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Love List ~ March 2016

March 31, 2016 · 6 Comments

Well it has been a little while since I have done a love list!

In between moving to Brisbane and settling my kids in at new schools and uni and working on my charity project and updating the website (do you like the new design and logo??), it’s all been a little crazy around here at NNAM.

Here are some things that I have been loving the last few months….

 

4 My Earth Bamboo Bags

♥ 4 My Earth Bamboo Bags

I am in love with these new bamboo bags! They are so soft and light weight and perfect for replacing plastic bags when buying produce. I have also been using them damp to keep veggies nice and fresh in the crisper. Such a great way to reduce your plastic usage. Get them here.

 

♥ Erica Brooke Skin Care

Made by a Brisbane natural new age mum, this range is equal to any of the big name natural skin care brands on the market. Erica’s deodorant is already one of my all time favourite products and I think I am also going to add the Honey Cream Cleanser to that list as well. It’s so incredibly beautiful to use and of course, free of nasty toxins and weird stuff! Check it out here.

 

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♥ The Wholesome Cook by Martyna Angell

I was lucky enough to meet Martyna a few weeks ago at a cooking demo and I grabbed a copy of her cookbook while I was there. I really love Martyna’s food philosophy (probably because it is so similar to my own) of eating whole foods for your own bio-individuality. So many delicious whole food recipes to inspire. Check it out here.

 

Small Steps to Fermenting

♥ Small Steps to Fermenting

I am about to embark on some fermenting. I find it to be all quite overwhelming and I am worried I am going to get it wrong and make us all sick! Luckily the gorgeous Lisa Corduff (guru from Small Steps to Wholefoods) has teamed up with her husband to break it all down step by step in their online course, Small Steps to Fermenting. Check it out here.

 

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♥ Crystal Singing Bowls

I was lucky enough to attend a crystal singing bowl healing workshop last month. I felt incredibly relaxed and in balance afterwards. It was a very magical, spiritual experience. You can check out crystal singing bowls at some new age stores or look for a healing session near you!

 

What have you discovered lately that you love??

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: cookbook, crystal singing bowl, eco-friendly, Erica Brooke, fermenting, healing, natural skincare, new age, plastic, reusable bags, skincare, sustainable, whole foods

Smart swaps for single use plastic

July 15, 2015 · 7 Comments

Smart swaps for single use plastic

 

Plastic really has crept into every area of our life.

It can be quite overwhelming and hard to know to where to even start. My advice is to make small swaps and just do what you can. It’s not about being perfect – it’s about making an effort.

Take a look at what single-use plastic in your life you are consuming in big quantities and aim to find an alternative.

Trust me, once you get into the habit, it’s actually easy and pretty fun to take on the challenge.

I have listed here six of the most common single-use plastics and what you can use instead.

It just takes a little planning! Are you up for the challenge?

 

Plastic Food Wrap

This stuff is doubly worrying as the ‘anti-bacterial’ wrap may contain harmful toxins! Replace with

♥ upcycled glass jars (the bonus is you can see what’s in them)

♥ glass or stainless steel storage containers

♥ food covers, pockets and wraps (I love the original 4 My Earth brand)

♥ a ceramic bowl with a plate on top or two plates (too easy, right!)

♥ toxic free paper products

Find out more details about how I gave up plastic wrap! I haven’t bought a roll in well over five years! Woohoo!

4 My Earth food bag

 

Plastic Fruit and Vegetable Bags

This is a tricky one because I know it’s quite a habit to use those plastic bags at the supermarket!

♥ do you need a bag? Come on, bananas don’t need a bag!

♥ use reusable, lightweight produce bags (I’ve been doing this for years and it’s easy to remember them if they are in with your reusable grocery bags!

♥ shop at the farmers’ markets with an old-fashioned basket (I am in love with these jute baskets – so chic!)

Plastic Straws

♥ do you really need that straw? Start asking for drinks without straws when you buy a drink.

♥ use a glass, bamboo or stainless straw

 

TIP: If you do get stuck with a few plastic bags, take them back to the supermarket! Most larger stores will have a bin where you can recycle them.

 

Plastic Cutlery and Plates

I know how convenient these are when you have a party, but just a little bit of thought into alternatives can mean a huge difference!

