• Waxes, Oils & Varnish recipes

    Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is very dirty work and needs a lot of research.

    You can see all our related posts here

    Varnish
    Components of classic varnish
    Drying oil
    There are many different types of drying oils, including linseed oil, tung oil, and walnut oil. These contain high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

    Resin
    Resins that are used in varnishes include amber, kauri gum, dammar, copal, rosin (pine resin), sandarac, balsam, elemi, mastic, and others. Shellac is also a resin. In the 1900s in Canada, resins from local trees were used to finish pianos[citation needed]. As a result, these now antique pianos are considered difficult to refinish. However, shellac can be used over the existing resins provided sufficient time is allowed for thin coats to cure. Thus the original finish can be returned to its original lustre while preserving the color and age-related crackle.

    Solvent (traditionally turpentine)
    Traditionally, natural (organic) turpentine was used as the thinner or solvent, but has been replaced by several mineral-based turpentine substitutes such as white spirit or “paint thinner”, also known as “mineral spirit”.

    Varnish is made of drying oils + resin , without it it’s an oil impregnate…

    Any oil will do, proportion is not so important. Tung is antifungal (protects from rot some) linseed is not. Boiled tung oil gives harder surface then boiled linseed. Both are often sold with dryers added (modified).
    Resins are many, most practical is synthetic alkyd (phenolic, phthalic). Resins are mostly mixed with oils hot.
    Dryers are metal salts (zinc is clear, for varnishes) in turpentine. Or metal oxides, serve also as pigments (cetol has iron oxide). They are not exactly necessary, just for faster hardening of oils. Japan dryers nowadays is just a name, originally it contained gum resins.
    Turpentine is added as thinner but also makes a part of varnishes. Other thinners can be kerosene, gasoline (mineral spirits), alcohol – depending also on other ingredients included. Wax may be added (not much) for better protection, and gives flat finish.

    But for home formulas this may be of interest: http://books.google.pl/books?id=WuuY…page&q&f=false
    Spar varnish (elastic) originally was made of tung or linseed oil, rosin (natural pine resin), turpentine + sulphur and some gums. Modern is best from tung and alkyd.DIY varnish recipe
    with thanks to

    Oil varnish blend

    DIY varnish recipe

    THIN:

    Linseed + Tung base 50%

    Turpentine essence 20%

    Orange essence 20% eBay

    Camellia oil 10%

    THICK:

    Linseed + Tung base 50%

    Turpentine essence 18%

    Orange essence 18%

    Camellia oil 9%

    Carnauba wax 5%

    recipe here

    recipe taken from the website here with a discussion of where to get the  Ingredients here.

    But as we are not in America I have sourced some Uk suppliers.See all our related posts here

    Some notes

    Make Your Own Oil/Varnish Blend

    The standard mixture is 1/3 Boiled Linseed Oil or Tung Oil, 1/3 thinner (mineral spirits, paint thinner, turpentine, naptha), and 1/3 varnish (poly, spar, etc..).

    Oil varnish blend

    Ingredients for a natural varnish

    Turpentine

    Waxes (Prepared recipes)
    Simple beeswax polish
    Hot melt 1 part beeswax in a double boiler and add 3 parts turpentine (genuine turpentine, not petroleum spirit based substitutes). Make at least a pint, because otherwise it’s easier just to buy it (your beekeeper often sells it).

    Creamed beeswax
    A softer and easily buffed version that’s good for leather. Can leave a residue in the pores of open-grained bone or wood.

    5oz beeswax, melted in the double boiler.
    Remove from heat and stir in 1 pint of turpentine in a large vessel.
    Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia with 1 pint of water.
    Add the ammoniated water to the wax and stir hard.
    Pot it while still warm.

    Glossy wax polish
    Good for polishing wood or bone to a high sheen.
    Melt 3 parts beeswax with 1 part carnauba wax.
    Remove from heat, stir in 3 parts of turpentine.

    Read more

    Commercial wax

    All-natural ingredients — made from orange oil, vegetable binder (linseed oil, wood oil, dehydrated castor oil and sunflower oil-stand oils, colophony glycerine ester), and dryers (lead-free)
    Versatile — may be used on hardwood or softwood flooring, furniture, molding, doors, window casing, stone, and unglazed tiles
    Nontoxic and safe — free of petroleum distillates, mineral spirits and hazardous chemicals

    AURO NATURAL PAINTS
    NATURAL WOOD HARD OIL WOODEN FLOORS – ECO FRIENDLY NON TOXIC AURO 126
    £33.00 inc VAT 750ml

  • Polymers & Polymerisation

    Polymers

    A monomer is a molecule that can join with other molecules to form a chain of molecules. A chain of monomers (or molecules) is called a polymer. 

    Chains of polymers then bond or stick together to form stuff like cellulose, the woody stuff in plants.

    Natural polymers are created as part of ongoing biological processes.

    Read more about monomers and polymers here.

    Polymerisation

    However polymers can be made, by wo/men in labs, chemists. Here they create synthetic polymers and stick them together to create a huge range of products.

    Some may copy the polymers found in nature but others, like plastic, are completely new – they have no natural equivalent.

    The process of making polymers is called polymerisation.

     Most synthetic polymers that we use today are made from hydrocarbons derived from oil.

    However as oil becomes more scarce and more expensive, synthetic polymers are being derived from all manner of substances including corn, potatoes and even chicken feathers.

