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Commercial Composting
Ever wonder about how much waste we really throw away each year? Well, studies estimate that 30 to 40 percent of the food produced in the United States goes to waste 30 to 40 percent of the food produced in the United States goes to waste, often ending up in landfills. In 2014, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study found that the U.S. tosses over 3.8 million tons of food every single year.
That’s tragic because so many people in the world are going hungry. Food waste also contributes to global warming and disposing of it costs a lot of money. Using our food more efficiently would be a more permanent solution to the problem, but there are some things we can do to improve our disposal process as well. With composting, disposal doesn’t have to mean the end of food’s useful life and may even have some positive environmental attributes.
How Composting Works
Composting allows us to recycle organic materials, including many food items, yard waste, animal products and paper products. It uses a natural process that’s integral to life here on earth, the decomposition process that breaks down these materials into rich soil from which plants can grow.
Composting takes that natural phenomenon and accelerates it using one of several different methods. Individuals and families can compost their food and yard waste in their own backyards. Large companies sometimes compost their own leftover materials. Some local governments also organize composting operations, and local businesses might offer composting services to nearby residents. These services can be a perfect, easy-to-use solution to our organic waste disposal problem.
Composting Methods
Beyond simple backyard composting, there are a number of methods that large-scale composting operations employ.
- Aerated Static Pile Composting
One of the simplest methods for composting large amounts of waste is aerated static pile composting. It involves placing well-mixed organic waste into a large pile, along with bulking agents such as woodchips or shredded paper. This method can produce compost within three to six months.
- Aerated Windrow Composting
Aerated, or turned, windrow composting involves placing waste in rows that are about four to eight feet tall and 14 to 16 feet wide. These rows, called windrows, must be turned occasionally so that the inner part of the pile ends up in the outside and vice versa. This method is ideal for particularly large amounts of waste.
- In-Vessel Composting
In-vessel compost allows for more control of the composting process and produces results quickly. In this method, compost is placed into contained spaces such as large drums, enclosed tunnels or other containers where machinery regularly turns it. This produces usable composts in a few weeks to a few months.
How to Get Involved
Other popular methods of disposing of household organic waste, such as garbage disposals, can be useful but don’t have all the same capabilities as composting. Garbage disposals, for instance, can’t handle solid items like peach pits. Regular trash collection has environmental consequences.
Composting can take care of many different kinds of waste, is environmentally friendly compared to other methods and produces a useful end result – compost that can be used to grow crops and other plants.
Many people don’t have room, time or ability to compost their own waste. For these people, commercial composting methods are the solution. Contact your local government and search for nearby businesses to see if organic waste collection and composting services exist in your area — and whether you can get some freshly made compost for your garden.
Bio:
Emily is a sustainability writer and the editor of Conservation Folks.
Please note…
This post was written by the contributor.
Read more about composting, compost bins and other rotten posts HERE
Guest Post & Plastic Free Promotions
We love to feature guest posts. If you have something to say about #plasticfree living let us know. You can read more about submissions HERE
NB we reserve the right
not to post
to remove guest posts. -
Bleaching Paper
Until the 1990s, chlorine was mostly used for bleaching paper because it does the job very efficiently. The downside is that the process results in dioxins. Paper mills a major sources of dioxins in the environment.
Dioxins are known carcinogens that bioaccumulate in the food chain. You can read more here. They are very nasty and we do not want them lurking in the water or our body fat. Thankfully safer alternatives are being developed. Please consider choosing one when you buy any paper product.Unbleached – BEST
No process is used to brighten the fibre and the resulting paper is the natural brown colour of untreated wood pulp.When buying bleached paper heres what to avoid and what to buy
Elemental Chlorine. NO.
This is the old school method. A chemical gas is used to brighten paper fibers but results in the most dioxins.Elemental Chlorine Free. IF YOU HAVE TO
“Uses a chlorine compound, most often chlorine dioxide, that significantly reduces dioxins but does not eliminate them. Paper companies using ECF often say that dioxin is “nondetectable” in their wastewater. This refers only to the sensitivity of prescribed tests, and does not necessarily mean there are no dioxins. State-of-the-art tests are often able to detect dioxins when prescribed tests find them nondetectable.”Totally Chlorine Free YES
Non chlorine alternative bleaching processes, including
oxygen,
peroxide
ozone bleaching systemsNone of the above result in dioxins or chlorinated toxic pollutants.
