• Coffee – Instant

    Coffee – Instant

    When I first started my boycott, the only way to get plasticfree coffee was to buy the beans loose and grind them. Now theres all kinds of options from instant in your own bag to compostable pods

    For other coffee posts check out our index. You will also find tea, cocoa, milk in glass bottles and something stronger.

    But back to the coffee….

    MMMMM the smell of it…..

    Finally managed to score some plastic free instant coffee! Its back to the wonderful Leeds Market. I love it. Its a fantastic place  to buy local, #plasticfree almost everything. Read a review here

    The  JarTree is where I got my coffee. Its a great stall  where you can take your own packaging and buy just about everything you might ever need, plastic free.
    Address: Leeds Kirkgate Market, Unit BS1, Leeds LS2 7HY Phone: 07470 033404 https://www.facebook.com/thejartree/ 
    You can see a picture diary here of all the products stocked including NOODLES!!!!
    Or visit the website for more. They are continually updating the product list here:
    http://www.thejartree.co.uk/store-product-list.html

    Don’t Live In Leeds? More Plastic Free Food Shops Here.

    I have been updating my list of towns with refill shops and adding new shops. Have a look and see if there is one near you.. Plus how to get your shop added to the list.

    Online


    This is an interesting option that allows you to buy basic foods on line plastic free.
    You can even use your own produce bags. Read more
    HERE

    Want more???? YES!

    • 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

    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

    Price of a cup of tea  – micro fund me  here 

  • Coffee single-cup brewing system

    Coffee single-cup brewing system

    When I first started my boycott, the only way to get plasticfree coffee was to buy the beans loose and grind them. Now theres all kinds of options from instant in your own bag to compostable pods

    For other coffee posts check out our index. You will also find tea, cocoa, milk in glass bottles and something stronger.

    But back to the coffee….

    “Peter Sylvan and John Dragone in the early 1990s started building prototypes of a coffee maker that would brew one cup at a time, using a throwaway package that would hold the grounds and the filter. The result was the Keurig single-cup brewing system, which uses disposable plastic K-Cups that look like supersize creamer containers.”

    “When the company began selling its single-serve coffee systems to offices, the price was too high to envision a similar product living on kitchen countertops: $795. But by 2004, the company had created a consumer version that sold for $149. (Keurig’s least expensive machine, the B30 Mini, currently sells for $89.)” Read more

    By 2017….

    coffee pods made up a nearly 5 billion dollar industry.
    at least 16 million U.S. households currently have a single-serve brewer on their countertop.
    coffee pods, or K-cups, that go in them… and make up a third of all coffee sold.
    if you took the coffee pods that the coffee giant Nespresso produced over the years (nearly 30 billion of them), you could circle the globe over two dozen times!
    That’s a lot of pods, a lot of plastic, and a lot of aluminium.
    Sources for the above facts and a very good article can be found here.

    So what to do if you have one of these machines?

    Compostable Pods

    You could try compostable pods. Such as these from Novelle Coffee

    “Our dedication to provide premium coffee is matched only by our commitment to the environment, which is why our coffee is now available in compostable Nespresso compatible capsules.
    Available in Intenso and Decaffeinato, it’s the same great ethically-sourced Novell coffee with added peace of mind.
    Our capsules are made from 100% compostable materials that decompose over 12 weeks, meaning you can look after the planet as well as your conscience.” Read more

    Reportedly the North American brands Purpods and G-Pak have also been certified 100% compostable.

    Halo do something similar.

    I dont have a coffee making machine so cannot compare taste… but Which have done a survey that you can access here.

    Compostable Plastics 

    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.

    Composting Plastic At Home

    While most agree that some plastics are indeed compostable, many say that it can only composted in large scale municipal schemes. As we don’t have many large scale municipal schemes this they say is a pointless advantage. I say the days of large scale municipal schemes is fast approaching as governments aim to divert biodegradable rubbish from landfill sites.

    But more to the point, I have been composting my compostable plastic at home for years now, including Biobags, deli pots  and disposable cutlery. Read more about that HERE.
    It does take longer than other products and  sometimes I have found shreds of it in my compost but I dig it into the soil where it quickly disappears.

    Read more about compostable plastics here

    Greenwashing
    And never forget that bio-degradable plastic bags do not biodegrade where as compostable plastic bags do compost. Not all bio-plastics (plant derived plastics) are compostable. Read more here.

    Compost Bins

    How Do I Compost?
    I have a Green Joanna compost bin and I  compost up in the North of England.

    More Drink

    Hot Drinks Plastic Free

    Tea, coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate all bought #plasticfree and made with milk from a returnable glass bottle. Details 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

    , ,

  • Gels

    Gels

    Xanthan Gum

    Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide with many industrial uses, including as a common food additive. It is an effective thickening agent and stabilizer to prevent ingredients from separating. It can be produced from simple sugars using a fermentation process, and derives its name from the species of bacteria used, Xanthomonas campestris.

    Wikipedia

    It can be used in lieu of gelatine. Measure out half the amount of xanthan gum. ie  for i  2 tbsp. of gelatin, use 1 tbsp. of xanthan gum. For baked products, add around 1 tsp. for every cup of flour added.

