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Join IN blogging for a plastic free world…

by Posted in 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged 13 Comments

I love that people are becoming plastic problem aware and  taking responsibility for their own huge pile of plastic waste. And then, even more super fabbytastic, they blog about it!

When you first decide to go plastic free it can be overwhelming. It seems that everything comes plastic packaged from soap to shampoo to moisturizer to toothpaste and you have only just got up. Breakfast cereals, bread, milk yogurt and marge, tea and coffee are all plastic packed. Can of coke? Nope – tins are plastic lined! Coffee to go? Those paper cups and paper sugar sachets are also plastic lined!

And so it goes throughout the day till you return home sweaty and malodorous because you didn’t apply your plastic packed deodorant clutching a cardboard box of eggs and the only unpackaged veg you could find in Lidles! Which isn’t even a vegetable but an unripe avocado.

How fantastic then to stumble across people who have already sourced a range of plastic free alternatives and listed them in their blogs! But we need more.

Why?

Well some solutions like solid shampoo from Lush can be accessed UK wide but many are local. There is only one place as a far as I know that does plastic free olive oil in West Yorkshire. Great news for people in Todmorden but it stills leaves the good folk of Folkstone in a quandary! More people have to list their local plastic free sources to create a network of plastic free shopping blogs.

And blogging isn’t just about sharing information but also indicates that there is a market for different products, natural products that can be composted and unpackaged products that don’t result in a bin full of everlasting trash. I don’t want my courgettes presented on a plastic tray swathed in clingfilm but unless I blog about it, only my long-suffering husband knows how displeased I am.

Blogging tells business we want change.
I dream of an online army of plastic free blogs promoting better products and business practise. Refuseniks who vote with their cash for environmentally sustainable services and, by advertising that fact to a powerful online community, encourage others to do the same.

You can find other UK based bloggers here 

If you are a plastic free blogger, get in touch. It doesn’t have to be a whole blog – a single post will do listing a loose food outlet or milkman with glass bottles will do. Send me a link to your post or blog and I will feature it.

Or write a post for the plastic free directory

You can find international bloggers and other plastic related projects here

Plastic free bloggers unite! We having nothing to loose but our chain stores! Cyber love to all and see you on the virtual barricades.

Scotland – Westy Writes

by Posted in 3.6 Plastic Refusenik & Zero wasters, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged 5 Comments

I’m a Scottish blogger who is about to undertake the challenge of Plastic Free July2014.  I have been ‘in training’ for the past eight months – assessing my use of disposable plastics and working out what alternatives I can use. My blog documents my busy life, full of competing priorities while focussing on the ‘inconvenience’ of trying to save the planet! I post about techniques and products that help me along the way, and there are a fair number of posts about me trying to get back on track when things haven’t quite gone to plan!

Next month is Plastic Free July! Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds – the challenge doesn’t stop you using all plastics, just those that are single-use, or disposable. But wait…take a snap shot from your day today. Did an hour go by that you didn’t use a disposable plastic?

Think of your breakfast – was there cereal in a plastic bag, or perhaps milk from a plastic carton? Was there yoghurt in a plastic pot, or a plastic carton of fresh berries? What about at work, did you use a plastic disposable pen or sellotape? At home, did you use washing-up liquid from a plastic bottle or even just blow your nose on a tissue that had plastic on top of the box?

Single-use plastics are everywhere!

For one month I am going to attempt to avoid them as much as I possibly can. The reason that I have made this crazy commitment is to reduce my damaging impact on the environment. Because plastic doesn’t naturally degrade, much of it ends up in landfill to hang around possibly forever, leaching chemicals into the land. Some plastic rubbish doesn’t even make it into the bin to start its journey to landfill. I like to think mine does, but I’ve had the occasional plastic bag that has blown out of the car boot on a windy day, and no doubt there’s been other innocent plastic littering offences that I’ve hardly registered. Who knows where that stuff ends up, but plastic waste can be found in oceans and the countryside, where it poses a danger to wildlife as they consume it or get trapped by it.