    Fun Quote

    “nature has been knitting polymers since the beginning of life. Every living organism contains these molecular daisy chains. The cellulose that makes up the cell walls in plants is a polymer. So are the proteins that make up our muscles and our skin and the long spiraling ladders that hold our genetic destiny, DNA. Whether a polymer is natural or synthetic, chances are its backbone is composed of carbon, a strong, stable, glad-handing atom that is ideally suited to forming molecular bonds. Other elements—typically oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen—frequently join that carbon spine, and the choice and arrangement of those atoms produces specific varieties of polymers. Bring chlorine into that molecular conga line, and you can get polyvinyl chloride, otherwise known as vinyl; tag on fluorine, and you can wind up with that slick nonstick material Teflon.”

    An excerpt from Susan Freinkel‘s book, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story.

     

     

     

     

  • Kedel Recycled Plastics

    The Problems Presented By Plastic Misuse & How To Combat Them 

    Today plastics dominate our lives. We use a shocking amount of plastic on a daily basis, often without even realising it. Some of the day to day plastic that we use includes plastic carrier bags, water bottles, the packaging that our food is wrapped in, beauty products, sanitary towels and cleaning products.

    According to the United Nations Environmental Program, between 22 percent and 43 percent of the plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills. All this plastic is being wasted and more importantly, causing huge environmental problems.

    It releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere when burnt, kills ocean life and leaves unnecessary waste all over our planet. Experts are now describing some of the oceans around Australia as a ‘plastic soup’ filled with all sorts of plastic debris. Is this really how we want to treat our planet?

    Plastics are here to stay. Literally. In the environment plastics will photodegrade which means they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but they won’t disappear. To manage the build up of our waste we have a few different options: landfill, burn, or attempt to recycle.

    Plastic is a killer. It kills millions of seabirds and ocean creatures every year who get caught up in plastic debris and discarded fishing nets, or end up trying to ingest plastic. In recognition of their impact countries such as Bangladesh or China banned the use of single plastic bags fourteen years ago.  The UK introduced a charge on single use plastic carrier bags in 2015.

    What can you do to help?

    Environmental and health issues are down to human behaviour. The good news is that this means that there is a recognisable solution, behaviour change. The bad news is that changing people’s behaviour worldwide isn’t an easy task. Plastic is one of the biggest environmental problems, yet it has a pretty straightforward solution: change behaviour.

    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle kendal plastics features 2

    Three simple words to live by.  If we can reduce our consumption that is great.  If you have to buy plastic then at least make an effort to reuse it. Many things can be safely reused over and over again. If you cannot reuse something then recycle it.  A lot of plastics can’t be recycled so do check with your local authority.

    Plastic water bottles

    Can you invest in a long lasting bottle and save yourself the hassle and money of buying single use plastic bottles? People spend a lot more than they realise on plastic bottles each year, you could save quite a bit of money by investing in a reusable water bottle.

    If you are caught out and you need to buy a plastic bottle, try and remember to take the lid off and rinse it out when you recycle it.  Young children overseas painstakingly unscrew every bottle top from the plastic bottles so that the bottles can be recycled (different plastics) that high income countries ship for recycling.

    Food shopping

    Instead of using plastic bags, get into the habit of carrying a small foldaway bag in your handbag. Also when you are buying your weekly food shop, or any products, try and avoid buying things with lots of plastic packaging.

    Make a song and dance

    We need to start questioning companies not only why they are using so much plastic (it costs the earth but it also costs them and therefore us). Excessive packaging equals higher charges for us.

    Can they look at innovative ways to protect our produce?  Does a beauty or hygiene product really need plastic in it? It’s frustrating that more supermarkets don’t provide biodegradable bags such as corn based for fruit and vegetables. Don’t be afraid to question companies and try and inspire change.

    These are just some of the things you can do to help. There are so many ways you can alter your lifestyle in order to help the environment. You might not think you can personally make a huge difference, but every little helps.

    David is an expert on recycling and is passionate about helping to save our planet. He regularly writes for environmental, eco-living and recycling websites and is a key writer for kedel.co.uk, a company that sells recycled plastics.

    Here are Facebook and Twitter links

    Please note…

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

    And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?

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

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

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

     

  • Watch – wooden

    Watch – wooden

    Who wouldn’t want a wooden time piece to mark the hours ? Buy one from WeWood in Australia and they will also plant  tree for you. So sweet! You can get them from Ethical Superstore.

    Want something cheaper There are more wooden watches on Amazon  and you can sponsor a tree plant via the national forest scheme.

     

    Thyvogue Men's Red Round Red Dial Wooden Watch with 40 Mm Size W00007
    Thyvogue Men’s Red Round Red Dial Wooden Wa…

    You can read more about our relationship with Amazon here…

  • Cleaning Up Index

    Cleaning Up Index

    The astronomical spring (Northern Hemisphere) 2016 began on Sunday, March 20. It will end on Sunday, June 1. We celebrate by building a big wicker man and ….. no those days are over. Just a few charred photographs left to remind me. All we do now is have a jolly good spring clean. And here’s how to do it plastic free….

    For cleaning products I use a combination of bought and what I have in the cupboard in conjunction with a bloody good scrub… i.e. both chemical and manual cleaning


    Chemical Cleaning 
    Uses the power of chemicals in a solution to remove soils. Soils in this case refers to stains. You can read how alkaline dissolve fat and  why vinegar works here.

    Places to buy and tips on how to make cleaning products here

    Mechanical Cleaners
    These are the tools used to loosen, collect  and wipe up up dirt such as brushes mops and scouring pads. Often used in conjunction with chemical cleaners of course.