    Hyaluronate Acid

    Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, a glycosaminoglycan found in various connective tissue of humans.Wikipedia

    Hyaluronate Acid is

    A white powder with no aroma. Commercially, much of it is sourced from poultry (rooster combs) which we refuse to stock. The type we have sourced is made by producing enzymes from a bacteria based biofermentation process. It is guaranteed to be animal free.

    1 gr Sodium Hyaluronate
    98,4 gr Distilled Water
    If you have an air conditioning system or an electric dehumidifier, you can use the water which accumulates during their use as well. The dehumidifier usually has a container the water is collected in. Household air conditioners have an external compressor water tends to fall under, so place a bucket underneath and collect the water that way. https://thewatergeeks.com/how-to-distill-water/

    She suggests adding a preservative but I don’t as preservatives react with my skin.

    weigh the Sodium Hyaluronate and the water
    Pour the Sodium Hyaluronate on top of the water

    “At this point some people like to mix it and some people like to let it be.
    I have actually tried both ways and here is my experience: if you try to mix it at this stage, part of the SH will stick to the spoon. This means that a precious part of your gel will get lost (and SH is not exactly cheap, so you’d want to mind this).
    IMO it is better to let the SH hydrate by itself on top of the water for a while, and stir later.

    4) Cover the glass with plastic film and let it rest in the fridge for few hours.

    5) After few hours the SH will be hydrated. Now you can stir it with a spoon so to make the gel more smooth (there will be harder parts and softer parts).

    6) Add your preservative, stir again and put in a bottle 🙂

    You can use this Gel by itself, for its great hydrating properties!
    If you have a very dry skin you could like to use it before applying your cream 🙂
    You could also make a more luxurious gel by substituting part of the water (or the entire water) with Rose water!

    As you might have noticed in the market we can find creams or serums that say “40% Hyaluronic Acid”.
    Well, as you can see I am using 1% of Sodium Hyaluronate and this is the highest concentration I can use.

    Taken from this great blog

    Check out all our home made make 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

    ,
    ,

  • Water Bottled

    Water Bottled

    Yes I know many of us consider tap to be the only option but for those of you who love bottled water there are choices. But before we begin lets remind ourselves why water in plastic bottles is an abomination

    Why Not Bottled Water
    Some articles on the subject
    here 
    And here 
    And this about PET plastic bottles 
    So much so that water bottle bans are becoming more common 

    Plastic Free Bottled Water

    But what to do if you don’t like tap? You can of course get water in glass bottles from shops and supermarkets. Buts its heavy and glass comes with its own environmental impact. Really glass bottles are only sustainable when they can be refilled.  Read more here

    So this is very good news… water in returnable, refillable bottles!

    Returnable Bottles
    “Crag water are the only bottled spring water company in the North of England that reuses its glass bottles. By that we mean that we will deliver and collect then send back to be washed, sanitised and refill the bottles. The only part of what we supply that isn’t reused is the aluminium cap. This is a security thing. Each cap has a use once only breakable seal.

    We sell both still and sparkling spring water in 330ml and 750ml bottles. The sparkling water has a natural soft taste and is carbonated lightly.”

    You can get them delivered to your doorstep along with your milk in bottles!
    To find out more visit the website.

    Compostable Bottles

    We are always on the look out for new and greener plastics and these PLA bottles caught our eye. Personally I think bottled water is a scam. Why pay good money for that you can get for free? But if you should choose to go down that route, it seems a  shame that such a decision should also result in a landfill site  of non-biodegradable, plastic bottles.

    There are of course compostable, biodegradable plastics – one such is PLA. But for  years PLA  was not considered up to the job of beverage bottle. You can read more about PLA plastic here.

    The following would seem to disprove that theory….

    From the website… Eco for life bottles are made from Polylactic acid, PLA for short.
    During the production process, we produce 60% less greenhouse gases and use 50% less fossil fuels.

    Will bio-degrade ✘ No, takes up to 1000 years Yes, in an industrial composter
    Made from ✘ Oil Annually renewable plants
    Leaches harmful chemicals into water ✘ Yes No
    Can be recycled ✘ Yes, but down-cycled and always ends up in landfill Yes, and can be re-cycled into a whole new bottle, never ending in landfill
    Releases harmful toxins when incinerated ✘ Yes No
    Greenhouse gases savings during production ✘– Approx. 60%
    Oil saved ✘– Approx. 1 litre for every 24 bottles

    N.B. I still don’t know if the screw top lids are PLA plastic.

    Composting PLA Plastic

    Back to me…. While most agree that PLA plastic is indeed compostable, many say that it can only composted in large scale municipal schemes. As we don’t have many large scale municipal schemes this they say is a pointless advantage.

    I say the days of large scale municipal schemes is fast approaching as governments aim to divert biodegradable rubbish from landfill sites.

    Moreover I have been composting my PLA plastic for years.

    We have used and composted the following PLA plastic products ( including Biobags , Deli pots  and disposable Cutlery  )

    Useful stuff to know

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

    See all PLA related posts here

    Refillable Bottles

    But why create any waste at all if you can avoid it? Get yourself a refillable bottle, use the tap, save money all round. Find bottles, refill places and other water related information here….

    Tap water
    You can see all our tap water posts here.
    And check out our drinks index 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

  • 2019 Yearly Round Up

    2019 Yearly Round Up

    Welcome to our yearly round-up of news and products. Each month we blog about our  latest finds and collate them all here.  Subscribe to get our monthly updates delivered to your virtual door. There’s a subscription form at the bottom of the page.

