It’s Day 2 of National Zero Waste Week and we ask, what are you doing to reduce landfill?
At GP HQ we are careful about what we buy, checking provenance and buying as locally as possible, as often as possible. We recycle everything that can be recycled and compost as much food waste as we can fit into the heap and the Green Cone.
But one thing we don’t do enough of – and hear our pledge now – is growing our own food.
Our Zero Waste Week Pledge
At Green Pepper we pledge to grow as much of our own food as our tiny plot allows, to share any excess food with family, friends and neighbours to reduce waste and to continue to compost as much material as we can.
It’s only a small area and we already have some existing plants, but we think we can, with some careful planning, grow enough to supply about 50% of our food intake.
Food Waste and Methane
Food waste in landfill sites generates methane, a climate change gas 20 times more harmful to the global environment than CO2. For every tonne of food waste in landfill, the equivalent of 15 tonnes of CO2 is released into our fragile atmosphere.
We believe that by growing our own food and composting food waste more efficiently than on a landfill site, we can reduce our emissions.
What’s your Zero Waste Week pledge?
Find out more about National Zero Waste Week and see what others have pledged by visiting their website
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Lately, you may have noticed a bit of a change in the attitude of style and fashion conscious individuals.
Instead of wanting to follow trends and fashions, many are creating their own individual looks and making the most of their shapes with clothes that suit and flatter their figure.
This rise in the desire to be individual and unique is a combination of a number of factors including the economy and environmental concerns. But what has looking individual got to do with sustainable style?
As people develop their own individual style, they become less trend driven and do not feel that they have to change their wardrobe every season to keep up with the latest fashion.
It is this constant wardrobe updating with cheaply produced clothing that is referred to as ‘fast fashion’.
The problem with ‘fast fashion’
‘Fast fashion’ has led to the huge amount of textile waste being thrown into landfill each year. There have been many reports of unethical treatment of workers in the manufacture of ‘fast fashion’.
In addition, many of the low cost ‘fast fashion’ is made from synthetic fabrics using unsustainable petrochemicals or cotton grown with the use of environmentally damaging pesticides.
Basically, all of the environmental impacts associated with clothing manufacture are exasperated by the ‘fast fashion’ phenomena.
In February, at London Fashion week, the government announced it’s sustainable clothing action plan aimed at reducing landfill and other environmental impacts of the fashion industry.
Individual and sustainable style
You can develop your own unique individual and sustainable style by thinking carefully about every item that you add to your wardrobe.
Think about your own style and look for clothes that suit your shape, colouring, lifestyle and personality. You can also consider the following points when looking for clothes to compliment your unique style:
- Look for well made clothes that will last. Quality clothes may cost a bit more in the first place but they will save you money in the long run as they will last for years to come. Choose classic styles that suit you and will not go out of fashion.
- Look for clothes made from organic cotton and other organic alternatives and where possible choose natural fabrics. These clothes will look better and feel better.
- Consider clothes made from recycled materials – there are plenty of innovative designers now using recycled fabrics so no need to miss out on your designer clothes fix. These clothes are also a great way to be individual as each piece is usually unique.
- Look for second hand clothes. This is a great way to save money and still get quality, well made clothes. There are plenty of places to find second hand clothes and lots of choice.
- Try clothes swapping – this is a great way of trying out a new look without spending any money. You can also refresh your wardrobe and replace any clothes that you do not want either by holding a ’swishing’ party with friends or using a clothes swapping website.
Written by Ceri Heathcote of Posh-swaps.com
Posh-swaps.com is a brand new website that allows you to swap, buy and sell second hand and recycled reworked clothes for free. Ceri also writes for the Posh Swaps Blog which celebrates unique and individual style through second hand and recycled clothing.
With winter firmly behind us and Mother Nature celebrating images of pretty pink blossom and frolicking lambs, spring is most certainly in the air with its warmer temperatures, lighter nights and romantic walks. So what better time is there to introduce the subject of nudity?
Bareness, nakedness or ‘au naturelle’… whatever you call it, it all comes down to one thing, and the most exciting bit is that I’d love you to join in!
But before you get all in a lather about your middle-aged spread or whether you’ll be asked to swap car keys, please don’t, because it’s not your clothing I’d like you to abandon in this frenzied moment of springtime passion, it’s actually your packaging. Yep, packaging. All in the name of slimmer bins.