Last year I read about Plastic Free July (www.plasticfreejuly.org) and thought it was an admirable challenge – but not something I would ever attempt! How could I?! Life is busy and I have small children to look after – I cared about the environment of course but…you know…not enough to turn my life upside down for a month!!

Annoyingly though, the concept niggled away at me. I kept thinking about the impact of single-use plastics and I wrote a few blog posts on the topic. I changed a few of the easy things – I bought my veg loose rather than using small plastic bags, I swapped bottled liquid soap for bars and I stopped wrapping my homemade bread in clingfilm and bought a tin. For the first time, I opened my eyes to the plastic around me. I could see where I was failing the environment and – maybe it’s just me – but I don’t like to fail!

Back in October 2013, with 9 months to go, I announced on my blog that I’d be taking part in Plastic Free July 2014. I had no idea quite how I was going to reach the point where I could last for a month without single-use plastics, but I reckoned I had time to get myself in training!

Eight months (and several blog posts) later, I am now a matter of weeks away from the start of Plastic Free July. I’ve solved a lot of the plastic problems that I anticipate coming up against but, to be honest, I’ll be winging it with some of the others!

I’d be delighted if anyone wants to follow my progress during July and if you have any suggestions that might help, then please get in touch via my blog at

westywrites.wordpress.com or my Twitter account @Westywrites – I have a feeling I’ll need all the help I can get.

Also, why not make a pledge of your own? If you can’t face a whole month without single-use plastics, then there are so many some small and manageable changes you can make.  Here are some of my suggestions, taken from a post I wrote back in December.

1. Swap that plastic bottle of liquid soap or shower gel for a bar of soap, wrapped in paper, cardboard or unwrapped.

2. Refuse plastic carrier bags and instead, carry your own – a fold-away bag attached to your key-ring or handbag can make all the difference.

3. Take a re-usable cup out with you when buying coffee on your way to work, for example.

4. Carry a bottle of water from home with you with you instead of buying water in plastic bottles.

5. Ditch cling-film.

6. If you have a choice between products – anything from ketchup to toys to gifts- go for the one with the least plastic content.

7. Stop buying fruit & veg in pre-packed plastic bags. Buy loose or take your own produce bags.

8. Ditch disposable straws.

9. Find a local veg box delivery scheme and request that your order comes plastic-free.

10. Instead of buying DVDs and CDs, sign-up to film subscriptions (eg. Love Film) and Music Apps (eg Spotify or Deezer).

If every person reading this blog post, chooses one action for July, think of all of the plastic that will be saved from landfill! We are living in an increasingly fragile planet, let’s use July to make a difference.

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

My take on Plastic Free July

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns Tagged , 3 Comments

The (lightly edited) text has been taken from the Plastic Free July  website... the comments in red are my observations

The challenge is quite simple…attempt to consume no single-use plastic during July.

Plastic Free July is a simple idea developed in 2011. It aims to raise awareness of the amount of plastic in our lived by encouraging people to eliminate the the use of single-use plastic during July each year.

It is an initiative of the Western Metropolitan Regional Council (WMRC) in Perth, Western Australia. It was developed by clever Earth Carers staff.
Plastic Free July started as a local community initiative in Perth’s western suburbs in 2011 to educate residents on the important notion of ‘reuse’.
In 2012 Plastic Free July expanded across Perth and even attracted interstate and international interest.
So in 2013 we’ve throw it open to the world!!!

So what do they mean by plastic free?

We have set some basic rules but have deliberately left the challenge simple so you can consider the issues and decide how it will work.

How can I go plastic free when everything around me is plastic?
Don’t worry, you can still use your computer, phone, car, etc during July. The challenge is about reducing single-use disposable plastic such as bags, straws, water bottles – you know, the packaging that you use for five minutes but lasts forever.

What do I do about milk?
Some brands are available in glass or cardboard cartons, just ask your local store or do an internet search for brands.

NB cardboard cartons will be plastic lined. 