♥ get some crockery and cutlery from your op shop – it’s so cheap and it will look funky (bribe the kids into washing up)

♥ get some biodegradable catering products (they actually look much more stylish plastic too)

♥ stash a bamboo spork or cutlery in your handbag for those lunches out and about

 

biodegradable catering

 

Plastic Grocery Bags

After all the publicity and education about these, I am still gob-smacked that I am usually the only person I see at the supermarket using my own bags. Please tell me this doesn’t happen in your local area!

There are several alternatives you can use. Personally, I don’t like the ‘green bags‘ as they are usually polypropylene (a fossil-fuel based plastic) and are imported from China. I have been using homemade or natural fibre bags.

Here are some great options:

♥ make your own bag! If you can operate a sewing machine, it’s not that hard to whip a few bags up out of an old pillowcase or t-shirt

♥ cotton reusable grocery bags

♥ jute reusable shopping bags

♥ canvas shopping bags

 

TIP: How do you freeze food without plastic? I wrap food in a toxin free baking paper and then pop into either a glass storage container or a 4 My Earth food bag.

 

Plastic Water Bottles

As well as being bad for the environment, drinking out of plastic bottles can also be questionable for your health. Get everyone in your family their own drink bottle (plus a few spares) and fill up before you leave the house. It quickly becomes routine!

♥ stainless steel drink bottles

♥ glass drink bottles

♥ upcycle a glass bottle or jar

♥ invest in a nice glass jug and glass for work

♥ for hot drinks, I love my Contigo insulated stainless mug

 

The amazing plastic spoon

You may have seen this quote floating around on social media. It’s incredibly powerful and I love sharing it. I made my own design for it (I couldn’t find the original source of the quote, but please get in touch if you know it). Please pin it and share it on social media if it resonates with you – you have full permission to use my image, unaltered, wherever you like!

 

It's pretty amazing plastic spoon - Natural New Age Mum

 

 

Where to shop:

Biome Eco Store

Flora and Fauna

The Clean Collective

 

More inspiration:

Plastic Free July

My Plastic Free Life

Treading My Own Path

Plastic: A toxic love story

Slow Death by Rubber Duck

Zero Waste Home

Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Habit

 

 Have you got any more tips for us? What have you managed to ditch?

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: chemical free, eco-friendly, plastic, plastic free, plastic free July, plastic pollution, stainless steel, toxin free, toxins, waste

22 Things to Make out of Plastic Milk Bottles

August 5, 2014 · 17 Comments

22 things to make out of plastic milk bottles

22 Things to Make out of Plastic Milk Bottles

 

Have you ever stopped to think how many plastic milk bottles get thrown into landfill each year? I know we can recycle them, but what about upcycling them into something useful or something beautiful? I’ve got 22 things to make out of plastic milk bottles.

Be inspired by these amazing ideas from around the internet.

 

 A watering can.

 

recycled-pencil-containers

 Pencil holders.

 

milk-carton-lamps2

 Lamps.

 

 

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 Earrings.

 

 Fairy Costume.

giftbox-complete

 Giftbox.

 

 

 

Lanterns.

 

 A kid’s game.

 

igloo

 An igloo.

 

bird feeder

 A bird feeder.

 

 

 

 Bunting.

 

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A herb garden.

 

wallet

 A wallet.

 

weights

 Weights.

 

 

cover photo for Milk Bottle Easter Bunny

Easter Bunnys.

 

22 things to make out of plastic milk bottles

 Scoops and a dust pan.

 

 

milk-carton-bird-8

 A beautiful bird.

 

22 things to make out of plastic milk bottles

 Votives.

 

22 things to make out of plastic milk bottles

 Garden markers.

 

Do you have any other ideas? Share them with us!

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: eco friendly, milk bottles, plastic, recycle, upcycle

10 Ways to Reduce Plastic in your Life

July 16, 2014 · 121 Comments

10 Ways to Reduce Plastic in your Life

So why would you avoid single use plastic?

Well, the main issues are:

* plastic hangs around in landfills for a very long time

* recycling plastic is inefficient and expensive

* it affects the environment, particularly marine life

* manufacturing of plastic makes a huge, negative impact on our environment.

* some plastics are known to be harmful to our health

 

 “Think about it. Why would you make something that you’re going to use for a few minutes out of a material that’s basically going to last forever, and you’re just going to throw it away. What’s up with that?” Jeb Berrier

 

reduce single use plastic

 

It can be quite overwhelming trying to avoid plastic. It has become such a pervasive commodity in our homes and our lives. My advice is to start small. Just choose one type of plastic you can avoid. Work on that. Then move to another type. Any small change you make, makes a difference.