    You can see our past round ups here HERE.

    Plastic Free Christmas

    CHRISTMAS WREATHS Completely Plastic Free in Sheffield

    We do use wires (& know its tempting to have a sparkly wreath!) But our wreaths have zero plastic or glitter.
    We can also do gold, red and blue – more examples to come over the weekend in different designs!
    But why not consider a natural, festive wreath!?

    We make all our wreaths from scratch – from mossing to sprucing to decorating

    This one has citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, grapefruit – apples, lotus pods and pinecones and it actually Smells Amazing!
    Measures app 24″  £30.00

    Will be Available to purchase from the Winter Gardens Next week or can be delivered this weekend!

    Limited Orders being taken now for Christmas  Wreaths start from £20.00 – message us know with your requirements!

    #florist #sheffield #plasticfree #christmas #wreath #ecofriendly

    https://m.facebook.com/auroraecofloral/

    Elastic

    But honestly, I’m more excited by this… organic, biodegradable plasticfree elastic!!

    Find More

    I have been updating my list of towns with refill shops and adding new shops. Have a look and see if there is one near you.. Plus how to get your shop added to the list.

    Online


    This is an interesting option that allows you to buy basic foods on line plastic free.
    You can even use your own produce bags. Read more
    HEREdd your own grisly finds and ghastly zero waste ideas.

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

    Instant Coffee

    Finally managed to score some plastic free instant coffee! Its back to the wonderful Leeds Market. Read more here.

    Make

    Conker soap

    Like Soapnuts, conkers contain saponins, a soap-like chemical compound. Unlike soap it’s they don’t have to be shipped halfway round the world but rather picked up off the streets. They can be used to make

    laundry soap and
    shampoo.
    Conkers are not as strong as soap nuts but are free.
    WARNING: Conker juice, like saponin, is mildly poisonous and should be treated as such.

    September

    Cheese update how to buy and what to do with the wax.

    BYOB

    Bring your own bags?

    If you want to  shop plastic-free you often need to take your own packaging. While seems bothersome, it means no hormone inhibitors and toxic chemicals leaching from plastic packaging into your food, and less plastic pollution. Here are the win win alternatives. 

    The Curse Of The Single Cup Brew

    coffee pods made up a nearly 5 billion dollar industry.
    at least 16 million U.S. households currently have a single-serve brewer on their countertop.

    Good job I found these. Coffee single-cup brewing system – compostable pods

    Compostable Plastics

    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.

    Composting Plastic At Home

    While most agree that some plastics are indeed compostable, many say that it can only composted in large scale municipal schemes. As we don’t have many large scale municipal schemes this they say is a pointless advantage. I say the days of large scale municipal schemes is fast approaching as governments aim to divert biodegradable rubbish from landfill sites.

    But more to the point, I have been composting my compostable plastic at home for years now, including Biobags, deli pots  and disposable cutlery. Read more about that HERE.
    It does take longer than other products and  sometimes I have found shreds of it in my compost but I dig it into the soil where it quickly disappears.

    Read more about compostable plastics here

    Greenwashing
    And never forget that bio-degradable plastic bags do not biodegrade where as compostable plastic bags do compost. Not all bio-plastics (plant derived plastics) are compostable. Read more here.

    Compost Bins

    How Do I Compost?
    I have a Green Joanna compost bin and I  compost up in the North of England.

    More Drink

    Tea, coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate all bought #plasticfree and made with milk from a returnable glass bottle. Details here 

    Water

    To make coffee you need water. Go to the water index to see all posts on water

    August

    On holiday

    July

    This month we are talking about

    Merino and sunburnt sheep! Do we believe this? Check out U.V resistant clothes here http://plasticisrubbish.com/2014/05/25/love-your-layby/
    Holidays
    Why my blog has gone private!?!
    Plastic Free July
    Water in returnable glass bottles

    Planning Your Jollies

    Going on holiday or maybe a longer trip perhaps backpacking? Check out our #plasticfree travel experiences with links to how we #passonplastics when backpacking, where we have been and how to avoid #pointlessplastics abroad. Wish you were here

    It’s that time of year when sitting on the balcony becomes a feat of endurance rather than a pleasure and it’s down to those vile biting mosquitos. Time to take action…

    Notification of wonky links

    It has come to my attention that some of the internal links on this blog lead you not to some plastic free loveliness but an abrupt notice saying the blog is private and that you need to contact me for access. The blog is not private so please DON’T email me for access as I don’t appear to be able to grant that either. another problem!
    This is some kind of internal mixup and I am correcting the links as I come across them. Please let me know if you come across a bad link via the Plastic Is Rubbish Facebook or Twitter accounts.

    Many Thanks

    Titanium Dioxide

    also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO ₂.
    It can be used in Sun Screens, Moisturisers, Powdered Make-up, Lip and Baby products and virtually any Skin Treatment product.

    Read more here http://plasticisrubbish.com/2012/10/26/but-can-i-drink-the-water/

    Of course every month is plastic free for me but plastic free July is a time to make a bit of extra effort, promote projects, look at my bin and join with other people all over the world who are taking this time to rethink their relationship with plastic.

