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My Zero Waste

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.6 campaigner 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

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The Rubbish Diet – slim your bin

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.6 campaigner, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged

Karen Cannard is a blogger – columnist – broadcaster & creator of The Rubbish Diet.

She first delved into the topic of waste when she attempted a local council Zero Waste Week challenge in 2008 and only threw out a plaster.  It was a challenge that aroused her curiosity about rubbish, creating a desire to help others reduce their waste and discovering what really happens to our recycling and the technological and social innovations that are needed to drive solutions forward.

Karen’s passion is uncovering great examples of what’s possible, what’s happening now and the leaders who are inspiring change. Whilst recognising varying degrees of local limitations, The Rubbish Diet Challenge is a motivating slimming plan for bins, which helps householders and communities to take control of their trash in four simple steps.  Most dieters reduce their waste by 50% in just a few weeks.

Karen is also a trustee of the Zero Waste Alliance UK and ReusefulUK (formerly known as ScrapstoresUK)

Links:

The Rubbish Diet Challenge – www.therubbishdiet.org.uk
Personal Blog – www.therubbishdiet.blogspot.com
More about Karen: www.karencannard.co.uk
Twitter – @karencannard

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

Ecotales

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.7 Other Solutions 2 Comments

2013 was a big year for EcoTales. It started with a festival with the collaboration and endorsement of Sir David Attenborough and ended with a meeting with PM David Cameron at 10 Downing Street! We are a small organisation with big ideas and we believe that we can achieve big change.

StanleytrossEcoTales is an environmental arts organisation based in the UK. We have spent the last few months touring the country with “Stanleytross” a giant recycled plastic albatross to raise awareness of plastic pollution. Hundreds of school children helped to create him by cutting out one feather each from a plastic milk bottle or black plastic container. These feathers were then attached to a huge frame. Its feet are made from plastic bags and its head was created by artist Michelle Reader using recycled plastic bottles and bottle tops. Its stomach is transparent and has been filled with discarded single use plastic items. Our iconic albatross dramatically illustrates the dangers and real horror of plastic pollution to marine animals.

In September 2013, we made a trip to the Houses of Parliament and held a rally. After the rally, a group of school children took the Albatross to No.10 Downing Street, where they met MP Zac Goldsmith and Prime Minister David Cameron. They handed the PM a scroll of their poem “Dear Albatross” which explains how litter finds its way into the River Thames, and a letter calling for a charge on plastic shopping bags in England. The charge has already been introduced in Wales where government statistics show a drastic drop in plastic bag usage. Northern Ireland and Scotland had already signed up to the charge too, leaving England looking out of touch and lagging behind. However, it looks like the PM took the childrens’ message on board as he announced a 5p charge on plastic bags one week later!

But plastic bags are only the first hurdle and there is still a long way to go to stop plastic pollution. The report into plastic in the River Thames is the start of an awakening. If the Thames is clogged with plastic then so are all the other rivers in the UK and around the world.

As 2014 began, EcoTales collaborated with the Natural History Museum in London and other local groups for a plastic in the Thames awareness weekend. Members of the public came along in huge numbers to free workshops armed with plastic bottle tops they had collected and helped to create a giant mosaic. This will be the front cover of our under sixteens poetry and illustration challenge book. We took a time-lapse film of the book cover coming together.

Embedded Code for timelapse film:

The culmination of this project will be an ebook app of poems and pictures by young people of 16 and under, to send out a powerful message to our Government and the plastics industry, to help stop plastic pollution and Sir David Attenborough has written a powerful foreword for the book.

We are so excited that our campaign is now spreading across the globe. In 2013 we were thrilled to be invited to join the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and since then, we have received match funding from the Jack Johnson “All At Once” Foundation. In addition to this the brilliant charity Bookbus is helping to link us up with children in Africa, Asia and South America.

To top it all, some very big and plastic conscious celebrities and renowned artists are giving us some wonderful doodles and poems which will be featured alongside the childrens’ creations in our ebook. Stanleytross at Downing St

We are inspired constantly and driven by the incredible work and dedication of other individuals and organisations all over the globe. Through Twitter, Facebook and blogs we are proud to be part of such an active and rapidly growing community.

We would love to get feedback and have conversations with anyone out there. We believe that together we are stronger and change will happen faster.

