Category Archives: Green Waste

Waste Not! Want Not! Week 16…Rice Husk…Wild Life Crossings…

13 Replies

I am 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 the carbon footprints and coming up with ideas to cut waste and protect the environment.

green foot prints eco system

But we mustn’t get complacent there are some great things being actioned around the world but also some unsavoury practises still happening…

My Intrepid reporter ( Tori)has been hard at work finding new initiatives to send me… this one is called ecoware …Thank you, Tori…… Please pop over and say hello to Tori she is recovering from surgery and I am sure she would love to hear from you…Get well soon, Tori xx

Rice field- harvest time- small child-grandmother

Lily helping nanny in the rice field

Ecoware is a UK initiative using rice husks…Ecolunchware was created by Matt Vincent and Emma Swain in 2017. We set Ecolunchware up after realising how easily we have been part of the problem with damaging our environment in the products we use in our daily living. We had been making an effort by using reusable coffee cups but realised that although this was much better than single-use the materials were generally non-biodegradable and therefore would eventually end up in a landfill site or in the ocean as the recycling was difficult at the end of its life-cycle. We came across rice husk and wheat straw as materials and have loved that they are not only durable but biodegrade so have since sought to get these materials more widely used.

Here in Thailand… Rice husk is traditionally used as an energy source through direct combustion in the large rice mills, or as fuel in the production of charcoal from wood  Nowadays, rice husk can be used as fuel to generate electricity that is a 1 MW of electricity using 9,800 ton of rice husks.

It is lovely to discover the many uses that a by-product or what used to be classed as a waste product put to good use…

I came across this and I think it is a wonderful idea…Wild Life Crossings… they are popping up all over the world…

Another great idea is kids helping to build bridges…Which I think is great as we need to encourage kids to help save the ecosystem and wildlife and who better to take ideas forward?

https://www.kidssavingtherainforest.org/wildlife-bridge-program.html

Today let’s relook at waste in our own homes…How can we reduce waste?

  1. Do you know your local rules on recycling? Some areas are great and others not so great but if we know our local rules and have suggestions to improve local recycling I am sure they will be all ears as it is such a hot topic now…Visit your local council or municipalities website it will all be there…It may surprise you in a good way…
  2. Say no to plastic bags and use reusable ones even here when I take my own bags I get extra brownie points at the till and the home of plastic…haha…I no longer get that look when I refuse a plastic bag Thailand is really getting on board with plastic reduction and some places have changed their bags to recyclable plastic bags
  3. Look at how you store your food save empty glass jars and use for storage and ditch the plastic containers…Serve your food in jars…so fashionable now…But ideal to take to work…yoghurt and oats glass-617387_640
  4. Plan your meals …It works even I got told off last week by my Thai daughter in law for buying too much when I go to market…It gave me wake up call as I do see so much lovely fresh veg I go overboard sometimes…
  5. Composting...your plants and vegetable will love you particularly if you grow some in pots they need nutrients more…fresh compost green waste
  6. Repair or remodel instead of throwing away clothes…That is one thing which Thais are good at and they also have stalls on markets for your unwanted clothes and they get packed it is like a coffee morning or a morning out very social…With clothes being passed around …Seriously though clothes, if sent to landfill, do not compost very quickly …This list is scary…
  7. Mail…Do you get a lot of unwanted mail? Check subscription lists and unsubscribe…Save trees… More importantly, if your letterbox can take that much mail could someone get an arm through and access your home? letterbox filled with mail

Image by bluebudgie from Pixabay

8. Stop buying plastic water bottles buy glass or buy ones using reusable/recyclable plastic and treat yourself to your own reusable coffee cup …Coffee shops here are used to people taking their own …it is trendy and you get some great ones… to help you negotiate the maze of what is what and understand the symbols this older post of mine will help…  https://carolcooks2.com/2018/02/15/plastic-are-you-confused/

9. What is your favourite recycling tip for the home????

Thank you once again for reading and please share your recycling tips or discoveries with us we would love to hear them…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.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

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 I bid you 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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

MeWe is a new social media and one which many of us are turning to mainly migrating over to as FB has banned many of my friends and for what seems no good reason that we can see I hope you will join us there.

