Tag Archives: Plastics

Plastic…Part 9…Biodegradable and Compostable bags?

Welcome to this weeks post on plastic…It is week 9 already and so much info on plastic it is unreal…

coloured plastic bags blowing in the wind

Photo credit: European Parliament on Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-ND

I am trying really hard to dispense with plastic in the home and I have gone a good way forward to doing that but some things cause for radical changes for example ” The freezer” I freeze fruit, some meat and if I make extra of a dish then I freeze in portions …Therein lies the problem for me…

Do I use biodegradable bags or compostable bags?

How can we be sure biodegradable bags are really eco-friendly? Are they the same as degradable plastic bags?

There are independent certification schemes you can look out for that give you peace of mind about the claims being made. But it means that you must do your research…

We will start with your kitchen bin…

Of course, the most eco-friendly answer is don’t line your bin…Which means that you must separate all your compostables,. recyclables and general waste…Of course, if you recycle and compost as much as you can you will find that you will have less waste.

If you must line your bin then check you are using a certified biodegradable or certified compostable bag instead of traditional plastic bags ( no more) using any plastic bags which you bring your shopping home in unless they are certified or those labelled degradable.

So you have checked your bags out and lined your bin…That’s alright then …Isn’t it? No!

Why? Because if you are filling those bags with general/household waste then once it gets to the landfill site the bag will break down or not according to what rubbish is inside the bag so all your efforts checking that your bags are certified will have gone to waste…If you are using biodegradable and compostable bags to contain general waste or household rubbish, be mindful of the fact that once it is all sent to landfill, the bag will behave like the rubbish it is containing. In a landfill site, biodegradable and compostable bags will break down a lot more slowly than they would in your home composting system, and they will break down without oxygen, producing methane, a greenhouse gas much more dangerous than carbon dioxide.

Biodegradable plastic bags…

Quite simply, something is biodegradable when living things, for example, fungi or bacteria, can break it down. Biodegradable bags are made from natural plant-based materials like corn and wheat starch rather than petroleum. However, when it comes to this kind of plastic, there are certain conditions required for the bag to begin to break down and biodegrade.

Firstly, temperatures need to reach 50 degrees Celsius. Secondly, the bag needs to be exposed to UV light. In an oceanic environment, this is highly unlikely to happen. Plus, as I have stated above if biodegradable bags are sent to landfill, they break down without oxygen to produce methane, a greenhouse gas far more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Degradable plastic bags…

Degradable items, unlike Biodegradable bags, are not broken down by living organisms so cannot be classed as biodegradable or compostable. Instead, the bags contain chemical additives used in the production of the plastic which allows the bag to break down quicker than a standard plastic bag usually would.

Which means bags advertised as degradable’ are definitely not beneficial, and can even be worse for the environment! Degradable bags that disintegrate just become tinier and tinier pieces of microplastic quicker, which as we know poses serious threats to marine life.

Microplastics enter the food chain lower down, getting eaten by smaller species and then continuing to make their way up the food chain as these smaller species are consumed. A situation which is highlighted very frequently in the news most recently the victims being gray whales.

Compostable plastic bags…

The word ‘compostable’ is incredibly misleading for the average consumer. You’d think a bag labelled as compostable would mean you could throw it in your backyard compost alongside your fruit and veggie scraps, right? Wrong. Compostable bags biodegrade, but only under certain conditions.

Compostable bags need to be composted in a specific composting facility, Compostable bags are generally made from plant material that returns to base organic components when processed by these facilities, but the problem lies in the fact there are thus far only 150 of these facilities Australia wide.

However, it seems that with the changing of consumer attitudes commercially many countries are struggling as current commercial plants cannot deal with all the different types of plastic …

As a consumer based on this, I am making a concerted effort to avoid as much plastic as I can in my own home,,,

Home Freezing for me one of the hardest to change…Here is a good article about using mason jars as storage in the freezer…Something I haven’t tried yet…Have you?