    All Posts

    Antiseptics & Disinfectants

    This post talks about Microbes Antiseptics Disinfectants Alcohol Bicarbonate Of Soda Vinegar Hydrogen  peroxide Soap Essential oils This is an area where you want to do your own research and decide what level …
    Read More

    Buckets – metal

    Unlike cheaper plastic models, metal, industrial strength, hardworking galvanised products will give you years of service. We work in the building & landscaping trade and use these in preference to anything else …
    Read More

    Car Wash & Screen Clean

    New Product – Cleaning Products – for home, business and car A reduction rather than a plastic free solution, this company offer concentrated product in a capsule form that you then dilute …
    Read More

    Cleaning Liquid Refills

    ECOVER  do all of these products and you can get your plastic bottle refilled. To find where Ecover have a refill station check the  postcode search on their site TOILET CLEANERLAUNDRY LIQUID,FABRIC SOFTENER,MULTISURFACE …
    Read More

    Cleaning Products – Chemical – Buy or make

    For cleaning products I use a combination of bought and what I have in the cupboard in conjunction with a bloody good scrub… i.e. both  chemical and manual cleaning. Chemical Cleaning uses the …
    Read More

    Cleaning products – refill system

    Planet Earth offers a range of household cleaning products with a unique refill and reuse system. It works and has been scientifically tested to be as good as the leading brand. It’s …
    Read More

    Dirt, pH balance and chemical cleaning

    In this post you cad read about Soils (Dirt) Alkaline Acid Cleaning Dirt, stains and even rusts  are all known  as soils in the cleaning world.  That is as  in soiled rather than …
    Read More

    How to wash the pots plastic free…..

    By Hand…Sigh Washing up liquid and I use Ecover  in a refillable plastic bottle. I know the bottle is plastic but kitchen? glass? This is a case for reusable plastic if ever there …
    Read More

    Laundry

    Laundry Liquid & Fabric Conditioner ECOVER  do a LAUNDRY LIQUID, FABRIC SOFTENER, You can get your plastic bottle refilled.  To find where Ecover have a refill station check the  postcode search on …
    Read More

    mop and bucket

     I am something of an old pro when it comes to scrubbing. In my youth I was the cleaner of casinos. I swabbed down the gaming area, restaurant and croupiers changing rooms …
    Read More

    Pan Scrub Luffas

    The slightly rough texture of the luffa makes it ideal for gentle scouring.  The luffa, also spelled loofah, is the fruit of either L. aegyptiaca and L. acutangula. It looks rather like a cucumber. If harvested young …
    Read More

    Pan Scrubs – Coconut

    There’s a new kid on the block – the coconut fibre scouring pad. It is a tangle of strong matted coconut fibre. It is tougher than the luffa not as brutal as …
    Read More

    Pot & Bottle Brushes

    There I was happily scouring away when I realised it was taking longer than usual to shift the burnt remnants at the bottom of the pan. When I checked out my little …
    Read More

    Rubber Gloves

    There comes a time in every girls life when waterproof  hand protection is necessary (just don’t ask), and I found myself  searching for plastic-free rubber gloves in a hurry. At first I …
    Read More

    Scour, Scrub & Wipe

    Although I use natural cleaning products like soap, bicarbonate of soda and occasionally Ecover cleaning products, I prefer not to. Cold water and elbow grease clears most things. I know I sound …
    Read More

    Scrubbing away

    In my opinion you can use natural products most of the time but occasionally synthetics come into their own. This is especially true if you are cleaning tiles. Here steel scourers can …
    Read More

    Soap

     Making Soap  Basic soap is made from lye, oils or fats (animal or vegetable) and water. Saponification When these three are mixed together a chemical process called saponification takes place. The end …
    Read More

    Sponge Cloth Biodegradable

    Oh joy – just sourced some plastic free sponge cloths. I love these things. Sponge cloths are  extremely porous and great for wiping up water. Plus they dry really quickly. I love my cotton …
    Read More

    Sweeping Up

    When it comes to sweeping you cant beat a nice wooden brush with natural plant fibres. Why? Natural fibres have less flick than synthetic fibres which means less muck spattering. They collect …
    Read More

    Washing Soda

    Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid. It is alkaline. Pure sodium carbonate is a white, doorless powder with a strongly alkaline taste. Washing Soda or Sodium …
    Read More

    Washing Soda, Bicarbonate Of Soda & Borax

    When I first went plasticfree I read up on alternative ways to clean online. Lots of people reccomended Bicarbonate of soda, Washing Soda and Borax. So I went out and stocked up …
    Read More

    Washing Up Liquid Soap

    Soap Flakes I did try to use soap flakes to wash up. I did not find it  pleasant. Yes it cleaned the pots but everything was so slippery that it was a …
    Read More

    New Product – Cleaning Products – for home, business and car

    A reduction rather than a plastic free solution, this company offer concentrated product in a capsule form that you then dilute in water. Both the capsule and the product that is. The capsule itself is water soluable – hooray no plastic.

    From the website…
    Wolf Formulations Ltd has developed a wide range of innovative green cleaning products which are designed with a practical single dose water soluble eco capsule concept. The super concentrated eco capsules have the cleaning power of the standard ready-to-use cleaning products, whilst reducing waste and minimising cost. Our range of green cleaning products have been developed to offer complete cleaning solutions for household, motor vehicle and professional sectors.

    Cleaning At Work

    They do cleaning products for kitchen and bathroom cleaners both for the domestic and businesses market.
    Of course keen readers of this blog know we have covered those bases already. .
    However it could be a useful option for professional cleaners who need to use or distribute a lot of products.
    profi-max_floor
    PROFI-MAX Floor Cleaner
    profi-max_kitchen
    PROFI-MAX Kitchen Cleaner
    profi-max_glasswindow
    PROFI-MAX Glass Cleaner
    profi-max_bathroom
    PROFI-MAX Bathroom Cleaner

    Washing The Car 

    What caught my eye was the car cleaning products. I always use washing up liquid (refillable) a sponge and whenever available, a boy scout…. but I guess purists out there might prefer something more specialised.
    AUTO-MAX Car Screen Wash
    Car Wash & Wax Shampoo 3x9ml
    AUTO-MAX Car Wash & Wax
    Car Window & Mirror Cleaner 4x5ml
    AUTO-MAX Window & Mirror Cleaner
    Car Screen Wash
    AUTO-MAX Gift Sets

    Not so green?