Happy New Year from EcoTales! by Miriam Muscroft

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Russell Brand – sipping pretty or slurping dirty?

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged

Michelle Cassar has been refusing to abuse for a while now. Doggedly saying no to plastic has become a way of life but, as Pam can well testify, it can sometimes feel like a pointless exercise . But while I sit sulking in the wardrobe, Michelle is distinctly more plastivist. What is needed she figured, is a celebrity spokesman, one who talks the eco talk but is also a dood, a happening hipster.

So, she put together a plastic free gift pack, went to see Russell Brand and gave it to him…. personally.

I was so impressed when I heard this, I tracked Michelle down and pestered her into giving me the story.

In her own words

I recently heard Russell Brand talking about corporate greed & how we are destroying the planet, and wanting to live in harmony with the animals and other humans. I then went to see him live & noticed he -like everybody – was drinking out of single use plastic bottles.

As someone who´s been refusing plastics for over 5 years I know how they tie into everything he´s talking about . So I decided to give Russell Brand a solution to what´s he´s discussing. I personally gave him a plastic free hamper at his show in Newcastle upon Tyne. In the hope that he would look at the information and start to use it some of the products. Maybe even in public… Russell Brands simple actions of using a metal bottle rather than a single use plastic one would speak volumes. He wouldn´t even need to speak!

As yet I haven´t seen any pictures of him using it. I´m not sure if he would of read my letter. But I tried!! It can feel like a lonely endeavour refusing single use plastics, but there are people out there quietly doing it. Hopefully soon it will become trendy and what better person to lead that trend than Russell Brand!

With or without him though I´ll carry on refusing SUPs (single use plastics) and it´s great meeting other people online knowing there are others out there doing the same. Making a difference, one refusal at a time.”

Let’s hear it for the girl!

The gift pack contained all kinds of plastic free loveliness including deodorant, shampoo in tins, a massage bar wrapped in paper and a metal water bottle – but not just any old metal water bottle, a gorgeous Klean Kanteen.

klean kanteenA KLEAN KANTEEN water bottle.

I have been wanting one of these forever but simply cannot pay the asking price. I am not saying they are overcharging just that we don’t have much in the way of disposable income.

So far Michelle has had no feed back on her gift but I can hardly believe that Russell is drinking water from tacky plastic in preference to that uber stylish bottle? However, if he is keeping it in his trousers so to speak, perhaps he could pass it on… to me. I hate to snatch at a mans water bottle but this is a Klean Kanteen we are talking about.

So Russell – are you sipping pretty or still slurping dirty? Caring people want to know – and me, well I want your Klean Kanteen.

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Lush plastic free products

by Posted in 3.2.3 Supermarkets & Chains, 3.6 Businesses & social enterprises Tagged ,

lush are one of the more forward thinking British companies. They are ethical in all kinds of ways and  sell a lot of their beauty products unwrapped. Good if you are trying to live plastic free and not hurt the bunnies. Read more About ethical Lush here

They do plastic free

unwrapped soap
solid shampoo  read my review here
solid conditioner read my review here
unpacked henna
Unpacked bath bombs

Most other products are in recyclable pots – return to store for free product

And these new products
The following is from the UK business insider review.
Lush just released “naked” — or packaging-free — versions of shower gels, body lotions, and body conditioners.
The naked body lotion and body conditioner are surprisingly great, and work slightly better than their packaged counterparts.
The naked shower gel is unique, but isn’t quite as moisturizing as the original formula.

Read more.

I don’t use them much as the shops smell way to strong. I can’t go in without sneezing. But there are plenty who do who. Here is a great series of reviews by Minimalist Exposure

And they support stuff like this:

One of four Pop Ups being staged to support the Lush 2017 Creative Showcase event in London next month, Naked House is part gallery exhibition and part immersive experience curated by the brand team at Lush to show just how easy it is to make the switch to Naked (as in living with less packaging).
Read more here.

More

Find other plastic free personal care products here…

Making Other Personal Care Products 

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

Lots more info here on making your own personal care products

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The UK Directory Of Plastic Aware Iniatives

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.7 Other Solutions

I am putting together a UK BASED  directory of groups, people, organisations, businesses and anyone else interested in tackling the consequent problems of our misuse of plastic.

But why? you might ask.

You already blog, at some considerable length about this very problem, offer all kinds of useful plastic free tips and have put together huge list of plastic free products. What more can you possibly want to say on the subject?

