Washing Soda, Bicarbonate Of Soda & Borax

by Posted in 3.1 Cleaning Up, 3.6 Good to know, 4.9 Useful to know Tagged , 3 Comments

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.
Then I began to make increasingly complex recipes to clean my tiles and wash my clothes. To be honest I found ECover refill washing up liquid, bicarb and soap met all of my needs. Adding borax or washing soda made very little difference. But because they are stronger than bicarb, you are meant to wear gloves when you use them. So now I have to source plastic free gloves. Way too much hassle So I have stopped using them. And I don’t miss them.

What Are They

The trinity of green cleaning – washing soda, bicarbonate and borax. Often mentioned rarely explained!

Let’s take washing soda and bicarbonate of soda first. Why because they are related.

They are both biodegradable
Washing soda has many industrial uses and as such is produced on an industrial scale. Bicarbonate of soda is a byproduct of that process.

Washing Soda or Sodium carbonate (also known as soda ash and soda crystals) has a chemical formula of Na2CO3.
Bicarbonate of soda Chemical formula NaHCO3.
One sodium atom difference between the two

Making Bicarbonate and Washing Soda

Bicarbonate of soda can be produced as a by product of washing soda via one of these heavily industrialised processes:
The Solvay Process  Uses limestone, salt and ammonia to transform salt (sodium chloride). 
Mining –  Trona ore  is mined, then heated until it turns into soda ash also known as washing soda. Bicarbonate of soda is obtained along the way. Read more.

Baking Soda V Washing Soda
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Both are alkaline so good at removing organic soils (but not inorganic).
Washing soda has a pH of 11
borax is 9.3 pH
Fairy liquid has a pHof 9.2
Ivory bar soap from Proctor and Gambol 9.5
Soapy water has pH of 9
Bicarbonate of Soda has pH of 9

Baking Soda’s PH is not as alkaline as washing soda. That one sodium atom (Na) makes a difference.
Washing soda is stronger than bicarb
Washing Soda can soften water bicarbonate of soda cannot.
N.B. You can turn bicarb back into washing soda by baking it so that breaks back down into water steam, carbon dioxide and washing soda. I have never done this but by all accounts need to cook your bicarb in the oven for half an hour at 400 F (or 200 C).

Borax
Borax falls somewhere in between .It is gentler than Soda Crystals yet stronger than Bicarbonate of Soda.
There are concerns that borax is toxic. So much so that you cannot buy it in the U.K. anymore. but there is little in the way of firm conclusions leading many to pooh pooh this ban.

Read More

Uses Of Bicarbonate and buy
Uses Of Washing Soda and where to buy
Uses of Borax and where to buy HERE

Technical Data

Technical grade

What do I use

NB if I ever did need some washing soda I would cook up some bicarb.

BUT I live in a soft water area.

Use & Buy

Uses Of Bicarbonate and buy
Uses Of Washing Soda and where to buy

Uses of Borax and where to buy

Borax occurs naturally in evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes. The most commercially important deposits are found in Turkey; Boron, California; and Searles Lake, California. Also, borax has been found at many other locations in the Southwestern United States, the Atacama desert in Chile, newly discovered deposits in Bolivia, and in Tibet and Romania. Borax can also be produced synthetically from other boron compounds.
WIkkipedia

Proper borax is No longer sold on the shelves in the UK. You have to make do with a borax substitute from Dripak.

“Borax Substitute is sodium sesquicarbonate – a mineral compound, with similar pH to borax, making it ideal for cleaning and laundry. It is gentler than Soda Crystals yet stronger than Bicarbonate of Soda.

Using Borax Substitute around the house
Uses Borax Substitute as a:

Multi-purpose cleaner – Mix it with some water to form a paste. This makes it an excellent scouring agent that offers more cleaning power than Bicarbonate of Soda.
A water softener to help keep your washing machine clear of limescale.
To make your own bath salts, simply add some perfume or essential oils and a drop of food colouring to some Borax Substitute.”

That said you can still buy borax from Ebay

Uses

Some uses for borax here

More

Borax, washing soda, bicarbonate or all three. What should you use for your cleaning needs? A comparison HERE
See all out #plasticfree cleaning aids HERE

Technical Data

Technical grade

Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash, is a white, anhydrous and hygroscopic powder with a purity. There are two forms of sodium carbonate available, light soda and dense soda (granular). Sodium carbonate has a melting point of 851C, it decomposes when heated and therefore a boiling point can not be determined. Sodium carbonate is an inorganic salt and therefore the vapour pressure can be considered negligible. It is soluble in water and solubility increases with temperature. The average particle size diameter (d50) of light sodium carbonate is in the range of 90 to 150 µm and of dense sodium carbonate is in the range of 250 to 500 µm. Sodium carbonate is a strong alkaline compound. The pKa of CO3 2- is 10.33, which means that at a pH of 10.33 both carbonate and bicarbonate are present in equal amounts.