    Sadly the onward packaging doesn’t look so good. It appears to be a hard plastic case? Recyclable? I don’t know. And it appears to vary depending on the product.

    Buy Cleaning Products

    Being committed to local shopping I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source.

    If you can’t buy local, please do check the links in the posts.  They link direct  to the suppliers.  Do consider buying from them and support their online businesses.

    If you can’t do that then I have put together and Amazon catalogue. Yes I know…

    Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them.  Heres why I went ahead….. No we are not entirely happy with Amazons recent history. However these links are for 3rd party sellers, we have always found the Amazon service to be good and their packaging usually compostable. In the absence of anything else we feel we can recommend them.

    Mop & Bucket

    8 Litre Galvanized Mop Bucket 3x General Use Mops & Brushes Cotton Mop Heads 15/16" Size 14 Hand & Power Tools Lily and Brown Cotton Mop with Handle
    8 Litre Galvanized Mop Bucket
    £7.99
    3x General Use Mops & Brushes Cotton Mo…
    £9.34
    Lily and Brown Cotton Mop with Handle
    BM02 Pure Yarn Cotton Mop 225g with Handle Sealey BM05 Pure Yarn Cotton Mop 340g with Handle Silverline 509117 Pure Yarn Socket Mop
    BM02 Pure Yarn Cotton Mop 225g with Handle
    £8.88
    Sealey BM05 Pure Yarn Cotton Mop 340g with …
    £11.68
    Silverline 509117 Pure Yarn Socket Mop
    £3.01
    13 Litre Galvanised Bucket
    13 Litre Galvanised Bucket
    £7.06

    Dustpan & Brush

    Faithfull BRBASS11 Stiff Bassine Hand Brush Silverline 794337 11 Inch Stiff Bassine Hand Brush HARRIS VICTORY COCO HANDBRUSH -94101-
    Faithfull BRBASS11 Stiff Bassine Hand Brush
    £1.94
    Silverline 794337 11 Inch Stiff Bassine Han…
    £2.94
    HARRIS VICTORY COCO HANDBRUSH -94101-
    Harris Victory PA359H 12-inch Coco Broom with Handle HBC Broom Head - Plain Stock, Filled Natural Coco 10" Harris Victory PA357H 10-inch Bassine Broom with Handle
    Harris Victory PA359H 12-inch Coco Broom wi…
    £3.62
    HBC Broom Head – Plain Stock, Filled Natura…
    £6.29
    Harris Victory PA357H 10-inch Bassine Broom…
    £3.48
    Groundsman 13-inch Bassine/ Cane Broom with Handle Lily and Brown 12-inch Natural Soft Coco Broom Faithfull Pine Handle 48In X 15/16In
    Groundsman 13-inch Bassine/ Cane Broom wit…
    £8.39
    Lily and Brown 12-inch Natural Soft Coco Br…
    £6.98
    Faithfull Pine Handle 48In X 15/16In
    £1.44
    Silverline 993059 Broom Handle Bracket Metal 26 - 29mm (1-1/8-inch) Diameter Town & Country 48-inch x 15/ 16-inch Threaded Wooden Broom Handle Town & Country 9-inch Medium Head Deck Scrub
    Silverline 993059 Broom Handle Bracket Meta…
    £4.13
    Town & Country 48-inch x 15/ 16-inch Th…
    £4.99
    Town & Country 9-inch Medium Head Deck …
    £7.00
    10" Heavy duty bassine bristle hard yard broom head Town & Country 12-inch Soft Broom Head Metal Hooded Dustpan
    10″ Heavy duty bassine bristle hard yard br…
    £7.49
    Town & Country 12-inch Soft Broom Head
    £6.99
    screw head
    Metal Hooded Dustpan
    £10.95
    2x Metal Hand Shovels Large size Hand & Power Tools Harris Victory Metal Dustpan Metal dustpan and handbroom with natural bristles, red
    2x Metal Hand Shovels Large size Hand &…
    £8.45
    Harris Victory Metal Dustpan
    £9.00
    Metal dustpan and handbroom with natural br…
    Metal Long Handled Dustpan and Brush Strong Lobby Large Industrial Metal Dust Pan and Broom Rolson 60690 300mm Metal Dust Pan
    Metal Long Handled Dustpan and Brush Strong…
    £34.99
    Rolson 60690 300mm Metal Dust Pan
    £7.50

    DISCLAIMER

    Absolutely no animal testing

    The information in this blog is for guidance only. None of the recipes or tips in this blog have not been tested on anyone other than me and some fearless chums. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully. 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.

    Also posts may be incomplete, out of date and possibly wrong! Please read on to find out why…

  • Essential Oils

    Essential Oils

    Essential oils have gone from being an obscure aspect of botany to an all round marketing  ‘good thing’.  Almost every product you buy from washing powder to shampoo trumpets that they contain essential oils. So much better, so much greener. As such they have been embraced by the environmental movement as the fragrance for your home made products, a staple in  your medicine chest and the relaxant in your bath.

    I have been using them for years thinkin that they are a so eco friendly. But are they really? And are they even oils?

    What Are Essential Oils?

    They are not actually oils because they do not contain fatty acids.
    They are in fact terpenes
    Terpenes organic compounds produced by plants (and occasionally insects).
    Terpenes are made up of isoprene units, each consisting of five carbon atoms attached to eight hydrogen atoms (C5H8)
    They are often strong-smelling.
    So essential oils are the strong smelling terepenes found in plants and insects.