MeWe: mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all having a great weekend xx

Carol Cooks2 …Weekly roundup…Phoenix, Smart Watches and The Nectar of the Gods…

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Welcome to my weekly roundup if you have missed any posts  …Take a pew, grab a drink, settle down and enjoy!

I have baked my first sourdough loaf…

great reads a weekly roundup lady with electronic reader

After all the trial and tribulations…I have baked my very first loaf…Phoenix arose and did the job he is now quiet in the fridge but bubbling slowly so I am guessing he is a strong, feisty boy…I wonder who he takes after??? Haha, it has been said…..

More about this later… 

Smart watches were the subject for the first post of the week and I am loving my recent purchase… Not very much impresses me especially gadgets I am probably the most anti-gadget person I know…

But I also know I need to look after the one body I have…Not be fanatic and exercise madly, (walking), become vegan(said)quietly or follow faddy diets. I have all those t/shirts…

legs people walking

Just to eat sensibly a healthy balanced diet with lots of veggies and fibre and have the odd piece of sourdough bread which will be thoroughly enjoyed with butter and not an ounce of guilt or remorse…and just walk…So there you have it!

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/03/12/healthy-eating-smartwatch/

Honey certainly deserves the name of nectar of the gods ...For thousands of years it has been used both as a nutritious addition to diet and as an effective medicine and the oldest reference to this delicacy dates back to 5500 BC.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/smorgasbord-health-rewind-cook-from-scratch-with-sally-cronin-and-carol-taylor-honey-nectar-of-the-gods/

Waste Not! Want Not! Week 15 and there is so much happening from the scandalous to the good… My wish is that man who is the biggest threat to the world and the ecosystem will be neutralised that corrupt governments and officials will be outed and that the people in charge will grow or have some balls to stop bad practise and say NO to damaging practices!

Young Greta Thunberg was correct when she said government have not and will not listen… I for one hope these young people’s voices will be heard.

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/03/14/wastenot-want-not-week-15/

Thursday saw my monthly post over @Esme’s Salon and the letter was N…I hope you will pop over as these posts need some love… Thank you, John, for your continued support 🙂 x

nutmeg nettles and noodles blog header

https://esmesalon.com/the-culinary-alphabet-the-letter-n/

Lastly my very first wholemeal Sour Dough Loaf courtesy of Phoenix who arose and did his job…

I won’t say it was an easy journey but we are here and baking…And very nice it was we can only improve from here but I am so pleased I didn’t give up as the result was worth it…

https://carolcooks2.com/2019/03/15/week-11-in-my-kitchen-my-first-sourdough-loaf/

Thank you so much for bearing with me throughout the ups and downs of Phoenix and for the very helpful tips that Tabula gave me…She is a star…

Thank you for reading 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.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

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 I bid you 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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

MeWe is a new social media and one which many of us are turning to mainly migrating over to as FB has banned many of my friends and for what seems no good reason that we can see I hope you will join us there.

MeWe: mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all having a great weekend xx

WasteNot! Want Not! Week 15

12 Replies

I am 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 the carbon footprints and coming up with ideas to cut waste and protect the environment.

BUT…Hand on heart…

A heart map held by a hand

Are we truly doing enough?

This young lady doesn’t think so…Greta Thunberg is 15 years old with a wise head on her young shoulders and tomorrow 15th March 2019 around the world young people will skip school to have their say…If one of those young people is your child then I urge you to support them…

A young girl called Greta who shows quiet determination for what she believes in…

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Last week I touched on how an initiative in Mexico 8,409 km from the UK…  a region of the UK has created the country’s first local circular economy.

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.

Thank you, Tori, for spotting this update…

The initiative is being led by Huntingdonshire District Council working with Charpak Ltd, a Huntingdon-based plastic packaging manufacturer, and has seen discarded plastics collected, cleaned, reprocessed and reused, all within the local area.

The council says the new approach, which has been 18 months in the making, has helped to reduce the amount of plastic going to landfill.

A spokesman for the district council said: “Our residents are already great recyclers diverting more than 55 per cent of waste from landfill. We need more plastics recycled and less going to landfill, so the next step is to improve the quality of materials that are collected for recycling.

https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/huntingdonshire-s-circular-economy-for-plastic-recycling-a-success-1-5923327

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This mismanagement of environment issues continues in Australia and another damming report on Water Wars in the Murray-Darling Basin has been issued …It seems young Greta who I mentioned in this post above is worth listening to…Because those in power are not listening once again I urge all you Australians to become a climate voter

What does this mean for the fish in this river basin?

