-creamy body butter
60 grams coconut oil – hard
60 grams shea butter
5 grams oil – any oil
Mash it up with a spoon then whisk with a hand whisk to make lovely,fluffy body butter.
I Never Forgot Essential Terry’s Chocolate Orange Love Mousse.
Add some Cocoa and some Sweet Orange essential oil to the body butter
Because this is meant to be used fast, I put it in a hand decorated, compostable, paper/PLA pot from Vegware. Being paper, these are easy peasy to draw on so you can quickly personalise your pot. Few hearts and kisses later, pop the lid on, top with a card and tie up with hairy string. For sure the drawings could have been better but I only had a Sharpy, a fluero highlighter and time was against me.
NB go steady on the cocoa, too much and there is a chance you will end up looking like a politically incorrect, 70’s song and dance troupe. This can work against you in the romance department.
I Never Forgot Rose Essential Hand Repair.
Something for Mum? Here I added some colour and rose essential oil to make. I put this is one of my posh pots – glass with a metal lid….classy!
Base ingredients
I love aromantics and buy most of my stuff from them but there are loads of good guys out there
I use soap to
wash my body (I don’t like using soap on my face so I cleanse with oil and water.) Instead of shampoo.
washing the bath and other household cleaning chores.
Which Soap?
Buying plastic free soap can be tricky. Even those that come in boxes might be plastic wrapped. Try the squeeze test. If the box crackles there is plastic inside!
Dove comes in a box plastic free but has some nasty ingredients and is not so good for washing hair
Ethical Soap
Should be easy enough but buying soap can be an ethical minefield. Here are some of the things you might not want in your soap.
sodium tallowate is from animal fat usually from cows
Sodium lauryl sulfate (commonly known as SLS) .
Synthetic fragrance – which may contain DEO a phthalate used as a solvent and fixative. Despite the general bad press about phthalates this one is considered safe.
Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil (PKO). I’ve use of this product has impacted adversely on the habitat of the orangutang a now endangered species. You can find out more about it and why we minimise our use of palm oil, here .
And of course we like to support locally made products.
Here are our favourite ethical soaps
Made IN Yorkshire
Friendly Soap is Yorkshire soap and packaged plastic free. Here is some info from their WEBSITE
“Ethics come before profits at Friendly Soap. From start to finish, no stone is left unturned in the quest to produce zero-impact soap. Sustainability and ethical integrity are top of the list, bringing you fabulous natural soap that benefits the planet, its animals… and you.
made using the ancient cold-process method of soap making, which creates a biodegradable soap with zero by-products.
Energy consumption is kept to an absolute minimum
every bar of soap is poured, cut, stamped and packed by hand, here in the U.K.
contain only the finest natural ingredients. Guaranteed cruelty-free and vegan, and free from Parabens, SLS, Pthalates or Triclosan.
They are sold locally in some outlets or you can buy them in plastic free packaging online.
Nationwide
Another ethical soap that is sold loose in most health food shops is Suma soap which are
“made in the UK, vegan and do not contain parabens, triclosan or phthalates.
Our range is free from artificial preservatives, colours and fragrances (we use essential oils to scent our products) and we guarantee our products have not been the subject of animal testing by Suma or our suppliers.
Suma handmade soap is made using the traditional cold process method of soap making, which generates zero by-product. Suma soaps are poured, cut, stamped, and packed by hand – using as little energy as possible.
Suma bodycare products do not contain methylisothiazolinone or phosphates and are GMO free.”
Read more HERE
Plastic Free Online
And this in reply to a tweet from Friendly Soaps
Hi Kate, Thanks for getting in touch. All orders are sent out from our website plastic-free. We use card and paper tape where ever possible. Our soaps can also be found in a lot of health food grocery shops around the UK. We look forward to reading any article you may write.
Etsy
There are a lot of artisan soap makers producing high quality sustainable soaps.
Pull off the silver casing covering the “well” of the mascara. Don’t be afraid to pull hard!
STEP 2
Now do the same for the mascara wand casing.
STEP 3
Unwrap your new mascara refill, and insert into each part of the casing. You should feel it “click” into place. The refill can be recycled, and your Kjaer Weis makeup is now ready to use!