    Terpenes

    Terepenes (along with phenolics nitrogen-containing compounds ) are called secondary metabolites.
    Secondary metabolites are chemicals produced by plants for which no role has yet been found in growth, photosynthesis, reproduction, or other “primary” functions. These chemicals are extremely diverse; many thousands have been identified in several major classes. Each plant family, genus, and species produces a characteristic mix of these chemicals, and they can sometimes be used as taxonomic characters in classifying plants. Humans use some of these compounds as medicines, flavorings, or recreational drugs. 

    Just so you know – search for terepenes and you get a lot of information about marijuana

    They are often characteristic of particular species, are sometimes only produced under particular environmental conditions and for different reasons. The lemon tree for examples produces a pungent oil to repel insects while the rose creates pungent oil to attract them.

    N.B. Fragrance oil and essential oil are NOT the same thing. Fragrance” or “fragrance oil” or “perfume” often refers to synthetic scents.

     Medical Qualities

    Some essential oils appear to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Others may help speed up healing. However while many claims are made about the potency of essentail oils there is not enough scientific evidence to back them up. Generally it seems to be accepted that they do some limited good though should not be relied on to cure any serious complaints or used to swab down an operating theatre.

    While they might not be hugely effective they dont do much harm either. Secondary metabolites are broken down relatively easily so are unlikely to accumulate in large quantities in the environment.

    Growing the Oil

    Though figures vary you can safely say it takes a lot of plants to produce a small amount of oil..

    For one pound of essential oil you will need
    50-60 pounds of eucalyptus
    200 -250 lbs of lavender Sources include Bulgaria, England, France, USSR, Yugoslavia, Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, Tanzania, Italy and Spain2 2,000 lbs of cypress
    5,000 to 10,000 pounds of rose blossoms to produce one pound of essential oil. Primary cultivation sites for one company include: France, Tasmania, Spain, Italy, England, and China.

    Extracting the Oil

    Terpenes are usually extracted from plants by steam distillation or chemical extraction.

    Environmental Concerns

    No matter how they are grown essential oils take up a lot of agricultural land
    Growing single species for harvest results in a monoculture style of farming.
    Plus all the other demands of farming, – water, fuel, fertilisers organic or not.
    It is a lot of input for a very small harvest of what is basically a luxury product.
    Add to that the fuel needed to extract the oils “If steam distillation is used temperatures above two hundred degrees applied anywhere from 2-24 hours to extract various oils. ”
    If chemical solvents are used which are more effective and so require less plant material, but in turn pose issues of toxicity for people and the environment. 
    Some oils are harvested from the wild from threatened species.
    Cropwatch, a non-profit that keeps tabs on the natural aromatics industry, maintains a list of wild species threatened including rosewood, sandalwood, amyris, thyme, cedarwood, jatamansi, gentian, wormwood and cinnamon,

    Should You Use Them…

    Personally all of which makes me wary of using essentail oils. I do love the smell but I don’t like the idea that so many resources go into making one tiny bottle of luxury scent.
    If you are going to use essentail oils please use them sparingly and buy from a company that is clear about how they grow and harvest their oils.

    Take a look at Pravera or Yorkshire Lavender

    How To Use Them…

    Read more about the oils we use and what for, HERE.

    More

    See a full range of homemade #plasticfree personal care products here 
    And find out how to make lots more stuff HERE
    Find all plastic free personal care products here…

    Ingredients

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

  • Oils Used In Natural Varnish

    Drying oil is a vegetable oil that dry to a hard finish at normal room temperature. Such oils are used as the basis of oil paints, and in other paint and wood finishing applications.
    they include linseed oil.

    Drying oils
    See also: Drying oil
    Drying oils are vegetable oils that dry to a hard finish at normal room temperature. Such oils are used as the basis of oil paints, and in other paint and wood finishing applications. In addition to the oils listed here, walnut, sunflower and safflower oil are also considered to be drying oils.[175]

    Dammar oil, from the Canarium strictum, used in paint as an oil drying agent.[176] Can also be used as a lamp oil.[177]
    Linseed oil’s properties as a polymer make it highly suitable for wood finishing, for use in oil paints, as a plasticizer and hardener in putty and in making linoleum.[178] When used in food or medicinally, linseed oil is called flaxseed oil.
    Poppyseed oil, similar in usage to linseed oil but with better color stability.[175]
    Stillingia oil (also called Chinese vegetable tallow oil), obtained by solvent from the seeds of Sapium sebiferum. Used as a drying agent in paints and varnishes.[179][180]
    Tung oil, used as an industrial lubricant and highly effective drying agent. Also used as a substitute for linseed oil.[181]
    Vernonia oil is produced from the seeds of the Vernonia galamensis. It is composed of 73–80% vernolic acid, which can be used to make epoxies for manufacturing adhesives, varnishes and paints, and industrial coatings.[182]
    Wikkipedia.

    Linseed oil, extracted from flax seed, is one of the most useful natural oils. It is used as a preservative for wood, concrete, and an ingredient in paints, varnishes, and stains. As if that wasn’t enough, it is also used in soaps, inks, and in the production of linoleum!

    Linseed oil is a slow-drying liquid with good preservative properties and water resistance.
    Before the advent of modern preservatives and synthetics, it was commonly used as a stand-alone preservative for wood, natural (hemp) rope, and masonry, as a conditioner for natural boar’s hair paint brushes, and as an additive for oil paints. It was also valuable inside as a furniture finish and for wood floors.