December and January saw three devastating mass fish kills in the Darling River. Now it seems a fourth is on the cards.

A new paper released today by the Australian National University found that water savings in the Murray-Darling Basin may only be one-tenth of the expected amount.

Simply put, greedy corporations and government mismanagement meant too much water was taken from the Murray-Darling Basin and not enough water was put back to allow the river to cope in a drying climate. And now we’re seeing the devastating consequences.

Even in the drought season rivers like this are not supposed to dry out…

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/news-events/all-stories/water-wars-murray-darling-basin

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Monsanto… At long last seem to be fighting a losing battle…slowly but surely people power is winning…There was Costco…

And now?

ONCE AGAIN Monsanto is losing millions of dollars now that farmers in India are switching to indigenous cotton seeds rather than Bt cotton.

The agrichemicals company is known for pushing a form of Bt cotton in India for the last decade. They have been accused of manipulating laws in order to enter the Indian market.

https://www.nationofchange.org/2017/03/09/monsanto-loses-millions-dollars-indian-farmers-switch-indigenous-seed/?fbclid=IwAR3-i9fRJj1scifNSsrObv8XxZVa390dYmj9cBFGQ97LN0mVgx6gYIhZy1M

Some FURTHER good news is that these edible parks are springing up all over and I think it is a great initiative FOR URBAN DWELLERS…

 

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Good News…The Middle East has opened the First Zero Waste Shop….Reducing your environmental impact in the Middle East just got a whole lot easier. A zero-waste lifestyle shop called EcoSouk just opened in the Hamra neighbourhood of Beirut, Lebanon.

How good is that? 

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/lebanon-organization-pioneers-eco-movement-with-the-middle-easts-first-zero-waste-shop/

Thank you so much for reading this post …Your ideas on how we can save our carbon footprints and the environment we would love to hear any new initiatives or updates please share…I love to hear from you in comments 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.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

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

Waste Not! Want Not!… Week 14…Waste to Bioplastics…

12 Replies

Good morning from sunny Thailand the Banana Bread is in the oven…so many bananas… After my rant and rave last week about sludge dumping on The Great Barrier Reef after a call to arms for all you voters in Australia.

The heartening news is that if you are Australian and have a vote then you can become a Climate Voter…So if you care about your beautiful natural wonders and want to stop pollution sign up…I just wish I was an honorary Aussie and could vote as I would… These politicians who endorse and allow these acts to go ahead need telling and voting OUT!

Be a climate Voter!

https://www.acf.org.au/

 

Now for the good news stories…I am 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 the carbon footprints and coming up with ideas to cut waste and protect the environment.

green foot prints eco system

 

Take heart all these great local initiatives will gradually spread and we will make a difference…

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This community in Amsterdam, Holland is doing just that…

 

What a great idea and easily adoptable anywhere…

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My kids always wore Lacoste polo shirts...In an effort to raise awareness for endangered species, sports fashion brand Lacoste has replaced its iconic crocodile logo with 10 different animals, which represent species that are sadly facing extinction. Featured on the brand’s classic white polo, the limited edition collection—titled Save Our Species—marks a three-year partnership between Lacoste and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Well Done Lacoste!

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I think by now most of us realise that the reduction and killing of bees will serve as a death knell for the ecosystem…What can we do? We can plant our gardens with plants and flowers which attract bees. To attract honey bees, start by planting single-petal flowers with yellow, white, blue, and purple blooms in your yard. You can also plant bee-friendly herbs like rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme. Next, stop using pesticides on your lawn and let the foliage grow a little wild to provide shelter for the bees.

I know many people see dandelions as a weed but they have many uses medically and as food…Allow them to grow but restrict their growing area so they don’t take over…Bees love the dandelion…Dandelion is also one of the 13 essential plants for human survival…Did you know that? there is also  A dandelion May Festival in Amish Country…

Not such a humble weed after all…To read about the Dandelion its uses and health benefits click the link below…

https://draxe.com/dandelion-tea/

Still on the subject of bees…Did you know?

