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How to make it yourself plastic-free

by Posted in 00 Featured Post, 3.2 How To...plastic-free, 5 Blog Social Media & Map 3 Comments

There comes a point when living plastic-free  means making stuff. Sometime you just cannot buy what you want and so your only option is to get all Blue Peter, source the ingredients and actually produce something. Turns out it’s quite fun and not that hard! Here are some of the skills I have mastered..erm….sort of ….maybe.

Sew

Making your own clothes is probably the only way to get them totally plastic-free. Plus the only way I can afford fair trade organic clothes is make them myself. And I get to support local fabric shops
How, why and where to buy can be found  here

Cookbook

Who knew? Baking – it’s not that bad!  Check out the plastic free cook book here

Making Make Up

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.

See all our homemade lotions, toothpaste, fake tan & the rest.  

Cleaning Products

i don’t make many cleaning products. I use bicarb neat and occasionally vinegar. Mostly I scrub with natural bristles. You can read about my cleaning products HERE

Compost

Take control of your own waste and make plant food Here

Ingredients

An introduction to some of the stuff you need to make the above

Made From Plastics

up-cycling plastic is a good way to use up waste plastic. Have a look at what these talented folk have done over in the arty crafty part of this blog   and check out my PINTEREST board. Lovely but by no means the answer to plastic over consumption.

How to make it plastic free

  • 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
Join our Facebook group here

Price of a cup of tea  – micro fund me  here 
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Cotton for sewing.

by Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade Tagged 7 Comments

#pfuk cotton
Buying plastic free cotton is hard. In my experience a lot of the cheaper cottons come plastic wrapped. If you buy unwrapped, cotton cotton (if you know what I mean), the reel is plastic! Buy  cheaper “cotton” often on a cardboard reel and the thread is not cotton but synthetic! Polyester or some such which is of course non biodegradable and plastic!  But then I found this….on a wooden reel – from Intermarche. Yes I know that’s in France. I bought loads to sew with at home.

Turns out I needn’t have bothered.

Offset Warehouse supply organic cotton cotton on a wooden reel completely plastic free

Their products are posted out in cardboard boxes with plastic tape and the invoice in a plastic bag on the outside. You can read a review here 

Organic Biz do what look to be the same and say this about them …. the cotton is “made from organically grown long staple cotton which gives a silky strong thread. Cost is £2.99 natural or coloured  and are 300yds (275m) which compared to Gutterman 100 metre spools of thread (around £1.50).
They come on heavy wooden spools, really nice to handle”

Their products are posted in a plastic bag… you can read a review here

Review

I have used both and they work fine… and yes the reel really are lovely. Off to Pinterest to see what I can do with them.

More

 

 

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2015 Plastic free July Mongolia

by Posted in 3.2 Outside the U.K., 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 6 archive Tagged , , 2 Comments

…..is hard. Here’s an update. So far we are totally about  4o items that contain some plastic and 4 plastic wrappers each.

It has been pouring down here (with a light dusting of snow – sigh!), so we have been sitting in a lot of cafes in an effort to keep warm and sometimes try to log on to what they advertise as wifi but is in fact an exercise in optimism. Something I am rapidly running out of.

When we sit we have to buy a drink. Here they serve milk tea. A confusing name because it contains no tea at all. It is a dash of milk a lot of hot water, a dollop of grease (butter?) and enough salt to make your lips twist. It tastes…..another sigh! I’ve tried, I really have – but I don’t like hot milk at the best of times. And these are most definitely not the best of times!

So we have been drinking a lot of plastic related beverages. Never a beverage from a plastic bottle! I’ll never sink that low but glass bottles with plastic lined lids, plastic lined cans and the occasional tea bag (which of course contains plastic).  You can find out more about these sneaky plastics here.

This adds up to around 2 items a day each.

When we have access to hot water we are making our own tea with loose leaves we bought in China.

For water we are using our Steripen to sterilize tap water.

But we have been trekking and camping in yurts so have had to buy some of our food. Outside of Ulan Batur the choice is poor. There are markets but they sell mostly pre packed processed food – plastic packed sweets, plastic wrapped processed sausages, instant noodles and packet soup. The only fresh food is weird buttery cheesy stuff that looks like grimy wax and tastes mildly yet unpleasantly of rancid butter. There are a few shriveled fruit and veg that are extremely expensive and meat. And lots and lots of meat. All around sheep are being skinned or carved up into bloody chunks. Furry feet are discarded on the floor, and once a sheep head staring up from the park bench where it had been absently left.

But we have had to eat something while huddled in our yurt and so we have bought 3 plastic wrapped loaves of bread and 3 packets of biscuits. Rather then leave them out in the national park rubbish bins I burnt the wrappers on the fire. There were simple polythene and so (it is claimed) safe to burn.

Back in Ulan Batur and our hotel gave us a sandwich for breakfast. It was included in the price and made as we thought in house. Today they served it in a plastic box. I ate it anyway. And I bought another packet of real coffee. Plastic packed of course.

