Category Archives: Bioplastics

Plastic…The Latest News…Week 8…Our actions…The Consequences…

 

Individual choices are important and if we all took a pledge to make a difference…it would as collectively we have the power…Consumer Power can be very powerful…

We are at the crisis point WE the consumer have choices...I know you are all busy and have lives BUT sometimes we also have to make a stand…To stand up and be counted…Because if you think that your inaction doesn’t matter because everyone else is doing it…Try multiplying that thought by everyone else who has the same thought as yours…

Individual consumer choices are important as is collective action which can really make a difference.

I can hear you groaning…haha…Like my smartwatch which reads my actions…But consider this scenario…

In England alone, the government figures tell us that 4.6 bn plastic straws, 316 m plastic stirrers ( yep) those itsy little bits of plastic to stir your drink and 1.8 bn plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used by us( YES) you/us are used each year…The government and the Queen have now announced an outright ban…

3 things that we could all do collectively which would make a huge difference…

  1. Check and buy only environmentally compostable cotton earbuds…
  2. Drink stirrers…
  3. Straws...Come in paper, bamboo, stainless steel and glass

N.B. The links are Amazon I am not affiliated to Amazon I just used these links as an example…These items should now be available locally to you and should be easy to source…

But what a difference that would make…How easy is that to action???

Now for the good news stories...or is it?

a stack of paper cups

Compostable cups… are they really recyclable? …Ummmmm well Biodegradable and compostable are actually 2 different things…sigh

biodegradable
adjective
1. A substance or object capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms

compostable
adjective
1. Something that can be used as compost when it decays.

This means that biodegradable items can break down within the environment with the help of bacteria or other living organisms. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for the planet. For example, some plastic bags can biodegrade into tiny pieces in around 20 years but they are still harmful to the environment.

However, if something is compostable, it means it is made of organic matter and it can completely break down to make nutrient-rich compost.

The Solution:

Stop using single-use items and choose reusable alternatives. There are so many reusable coffee cups and straws available now. Lots of coffee shops give you a discount when you take your own cup in too! Why not put a set of cutlery in your bag so you can say no to single-use forks/spoons?

I know it means making changes however step up and be counted we all need to do this…

Rivers…They flow into the sea...Do you have a river near you? Is it clean are the fish abundant or is it like this?

Image by Rafael_Neddermeyer from Pixabay

It may be like this as not everything reaches the sea much drops off on the way…SEE THE ABOVE REPORT.

Plastic bottles, the detritus of our throwaway water and soft drinks habits, are the most prevalent form of plastic pollution in European waterways, according to reports and particularly worse due to covid.

Food wrappers, including crisp and sweet packets, were the second biggest form of plastic pollution in rivers, followed by cigarette butts.

All of these forms of litter can cause problems for wildlife and fish and are hard to clean up once they have found their way into the water.

Glitter…“Some major supermarkets are moving to ban these harmful microplastics, but the British public is clear; supermarkets should be moving faster to tackle plastic waste.”

Vanuatu...Has one of the worlds strictest plastic bans…

Vanuatu local band

Vanuatu is an island country located in the southern Pacific Ocean.

The official name of the country is the Republic of Vanuatu.

Its closest neighbours are New Caledonia (France), Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Tuvalu.

The country is located some 1,750 kilometres (1,090 miles) east of northern Australia.

Vanuatu has 3 official languages: Bislama, English and French.

A beautiful country with pristine beaches and they aim to keep it that way 

The above link is a lovely read as to what can be achieved…it also includes damming info on how far behind the USA are on this…I always thought and looked up to the USA as they have led the world in many areas SADLY…Not by tackling Climate Change and waste…

Every other country and government take note…However big or small you are an outright ban…WORKS…

Another brilliant idea…I have just received my weekly “Meatless Monday email and this week the topic is “Fight Climate Change with your Fork”

Lots of great info on how to do just that..some of which I already know and I’m sure you do but there are also some other great ideas please over and have a read…

Even though I bring you the harsh stark facts  think about those 3 small actions and how united we can make a difference…xxx

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week xx

 

 

Plastic…The Latest News…Week 7… Climate Change and renewable Energy…

 

There has been so much in the news about Climate change that I thought I would break it down and explain how it comes about…

green foot prints eco system

Climate change is bought about by Global Warming which is characterized by a general increase in average temperatures of the Earth, which modifies the weather balances and ecosystems for a long time. It is directly linked to the increase of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, worsening the greenhouse effect.