Click here to view MSDS

 

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Metal Lids With Plastic Linings

by Posted in 1.2 Plastic The Product Tagged , ,

Back in the early days of the boycott I didn’t think of glass jars as an issue – after all they weren’t  plastic so it wasn’t a problem. Of course it was you numbskull.

Look at the lids – that white sticky stuff – the seal? That’s plastic that is…

Googling around and I found this from the containers and packaging site

“Plastisol liners are one method that helps seal metal closures onto containers. Plastisol is a PVC gasket that is used in metal continuous thread and lug (sometimes called twist) closures. It is normally applied to metal lids in a ring shape on the inside of the lid at the point where it will match up with the landing of the bottle.

Plastisol material starts out as a solid. After being heated properly, Plastisol becomes liquidus and forms around the landing of the container that is being sealed. When the material cools it begins to cure, or solidifies, which then creates a tight vacuum seal.”

PVC? Not sure I like that idea.There’s lots more information here on the poison that is  PVC. And despite the industry claiming it is perfectly safe, research is being done into alternatives.  Why you might ask – and so do I. Answers? I have none but”The environmentalist group Greenpeace has advocated the global phase-out of PVC because they claim dioxin is produced as a byproduct of vinyl chloride manufacture and from incineration of waste PVC in domestic garbage.”

 

One alternative could be this from k-online

The development of PVC-free compounds for lug-type twist closures and the corresponding production processes took place before the background of the 4th Amendment 2007/19/ EC of the Plastics Directive 2002/72/EC, which no longer permits the use of some phthalates as plasticisers in PVC-based seals of closures that come into contact with food. This marked an end to the exceptions with which EU and national authorities made allowances for the industry’s difficulties in finding solutions to the migration problems. Accordingly, manufacturers of metal lug closures, food producers, bottlers and retailers are under a great deal of pressure to bring products to market that are environmentally friendly, user-friendly and, above all, comply with statutory regulations.

This TPE is free of plasticisers and PVC and is useable with a wide range of lug-type twist caps (from 38 to 82 mm in diameter). Besides those properties that are indispensible in a sealant – good processability, pasturisability, compliance with the law – this new PVC-free compound ensures compliance with the valid migration thresholds even for oily foods with longer shelf-lives (e.g., antipasti). This was confirmed * in multiple individual tests. Thus vacuum twist seals with sealant compounds by Actega DS are the preferred solution for low-migration food storage and help food industry customers keep their products from becoming entangled in the problems associated with unhealthy packaging. Moreover, the new product also addressed the need to maintain a reliable vacuum until the closure is first opened and user-friendly resealability.

So I try not to use jars.

Look here for other sneaky plastic.

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Pan Scrub Luffas

by Posted in 3.1 Cleaning Up, 3.1 House, Office & Garden Tagged , , 4 Comments

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 it can be eaten but if left to mature it becomes very fibrous.

These fibrous fruits can be dried out then used  for anything from exfoliating the skin or cleaning the dishes. Not the same one obviously. And so you can find loofahs for sale in anywhere from chemists to cookery shops.

I bought a monster Loofah in T.K. Max for peanuts. I use it the slough my leathery old skin

Mean while Michael’s rather more expensive and much smaller Original Luffa Scouring Pads Micheal’s  can be bought from Half Moon Oraganics in Huddersfield or on line at the ethical superstore. are used to wash the dishes

They ” are ethically and sustainably grown on Michael’s family farm in the Phillippines (luffas are plants grown on land).
Bought directly from the farm at a fair price, your purchase supports less privileged families and prevents environmental degradation.
Michael’s Luffas become flexible and supple in water and are durable and tough enough for all but the hardest baked on food (soak it first). They are gentle enough for cleaning non-stick surfaces, fruit and vegetables (and also your body).

Well not by me at that price – I just cut the end off my monster loofah and used that.

Grow Your Own

When I need a new one I am going to try and grow one.

 

More

You can find more pot scouring options here

Exfoliating here

 

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Rubber Gloves

by Posted in 3.1 Cleaning Up, 3.1 House, Office & Garden Tagged , 3 Comments

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 did not succeed. In fact I was so unsuccessful I had to buy two pairs of rubber gloves in non recyclable plastic packaging URK!! That is a particularly bad plastic crime. But then lo ….the sun came out and shone on Holmefirth Health Shop where they sell these little beauties.

Greentips Household Gloves
Product Information:
Pair of Latex Gloves made from Fairtrade natural rubber. Medium size green colour, flock lined with fairtrade and sustainability sourced logos.
Flock lining and extra weight ensures long life for these gloves. Boxed in recycled CARDBOARD packaging.

So when I have finished my unpleasantly moist tasks and have no further need of them it is claimed they can go  onto the compost heap. Though, despite what others say, I have my doubts as to wether latex actually is compostable!SUGLOV_large

I cannot find an online supplier. The closest I can get is Fairtrade gloves from Big Green Smile – but the packaging appears to be plastic…. BOOOOO! A well thought out product spoilt?