Litter 

With all this plastic packaging hardly surprising then that there is quite a lot of plastic trash. Everyday we litter picked in the national park collecting huge amounts of bottles.

Waste disposal methods in the city also leave a lot to be desired. Plastic bags are dumped in the street to to be collected by truck at some point. Stray animals scrabble through it looking for food. Then bin men go through the garbage first looking for cans. Inevitably some plastic rubbish escapes in the process.

Check out our FB album for updated photos.

Posted by Planet trash on Sunday, 19 July 2015

CAMFORR Keep It Real Keep It Clean

So for Plastic Free July I am begging everyone to join in campaigning for real rubbish. You can read about it here.

Keep Our Glass

And asking folks to sign the petition asking Dairy crest to keep their refillable glass milk bottles.

In the pack

Rummage in our plastic free backpack here

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Ethical Superstore

by Posted in 3.2 Shops & Businesses 2 Comments

are an online retailer.The following was taken from the website

We strongly believe that the breadth and depth of your values as an ethical consumer are personal to you. Whether you’re new to the idea of ethically-conscious buying or you’re very passionate about a whole range of ethical issues that affect what you buy, those values are personal to each and every one of us. Taken together, our shared values are something that we feel the wider community should engage with, offer support for, and encourage.

Both we and our ethical suppliers are grateful that you want to support all forms of ethical purchasing – our aim is to empower you to make the choices that are right for you and your family.”

This year they are tagging their goods plastic free! Those that are I mean!

“We have tagged this collection of products across the store to help you reduce the use of plastics during Plastic Free July and beyond. This group of products uses natural materials instead of plastic, encourages reuse of items instead of single-use plastic, and wherever possible eliminates the use of any additional plastic packaging for delivery.”

Plastic Free July

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How to Refill

by Posted in 3.1 Disposables & Reusables, 3.2 How To...plastic-free Tagged 7 Comments

Imagine a world where you returned your empty milk bottles to be refilled and took your washing up liquid bottle back for more of the soapy stuff. Seems such an obvious way to save resources and cut waste doesn’t it? Well thankfully a few far seeing people still offer such great services. You can find them here.

Any we forgot? Please let us know in the comments section below. Together we can make changes!

U.K. water bottle refill schemes

Water Abroad We sterilize our own water using a Steripen …. but when a bottle refill service is offered we will use ...
Read More

Inhalers Homemade / Recycling

Now I would never suggest you don't take your plastic packed medication. If you need it you take it. But ...
Read More

Refill/Bulk/Zerowaste Stores

Bulk buy or refill stores are places you can buy all kinds of food like rice, suet, even soup mix ...
Read More

Cleaning products – refill system

Planet Earth offers a range of household cleaning products with a unique refill and reuse system. It works and has ...
Read More

Cleaning Liquid Refills

ECOVER  do all of these products and you can get your plastic bottle refilled. To find where Ecover have a refill ...
Read More

Wine

I do have a social life. I occasionally get to  go out to dinner and wine is the present of ...
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Milk Buying Direct /Refill Vending Machine

Recently our van trip has been milk free. Seems they don't do milk in bottles in France. But if you ...
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Oil Vegetable Cooking Refill

Vegetable oil is difficult to source plastic free. Buy in glass and the metal caps will have a little plasticized disc ...
Read More

Beer

Of course you can get beer in bottles but those metal caps have a plastic liner or small disc to ...
Read More

Milk & Milkmen

British consumers got through nine billion pints of milk last year. 90% of that milk was bought in a plastic container ...
Read More

Water Refills World Wide

Find out first Of course water in many countries the water is actually safe to drink - you can find ...
Read More

Washing Up Liquid Soap

Soap Flakes I did try to use soap flakes to wash up. I did not find it  pleasant. Yes it ...
Read More

Pen Ink refillable

Here is a one of the worlds finest inventions as radical in its time as the computer has been in ...
Read More

Reusables

I don’t think theres enough said about reusing stuff. By which I don’t mean recycling – recycling is great but it usually means the waste product is taken away then processed into something else.
We really don’t need a new bag every time we buy some beans. A cotton reusable bag is more than good enough. Yet we have become such a throwaway society we have almost forgotten about reusables.
Here are some products that dont need to be thrown away after a few uses.

Disposables

Sometime you need a disposable and when you do it has to be compostable.  Here are biodegradable bags for the butcher, paper cups for the office party and plastic free tampons. To name but a few. Find them here

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Fabric – Online, Fair trade and Organic

by Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade Tagged 11 Comments

I  love supporting my local fabric shops but the fabric is not organic or fairtrade.  So I decided to split my sustainable budget and buy me some green threads. Actually I wanted them in blue….hahahahha.  No, what I wanted was fair trade and organic cotton. Some  research later and I  came up  with several online suppliers.

Here’s a list of shops – some of which I have used, others that I like the look of.