Although the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon the increase in greenhouse gases is linked to human activities.

The massive use of fossil fuels is obviously the first source of global warming, as burning coal, oil and gas produce carbon dioxide – the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere – as well as nitrous oxide.

I have previously mentioned how everything I talk about in my blogs is interlinked one has an effect on another…and so it goes…

Fossil fuels are used to produce PET…( Polyethylene Terephthalate)

recycling-294385_1280

This is the most commonly used plastic for consumer products which include:- Water bottles, soda bottles and some food packaging.

It is intended for single use only….One time usage…as reusing increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth. It may leach carcinogens and should NOT be reused.

Still confused about the numbers on plastic bottles then click here for a guide

So to the solution...The first way to prevent climate change is to move away from fossil fuels. What are the alternatives? Renewable energies like solar, wind, biomass and geothermal.

energy-159105_640

The German government realise what a problem this is and plan to close all 84 of their coal-powered power plants.

https://www.latimes.com/…/la-fg-germany-coal-power…

Roughly 27 % of Germany’s electricity is from renewables; the goal is at least 80 % by 2050. Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Germany has permanently shut down eight of its 17 reactors and pledged to close the rest by the end of 2022. It sounds to me like Germany are serious about using renewable fuel.

Update 2021…Germany’s plan was a brave one and as more Nuclear and coal-burning power stations are due to close there are concerns that renewables will not meet business and consumer needs…An operation like this does have many variables and also relies on outside factors so setbacks are inevitable but no pain no gain as they say…This is one of the recent updates.

Italy voted overwhelmingly to keep their country non-nuclear. Switzerland and Spain have banned the construction of new reactors.

Update 2021…In Europe, some countries stand out for renewable energy conversation, and Italy is one of the top players. For 2018 and 2020, respectively, Italy beat its renewable energy targets. The total energy produced by hydroelectric, solar, wind, bioenergy and geothermal power in Italy for 2018 reached 17.8% of final gross consumption, going past the 17% target set for 2020.

However, electricity in Italy is expensive.

Update 2021...Switzerland it was due to intense public pressure in Switzerland that the construction of new reactors was banned. Over the years intense public opposition has scuppered several nuclear power plant projects. This was the case in 1975 when plans to build a nuclear power plant in Kaiseraugst (canton of Aargau) had to be abandoned as the result of public protests.

At present, Switzerland is in the midst of an energy transition. One of the aims of the country’s ‘Energy Strategy 2050’ is the phase-out of nuclear power.

However, statistics show China and the USA are the largest users of fossil fuels which makes for scary reading…https://www.statista.com/statistics/263455/primary-energy-consumption-of-selected-countries/

This brings me to the conclusion that all these demonstrators do have a point…Governments need to be made to take notice particularly the ones at the top of the list as they are certainly making a huge contribution to Global Warming.

It is heartening to read about towns that are making their own efforts to combat Global Warming like the Finnish town of  Li in Northern Finland

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=980637838806635  

Globally is it going to be enough? I do hope so…but Finland is still leading the way on conservation in many ways as its people are on board and that my friends is the only way to ensure that we go forward and tackle this Climate emergency…

China who are top of the list for burning fossil fuel and it seems their answer is to deploy the army to plant trees…All is well and good but is it addressing the true problem?

Thank you for reading and I do invite your comments what do you think about the most polluted country planting trees????

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week  xx

 

Plastic…The Latest News…Week 6…Plastic releases Greenhouse Gases…

 

Week 6…an update…The manufacture of plastics and plastic, when exposed to the elements, releases methane and ethylene – two powerful greenhouse gases that can intensify climate change.

green foot prints eco system

It is little wonder that Sir David Attenborough was moved to give an update as the situation regarding Climate change is worsening by the day…

Update 2021…21st February 2021…

Sir David Attenborough joined the UK Prime Minister at the UN Security Council telling its 15 members that it is too late to avoid climate change.