Check out our recipes to make your own soy and nut milk.
How do I get meat, chicken and fish that is not in plastic bags/wrap?
Ask for it to be wrapped in paper or bring your own container, most shops are happy to fill them.
It’s best to explain what the challenge is about – otherwise shop assistants tend to put their hand in a plastic bag to pick up your produce and then throw the bag away!

What about using biodegradable or other environmentally friendly bags?
Single use plastic is, well, single use plastic. The idea of the challenge is to avoid single use plastic, however its made. ‘Biodegradable’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ are both terms without a single definition and can have wide ranging meanings.

I use compostable plastic (PLA) because my challenge includes finding sustainable packaging. If I am going to use compostable disposable paper then I am going to use compostable disposable cornstarch plastic

Is foil okay? As in foil around chocolate or chip packets?
Again, it depends how serious you want to get about the challenge!
Apparently chip packets are often made out of metal coated plastic film.
Use the scrunch test to check whether it is aluminium foil. If it springs back when scrunched in the hand it is not aluminum foil and most likely contains plastic!

I do not use plastic coated foil. The scrunch test does not work on certain types of plastic coated foil – you can read more here.

Are cans okay to purchase? I hear they’re often lined with some kind of plastic.
It depends how serious you want to get about the challenge!
Apparently most tins and cans are lined with plastic – usually containing BPA. (All most all tins are plastic lined)
There is information on the net about health concerns with these types of cans. If you want to be completely authentic about the challenge you would keep those tins in the dilemma bag.

Just keep any plastic you buy for your dilemma bag.

They do not mention glass jars with those pesky plastic lined metal lids. All metal lids are plastic lined!

So their definition of plastic free July (and believe me I am in no way being critical here) can mean only giving up what is obviously plastic (and only plastic) one-use packaging. Composite items like plastic coated card and tins are not necessarily included. Now the purists amongst you may well argue that products containing plastics fall well within the remit of  a single-use plastic and I (with reservations) agree. Here’s why…. 

  • If you want to raise awareness about how much plastic we really use then hidden and less obvious plastics have to be included. So many people for example are unaware that cardboard containers  have a plastic coating.
  • If you are at all concerned about BPA leaching into your food then you really need to know that tins are plastic lined.
  • You can find out more about sneaky plastics here ( watch out for those cardboard boxes with plastic inners)

However giving up tins, plastic lined papers and glass jars with plastic lined lids does make the project much harder….and while I feel that these points are important and do need making,  I think it is fine to tailor plastic free July to suit your own needs and circumstances. So it could mean anything from total hairshirt- no plastic- arghhhh to giving up one particular type of plastic, replacing a disposable with a reusable or going plastic free for a day.

According to Katheryn at Second Hand Tales “when you register there are different options ranging from living plastic free for a day, week or the whole month. You can also choose to avoid all single use plastic or just the top four which are:

1) straws

2) plastic bottles

3) plastic bags

4) coffee cup lids”

So go with what feels comfortable and do what you can.  As it says on Plastic Free July website …

“Remember it is a challenge, not a competition. The challenge is intended to make you think about all the single-use plastic you consume every day. Whatever you can cut out is a job well done!”

If you are giving it a go, in whatever capacity, please do link up with me @polytheenpam and others in the UK on twitter #pfjuk. And you can find lots of other bloggers here

 

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Cup to Compost – National trust, Boscastle

by Posted in 3.1 Composting, 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged 4 Comments

Our tour in the plastivan took us through Boscastle, a lovely old harbour and coastline maintained by the fantastic National Trust. In addition to keeping footpaths open and other essential maritime maintenance, they operate a cafe shop and visitor center (with immaculate toilets), down by the harbour. So far so good!