Its seems that this comes in plastic free packaging and while the product its self is not plastic free, it is recyclable and represents a huge reduction in plastic. I am investigating. For more details visit https://kjaerweis.com/about/intelligent-refill-system
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
For the plastic free pooch in your life, a biodegradable plastic food bowl!
“Eco-friendly and functional, Becothings are tough and durable. The Becobowl is dishwasher safe and will last for years in the home – when you are done, simply drill a few holes in the bottom and bury it in a flowerbed! Because Becothings are made from waste waste rice husks and sustainably grown bamboo, land is not being taken away from food production to make them (phew!). They are made from 80% plant material and the rest is amino-acid resin – they will break down in a few years once they are underground”
This is something I really hate …. plastic bags of dog @*%! hanging from the bushes.
But then plastic bags of dog poop anywhere are a bad idea and a big problem!
According to PFMA (Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association) the dog population of the U.K., in 2014, stood at 9 million. The average dog according to Streetkleen produces 340g of fecal matter per day x 9,000,000 dog population = 3,060 tonnes of poo per day x 365 days per year =1,111,900 tonnes of dog poo annually.
Why Not Landfill?
Putting plastic bags of poop in landfill is problematic for the following reasons
Biodegradable waste does not do well in the unnatural conditions of landfill. It bubbles away producing methane another more potent greenhouse gas.
The non biodegradable waste, plastic, is there for ever.
But how do you dispose of dog poop responsibly and environmentally?
Seems there are two options:
Flushing:
Composting.
Flushing
Here’s what the United States Environmental Protection Agency has to say about cleaning up pet waste.
“Pet waste can be a major source of bacteria and excess nutrients in local waters. . . Flushing pet waste is the best disposal method. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local waterbodies.”
If you don’t fancy using your own toilet you can get an attachment for your outside drain. The doggybog.
The Doggybog™ unit fits onto your existing outdoor soil pipe and can be DIY fitted in less than 30 minutes. Simple removal of the cap means that you can throw the dog waste down the pipe, then with the cap replaced you can flush it away. Your dog poo goes into the sewage system never to be seen or smelled again.
There are flushable bags out there on the market like these
“Fsh Puppies™ doodie bags are Certified Compostable in industrial compost facilities that accept pet waste, where they will disintegrate and biodegrade swiftly.* (Sorry, home composters, they’re not suitable for backyard composting!)
Flush Puppies™ are flushable, too. Yes, really… flushable. Made from Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) – a water soluble alternative to regular plastic – Flush Puppies™ are specifically made to be flushed down the toilet along with your pet’s waste. (It’s science – not voodoo!) Unlike regular plastic bags or other so-called “biodegradable” poop bags, Flush Puppies™ actually break down in water.”
Read more HERE.
You can buy them from Amazon U.K.
Pet poop composter
Use compostable plastic bags such as BioBag dog bags and get a pet poop composter. You can read more about compostable plastics here and you can find cheaper than Biobags by Googling.
Use them in conjunction with a pet poop composter. I believe that composting is the future. A household that can turn its own waste into food for the plants is truly sustainable and delightfully green. And who wouldn’t want to be any of those? I have a number of compost bins BUT I don’t have a pet so cannot try this. I thought of getting a puppy but apparently they are for life, not just for composting.
How they work…
A pet waste composter is a bin set in the ground. Chuck the pop in and nature will deal with it naturally. It will compost away. Just to reiterate, the resulting material is left in place. It is not meant to be used as compost, rather that the composting process is used to naturally dispose of dog poop!
Have a look at these ready made dog waste composters. You bury it in the back garden and drop in the poop.
Here is an Australian product called Yard Art in action
Here is a home made one
And an article, you can read on the subject. Using the Compost…nooooooooo
MATT SULLIVAN writes a thoughtful and informative piece about the joys and perils of pet poop composting. As he says “several writers discourage pet owners from the practice at all. Others gave specific warnings of not using the final composted product in any edible gardens. A handful wrote that the compost from domestic animals was safe and could be used in vegetable crops.”
But, despite doom laden warnings, he goes ahead and uses worms to compost his dog dirt. It’s a success and he concludes that “even if you have no desire to add compost to your garden, I believe it makes sense to be a good steward of your animals. You feel good, help out the environment, and have an excuse to spend time outside.”
Wise words.