You can buy something similar but much tougher for even nastier jobs from Ethical Superstore

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Tin Cans, Plastic Liners & Health

by Posted in 1.4 Additives Fact Sheets Tagged , , , 15 Comments

So you think, no that you’ve given up plastic but at least you can buy stuff in tins. At least I did for a while. But sadly for me no most tins are plastic lined either with a polymer (plastic) coating or epoxy resin (also plastic) And this is tru for food, drink and even cosmetics.

Linings

Drinks
Aluminium drinks cans have a polymer plastic lining. It’s there to stop acids in the beverage from corroding the metal which is not good for the can or the flavor of the contents. If you don’t believe me, Check out this experiment, as done by Steve Spangler,

Food
Nearly all tin cans are plastic lined with epoxy resin.
Epoxy resins, are used because of their “exceptional combination of toughness, adhesion, formability and chemical resistance. These coatings make it possible for food products to maintain their quality and taste, while extending shelf life.
In tins the liner can be white or yellow or transparent in which case it is  undetectable.  In most cases it is best to assume that your can has a plastic liner.
It helps to prevent canned foods from becoming tainted or spoiled by bacterial contamination.

Read more “Metal food and beverage cans have a thin coating on the interior surface, which is essential to prevent corrosion of the can and contamination of food and beverages with dissolved metals UK FSA, 2002).”

Cosmetics
Tins used to store cosmetics are also lined with epoxy resin this time to prevent corrosion.

Recycling

You might wish to know that when the can is recycled, the liner is burnt off.

History

“The History of the Liner – Technicians at the American Can Company, even before Prohibition, began toying with the idea of putting beer in a can. As early as 1929, Anheuser-Busch and Pabst experimented with the canning process. Schlitzeven proposed a can design that looked like a small barrel.

The major problem the early researchers were confronted with, however, was not strength, but the can’s liner. Several years and most of the early research funds were spent to solve this perplexing problem. Beer has a strong affinity for metal, causing precipitated salts and a foul taste. The brewers called the condition “metal turbidity”.

The American Can Company produced the flat or punch top can in 1934. The lining was made from a Union Carbide product called “Vinylite”, a plastic product which was trademarked “keglined” on September 25, 1934.”

Bad for you?

You might not want to know that the lining contains Bisphenol A (BPA) a chemical building block that is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.
So what?? To cut a long story short it would seem that BPA is toxic and does leach from plastic liners into the food.

The Bisphenol A Organisation argues that it is in such small amounts as to be negligible.

Based on the results of the SPI study, the estimated dietary intake of BPA from can coatings is less than 0.00011 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. Stated another way, an average adult consumer would have to ingest more than 230 kilograms (or about 500 pounds) of canned food and beverages every day for an entire lifetime to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

It is true that several scientific panels including the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food, the National Toxicology Program and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis have concluded that the claims that low doses of BPA affect human health have not (yet ), been substantiated. While accepting that animal testing has produced adverse results, they can find no concrete evidence that humans will react the same way.

BUT BPA is now considered by many to be  a hormone disruptor, a chemical that alters the body’s normal hormonal activity. There are many counter claims on the internet and in the media  that BPA  is lethal. You can read all the arguments  here

Why  use BPA at all  you might ask ? Here’s some information from the bishenol-a.org

It must also be noted that  despite claims that BPA is as safe as safe, research is  ongoing into alternatives. And maybe they have found one. According to Food Production Daily

“Researchers in the United States have developed a chemical derived from sugar with the potential to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in a number of products, including the lining of food cans. The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) said Professor Michael Jaffe had received a US patent for an epoxy resin based on isosorbide diglycidyl ether that could make consumer products safer.

“The patent will enable us to create a family of isosorbide-based epoxy resins that have the potential to replace bisphenol A in a number of products including food can linings”, Jaffe told FoodProductionDaily.com.

Note  the statement by Food Production Daily that this will  make consumer products safer. And I hardly need say that the creators of this new product are clear in their statements that BPA is not a good thing.

Hmmm – the choice is yours. As for me I boycott nearly all tins and cans – tonic, tomatoes, coconut milk, tomato puree and baked beans are the exceptions. I don’t like the plastic or the BPA.

Related Articles

You can find more reports, studies and media scares on BPA here

And how to make epoxy resin here

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Washing Soda

by Posted in 3.1 Cleaning Up, 3.1 General & Homemade Tagged , ,
Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals)
is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid.

Pure sodium carbonate is a white, doorless powder with a strongly alkaline taste.

Washing Soda or Sodium carbonate (also known as soda ash and soda crystals) has a chemical formula of Na2CO3.

Pure sodium carbonate is a white, doorless powder with a strongly alkaline taste.

It has been used for centuries.

History

Soda ash was called so because it was originally extracted from the ashes  of plants growing in sodium-rich soils, such as vegetation from the Middle East, kelp from Scotland and seaweed from Spain.

It also occurs naturally as a residue. “When seasonal lakes evaporate, they leave a huge chunk of mineral deposits behind. These deposits are good sources of sodium carbonate. Other dry lakes and wells are also good sources of the same. It is also believed to have been erupted from volcanoes. Large deposits of sodium carbonate are found in Africa and North America.”