    Some of the problems with straight linseed oil, boiled or raw, are:

    Sometimes linseed oil can take forever to dry… or stays sticky or doesn’t dry at all!! This is a nightmare situation that happens too often when linseed oil is applied either (1) too thickly, (2) onto damp materials or (3) when the temperature is too cold. Thinning linseed oil with turpentine can help somewhat, but even with thinning it is important to apply thin, multiple coats but allow each coat to dry before applying the next!
    No UV (ultraviolet) light resistance… UV causes more damage to exposed wood than any other factor, destroying wood fibers and setting it up for attack by mildew, fungus, and insects.
    Linseed oil is mildew food… Many vegetable oils are food products for humans… all vegetable oils are food products for mildew! Linseed oil is not completely denatured, so it can encourage rather than discourage mildew growth.
    Linseed oil does not harden sufficiently to offer enough resistance to abrasion to be a suitable deck floor preservative… at least by today’s standards. Linseed oil has been used for interior wood floors, but it must be waxed for durability! Waxing an outside deck would be dangerous, even if you hang a “Slippery When Wet” sign!
    Difficult to remove from wood… Multiple coats of linseed oil are gummy and difficult to remove fully for refinishing.

    Boiled Linseed oil

    “Boiled” linseed oil is not boiled. The actual boiling of some oils changes their drying characteristics, true. With linseed oil, though, it is the addition of certain solvents that causes linseed oil to dry more quickly, acting as if it were boiled.

    These highlights were taken from this great article

    Raw linseed oil can be used as a wood finish but it can take weeks for it to fully cure. It is for this reason that we use a polymerized linseed oil which is somewhat more viscous than raw linseed oil (making it more difficult to spread and apply) but dries considerably more quickly. The polymerization of the oil is accomplished by applying heat to the oil in the absence of oxygen. Be aware that this process produces a final product that is not the same as the “boiled linseed oil” that you might find on the shelves of home improvement and hardware stores. As counter-intuitive as it seems, boiled linseed oil has not been “boiled” or heated at all but instead has had petroleum-based solvents and metal driers added to it so that it supposedly behaves as if it was “boiled”. The most commonly used heavy metal dryer in “boiled linseed oil” is cobalt that is considered toxic. Additionally, a finish generically referred to as “Danish Oil” is produced by large paint manufacturers and contains some linseed oil but the majority of the components may be carcinogenic, petroleum-based ingredients such as Naptha, Mineral Spirits, and Dipropylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether.

    Our linseed oil finish is 100% pure polymerized linseed oil that contains NO petroleum distillates, NO volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and NO heavy metal driers. The heating methods used to polymerize our linseed oil finish have been adapted from 18th to early 20th century varnish-making techniques while also using current technology and quality control measures to ensure a consistent and natural product. We have taken the approach that a simple, natural finish is safer for us to work with, as well as, provide customers with non-toxic furniture.

    from Dapwood furniture site
    Can you boil your own linseed oil?

    interesting thread here.
    Tung Oil

    from eBay in a metal can with plastic lid.
    Liberon Pure Tung Oil 1 L -014617-
    Brand new
    5.0 out of 5 stars – Liberon Pure Tung Oil 1 L -014617-2 product ratings
    £27.00

    Camellia Oil ( Tea Seed Oil )

    Camellia oil, also known as tea seed oil  is the actual green tea oil. It comes from the seeds of Camellia sinensis, the plant from which all the tea is made. Tea seed oil is a wonderfully healthy in more ways than one. It is great for cooking, and from nutritional point of view. Tea seed oil is used in a number of beauty products. This oil has been used as a cooking for centuries in Southern China and they make many more uses with it.

    buy from eBay

    Japanese Camellia Oil – 240ml
    Rutlands Part No. JP2100
    Reviews (1)
    Key Features
    A well kept Japanese secret
    Popular with the Samurai for protecting and cleaning their swords
    Its very light, low viscous formula that does not dry or become resinous over time
    Blended with paraffin oil it canb be used for lubricating, sharpening and rust protection
    Simply spray on and wipe over the blade or tool
    Ideal for protecting white or blue paper steel kitchen knives when not in use

    Turpentine

    Turpentine

    turpentine
    ˈtəːp(ə)ntʌɪn/Submit
    noun
    1.
    a volatile pungent oil distilled from gum turpentine or pine wood, used in mixing paints and varnishes and in liniment.
    2.
    any of a number of trees which yield turpentine or a similar resin, in particular:

    Turpentine (also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, wood turpentine and colloquially turps[1]) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from live trees, mainly pines. It is mainly used as a solvent and as a source of materials for organic synthesis.

    Turpentine is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene with lesser amounts of carene, camphene, dipentene, and terpinolene.[2]

    The word turpentine derives (via French and Latin) from the Greek word τερεβινθίνη terebinthine, the name of a species of tree, the terebinth tree.[3] Mineral turpentine or other petroleum distillates are used to replace turpentine, but they are very different chemically.Read more

    Product description

    Colour Name:500ml

    * Size 500ml. * Pure Gum Turpentine. * May be used to dissolve Beeswax to make a wax polish. * Traditional thinner for alkyds, oils, varnishes, enamels and Artists colours. * Pure Gum Turpentine improves brushing qualities and cleans brushes, rollers, and spray equipment. * It may also be used to remove dirt, wax, and grease from surfaces before painting. * Solvent. * Low flash point. * Evaporates quickly. * Compatibility Can be used as a solvent with most oil based products.