A worm composting bin. Worms are eating the newspaper bedding and producing compost. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Shaving is a big part of almost every adults life wether a beard or a bikini line. Back in the day razors were reusable items now of course they are plastic and throwaway. Obviously something has to done about this. Both the husband and I have trialled the razors on the market. Heres a quick synopsis of our findings:
Not shaving:
Electric reusable razor – plastic but long lasting – my preferred option.
Metal safety razor with a reusable body and a disposable metal blade – did not work for either of us:
Metal cut throat razor with a blade you can sharpen – way too scary for us:
Disposable razor – the husbands preferred options but he has found ways to extend life and reduce use:
Not Shaving…Happy Days Of Hairy Legs
Razors always gave me a horrible shaving rash so I stopped shaving my legs. This was back in the 80’s when I was a student. In those days and social circles it was perfectly acceptable to stomp round in D.M.s, proudly sporting fuzzy legs. How I miss them. But times change and so do bodies. Now everyone is depilated to within an inch of their labia and with age my leg hair has got thicker and blacker. While I would never go for a Brazilian I did feel the pressure at work to shave my legs. And I gave in. It was that kind of job and office.
Electric Shaver
But age did not change my extreme reaction to razors so for a long time I waxed. Then one day I tried an electric razor. Wahey. No shavers rash at all. I know that an electric razor is made from plastic but my battery operated Phillips has lasted years and is still going strong. I appreciate that shaving your legs is not absolutely essential but there is a strong social pressure to do so. I think a reusable plastic shaver is plastic fairly used. What do you say?
A Dry Shave Is A Greener Shave
PLUS an electric shave is a dry shave which cuts down on your hot water use. Apparently the most carbon intensive part of your shave is the hot water used. Wet shaves are way less green. You can read more about this here.
You can read more about the plastic we use here….
Metal Safety Razor
This has a metal body and takes double sided, disposable metal blades which you have to replace.
Husband being a tightwad he bought a rattly old thing from an Indian bazaar. he hated it. I spent ages trying to persuade him to give the metal razor another go. My argument is he bought a rubbishy, cheap thing and paid the price. His argument was TWENTY FIVE QUID FOR A RAZOR. And yes they are expensive. But that said you save loads on the blades over time and of course cut your waste. Finally I made and executive decision and went and bought him one.
Using A Safety Razor
Well neither of us could get the hang of the safety razor. Hubby still cut himself to bits I still got a revolting shaving rash But there are others out there who swear by them. Check this out
Reviews
After posting about our close shaves with a razor in some of my favourite zero waste groups, I got loads of positive responses. FYI I have quoted some below. Thank you for taking the time guys….
“I love my safety razor i use it with my homemade coconut oil soap as it lathers well. (On my legs and underarms) yes i do shave slightly slower but have never cut myself (well not so far!)”
Others say that you have “to get the angle right when shaving, and it is a difference since you don’t need to apply any pressure to the handle. I just let it glide along the skin and it works great, the one and only cut I got was when I turned the angle too sharp and pressed down by accident.”
But I could have got him a Mutiny Box Shaving Kit. These guys are ” Anti-corporate! Anti-plastic! Anti-animal testing! Vegan friendly! Carbon Neutral! Yoghurt-knitting! Lentil-weaving! Tree-hugging! Wet shavers!”
And they sell a shaving kit which as long as you don’t mind the synthetic bristles (plastic) in the shaving brush, is almost plastic free. I haven’t used them so cannot judge the quality but I like their style.
You can also get razors, and the replacement blades, on Ebay.
Blade Plastic Spoiler
Sometimes the blades will come in a plastic box but it is possible to get them in cardboard. I quote from Facebook here: “I’ve been buying blades from http://www.shavelounge.co.uk/and they have free delivery in the uk. I bought a package of different kinds of blades since I wanted to try them out and they all came in cardboard and individually wrapped in paper.”
Straight Razor
Seems the hard-core, zero-waste find the safety razor too easy and have moved on to a straight razor which, (I think), is also known as a cut throat razor. Yes one of those Sweeney Tod things.
For the love of pies why?
Because “it gives me a closer shave and cause I don’t have to change a blade.” Rather “you just have to sharpen it every once in a while and use a strop at home before each use to align the blade.”