From

While it can be made from the  ashes of  plants or  occur naturally as a residue most is now via one of these heavily industrialised processes:

The Solvay Process  Uses limestone, salt and ammonia to transform salt (sodium chloride). 

Mining –  Trona ore  is mined, then heated until it turns into soda ash also known as washing soda. Bicarbonate of soda is obtained along the way. Read more.

Baking Soda V Washing Soda

Baking Soda’s PH is not as alkaline as washing soda, so it doesn’t cause skin irritation and you don’t need gloves to handle them. It is not as harsh as washing soda but neither is it as effective a cleaner. It is also half as effective at softening water.

You can turn bicarb back into washing soda by baking it so that breaks back down into water steam, carbon dioxide and washing soda. I have never done this but by all acounts need to cook your bicarb in the oven for half an hour at 400 F (or 200 C).

You can read more about bicarb versus washing soda  here

Uses

Water Softener
Methods for softening hard water involve the removal of calcium ions and magnesium ions from the water.

This can be done by adding sodium carbonate to the water.
“The water is softened because it no longer contains dissolved calcium ions and magnesium ions. It will form lather more easily with soap.However, the calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate precipitates to form limescale. As well as being unsightly on your taps, it can also clog up pipes in heating systems (causing them to break down). This makes treatment with sodium carbonate suitable for softening water only in certain circumstances – such as softening water for hand washing clothes.”
washing Soda is alkaline which means it will work well  with organic soils ( dirt). Alkaline emulsify grease.  Fatty acids are normally insoluble which is why they cannot be cleaned using water alone. The alkaline breaks down fat making them dispersable in water. Read more here

For the same reason it can help remove wax from floors
helps in better absorption of dye
reduces the acidic effects of chlorine in swimming pools.
an excellent descaling agent
A powdered form of dishwasher detergent can be made with washing soda and Borax
For more uses and a rather cheery info graphic visit Dripak.

Dripak sell washing soda – in plastic bags. Here’s some of their blurb

All-natural Dri-Pak Soda Crystals are bio-degradable and contain no phosphates, enzymes or bleach. Soda Crystals are an alkaline “washing soda”. The main uses of Soda Crystals are to dissolve grease, soften water, loosen dirt and reduce acidity. You can safely combine Soda Crystals with other natural ingredients like baking soda and soap flakes for even more cleaning power. Soda Crystals, along with Soap Flakes, have a long history. They were the primary cleaning products in use at the turn of the twentieth century.

Buy

Dripak sell washing soda – in plastic bags.

More

Borax, washing soda, bicarbonate or all three. What should you use for your cleaning needs? A comparison HERE
See all out #plasticfree cleaning aids HERE

Technical Data

Technical grade

Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash, is a white, anhydrous and hygroscopic powder with a purity. There are two forms of sodium carbonate available, light soda and dense soda (granular). Sodium carbonate has a melting point of 851C, it decomposes when heated and therefore a boiling point can not be determined. Sodium carbonate is an inorganic salt and therefore the vapour pressure can be considered negligible. It is soluble in water and solubility increases with temperature. The average particle size diameter (d50) of light sodium carbonate is in the range of 90 to 150 µm and of dense sodium carbonate is in the range of 250 to 500 µm. Sodium carbonate is a strong alkaline compound. The pKa of CO3 2- is 10.33, which means that at a pH of 10.33 both carbonate and bicarbonate are present in equal amounts.

Click here to view MSDS

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Envelopes

by Posted in 3.1 House, Office & Garden Tagged , ,

One years worth of junk mail for one person in the US equals about 2 feet. Most of these letters are credit card offers says Dan MacFarlane Which leads me on to my mail and the envelopes in particular. It’s those horrid little windows that are the bloody awful icing on the stale cake of junk mail.

In today’s market, four types of window coverings are used

  • 1. Polystyrene: a plastic film designed specifically for the needs of high-speed envelope production;
  • 2. Cellulose based films, such as: glassine and acetate films;
  • 3. PLA: a new film derived from corn; and
  • 4. Other plastic films used for specific, non-standard applications.

But who can tell the difference – not me. And even if they could you know they are not going to be recycled.

Envelopes with windows are no good for Plastic Free Freaks – especially when all they contain is rubbish.

While I might not be able to ban every envelope from my life I can stop a lot coming through my door.

  • I have converted to paperless billing for all my services.
  • On the rare times I have to send a letter I only use windowless envelopes.
  • The war on junk mail is being waged.

Ways To Stop Junk Mail

Thankfully I have this wonderful man with his infinitely detailed website, (listing all the ways you can stop junk mail), to help me. You can read about him below or go straight to his website here

Compostable envelopes

Envelope makers! You could try this for your window envelopes

“Low scratch, compostable film specifically formulated for use in envelope windows. Meets USPS readability standards for window envelope film. Tinted with a light green hue.”

More

Find other plastic free office supplies and electronics, here.