Sir David Attenborough said: “There is no going back – no matter what we do now, it’s too late to avoid climate change and the poorest, the most vulnerable, those with the least security, are now certain to suffer.”

He continued: “If we bring emissions down with sufficient vigour we may yet avoid the tipping points that will make runaway climate change unstoppable. In November this year, at COP26 in Glasgow, we may have our last opportunity to make the necessary step-change.”

https://www.climateaction.org/news/sir-david-attenborough-tells-un-it-is-too-late-to-avoid-climate-change

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The first thing we need to do is to stop using single-use plastic, especially products made of LDPE (for example, grocery bags, 6-pack rings, sandwich and snack bags, strawberry containers, and plastic wrap).

We already know that greenhouse gases are released during the production of these materials, and now we have learned that greenhouse gases continue to be released while in use and as they degrade. We need to begin to phase them out entirely. In addition, we need better laws and policies to guide consumers to make better choices. If single-use plastics are banned, consumers will adapt and find alternative ways of bagging their groceries or filling a bottle, these being reusable items rather than items used for a few minutes and then discarded.

Update 2021.

Single-use plastic is still being produced and if it is still being produced it WILL be used…

https://www.climateaction.org/news/sir-david-attenborough-tells-un-it-is-too-late-to-avoid-climate-change

Government Policies can help make a difference globally…

However, we have seen how many governments are either paying lip service or blatantly doing nothing…

People Power has spoken...Well and truly in the UK over the last week…I am immensely proud of each and every one of those protesters and it was a peaceful protest which caused much inconvenience as from Monday 15th April: Extinction Rebellion blocked Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square…The aim was to man these sites around the clock until the government acts on Climate Emergency…

The London actions are part of a wider rebellion taking place across the Uk and around the world…Extinction Rebellion has 331 groups in 49 different countries…

Update 2021…

Reading the latest news reports on the demonstrations in London…is this the right way to protest? Red Paint, super glue has been used over the last 3 years to make a statement…is it working? The latest news shows the police are stepping up their actions and cracking down…Are these actions working for the man in the street the man who has to get to work…Three years on are the demonstrations working ? Has XR lost momentum? Numbers on protests are fewer, The press is more critical… I don’t profess to know what the answer is…What are your thoughts? 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/03/extinction-rebellion-tactics-police-crack-down-on-protests

Dr Rowan Williams…joined fellow worshipers and others as St Pauls Cathedral People of all faiths, everyday people, eminence church figures, celebrities are all concerned enough to take a public stance…

Update 2021…

Dr Rowan Williams has spoken again…good for him…I, unfortunately, missed this broadcast yesterday…Did anybody watch it? If so what are your views?

https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/poverty-natural-capital-and-the-climate-crisis-with-sir-partha-dasgupta-and-dr-rowan-williams/

Children from around the world are responding to young Greta Thornburg and her calls for action…

Update 2021…

Young and full of hope…Having returned to school after a year out leading young people in school strikes for climate change, Ms Thunberg said the conference falls in her school holidays, and if she does attend she plans to travel by train.

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/greta-thunberg-cop26-host-scotland-b1911599.html

My conclusion… we need action and after what will be the 26th COP meeting I tend to agree with Greta when she said “We know that change will not come from the Cop, from within these negotiations. The change will come when there are enough people outside on the streets demanding change.”

I think Raj Patel was correct when he said…”If governments won’t hear you, If corporations won’t hear you, if the philanthropists do not return your calls or do not think you deserve the dignity of a response then the theory of change won’t get off the ground”

Throwing facts at people rarely changes minds…it’s talk that changes people and creates changes that work…

Thank you for reading this post and please if you are concerned about the future of our world and the effect of Climate change …Action is needed now….xx

 

 

Plastic…The latest News…Week 3…Bioplastics are they really the way forward?