And not just for the gents but “a small Dovo made for women that I adore, it’s great for getting to the back of the knee and the bikini.”
Any one fancy guest posting on the straight razor? I would love to know more but I am never, ever going to try myself. I say I am clumsy is to understate. Currently got two fingers wrapped in plasters from a rather nasty paper cut! Quite frankly I would prefer to look like a monkey then return of the mummy.
Disposable Razor
Husband went back to disposable blades limited his use of them by growing a beard. So on trend!
For the few bits he still has to shave he used a Gillette blades with the reusable handle. Being, as already stated, careful in the wallet region he hoards those heads and uses them for ever.
Or you could invest in a Razor Saver “The Stay Sharp Razor Saver keeps your blades clean and free of hair, skin and soap buildup that lead to dull blades and uncomfortable shaves. Patented friction technology cleans and sharpens to make you feel like you’re shaving with a brand new blade, every day! Works with all men’s and women’s blades including cartridge, disposable and double edge blades, and guaranteed to extend the life of your razor up to 6 times your normal use.”
You can further cut your plastic by getting a “Beautiful, Oiled Beechwood Handle, Fits Mach3 Blades” They also do oak and olive wood.
Microbeads…. the newest way to exfoliate. These tiny particles, or microbeads, scrub away at the skin supposedly leaving it wonderfully cleansed. These beads may well deep clean your skin but guess what? Unless otherwise stated, they are almost certainly made from plastic.
After using, they are washed off your face and down the drain and into the ocean where they become pollutants that don’t biodegrade. Truly, plastic is rubbish!
Here’s a really easy way to avoid this problem.
Reusable Products
Cotton Flannels – the old school way to clean up. Rub away the dirt and dead skin…it works, honest.
Want tougher love? try a luffa. These dried fibrous vegetables will buff up your blackheads and polish your butt. I got mine, unwrapped, from TKMax. I cut off smaller pieces to do my face with. Gently scour.
Then there are natural bristle brushes for body brushing. This is exactly as it sounds. Brushing your body and I love this. I have had my brush for ages and I can’t remember where I got it, but these look quite nice – sustainable beech body with pig bristles – vegans and vegetarians you could try these with tampico fibres.
Exfoliating Scrubs From the Kitchen….
All these have been recommended on the internet. I usually use the above so cannot really comment.
BE CAREFUL
it is probably good practice to do an allergy test and do some further research.
Disclaimers
If you are happy to bumble along with me and are 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,
Welcome aboard but please, proceed with caution….
Bicarbonate of soda. Before I knew as much as I did about bicarb I did use this occasionally on my face when it got really greasy and blotchy looking. Since I have found out how alkaline it is I think it is best left for the the laundry. I do not advise that you use it on your skin.
However if you choose to, its particles are rough enough to scour off dead skin but not so brutal as to leave you weeping. You can get plastic free bicarb here.
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Salt is good and scratchy and makes a good scrub. It is not as harsh as pumice, and you can use it in a plastic bath. I like it for my oily chest but would not use it on my face. You can find plastic free salt here.
Sugar Scrubs – use sugar mixed with coconut oil. This one seems to work well .
Oatmeal – described as soothing, exfoliating, soft (no scratchy edges) and known for its gentle, skin-healthy effects. It also contains vitamins B and E. Grind up plastic free oats in a food processor. I don’t use this on my face because I have get a reaction to it. I find it too brutal.
Coffee Grounds – grab them out of the pot rub them on. Let them cool down first! I will use these occasionally and sparingly as it is a bugger to clean the shower afterwards
Other stuff….
For truly brutal exfoliation try pumice powder…arghhhhh. Best suited to hands, feet and really grisly elbows. Use up to 10% in a moisturising cream base (find out how to make your own right here). Do not use the pumice scrub on sensitive skin. Do not use in a plastic bath – it may take off the surface. Can be bought from Aromantics. (NB Comes in a plastic bag)
Other plastic free health and beauty products can be found right here
ever forget anything, like a birthday say, you can easily remedy the situation with this fantastic bodybutter / intensive repair cream, any old guff to suit cream…. in minutes!
Chuck the pop in and nature will deal with it naturally. It will compost away. Just to reiterate, the resulting material is left in place. It is not meant to be used as compost, rather that the composting process is used to naturally dispose of dog poop!