Processed Chlorine Free YES
When recycled fibres are used in the finished paper this tells you that the recycled content was originally bleached without chlorine or chlorine compounds as well as new the virgin fibres.The Worldwatch Institute (Paper Cuts, 1999) reports that a mill using standard chlorine bleaching will release about 35 tons of organochlorines (dioxins and chlorinated toxic pollutants) a day. An ECF mill will release 7-10 tons per day. A PCF/TCF mill will release none.
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
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Pasta
An essential in our house. Quick and easy but hard to get plastic free.
Fresh Pasta
Apparently you can make your own pasta. I even bought the machine. Still not made any!
Dried pasta
An essential in our house. Quick and easy but hard to get plastic free.Good news is that the Jar Tree in Leeds Market sells wholewheat spaghettis and pasta twirls both brown and white loose. And I think the Nut House (also Leeds Market) might sell white pasta tubes.
I love Leeds Market. I love it. Its a great place to buy #plasticfree almost everything. Read a review here
Loose Food
As the plastic movement grows more shops are selling naked food; stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged ie rice, Some sell pasta. Heres a list of towns with shops selling loose food.
Buy Online
But loose food shops are still few and far between, Don’t despair. 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.
Better Plastic
Cant be denied that all the above options are expensive and if you really can’t do without it (who can), and you have a choice of plasticless and plastic wrapped products.Almost Plastic Free Barilla
Barilla sells all sorts os pasta in a cardboard box with a small plastic window. Lots of supermarkets sell it.Pasta Polythene Bags
Many products like dried pasta come packaged in lovely looking, printed, laminated plastic film. Or to put it more simply several layers of plastic each with different properties stuck together. Because they consist of different plastics bonded together it is difficult to know what they are and how to treat them and separating the films is tricky and so very expensive. Films therefore often don’t get recycled but burnt or landfilled.
Simple polythene bags are easy to recycle. You can read more about that here.Check the recycling info on the package to find out more.
Tescos
Sell pasta in bulk in polythene bags. Sadly they don’t do whole wheat or organic pasta like this so you will have to make do white white pasta twirls. Possibly other supermarkets also do this.
More
Supermarkets & Chainstores
Because sometimes we have to shop there and yes you can get plastic free and zero waste stuff. Read our supermarket reviews here.If you want to buy loose, you will need to take your own reusable packaging – produce bags, tupperware even compostable disposables. You can find them here.
Feel guilty buying plastic packed food? So do we but sometimes you have to so we apply the special treats rule. read more about the three levels of plastic free food
See all our food posts via the food index
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.
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Asking for sponsors….
Long term readers will have noticed that Google ads have arrived on site. I never wanted to but I need the cash. Until now all the work done has been done in my spare time and for free. I see it as my pro bono environmental work. I will continue to do work for free because I believe in it.
I also pay for the hosting and other costs of putting it online. That doesnt cost a huge amount but my income is not huge either.
But as the blog, and the plasticfree movement grow, it is becoming increasingly demanding. I can’t afford to spend any more time on it so I am looking for investment that will allow me to take time away from my self employed paid work.
So if you have any spare change and are looking for a cause to sponsor – or have found what we do useful – consider bunging it our way and buy another #plasticfree hour for the cause.
Why support me?
I have been living, travelling and promoting a plastic free lifestyle for over decade now.
I was one of the first plasticfree bloggers raising awareness about plastic pollution.
I have a huge database of plastic free alternatives and life style hacks up on the website, I regularly share information on social media sites and host an online discussion group via Facebook.
I am the only person curating this kind of resource on this scaleWhy Is This Important?
Advising people about the plasticfree alternatives is vital because
Plastic waste has already fundamentally changed the ecosystem with unknown consequences.
Plastic pollution looks ugly, costs a lot to clean up and is killing animals.
Problematic plastic and plastic misuse needs to be stopped at source.
People need to be aware of plasticfree altenatives before they can choose them.So if you think what we do is worthwhile, consider buying us a coffee.
Many thanks for your contribution. -
Creams & Lotions – Recipes
The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone other than me. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully.
Disclaimer
Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
a) doesn’t have any training in this field,
b) most of what they know comes from Google,
That’s me I mean.If you want a better informed opinion I suggest you head on over to the Aromantics website. They will sell you everything you need to make sun tan lotion including recipes you can download as a PDF. They have been in this game for years and are far more qualified then I am.