Ditch those layers
I’m sorry if you were looking to throw caution to the wind in your undies. I can’t help you there but when it comes to ditching your extraneous layers of plastic or cardboard, I’m more your kind of girl.
“There’s far too much” I often hear people cry, when given a moment to complain about over-packaging. “It’s so terrible to see it filling our bins and ending up in landfill.”
“But I’m too embarrassed to strip at the checkout” they add, pondering the option of leaving it all behind at the supermarket. And who can blame them!
It takes a strong activist to engage in such a demonstration and the quiet ones amongst us worry that holding up a queue of weary shoppers while we slowly take off our unwanted layers of plastic would most likely lead to a standing ovation of ‘tuts-and-sighs’ rather than the round of applause that we’d deserve.
Make a stand, go naked!
But if you’re constantly frustrated by the amount of packaging you bring home you can still make a stand without having to strip in public. The only compromise is that whenever you shop, you just have to remember to try and go naked.
You heard right. When it comes to shopping, think naked from the very outset and you’ll soon nip the problem of packaging in the bud. And it can also be fun, revealing a whole array of alternative but accessible options, which might just save money too.
- Getting Fruity
Avoid expensive punnets and pre-wrapped produce and buy your fruit and veg loose. Markets are great for this and staff will happily fill your shopping basket or trolley with unpackaged items. If you need to use a bag for smaller produce, forget the flimsy plastic weigh bags and try the reusable ones from Onya instead.
- Contain yourself
Consider taking your own containers to the deli counter, fishmongers or butchers and ask them to use your own containers instead of their usual packaging. You’ll be surprised at the results. If you live in London, pop along to Unpackaged where you’ll be able to shop till you drop.
- Take time to refuel
Keep an eye out for refillable alternatives to your regular products. From household detergents by companies such as Ecover to printer ink by Cartridge World and even cosmetics from organic skincare retailers like Naturisimo, more choices are gradually appearing on the market, allowing consumers to reduce their burden of packaging even further.
- Naked beauty
If you’ve got bottles cluttering up your bathroom, try venturing through the doors of cosmetic company Lush, where you will find unpackaged beauty products including shampoo and conditioner bars, massage bars, bath bombs and soaps. It’s a welcome relief for those over-burdened bathroom bins for sure.
- Give it some balls
Reduce your household bills by waving goodbye to regular laundry products and saying hello to washing balls, which can be reused up to 1000 times before refilling. And while you’re at it, consider other products that can be reused time and time again, such as E-cloths instead of kitchen towel. They’re great for cleaning worktops as well as windows and all without chemicals or glass cleaner.
Whether it’s avoiding packaging or absorbing many of the other tips offered by a growing community concerned with reducing consumer waste, one thing’s for sure, prevention is most definitely better than cure.
More and more people are realising that by introducing small, gradual changes into their lives they are able to shrink the amount of unrecyclable rubbish that is brought into their homes.
By shopping with waste in mind, there’s less dependency on landfill, incineration and even recycling and it all helps to reduce the carbon footprint associated with unwanted rubbish.
A quiet type of activism
However, be warned. This might be a quiet type of activism, where you whisper with your wallet instead shouting with your placard, but to do so you still have to dress accordingly and with all your sartorial layers intact.
Going naked with a trolley full of loose produce is one thing but streaking through the store with nothing but a bag of greens to hide your modesty is a different matter altogether and is not an action I’d ever recommend.
And as for stripping – if that’s really your thing, at least make sure you are prepared for a quick getaway and have somewhere to store all your clothes. An emergency reusable bag should do it. That is, of course, if you’ve remembered to take one with you.
However, something tells me that once you start shopping naked you’ll never forget your reusable bags again.
Written by Karen Cannard of The Rubbish Diet
Karen is author of The Rubbish Diet, which promotes zero waste and was recently shortlisted as joint runner-up in the MediaGuardian Awards for Innovation.
Karen is also a co-founder of a brand new collaborative website at The Zero Waste Checkout, which invites bloggers and readers to share news about products that are designing out consumer waste. If you are interested in reducing the amount of waste your household creates, please get in touch. You can also follow Karen on Twitter @therubbishdiet.
Please note: Neither Green Pepper nor the author are affiliated with the companies, websites or products mentioned in this article.