Used

Offset Warehouse but they seem to have shut up shopThey have a wide range of fabrics including Peace Silk that is silk made without killing the caterpiller, organic jersey and ethnic prints. You can find them all here
Their explanations of the fabrics provenance were clear and detailed. They give the fabric weight and suggestions for its use.
Their products are posted out in cardboard boxes with plastic tape and the invoice in a plastic bag on the outside. You can read a full review here 

Organic Textile Company They too had a good range of fabric and they state that ” All our fabrics are good quality inexpensive organic, cotton fairly traded.
” Though they don’t actually have a fair-trade certificate you can see that they are commuted to the cause. There are  some nice personal details about the people they work with. I know who made my fabric.

Their products are posted in a plastic bag… you can read a full review here

Maggies Fabrics I bought some Highland wool, pink gingham cotton and some lawn from Maggie, a very nice Ebay trader who is based in Leeds. It came packaged in a plastic bag.

Not used yet

The information is taken from the website

Lancaster & Cornish Ribbons like this…. This bias cut feather weight habotai silk is super soft and drapy.  The silk is dyed with natural plant dyes in our Cornwall studio.

And lace like this Manufactured in Europe, this guipure style lace trim is 100% certified organic cotton from seed to finished product. The family run factory have developed an innovative process to manufacture with environmentally friendy, non-toxic production techniques from seed to finished product,

 Mauds Fabric Finds

Where I finally find a 100% organic cotton knit in a design I like.

Simple, subtle plusses on a gray ground make up this sophisticated fabric. 100% organic cotton knit.
At 200 grams per meter, this interlock knit is soft, stretchy, and sturdy enough for easy sewingGreen Fibres

Have a look at our range of organic, natural, fairly traded fabrics by the metres. You will find a comprehensive selection of organic cottons, wools, linens, and silk and hemp and also interesting combinations of these natural fibres.  If knitting or crocheting is your passion, you will find organic wool and natural alpaca yarn in vibrant plant-dyed colours or attractive natural shades to suit a variety of uses.

Hemp Fabric

Currently the majority of clothes and design fabrics are made from cotton. The major global fibre crop, it is also the most environmentally harmful, using 25% of the world’s pesticides. The mass introduction of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides has helped keep the price of cotton and other fibre and oilseed crops low. However, as pests have become more resistant to these chemicals, larger quantities are required, poisoning both land and water. Hemp, by comparison, needs little or no insecticides or herbicides and produces three times as much fibre, making it more environmentally friendly.

Raystich
Has a nice range of wollen fabrics some of it made in the U.K.. Plus some pretty organic cottons some printed. And this

ORGANIC COTTON FLEECE – GREY MARL

£11.00 Soft, fluffy-back sweatshirt fleece with a tight weave. Perfect for sweatshirts, baby blankets, cushions… It has an approximate 20% stretch with 97% recovery, and stretches two-way. 100% organic GOTS-certified cotton. 1.8m wide. 330gsm. Made in Turkey.

Price is per HALF metre. Multiple order quantities will be cut in a continuous length..

COTTON SWEATSHIRT RIBBING – STRIPED DARK GREY/GREY

Heavyweight cotton sweatshirt 1×1 ribbing for use as cuffs, neck and hems on both woven and stretch garments. This comes as a tubular knit that you can fold it over in many places depending on your required cuff length to create the cuff piece.

Ian Mankin
Ian Mankin is delighted that everyone is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental, ethical and medical advantages of buying organic products and that more manufacturers and retailers are importing wider ranges at more economically acceptable prices into the country or making them up here – but Ian Mankin are leading the way in weaving delightful designer organic furnishing fabrics in our own mill in the UK – high quality, reasonably priced organic fabrics made by a British firm that has lasted six generations and is the first of the few remaining cotton mills to weave organic cottons and linens.

Majestic Textiles ltd  
The company stocks fabrics in their natural, boiled off (BO) state. These plain silks are then used as canvasses, upon which unique hand-painted or embroidered designs are created according to the wishes of the individual customer. The company purchased a field in Hertfordshire, UK, in 2011 to grow Mulberry trees. Leaves from these organically grown trees are used to feed the silkworms, which then provide the organic silk cocoons. This process was monitored by the Soil Association, which awarded us the certification for Organic Silk in 2014.
Majestic Textiles does not use any detergents or bleaches, or feed its silkworms with hormone enhancements, as is common practice amongst many producers. The silkworms are allowed a full life circle, which gives the silk ‘Peace Silk’ status. This is the ethical process of allowing the silkworms to live a complete lifecycle. The silk cocoons are not taken until the metamorphosis is complete and the moth breaks free. The silkworms need 14 days in their cocoon feeding off the silk inside. This means only half as much silk is left at the end of the process, which is the main reason most silk producers bypass the ethics and kill the silkworms as soon as they cocoon. Majestic Textiles’ commitment to its silkworms is the reason we were awarded ‘Peace Silk’ status. Once the moth has broken free, it spends four days mating, before laying its eggs, and dying.