Dog poo bags?

dog photo

Photo credit: flowcomm on Visualhunt.com / CC BY

It seems that whatever bag you use not many cities accept them once used due to cross contamination…

I think bags are much like plastic bottles when I reviewed they have a long way to go until recycling is available and effective within a short timescale…

Until then I will do the best I can given the circumstances of disposal available…

Thank you so much for reading this post If you have any thoughts please add a comment I always respond 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!

More and more of my blogging friends have joined me on MeWe…A social media site which is fairly new and which promises much without the restrictions some other social media sites are choosing to impose on many of us…Join me if you will on mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

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 all have a great week xx

Plastic…Part 3…Our actions…The Consequences…

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Last week I looked at different countries pledges to combat plastic waste…How it seems some countries like France just announce an outright ban and other countries allow appeal upon appeal which all delay the action…Complacency and greed …

We need collective action by consumers as well and we all know how powerful a consumer can be…Don’t we?

Individual choices are important and if we all took that pledge and like France banned certain items /actions in our homes it would have an effect…

This report from the Guardian highlights some of the problems in the UK…Just multiply that by all the countries in the world…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/08/drinks-bottles-now-biggest-plastic-menace-for-waterways-report

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 which is the same 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…

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

Check and buy only environmentally compostable cotton earbuds…
Drink stirrers…
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…Locally to you 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 cup sales soar…

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

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 a new report.

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.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/08/drinks-bottles-now-biggest-plastic-menace-for-waterways-report

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.”

tubes of various glitters

The British government…Michael Gove, in particular, has been asked to move on this..Come on a 25-year plan is not good enough we want to see action now…If you live in the UK and feel the same please sign this petition…

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ban-plastic-glitter-lustre-use-in-the-uk

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

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

Talking about baby steps and a small contribution …Adele Marie said…I have another story for your Waste not Want not. My wife Becca has been taking wildflower seeds with her when walking our dog Dante and she has been spreading them over areas that are forgotten and never touched where the flowers hopefully, will grow and provide a haven for Bees, butterflies, and all manner of insects. xxx

Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay

Image by n-k from Pixabay

I think that is an idea worth sharing …WELL DONE, Becca a lovely idea which I am sure all the bees and butterflies will be grateful for and so will the human population as without bees we all know the outcome… Thank you for sharing Adele xxx

Even though I bring you the harsh stark facts I love to bring the good news so please if you are still reading share wherever you can and think about those 3 small actions and how united we can make a difference…xxx

Thank you for reading xxx

green foot prints eco system

About Carol Taylor:

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 week xx

Plastic…The Latest News…

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Quite recently the BBC announced that a Blue Planet spin-off series is on the way…How exciting is that? I loved the 2017 series of the Blue Planet and it was popular worldwide…

Blue Planet UK is a week-long documentary series produced by BBC Studio’s Natural History Unit, the team behind Blue Planet and Blue Planet II.

Blue Planet

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

The programmes will offer audiences practical solutions for how to get involved around the country and tackle plastic pollution, according to the BBC.

Sounds good, right? When does it start…TONIGHT!

Blue Planet UK will air Monday 25 to Friday 29 March on BBC One.

Plastic Bottles…

plastic bottles

There still seem to be as many on the supermarket shelves as there were this time last year when I first wrote about plastic bottles …I don’t know about you but I still have to check what plastic is what …Time for a re-run…

Let the fun began…Simples? It is not!

There are plastic bottles and plastic bottles and even more plastic bottles…All sent to confuse the **** out of the poor health-conscious shopper who juggles two jobs, 6 kids, a husband and 2 dogs… and has to clean her own house…

So I have simplified it a little for you( and me) I have grouped the numbers into good and bad and given you a little background…my advice is to do some of your own research as well if you have any concerns about how plastic may affect your health and your family’s health.

Group One. Are what I class as the baddies and I avoid like the plague.

1= PET ( Polyethylene Terephthalate)

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.

3. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

A soft, flexible plastic which is used to make clear plastic food wrapping, cooking oil bottles, teething rings, children’s and pets toys.