Well that’s just it. My blog, my rules – that’s how it should be. But my rules of course aren’t the only ones. For example – recycling! In the plastic free world there are those who think it is practically green washing, an excuse to consume yet more plastic. Then there are others who promote it as the saviour. I want a forum on which to post both arguments undiluted by my own opinions (GREENWASHING!!!!).

Also, chatty as I am, I cant say everything that needs saying on the subject. Nor do I know it all. No, really, I don’t. There are others out there – experts in their field who I would love to feature.

And as the number of plastic related projects and plastic free products increase I  cannot keep up. I do not have the time to review them all nor the capacity. The directory is a place where people can present their own work. Obviously I cannot vouch for it but the plastic free world is a pretty honourable place.

Finally time will come when I am back on the road trying to access the internet from some remote dusty spot on a computer held together with string. Before I want to go I want to contribute to the growing plastic debate by helping build a plastic free community. As well as supporting and promoting each other, the aim is show others that there is a market for plastic free products and services and a growing concern about the problems of plastic abuse.

So blog for me, directory for everyone else: What they do in their words -a resource for anyone who wants to know who is who and what is what in this plastically challenged world.

Have a project you think should be featured? Submit….

plastic free uk flier

 

 

Recycle your own plastic…

by Posted in 1.51 Reusing & Recycling Plastic, 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns, 3.7 Other Solutions Tagged

Just read this article in Recycle Reminders  about Dutch designer Dave Hakkens. He has just gone and made himself a plastic recycling machine that  combines “a plastic shredder, extruder, injection moulder, and rotation moulder to create bins, lampshades, candle holders, and other knick-knacks from waste plastic. “I wanted to make my own tools so that I could use recycled plastic locally,” he said.”

Course you did, who doesnt? And he is not just clever but generous. Check this out.

“He plans to upload the blue prints of his project online, so that people the world over can set up their own recycling workshops and create new products from neighborhood waste. He hopes that ideas generated due to crowdsourcing can help improvise the prototype.”

Do read the full article … and if you have any spare change…… And you can visit his precious plastic project here and see his other projects here.

 

Of course the best solution is not to make any plastic waste at all.

 

Mascara

by Posted in 3.1 Personal, 3.7 Other Solutions, 6 archive Tagged

Pull off the silver casing covering the “well” of the mascara. Don’t be afraid to pull hard!

Mascara Refills Step 2

STEP 2

Now do the same for the mascara wand casing.

Mascara Refill Module Step 3

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
Join our Facebook group here
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Ecoforce -recycled cleaning products

by Posted in 3.6 Businesses & social enterprises Tagged

Increasing the use of recycled plastic products
EcoForce’s mission is to replace products made from ‘virgin’ raw materials with those made from recycled plastic and is committed to bringing affordable, practical recycled items to the general public.

We live in a world of finite resources and this is not going to change. Making recycled plastic uses 70% less energy than making virgin plastic, reduces landfill and conserves precious resources. It makes plain common sense to use recycled products for everyday tasks, especially if these produts work just as well, if not better, than alternatives made from raw materials. EcoForce is determined to help you run a greener home without it costing the earth.

Links / featured posts
www.ecoforce.co.uk

A bit more…

This post was written by the contributor. It 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 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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Mandy Barker photographer

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

Mandy Barker Photographer – Fine Art

My work aims to engage with and stimulate an emotional response in the viewer by combining a contradiction between initial aesthetic attraction and the subsequent message of awareness. All plastics photographed have existed in the sea and have been collected from beaches around the world.

Collect/clean plastic debris from beaches. Photograph collected debris for images to provide awareness to a wider audience about issue of marine plastic debris.

Recent project image, ‘Tide Time’ to promote the Environmental Social Responsibility programme for The Schofield Watch Company. (see link)

Find me
website; www.mandy-barker.com

Follow me posting a piece of marine plastic debris EVERYDAY
blog; mandy-barker.blogspot.co.uk
twitter; @plasticpieces

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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Do you want to contribute

by Posted in 3.6 P-f U.K Directory, 4.0 Us, the boycott & the blog

Want to contribute to the blog? We would love to feature you. There are a number of ways we can do this. You can writ about your:
plasticfree initiative/ business :
Write about your plastic free town:
Review a product:
Contribute to the database

Please
Note is for UK relavant projects and products only.