The hemp Shop Hempiness have yet another winner for us with this pure Organic Hemp Strapping. Following on from their Hemp webbing, here’s a different style.Need something that is properly tough? With Hemp’s legendary tensile strength, its breaking strain is the strongest in the entire plant kingdom, you’ll never be let down by this fantastic product. This is the strongest most durable hemp material in the range. Less flexible than the others it is great for products that need a little more power such as bags, belts, chairs and even edging material for rugs.

Drapers Organic

are the Hemp Shower Curtain, Hemp Fabric and Hemp Homeware Company. We believe you should be able to have style and comfort whilst still enjoying a healthier, more sustainable living environment. We have therefore designed our own elegant range of hemp shower curtains, contemporary hemp fabrics and mix and match hemp tablecloths, napkins, runners, cushion covers & curtains. With our organic cotton sanitary pads, bamboo towels and hemp bags too, we aim to offer a real and affordable alternative for our customers. Thank you for looking.

Eco Earth Fabrics do some organic, fair-trade and hemp fabrics

Well Cultivated www.wellcultivated.co.uk
The finest wool, yarns and raw fleeces produced in the UK and processed in Lincolnshire, the home of Sir Isaac Newton whose family were sheep farmers at Woolsthorpe Manor. We are offering a range of rovings, skeins, wool and raw fleeces from alpaca, angora mohair, Dorset White, Jacob and Hebridean sheep.

More

And there are more fabric shops that I haven’t yet looked at taken from this very useful  website 

Harlands Organic Furnishings www.organic-furnishings.co.uk
Specialist suppliers of organic fabrics, mainly for soft furnishings

Cloth House 47 and 98 Berwick Street, London.www.clothhouse.com
020 7437 5155Limited range of organic cotton and other fabrics, plus English wool and pure wool felt by the metre

Absolution Saveshttp://www.absolutionsaves.com/
Will print to commission on organic fabrics with non-toxic dyes

M is for Make www.misformake.co.uk
Retail Cloud 9 printed organic cotton made in the US.

Ardalanish Isle of Mull Weavers www.ardalanish.com
Organic wool tweed made in Scotland

British Made Eco www.britishmadeeco.co.uk
Organic and sustainable fabrics

Susie www.sukie.co.uk
Small range of organic cotton printed fabrics

K1 Yarns
www.k1yarns.co.uk
Limited range of organic cotton printed in Scotland
0131 226 7472

Denise Bird Woven Textiles
Ethical and organic textiles
http://www.denisebirdwoventextiles.com/
info@denisebirdwoventextiles.com

The African Fabric Shop
www.africanfabric.co.uk
Not officially fair-trade status but ethically-sourced fabrics
01484 850188

Myriad Online
www.myriadonline.co.uk
100% wool felt including natural-dyed and organic stuffing wool

Handmade Presents
www.handmadepresents.co.uk
Wool and organic wool felt including naturally-dyed

Twisted Thread
www.twistedthread.com
Organisers of Festival of Quilts and Knitting & Stitching Shows where a range of independent fabric suppliers can be found.

The Original Re-enactors Market
www.reenactorsmarket.co.uk/
Market for historical re-enactment. Suppliers of wool and linen fabrics from various sources.

Naturtuche
www.naturtuche.de
German supplier of historical fabrics including some naturally-dyed wool and hemp fabrics

Make Do & Mend

Jen over at the blog of the same name has a good list of resources including this list of suppliers of ethical fabrics, ribbons and lace. I will make that flouncy neglige yet! And pants. An organic make your own pants pack! Coolio!

And a very interesting post on using second hand supplies.

More

For all things fabric try How To Sew Plastic Free

Local fabric shops.
British made Fabric
Regenerated Fibres & fabrics  a very basic introduction but beware – bamboo is not as green as you might think!
Kinds Of fabric – my ongoing experiences with natural fabrics.

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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Compostable Plastics Index

by Posted in 1.3 Plastic Types - Fact Sheets, 3.1 Composting Tagged , 7 Comments

Plastic was the name given to early synthetic products such as cellophane,  that were derived from cellulose. These plastics  were biodegradable. Then they learnt how to make similar products from oil. Or rather from the bits of crude left over after they had finished making petrol. The same name was then given the oil derived product. But there were crucial differences. This new product was  made in a very different way and did NOT biodegrade.Since then yet more “plastics” have hit the market. Made from all kinds of things. Some from plant starch and some are certified compostable.