Not so good was that the cafe was using disposable paper cups! Eeek! As you know, most paper cups are in fact plastic lined and so not very disposable. Bah! Was just about to turn round and leave when I noticed that these cups were from Vegware. Vegware dont line their cardboard cups with the usual conventional non biodegradable plastic but a certified compostable lining. You can read more here.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Now I wanted to take photos! And ask lots of questions! Which Jon kindly answered.  As he says”… when the cafe first opened in 2009, there wasn’t a modern conventional sewage system in Boscastle, and all the waste that would normally go for treatment went straight into the sea. Because of this, we were reluctant to have a commercial dish washer in the cafe that would have just contributed to this waste, and so looked for viable alternatives. Finding a fully compostable solution in the cups, cup sleeves, plates and wooden cutlery was part of the solution to this problem, but without making sure that they were composted afterwards it wouldn’t have been such a positive environmental statement from what is, after all, a conservation charity…. we collect the cups, cup holders, plates and the untreated wooden cutlery that we use, and they are taken to a local farmer who shreds them. He then mixes them with his green waste and composts them into a peat free mulch substitute. This mulch is hen taken to the National Trust plant nurseries at Lanhydrock House near Bodmin, who grow, amongst all the other plant, the plants that are sold in the National Trust shop that adjoins the cafe in Boscastle. By doing it this way, we not only successfully recycle the disposables from the national Trust Cafe in Boscastle, but we contribute to saving the limited resources of peat bogs.”

Well done you!

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Vegware – compostable fast-food disposables

by Posted in 3.6 Businesses & social enterprises Tagged ,
Vegware is the UK’s first and only completely compostable packaging company. Vegware is forging and leading its own new sector – combining environmental products and sustainable waste management for a zero waste foodservice sector
 
 What we do to combat the problems presented by plastic over use:
You can’t recycle food with plastic in it, and you can’t recycle plastic with food on it. Vegware’s comprehensive range of eco packaging is made from renewable or recycled plant based material and is completely compostable. So unlike most foodservice packaging, Vegware can be simply recycled after use.

All Vegware has independent compostability certification to prove it can break down in under 12 weeks. Once food waste and disposables share one bin, the little that’s left is cleaner and easier to recycle. That’s why in foodservice; compostable packaging is the key to recycling everything!

Vegware’s range of over 200 completely compostable products include many award-winning innovations resulting from Vegware’s active R&D programme, such as hot cup lids, double wall cups, high-heat cutlery, soup containers and the gourmet box.

 Vegware’s in-house Recycling Consultant offers clients full recycling support and tailored Eco-Audits supporting CSR by quantifying carbon savings by the kilo for every order. In 2013, Vegware’s UK customers saved 925 tonnes of carbon – that’s like cancelling out the carbon from 578 flights from London to New York!  And Vegware’s free service www.foodwastenetwork.org.uk helps any UK business find local food waste recycling. Let Vegware help you go zero waste!

Links:

www.vegware.com
https://www.facebook.com/vegware
https://twitter.com/vegware
http://www.pinterest.com/vegware/

www.foodwastenetwork.org.uk

More

Vegware were kind enough to let us sample some of their products. You can read our review of them here

Please note…

This post was written by the contributor. and  is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

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Produce Bags Cotton From Spain

by Posted in 3.6 Businesses & social enterprises Tagged , ,

Co/Fo sell produce bags made from 100% organic cotton bags.

They are  well made, in a range of handy sizes packed in beautifully design, printed carry cases, (printed with 100% water based, non toxic ink).

The smaller bags have a metal toggle closure, the larger have a draw string.

They all have tags with the weight of the bag clearly marked so you can ask for it to be subtracted from the total weight of your purchases.

Check out the range

CO/FO Fruit and Vegetable bags.
Set of 4 Fruit and Vegetable bags and 1 cotton carrier/storage case.

Drawstring bag
Individual bag size: 30 x 35cm
Tare weight: 30 grams

Grains, Rice & Bean Bags
Set of 4 bags stored in a cotton carrier case. Individual bag size: 20 x 30
Tare weight: 20 grams
Metal closure keeps bag sealed tight, not letting any items escape.
Label loop allows you to hold the bag easily.

grains-bag-510x652Nuts & Dried Fruit bags / Set of 4
A Set of four 100% Organic Cotton bags for your dried fruits, nuts, candy and more…

Individual bag size: 17 x 20 cm
Tare weight: 15 grams

 

 

Extra Large CO/FO Bread bag with drawstring closure.

Set comes with two different bags – A large bag for bread loafs, potatoes or large vegetables, and one long baguette bag that easily fits 2 french baguettes.