Beehives are disappearing at an alarmingly rapid pace, and this isn’t just affecting our honey supply. Without bees, a whole lot of the food we eat wouldn’t exist anymore; produce such as almonds and cherries, for instance, are dependent on bee pollination to grow. Bee disappearances are partially due to pesticides and mites, but climate change is also a big factor… Read More…

http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2017/04/man-creates-homemade-beehive-save-the-bees-going-absolutely-viral.html?fbclid=IwAR3EX_DtZ-bx8nFuS6dQRCI6Y_AdHR_PCVDBm-pesk_dfq78x_F6nF8J4q8

honey bee

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Mexico is famous for tequila, avocado and corn…All which are proving their worth beyond Mexican fiesta staples as key components for a fast-growing bioplastic market, with companies transforming waste from processing food crops into products such as bags, plates and even car parts.

How innovative is that? Turning plant waste into bioplastic?

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-environment-plastic/turning-waste-into-bioplastics-mexico-strikes-green-gold-idUSKCN1LS23B

I don’t know about you but when I see and hear initiatives like these around the world I am amazed at just how talented some people are and how they really care about minimising waste…

But 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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Now let’s go 8,409 km from  Mexico to the UK… Where inspired by the Sky Ocean Rescue campaign, a region of the UK has created the country’s first local circular economy.

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

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/spotlight/from-waste-to-resource-is-this-the-future-for-plastic/ar-BBTER3r?li=BBoPWjQ

Thank you so much for reading this post …Please share your ideas on how we can save our carbon footprints and the environment and if you live in Oz please try to stop this happening…I love to hear from you in comments 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.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

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

Waste Not! Want Not! …Australia plans to dump one million tons of sludge on the Great Barrier Reef!

29 Replies

Good morning from sunny Thailand although we have had the mother of storms this week and huge hailstones it has cooled the air down somewhat…

I am 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 the carbon footprints and coming up with ideas to cut waste and protect the environment.

green foot prints eco system

Then just the other day I heard and read something which shocked me to the core...One of the biggest, most beautiful countries in my part of the world with breathtaking natural wonders is allowing an absolutely abhorrent action to take place…

Australia plans to dump one million tonnes of sludge in the Great Barrier Reef.

Great barrier Reef

Image by 127071 on Pixabay

Despite strict laws on dumping waste, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) gave the go-ahead.

A loophole was found – the laws don’t apply to materials generated from port maintenance work.

It comes one week after flood water from Queensland spread into the reef, which scientists say will “smother” the coral.

Dredged from the sea bed near Hay Point Port who are one of the worlds largest coal exporters and a substantial economic source for Australia this industrial residue is going to be dumped on that beautiful reef…

My thoughts on that statement..substantial economic source equals money/backhanders for someone…

The North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation have said the dump will have a minor environmental impact… Please, it should not be happening and then there would be no impact…Their investigations of course ( it is in their ) own interests ( profit) showed risk to be predominantly low with some temporary short-term impacts.

So let’s be clear the Bulk Ports Corp is paying for reports to justify their own dump and which probably also found the loophole which they now are now exploiting …

My question is WHY? When Australia has pledged A$500 million( 275) million to protect the reef… Are they allowing this dump?…

If this doesn’t smack of cronyism, blatant pocket lining and profiteering then I don’t know what does…

Read the full story here… When you have please if you feel the same as me share the hell out of it…

https://www.iflscience.com/environment/australia-greenlights-dumping-1-million-tons-of-sludge-in-great-barrier-reef-waters/

That beautiful coral home to lots of sea life which has already lost 30% due to bleaching… and now they plan to dump sludge they say well away from that but given the tide and weather conditions, no one can guarantee where the sludge will end up …

Whitsunday islands

Image by werner22brigitte on Pixabay

I myself cannot believe that government/ politicians can sanction this ...It is their country for God’s sake and after pledging all that money to save the Barrier Reef they are allowing this? It is an abhorrent, cruel, wicked way to treat that beautiful place…

Humans are the worst perpetrators of harm to the environment…

The dredging is due to start in March and is set to last 40 days. 

I defy anyone to try to justify such actions or to tell me it has nothing to do with pure unadulterated greed and profiteering.