Diary of a Junk Mail Campaigner

My blog (‘Diary of a Junk Mail Campaigner’) deals with anything I feel people should know about junk mail. It explains – usually at length – how people can reduce unsolicited mail and why stamping out junk mail is not as easy as signing up to the Mailing Preference Service. It investigates whether of not self-regulation by the direct marketing industry can make junk mail more sustainable and exposes the endless stream of junk mail research (invariably showing that direct mail is valued and welcomed by 110% of the population) for what it is; junk research. Occasionally there’s something ‘fun’ on the blog – interesting junk mail art, a video, or just a nice story – but in general the blog is dead boring. As a source for information about junk mail it’s unrivalled though…”

The same description could apply to the website (www.stopjunkmail.org.uk). The aim is to provide detailed and independent information about reducing junk mail. Being a web designer I’m very aware that for instance the Guide to Stamping Out Junk Mail is far too long – few people have a long enough attention span to read through it all. But then the aim is not to entertain people and there are already plenty of websites with short (but incomplete) guides to reducing junk mail. In an attempt to provide the information in a more compact format I set up the website www.junkbuster.org.uk a while ago.

It’s build around the Junk Buster application which people can use to contact up to six opt-out services in one go. I like to describe it as a one-point-stop for reducing junk mail. As for achievements, since the launch of Junk Buster many people have become aware that it’s possible to opt-out of receiving paper directories (people can opt out of the Yellow Pages, Thomson Local Directory and BT Phone Book via the application). None of the directories tell the public that they have this option but after Junk Buster was featured in the Telegraph, Daily Mail and Independent in March things started to change; the Data Publishers Association has now for the first time acknowledged that people can opt out. 192.com is actively campaigning for a central opt-in scheme for directories and I reckon they may achieve their goal.

Another achievement is that Royal Mail is no longer secretive about how many (few!) people register with its Door-to-Door Opt-Out (which stops unaddressed mail delivered by the postman). In 2008 a Royal Mail Manager accidentally told me the figure was less than 0.5% of all UK households. The figure became public knowledge and just a couple of months ago the company publicly confirmed that the figure is currently 0.7%. At the same time the Direct Marketing Association confirmed that only 0.0006% (!!) of households is registered with its Your Choice Scheme. Having these figures out in the open is important because it undermines the industry’s argument that stopping junk mail is easy – if opt-out rates are so negligible something is clearly not working…

Finally, I spent much of my time giving people advice on how to solve their junk mail misery. In a way the campaign is about tackling the junk mail problem, one piece of junk mail at a time. I guess it will keep me occupied for some time to come .

 

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BPA

by Posted in 1.4 Additives Fact Sheets Tagged , , , 1 Comment

Bisphenol A or BPA is it is known to its chums is used in

  • some thermal paper products such as till receipts.
  • the epoxy plastic liners found in many cans and tins,
  • polycarbonate plastics used to make hard plastic for CDs, cell phones, car parts, medical devices, safety goggles
  • Plastic microwave oven ware, eating utensils and  bottles (including baby bottles).
  • Plastics  labelled with the number “7” identification code. HOWEVER not all plastics labelled with the number “7” contain BPA. The number “7” code is assigned to the “Other” category, which includes all plastics not otherwise assigned to categories 1-6.

The chemical was invented in the 1930s during the search for synthetic estrogens.  Diethylstilbestrol was found to be a more powerful estrogen, so bisphenol A was put to other uses. It was polymerized to form polycarbonate plastic and used to make a wide range of products including those listed above.

Over the years there have been an increasing number of claims that the polymer  is not stable. That, over time, BPA breaks down over time and releases hormones into whatever product it comes into contact with.  Research has indeed proved that  BPA can leach into food from the epoxy linings in cans or from polycarbonate bottles, and that the rate increases if the containers are heated i.e. babies bottle being sterilised or a tin being heated.

However additional studies are now suggesting that the ingestion of leached BPA could be harmful. In March 1998 for example a study in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) found that BPA simulates the action of estrogen when tested in human breast cancer cells. A more recent study published in EHP shows a significant decrease of testosterone in male rats exposed to low levels of BPA. The study concludes that the new data is significant enough to evaluate the risk of human exposure to BPA.

BPA is now considered by many to be  a hormone disruptor, a chemical that alters the body’s normal hormonal activity.

In the last 10-15 years that concerns have been raised over its safety, particularly during pregnancy and for young babies.

In April 2008, the United States Department of Health and Human Services expressed concerns about it.

The Canadian government have just banned listed it a toxic substance and banned it from being used in baby bottles.