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On the subject of swapping (see Monday’s article ‘Read it. Swap it. MagCycle it!‘) here’s another idea to save money and avoid sending stuff to landfill.
Big Wardrobe is the place to swap clothes you don’t wear – because you don’t like them or they don’t fit anymore – for something else. It’s really just like a big online swishing party!
“Like most women I love to shop, but now I love to swap!” Twiggy
When you sign up at Big Wardrobe you can list items you don’t want in your wardrobe, with a description and photo, and other members can make you an offer. You can do a straight swap, if they have something you like, accept cash, or a combination of both.
A whole new wardrobe!
Once you’ve signed-up you can browse other members’ wardrobes or use the categories to find stuff you want and get yourself a whole new wardrobe! There’s thousands of items listed; clothes, shoes, bags and accessories – and, because it’s free, you can try out things you wouldn’t usually buy.
“It’s friendly in every sense; eco, purse and socially” Lauren Lavern
But it’s not just about saving money and getting some (nearly) new stuff. By swapping your clothes at Big Wardrobe you’re doing something to save the planet too, by not dumping your unwanted clothes in landfill.
If you read the article ‘Throwaway fashion ends up in landfill‘ you’ll know that dumping clothes is becoming a big problem with so many thrown away after being worn just a few times.
Other things you can do
Big Wardrobe is a great place to swap stuff but there are other things you can do with clothes you don’t want anymore: have a swishing party (like Big Wardrobe but with a group of friends), repurpose them into something else, or donate them to a charity shop to raise money for a good cause (and you can pick up some bargains while you’re there!).
Whatever you do with your unwanted clothes, not throwing them away is what really matters. So do yourself a favour, check out Big Wardrobe and swap your clothes for a new outfit. Try it, you’ll like it!
Written by Katy Thomas of Katy Kool
Katy is a media student in the UK, who loves green and girly eco-chic (fashion with a conscience and concern for the environment). Keep up with Katy’s ethical and eco-friendly choices over at Katy Kool.
Here’s a great idea for all you magazine addicts! Much like the popular book-swapping sites which have sprung up in recent years, MagCycle is a place where you can swap and share magazines.
The idea is to save money and save all those mags from going to landfill, being recycled, or taking up more and more space in your home.
The numbers soon stack up. In the UK, 95 million magazines are printed each month – yes, that’s month not year! And in North America it’s a staggering 360 million magazines. That’s a lot of trees, a lot of chemicals and a lot of CO2 emissions.
Swap and share magazines
By creating a community of magazine readers, MagCycle hopes to reduce the amount of magazines we purchase by swapping them with other readers who share our interests.
That way the magazines are reused rather than recycled, which in itself requires more chemicals to process the pulp, and creates more CO2 emissions. Of course, magazines should never be sent to landfill.
People generally look after their magazines – a glossy mag can cost upwards of £2.00 or £3.00 here in the UK, so passing them on when you’ve read them is a great idea – and MagCycle is the place to do it!
A growing community
To make the system work MagCycle needs readers to register their interests and the magazines they buy. The site has only just launched so those who want to save money and reduce their impact on the environment should sign up to help the community grow.
Have I signed up? Actually, no. The reason; I don’t buy magazines! Here, at Green Pepper, we live by the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle – which applies to all things, in that order – reduce what we buy, reuse what we can and recycle what we can’t.
That said, I realise many people out there love their magazines (the sales prove it) and, if we can’t persuade you to stop buying them altogether, we hope you’ll join the MagCycle community and share your mags with others to help reduce the amount bought each year.
More information
You can find out more about swapping magazines and register your interest on the MagCycle website. And you can share your views on magazine swapping by leaving a comment below, for others to read.
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Pampering our backsides with so-called ‘luxury brand’ toilet tissue is causing more environmental devastation than gas-guzzling cars or fast food, according to green campaigners.
Making toilet paper has a significant impact on the environment because of cutting down trees (virgin and managed forests) for the raw material and the chemicals used in pulp production.
“Future generations are going to look at the way we make toilet paper as one of the greatest excesses of our age. Making toilet paper from virgin wood is a lot worse than driving Hummers in terms of global warming pollution.” Allen Hershkowitz, NRDC
More than 98% of the toilet roll sold in America comes from virgin wood. In Europe and Latin America, up to 40% of toilet paper comes from recycled products.