The following is an account of my own experiences which may help you in your own research.
It is so easy to make your own creams and lotion that once you start you will never look back. The advantages are huge; you get to control what goes on your skin, be way more eco-friendly and save a whole load of cash. You can make almost anything the cosmetic companies sell but without the palm oil, dodgy chemicals and weird colours. Though you can have all those too if you want.
Lotion and cream is basically a mix of oills,waxes or butters with water combined using an emulsifier. Lotions are thinner, cream more solid.
Do you really need to make a cream? Many times you can use an oil or butter neat. But sometimes they are just too oily.
Many commercial creams including E45 use mineral oil. That’s derived from the same gloopy black oil we use to make petrol.
ingredients
To make cream or lotion you will need
Oil, butters & waxes.
There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. Generally speaking the richer the oil the heavier the cream, the more water you put in the lighter the lotion. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. See my guide to oils here.Water
There is much talk of using distilled water but I use tap.Cooking thermometer
VERY useful .Emulsifiers:
Water and fat do not naturally mix, you need to use an emulsifier.You have to add other ingredients to turn what is basically salad dressing into lovely thick cream. So in addition to oils and water you will need an emulsifier.Notes On Emulsifiers
The most complex ingredient in cream is the emulsifier. The water and oils are simple enough but this is what makes them bind together.
There are a few completely natural emulsifiers but they do not give consistent results.
Most commercially used emulsifiers are manufactured. They are most often derived from coconut oil and palm oil. More recently, rapeseed has been used.
But some are produced from pig fats. Check what you buy.
I have tried a few with varied success BUT
A combination of VE Emulsifier, MF Emulsifier and Cetearyl Alcohol works every time and can be used to make a wide range of products from thick creams to thin lotions.VE Emulsifier or Glyceryl Stearate is a vegetable-based emulsifier
Cetearyl Alcohol is a vegetable based emulsifying wax
MF Emulsifier or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate can be fermented from lactose (milk sugar)but more commonly comes from nondairy sources such as cornstarch, potatoes and molasses.
Palm Oil
Please note that all the above also may be derived from or include palm oil. Be sure to buy from a good practice supplier. For example there should be something this note on Aromantics VE emulsifier “The Palm oil that is used in both in MF/VE emulsifiers comes from suppliers that are either members of the Round Table of Sustainable Palm Oil or a subsidiary company or who are members of FEDIOL which supports sustainability. FEDIOL is a European industry federation based in Brussels”.
You can read more about palm oil here.Preservatives
Optional?
Oil on its own does not go off – there is no water for bacterial to feed on. Once you have added water to oil then it can. Now your creams are vulnerable to bacteria. Preservatives will help “keep” your cream. I don’t use it as it can cause skin irritations. And I find cream without I less itchy on my skin. I have had a few pots of cream go mouldy but we are talking maybe 5 in the years I have been making my own creams. You can read up and buy preservatives here Aromantics
However there is a growing movement on the internet that insist the bacteria that could grow in your creams could be harmful if spread on the skin. Obviously bacteria can grow in your cream which is why preservatives are added. Without preservatives your cream might have a shorter shelf lie. As to wether it is harmful I cant find any actual research linking cream to infection but i suggest you research more.
For me being able to use moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin flare up is a worthwhile risk. However I do store it in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time to scoop some out.
Pots
to put your cream in.Process
Heat the Fat Stage ingredients in a double boiler (or a metal pot on hot water) until above 75°C. Use a thermometer to check.
Boil the water add the MF emulsifier and other Water Stage ingredients to 75°C.
Take off heat. Now pour the Fat Stage into the Water Stage in a slow steady stream before they drop below 75°C.
Mix well – I use a hand blender.
Allow to cool. Whisk occasionally to achieve a nice creamy consistency. As the mixture cools it becomes thicker and more creamy. It will reach its thickest consistency when it has cooled down to room temperature.
When the temperature is below 40°C you can add active ingredients
perfumes or essential oils and other magical things to make you look years younger.You can also add specialist ingredients to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Put the Cream into jars and label.
Take Care
That everything you use is clean, very clean.
Make sure you have enough pots to store your cream in.
That you label it – and date it. Believe me you will forget!Recipes & Kits
Here are some sample recipes.
Supermarket Cream (My recipe)
You can buy all these ingredient from the supermarket. I cut the olive oil with the lighter almond oil because I find it rather heavy.
Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!Fat Stage
- 20g Cetyl Alcohol
- 70ml Almond Oil Tesco’s or Asian Shop
- 30ml Olive Oil
- 20g coconut oil Tescos or Asian Shop
- Water Stage
- 800ml water
- 40g MF emulsifier
- Fancy Aromatics RecipeTo be honest I think this recipe has way to many ingredients but I like this company, I have used their products many times and think that this will probably make a nice cream. It is also useful to have a recipe that lists by percentages.You can experiment and use different oils, or even less oils. Just make sure the percentages stay the same. For example you can cut the thistle oil and use 10% Apricot Kernal Oil.
By percentage
Fat Stage (above 75°C)
2% Cocoa Butter
3% Macadamia Nut Oil
7% Apricot Kernel Oil
3% Thistle Oil
2.5% VE Emulsifier
2% Cetearyl AlcoholWater Stage (above 75°C)
4.5% MF Emulsifier
69% Boiling Spring Water
2% GlycerineThird Stage (below 40°C)
1% Preservative 12 or Eco
1% Vitamin E Simulated Natural
2% NFF Complex
1% Essential Oils of your choice
Rich Tropical Delights Cream (My recipe)
Much easier far fewer ingredients. I cut the olive oil with Almond because I find it rather heavy.
Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!Fat Stage
- 25 g VE Emulsifier
- 20g Cetyl Alcohol
- 70ml Almond Oil
- 30ml Coconut Oil
- 20g Shea butter
- 10g Cocoa butter
- Water Stage
- 800ml water
- 40g MF emulsifier
- Design Your Own
You can adapt the mix of oils for the above recipes based on your personal preference.
If you want to design you own cream from scratch, follow these guidelines…
style=”font-size: medium;”>Emulsifiers 5-8% - Oils 12-20%
- Water, Additives, and Botanicals to 100 %.
Trouble Shoot
Cream too thick? You cannot add more water once the mixture has cooled. This ruins the cream – it will not rub in. You will need to make a thinner lotion and mix your creams to achieve the desired consistency. You can add more oil and mix well. This of course makes your cream more oily.Lotions
If you want a thinner cream add more water at the water stage.
Kits
If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.
Anti Aging, Sun Tan Lotion & Fake Bake
You can add specialist ingredients to your base to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.Buy
Aromantics is a good and ethical supplier of ingredients but expensive. I buy a lot of stuff in bulk from other suppliers. Ebay is a good source. Prices vary so do shop around.
I store my creams in old jars but for display I have bought some glass jars with metal lids.
Plastic Spoiler
Most plastic base ingredients come in plastic bags but I get huge amounts cream out of one small bag of ingredients so I consider it a worthwhile compromise.
Making 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 toothpaste and other products
and making other stuff – here.Making creams while travelling
You cannot carry a years supply of home made cream in your rucksack so here are some ideas about making your own home made creams in hotel bedrooms.
Kits
If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes. -
Gift wrap reusable
Which wrap should you choose? Well we prefer reusables over all else so here are some wraps you can use over and over again…
Reusable Wraps
Wrap your presents in cloth and tie with string
Or just use cloth and the ancient Japanese method of knotting. Called furoshiki. YOu can find more info here .
Make or buy reusable crackle paper made from recycled tents.
Make or buy a fabric gift bag
Try this stretch wrap from Wragwrap
fabric bottle bag from WragwrapCrackle Paper
I have to admit to using synthetic tents. I feel this is one instance where plastic really is the best product for the job, (remembers sleeping under canvas and shudders #plasticweuse). But what to do when your trusty old tent is no longer up to the job. Well you could re- use it to make crinkly sounding wrapping paper. Or if you don’t camp, or sew, you could buy some recycled Glastonbury tent wraps form these guys….
FESTIWRAPFestiWraps are made from tents, discarded at UK music festivals such as Lattitude and Glastonbury, and then collected by us. Tents that cannot be recovered by charities and would normally be sent to landfill, are collected, cleaned and used to create fabulous reusable gift wrap. The wrap itself is made from two outer layers of tent fabric sandwiched around a piece of ground sheet. This creates a crinkly sound like paper folding and un-folding, bringing the emotional sounds and experience of a wrapped gift to life. The fastening cord, which makes the FestiWrap so quick and easy to use, is made from the recovered tent guy ropes. You can buy here.