The following chart was taken from the very informative and interesting Wikkipedia article but you can find the same information all over the internet

Low dose exposure in animals

Dose (µg/kg/day) Effects (measured in studies of mice or rats,descriptions (in quotes) are from Environmental Working Group)[104][105] Study Year
0.025 “Permanent changes to genital tract” 2005[106]
0.025 “Changes in breast tissue that predispose cells to hormones and carcinogens” 2005[107]
1 long-term adverse reproductive and carcinogenic effects 2009[76]
2 “increased prostate weight 30%” 1997[108]
2 “lower bodyweight, increase of anogenital distance in both genders, signs of early puberty and longer estrus.” 2002[109]
2.4 “Decline in testicular testosterone” 2004[110]
2.5 “Breast cells predisposed to cancer” 2007[111]
10 “Prostate cells more sensitive to hormones and cancer” 2006[112]
10 “Decreased maternal behaviors” 2002[113]
30 “Reversed the normal sex differences in brain structure and behavior” 2003[114]
50 Adverse neurological effects occur in non-human primates 2008[44]
50 Disrupts ovarian development 2009[77]

 

So why the hell is BPA still being used  you might ask – between  nervously checking your genital tract and belting the kids.

‘BPA is such an easy chemical to make and it’s so useful,’ explains Tamara Galloway, a professor in ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter, UK.  ‘It is made from very cheap ingredients – acetone and phenol – and it makes a nice, clear, rigid polycarbonate and is really useful for making epoxy resins. ” Via Chemistry World .

According toPlasticsEurope, an association representing European plastic manufacturers, polycarbonate technology contributed €37 billion to the EU in 2007. And they state that more than 550,000 jobs in the EU depend – either directly or indirectly – on the production and use of polycarbonate. Via Chemistry World .

Also the science is by no means conclusive. It has become something of a cause with consumer and green groups who are vociferous in their opposition. Media  reporting tends to concentrate on the negative aspects of any new reports. Yet several scientific panels, including the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food, the National Toxicology Program and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, have all concluded that the claims that low doses of BPA affect human health have not (yet ), been substantiated. While accepting that animal testing has produced adverse results they can find no concrete evidence that humans will react the same way.

And even if they do, the amounts of BPA we ingest are so minimal as to be negligible.

In Europe, the tolerable daily intake for BPA is set at 0.05 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. This value is an estimate of the amount of a substance that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable risk. The figure was calculated in 2006 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), who at the same time stated that intakes of BPA through food and drink, for adults and children, were well below this value.Via Chemistry World .

The current U.S. human exposure limit set by the EPA is 50 µg/kg/day.

Which means, as the BPA industry’s voice over at to bishenol-a.org puts it

“Based on the results of the SPI study, the estimated dietary intake of BPA from can coatings is less than 0.00011 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day. This level is more than 450 times lower than the maximum acceptable or “reference” dose for BPA of 0.05 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”

Which means an adult would have to eat  230 kilograms  of canned food and beverages every day of their life to exceed the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

As the toxicologists love to say – it’s not the poison but the dose…..

However, what is certain  is that  BPA is a $6 billion plus global industry. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 940,000 tons of BPA are produced in the U.S. per year. About 21% is used in epoxy resins and most of the rest goes to polycarbonate.

want to know more – this is another good read.

You can find reports, studies and media scares on BPA here

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Frozen Food Loose

by Posted in 3.1 Food & Drink, 3.2 Shops & Businesses Tagged , , , 1 Comment

Pain Au Chocolat –

home bake Pain Au Raisen –

Home Bake Yorkshire Puds

Fruits of the forest and other soft fruits

Roast veg – peppers to potatoes

Uncooked Vegetables – Peas!!!

Fish Cakes

Just some of the frozen stuff sold loose at Emly Moor Farm Shop.

Here is the company who supply them – Field Fare. They supply shops nationwide. There is a postcode locator here which tells you where your nearest retailer is.

The Emley Moor shop doesn’t stock the full range, but it will give you an idea of what’s available.

Heres how it works. Using the little scoop you shovel what you want into the bags provided. Of course the bags provided are plastic but take your own bio bags (corn starch bags – made from vegetables they are fully compostable)  and the plastic bag problem is solved. Bio bags are fine to use in the freezer.

Plastic kills and injures animals

by Posted in 2 BAD PLASTIC Tagged , 2 Comments

Plastic in the environment presents a danger to animals in a number of ways.

First many animals eat plastic trash mistaking it for food or eating waste food from plastic bags. In  March 2013  a sperm whale washed up on Spain’s South Coast was found to consumed  59 different plastic items including transparent sheeting used to build greenhouses in Almeria and Grenada, plastic bags, nine meters of rope, hosepipe, flower pots, and a plastic spray canister. Cause of death was intestinal blockage.

Turtles, fish and seabirds all eat plastic and suffer as a consequence.

Plastic is just as lethal on land:  camels die from plastic “rocks” in their intestines and elephants and cows have been found with internal blockages caused by having eaten plastic.

Even if the plastic doesn’t kill outright, a diet of plastic has no nutritional value. Animals that eat plastic are found to be underdeveloped and underweight. “Dr. Jennifer Lavers found 270 pieces of plastic inside an 80 day old Flesh-footed shearwater chick last year. She’s also found that 100% of this species on Lord Howe Island contain plastic. Populations have already declined by more than 50% in the past 35 years. We need to find out more, before it’s too late.”