    Water

    Well its finally getting warm and everyone has to stay hydrated so lets revisit the subject of plastic free water

    Plastic Free Bottled Water

    Returnable Bottles

    “Crag water are the only bottled spring water company in the North of England that reuses its glass bottles. By that we mean that we will deliver and collect then send back to be washed, sanitised and refill the bottles.

    read all our water posts here http://plasticisrubbish.com/2012/10/26/but-can-i-drink-the-water/

    AugustJune

    More Medical Stuff

    Did you know you can recycle your inhaler?
    Find your nearest participating pharmacy via this website.
    Enter your post code
    and its as easy as that to breathe new life into your old inhalers.

    If you fancy making your own decongestant and with a reusable inhaler – check this out.

    Try a  reusable inhalers and eucalyptus oil.  Breath easily and cut the trash.

    Find more #plasticfree personal care products here.

    And more refill services HERE

    Talking of refills….

    Supermarkets

    Some time you have to use them.

    Morrisons is to become the first supermarket chain to remove packaging from its fruit and vegetables.
    The company said customers would be able to choose from up to 127 varieties of fruit and veg in many of its stores, buying them loose or putting them in recyclable paper bags.
    However, there will continue to be a neighbouring section where customers can still buy packaged veg, if they choose
    The move follows a ten-month trial in three English stores where the amount of loose fruit and veg bought by customers increased by an average of 40 per cent.
    From the Scotsman.

    Read more abut supermarkets, local shops and how we choose where to shop, HERE.

    Plastic Free June

    Want to really cut your plastics? Then this  is a great campaign organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCSUK).The MSCUK is a UK charity “that cares for our seas, shores and wildlife”.
    The Plastic Challenge takes place every year in the U.K. in June.It is organized by them.

    You can read more about it here

    If  a month seems too long why not do this instead. On 5 June 2019,UK-based activist group A Plastic Planet will be organising the  the second annual One Plastic Free Day . here’s PICK, SNAP! POST.

    Visit the website here

    May

    Back Home

    Keen readers of this blog will no doubt have been devastated that there have been no monthly updates recently.
    Why you ask desperately?
    You may remember that back in 2018 May I wrote “back in the U.K.  in Leeds after year backpacking. Re-entry has been rather bumpy. I have a horrible stomach complaint which has meant I’ve had to stay close to home or at least close to a toilet.”

    A year later my complaint has finally been diagnosed and hopefully cured. I’m off my bed of pain but very much weakened. I have the energy to move about (a welcome improvement),  but nothing extra. Writing the blog and maintaining my social media groups has definitely counted as extra. So I’ve had to take time off.

    Given that I have written posts in deepest darkest Borneo back in the early days when internet access online was via some grimy café, you can appreciate how frustrating all this has been! In short its been a very long year involving a lot of plastic medicines.

    Now I would never suggest you don’t take your plastic packed medication.

    But surely we can do something about the onward packaging? Thankfully someone is.

    Boots supplying prescriptions in plastic bags!

    Hi Everyone!
    I know you’re all as concerned about the use of plastic as me, so thought you would want the chance to sign another petition – this time to Boots who have decided its a good idea to start supplying their prescriptions in plastic bags!
    Let’s them back to plastic free prescriptions – please sign and share this petition: http://chng.it/gswWWfqh
    Thanks,
    Rosie

    However this fantastic news has had me back at the keyboard.

    So glad to announce that fellow campaigner Michelle Cassar has written a kids book. As well working long and hard at raising awareness of the environmental damage caused by plastic pollution, she has always shown and encouraged practical solutions. Plastic pollution, that is the non-biodegradable throwaway plastic that is increasingly littering and damaging the land and sea. She has lived plastic reduced for decades and coined the descriptive term Being PALL, that is Being Plastic A Lot Less, to describe her lifestyle choice. She went on to become one of the original members of City to Sea, an organisation preventing plastic pollution at source.

    Add to that Michelle has now written a book to teach children about the dangers of plastic misuse. Especially single use plastic plastic. That is the plastic products used once and then discarded. Yes it a big subject for small children and an incredibly complex one. But she has managed to write a heartwarming, kind and informative tale that introduces children to the problems without scaring the pants off them. She highlights the issues while gently suggesting ways children can change their habits to help change their future. It features snarky big sisters, goggle-wearing supersheros, leatherback turtles and Narwhals. Add a curious determined little girl who realises that one person can make a difference and what’s not to love? Written for kids but great for adults (and snarky big sisters), too. Read it and be inspired.”

    You can help get this book published by supporting her crowdfunded. It goes live on the 5th June #WorldEnviromentDay up and running for the 8th June #WorldOceansDay. It will be a kind of ‘pre-order’ with some additional rewards for name in book, and kids party planner etc.

    Keep track via her blog.

    Buying British Made 

    Read up on how and why we buy, here

    March

    Hair Bands / Ties – Kooshoo-  pleased to have found these made from 100% biodegradable materials. Read up here

    It’s way too sunny so I am looking for some sunblock and some shady clothes. By which I mean clothes that protect me from the sun and not a dubious looking look.

    Anything But Plastic online sell this

    Shade Sunscreen for £9.75 for 100ml. I have bought some and will be writing a review.

    But at that price I will also have to continue making my own. So far I have made a zinc based lotion and a zinc based suntan oil. You can read more about that and find my recipes HERE

    February

    Plastic free February is happening in leeds, right now and being run by Plastic Free Me. Find out more here

    Events with Plastic-Free Me
    FEB 5 Plastic-Free Youth Leadership Course
    FEB 21 Plastic-Free Film Workshop
    FEB 22 Plastic-Free Me Workshop

    Check out their Facebook page

    Crisps

    Wahey…after years of no crisps….Its now possible to buy crisps in home compostable packaging! Find them here!

