Sustainable September 2018 Day 25

I dont know if you would have had a chance to use yesterdays Sustainable September idea because it is something that will need some preplanning. When you organise a party or dinner there are so many great things you can do to reduce your budget AND reduce you environmental impact. Everything from not purchasing disposables, to using reusable straws in metal, glass, bamboo or alternatively single use paper straws (but these barely last ONE drink), or skip straws altogether.

This next idea builds on the yesterdays but it also doesnt need to be a party/gathering-only idea. This one you can bring into every day meals...

Day 25. Use Cloth napkins 

Another thing that can save money is buying/making/using cloth napkins instead of buying paper ones. Sure paper ones are mostly compostable, but some of them have a few other not so good things in them. And cloth napkins can be compostable at the end of their lives too. However, you can spend a little bit of cash up front and be able to wash and reuse them over and over again. So, they can make their money back.

You can even purchase ex-hotel/restaurant ones for a cheaper price but still be good quality, plus they are second hand.  Meaning that it will have saved you money, and saved the environment too!

"Not only are they [cloth napkins] more durable (one cloth napkin will make it through a lot more BBQ sauce than a paper one!) but ditching disposable napkins will also save plenty of money over the years. It’ll also reduce your trash output, which means less energy is used transporting and processing your waste. Using recyclable paper napkins is good for the planet, but it’s even better to not have anything to recycle in the first place. Plus, cloth napkins make dinner feel oh-so-fancy." (Greatist.com)

You could gift some cloth napkins to a friend or family member, or even use cloth napkins to wrap gifts in as a way to make someone else feel special. Kindness doesnt have to be hard work, it can be much simpler than that. Sharing what you are learning about with people can be a nice way to share and spread kindness.

I hope this finds you all well.
Love Daena x

Sustainable September 2018 Day 10

I found myself using Paper towel today because it was just easier. It qwas a knee jerk reaction to spilling coconut oil eberywhere. I was able to throw the paper towel in the compost. However, I was hoping to make one day papertowel free. iit just shows you how much we use it and how even with thebext intentions we still make mistakes.

The idea today is simple...

10. Use a metal or glass straw

Okay, I’ll admit it will take time to have this one actually save you some money. However, this product will last you a lifetime (except the glass one if you drop it) and you can reuse it over and over again. Comparatively, a single use plastic straw will be able to be used once and then never be used again, whilst lasting a lifetime.

So in the efforts to be as honest with you all as possible i want you to know its okay to make some mistakes. I bought my stainless steel straws online from eBay for about $4 for 8 straws with 4 brushes.

I ended up keeping two of these straws for me and my mum, giving 4 to my sister for her family as part of a Christmas gift and gave another two away as gifts also. I must admit it was great in some ways because it was super cheap, but here is where i made a few little mistakes. When I got the straws they were each individually wrapped in plastic and they were also shipped from china. Not my finest moment but at the time finance was the most pressing concern I had. So I went with cheap eco products over locally produced, which is a shame as not long after I bought these cheap straws someone in my suburb started selling the ones they had made themselves. Which would have been amazing to purchase.

If you look at how much a box of plastic straws cost (Approximately) you'd need to take 10 uses of a single use straw to make your money worth spending. hich is rediculous. Not to mention saying no to plastic straws will be saving lives in the long run as a lot on sea animals struggle to survive with plastic contamination in our oceans. Sadly, there are some disturbing videos on the internet of animals with straws in their noses. It hurts my heart to look at them, but it was enough to see that i wanted to buy a metal straw and start refusing single use plastic straws almost immediately.

I hope this finds you well.

love Daena x

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 Eight

Hello Sustainable September-ers. 

How is it going? Simple ideas seem to be the go. Didn't you just love the "Forest Man" video? So good. 

I talked about replacing tissues for Handkerchiefs today. When I packed my bag to come to Canberra, Australia, I packed as many handkerchiefs as I did underpants. Having been sick I wanted to be prepared for anything. And so far I am please I did. We used a couple as napkins after I managed to spill a whole bunch of stuff everywhere on a picnic. I've used them to blow my nose after reading too many beautiful stories about kindness (my favourite reason to cry). I have even used them to wipe the sweat off my fave after going for a run! Yay. Go me. 

I thought I would show you one of my favourite handkerchiefs. 

 

It used to belong to my dad. His initials are embroidered on it. Every time I use it I think of my dad. He was an amazing and environmentally minded man, so it seems so appropriate that I share it with you all this month. 

I also love how handkerchiefs are making a come back. Has anyone seen the movie "The Intern" with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway? Well amazingly handkerchiefs play a pretty cool role in that movie. Bringing them back into fashion. 

So today is another K.I.S.S. Principal. Remember it's Keep It Simple Sweetheart. We don't have any stupid people here!

Sustainable September Day Eight: use a metal or glass straw instead of a plastic one. 

A few days ago we watched clips from the Zero Waste front liners. One of them pointed out the stupidity of straws. Something that you use once and then goes in the bin because it's useless after one use which may only be seconds. Then these pieces of plastic end up in the bellies and noses of someone of our most precious wildlife. Hopefully you all remember the video from last year of the turtle with the straw stuck in its nasal passage. It was seriously heartbreaking and more than a little gross. 

For Christmas last year I bought my family 10 metal straws between six of us. I usually keep 2 on me, in my handbag. One for me and one for whoever I am with. Usually mum and I. It works well. But often we really don't need to use straws at all.  

I know there exceptions for using straws. Some people have to for face or teeth surgery. I couldn't have done without a straw when I had my wisdom teeth out. Then there are the elderly (like my dad used) because all their food is liquid. And it helps regulate how much they consume in one hit, stopping them from choking. Dads nursing home has special cups with built in straws so he didn't need to use throw away ones. 

When you think about it, most places you would use straws are related to soft drink or cocktails. 

If you think about the straws from fast food venues, they use those stupid plastic caps for the straw to go through too. That is more plastic going to landfill and it even has the potential to end up in the ocean and stomachs of wildlife. Mind you, even if you swap out the straw for a metal or glass one, then you are still making a huge difference. Make sure you tell them no straw when you order your drink/meal. 

If you think about cocktails or soft drinks from restaurants, you need to talk to the bartender before they make the drink because if they have already been added to the drink they won't use it again, they will just throw it without it ever having been used. Which is a stupid tragedy all of itself. 

Asking for no straw is something that takes a bit of time to get used to but once you do, it's just like any other habit, it happens naturally. 

Kindness idea: purchase a glass or metal straw for a friend. 

I decided this was a good kindness for me after last year. I ended up saving them to give as Christmas gifts. My niece and nephew love using the metal straws I bought them. They particularly love to drink their smoothies or milkshakes through them. Best thing about the metal ones is that they won't break if dropped, which is the best option for kids. 

The glass straws are very pretty and you can SEE how clean they are. Usually all reusable straws come with a cleaning brush so it's easy to clean. It's also cool to see the water/juice/cocktails/milkshake/soft drink go through the glass straws. 

Front lines: all I can say is... This kid is awesome! I just love how kids are the ones fighting for the small changes that will make big differences in the long run. 

This interview is even better with more statistics.

Well done Milo! Now we just need to get something like this off the ground here in Australia! 

I hope this finds you all well. 

Love Daena X