Guest Posts & Reviews

We always love product reviews but insist that you have actually used the product. Reviews must include at least 1 place for UK residents to buy it can be online, it can be in Sweden as long as they post to the UK.
Please comment on how it was packaged.
Do check to see if your product has already been featured

Tell us about how you shop plasticfree in your town – Where you go and which shops. Do look to see if your town has already been featured.

Or something else.

We are currently looking for input on
The plastic free baby
Waste free kids
Real nappies,
compostable nappies
Plasticfree pets

Please email and ask us for an updated list of topics. Or perhaps suggest something we might be interested in.


Wrapping & Packaging

If you are writing about a product please do try to write about the packaging too. Plastic free and plastic reduced products are of course a great step forward in the battle against plastic. However a lot of people buying products also want to know how the product is packaged. Many feel there is little point buying a wooden comb if it comes in a plastic bag. So it is important to say how the product will be wrapped.

If it comes via an online, postal service, onward packaging needs to be clarified. You should say how the product will be packed and the more information the better. Include what kind of tape is used (whether it is plastic or not) and whether the invoice will be in a plastic bag on the front of the box. People appreciate it.

Post Format

This is very important. Sadly I do not have time to edit the documents.
If you want your links to link to an external site when pressed your submission must be supplied in an HTML format like this

There are <a href=”http://plasticisrubbish.com/” target=”_blank”>some useful links here ….</a>

If not they must be as a proper address that can be cut and pasted i.e.www.plasticisrubbish.com

Same goes the pictures. The code must included within the body of the text and should look like this.

<a href=”http://plasticisrubbish.com/2016/07/02/july/img_7309/#main” rel=”attachment wp-att-35794″><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-35794″ src=”http://plasticisrubbish.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_7309-e1499841539491.jpg” alt=”” width=”780″ height=”300″ /></a>

One way to do this is post the post on your own blog or website, add the links and pictures and format as you would normally would. This way you can also test them. You can then a copy of the post in text format with the links code showing.
Post Headers
The blog demand that I have a post header. So you need to attach a separate picture which I can download. This must be a jpeg, copyright free and no bigger than 40KB.

StrongerUpdating & Adding To Posts

I always wanted the blog to be a resource where numerous people could Collaborate on producing the bestest ever data base of plastic free resources for UK plastivists.

So if you want to contribute and I hope you do, please do this.

It’s not perfect but here’s how it works: find a plastic free product i.e. Pasta, search the database or A to Z index to see if there is already an entry for that product. If so, add the details in the comments for that post. You should be able to do this quite easily via any of your social media accounts.
If you have a post on the subject on your own blog please  leave a link to your own post again in the comments section.

WHAT! NO POST? if you cannot find a post about pasta for example, tell me and I will set one  up.
Sharing Is caring
And with your contributions,  posts can stay up to date and we can all benefit from each other’s expertise.
Read more about adding info HERE

Zero Waste Week

by Posted in 3.5 Plastic Free People, Projects & Campaigns Tagged , 1 Comment

For a number of years now I have been a zero waste ambassador. Here are some quick zero waste week facts!

  • Zero waste week is organized by Rae Strauss
  • It has been since 2008.
  • This year runs the first full week in September.
  • The aim is to cut the trash going to landfill.
  • Each year there’s a theme

Visit the website here.
Click here for Zero Waste week

Of course its not just me  doing it- there are loads of bloggers doing all kinds of stuff. You can find them herded together in one easy to access place on the Zero Waste website and listen to them wittering – sorry twittering – on on the twitter hashtag #zerowasteweek

If you want to join in you can make a pledge here on the zero waste website. If you decide to blog about it you can decorate your blog or  post with various buttons, if you don’t you can print off posters for your living walls (easy tiger!) with these links posters and pdfs

See how I did in …

2016
My zero waste week has been a celebration of loose and unwrapped food. As bought from supermarkets! Is that even possible? There followed a week of eating-plastic-free -but- only-buying- from – supermarkets. It can be done. You can read about it here

2015

Think you can’t be Zero waste  when backpacking? I did it in China – see how here

2014
1-7th of September The aim this week wass to send nothing to landfill however I am nothing if not pedantic. Zerowaste means just that! So I sent nothing to be recycled either! You can see how I did here.