I have lost heart and don’t feel I want to dim the importance of these actions unless anyone can stop it happening by telling of some of the wonderful efforts to save the environment …They are for another post on another day…

Thank you so much for reading this post …Please share your ideas on how we can save our carbon footprints and the environment and if you live in Oz please try to stop this happening…I love to hear from you in comments 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.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

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

 

 

 

 

Waste Not! Want Not! Week 12…

24 Replies

Good morning from sunny Thailand…Thank you all so much for your comments last week you all rock and it is lovely to know that so many people do care and between us, I am sure we will make a difference…We have to though …Don’t WE??

Asia uses a lot of plastic but I have been very heartened by the signs and efforts of big corporations to address the problem of single-use plastic and waste.

Foot prints-990332_640

7/11 is a franchise here they are everywhere and on every street corner…The amount of plastic bags they dispense must be off the scale…They have just announced 169 million plastic bags unused at 7-Eleven stores in two months…more than 33 million baht value alone but also a huge amount of single-use plastic not making its way into the environment.

CP All Public Company (Central Pattana), the sole operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand, announced its intention to reduce and, eventually, to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags at all their stores throughout the country last year.

169,054,724 plastic bags have been rejected or unused between December 7 to February 7. The savings, some 33,810,945 baht, will now be donated to Siriraj Hospital.

That’s a win-win situation all around, isn’t it? And pleasing to see…

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/plastics/169-million-plastic-bags-unused-at-7-eleven-stores-in-two-months

The two brilliant incentives which pleased me the most THIS WEEK were…The school who have replaced their sweet filled vending machine with books…A staff member got the idea from social media and a friend helped find a refurbished machine, which is now stocked up with children’s favourite books.

kids reading books

The books are priced at 50 cents each.

And Lego ...Now, who hasn’t played with LEGO? they are launching new Lego bricks made from sugarcane…

 

Two excellent ideas…

There are some awesome ideas coming out of Florida…This drinks company has created edible plastic 6 pack rings… That feed sea turtles…A great inventive idea but not sure if it will stop people throwing their waste…What do you think?

https://realfarmacy.com/florida-brewery-unveils-6-pack-rings-that-feeds-sea-turtles-instead-of-killing-them/?fbclid=IwAR2mQtLViJb-S7XiJrIjNBu8Xovo8OM1xGsrobkXbzUGv1q5XJE_ns_IBl0

Last week the theme was cigarette butts and https://realfarmacy.com/florida-brewery-unveils-6-pack-rings-that-feeds-sea-turtles-instead-of-killing-them/?fbclid=IwAR2mQtLViJb-S7XiJrIjNBu8Xovo8OM1xGsrobkXbzUGv1q5XJE_ns_IBl0

cigarette butt

Last week the topic was cigarette butts Adele said her auntie used a portable holder that she could put her used butts into so I headed over to my friend Mr Amazon…and lo and behold…https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Ashtrays/b?ie=UTF8&node=2732120031 

No, I am not affiliated to Amazon or anyone just being helpful…They are quite tiny like a key ring so no excuses to flick those butts…

Lastly, I was alerted to this great new incentive by Ellen...

One eco-friendly shop in Bury St. Edmund’s is waging war on consumer habits, shunning unnecessary packaging to help shoppers embrace a greener lifestyle. Judging by the video it has been very well received by the locals.

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/zero-waste-shop-clear-to-sea-st-johns-street-bury-st-edmunds-suffolk-1-5894690?fbclid=IwAR327wKfINZqsOKF9ApFQaZa8E32RzAQyzdwBc_7QS7FBCgKLDqUvsH256Y

The new Clear to Sea store in St John’s Street, Bury St Edmund’s even offers washable sanitary towels and cardboard deodorants in its bid to bring about positive environmental change.

Customers are also able to buy as much or as little of products as they want, with one customer even buying just two teaspoons of spice on one occasion because that was all she needed.

I think this is a fantastic incentive… I also hope more of these shops spring up nationwide/worldwide…x

green foot prints eco system

Thank you so much for reading this post …Please share your ideas on how we can save our carbon footprints and the environment…I love to hear from you in comments 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.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://carolcooks2.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

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

 

Waste Not! Want Not! Week 9…

10 Replies

Good morning and it is certainly a lovely sunny one here although earlier on it was a tad chilly…

Foot prints-990332_640

 

It has certainly been a week of discoveries this week and good ones sometimes due to where they are published you chance upon things unexpectedly and that was the case in this instance when Alethea from not tomatoes was browsing her local newspaper she came across this article called ” The Milkman ” model…

https://nottomatoes.wordpress.com/2019/01/27/watwb-big-brands-going-green/

I remember the milkman and that lovely gold top milk which was a treat for us the empties went outside to be replaced by full bottles…

TerraCycle, a company that has long been devoted to repurposing packaging and reducing waste, is behind the initiative. Coming this spring to major cities such as New York and Paris, customers will be ordering from a website called Loop, and receive popular products such as ice cream and shampoo in reusable containers delivered to their doors.