Environmental costs
A campaign by Greenpeace aims to raise awareness among Americans about the environmental costs of their toilet habits and counter an aggressive push by the paper industry giants to market so-called ‘luxury brands’.
To launch the campaign Greenpeace have produced a handy guide to the ecological ranking of toilet paper products, using product labelling and direct verification of claims by the companies.
Expensive habit
The New York Times reported a 40% rise in sales of ‘luxury brands’ of toilet paper in 2008. Paper companies are anxious to keep those percentages up, even as the recession bites.
Americans already consume vastly more paper than any other country – about 3x more per person than the average European, and 100x more than the average person in China.
Barely a third of the paper products sold in America are from recycled sources – most of it comes from virgin wood and the environmental cost is huge.
What can you do?
The above story appeared in The Guardian, highlighting the American habit for ‘luxury brand’ toilet paper but it applies to everyone. The idea of using virgin wood for the purpose is outrageous!
We’ve been using recyled paper products at Green Pepper for as long as we can remember, and urge everyone to do likewise. Buying recyled paper products will send a message to the manufacturers that using virgin wood (from managed forests or not) for disposable products is unacceptable.
You can download the Greenpeace guide to the ecological ranking of toilet paper products (US products only) and take action by contacting Kimberly-Clark about their products, via the Greenpeace website.
]]>This week, the Fairtrade Foundation are urging us all to Go Bananas for Fairtrade, as part of Fairtrade Fortnight which runs from 23rd Feb to 8th March. Check out the video – and Go Bananas for Fairtrade!
The video, Rap Bananas, was created by ethical marketing agency, Feel, and features Matt Helders’ remix of the Roots Manuva classic Again and Again which has been donated by the artists who are known for their support for trade justice.
Go bananas and help set a world record!
Go Bananas for Fairtrade involves people pledging to eat a Fairtrade banana between noon on Friday 6th and noon on Saturday 7th March to set a world record. Over a quarter of a million people have already signed up and thousands of events are expected to take place across the UK.
“Go Bananas for Fairtrade, aims to highlight the straightforward support people can give to farmers and workers by choosing Fairtrade bananas. It’s the perfect fit for the finale of our Fairtrade Fortnight campaign when we hope to drive sales and encourage people to find out more about Fairtrade.” Giles Robertson, Fairtrade Foundation
Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world, with people spending over £10 billion a year on the fruit globally, yet the majority of banana plantation workers don’t earn enough to live and support their families – some earn less than £1 per day.
Fairtrade means a fair price
And, while banana sales and demand soar, prices have plummeted, having a devastating effect on banana producers. In November 1997 bananas cost an average of £1.08 per kg in UK supermarkets. In June 2008 that price was as low as 50p per kg.
Fairtrade is a tool for development that ensures disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal through the use of the international FAIRTRADE Mark. Fairtrade bananas were launched in 1994, and now one in four bananas sold in the UK is Fairtrade.
More information
Take part in Go Bananas for Fairtrade by pledging to eat a Fairtrade banana – between noon on Friday 6th and noon on Saturday 7th March – on the Go Bananas minisite. And find out more about Fairtrade in last week’s article, Support Fairtrade for a fairer world, and on the Fairtrade Foundation website.
We’ve got our Fairtrade bananas at the ready – we hope you have too!
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This week sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight in the UK. At Green Pepper, we’ve long been supporters of Fairtrade – that is, products for which the producer has been fairly paid – even when Fairtrade goods were few and far between.
“Fairtrade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers and workers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system.” Fairtrade Foundation
Just 10 years or so ago, Fairtrade products such as tea, coffee, chocolate, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts and rice, were the preserve of small independent retailers and wholefood shops but today they are much more widely available.
Most supermarkets now stock a selection of Fairtrade goods and products, and even some of the big brands are adopting the principles, albeit a token gesture.
What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is a tool for development that ensures disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries get a better deal through the use of the international FAIRTRADE Mark.
Fairtrade labelling was created in the Netherlands in the late 1980s. The Max Havelaar Foundation launched the first Fairtrade consumer guarantee label in 1988 on coffee sourced from Mexico. In the UK, the Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992, with the first products to carry the FAIRTRADE Mark launched in 1994.
For a product to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet international Fairtrade standards which are set by an international certification body.
What difference does Fairtrade make?