    ATLANTIS
    ATLANTIS PURE GUM TURPENTINE
    1 product review
    £6.15
    PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
    We are delighted to have sourced this, the purest from of turpentine. Extracted from Portuguese marine pine trees (Pinus Maritima). Buy here

    Driers

    A dryer works by catalyzing or accelerating the curing and hardening of oil paint. Often, they are based on metals, and are sometimes called metal soaps or salts. In the process of drying, oil-based paints first absorb oxygen, then they form peroxide which decomposes. Driers accelerate this process

    A short summary of drier catalysts:

    1) Cobalt – the fastest, most active drier. Can cause wrinkling and color changes in light-colored paints.
    2) Manganese – also very fast, but has a dark color which makes it questionable for use.
    3) Iron – promotes rapid drying by polymerization. High content of iron in iron oxide colors accounts for their rapid drying time.
    4) Rare Earth – useful under conditions of high humidity or low temperatures.
    5) Lithium – sometimes added to other driers, most often alkyds.
    6) Calcium – Performs well overall, often added during the pigment grinding process as an auxiliary dispersant. Basically marble dust.
    7) Zirconium – Used with calcium as a replacement for lead. Has better gloss and color retention than lead, but may not do well under high humidity or low temperature.
    8) Aluminum – Great polymerization and yellowing resistance without negatively affecting viscosity. Probably the number one drier in overall usage today in the form of aluminum stearate

    read more here.

    “Japan drier” is a common term for any oil drying agent that can be mixed with drying oils such as linseed oil and alkyd-oil paints to speed up “drying”. The name refers to “japannning”, a term for the use of drying oils as an imitation or substitution for urushiol-based Japanese lacquer. In the nineteenth century, Japan driers often were made with lead and manganese in a base of linseed oil, turpentine and natural resin. The resins used were copal, dammar, rosin and shellac. Today, most Japan driers consist of manganese in a base of linseed oil and mineral spirits.

    Manganese is a primary oxidizing (active) drier. Used alone and in thick applications of paint it has a tendency to cause wrinkling. Manganese is generally used in combination with lead, zirconium, calcium or combination of these metals as a drying initiator.

    Lead is an effective auxiliary driers when used in conjunction with active driers, such as manganese. Lead promotes the through drying of paint film. It improves the action of manganese drier and is used in conjunction with it and assists in the “through dry” of oil and alkyd paint.

    DIRECTIONS
    Add one drop per 5 ml (about 1 teaspoon) of paint. Suggested use levels should be verified with tests.

    Physical Properties
    Appearance: Dark brown liquid
    Color (Gardner): Brown
    Lead Content: 10%
    Manganese Content: 2%
    Non Volatile Content: 47%
    Specific Gravity (@25° C., kg/L): 1.02
    Viscosity (@25° C., Gardner): A1
    HEALTH AND SAFETY
    WARNING! CONTAINS: TURPENTINE AND LEAD. Exposure may cause skin and eye irritation. Overexposure will cause dizziness, drowsiness, headache, nausea and cracking or drying of skin. Avoid contact with skin. Avoid breathing mist or vapor. Wear safety glasses, protective clothing and chemical resistant rubber gloves when handling. Wash thoroughly after handling. Avoid swallowing.

    Pressed wood products are sheet materials in which wood is largely in the form of strips, veneers, chips, strands or fibres. The wood particles are bound together by glue which is commonly a formaldehyde based resin. Pressed wood products include: plywood used for panelling, furniture and other products.

    https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical…name/formaldehyde-in-pressed-wood-products

    list of solvents – commercial products here. very useful for vanish and paint ingredients.

  • Waitrose

    Waitrose

    Waitrose are cutting the use of plastic lined disposable cups in their cafes!
    “We’re removing all disposable takeaway cups from our shops by the autumn.You can still enjoy a free cup of tea or coffee when you shop with us; remember to bring your own reusable cup and your myWaitrose card with you.#KeepYourCup
    This will save more than 52 million cups, 221 tonnes of plastic and more than 665 tonnes of paper a year.
    Find out more: HERE

    They also have the a range of plastic free products. Find them in our facebook gallery here

    Other Products

    From Louises database

    Bakery, rolls, cakes, fancy cakes and childrens decorated biscuits – Bulk

    Borax Substitute, Dri-pac – Cardboard – Larger stores only
    Bread Mix, good selection – Paper
    Cat Litter, Waitrose wood pellets – Recycled wood and paper packaging
    Coconut Oil, Groovy Food, Organic – Glass Metal
    Coffee – Free with my Waitrose card – Take own cup
    Dishwasher Powder – Cardboard
    Fish Fingers, Birds Eye 30 MSC – Big pack to save on packaging – Cardboard
    Juice Bar – Could ask for a refill ? – Not available in all stores
    Neal’s Yard Products – Glass can be returned to Neal’s Yard shops for refund
    Naty Nature Care Nappies – Biodegradable
    Oats – Flahavan’s, Mornflake, Quaker – Paper and cardboard
    Soap Bars – Including organic – Paper and Cardboard
    Toilet Rolls, 9 pack, 100% recycled – Plastic wrap (recycle at Sainsbury’s)
    Vinegar, Sarson’s distilled White 568ml – Glass Bottle
    YOU cleaner refills – A concentrated eco cleaner refill in plastic

    Louises Data Base?
    Louise Bayfields   “POSTIVE PRODUCTS LIST (UK) a list of High Street and Supermar-ket products that have no packaging or in some way help reduce packaging.”

    The List
    The original PDF will be updated as  Louise shops around so do check back there for updates. 
    Remember not all stores stock all products. It might be wise to check ahead if you are making a special visit.
    Once again thank you  Louise for such a fantastic resource!

    Shopping Tips

    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.

    Sneaky Plastics

    The plastic free freak should remember that
    metal lids to glass jars are of course plastic lined .
    Tin and cans including those for cosmetics are also plastic lined
    Paper and foil wraps will be plastic lined.
    Find other sneaky plastics here….

