Sustainable September 2018 Day 18

Another day at work in the office. However the sun was shining yesterday so I got to spend some time in the garden of my new house! 

I haven’t been able to get to the library so I’ve been using my housemates Cookbooks as the best light reading material! 

I love it because with the restrictions I have for my diet I also look at recipe books like a challenge. ‘How can I adapt a recipe for myself to eat?’ 

Considering yesterday was another Meatfree Monday I was looking for ideas of what to cook! It’s so nice to look at Vegetarian options that you can also adapt to have meat if you want. 

Sustainable September idea for ...

Day 18. Buy Bamboo products

Can this save you money? Yes and no.

Yes if, like me, you are eco conscious and driving around looking for places to donate your old plastic toothbrush to dental recycling. The Wasteless Pantry , in Mundaring, WA has a great collection of recycling collection points (not just for dental recycling either). I am still looking for a place to recycle my old plastic & electric toothbrush here in the UK but I know Redcycle do it in Australia. The petrol costs alone would be enough to save you money on buying a recycleable/compostable alternative.

No, if you are buying the cheapest plastic toothbrushes around. Admittedly, bamboo toothbrushes may cost a little extra but as more people use them the cheaper and more widely available they will become.

A bamboo toothbrush is able to be composted. 

(I still haven’t been able to take a good toothbrush selfie! Hahahahaha). 

They can be used in the garden as label stakes for your veggies (which would save you money buying purpose built ones).

You can also get many other things made of Bamboo… and they aren’t much more expensive than your everyday plastic variation, with the added bonus that they are a renewable resource and are able to be composted most of the time. At my new house we have a compost heap that I have used already to add stuff too! 

I hope this find you well! 

Much love,
Daena x

Sustainable September 2018 day 9

Today was the first I have had to explore Reading. My boyfriend, G arrived this morning for the day and It was lovely. We wandered all over the place together. Sadly I had an issue with my phone so I couldnt take any photos, but it did help me focus my attention and my energy on spending time together.

I realised today how beautiful my new city is and how much fun I will have living here.

I am still learning where the bulk stores are, so yesterdays Sustainable september idea hasn't been so much a practical idea as one in theory for now, but when i settle down I will be keen to shop in bulk a lot more.

However, yesterdays idea leads on quite nicely to todays Sustainable September idea.

Day 9. Stop using Paper towel 

That’s right… you heard me... don't do it. Why? you may ask. it is because it is a single use product when we dont need to just throw away something to get the same affect.

This idea is something that I want to impliment this coming year.  I dont know how easy it will be, but I want to give it a go.

After yesterday I hope you’ve not run out and bought a huge pack of 16 rolls of paper towel, but if you have that’s okay. Use them up. And then you can make the swap.

If you make a swap to use recycled scrap fabric instead of buying lots of paper-towel, you not only save yourself a fortune but you can cut up dead/holy/stained cotton t-shirt/towels/sheets. That then means you can safely discard, when the rags look like they are passed it, into the compost, as cotton, bamboo and wool can be composted as they are natural fibers.

I, honestly, use paper towel a lot. I know I would have struggled at the place I have just moved from, because the cats would often throw up on the carpet/floor. Whilst I would have been okay with washing and reusing some rags, I would probably dedicate some specifically to that situation.

What Sustainable september idea have you implimented? or which Sustainable September idea do you think will have to be a slow introduction to your home?

I would love to know what you think or what you do to make the world a better place. A KINDER place for all.

Love to you all,
Daena x

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Ten

SEPTEMBER 10 (SUNDAY)

TINY CHANGES - COFFEE CUPS/KEEPS CUPS

Welcome back again to Sustainable September 2017.

How did you go with the Bamboo Toothbrushes? Or the toothpaste?

I gave the Bamboo toothbrushes a go last night. It was a bamboo toothbrush infused with charcoal. So if you give this a go be warned you might have a grey tinge to your teeth until you rinse. But the lady at the Wasteless Pantry told me that this stops happening after the first couple of brushes.