Plastic Free July, was so successful that I decided that I will carry on from Plastic Free July and repost some updated previous posts on plastic from 2019…the reason being sometimes I feel we are going round in circles and promises are made and not kept…

I just want to revisit those initiatives praise those who are and have been as good as their word and taken their ideas forward and made a difference…

It is good to talk the talk but you have to walk the walk…

As you know because I tell you…haha…  I am constantly really heartened by the initiatives which I am discovering that are happening from all around the world…Your comments are also a revelation when I hear from you guys what is going on in your neck of the woods… all good stuff…How you are reducing your carbon footprints and coming up with ideas to cut waste and protect the environment.

Politicians THE WORLD OVER make promises to the electorate…That is us... we need to become Climate Voters…Not because we are told to BUT because we have checked and are sure that who we give our vote to …HAS and WILL continue to make a difference and to honour their election promises…

The time has come for us to make our voice heard…Our beautiful natural wonders are being decimated, polluted we can stop this with our carefully, researched and considered vote… Politicians who endorse and allow what we consider to be environmentally wrong…we have the vote and can VOTE THEM OUT!

Be a climate Voter!

 

green foot prints eco system

 

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Have a look and see what this community in Amsterdam, Holland is doing …

What a fantastic idea…and one which could be adaptable anywhere…Not a plastic bottle in sight…

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Bioplastics…There has been much written and many innovative products like straws made from mango peels which are now a bioplastic product…On the face it even I have thought wow how inventive is that all those mango peels and avocado pits made into something we can use…

That product however still required disposing of correctly…

Let’s look at Coca Cola...we all know who they are and how profitable their products are…

Another Sustainable Innovation they say and want us to believe and continue buying…can you feel the sarcasm?

The world’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made partially from plants…They say!

Planet over profit ..they say!

But what does the small print say?

It’s easy to assume…I hear plant-based and my ears prick up…MADE FROM PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS…Smile…

It all sounds familiar though doesn’t it…Low Fat, Low Sugar, Low Salt, Organic, Fair Trade…I could go on but I am sure by now you got the picture…

Not all bio-based plastics are biodegradable, and not all biodegradable plastics are bio-based. And even biodegradable plastics might not biodegrade in every environment. Sounds confusing? It certainly is…

The answer does not lie in Bioplastics say the experts...experts who did not go to… The Google University or the elite Facebook University…Real experts who know more than me as they have studied and trained for years for their degrees…

Only a minority of these plastics are home compostable, so, the label “compostable” most often means industrially compostable. That coffee cup with a Seedling logo you’re drinking from won’t decompose very quickly, if at all, on your home compost heap, but will break down inside the right kind of industrial equipment.

We need to be more aware… we need to read the small print we also need to home in on words…home compostable…the right kind of industrial equipment…much of our waste can be compostable BUT only if your state, province has the right kind of equipment IF not our carefully sorted waste still goes to landfill or just a garbage mountain.

That my friends unfortunately is the stark reality!… Companies like Coco-Cola need to be producing bottles that can be recycled at home or pay for proper industrial equipment to recycle THEIR bottles.

Failing that …do your health a favour and stop buying soft drinks in non-recyclable bottles…

All we can do is cut our waste in our homes by buying in bulk, making sure we refill bottles where we can, finding alternatives that are just as good…but are more sustainable…I am doing mine one product at a time…

Choosing glass bottles over plastic when we shop as then we can reuse them when we cook from scratch…or make our own carbonated drinks…Let the kids help they will love it…

Most importantly please do not think that what you do in your own home doesn’t count because it does …It really does every little bit no matter how small adds to the bigger picture and that picture is growing and there will soon be enough to fill many galleries BUT we cannot rest on our laurels there is still much to be done and if you think of an initiative join a group make it a group effort if it requires that…

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Two years ago I posted about the Uk’s first local circular economy drive…when Sky Ocean Rescue campaign, a region of the UK had created the country’s first local circular economy.

The UK has re-affirmed its commitment to recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035 as it on  (30 July) 2021 set out its approach to transposing the EU circular economy package (CEP) into domestic law.