 

Here are my top tips for reducing single use plastic:

 

1. Ditch the plastic grocery bags. Get yourself a stash of good cloth bags and get into the habit of putting them in the car. They are preferable to the ‘green’ bags from the supermarket that are made with petrochemicals. Cloth bags are biodegradable, durable and easy to wash. Check out these reusable bags.

 

2. Avoid plastic produce bags. When you buy fruit and vegetables, you have other options than using a plastic bag. You can use a paper bag or even better,  a reuseable produce bag. Buying bread or meat? Take a reusable bread bag with you to the bakery or butcher.

 

3. Give up the plastic straw. Okay you could just forgo the straw and use what you were born with – your lips! Or if you need to use a straw, you can get stainless steel, bamboo or glass straws these days. They are funky and they are easy to wash using the little brushes.

 

4. Don’t buy water in plastic bottles. Glass or stainless steel water bottles are so much better for your health and the environment!  Make it a habit to fill one up and take it with you every day.

 

5. Refuse plastic cutlery. I carry a bamboo spork in my handbag for those occasions when I am out and about and need to eat! It’s super cute. You could easily use some cutlery from home as well. Keep a stash in the car for family picnics and outings. Catering for a party at home? Head to the opshop and stock up on cutlery – it only takes a small effort to wash it up. Check out this great post Jo at Down to Earth Mother wrote about our disposable society.

 

Biome Eco Stores - Zero Waste, Toxin Free, Ethical Choices

6. Don’t buy plastic wrap. We gave up plastic wrap and it’s was surprisingly easy to do! Just get yourself set up with some reusable food covers and wraps and some glass storage. It soon becomes second nature to do without it.

 

7. No more plastic coffee lids or cups. Did you know that the lining of paper takeaway cups is also plastic? Take your own reusable coffee cup in to cafes and fill it up. There are so many great ones around these days to make it easy to find something perfect for you.

 

8. Rethink takeaway food containers. Hot food in plastic always freaks me out as the heat can cause toxins to leach into your food! Eeep! If you eat takeaway a lot, you might consider an alternative. Take in your own glass or pyrex dishes and get them to fill it up. Madeleine at NZ Ecochick does it!

 

9. Say no to the plastic toothbrush. Okay so maybe not a ‘single’ use product, but 700 million toothbrushes are manufactured each year. That’s a lot of plastic! Bamboo toothbrushes are a great option.

 

10. Swap garbage bags.  This is one area we still struggle with! However in doing a little research, I discovered that there are some good options out there. You can use newspaper to line your bins – find out how here or try a compostable bag.

 

11. Bonus Tip! Get a waste-free lunchbox for the kids! There are so many great ones with separate compartments so you don’t need to use any plastic wrap or buy food in portioned plastic bags or containers.

 

Did you know? Australians send 1 million tonnes of plastic waste to landfill each year!

 

Where to shop?

Flora and Fauna

Biome Eco Store

 

Want more?

My life without plastic wrap

Goodbye plastic, hello glass!

Smart swaps for single use plastics

How to negotiate the plastic bag ban

Why I’m breaking up with green bags

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: low tox, plastic, plastic free, plastic free July, toxin free, zero-waste

Compost-A-Pak Review and Giveaway

August 9, 2013 · 160 Comments

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Environmentally-friendly living is one area that we are still trying to find our way with. We are far from perfect, but we do try. I want to be an eco-warrior but sometimes life just gets in the way! The recent Plastic Free July campaign made us look at our plastic useage and try to cut it down even more. One thing I just couldn’t work out a solution for was plastic bin bags. I tried the newspaper thing but oh my gosh, what a mess! Not very user-friendly for families.

 

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Then the gorgeous Natasha from Aussie company, Compost-A-Pak contacted me to let me know about their bags. I confess I did get a little excited about waste management! She sent me some bags to try out and I learnt more about the other ways you can use them – it was even cooler than I first thought.

 

Okay, so let me tell you few facts about waste disposal and how it impacts on the environment.

* Composting. Almost 50% of Australian household waste is organic and can be composted so the nutrients are returned to the soil. Unfortunately, much of this waste ends up in landfills, not back in our gardens. In landfills, it creates harmful carbon gases and liquid, which continue to escape and impact of environment and local animals for up to thirty years. We really should all be making an effort to compost and use it on our gardens.