I gave the toothpaste a go too. I have to double check I got the recipe right because I think I might have put too much coconut oil in. Be aware it takes a little while to get used to the taste… so if its too horrible maybe you could add a touch of stevia to taste.

Another day, another idea for tomorrow.

Sustainable September Day Ten – Take and use a reusable Coffee/Tea cup.

Why is it an Eco-Kindness to take a reusable coffee cup? Because single use coffee cups are not recyclable and in Australia we use a Billion coffee cups a year. Check out his news clip from ABCs 7.30 Report 'Takeaway Coffee Cups driving hidden plastic catastrophy.

Why coffee cups cant be recycled. This clip comes from 'War on Waste UK'

Recently in Australia, we also had the 'War on Waste TV' show that brought up this issue. Check out the War on Waste (Aus) #BYOCoffeeCup.

What can you use instead?

I have two different types of Keep Cups (two plastic and one glass) that are both Coffee Cups that are barista standard sizes.

(Glass on the left and one of my plastic ones on the right) 

There are a huge range of other types of reusable mugs and cups. So i would love your recommendations for other people to check out too.

SOMETHING ELSE: Did you know that there are whole communities who are working toward Zero Waste. Like this one, Zero Waste Town, who will zero waste by 2020. …Zero Waste Town by 2020.

You are not alone on this journey to Sustainability, no matter what level of Eco-Kindness you and your community are at.

ACTIVITY: If you want to use up your old coffee cups... then this is the nicest upcycling idea i could find. 

I hope you are all well and enjoying Sustainable September. 

Sending lots of love, 

Daena x

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Nine

SEPTEMBER 9 (SATURDAY)

TINY CHANGES - TOOTHBRUSHES

Hello my lovely Sustainable September-ers!

Yesterday I made a trek to my favourite local zero waste bulk foods store The Wasteless Pantry. I bought a few things we needed for the house including Gluten Free Flour, Arrowroot Flour, Almonds, Gluten Free Tamari sauce and then some yummies for me for the next few days. Including Banana Chips, Dried Apples, Dried figs and of course i also bought a new toothbrush.



Which brings me to my next sustainable idea.

Sustainable September Day Nine - Buy or use a Bamboo Toothbrush.

Bamboo toothbrushes are great. I have used these toothbrushes on and off. The best part of this is that they can be thrown into the compost bin as soon as they are dead.

You could also use the dying toothbrushes for those hard to reach places when you need to clean up (that way you get more life out of your toothbrushes).

My dentist has told me, personally, that I need to use an electric toothbrush, so my best waste reducing plan is to buy replaceable heads for my electric toothbrush (Which is rechargeable) and then get rid of the old heads through the dental recycling program, run through the schools or which is now at The Wasteless Pantry.




They have a whole range of recycling programs for all kinds of things... including old Toothbrushes, dental floss containers and Toothpaste containers. However i now have a new bamboo toothbrush that i will use intermittantly.

I am also searching for a great replacement to “Pixters”. They are like little scrubbing brushes that fit between your gums and your teeth. They are made out of plastic and are theoretically a single use item… however I use them several times before they look like they couldn’t clean anything. They seem to be the only thing that works for me (dental floss isn’t so great).  So if anyone has a wonderful eco friendly variety that I could use, I would be so grateful for the recommendation.



You can also get plastic free dental floss!!! Which is awesome. It's made of silk instead and can be composted 

ACTIVITY: You could also make your own toothpaste. Bea Johnson and many other Zero Waste lifestylers happily make their own toothpaste from products you might already have in your home.

I love the 'How to' videos from Trash is For Tossers. So here is one on how to make Zero Waste toothpaste. 

I will be giving this a go tomorrow, so i will let you know how it goes. I will also be using my new Charcoal infused Toothbrush (with black bristles) that i bought from the Wasteless Pantry yesterday. 

I hope this finds you all well.
with love & kindness,
Daena 

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Eight

SEPTEMBER 8 (FRIDAY)

TINY CHANGES - CUTLERY

How are you doing? I have been doing my best to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE.