Micro bits of plastic may be killing the tiny creatures. Traditional plastics degrade rather than biodegrade, which means they simply break up and fall apart into smaller pieces. The plastic has not changed its structure as such – merely fragmented.  These particles are called micro plastics and are being found in the oceans in ever-increasing quantities. Aquatic microorganisms such as plankton can also mistake micro plastic particles for food and subsequently be killed by the adverse effects of the particle on the organism’s digestive tract. 

Then there are the as yet unknown consequences of eating plastic. Sea bourne plastic  particles can both release chemicals (used in the manufacture of the product) and attract toxins. Research indicates that toxins such as persistent organic pollutants POPs (present in the sea water)  stick to the plastic creating a toxic pellet. Marine animals eat these pellets. Researchers and scientists are becoming increasingly concerned that “this provides a feasible pathway to transfer attached pollutants and additive chemicals into their tissues”  which will have a negative effect on the animals who consume them. This research on lugworms indicates that there are.

Persistent organic pollutants POPs are stored in the fatty tissues of animals and are passed on up through the food chain.  They are bioaccumulate which has implications for the animals who consume the animals who consume the plastic! The chemicals absorbed by the plastic are  transferred to the fish and possibly the consumer of the fish.

Plastic fishing nets are also extremely dangerous. Huge nets (between 75 feet to over 30 miles in length and sometimes several hundred meters deep) can and do get lost at sea. These ghost nets entangle animals who die of starvation. Modern synthetic (plastic)  netting can sustain this cycle indefinitely while drifting over a vast range; ghost nets from around the Pacific have washed ashore on beaches as far apart as Alaska and the outer Hawaiian Islands.

Read the reports here

Fork in turtles nose…
...seems like those dumb turtles just cant stop damaging themselves on our everlasting litter. This one has a plastic fork stuck in its nose. It was only last month I reported on a turtle with a straw in its ...
Read More
Straws Suck – just say no…
Think refusing plastic straws is a pointless gesture? Saying no a ridiculous over reaction by the plastic free killjoys. Have a look at this gruesome video of a plastic straw being removed from a turtles snout and think again ...
Read More
Plastic in Plankton
Images of microplastic ingestion by plankton. From Cole, Matthew, et al. “Microplastic ingestion by zooplankton.” Environmental science & technology (2013). Laboratory studies that have shown ingestion in marine species. Zooplankton: Cole et al. 2013 Invertebrates: Thompson et al. 2004; ...
Read More
Cows killed by plastic
Cows hanging about on street corners eating plastic bags. Doesn't do them any good at all and it is estimated that thousand dies each month from accidently ingesting the bad stuff. The following is Taken from the Karuna Society for ...
Read More
What plastic should you feed your turtle
Plastic bags have been found in stomachs of the following marine species. several of which are classified as endangered 2013 Loggerhead turtle  with links to earlier reports by  Plotkin and Amos 1990; Bjorndal and Bolten. 1994) 2001  Marine Debris ...
Read More
Bees collect polyurethane and polyethylene plastics as novel nest materials
http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00308.1 Abstract: Plastic waste pervades the global landscape. Although adverse impacts on both species and ecosystems have been documented, there are few observations of behavioral flexibility and adaptation in species, especially insects, to increasingly plastic-rich environments. Here, two species ...
Read More
Dirty Beaches, Polluted Sea
Most plastics are oil derived and non biodegradable. Which means plastics last for decades, centuries possibly forever (read more here about plastic how it is made and the different types). We are using this everlasting product to make items ...
Read More
Plastic in Fish
Blackfin tuna (Manooch and Mason. 1983) Chelsea M. Rochman, Rebecca L. Lewison, Marcus Eriksen, Harry Allen, Anna-Marie Cook, Swee J. Teh, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fish tissue may be an indicator of plastic contamination in marine habitats, Science of The ...
Read More
squirrels eating plastic
What squirrels should be eating ... and what they are eating. Thanks to  Harry Shuldman for this great picture ..... In his own words... "squirrel in Wash. Sq. Park forcing a wadded up plastic bag down its throat. I tried to shoo him ...
Read More
Plastic kills and injures animals
Plastic in the environment presents a danger to animals in a number of ways. First many animals eat plastic trash mistaking it for food or eating waste food from plastic bags. In  March 2013  a sperm whale washed up on Spain’s ...
Read More
Camels & Plastic
Every year hundreds of camels die each year from ingesting plastic bags. "Every day we have a camel that has died in a camel camp. One in every two camels dies from plastic," Dr. Ulrich Wernery, scientific director at the ...
Read More
Whales & Dolphins
Cuviers Beaked Whale (2) Originally uploaded by Dennis@Stromness The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust took various skin and blubber samples and removed the stomach for further study by the Scottish Agricultural College. On initial removal it was found that ...
Read More
Elephants & Plastic
Wild life vet Jerry Haigh writes “Meanwhile three elephants in Chobe National Park died after eating trash from the Chobe landfill.” A senior Wildlife Biologist, Mr Keagapetse Mosugelo said the elephants died as a result of plastics they ate ...
Read More
Birds & Plastic
Black footed Albatross (Sileo et al 1990) Northern Fulmar (van Franeker. 1985. 2003. 2005) Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull (Day et al. 1985) A large Sugar Gum tree branch fell down in the local school over summer. I had ...
Read More
Plastics & Birds
Click here for the slide show A Dutch study in the North Sea of fulmar seabirds concluded 95 per cent of the birds had plastic in their stomachs. More than 1600 pieces were found in the stomach of one ...
Read More

The Range – a chain of home & garden shops

by Posted in 3.2 Shops & Businesses, 3.2.3 Supermarkets & Chains Tagged , ,

Loose pet food, home wares and some loose sweets.

