Tuesday 20 September 2011

Finishing the B's

Back to using natural products/materials this week and finishing the B's.

The first one is B for Bamboo. I have found some socks that are made from Bamboo. It says on the label that it is more breathable for feet, which is good. These are navy socks from TKMaxx. I had been looking all over the place for navy ones and TKMaxx was the only shop I found them in. They are £4.99 for a pack of 3 pairs, which is good value, so last time I bought two packs.

B is also for Bently Organics, and I have used two products from them.
The first one is their handwash. I really like this as it is a handy size that can fit in your handbag so take it out shopping and all over the place with them when I need to go to the toilet.
Cost: £5.99 (I think).
Where to buy it: I used to get it from So Organic in Greenwich but last time I went there they didn't have any as they said that they had problems with the supplies again. I think you should be able to get it from their own website.
Green rating: 4/5: the bottle is recycelable but not the cap and the pump

The other Bentley product I tried was a shower cream, and I didn't like it because I wasn't keen on the smell. It smelt a bit too earthy for me so it has been delegated to a handwash downstairs in the kitchen.
Cost: don't know as I got this free in a prize
Where to buy it: Bentley website
Green rating: maybe 5/5 as the bottle is recycleable but don't know about the cap.

Next week back to green issues.

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Organic Food Month

September is organic food month set up by the Soil Association. So what organic foods do I eat? Not a lot, really. Here is my list:

Quinoa and Millet Flakes
Sunflower seed butter
Dark Tahini
Peanut Putter
Wholemeal bread

I also have recently bought organic celery because I read that this is one of the foods that can easily absorb chemicals due to its soft skin. I have been eating organic tomatoes, radishes, spring onions and carrots, only because they are home grown on our veggie patch. That is one of the easiest ways to go organic to grow your own. The supermarkets don't do much in the way of organic fruit and veg apart from celery and tomatoes that I have seen.

So what do you eat organic? And do you grow your own? How did your own go this year? Next time I will tell you how our patch went this year, and it wasn't that good.

Sunday 11 September 2011

Recycling away from home

Today is the last day of Zero Waste Week - Away from home. So what do you do if you go on holiday where there is no recycling facilities? Here is what my friend, Heather, does.

She often goes away by car to a caravan park, where there is no recycling facilities. Now Heather is as keen a recycler as me, maybe more. So what does she do? If there is room in the car back, she will put all recycleables in a bag, put that in the car and take it back home and put it in her recycling bin there. If there isn't room in the car and she know that someone she knows or she will be back there soon after that, then she will put the bag of recycleables in a cupboard to take home later on. I know she does this because she has told me this. She told me one time that her uncle went to stay at the caravan after she had left and was surprised to find a bag of recycleables stuck in the cupboard. Just imagine his face when he saw it. Ha ha.

I haven't been on a proper holiday for years, and the last time I did recycling wasn't all the rage then. I think if I did go on holiday like Heather to a place without recycling facilities, I might do the same and collect them up myself or ask the staff if they had recycling places to go to.

Next week is about healthy eating and organic food as September is Organic Food Month.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Zero waste - out and about

This week is zero waste week - out and about. What recycling do you do when you are away from home? Here are a couple of things that I do.

Usually when I meet my critique group I have a packet of crisps there. I put the empty packet in my bag to take back home with, as I send these off to Eco-Centricity for recycling. Next time I go, next week, if any of the others have crisps too I will ask them to give them to me too.

Back in May I went to a writing retreat. To save taking numerous bottles of water, I took my own plastic bottle and every morning and lunch time I would ask the staff in the kitchen if they could top up my bottle with tap water. They did. I know this isn't recycling but it is in a way when I take my own bottle.

And here is something my mum has done once. One day she was out and about and had taken empty tetrapaks to be recycled. She saw a man drinking from a small carton and said to him to give her the empty carton as she was about to recycle her own. He gave it to her. I don't know if I have the nerve to do that.

Next time Iwill tell you about what my friend does about recycling when she is on holiday.

Friday 2 September 2011

B for Barefoot Botanicals

Continuing with B as B is for Barefoot Botanicals.

I like the following products from BB:

Face Wash: it usually smells like orange blossom and goes smoothly on your skin.
Price: £16.95
Where to get it: I used to get it at So Organics at Greenwich, but last time I went there we were told they had a problem with BB supplying them. I think you are able to get it from the website www.barefoot-botanicals.com.
Green rating: 0 I emailed them about a month ago asking them what the tubes were made of but I have not got a reply yet, so have had to throw them in the bin for landfill.

Face and body cream: I like this for the face as it as smooth as the face wash, and I really like it for the body as it is good for my eczema. Again this smells of orange blossom, although when I first used it it smelt medicinal to me of antiseptic.
Price: For 100g = £17.97
Where to get it: as for face wash.
Same green rating as face wash too.

Foot balm: I liked this when I first used this as you could really smell the grapefruit in it but whether my smell is changing as I get used to this I don't know, but I can't smell it so much now. Goes nice on the feet and is meant to be good for keeping fungus away.
Price: I think it is the same as the face wash.
Where to get it: as the other two products
Same green rating as the others.

If anyone knows what is happening with Barefoot Botanicals I would like to know as I did like their products as they are meant for eczema suffereres like me.

Next week is Zero Waste Week, so I am back to talking about recycling away from home.