    Refill Service

    This is a very interesting article “A coalition of giant brands is about to change how we shop forever, with a new zero-waste platform. Loop will send you name-brand products, like Tide detergent, Crest mouthwash, or Häagen Dazs ice cream. When you’re done, you ship the empty container back, where it gets cleaned and reused for the next customer.” Read more here.

    Of course we are already big fans of refill services.  Here are a few we have found. #plasticfree refill index

    Head on over here to get loved up!

    January

    PG tips threatening to bring out plastic free tea bags

     http://plasticisrubbish.com/2010/09/13/bean-me-up/

    coffee in compostable packaging

    read more here.

    Bedding

    A plastic free duvet cover is hard to find. It seems that washable cotton products generally need a tough plastic casing. well not at Denhelm mill.

    Bedroom

    Talking of shopping…..

    Here are my thoughts on how to shop #plasticfree and ethically. I try to apply as many of the following criteria as possible

    Obviously first and foremost said products have to be plastic free or help me reduce my plastic footprint
    Support independant shops
    Buy British made products
    Support British companies
    Realistically I sometimes have to shop in supermarkets and chains. Then I have to consider which is the most ethical choice

    You can read more here

  • How & Where To Buy

    How & Where To Buy

    So where  and how to buy your plastic free products? I try to apply as many of the following criteria as possible

    Obviously first and foremost they have to be plastic free
    Support independant shops.
    Realistically I sometimes have to shop in supermarkets and chains. Then I have to consider which is the most ethical choice
    Buy British made products
    Support British companies
    Online and plastic free

    Plastic Free Products

    By product. Organised by type, task, name, lifestyle hack and WHERE TO BUY right here

    Local shops for local people

    I love me my local shops and I make a real effort to buy local. Reasons why here.
    Found this great directory of independent stores in Leeds

    Loose Food Shops

    Loose Food Find out if a shop near you sells bulk food loose.
    Heres alist of towns with shops selling loose food.

    Supermarkets & Chainstores  Yes you can get plastic free and zero waste stuff. Read up HERE.

    Online;  It is possible to buy food online loose and plasticfree. You can even use your own cotton produce bags for some things. Read more here

    Milk Delivered in glass bottles but double check before you order

    Buying British

    I also like to buy British made when ever possible and cut those  air miles – read more here.
    Here are somethings you can still buy made in Britain.Find them HERE.
    And if I can’t buy British made or from local shops, I at least like to buy from British owned companies.

    Which Chain Should I Choose?

    And let me say right now I’m not overly keen on chainstores. They are killing off the local shops and take money out of the community. Before you enter  please do consider shopping at your local shops. Reasons why here.
    See all our chains/supermarket index here with links to the plastic free products available

    On Line

    Nothing more irritating then ordering a #plasticfree item to have it arrive swathed in plastic packaging.
    These shops sell plastic free products and send them out in plasticless packages. Find them HERE

    good shops Latest news

    Found a company that makes all kinds of biodegradable things and send them a packaging free and less whether all night making themThe company is based in Sweden the product I made all over the world that have been carefully thought out and about incredible. They sell compostable mobile phone covers which is what I’m interested in but they also have pens and vegan dental floss.

    And the self drying clay that comes plastic free. They also do a non-toxic stick in a recycled plastic tube so well obviously not entirely plastic free it might be an improvement.

    They have cut a lot of the plastic out of the warehouse and transport so you know when you’re buying from them they really are trying to reduce the plastic behind the scenes as well as the stuff on the shelf.

    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

    ,

  • Elastine

    Elastine

    I wear mostly natural fibres but occasionally have problems with elasticine. I thought this referred to elastic. So when the label said 95% cotton 5% elasticine I thought the article of clothing contained elastic. I was kind of confused to find my jeans contained elastic but considered it essential in my knickers. Obviously more research was needed.

    What is elasticine? also called Spandex or Lycra

    elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It can be stretched up to 7 times it’s own length and snaps back into shape. So yes like elastic in that sense.

    BUT rather than a stretchy piece of white stuff threaded through your waistband, it is used in a blend with other fibres. It is often mixed with natural fibres such as cotton to help them keep their shape.

    There are two principal methods used in processing elastane. One is to wrap the elastane fibre in a non-elastic thread – either natural or man-made. The resulting yarn has the appearance and feel of the outer fibre used. The second method involves using pure elastane threads, which are worked or woven into fabrics made from other fibres. The added elasticity makes such fabrics more comfortable to wear. Blends with elastane depend on the type of fabric and the end use.

    On care labels elastane is often designated as “EL”.

    For cotton clothes that need a lot of stretch like socks and knickers it is almost impossible to find them elasticine free.

    Why is this a problem?

    It is a polyether polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPonts Wikipedia

    Basically it is a non biodegradable plastic. The problem with non biodegradable plastic fibres is that they shed when the fabric containing them is washed. They are then swooshed into the drains in the waste water and, too fine to be filtered out, they end up the rivers and sea. Once there, being plastic, they don’t biodegrade. They are now amongst other problems, being eaten by plankton with worrying effects.