PVC is known in many circles as poison plastic it contains many toxins which can leach throughout the life of a product.

It should not be re-used.

6. PS (Polystyrene)

Used to make styrofoam drink cups, take out containers, egg containers, plastic cutlery and foam chips for packaging.

It may leach styrene which is a possible human carcinogen into food especially a risk when food is microwaved.

Chemicals used in the manufacture are linked to human health and reproductive system dysfunctions.

Should be avoided where possible.

7. Other (BPA) Polycarbonate.

This is a known endocrine disruptor also this group 7 is a group for anything which doesn’t fit into the other categories.

Found in food containers labelled PC, baby bottles, sippy cups some of which are now labelled non-leaching but it is still possible..

THERE IS A NEW GENERATION OF PLASTICS BEING DEVELOPED TO REPLACE POLYCARBS USING POLYMERS LIKE CORN STARCH.

#7 should not be reused and where possible avoid using for children.

Group 2 are better but I always look for alternatives where I can as in glass bottles.

2. HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

A stiff plastic used for milk containers and detergent containers. toys and some plastic bags.

Considered the safest form of plastic…Reusable and recyclable.

4. LDPE (Low-density Polyethylene)

Used to make shrink-wrap, squeezy bottles, bread wrappers.

Considered less toxic( what is that supposed to mean) and relatively safe for use.

5.PP (Polypropylene)

This plastic is tough and light and a barrier against moisture, grease and chemicals it is used as a cereal box liner… the bag your corn flakes are in…used for bottle tops, margarine and yoghurt pots, potato chip bags and straws.

Considered safe for re-use.

These symbols are generally found around the base or on the bottom of bottles. It is also the number which is found inside the recyclable arrows which tell the real story behind your plastic.

I hope this post has been helpful …I have been left with the need to know more as everything I have read is seeming to say maybe and using words which don’t commit…I myself have made a start and will be changing what I can by only buying products which are in plastics which are considered safer and even that rings alarm bells with me as so often reports have been vilified and poo-pooed by manufacturers and then a few years later peoples fears have been justified…

It is not just our health and our families but the worlds health, animals and the enviroment even the Queen of England has banned the use of plastic bottles/straws on her estates. I know this is based on helping the enviroment but my families health is also important and I think the two go hand in hand.

Something else I do as I had concerns about leaching into our food chain indoors was to dispense with tinned tomatoes as we used quite a lot and leaching into our food was a huge concern…I year later not only have I saved money but the tomatoes I use are tastier than tinned ones and healthier…

tomatoes-1277845_1920

Sally’s post on plastics added even more fuel to the fire that has been burning inside me for a while not just health wise but environmentally.

Sally’s post about ” The hormone mimic in plastic and inside food cans” was the catalyst for me to take action…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/smorgasbord-health-column-health-in-the-news-the-hormone-mimic-in-plastic-and-inside-food-cans-2/

Time for action:

Tomatoes were easy and so much cheaper than in cans as well…they freeze well and cost wise I am saving over 100% based on my usage. No brainer and quick to do…I just put boiling water over the tomatoes and skinned them. Then I had a thought..yep…I put the skins with a little of the tomato juice in my small blender and viola blended smooth you wouldn’t know they were skins and a lovely bright red colour so I added to the tomato pulp which brightened the colour.

No waste at all…

Next on my agenda is tomato paste… That is for another day…

That’s all for this week, thank you for reading and have a lovely week xx

About Carol Taylor:

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

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: mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

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

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

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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?

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…
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
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…
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…
Composting...your plants and vegetable will love you particularly if you grow some in pots they need nutrients more…
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…
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?

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:

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

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: mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3

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

Waste Not! Want Not! Week 11…

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Good Morning and my how the weeks fly…Week 11 and every week I come across new exciting projects and it is lovely it is restoring my faith in human nature so many people really do care about the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren.

Here in Asia, much plastic is used it is a hot topic with many initiatives springing up all over the place…A long, long way to go but the signs are good.