More
You can find other gift wrap options here, plus biodegradable sticky tape, string and pretty ties
And you can read up more about special days and general partying here.
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are a class of chemicals that are volatile.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds which means they contain carbon atoms. That easily become vapors or gases.Which makes them great as a base for paints And ink. Anything that needs to dry quickly.
VOCs are released from burning fuel such as gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas.
They are also released from many consumer products as they evaporate.
They can contain fluorine, bromine, sulfur, nitrogen and other elements.
Cigarettes
Solvents
Paints and thinners
Inks
Adhesives
Hobby and craft supplies
Dry cleaning fluids
Glues
Wood preservatives
Cleaners and disinfectants
Moth repellants
Air fresheners
Building materials and furnishings
Copy machines and printers
Pesticidespaint thinners
degreasers
aerosol cans
dry-cleaning products
paints
photographic supplies
printers and photocopying machines and suppliesToxicity
Whenever the weather is hot, VOCs are more likely to be present in the air we breathe, and therefore more dangerous to human health. Not all VOC are known to be toxic, however in some cases there are clear negative effects, depending on the compound, the length and intensity of the exposure. Formaldehyde, diesel exhaust, styrene, benzene and perchloroethylene are known or suspected carcinogens, and heavy traffic, smoking and various types of workplace exposure can pose serious health risks. Known health effects include:
respiratory tract problems
headaches
fatigue
dizziness
nausea
liver and/or kidney damage
problems of the central nervous system
Read more here
When VOCs combine with nitrogen oxides in the air, they form smog.
Substances Toxic VOCs Listing
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethene
1,2,3 Trichloropropane
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane
1,2-Dibromoethane
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,2-Dichloroethene
1,2-Dichloropropane
1,3-Butadiene
2-Butanone
2-Hexanone
Acetone
Acrolein
Benzene
Bromodichloromethane
Bromoform & Dibromochloromethane
Bromomethane
Carbon Disulfide
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
Chloroethane
Chloroform
Chloromethane
Dichlorobenzenes
Dichloropropenes
Ethylbenzene
Formaldehyde
Gasoline, Automotive
Hexachlorobutadiene
Hexachloroethane
Hydrazines
Methyl Mercaptan
n-Hexane
Nitrobenzene
Stoddard Solvent
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)
Toluene
Trichloroethylene (TCE)
Vinyl Chloride
XylenesExtracts
Did you know that simply by steeping herbs, peel and fruit in alcohol you can make extracts? I discovered this quite by accident when researching what to do with an excess of leggy lavender from a rampant bush. I found a post about lavender vodka and because I refuse to follow recipes, I used far too much lavender. Rather than a delicately flavoured beverage I ended up with a murkey liquid which, lucky for me, turns out to be an extract.
Make Your Own
Extracts are strongly flavoured plant extracts. They used to flavour drinks and food. They are a great way of using up a glut of something and preserving it for use later in the year. They are incredibly easy to make and have to be the easiest way of preserving.
The alcohol used is usually vodka and the general rule of thumb seems to be to buy mid range. Too cheap and the nasty flavour intrudes, too expensive and it is a waste of good vodka. Some recipes also suggest rum.
The method is the same.
Take the herb put it in a jar cover it with vodka and leave in a cool dark place remembering to shake occasionally. Time steeping varies with the herb and the recipe.
Once done you strain off the liquid through a sieve and them some fine cotton.
Here are some steeping guidelines.- Lavender – flowers steep for 4 weeks
- Vanilla use the beans steep for two months.
- Mint leaves one to two months.
- Citrus Extracts use the rind of the fruit but not the bitter white pith. Use organic unwaxed fruit. steep for 5 to 6 weeks.
- Cinnamon bark (sticks) steep for two weeks.
- Berries 6 to 8 weeks or longer.
Apparently extracts will keep for 3-5 years.
Interesting articles
Three main reasons for using alcoholWater carbonated / fizzy drinks
I have long wanted a Soda Stream to make my own fizzy water for soft drinks and, more importantly, mixers for gin -the best of all spirits. For now I am buying tonic in tins (but they of course come plastic lined), or bottle (plastic-lined, metal cap and very expensive!).
But it has to be a SodaStream Crystal Sparkling Water Machine ( see one here) because these take glass bottles rather than plastic.