    And then there is this….”Spandex is made from several chemicals that are known sensitizers. TDI and MDI (Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate; Methylene bisphenyl-4,4-diiisocyanate) are precursors of the polyurethane used to make spandex. TDI, a toxic chemical, has proved carcinogenic and can cause severe dermatitis. MDI is also toxic. Manufacturers of spandex products must use strict quality control procedures to ensure that no residual unreacted MDI or TDI exists in the final product.

    Why I boycott….

    Seemingly, wherever scientists look, they’re finding plastic fibers contaminating the environment. Often, plastic textile fibers are the dominant source of plastic pollution found in surveys. Plastic fibers have been found in the sediment surrounding beaches, in mangrove groves, and in Arctic ice — even in products we eat and drink. “The average person ingests over 5,800 particles of synthetic debris” a year, a recent paper in PLOS finds. And most of those particles are plastic fibers.

    Read more 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

  • Noodles

    Noodles

    Finally managed to score some plastic free noodles!Its back to the wonderful Leeds Market. I love it. Its a great place to buy #plasticfree almost everything. Read a review here

    And its been made all the better by the opening of the JarTree where you can take your own packaging and buy just about everything you might ever need, plastic free.
    Address: Leeds Kirkgate Market, Unit BS1, Leeds LS2 7HY

    Phone: 07470 033404 https://www.facebook.com/thejartree/

    You can see a picture diary here of all the products stocked including NOODLES!!!!

    Or visit the website for more. They are continually updating the product list here:
    http://www.thejartree.co.uk/store-product-list.html

    And they welcome all suggestions in store too!

    Food & Drink

    Here is a list of food types category with purchase details

    Don’t Live In Leeds? More Plastic Free Food Shops Here.

    There are a growing number of plasticfree/refill shops in the U.K. Here are our latest finds.

    Buy On Line
    None near you?. Sad face? Don’t worry. There are and increasing number of shops selling plastic free food online. And they  send them out in plasticless packages.

    You can find others, 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

  • Cork

    Flexible Rubber cork

    Nitrile rubber is synthetic rubber. it can be used to bond cork to make a flexible sheet
    like Klinger NI27 Rubber Bonded Cork
    Klinger rubber bonded cork is bonded with synthetic rubber, it provides the compressibility of cork with the resilience of rubber. This material has high mechanical strength.
    Manufactured from high quality cork oak bonded with synthetic rubber
    Rubber cork sheets are made from cork aggregate and different rubber mixes, neoprene, silicone and polyurethane. The final product is incredibly elastic, durable and resistant against grease, oil, fuels, gases and many other chemical substances. It is used as a seal material for cars, agricultural machines and industry seals. Read more.

    But you can get expanded cork boards that don’t use synthetic binders.
    Expanded insulation cork sheets are natural, balanced and unbeatable cork products that, with this special type of agglomerated cork, do not contain polyurethane or any other fillers or additives. Due to the high temperature processing treatment it expands (similarly to popcorn) and suberin that is releases during is a natural adhesive that binds the expanding grains. This way we produce a wonderful, natural and sustainable material that offers a perfect vibroisolation, thermal insulation and acoustic isolation.
    Find them here.

    Heres some more information on expanded cork

    and this about using cork in the green home.

    Some notes on insulation

    The green van. You can see all our related posts here Thermal conductivity, often denoted by the greek symbol λ ,measures …
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  • Some notes on insulation

    Some notes on insulation

    The green van. You can see all our related posts here

    Thermal conductivity, often denoted by the greek symbol λ ,measures of how easily heat flows through a material, independent of the thickness of the material in question.

    The lower the thermal conductivity = the slower heat will move across a material= good

    It is measured in Watts per Metre Kelvin (W/mK).

    0.008 W/mK for vacuum insulated panels = very good = retains heat

    0.061 W/mK for certain types of wood fibre = not so good looses heat

    R-Values

    The R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of material.

    The higher the R-value the better its insulating properties.

    The R-value is calculated by using the formula

    R-Value

     

    Where:

    l is the thickness of the material in metres and

    λ is the thermal conductivity in W/mK.

    The R-value is measured in metres squared Kelvin per Watt (m2K/W)

    “The R-value is therefore a relatively simple way to compare two insulating materials if you have the thermal conductivity for each material. It also allows you to see the impact of adding thicker layers of the same insulating material.”

    But ” R-values only take into account conduction. It does not include either convection or radiation.”

    so on to

    U-Values

    takes into account all factors and is the most reliable method of measuring but it is more difficult to calculate.

    “The U value of a building element is the inverse of the total thermal resistance of that element. The U-value is a measure of how much heat is lost through a given thickness of a particular material, but includes the three major ways in which heat loss occurs – conduction, convection and radiation.”

    To Conclude

    • Thermal Resistance = how fast heat passes through a material independent of thicknessshown as λ / W/mK .The higher the number the better
    •  R-Values takes the thickness of the material into account – so thermal resistance in more detail. (m2K/W) Again higher is better.
    • U-Values.
    • The U-Value is the most accurate measurement of a  material’s insulating ability, In this case THE LOWER the number the better.

    Very good read HERE

    Why should I insulate and where?

    A useful ARTICLE HERE.

    For our van, we used Elephant Bark 1/4″ rubber (also called Stall Mats) as an MLV-type layer on the floor. We isolated it from the stock wooden van floor using a layer of LowE foil-faced closed cell foam. The full stack of materials gives us a good combination of heat and sound damping.