 

* Plastic Bags.  Each year an estimated 36,700 tons of plastic bags alone end up in landfills, not including those that are littered. It’s known that they take up to 100 years to breakdown. Eeeeep!!

 

* Green Shopping Bags. The ‘environmental’ green bags are an improvement on plastic bags as they are reusable. But did you know that these bags are made of polypropylene, a fossil fuel-based plastic, the same indestructible material used to make car bumpers and wheelie bins? These bags are preserved in landfill for hundreds of years.  Not so ‘green’ after all? I think we were ‘greenwashed’ on that one!

 

Compostable-Bags
Compost-A-Pak bin liners

 

Okay, so given these problems, the guys at Compost-A-Pak decided we needed bags that are truly compostable. They created a range of bin liners in various sizes and shopping bags that are Australian certified as 100% compostable – there is no harmful residue left in the soil once the bags break down. They take about the same time as a dry leaf to breakdown.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Reusuable Shopping Bags
Cool, right?

 

Okay, so what are they made of? The bags and liners are made of corn starch, a seasonal crop. Third grade corn which is not suitable for human consumption, is sourced from international regions with high rainfall to ensure there is no need for irrigation. The bags are printed with a soy based ink. They are quite durable and you wouldn’t notice a difference using them compared to plastic bags.

 

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How do you use them?

 

1. Swap over.

Make a direct swap to the compostable bin liners and shopping bags. That way, you know that you are not contributing more plastic to landfill. That eases my eco-guilt and makes me happy.

 

Compostable-Waste
kitchen caddys lined with the compostable bin liners

 

2. Start composting.

 

*Kitchen Starter Pack. Use the compostable bin liners inside the bench top kitchen caddy. Put your organic waste in the bin, tie it up and go and put the whole thing in your compost bin. Loving it. No more smelly compost bins to wash out!

 

earth_machine

 

*Composting Pack.  The composting pack is the kitchen starter pack plus this cool Earth Machine composter. Perfect if you need the whole shebang!

 

Yes, I may be overly excited about waste-management and composting! I think these products are pretty awesome. They make being an eco-warrior pretty easy and manageable for every day families. We all know that if change is easy, we are going to keep it up. If it’s too complicated, it will fall by the wayside and we won’t keep it up long-term.

 

I like to think I can help change the world, one bin bag at a time!

Want to try them out for yourself? You can purchase them online at the website,  at selected retail outlets or you can win some, right here on the blog!

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Giveaway:

**This giveaway has now closed! The winners were Melissa, Stacey, Cathy, Caz and Krista! Well done girls **

Natasha is kindly giving away 5 Compost-A-Pak packs. Included in each is a kitchen caddy, a 6 months supply of 8 litre liners, and 5 Reusable Shopping Bags.

To enter:

* SUBSCRIBE to the blog. Add your email to the top right hand side.

* LIKE the Compost-A-Pak Facebook page. Go here.

* COMMENT on this blog post, telling us one thing that can go in compost bins.

Terms and conditions:

This giveaway is only available to Australian residents. It is open from now until Friday the 17th of August at midnite. Five winners will be chosen using random.org from those meeting the entry requirements. The winners will be announced on the blog post and emailed (make sure you make a note to check!) Good Luck.

 Offers:

* Join the Compost-A-Pak Facebook page and take advantage of the special offer – get 50% off the purchase of a single pack of liners to trial.

* Exclusive to Natural New Age Mum blog subscribers! Purchase the Kitchen Starter Pack at only $19.95 (plus delivery) and receive 5 reusable shopping bags for free. That’s $10 worth of additional value!  Just use the code FREEBAGS at the checkout!

Offers expire Friday the 17th of August at midnite.

 

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This is a sponsored post.

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: compost, eco friendly, plastic, rubbish, waste

Six ways to reduce your plastic consumption

July 24, 2013 · 105 Comments

Six ways to reduce your plastic consumption

It’s the single use disposable plastics that we can all try harder to refuse and replace with something else. We implement small steps at a time and get into the habit before taking on something else. This seems to be more sustainable for us than trying to change everything at once!

Here are six easy swaps to inspire you:

♥ Use Smelly Bags

How awesome is this product! We talked about this on Facebook one day and many of you said you liked getting plastic bags from the supermarket for dirty nappies, wet clothes etc. Well, Cindy came up with this fabulous idea to replace plastic bags for all of things like dirty nappies and wet clothes. She sent me a couple to try out and I love them!