To conclude;
Currently, non- biodegradable, oil derived plastics are the most commonly used and so we tend to ascribe their qualities to all types of plastic.
In fact plastics can be made in a variety of ways from a variety of materials; shale gas, oil, plants even chicken feathers;
And different plastics have very different qualities. Some plastics do biodegrade and are certified compostable
Want to know more about plastic? Read up here

Biodegradable, Compostable Plastics

Just to remind you:
What is biodegradable? Biodegradable products break down through a naturally occurring microorganism into simple, stable compounds which can be absorbed into the ecosystem. More about biodegrading here
What is compostable? To be classed compostable, items must biodegrade within a certain time (around the rate at which paper biodegrades), and the resulting biomass must be free of toxins, able to sustain plant life and be used as an organic fertilizer or soil additive.
For a man-made product to be sold as compostable, it has to meet certain standards. One such is the European Norm EN13432.
You can find out more here.

Home Or Industrial Compostable?

Composting can be done at home, by community or on a much larger scale by the council

Home Composting
Composting is usually done on a small scale and most people will be familiar with the concept of a backyard heap or garden compost where household waste is rotted down into garden mulch.

Composting Plastic At Home
While most agree that PLA plastic is indeed compostable, many say that it can only composted in large scale municipal schemes.
They are wrong. I have been composting plastics for years.
Read more HERE

To be sure you are using a compostable plastic get one that has been certified compostable. Check out the logo.

Compostable Plastic Products

See a wide range HERE

Industrial composting
However large-scale schemes are becoming increasingly popular. In the UK communities band together to compost a whole street is worth of waste. Even city councils are getting in on the act.
These larger projects are sometimes called industrial composting

The difference is is that industrial composting is a lot hotter and can work more quickly.

Composting On A Larger Scale

Case Study – A Cafe
Cute Boscastle National Trust Cafe uses compostable disposables and composts them. Read more HERE

Other options include Community Composting
Community composting is where local community groups share the use and management of a common composting facility.
And Municipal or Industrial Comosting
Read more HERE
How councils compost on a large scale – read more HERE

Compostable Plastic Products

These compostable plastics, like oil derived, are extremely versatile.
They can be thin and flimsy which means they can be used to make

PLA Compostable Plastic Bags

And longer lasting products like phone cases

See a wide range of compostable products HERE

Compostable Plastics Types
Cellulose derived plastics such as Cellophane.
Starch based PLA plastics. They are certified compostable.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHAs  are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of ­sugar or lipids.
chicken feathers bioplastic.

 

A Note On Bioplastics
Most compostable plastics are also bioplastics. Bioplastics are made from natural materials such as corn starch.
However not all are compostable. For example ethane based plastics as used Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle which replaces 30 percent of the ethanol in their normal polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle with 30 percent plant-derived ethanol. This means the bottle is still considered PET and can be recycled but is NOT biodegradable. Find out more here.

Other Plastics
There is research being done into developing a compostable, oil-derived plastic. Watch this space BUT don’t fall for the old *biodegradable plastic bag trick see below.

*Compostable versus biodegradable plastics
You might see some plastics labelled described as biodegradable. You could be forgiven for thinking that this is the same as compostable plastic. It is not. Some “biodegradable plastics” are oil derived plastics with a degrading initiator added to make them fall apart (degrade) more  quickly. Unlike compostable plastics they don’t always break down into harmless substances and may leave behind a toxic residue. Read more here

Compostable Plastic Products

Sponge Cloth Biodegradable

Oh joy - just sourced some plastic free sponge cloths. I love these things. Sponge cloths are  extremely porous and great for ...
Read More

Glitter biodegradable

Yes you can get biodegradable glitter and this Etsy company sell it in compostable packaging. Yay! Overview Handmade item Materials: ...
Read More

Vegware – compostable fast-food disposables

Vegware is the UK's first and only completely compostable packaging company. Vegware is forging and leading its own new sector – combining ...
Read More

Pet bowls biodegradable

For the plastic free pooch in your life, a biodegradable plastic food bowl! "Eco-friendly and functional, Becothings are tough and ...
Read More

Cardboard Cups & Pots

So you find what looks like a cardboard container full of yummy ice cream or you see that your favourite ...
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Dog poop disposal

This is something I really hate …. plastic bags of dog @*%! hanging from the bushes. But then plastic bags ...
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Disposable Cups

Disposable cups are made from plastic lined paper, polystyrene or plastic. To make paper cups water proof they are laminated with polyethylene, ...
Read More

Straws Compostable

The picture shows a turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose (You can watch the video in full ...
Read More

Snact in compostable packaging

Snacks... so good when trekking, so hard to source plastic free. The best we have is loose nuts as sold ...
Read More

Greencane Tissues/ Paper Productsd

A while ago a company called Greencane sent me some tissues through the post. Not just tissues but toilet paper and kitchen ...
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Plant Pots Compostable

Took this form a very interesting article here. I will be looking into them more closely in the future Low-‘e’ ...
Read More

Cutlery – disposable & compostable

Though it's not the greenest option there are times when disposable partyware is the only choice. For our last big bash, ...
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PLA Starch Bags – compostable plastic bags.

PLA starch bags are described as a compostable plastic.Which can be confusing as they are a very different product from ...
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Pots – PLA compostable

These  deli pots are  made from  PLA plastic. This looks and acts just like plastic but is made from corn starch ...
Read More

Companies using compostable plastic.