To the producers – the farmers and workers at the heart of the Fairtrade system – being paid a fair price makes a huge difference. And, for the most part, that difference extends to the families and communities where the farmers and workers live, directly benefitting the local economy.
Ranging in size from small co-operatives to large plantations and scattered over Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, they supply the UK market with Fairtrade certified products.
“I would like to see all my bananas being sold as Fairtrade because the extra effort that we have to put into meeting the criteria of Fairtrade bananas is helping to protect the environment.” Denise Sutherland, Fairtrade farmer
Fairtrade producers are required to comply with a range of standards and processes that contribute to the economic strengthening of the organisation and to the social and economic development of members and their communities, as well as implementing standards that protect the environment and minimise use of fertilisers and pesticides.
Where can I buy Fairtrade products?
Fairtrade certified products are widely available in many independent shops, major supermarkets and online.
When buying everyday items like tea and coffee look out for brands such as TeaDirect, CafeDirect and Clipper and, if you’re chocolate-lover, check out Divine. These brands should be available in your local supermarket (if not ask the manager to stock them) as well as many independent stores and Oxfam shops.
Even some own-brand goods from stores including The Co-operative, Marks & Spencers, Waitrose and Sainsburys now carry the Fairtrade mark, such as fresh and dried fruit, fresh flowers, fruit juice, wine, beer, and cotton clothing.
The important thing to look out for is the FAIRTRADE Mark – it’s your guarantee that disavantaged farmers and workers in the developing world are getting a better deal.
More information
Check out the Fairtrade Foundation website for more information about Fairtrade certified products. And for a great selection of fairly-traded goods, including Fairtrade certified products, check out the Traidcraft Shop – the UK’s largest online fair trade store.
Tell us what you think
We’d love to hear your views on Fairtrade products. Do you buy Fairtrade, if you have the choice? Read what others have said, and join the discussion by leaving your comments below.
(some material reproduced from the Fairtrade Foundation website)
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This Valentine’s Day, give your loved one a greener gift! Britain Unplugged has come up with some eco-friendly tips to keep it green, as part on their Turn Me On, Turn It Off challenge.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started…
- Show you care with a handmade gift
- Snuggle up to save energy (it’s for the planet, honest!)
- Home-cook your way straight to someone’s heart
- Turn off the lights and smooch by candlelight
- Save water, share a bath
In the mood for more?
Check out the list of green gift ideas with links to the suppliers, saving you the time and trouble so you can get on with the most important thing… spoiling your loved one!
Thinking of eating out?
- The Guardian’s ‘five best’ organic restaurants
- Visit London’s list of organic restaurants
- Alot of organic’s places to eat
- Info London’s organic directory
- Dine online’s list of organic restaurants
Or maybe eating in?
- Abel and Cole romantic meal ideas
- Real organic recipes
- Rachel’s organic recipes
- Recipes from the Green Chronicle
- Organic food for everyone
How about some flowers?
Or maybe chocolate?
- Green and Blacks Valentine chocolate gifts
- Thorntons organic chocolate
- Prestat organic chocolate
- A lot of chocolate – Valentines day chocolate
Other gift ideas
- Nigel’s eco-store Valentine’s day eco gifts
- Eco-centric Valentines’s day gifts
- Green rewards Valentine’s day gifts
- Love eco Valentines day’s gifts
Thanks to Britain Unplugged and the Energy Saving Trust for sharing the love! If you have any other ideas to keep it green on Valentine’s Day, please share them with us by leaving a comment below, or share them at Turn Me On, Turn It Off. Happy Valentine’s Day!
]]>This fascinating glimpse at what the world eats is taken from the book Hungry Planet by photojournalist Peter Menzel and writer Faith Aluisio.
Germany
The book is a photographic record of families from around the world, revealing what they eat during the course of one week and begging the question of what is a sustainable diet.
Each family is photographed surrounded by a weeks worth of groceries with a description of their purchases, the price in their local currency and the equivalent price in dollars.
Chad
China
Egypt
Kuwait
Japan
Ecuador
America
Mongolia
Great Britain
Published in 2005, Hungry Planet offers an insight into circumstances and consumerism, but we don’t suggest you go out and buy it – instead, see if it’s available from the local library or on your favourite book-swapping site.
If you do want to buy it, Hungry Planet is priced at £27.49 for the hardback version
(photos reproduced with kind permission of the publisher)
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