    On the walls, we used DB2-4walls. It’s a .75lb/sf. product, 1/8″ thick. We didn’t use it throughout the van, but we did put sheets of it behind the door panels before we re-applied them.

    (thats 6.35mm thick!)

    From a useful ARTICLE.

    used rubber on the floor

    • Rubber rolls can be installed in minutes with 2-sided carpet tape, no messy adhesive needed
    • Rubberized flooring made from abrasion and wear resistant 100-Percent USA produce recycled rubber
    • Extremely durable which makes this product ideal for deck flooring or dog mats for kennels
    • This rubber flooring roll is an excellent way to turn your concrete floors into comfortable, warm, and protective rubber surfaces
    • Ideal for use as: sports flooring, garage floor covering, basement flooring, gym equipment mats, and horse trailer floor covering

    First, let’s see where, on average, the most heat leaves the house, what the target insulation value should be and what measures are appropriate. This is found in Table 1.

    Building feature Heat loss (%) Target U-value (EPC Band B) Possible solutions
    Table 1: heat loss through building elements, target insulation levels and insulation solutions
    Walls 35 % 0.15 Cavity, internal or external wall insulation
    Windows and doors 15 % 1.6 Double/triple/secondary glazing / shutters and curtains
    Roof 25 % 0.10 Pitched, warm deck or cold deck roof insulation
    Floor 15 % 0.15 Floor insulation
    Gaps, cracks, draughts 10 %

    Image (click to zoom) Material K-value (W/mK) Notes

    Material Depth
    Table 2: depth of insulation required to reach a U-value of 0.15W/m2K
    Expanded polyurethane 130 mm
    Unfaced polyurethane 160 mm
    Rockwool (60 – 100kg/m3) 195 mm
    Glassfibre slab 205 mm
    Expanded polystyrene 215 mm
    Mineral wool 225 mm
    Flax 230 mm
    Expanded Corkboard (110kg/m3) 240 mm
    Glass fibre quilt 240 mm
    Cork slab (160kg/m3) 250 mm
    Woodwool board 250 mm
    Cellular sheet glass 280 mm
    Foam glass (140kg/m3) 305 mm
    Cork slab (140kg/m3) 325 mm
    Foam glass (130kg/m3) 330 mm
    Material Depth
    Table 2: depth of insulation required to reach a U-value of 0.15W/m2K

    Table 5: Summary comparison of different insulation materials
    Organic sources
    These have absorbed carbon from the atmosphere and so are more climate-friendly
    Sheep’s wool batts and rolls 0.038 – 0.043 Can absorb some moisture whilst remaining efficient
    Wood fibre batts 0.038 – 0.043 Good for most walls, ceilings, roofs, timber joisted floors.
    Cotton-based batts and rolls 0.038 – 0.043 Best for horizontal surfaces.
    Cellulose (loose, batt or board) (e.g. Warmcel, Homatherm) 0.038 – 0.040 Recyclable, renewable, made from finely shredded newspaper, easy to install, best for horizontal services.
    Flax batts, slabs and rolls approximately 0.042 Hard to obtain and expensive.
    Hemp batts 0.043 Relatively expensive.
    expanded-corkboard Expanded Corkboard (e.g. Amorim, Korktherm, Westco) 0.040 – 0.050 Commonly used as underlay under hardwood and ceramic floors.
    Wood fibre board (eg. Pavatex) 0.039-0.46 Good for wall and pitched roof construction
    Hempcrete (e.g. Hemcrete, Canobiote, Canosmose, and Isochanvre) 0.12 – 0.13 Made of hemp shiv with a lime matrix. High elasticity and vapour permeability. Used for external wall insulation. Typical compressive strength 20 times lower than low grade concrete. Density: 15 per cent of traditional concrete.
    Naturally occurring minerals
    Usually environmentally ok but some have high embodied energy – see Table 3
    Aerogel (e.g. Spacetherm) 0.013 Flexible sheets and laminates, a type of glass and composite materials including plasterboard and sandwiched within PVC panels. Expensive but useful where width is limited as performance is so good. Not breathable.
    Fibreglass mineral wool batts and rolls (BSI kitemarked available) (e.g. British-Gypsum Isover, Knauf, Superglass) or Fibreglass board (e.g. Isowool, Dritherm) 0.033 – 0.040 Made from molten glass, sometimes with 20 to
    30 per cent recycled content. The most common residential insulant. Usually applied as batts, pressed between studs. Most include a formaldehyde-based binder – exceptions are beginning to appear.
    Mineral (rock & slag) wool batts and rolls (BSI kitemarked available) (e.g. Rockwool) 0.033 – 0.040 Used for loft and cavity wall insulation.
    Foamed glass slab (e.g. Foamglas) 0.042 High, durable compressive strength, non-permeable. Needs bitumen or synthetic adhesives to install.
    Perlite 0.045 – 0.05 Naturally occurring volcanic glass that greatly expands and becomes porous when heated sufficiently. Must be installed in sealed spaces.
    Exfoliated vermiculite 0.063 Clay-based, otherwise like perlite
    Multi-foil insulation (or ‘Radiant barriers’) disputed Thinness makes it ideal for places where little width is available. Made from non-renewable petrochemicals and aluminium. Can have poor airtightness. Expensive, vulnerable to being punctured, which will render it useless.
    Fossil fuels
    These have emitted carbon to the atmosphere during manufacture. Avoid unless you don’t have the space or budget for natural products. All manufactured at high temperatures, derived from fossil fuels. Extremely high embodied energy. Non-breathable, so may cause damp problems.
    Phenolic foam board (e.g. Kingspan Kooltherm) 0.020 – 0.25 For roofing, cavity board, external wall board, plaster board dry linings systems, floor insulation and as sarking board.
    Expanded polystyrene board and beads (EPS) 0.032 – 0.040 Beads are used primarily in masonry cavities.
    Extruded Polystyrene board (XPS) (e.g. Kingspan Styrozone) 0.028 – 0.036 Very high compressive strength.
    Polyurethane/polyisocyanurate board and foam
    (e.g. Kingspan Therma) 0.02 – 0.033 Foam or rigid board. Foam is sprayed in at high temperatures; within seconds it will expand by over 30 times giving a seamless rigid covering. Good for plugging gaps or leaks. High compressive strength.
    Eco-wool (e.g. non-itch) – batts 0.039 – 0.042 Alternative to glass wool, made from 85 per cent recycled plastic. Comes in rolls or slabs. Suitable for loft and stud walls.
    Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) variable approximately 0.040 A building method using pre-cut expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) to erect an airtight structure quickly that eliminates thermal bridging.