The traditional system of getting rid of waste is linear: packaging is made, used and disposed of but the local authority in Cambridgeshire along with a local plastics processor and packaging company have joined together to create a model which is circular.

Waste bin and bags

Image by kalhh on Pixabay

Update 2021

The UK has re-affirmed its commitment to recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035 as it today (30 July) set out its approach to transposing the EU circular economy package (CEP) into domestic law.

It also seems that the local Cambridge authority is forging ahead and going forward which is good to read…

Lego…The name ‘LEGO’ is an abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg godt”, meaning “play well”. The LEGO Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The company has passed from father to son and is now owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder.

My children and my grandchildren have loved Lego and it has been passed down through our family for years and now Lily plays with it building her shops and houses…

Lego has now taken it one step further and listened to the children and their parents and are turning plastic bottles into Lego…

Thank you for reading this post which I believe will point the way to a few changes we can make to really make a difference as I know I am not doing enough and should be doing more and that seems to be backed up by much in this post… what do you think?… Are you doing enough to Save the Planet ???

Just once I would love to pick something up off a supermarket shelf be it labelled healthy or just junk food and know with absolute certainty that it contained no harmful chemicals or preservatives and that the package was fully decomposable…I can but dream…

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week xx

 

The Story Of Plastic …Part 3

The story of Plastic continued…

Plastic was initially a waste product…a word that originally meant ” pliable and easily shaped” in recent years it became a name for a category of materials called polymers. The word polymer means “of many parts,”

Although there are natural polymers made from plants synthetic polymers have been found to be very useful…

cotton-2807360_640

It started in 1869 when an American Inventor namely John Wesley Hyatt saw an opportunity when a New York company made an offer of 10,000 dollars for anyone who could come up with a substitute for ivory.

Hyatt found that if he treated cellulose derived from cotton fibres with camphor a plastic was created which could be moulded into various shapes and made to imitate tortoiseshell, ivory, horn and linen….the plastic revolution took shape…

Manufacturers were now no longer limited by the availability of natural products…

This was just the beginning…

We now come to today where the chemicals needed to make plastic come predominantly from shale products…Collecting shale products causes pollution at the point of extraction…Shale gas manufacturing has devastating effects on communities.

Sunoco Pipeline, Formosa Plastic, Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobile Chemical, Sabic, Chevron, Shell…just typing these names fills me with horror and looking at the names there is a common theme…

Formosa Plastic was found guilty of dumping 50 million gallons a day into estuaries…pellets were everywhere…

This is a common occurrence wherever there are pipelines, factories…waterways are polluted, there are blowouts, lower life expectancies in these areas, a higher incidence of breathing problems, cancers the risks to public health and wildlife are enormous…

Those plastic pellets, micro and nano plastics that are being dumped in our waterways are being increasingly found in our food and water around the world..fish ingest them and bingo ..no you haven’t won the jackpot you are eating or drinking them…

Although researchers are exploring ways to make bioplastics a more viable option the production of them presents sustainability challenges and of course that includes effective biodegradability…

These companies often ride over peoples rights and often you don’t have the rights you think you have as a homeowner. Check it out before it is too late.

There is so much to think about with plastic as in some areas it is a necessity a lifesaver e.g babies incubators and other medical equipment is often made of plastic…However, we need to make our voices heard and be asking the questions as to what is happening with the waste we put out for collection and also we need to make our voices heard and demand that manufacturers do not produce anything which is not biodegradable…

To me, 83 kinds of separation depending on the plastic product means that some products require separating and different machinery is required in order to recycle it… I understand if it is white goods or electrical but packaging…That has to stop I mean when a little single-use sachet is made from at least 5 different components and maybe 7 which means it cannot be recycled as no one has the equipment… it also isn’t worth it…However if you count the human cost of that waste…That isn’t worth it either!

Production of those should be stopped and replaced by a fully biodegradable product … the manufacturers need to be taking some responsibility.