The bag is reusable and environmentally friendly and you can whack it in the washing machine. Cindy has also added a name tag and strap and made them really durable and strong. No messy leaks either. Genius! It takes a mum to come up with these things!

Get Smelly Bags straight from Cindy at her website.

♥ Use a bamboo spork

I have been wanting one of these for ages and finally got one for myself to put in my handbag. When I eat out, I no longer have to use plastic cutlery. I feel like such an eco-warrior using this! The spork is lightweight, comes in the mesh bag and it’s made from sustainably harvested bamboo.

Get bamboo sporks here.

♥ Use stainless steel straws

Another thing that had been on my list, I grabbed a 4 pack of these from Biome on my recent trip to Brisbane. They also sell the little brushes to clean them with as well. No toxic plastic leaching into drinks now! The kids think they are fabulous and I like them using straws for drinking apple cider vinegar or juices.

Check out the stainless steel straws.

♥ Use stainless steel cups

These cups are on my wish list and the next thing I want to swap over. When we entertain, it feels easier to use disposable plastics but my heart sinks when I clean up and see all that waste! Washing these up really doesn’t take that long and I can lose the eco-guilt.

Get stainless steel cups here.

 

♥ Use produce bags

This is one change I made last year. They are a fantastic reusable alternative to all those plastic bags for your fruit and veges. They weigh virtually nothing and are easy to wash.

Get reusable produc bags here.

 

♥ Use food covers and wraps

I talk about these products all the time (can you tell I love them?) because they are so darn good. I have a whole collection of these and they have saved me from using plastic wrap. I just don’t buy it anymore and don’t even miss it.

These products just make it so easy to swap over. They are incredibly durable and have been through many washes and are still in perfect condition. I recommend them to anyone who will listen!

Get reusable food covers and wraps here.

 

What do you think? Are you keen to make some swaps?

 

(parts of this post are sponsored)

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: 4 my earth, bamboo, Biome, ecococoon, plastic, plastic free July, smelly bag, stainless steel, U Konserve

My life without plastic wrap

June 17, 2013 · 77 Comments

My life without plastic wrap

As a family trying to live a healthier and more eco-friendly life, one of our new years’s resolutions was to give up plastic wrap.

Once the last roll was used up after Christmas, I made the decision not to purchase a new roll. We had to start getting creative and finding alternatives! Six months on, we are doing just great without it and really wonder why we ever needed it!

Today, I am going to tell you some reasons why we gave it up and what we use instead.

 

Why give up plastic wrap?

 

♥ Eco concerns

Rebecca, eco warrior and mum, from 4 My Earth posted this on Facebook one day and it really hit home!

“We have worked out a rough guide as to how much a child would use in plastic wrap based on a sandwich, muffin and nuts/sultanas in their lunch bag each day for a year. We worked it out to be 105 metres of plastic wrap that would be dumped into our ever-increasing landfill. Times this by a small school of 450 students and it comes to a massive 47 250 metres per year!”

Plastic wrap cannot be recycled and is almost impossible to reuse. It takes hundreds of years to break down and once it ends up in landfill, it can be very damaging to our wildlife.

♥ Health concerns

Choice Australia tells us that “plastic can contain smaller molecule that are free to migrate into the food it’s in contact with. The plastic can slowly breakdown, releasing monomer.

• PVC (used to make bottles, cling wrap and the seals for screw-cap jars) contains added chemicals known as plasticisers. On its own, PVC is hard and rigid (it’s used to make drains, guttering and downpipes), so plasticisers are added to make it soft and flexible – in much the same way water added to clay makes it soft. Plasticisers can make up as much as 40% of the plastic material. Phthalates and DEHA (di-(2-ethyhexyl)adipate) are often added as plasticisers to the PVC that’s used for food packaging; again, recent research raises doubts about the safety of these compounds.

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic the body’s natural hormones and thereby cause a raft of health problems. Infants and the very young are most vulnerable to exposure because of their lower body weight and because their growth and development are strongly influenced by hormones; the effects on health can be lifelong. These effects have been seen clearly and consistently in experiments with animals and when people or wildlife have been accidentally exposed to high levels of endocrine disruptors.

While these compounds are undoubtedly hazardous at high levels of exposure, scientific opinion is divided over the risk from the much lower levels that we’re exposed to every day in our food. There is, however, growing scientific evidence that even at these lower levels of exposure, phthalates  may be causing problems such as infertility, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and diabetes.“

 

What to use instead of plastic wrap?