Snact

Our new innovative packaging, developed by Israeli start-up TIPA, is just as durable and impermeable as ordinary plastic – but it biologically decomposes within just 180 days and becomes a fertiliser for soil, behaving similarly to an orange peel. Read more here.

Vegware
A while ago I got sent some Vegware stuff to review. Vegware make disposable, compostable packaging for the fast-food industry. Hooray for them …. but I am not in fast food. So what would I be using them for? For starters…

Eco For Life 
If you must drink bottled water this might interest you; water packaged in PLA compostable plastic bottles

More

Remember, not all bio- plastics can be composted and some are not as green as they sound

Check out all our composting posts HERE
Want to know more about plastic? Read up here
See our big list of plastic types 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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How to go to the loo plastic free

by Posted in 3.1 Personal, 3.2 How To...plastic-free 4 Comments

There comes a time in every plastivists life when there really is no alternative – what you want only comes plastic wrapped. Of course there is the truly noble option of doing with out giving it up completely. And for some products this is an option. Crisps for instance. But toilet paper?

Here are your options

  • Toilet rolls – loose or in compostable wrap
  • Cheap boxes of tissues. 
  • Water & Hand
  • Water & Wipe

Toilet Paper

Yes it is hard to find plastic free loo roll but not impossible.
You can sometimes buy loose rolls from the corner shop. Many asian supermarkets sell them this way.
Or these that come in compostable packaging. More information and suppliers here

Cheap boxes of tissues.

  • Not just for economic reasons. Expensive boxes of tissues tend to be reinforced with plastic.
  • Find out more here

If none of the above appeal you could go without.

Water & Hand

There is the jug of water and washing method. For this you will need a jug or bottle of water.

  • Fill the bottle/jug with water
  • pour the water over the affected area.
  • Clean with your hand
  • Dry

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

Sounds grim but feels really clean.

bum hose featuredIf you do become converted you can  get flexible hoses plumbed in which make the job much easier.

When in India (and other places) I am quite happy to use this method. You can find out how to make your own portable backpackers bum washer here.

But back in England…. well most visitors to my house would fall down and die if called on to wash their bum with their bare hands so it’s back to loo roll. If I was really deep green I could use….

Poop Cloths

There are hardcore greens who use washable poop rags. Yes they are exactly what they sound like. Two problem with this – the first, as before, screaming visitors fleeing the bathroom; the second, a screaming me. I can not regard this option with anything other than horror. Washable nappies yes- but adult poop… urghhhhh. See, everyone has their sticking point.

Water & Wipe

A combination of the above. Wash first with water – no hand then wipe using a moistened tissue. You will use much less tissue this way. Or if you prefer reusables, your cloth will need far less cleaning.

Flowers Cut

by Posted in 3.1 General & Homemade, 3.1 Special days & Parties Tagged 1 Comment

After going to all that trouble to find plastic-free, cut flowers  you will want them to last as long as possible. Here are some tips from Edna Thompson. Not entirely plastic-free as cans of soda are plastic lined and asprins are plastic packed but massively plastic reduced and no need to buy any new product.

Tricks to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer

Fresh flowers add flavor, aroma and energy to every home. But they don’t last long. If you want to keep your birthday bouquets fresh longer, you need to know a few things. The first major reason that cut flowers fade is that they do not get the nourishment they need once their stems are cut. As you know, soil is rich in nutrients that keep plants alive for a long time. When flowers are taken away from their habitat, they can no longer get nutrients from soil, and water can only keep them fresh for several hours to a couple of days. The second reason that flowers fade quickly after they are cut is bacteria. Over time your vase contents will attract bacteria. For this reason, what you need to do to enhance the longevity of your cut plants is to provide nutrients and to reduce the growth of bacteria to a minimum.

Here are a few tricks from Gardeners in Chelsea that will get you the best results. Read on.

Cider Vinegar

The first method to keep your cut flowers fresh as long as possible is to use apple cyder vinegar. Here is what to do. Before you put the flowers into a clean vase, fill it with water and add two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Wait for the substances to dissolve and add the flowers. Now, in order to enhance their longevity, you need to change the water every other day. Don’t forget to add sugar and vinegar every time. The secret to this method is that apple cider vinegar prevents bacterial growth and protects cut flowers from fading too soon after that.

Aspirin

Fill a clean vase with water and add a crushed aspirin. Let is dissolve into the water before you add the flowers. Again, make sure to change the water every other day or every few days to ensure that the flowers are kept fresh and free from bacteria.

Sugar

Another way to go is to use sugar and white vinegar. Before you toss your cut flowers into the vase, be sure to add two tablespoons of white vinegar and three tablespoons of sugar. Add water and then the flowers. The water needs to cover up to four inches of the cut stems (10 centimeters). This mixture proves to be very powerful. While white vinegar prevents the growth of bacteria, sugar helps to nourish the cut flowers.