I got some more work done on my chair today at my Upholstery class. Because i am REUSING this chair & a lot of its bits as best i can by REDUCING the amount of stuff going to landfill. Because chairs like mine often end up chucked away rather than RECYCLED.

For those of you who know nothing about 'my chair', it was a wingback chair i picked up from the side of the road over a year ago. I have been dismantling it for ages, and only now am i building it back up.  

Sustainable September Day Eight - Bring your own cutlery instead of using disposable ones.

Why cutlery?

If you have been following sustainable September for the last few years you will know... this one if fairly new to me. I didn't think I was using disposable cutlery all that often... but it turns out I was.

"Worldcentric.org estimates 40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in just the United States. The majority of these are thrown out after just one use and end up in landfills and waterways." (Eating our way out of the plastic waste dilemma from Plasticstoday.com ). For more information check out the link. Learning statistics can be scary. 

So last month I decided to invest in a premade cutlery pouch from a local-to-me eco friendly supplier called Undisposed to reduce the waste I was already accumalating.

I now have a cutlery pouch that I always carry with me in my handbag.



I add a metal straw to it because it works well inside the kit. I use it regularly. The biggest problem I have is remembering to take it out and wash it regularly (not just after it's used, it's in my handbag after all) and also washing the fabric kit it goes in. Thankfully bamboo has a wonderful antibacterial quality.




The kit in the photos used to have bamboo chopsticks too, however i accidentally put them through the diswasher rather than handwash them and they kind of died. So i need to get some more.

I love that they are bamboo because it means that i can chuck them in the compost once i finish with them (like i sadly had to do with two broken chopsticks).

ACTIVITY: Upcycle your old or preused plastic cutlery into something that will last longer. Check out these christmas themed candle holders.

Like always, I put a disclaimer on videos like this that upcycle. There is no point going out and buying these things if it means you have to chuck away parts that you would have never bought in the first place. This is for those times when you have a whole heap of left over things that you would prefer get used instead of thrown in the bin. It is not perfect... im sure there are lots of ideas you could come up with and if not check out Pinterest!

I love Pinterest. It is dangerous though. So make sure you set some time up to have a look... or you'll find yourself down the rabbit hole 3 hours later with 15 new recipes for your friends who are vegans, the newest looks in Capsule wardobes, 100 ways to turn woodern pallets into everything under the sun, a whole new way of baking cakes so they look like rainbows, and 45 quick sewing patterns. Pinterest is like that... dangerous to the unprepared! But so wonderful for creative people like me.

Anyway, i hope this finds you all well,
Love Daena xx

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Seven

SEPTEMBER 7 (THURSDAY)

TINY CHANGES - STRAWS

A week peoples, we have made it a whole week!!! What an achievement! I'm so glad you are still here reading this (and if you are new here... WELCOME!!!!). Kindness to this planet is so important to all of us. Treating the world with greater respect and kindness means that we are able to also treat ourselves, our friends and family with greater respect. PLUS, we are being kind to so many people we do not know! Like those in far away places (like islands that are slowly sinking below rising sea levels) and those we may never meet (those in the future), who will be greatful for every little thing we do now to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Together we are making life a little kinder for our planet and all those who live here.

Yesterday was all about Hankies... one of mine came in handy today. I've got one in my pocket as I write this but thankfully its clean. A lot of people have come down sick in the house... so im doing my best to be environmentally friendly, whilst remaining well!!!

Thankfully i am well... and i hope to stay that way!

Sustainable September Day Seven - Buy & or use a glass, metal or bamboo straw instead of using plastic single use straws.

I own and regularly use a metal straw. I bought it (and more for my family) a few years ago... during Sustainable September. I still have it and still use it all the time. I keep it in a cutlery case in my handbag all the time (Except when i wash it after use of course).

I do rmeember to take my straw with me everywhere... however this kind of leads me to my next point.

REMEMBER, any time you purchase a drink – even if you think I shouldn’t have a straw- specify that you don’t want one.