We use a range of things, depending on the food and if it is for transport, for the fridge or for the freezer. Here are some of them:

♥ Food Covers. I invested in a few sets of re-usable food covers from 4 My Earth. We use them to cover bowls and plates of leftovers but they also go over things like cut watermelon and pumpkin. They are very easy to wash in the sink or in the washing machine and they last for years and years.

 

♥ Food Wraps and Pockets. Also from 4 My Earth, we purchased several food wraps and pockets (some in plain for the teenager!). The re-usable food wraps are great to wrap up sandwiches or slices of quiche. The re-usable food pockets are great for muffins and slices, nuts, dried fruit or grapes. They also come in handy for storing things in the fridge like cheese.

 

♥ Food bags. If you haven’t worked it out yet, I am a a huge fan of the 4 My Earth products!! The food bags come in large and small and I use them for cheese, bread, pretty much anything really.

But where they really come into in their own and solved a huge problem for me was for meat storage. You can take them along to the butcher and get your meat straight into the food bags and then when you get home, just push as much air as you can out of them, zip up and pop in the freezer. Defrost with a bowl under and then wash the bags in the washing machine. Get the food bags here.

The other way I freeze meat when I have run out of bags is to tightly wrap in the non-toxic baking paper and then pop into a glass storage container.

 

Glass storage in the fridge

♥ Glass containers. I bought a set of Pyrex glass storage containers and they do they job but the plastic lid does crack and break over time.  Unfortunately you can’t buy replacement lids in Australia. I use my food covers over the container. The food rarely touches the lid, so I don’t worry about the plastic in that. These are great for the fridge or the freezer. Next time though, I would get a Glasslock set.

 

My life without plastic wrap - storing in glass jars

♥ Glass Jars. Although there is sometimes plastic in the lids of jars, if it doesn’t touch the food, I don’t panic too much. We re-use glass jars for all sorts of things – including leftovers, bliss balls, soup and broth.  They go well in the fridge and the freezer. Here is a post I did explaining a bit more about it. Goodbye Plastic, Hello Glass!

 

♥ Paper products. We love the If You Care range of safe paper products. They come in handy for a range of things but they are usually a last resort!

 

My life without plastic wrap

♥ Plates. Quite often we just use a plate on top of a bowl as shown in the photo! You can also store fruit like melon and pineapple, cut side down on plates. You can’t get much simpler than this!

 

My life without plastic wrap - stainless steel storage♥ Stainless Steel Containers. I got this ‘tiffin’ for my husband to use as a lunchbox to take to work. It’s also good for storing things in the fridge (but you have to remember what you put in there!). Check out Biome Eco Store for a huge range of stainless steel containers as well.

 

Other things you might like to try:

♥ Beeswax Wraps. These wraps work similar to plastic wrap and keep product very fresh. They are also fully bio-degradable which makes them the perfect alternative. Using the warmth of your hands, these wraps will wrap produce tightly and seal in on itself. The beeswax can break off over time with use, but you can simply refresh them in the oven on a low heat to redistribute the wax.

Check out the beeswax (and vegan) wraps.

 

♥ Silicone Wraps. These are fairly new to the market and I have heard mixed reports. I am more than happy with my 4 My Earth products and they have lasted years so I haven’t been motivated to try these! They are made of silicone and can replace baking paper, cling wrap and alfoil. They don’t contain any BPA, PVC or lead and can be washed and reused.

Find out more about the silicone wraps here.

 

If  you want to go cold turkey on the plastic wrap like we did, get yourself prepared and invest in a few alternatives first. It took a bit of getting used to and changing our habits, but we did it. I am really happy that we don’t buy this product any more. It’s one small step to help the environment and improve our health.

 

(ends 13th May 2018)

 

I hope these tips for alternatives to plastic wrap have been useful. Let me know what you use and how it works for you.

You might also like to read:
How to store fruit and vegetables without using plastic

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: plastic, plastic free, plastic wrap, zero-waste

Goodbye Plastic, Hello Glass!

May 26, 2012 · 33 Comments

Goodbye Plastic, Hello Glass!

Over the last few years, I have been gradually culling all the plastic storage containers around our kitchen and replacing them with glass. Not just for health reasons, but for environmentally-friendly reasons.

Did you know that plastic can contain small molecules that can tranfer into food it is in contact with? Some plastics are endocrine disruptors, meaning they can mimic the body’s natural hormones and cause a range of health problems.