    read more here

    Expanded Cork

    TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

    Thermal Conductivity: 0.036-0.38 W/mk for a declared value of EU label 0.04 W/mk

    Thermal Resistance: R-3.6 to R-4.2/inch, declared value for EU label of R-4/inch

    Density: 7.0-7.5 lbs/ft3 or 100-120 Kg/m3

    Perpendicular Face Resistance:60 Kpa or 8.7 PSI

    Compression Resistance: 10% at 100u Kpa (14.5 PSI)

    Permeability:

    • 1 1/2″ thickness:2.15 US perms
    • 2″ thickness: 2.04 US perms
    • 4″ thickness:1.26 US perms

    Maximum Moisture Content: 8%, with water absorption declared at 0.5 kg/m3

    Longitude Tolerance: +/-0.1 to 0.2″ or +/-3 to 5 mm

    Thickness Tolerance: 0.04 to 0.1″ or +/-1 to 2 mm

    Fire Resistance: Euro Class “E”

    Why can insulation cause damp?

    As you’ll know, insulation is designed to slow down heat transfer, keeping warm air in and cold air out. However, the more airtight your house is, the less natural ventilation it gets – and airflow is key for maintaining a healthy level of humidity indoors.

    What people are often not told by insulation installers is that warm air holds more moisture, and this has got to go somewhere. If insulation means this water vapour cannot escape through walls or ceilings, it sinks into the fabric of the building, or its contents. It is important therefore to counter increased humidity with increased ventilation. Make sure to use extractor fans and/or open windows – especially when you’re doing something that creates a lot of steam, such as showering or cooking.

    Damp after loft insulation

    So you only  “decided to insulate the floor of the space, rather than the roof. This is because there is very little point paying to heat your attic – and the nature of heat rising means that a lot of heating escapes up there!  Insulating this space effectively will keep warm air in the main body of the house below, and your loft will get pretty cold as a result. As long as it is dry up there, this shouldn’t be an issue if you’re only going up now and then to grab boxes. Potential problems can arise when damp air gets into the space and reaches its dew point in the low temperature, condensing on surfaces, (and in some cases, the insulation material itself). Damp can set in and lead to mould, which can be tricky to get rid of. This is why it’s important to have adequate ventilation in the roof, and make sure any insulation doesn’t cover the vents. Something else you should consider carefully is the material you choose, as their abilities to resist damp vary hugely. If you use an insulation material that is not breathable, it soaks up water and keeps it there. Fibreglass, for instance, is easily soiled – and once it’s wet, it stays that way. Pure sheep wool, in comparison, helps regulate humidity in the air wherever it is. It can be more easily dried out, and its thermal performance is not affected when it holds water vapour.

    Swaledale 54 Carpet Underlay
    Swaledale 50 Pure Wool Carpet Underlay
    Never before has carpet underlay been this good.Swaledale our heavy weight pure new wool carpet underlay manufactured from 100% pure Swaledale wool. It is suitable for heavy domestic & heavy commercial use, ideal for all areas in your home especially stairs.Please Note: This product is now made with 100% Swaledale wool and has a new improved Jute scrim which is ideal for anyone wanting a totally natural product.

    KEY FEATURES OF OUR OPTIMAL SHEEP WOOL INSULATION:

    • Our Optimal insulation is 100% natural
    • Irritant free, it is easy to install and offers excellent heat and acoustic insulating properties.
    • Our Optimal insulation absorbs moisture, helping it regulate humidity in the roof space.
    • Optimal insulation has a density of 18 kg/m3
    • Available in widths of 380mm or 570mm to suit the distance between the joists in your loft
    • Available in thicknesses of 50mm or 75mm.

    HOW TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH YOU NEED:

    Using the thermal conductivity of this product (0.0385), you can work out either the thickness you require or the U-Value you will achieve. Simply divide the thermal conductivity by the thickness to work out the U-Value, or divide it by the U-value you want to reach to work out the thickness required.

    0.0385 / Thickness = U-Value
    0.0385 / U-Value = Thickness

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