This part is harder for me. I have been to two different restaurants this week that i forgot to specify that i didn't want a straw, and each time the little plastic stick of uselessness was present in my beverage.

One time recently I remembered to ask not to have a straw, then only realised just as they put the straw into the drink that they had forgotten i didnt want one. When i pointed out i didnt want it they just threw out the straw. I felt even worse... because that single use item... well it didnt even get used once!!! So I need to be vigilent and remember that whenever I go places that I need to specify that I do not need a straw and if possible catch them before they do it out of habit.

If anyone on here is reading this and owns a restaurant or bar, maybe you could consider offering staws only upon request. That would save a bunch of needless waste and im sure it would help the hip pocket too!

It seemed perfectly times that i came across a perfectly timed documentary about Straws too. The Western Australian Premiere of Straws the Film: A documentary about a sea of Change by producer Lisa Booker is a short documentary about plastic straw litter and how community activists are making a sea of change one straw at a time. For those in WA, check out the above link for information about the screening in Fremantle. Its upstairs (@ Yogalab) from one of my favourite restaurants in Freo, the Raw Kitchen. Its being help on Sunday 17th September 2017, (that's 10 days from tomorrow). There are a range of ticket options (some of which include sampling some food from the Raw Kitchen!) but tickets start at $15.

ACTIVITY: Amazingly if, like me, you REFUSE straws, and yet still end up with a bunch, that you didnt ask for, maybe you could turn them into Jewellery or art. Hopefully you can turn a single use item into something you can REUSE, after you have gotten your REUSABLE straw... after all straws cannot be RECYCLED.

If after watching this video you were a bit surprised i had posted it... i understand. Don't get me wrong, I know some of these ideas are really great for the environment. I mean why would you cut up little pieces of straws for the base of your potplants?! Honestly... WHY?!. But some of the other ideas could work if you are looking for a way to upcycle straws you already have or have accidentally received. Or maybe, you are into a craft soloution. Or maybe if you have kids some of these might be fun activities! I just ask that you think carefully about which ones you choose. Normally i wouldn't post something like that... But this one had the most exciting ideas with the least (yes i know that is unbelieveable really) environementally harmful ideas.

I guess the main thing here is to REFUSE plastic single use straws, or in the least, REDUCE the number of straws you use.  

If we can do that... it will make a world of difference.

Hope you all are well.
Love Daena x

Sustainable September 2016 - Day Eleven

Hi again Kindness lovers, 

So today was all about OP-SHOPPING!!! Or thrift shopping! And today I got to see the super fancy and super expensive kind and then the not as expensive type. 

 

Now, to explain, I was wandering the hip and with it streets of Canberra today, as its my last full day here. I found some very expensive op shops, think expensive & designer second hand goods! 

Tomorrows idea is another simple switch: 

Buy/use a wooden or bamboo toothbrush. 

I bought some last year, some for me and some for the rest of the family. Whilst they are not to everyone's liking they are much better for the environment. 

I have only just recently thrown my first bamboo toothbrush in the compost and I just love it. 

If you are also looking for a way to get rid of your old plastic toothbrushes consider recycling them. 

Kindness idea: donate toiletries to a local homelessness shelter or emergency relief centre. 

Toiletries are needed by so many places not just the ones mentioned. Because toiletries are used by everyone they are often the first things to go and so lots of charities and community services are always needing more. 

Front Lines: micro-beads in toiletries. 

One thing you might like to know about when you are purchasing your toiletries is plastic micro-beads. 

These are in everything from shampoo to toothpaste. These are really bad for the environment. And get into our waterways and into all types of water creatures. Here is the video from the UK about the micro beads and how and why we need to prevent the use of them in all of our things. 

 

I hope this finds you all well. 

I leave Canberra tomorrow and I have really enjoyed my stay. 