Carrier Bag

backbag-510x652And you can take all your shopping home in their great shopper that waxes lyrical about the joys of shopping fresh, the smell of crusty bread and other delights. I was carrying a weeks worth of baked beans in mine but still…..

Mission Statement

But they are not just pretty bags, Co/Fo have a mission.
In their own words……
Based in Barcelona, CO/FO is the brainchild of Tina Ziegler and was created in response to the urgent need to raise awareness about plastic pollution while drawing attention to our daily habits that collectively form part of the global environmental problem.
As part of this they run various projects including the great plastic of our lives, a collection of photos of people and their trash – a weeks worth of plastic that is.

If you want to get yourself some good-looking, reusable produce bags and do your bit in the battle, go to the Co/Fo store

You can read up about other kinds of produce bags here

And loads of other ways to wrap it up, plastic free right here

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Do Your Bit Produce bags

by Posted in 3.1 Disposables & Reusables, 3.6 Businesses & social enterprises Tagged , 14 Comments

DoYourBit is an organic cotton reusable bag company locally run in the UK that aims to put an end to the excessive amount of plastic packaging we find in shops and supermarkets like Tesco or Asda. The goal is to focus on package-free items which produce zero waste. From fruits and veg to bread or nuts, to be used for non-food items or also as gift wrap instead of using the disposable one time use stuff most people use nowadays – you can use these bags any way you wish!

Originally from Canada but now living in the UK, when I first moved here it came as a shock to me how much plastic there was and how few zero waste options there were. I began searching and it wasn’t even possible to buy produce bags locally. I had to order them online and have them shipped from elsewhere in Europe. Since then, I decided to start up DoYourBit with the hope of spreading the word of using less plastic disposables and creating change in a world where plastic is everywhere. My goal is to help everyone do THEIR bit to reduce the environmental impact they have on the planet.

Not only is DoYourBit a local company but the material is also locally sourced from a fair traded fabric company which helps us do our bit by buying locally as well! You can use these bags for everything; at the bakery, farmer’s markets, supermarkets etc. They are 100% handmade and machine washable.

Details:

  • Drawstring bag 34x28cm (with olive green cord)
  • Sets of 3 or 5 bags available

*Different bags sizes can be requested and custom-made for customers

For more information, you can visit DoYourBit at

FB @doyourbituk

Instagram @doyourbit.uk

Etsy doyourbit.etsy.com

Ebay ‘DoYourBit produce bags’

More 

You can find more reusable produce bags here

And check out our guide to buying food plastic free here…

Loose Food A to Z

Find out if a shop near you sells bulk food loose. This is stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged ie rice, pasta and salt. And yes these shops do exist in the U.K. There’s just not many of them. Heres a list of towns with shops selling loose food,  organised alphabetically.

Please note…

This post was written by the contributor and  is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

 

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Campaigns, Media, Arts & Education

by Posted in 3.6 Media, arts & education, 5 Blog Social Media & Map

Any clever designers out there? Want to help design out plastic pollution and win a share of 1 million? Read on…

My name is Kate Rushton and I wanted to tell you about OpenIDEO’s current challenge: Together, let’s design solutions to keep plastic packaging in the economy, and out of the environment. In partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation,
we’re inviting participants in this Challenge to apply the principles of a circular economy to rethinking the design of plastic packaging that currently ends up in landfills or in nature, and exploring new ways of getting products to people without creating plastic waste. Top ideas will be in contention to win a share of a $1M prize.

Do any innovators come to mind who you think would be a good fit for this challenge? Whether they’re circular economy enthusiasts or have a circular economy startup already in the works, I’m interested! If so, I have two asks from you:

Would you share the names of those people/companies with me?

Would you share our challenge with your networks? Here’s a link you can post to Facebook/LinkedIn etc – http://bit.ly/2tCKrSU

Are you on LinkedIn? Have you considered joining the Circular Design Guide Group – https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8585051?