Many people holiday abroad and seek out the beaches… BUT and this is where you can help…Are you mindful of how you dispose of your rubbish?… I have witnessed many tourists just leaving the beach and their rubbish with no thought of the environment or who clears up behind them.

What would you rather see this?

Or this?

Please if you are on the beach or on a boat dispose of your rubbish correctly.

Would people do it at home? Many do but many don’t!

The tiny little cigarette butt...

cigarette butt

A tad larger than life here… I don’t smoke …my hubby does… Trust me he knows my feelings…haha…He used to when he was outside in the garden smoking stub them out in my plant pots! He no longer does that…Just in case you can’t tell this was typed through gritted teeth …The man learnt!

Cigarette butts…

The Ocean Conservancy has sponsored a beach cleanup every year since 1986. For 32 consecutive years, cigarette butts have been the single most collected item on the world’s beaches, with a total of more than 60 million collected over that time. That amounts to about one-third of all collected items and more than plastic wrappers, containers, bottle caps, eating utensils and bottles, combined.

People sometimes dump that trash directly on to beaches but, more often, it washes into the oceans from countless storm drains, streams and rivers around the world. The waste often disintegrates into microplastics easily consumed by wildlife. Researchers have found the detritus ( waste or debris) in some 70 % of seabirds and 30 % of sea turtles.

Those discarded filters usually contain synthetic fibres and hundreds of chemicals used to treat tobacco.

Please if you must smoke dispose of your butts responsibly…Not in the sand or flicked into the sea, not flicked as you walk along the street or out of your car window…Use an ashtray!

ash tray with smoking cigarette

Find a bin…Take it home stick in your cigarette packet…Just don’t flick it and forget…Just remember it has also only taken a cigarette butt carelessly flicked to start a fire…

If you thought they were biodegradable think again…

It may look like cotton, but 98 % of cigarette filters are made of plastic fibres (cellulose acetate) that are tightly packed together, which leads to an estimated 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts winding up as toxic trash each year.

Are they biodegradable…No! The plastic fibres in cigarettes are non-biodegradable which means they DO NOT break down organically.

They can gradually decompose depending on the environmental conditions like sun and rain but after 2 years research shows only 38% has decomposed…

I give you Better butts…

There is nothing better that I love apart from writing is the comments from you… Last week I touched on recycling and Adele sent this link …I love it! So innovative …

Adele shared this great video on how to make tee-shirt yarn it is soooo cool and I will definitely be having a go with my granddaughter. Thank you so much Adele xxx

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:

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 Valentines Day and a brilliant weekend xx

Waste Not, Want Not…Part Six

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Waste pollution climate change

Welcome back… How is your war on waste working I have had many notes from my readers on what they are doing to combat waste and it makes me happy that so many care about the world we live in.

Every time I go to the Farmers Market now I am so impressed as more and more of the goods are wrapped in banana leaves can you see the cone those little green buds are wrapped in it so lovely to get my fruit and vegetable wrapped like that or just loose without a wrapping if vegetables are too big like carrots and things, everyone is using brown paper bags and it takes me back to when I was young and you never saw a plastic bag they were all paper… Or my mum and all her friends used to take their wicker baskets shopping …That was a few years ago now…

wicker basket-2268218_640

Today I am going to look at how we can reduce waste of single-use plastic bags in the home.

Did you know about 300 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide every year and some 8 million tons is just dumped in the Oceans how much of that is recycled…ONLY 9%… That is disgusting…

How can we help?

Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants. Purchase a reusable stainless steel, glass straw or bamboo straw and take it with you…It soon becomes a habit…
Use a reusable shopping bag. A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade. Purchase or make your own reusable produce bag and be sure to wash them often!
Give up gum. Gum is made of synthetic rubber, aka plastic. I get so angry when I am walking and gum gets attached to the bottom of my shoe…If you have to chew wrap it and put it in a bin when you have finished… However, if you click the link you may not ever want to chew gum again.
Buy boxes instead of bottles or glass bottles instead of plastic as they are recyclable.
Cereal, pasta, and rice buy from bulk bins and fill a reusable bag or container. It saves money and unnecessary packaging.
Reuse containers for storing leftovers or shopping in bulk.
Use a reusable bottle or mug for your drinks, even when ordering from a take-out shop…All you need to do is ask or measure how much is in your takeaway cup and go and buy a suitable sized reusable cup…Sorted…