Much love to you all, 

Love Daena 

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Four

Hello my lovelies,

Oh man, I am tired, and I am also pretty excited. I am currently on a course in Sydney and we are having long days. Doing blog posts at 10pm when I have to be up at 6am is probably not my brightest idea yet. I am getting there though. I have been getting up early for exercise. It is both exhausting and invigorating. Having not done much for a long time now in the exercise field, I have taken this week to start my health & healing. Since Sunday I have greatly improved my fitness. I can now do 60 crunches, 60 press ups, and 3 whole minutes of plank position! Much better than my 20 x 20 by 30 seconds. Healthy me, here I come! :)

Back to Sustainable September... How did you find yesterdays idea for a more sustainable future? Did you remember to take your reusable bags with you to the supermarket? Did you buy any nice new reusable bags? I used mine today to tote dirty washing to the laundry of the lady i'm staying with. We can do this!

So today is yet another simple switch.

September 4: Replace your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one. Bamboo can be composted. 

This is as simple as it sounds. You can buy Bamboo toothbrushes from your local health store (or you can from a lot of health stores near me). I have just bought a bulk pack (I am yet to try them). I am excited about it though because the waste accrued from toothbrushes is ridiculous. 

I bought these in Bulk with the intention of passing them on, or using them as gifts. Plus when you bought these in bulk it was cheaper! :)

I kind of wish I had found these cute bamboo toothbrushes  first... after all they have my last name etched into each one!! ;)

 And when is say rediculous, let me share the sums, that someone else kindly did for me...

"Here’s why you should be thinking about the environmental impact of toothbrushes. Let’s take Australia as an example. There are about 22 million people in the country. Let’s say, as a very rough estimate, that 1.25 million are little babies and don’t have teeth. So that’s 20.75 million Australians with teeth (including dentures, which still need to be brushed, so they count.) We all know the dentist tells us to change our toothbrush when it starts to get shaggy; about every three months. We also know that we are lazy, so we probably only change them every four months. So let’s say everyone changes their toothbrush three times a year (every four months).
Here’s the equation:

• Australian population with teeth  x number of toothbrushes used per person per year  = number of toothbrushes used in Australia per year

…which equates to:

• 20,750,000  x 3  = 62,250,000

Yes, you read that right. By my very rough estimate, Australians are using 62 and a quarter million toothbrushes per year. (Some estimates say 30 million, but I’m going to presume Australians care about their dental hygiene more than that.) To boggle your brain a little more, keep in mind that Australia has a small population. Think of how many toothbrushes the US, Chinese, Indians, Brazilians and Indonesians are using. Yikes!" (Eco Lesbo Vego - 2015).

 Scary huh? The website Trash Is For Tossers by Lauren Singer is a great resource too (Yep! That's the trash-free girl again). In Lauren's article it talks about the US rates of toothbrushes (and tooth paste) produced from plastic that are non-recyclable. It is pretty scary stuff. All these plastic things that we never even think of. Sneaky plastic! hehehe.

Toothbrushes made of bamboo can be recycled or even reused or up-cycled when they need to be disposed of.

Why bamboo not some other non-plastic substitute? I hear you ask. Well....

 "Bamboo, a natural cellulose fibre, is biodegradable, environmentally sustainable and does not pollute the environment.Technically considered a member of the grass family, bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth, and is incredibly abundant. It regenerates itself prolifically with minimal water and without the need for harmful pesticides - in fact harvesting and using the bamboo helps to control unwanted spread into agricultural and natural forest areas.Bamboo is a 100% natural renewable resource that grows back within a few months of harvesting and reaches full size in 3 years." (New Internationalist 2015. This following link is too the Bamboo Toothbrushes by New Internationalist Shop, of which I bought a collection. I bought the bulk pack.

I have a few awesome bamboo products at home that I love. When the toothbrushes arrive at my house (and I'm home to pick them up) I cant wait to try them out. I will wait until my plastic one dies before replacing it completely. Otherwise it is waste in another sense.

KINDNESS IDEA: Donate Toothbrushes and Toothpaste to a homeless shelter. Often the shelters need toiletries. This is an awesome idea of how to support your own community and help those who need it most.

Okay my lovelies,
I'm off to bed.

Much love to you all.
Daena Guest x