This group is about design & the circular economy. It’s run jointly by IDEO and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Links
https://openideo.com

More Campaigns

Educating, entertaining and exhibiting for a plastic free world!

The Plastic Challenge

Do what? The Plastic Challenge takes place every year in the ...
Read More

WiseOceans

We are a marine education company passionate about reducing plastic ...
Read More
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Natalie Fee / City to Sea

So pleased to feature Natalie in the Plastic Free U.K ...
Read More

Index Plastic-free July

Of course every month is plastic free for me but ...
Read More

Recycling plastic on the high seas…

Ahoy there me hearties! Have I got a project for ...
Read More

Eco Thrifty

I write a blog about slashing my spending but not ...
Read More

Ecotales

EcoTales is a not-for-profit environmental arts organisation using film, art ...
Read More

My Zero Waste

Rachelle Strauss of Zero Waste My Zero Waste is the ...
Read More

The Rubbish Diet – slim your bin

Karen Cannard is a blogger - columnist - broadcaster & ...
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Jo Atherton & plastic flotsam

Jo Atherton - Artist Scouring the Norfolk coastline for flotsam, ...
Read More

A great way to try plastic free living is with friends, for a limited period. Plastic Free July is an annual worldwide campaign that encourages people to give up plastic for a month. It has a great website and loads of useful tips. And there is lots of support from others doing it.
www.plasticfreejuly.org

Surfrider Foundation (US and Worldwide) support local, regional, state and national campaigns on plastic pollution.
Website: www.surfrider.org

Surfers Against Sewage (UK)campaign against marine litter. Have a look at No Butts on the Beach, Return to Offender and Think Before You Flush“.
Website: www.sas.org.uk

The 5 Gyres
Founded in 2008. Raises awareness through science, art, education, campaigns programs and expeditions. Loads of resources and some great DVDs.
Website: www.5gyres.org
Algalita (US)
Amongst the first to raise concerns. It was founded in 1994 by Captain Charles Moore after discovering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They have lots of resources. Website: www.algalita.org

More?

If you know of any that should be on the list please add the details in the comments section. Or submit an entry for the directory. here

The Plastic-free U.K. Directory

Showcasies U.K. based  business, people and organisations that are plastic aware, in their own words….
Sadly I don’t have time to cover all the great people and businesses out there… and I always feel a little shy about write ups. Suppose I miss the point. So I ask people to contribute their own posts. The only provisos are that you have to be U.K. based and of course it has to have a rubbish element. Not necessarily anti-plastic but certainly plastic problem aware.

Hodmedods – British Grown Beans, Grains & Pulses

Did you now you can get homegrown British beans, lentils (soon) and even Quinoa. Many of them organically grown…. Introducing ...
Read More

Find more #plasticfree projects listed in the Plastic Free U.K. Directory homepage

 

 

 

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Eco Thrifty

by Posted in 3.6 campaigner, 3.6 Media, arts & education, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged

I write a blog about slashing my spending but not my principles! In July 2011 whilst on maternity leave I decided that I didn’t want to return to work, but that I couldn’t afford not to. Among other things, I didn’t want to compromise my eco-friendly principles, so I started working out how to be genuinely eco-friendly on a budget. I found that the two go really well together and have been happily unemployed for over a year now!

I try to avoid disposable plastic items wherever possible and write about the alternatives on my blog.
Currently I am carrying out a Year of Eco Challenges (read more here ) and one of those challenges will be to go single use plastic free for July-14 (http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/).

I have been preparing for it for a while now and have a ‘going single use plastic free – to do list’ page on my blog, where I am keeping track of my progress.

Links –
@ecothrifty
https://www.facebook.com/EcoThriftyLiving
www.ecothriftyliving.com

More

This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

 

 

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Natracare Menstrual and Personal Care Products

by Posted in 3.1 Disposables & Reusables, 3.6 Businesses & social enterprises Tagged ,

Are you aware that most sanitary pads are made from approximately 90% plastic? An average pack of sanitary pads contains the same amount of plastics as 4 carrier bags! Natracare offers a range of feminine hygiene products that are made from organic cotton and natural, sustainably sourced materials without compromising on the performance.