Vodka

Another clever way of keeping your flower arrangement fresh is to use vodka. Believe it or not, vodka can nourish your cut flowers as it offers antibacterial activity. As a matter of fact, any other clear spirit will work great too. Use one tablespoon of sugar and only a few drops of clear spirit or vodka to provide a bacteria-free environment for your cut flowers. Be sure to change the water every couple of days.

Soda

Here is our final suggestion. Instead of using sugar to keep your cut flowers at their best longer, grab a can of soda and fill a ¼ of cup with it. Then add the liquid to the vase water before you place the flowers. It’s best to use a clear soda, but other alternatives will work too.

Picking Your Own?

Do not cut them on a hot afternoon. Instead pick a cool early morning time to do this. Hope you enjoy your fresh flowers longer.

Windbreak

by Posted in 3.2 Travel

Going on a beach holiday in England? You are going to need a windbreak! You can get cotton windbreaks from this company in traditional stripes which look very retro and jolly. Great for day trips to the beach.

Cotton Windbreaks  
Our lovely striped windbreaks in a multi stripe of greens, lime, tangerine and burgundy, with thinner black and white stripes, have four wooden poles and give excellent shelter in exposed areas on the beach or in the garden. Made from 100% cotton with a handy pocket for your bits and pieces. Rolled up with two velcro straps to secure. From The Stripes Company

Price £75.00

Recycled Plastic Windbreaks

But I have to admit there is one, hard to refute, argument for buying a synthetic fibre windbreak for long term use in the U.K.  Yup, you got it. Rain. Lots of it. Damp cotton gets mouldy while synthetic fibres don’t.

If you want to use your windbreak over an extended period of time, round your caravan say you might want to look at this. Windbreaks made from recycled sails. Still made from man made fibres (plastic) but let’s face it – no matter how big this blog gets, how popular or influential , I can’t ever see sails being banned. That being the case let’s reuse them as windbreaks.

From the website

Not only have we made many windbreaks to be used on the beach, we have made windbreaks for people to use around their caravans, to use next to their tents and recently to place around their decking. We have also made bespoke windbreaks personal to the customer so please get in touch with any query you may have, we can probably make it.

  • Hand stitched on the Isle of Wight
  • 4 panels, 5 poles
  • Super quick dry
  • Very light yet very strong (that’s what sails are made for)
  • Easy to clean
  • Free carry bag (made from old sail bags)
  • A totally recycled/upcycled product (other than the cotton)

The 4 panel windbreak comes with five poles and four panels, each measuring approximately 1.2 metres high and 1 metre wide. All poles measure 1.5 metres high with a 2cm diameter.

Price: £135.00.There’s the sting!

More

Maybe you could make one? Let me know how you get on!

Why choose natural fibres – there are a few, powerful reasons why we prefer natural to synthetic fabrics, you can read them here.

Lots more British Holiday related #plasticfree tips here.

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Greaseproof paper/ waxed paper

by Posted in 3.1 House, Office & Garden, 4.9 Useful to know Tagged , , , , 13 Comments

There are two types of paper used for cooking and food preparations
greaseproof bakery paper;
waxed paper.

The terms are used interchangably but they are actually different products.

Greaseproof  Paper also known as  parchment paper  is used in baking and cooking. It provides a heat-resistant, non-stick surface to bake on.
It is also used to pack greasy foods like butter.
It used to be made by beating the paper fibres. Now it may have a plastic or chemical coating.

Waxed Paper
Not to be confused with waxed paper. They may look the same but are different products. Waxed paper actually has wax on it. This too creates a non stick surface but for obvious reasons cannot be used at high temperatures so cannot be used for baking.
Waxed paper was often used for wrapping food.
In many cases it has now been replaced with plastic laminated paper. It looks like waxed paper but isn’t.

History
Greaseproof paper was first developed as a replacement for parchment by the  engineer Otto Munthe Tobiesen in 1894
During the paper making process, the paper pulp is beaten hard so the fibres bond more firmly. This results in a paper of high density with a small number of pores. It is now less absorbant making it reisistant to grease, fat and oil.
Natural greaseproof paper does not have any chemical treatments or coatings. It can be recycled, composted or burnt.

Waxed Paper was made by coating paper with wax.

The New Papers
Since those innocent days various different types of greaseproof/waxed paper have emerged. These no longer rely on the way the paper has been made but rather  are  treated, coated or laminated papers. They do not get their grease resistance from denser fibers but from various additives. However they look just like the originals.
They fall into into two types; paper for packaging and paper for cooking.

The treatments for “greaseproof” paper include
Plastic lamination
Chemical
Silicone coating

Packaging

Greaseproof paper and waxed paper were often used for packaging and the names used interchangeably.

They were used in the food industry for many things including wrapping food such as butter and making nonstick containers for microwave food.

However the original papers and cards have been replaced with plastic coated alternatives.