There are also plans to roll out to The Uk next year…One of the comments about the big names involved some of whom don’t have a good record as regards waste and ethics …Nestle being one of them… for a few years now I have not bought any products associated with them…Let’s hope it is not just for publicity and they really have changed for the good…I certainly hope so…

Next to come up on my radar is this cute idea for collecting rubbish on beaches…

goby fish

http://yupthatexists.com/goby-plastic-beach-fish/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com&fbclid=IwAR3QkyKayfMjikAL8D4Qcwz8dsOCYmMat06BBbg5nEkqOGKT6a80g9E5O64

Australia has found a very simple way to stop waste going into the ocean…

australia-found-a-way-to-save-water-from-plastic-pollution-and-we-can-start-doing-the-same-650x341

https://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/australia-found-a-way-to-save-water-from-plastic-pollution-and-we-can-start-doing-the-same/?utm_source=Grid&utm_medium=Grid&utm_campaign=Grid&fbclid=IwAR36mnd8qLQLkAu0BoDdzgk8tyBB98RQQggmVC92h4S8fZ5ZrRUsYdWiccg

Lots of local efforts to stop this avalanche of plastic waste going into the sea…What is happening in your area to stop plastic waste ???

If all the different grades of plastic have your head spinning then this post on plastic will help you make sense of symbols on bottles…

 

https://carolcooks2.com/2018/02/15/plastic-are-you-confused/

Although there are lots of great incentives going on only 8.21% of the 195 countries in the world have banned single-use plastics. When you look at it that way it is excuse the pun nothing but “a drop in the ocean” …We all need to be doing so much more…Joining organisations and talking to your local politicians about what their parties plans are …Not just thinking but doing…

There are so many ways we can reduce our carbon footprints and reduce our waste…

Did you know what impact textile waste has on the environment?  

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 84 per cent of unwanted clothes in the United States in 2012 went into either a landfill or an incinerator.

When natural fibres, like cotton, linen and silk, or semi-synthetic fibres created from plant-based cellulose, like rayon, Tencel and modal, are buried in a landfill, in one sense they act like food waste, producing the potent greenhouse gas methane as they degrade. But unlike banana peels, you can’t compost old clothes, even if they’re made of natural materials. “Natural fibres go through a lot of unnatural processes on their way to becoming clothing,” says Jason Kibbey, CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. “They’ve been bleached, dyed, printed on, and scoured in chemical baths.” Those chemicals can leach from the textiles and—in improperly sealed landfills—into groundwater. Burning the items in incinerators can release those toxins into the air.

Meanwhile, synthetic fibres, like polyester, nylon and acrylic, have the same environmental drawbacks, and because they are essentially a type of plastic made from petroleum, they will take hundreds of years, if not a thousand, to biodegrade.

It was thanks to Anne Copeland who blogs at All in a day’s breath she opened my eyes to this she also told me how she rarely buys new clothes but recycles and re-styles second-hand clothes that is something which goes on a lot here every market will have at least one stall of second-hand clothes here in Udon Thani we have a huge section and my daughter in law spends hours there we always know where she is going when she says in the afternoon I am just going to the market …Sometimes she comes back with nothing and other times she comes back with some lovely things sometimes still with the labels on…It seems to be a pastime of many Thais they spend hours sorting and chatting it is like social event…

Here are some really cool ways to recycle your unwanted clothes…

 

That’s all for this week I hope you have found something interesting and please carry on commenting and letting us all know what you do or any great incentives you have come across… I love to hear from you and if we share our good practices then the world benefits 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!

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Phuket-Island-Writers-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B00RU5IYNS

Connect to Carol

Blog: https://blondieaka.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRealCarolT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.taylor.1422

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caroltaylor56/pins/

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