Conventional sanitary pads are made from over 90% plastic, they are bleached with chlorine, contain petroleum-derived superabsorbent gels and often contain dyes, perfumes and latex. With the average woman using 17,000 pads in a life-time the effects of this polluting industry are enormous, and yet most of us barely consider what we are using every month.
The founder of Natracare, Susie Hewson, set up the brand 25 years ago as a direct response to this polluting industry. She researched and created a viable alternative made from certified organic cotton, FSC wood pulp and biodegradable plant starches. The brand offers a full range of tampons, pads, panty liners and even wipes which are all totally chlorine free, plastic free and biodegradable making them lighter on the environment and also kinder on your skin.

Further to this Natracare actively campaigns against plastic. With the help of local girl guides groups the Natracare team organised a Coastal Clean Up on Rottingdean beach near Brighton and the company has supported various awareness raising projects about plastic in the ocean such as the ‘Making Waves’ art exhibition in Bristol and the Midway Film Project.

Find out more on www.natracare.com

Follow up on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Natracare

Or Twitter: http://twitter.com/natracare

Please note

This post was written by the contributor. It is not a Plastic Is Rubbish review, does not represent my personal opinions and I have not used this product or service. Instead it is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

Ecotales

by Posted in 3.6 Media, arts & education, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged

EcoTales is a not-for-profit environmental arts organisation using film, art and storytelling to raise awareness of plastic pollution. We produce inspiring films and run a successful arts led educational events programme.

We are passionate about raising awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution to the marine environment and its wildlife and the health implications of plastic on all of us.

EcoTales began with the making of our five time award winning film  “Gloop”, a twisted fairy-tale about the meteoric rise of plastic from its conception to its present day wide-spread use, and carries the message plastic NEVER goes away. “Gloop” was the springboard to start our environmental arts projects, helping us to engage schools and families through creative events, activities and challenges to raise awareness of plastic pollution. Stanleytross at Downing St

Since the conception of EcoTales in 2012, we have hosted a film festival in SW London. In front of a backdrop of recycled plastic art created by local school children, Sir David Attenborough handed out prizes to the young film-makers who created brilliant short films about plastic pollution. In September 2013, we joined other organisations at Downing St to campaign for a plastic bag ban in England.

We are currently running a poetry and illustration challenge in schools across the UK and all over the world which will result in an ebook publication. We are uniting children aged 16 and under with celebrities who are all contributing poems, illustrations or comments on the subject of how plastic pollution affects our planet.

Our website is packed with educational resource packs which are free to download and provide lots of suggested lesson plans and activities.

 

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This post was written by the contributor and is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here

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My Zero Waste

by Posted in 3.6 campaigner, 3.6 Media, arts & education Tagged

Rachelle Strauss of Zero Waste

My Zero Waste is the personal blog (and now popular resource) for householders who want to reduce their landfill waste. If you want to know how to reuse or recycle those awkward plastic items, check out their site.

By sharing her personal journey towards becoming a zero waste household, Rachelle Strauss has found alternatives to plastic packaging, campaigned to manufacturers, raised awareness and even set up a crisp packet recycling scheme (sadly no longer running). In 2008 she set up a national awareness campaign called ‘Zero Waste Week’ which takes place the first week in September. It’s your opportunity to join an online community of zero heroes and to challenge yourself to slim your bin.

Rachelle Strauss is founder of MyZeroWaste.com and ZeroWasteWeek.co.uk
Both are leading websites for helping householders reduce landfill waste. Her work has attracted media stories and engagement in documentaries, film and radio both locally and abroad.
http://myzerowaste.com

http://zerowasteweek.co.uk

@myzerowaste

Please note

This post was written by the contributor. It is not a Plastic Is Rubbish review, does not represent my personal opinions and I have not used this product or service. Instead it is  a PfU.K. Directory submission.

The Pf U.K. Directory is…?

…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.

In 2014 I hope to feature 12 UK-based initiatives featuring refuseniks, trash slashers, businesses and the rest.

The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…

Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.

Follow us on facebook here