Until now there have been 2 drawbacks to this scheme. Recently I have been traveling… a lot. No fixed abode means no large kitchen appliances. Extended travel also results in limited income and those things cost around £110.00 pounds. Yes I am sure I would make the money back in the long run but in the short term I simply don’t have the cash.
Recently however the planets have aligned. I now have a kitchen and I got a bargain on Ebay. A new Soda Stream machine in original packaging for less than half price. Given my gin drinking habits, I will soon make that back!
Yes the machine is plastic but I consider this to be plastic that ultimately cuts my plastic consumption. And of course it is cutting my consumption of disposable plastics while it is a reusable item.
Packaging
The Soda Stream itself was well packaged. The box is shiny cardboard (maybe plastic coated) with one little plastic carry handle. Inside it was all brown card protective units. Yay!
The Ebayer I bought it off sent it wrapped in bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard and plastic tape.
If I had got it from a shop it would have been almost plastic free… but when you are skint you often have to compromise. Sigh.
Bottles & Gas
It was so cheap because it came without a bottle. At least that is what I understood the blurb to say. So I bought some gas and a glass bottle from Amazon. I know it was wrong of me and I wont do it again but they too were bargains.
The Amazon packaging was cardboard with plastic tape and the original soda stream gas and bottle packaging were (plastic coated?), shiny cardboard.
The gas bottle itself had a plastic cap and a seal. And a plastic sleeve with information printed on. I see no reason why this could not be paper.
Not In My Bin….
The tape had to go on my monthly plastic tally but the boxes I free-cycled. There’s always Ebayers who need packaging.
Syrups
To make fizzy drinks you need to mix the carbonated water with concentrated cordial. You can buy a range of Soda Stream mixers to make all manner of beverages from cola to tonic. They come in plastic bottles and while this represent a massive cut in overall plastic consumption, I think it is avoidable.
You can buy cordial in glass bottles from most supermarkets but it is really easy to make your own and you get to control how much sugar and other nasty additives go into them. I find commercial soft drinks, even tonic, to be way too sweet.
To date I have made raspberry fizz and ginger and lemon sparkle. Both taste great with gin!
Raspberry Fizz
Go to Bently Grange PYO fruit farm and get some raspberries. Boil them up with some sugar. Strain. Add fizzy water. Yay!
Ginger & Lemon Sparkle
Boil ginger pieces, lemon juice and sugar. Strain. Add fizzy water. You can save the ginger to flavor other stuff with. Goes great with melon!
Grapefruit & Lavender Blush
Juice of the grapefruit, few heads of lavender the last dollop of jam. Add some sugar, boil.
Storage
If you put enough sugar in I guess these cordials would last a long time. I don’t use much sugar so I make small batches and keep them in the fridge for a few days. If I make a lot I freeze the cordial as cubes of icy flavour.
Find more recipes in the plastic free cookbook
Subscribe…
Anyone out there want to subscribe to my blog? Desperate to read my posts as they steam… hot off the press I mean? Well now you can. Finally got an E mail subscription plugin thats free, easy to use and set up.
So here’s your chance to sign up. Please do -would love to have you aboard..
[email-subscribers namefield=”YES” desc=”” group=”Public”]
Facebook
I have 2 Facebook pages which highlight the problems of plastic pollution and the people tackling it and a group for chatting sharing and hanging out with like minded plasticless folk.Please do feel free to join me at any or even all (keen!). I would love to have you along Here is a quick intro followed by more detailed note.
- Plastic Is Rubbish– group, join, share, rant, post. A resource for plastic less living.
- Planet Trash – A page of images showing plastic pollution the world over and the biggest list of anti plastic groups on Facebook. If you want to be on it, contact me there. Read more here.
- Plastic Free U.K. – linked to the U.K. plastic free directory. This page is linked to the U.K. plastic free directory, a list of U.K groups, people, organisations, businesses and individuals interested in tackling the consequent problems of our misuse of plastic. If you have a project please send a write up so we can feature it.
Instagram Also got me an Instagram account which I now almost understand..
Pinterest Love it – people there are so creative. Loads of really useful ideas and pictures of lovely #plasticfree products.
Twitter Natch!
More
You can read more about plugins here.
The above plugin is called Email Subscribers & Newsletters and is by Store Apps. It makes my longterm plan of ditching Jetpack a little bit more achievable.
plasticisrubbish
Cutting plastic and living compostably