The Choice website advises against two particular types of plastics – polycarbonate (BPA – shown as number 7 on the bottom of plastic containers) and PVC (shown as number 3 on the bottom of plastic containers). They should be avoided at all costs, particularly for babies and children.

 

source

Have you ever noticed that food stored in plastic can take on a plasticy taste and smell? That’s a warning sign to me!

We are also avoiding plastic as much as we can for environmentally-friendly reasons. Put simply:

* Plastic will be hanging around in landfills for a very long time.

* Recycling plastic is expensive and inefficient.

* Manufacturing of plastic makes a huge, negative impact on our environment.

* Plastic can end up as litter or in our sea harming sealife or in our waterways, leaching out toxins.

 

Bamboo Glass Jars

How we store in glass:

* I’ve sourced glass storage jars from the op shop and Ikea to store our dry food in. I also like Maxwell and Williams brand of glass jars as they are also well priced (like the bamboo and glass ones pictured). You can get them in most good kitchen shops or online here.

* Glass storage containers like Glass Lock (this brand is air tight) are great for storing food in the fridge or freezer. I have some Pyrex but I don’t recommend as the plastic lids break and crack over time.

* A glass dish or bowl with a plate on top (instead of cling wrap) to stop the food drying out in the fridge.

* Recyling glass jars. I put anything and everything in glass jars, from vege sticks to jam to bircher muesli to leftover casserole!

Here is some pumpkin soup I made and stored in glass jars. I freeze in these jars as well. To do it safely, don’t fill all the way to the top, allow some room for expansion and don’t screw the lids on all the way until the soup is fully frozen. You could put any food in these jars.

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This is how I defrost food in glass jars (if you have forgotten to defrost overnight in the fridge!). Put the jar straight from the freezer into a saucepan of cold water and put the heat on a the lowest setting. It doesn’t take long for the food to defrost enough to get out of the jar and pop it into the saucepan to heat up!

It’s also important to never, ever heat up food in plastic or use plastic wrap in the microwave. Heating causes the toxins to leach out.  Cooking safely and without toxins is a whole other blog post, so I will talk about that soon!

Stainless steel and ceramic are also safe storage options for food, but I prefer to use mostly glass as it is the cheapest option!

 

What to do with all those plastic containers?

Some of them went to the charity shop, some went downstairs to the man area for storing man things, some went into the kids’ rooms for storing pens, craft items, bits and bobs, some are in the bathroom for storage. Be creative. Just use them for things other than food!

 

Do something fantastic, ditch the plastic!

 

Do you have any more healthy, environmentally friendly storage tips for us?

You might also like to read:

My life without plastic wrap

 

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: glass, glass canisters, glass pyrex, plastic, plastic storage containers

Mesh bags = less plastic!

May 2, 2012 · 20 Comments

One of our goals, as a family, is to live in an environmentally friendly way. We find that we have to take baby steps – changing one little thing at a time. Otherwise, it’s just overwhelming!

Our latest eco-friendly swap has been to use mesh bags instead of plastic for our fruit and veges that we buy at the supermarket. I have been using green bags for years (and I am pretty good at remembering them now!) It just becomes a habit.

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I ordered some of these mesh bags from the kitchen shop where I work. If you can’t find them, ask your local kitchenware store to order them for you. There is also a company called Onya making a version too.

I have never seen anyone use them and I thought I would get some strange looks! Nobody batted an eyelid – not even the register girl! They weigh 15g each, so it’s not going to make an impact on the weight and pricing either.

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I think they are pretty snazzy – but, they are not so good for storing the fruit and veges in the fridge. Our organic supplier sells Peak Fresh green bags, so I have been using them to store the produce in.

The Peak Fresh bags are plastic, but they are really sturdy and reusable. I just give them a wash. They actually prolong the life of your fruit and veges too. That’s handy when I am paying a premium for the good stuff!

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Now, if you are really clever with a sewing machine (unlike me), then you could whip up your own produce bags using old t-shirts, like these I found on Pinterest. To see how to make them go here.

So, that’s our latest step towards making the earth that bit greener! It really is very satisfying to be able to make small changes and stick with them. Hopefully my kids are learning and gaining respect for the environment as we do these things. They are the next generation looking after our planet!

How do you buy and store your fresh produce?

Filed In: HOME / Tagged: eco-friendly, fruit and vegetables, mesh bags, plastic, produce bags, shopping

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