Two common forms of treatment are
Lamination
Chemically treated

laminated
Where the function of the product is merely to stop grease leaking through the product like for instance a butter wrap the paper may be coated with a thin layer of plastic. This is often the case with food packaging where a product wants to maintain an old time look. Don’t be fooled by those charming greaseproof paper bags and butchers wraps on the deli counter. Check them very carefully.
Obviously this kind of greaseproof paper cannot be used for cooking as the plastic will melt and burn.
Read more about laminated paper here

Chemically Treated
Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are a family of man-made chemicals? They are used
as a surface coating for paper and cardboard they make them water and grease resistant and so suitable for packaging processed foods.
They do not break down easily and can last in the enironment for years.
They have been found in both soil and water.
When they enter the food chain they are retained in animal tissue leading to a process called biomagnification, meaning that they are passed on up the foodchain from animal to animal and because they are stored in the body for years the amount increases exponentially as they travel up the food chain.

You can read more about them here

Greaseproof Paper For Cooking

This type can be used for both cooking and packaging. But is usually used for cooking. It is also called parchment paper.

Silicone Coated
To give parchment paper a really non stick quality some companies are coating it with silicone. Silicone is a kind of synthetic rubber. You can read more about that here .
Sierra say of its silicone coated paper “The baking paper’s silicone coating prevents food products from sticking to the paper or cooking pan. Silicone is an ideal release agent due to its pliability, natural lack of toxins, high insulationability, and heat resistant capability.”

Quilon Coating
This is (I think) a Teflon product also used to give parchment papers a non stick quality. I know very little about it other than that some are claiming it is toxic. I am currently researching it. All input welcomed.

Uncoated Papers

Are they even available? If You Care claimed to provide genuine greaseproof paper products. But while the paper may be green and unbleached, the non stick quality comes from a coating of silicone. They claim their paper is compostable but silicone certainly isn’t biodegradable.
“Experts from the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center said, “We would not recommend composting the parchment paper,” but acknowledged that they could not cite specific studies on the topic”

https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/because-you-asked-can-i-recycle-parchment-paper

never used to talk about the silicone coating on their greaseproof paper which makes me wonder was it always there or is it new? And if it is new, is it to replace the toxic Quilon coating (that I never knew about either). If the former, are all parchment papers coated with something and we just never realised?

Buy….More to think about

Reasearch is ongoing and any input is greatly welcomed.
Beyond Gourmet and Regency wraps have been mentioned as being only parchment paper but have not as yet answered my emails. Neither have If You Care.

So far I have been unable to find a verified, uncoated paper for cooking so I won’t use any.

I buy butter that comes wrapped in paper which I just have to hope is genuine parchment paper. I have my doubts but it is the best I can do.

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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Scour, Scrub & Wipe

by Posted in 3.1 Cleaning Up, 3.2 How To...plastic-free Tagged , 3 Comments

Although I use natural cleaning products like soap, bicarbonate of soda and occasionally Ecover cleaning products, I prefer not to. Cold water and elbow grease clears most things. I know I sound dreadfully Victorian, and house proud, but really I am not. It’s just that even home-made scouring powders involve some plastic and of course represent some environmental impact. It seems a waste of product when a good scrub does the job just as well.

But you need to have a good range of scrubbers on hand. I use everything from bristle brushes to wire wool to get the job done. In my opinion natural products  are good to go most of the time but occasionally synthetics come into their own.

This is my list of scourers in order of toughness

Knitted metal ribbon pad – the big boys of the scouring world will shift almost anything can not be used on plastic, non stick or delicate surfaces.

Wire Wool not as butch but still not good for plastic, non stick or delicate surfaces.

Luffa a natural and renewable plant product rather more abrasive than a cloth but still pretty soft. Good for cleaning plastic baths and washing up (not the same luffa obv.) Get them here

Synthetic scouring pads are good, where metal is too much and might leave black marks – think tiles but  luffa too weak. Plastic scourers are ideal for burnt on non stick pans (though after reading this you might want to phase out the non stick and so the need for plastic scourers). However they are plastic and while I do occasionally use them, I am not entirely happy recommending them. When I have to, I use these recycled products that come sustainably packaged.

Coconut Pads – while not quite as powerful as synthetic pads they are a good, non-plastic alternative.

 

Natural Bristle Brushes in a range of stiffness great for general cleaning, crevices, non stick pans and vegetables,

And finally for completely friction free wiping you cant do better than these biodegradable cellulose Sponges

I don’t use kitchen roll. I have cotton dishcloths that can be used to wipe up spills, loo roll for sticky fingers and cotton napkins for fine dining but if this is your thing you can now get it plastic free.
THIRSTY & STRONG!
Our 100% biodegradable paper towels comes in a convenient 2 roll pack with each roll having 80 sheets.

12 packs of 2 rolls. Each roll 80 sheets, 2 ply.
Total 24 rolls per carton.

Wrapped in biodegradable cellophane and sent to your door in a cardboard box. More details More 

See a huge range of plastic free cleaning products HERE