That’s all for today…Be well and stay safe don’t forego those precautions too quickly as many areas are seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases…It ain’t over yet folks…Better to be safe than sorry…xx

About Carol Taylor: 

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a fabulous week and stay safe these are troubling times xx

The Story of Plastic…27th July…

Hello and welcome to my environmental posts…it has been two weeks since I watched the film “The story of Plastic” and attended the virtual Q & A session shortly afterward…

Both worthwhile as there was much I learned and it left me not only with answers but questions and concerns…

The story of plastic charts how the gas and oil industries have been very successful in manipulating the narrative…Who are the heroes and villains?

Not the consumer as manufacturers and packaging companies have always had us believing…they would like us to continue believing we are not doing enough or not doing it correctly..they are always urging governments to run community-funded re-cycling initiatives when there is no responsibility on them to sort the problem…

The industry has to be responsible… if something cannot be easily compostable or recycled it should not be made…the industry needs to produce packaging which can all be recycled or THEY should take the used packaging back or PAY and support the government to provide the correct recycling facilities.

For too long cash strapped communities and governments have had to pay…

The solution should be manufacturer led and not consumer-led…

Cleanups are all well and good but the problem does not go away they are NOT the solution…

Of the annual plastic production…

  • 32% is litter
  • 40% landfill
  • 14% incinerated
  • 14 % recycled
  • 2% effectively recycled

These figures are always changing...much has changed now that Asia as a whole has stopped taking the trash of the western world.

If you really look into those figures or more to the point the next step…

Landfill…as plastic degrades it releases toxic gases into the atmosphere…which means waste and climate change are all part of the same problem.

Incinerated plastic ...releases CO2 into the atmosphere…as well as toxins…

This is a better solution...

Recycled…some are part of the circular economy which is good but if it is downcycled it is made into something much worse…Can it be I ask…

When recycling is cleaned where does that water go?… Ask yourself as you diligently recycle DO you actually know what happens to your recycling? More to the point even those who collect your recycling don’t even know what happens to it when it leaves their depot…

Did you know and this is what shocked me…biscuit wrappers, crisp packets and those little single-use sachets which are sold everywhere in Asia and creeping into the western world which contain ketchup, spices, chilli, hair shampoo conditioner, powdered milk, coffee…you name and you can buy in a single portion…

I order in a pizza maybe twice a year...a treat for the grandkids…They give us enough ketchup, spices, and chilli to last the year with the order…

smart

These little sachets are multi-layer and these layers include paper, plastic, aluminum, (EPS), Polyvinyl-chloride, Polypropylene (PP); THEY are non-recyclable…

Currently, there are around 83 kinds of separation for plastic...That is crazy…as I said in the beginning manufacturers and packaging plants should not be allowed to produce anything which cannot easily be reused or recycled and not in thousands of years in a landfill…Years ago I saw the disaster for two homes which were built on or close to a landfill site…when an explosion occurred there was nothing left just a burnt gaping space…

What am I going to do?… I will not buy any more single portion sachets or accept any if I order pizza…

The effect on my household... it just means if I go away I will buy shampoo etc and then leave it for the next person …the same with suntan lotions no more single sachets for a weekend away…or I will take my own small containers if allowed by the airlines…there are many lovely little bamboo containers for sale here just right for shampoo and shower gel…Which means whatever the circumstances I can do without those small sachets as for biscuit wrappers and crisp packets…

I think many of us over the last few months have been making our own cookies and although crisps…may be harder for some to give up it can be done and think of the difference it will make to your waistline…SAY NO TO ANYTHING WHICH CANNOT BE RECYCLED.

Little Luke did…

Or write to the manufacturer…crisps used to have little blue paper bags of salt…it may have been damp sometimes but we coped…they also came in paper bags… we need to be more proactive especially if it is a product we like to buy…

Over the next few weeks, I will look at the consequences of fracking, plastic, and especially micro and nano plastics which are now being found increasingly in our food and water throughout the world.

Recent studies found plastic particles in 83% of tap water samples taken globally and 93% of bottled water.

I am not saying we don’t need plastic we do BUT..definitely no single-use plastic at all around the world and reuse wherever you can…The remainder of plastic needs to be fully recyclable within a reasonable timescale and not thousands of years…

Thank you for reading be well and stay safe xxx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all stay safe and healthy xx