    Choose Well
    If you really can’t do without it and you have a choice a plastic wrapped products, choose to buy the one in simple plastics that can easily be recycled

    More

    see all our supermarket info HERE.
    Find out more about the individual products here via the food index
    Other places to buy unpackaged food are listed 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.

    Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

  • Worm Bins

    Composting is a great way to dispose of kitchen waste and reduce your carbon footprint, but what if you don’t have room for a compost bin? Worm bins are often touted as  the answer. This is as it sounds, a bin full of worms – worms that transform food scraps into compost. It can, so the adverts say, be kept in the kitchen. I always wanted to try worm composting so I sent off for a worm bin from the internet. It consisted of four stackable plastic boxes (the type found in stationers), a bag of worms and some food. It looked basic but it was considerably cheaper than the others.

    I decided to keep mine in the garage. I stacked the boxes, tipped the worms in and left the lights on all night as per instructions. All went well till the night the lights were turned off. The stackable boxes did not form a sealed unit and there were numerous gaps through which the worms could escape. While it was bright outside the light sensitive worms stayed put, as soon as it got dark they left their bin and went exploring the garage. Next morning saw me picking up worms with the barbeque tongs while VB complained loudly about the desecration of his drill bits. He threatened to sacrifice the worms on the bird table if a solution wasn’t found.

    So I fashioned a worm proof bin from the compost caddy. I installed a   drainage tap to drain off the worm tea (a juice created as the food in the bin rots down). I covered the base with  a layer of gravel so the worms didn’t drown in the tea and the compost didn’t block the tap outlet. It was rather like the one built here, the first bin,  Then I carefully decanted the worms  and wished them well in their new home.

    Mindful of the bird table threats I moved the into  the cellar.

    I mollycoddled those worms. I cut the food scraps up into worm size pieces and gave them ripped up newspaper and cardboard – apparently they delight in it. Nothing. Instead of piles of compost all I had was a bin full of festering food. The arrival of the fruit flies was the last straw. Fed up with the ungrateful liggers I capped the bin with soil and cut off food supplies.

    A couple of weeks later I went down to get a hammer and found the bin standing in a lake of worm tea. Yay!

    This fluid (it is claimed on many site), is  a superior plant feed and can be used to cure black spot on roses. There it was dribbling from my poorly fitted tap. It is a sign that the worm bin is working as it should. Indeed a quick rummage in the bin revealed healthy looking worms the size of anacondas. Worm tea was another reason I wanted a worm bin. Hundreds of sites on the internet claimed that this could be used as a fantastic liquid plant food. Plastic free plant food I thought. Turns out I was wrong.

    So worm feeding resumed. By bin does not work fast enough to  make a meaningful  impact on our kitchen waste but it’s a start. Apparently it will increase with time. I don’t think I have the patience – but then I have a perfectly good compost bin in the garden.

    And no wI find that worm tea might not be that good either.

    “The watery drainage that seeps out of the bottom of a bin is not compost tea as many sites assert. Leaching through yet undigested food waste, this leachate (as it is known) could contain toxic anaerobic microbes that would be harmful to plants.

    Not only will there be unmineralized organic compounds, but there is the potential for contamination of pathogen organisms and coliform bacteria that can come from some of the raw materials (another reason to always pre-compost fresh manure) put into worm bin systems.

    The best place for this leachate to go is back in the bin. That way, it gets exposed to the worm’s gut to be innoculated with good microbes and is excreted fully sanitised.” Thanks Sierra Worm Compost!

    Still fancy trying it?  If you decide to buy a worm bin my advice is to spend the extra. The more expensive bins boast such conveniences as worm proof lids – a definite bonus. There are hundreds of internet companies selling bins. Here’s one chosen at random.

    If you want to make a bin, there are good instructions here. I recommend the first option, the bin with the tap, rather than the second, the stackable boxes.

    This is a good article on worm composting and how to get worms for free.  N.B. the home made bin looks rather like the one I bought, the leaky one.

    More

    If you want to keep your bin outside you have to protect it from extreme heat and cold. There may be better outdoor options.

    Don’t like worms but fancy composting? Read this intro 

     

  • Plastic and the E.U.

    Gosh in 2013 the E.U.  realised that

    “Dozens of millions of tonnes of plastic debris end up floating in world oceans broken into microplastic, the so-called plastic soup. Microplastics are found in the most remote parts of our oceans. Entanglement of turtles by floating plastic bags, sea mammals and birds that die from eating plastic debris and ghost fishing through derelict fishing gear produce shocking pictures. Moreover, plastic is not inert and chemical additives, some of them endocrine disruptors, can migrate into body tissue and enter the food chain.

    The massive pollution of world oceans with plastic debris is therefore emerging as a global challenge that requires a global response. The European Union should be a showcase for how to build a coherent strategy to optimize plastic waste policy.

    A second challenge is linked to resources conservation. Nearly 50% of plastic waste in the EU is still landfilled. Therefore, much energy and processed raw material is lost instead of being recycled into new products.

    Until now there is no comprehensive policy response to such challenges.” Eye roll!

    “Specific aspects are addressed in various pieces of legislation, like the Waste Framework Directive with its 2015 separate plastic waste collection target or its 50% household waste collection target by 2020. The Packaging and Packaging waste Directive also has a specific plastic waste target.

    Since there is an obvious and urgent need to take a focused and strategic approach towards plastic waste management as well as plastic product management, we are launching the consultation on the “Green Paper on a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”. This should be the start of a broad public reflection on possible responses to all public policy challenges posed by plastic waste and which are presently not specifically or not effectively addressed in European waste legislation.”

    Rather late to the party guys but at least you showed up…. lets see what you got. You can read their report here.