plastic-waste-3698194_640

Use matches instead of disposable plastic lighters or invest in a refillable metal lighter.
Avoid buying frozen foods because their packaging is mostly plastic. Even those that appear to be cardboard are coated in a thin layer of plastic. Plus you’ll be eating fewer processed foods!
Don’t use plastic cutlery at home and be sure to request restaurants do not pack them in your takeaway box.
Make freshly squeezed juice or eat fruit instead of buying juice in plastic bottles. It’s healthier and better for the environment.
Make your own cleaning products that will be less toxic and eliminate the need for multiple plastic bottles of cleaner.
Pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags. Also, opt for fresh fruits and veggies and bulk items instead of products that come in single serving cups.
Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor.

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Dolly from koolkoscherkitchen is a keen supporter of reducing waste and plastic and came up with a great idea…She is having a book launch at one of her local stores soon and is going to take the advantage and ask what they are going to do to reduce waste and plastic waste…What a great idea…

Well done, Dolly please keep us updated …

♦♦♦♦♦♦

Here is a copy of a letter which you could write to your local store, council or government representative or even a manufacturer… the wording would need to be changed slightly depending on the recipient but we are bloggers and authors so that should be a doodle…

Dear …..

I support the initiative to ban single-use plastic bags in your store at …..

I hope this ban is the first step in which ……. your company shows vision and leadership in the region and perhaps in the nation by taking bold actions to reduce waste and litter and protect and improve local wildlife and marine life.

People coped before plastic bags and will do so again.

Without easy access to free bags, one quickly becomes accustomed to their own reusable bags.

Banning smoking from bars and restaurants was met with an uproar several years ago, and now it almost seems outrageous that this was ever allowed. People very quickly adapt …

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for the steps you have taken already by having days in the store where plastic bag are not available and by using banana leaves as packaging rather than a plastic bag…I would though like to bring to your attention the piece of plastic in the sushi packaging I noticed the other day could it not be cut from a banana leaf?

I await your positive response.

Kind Regards.

My local store is responding very positively about reducing waste and plastic which given that Asia is a haven for plastic and waste I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased…

veg from Farmers Market wrapped banana leaves

The cream coloured flower buds are called Daylily ดอกไม้จีน usually used in soups and very popular with Thais and often used in herbal medicine and healing but also used in stir-fries we stir-fried ours with the Ceylon Spinach and it was very nice. The Ceylon spinach had a sort of beetroot taste. It is also used in natural medicine here and is believed to have many healing properties…

vegetable stir fry

We just washed and cut and stir-fried with a little garlic and oyster sauce it made a nice vegetable side dish. It was a vegetable which none of us had seen or tried before and which I love about this market as the food is local and many of the fruits and vegetables not really grown commercially but by local people and farmers. The red Noodle snake beans were also a new variety for me very similar to the green and quite a rare bean so I will enjoy them while I can. It holds its colour when cooked and ideal for salads and stir-fries.

green and red snake beans

Notice how they are tied now with banana leaf and a bamboo tie instead of in a plastic bag and I think it is so much nicer isn’t it?

Thank you once again for indulging me in my war against waste… I have certainly opened a can of worms…xxx

About Carol Taylor:

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 week xx

Retired? No one told me!

Tonight I Dream. Tomorrow I Do!

Tag Archives: Plastics

Plastic…Part 9…Biodegradable and Compostable bags?

Biodegradable plastic bags…

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Compostable plastic bags…

Plastic…Part 3…Our actions…The Consequences…

Plastic…The Latest News…

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

Waste Not! Want Not! Week 11…

Waste Not, Want Not…Part Six

Biodegradable plastic bags…

Degradable plastic bags…

Compostable plastic bags…

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