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.
Sometimes though there is no option but to use

Supermarkets & Chainstores

And yes you can get some plastic free and zero waste stuff there but YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGING. Check out the plastic-free shopping kit here.

The Range

This is new to me. It replaces Homebase on Leeds Rd, Huddersfield HD1 6ND.

It is one of 120 U.K. stores.

It sells  paints, crockery, bedding, art supplies and some garden stuff.

AND……..

Pet food & Bird Seed

It gets my plastic free vote for it’s loose bird seed and pet food. You can see pictures here.

There is

  • bird seed,
  • rabbit,rat and chinchilla feed,
  • dog chews and sweets
  • And other stuff

all sold loose.

Of course they only supply plastic bags for your purchases but you could take your own reusable produce bags. If you have forgotten them, then they sell compostable plastic bags similar to biobags. You can compost these.

There is more animal feed in paper bags.
I don’t have pets so cannot speak from experience how good this is but well done for offering plastic free.

Other Stuff

Includes enamel cups – very pretty!

Get There

Directions to the Huddersfield Store
Phone:01484 534707

Hours:

Wednesday 9am–8pm
Thursday 9am–8pm
Friday 9am–8pm
Saturday 9am–8pm
Sunday 10:30am–4:30pm
Monday 9am–8pm
Tuesday 9am–8pm

Other Stores

Check out the Website

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.

For the plastic free freak metal lids to glass jars are of course plastic lined .

Tin and cans including those for cosmetics are also plastic lined

For products that are packaged in plastic choose to buy simple plastics that can easily be recycled

Do remember not all stores stock all products. It might be wise to check ahead if you are making a special visit.

Don’t Like Supermarkets?

Other places to buy unpackaged food are listed here

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Straws – reusable

by Posted in 3.1 Disposables & Reusables Tagged , , , , 10 Comments

I don’t use straws but if I did I would go for one of these.

Do note I have not used these myself  so I cannot say how well they perform or what the onward packaging is like. You will have to check with the suppliers. Any one who has tried them, can review them or can recommend some other great product please do  leave a comment.  Together we can make changes.

Bamboo

Super fun for a cocktail party – haven’t tried them myself yet but will do….. You can get them from boobalu  an ecofriendly online store

or these from Amazon

bamboo straw

  • 12 pack of bamboo straws.
  • The ecological choice for your health and the planet.
  • Washable. Reusable.
  • Made from 100% Real Whole Bamboo Stalks
  • Each straw is 10 inches in length
  • You can find a range of reusable straws on Amazon

 

steel strawsSteel Straws

Urban techno chic! I love the look of them, stainless steel straws for the classiest of drinkers.

USA -Can be bought with a whole load of other good stuff from Reusable Bags (USA based).

Or you can make your own

UK – You can find a range of reusable straws on Amazon

Glass Straws

The glass straw man?? Yes he makes reusable glass straws. Glass straws may sound like a bonkers idea, but read this and then decide

I haven’t used them myself but if you fancy giving them a go they are currently available in the UK from EBAY and from this UK based online shop A Fine Choice

Disposables

If you must have disposable straws buy these compostable ones. 

Campaigns

Join the straw wars here.

Buy

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. Coffee Evolution were doing take away ceramic cups for instance.

If you can’t buy local, please do check the links above. They look 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…

4 Straight Metal Drinking Straw Stainless Steel Reusable Straws Stylish ref.112.z90/4 4 Metal Drinking Straw Stainless Steel Reusable Straws Stylish ref.112.z89
NRS Healthcare Clear Safesip Drinks Glass a…
£5.99		 4 Straight Metal Drinking Straw Stainless S…
£5.49		 4 Metal Drinking Straw Stainless Steel Reus…
£5.49
6 Metal Drinking Straw Stainless Steel Reusable Straws Stylish ref.112.z89/6 Kitchen Craft Stainless Steel Two-in-One Drinking Straws / Stirrers- set of two Stainless Steel Zack Vitis Straw Spoon Set/4
6 Metal Drinking Straw Stainless Steel Reus…
£7.49		 Kitchen Craft Stainless Steel Two-in-One Dr…
£4.75		 Stainless Steel Zack Vitis Straw Spoon Set/4
£12.00
Sustainable Bamboo Drinking Straws - 12 Pack
Sustainable Bamboo Drinking Straws – 12 Pack
£6.00
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, we have always found their service to be good and their packaging usually compostable.

If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. That’s not why we do it.