Our story It began in a foreign country in Western Europe. It was the summer of 2018. We made a move and later, another decision that would change our lives f o r e v e r. The city was Berlin. The year was 2017, in the … Read more...
Why start volunteering this year?
We have been volunteering for 10 years. We can’t imagine our lives without it. Why you should make volunteering a part of your life? Read below.
We are volunteering weekly to make 100+ sandwiches for those in need. Also, we work every day to save food, trade it, and pick it up from kind people, so we can support our local little food pantries. Some may think that this is too much work, but for us this is joy. We encourage you to make volunteering one of your goals this new year. Why? Because if you volunteer in a field you feel strongly about, you feel like you can conquer the world! It makes you feel sublime.
Last year as most likely this year, will be not easy for many people. Now is the right time to reach out a helping hand. Think about your neighbourhood. What needs to be done? Or feel free to start your own volunteering opportunity. Like making soup and handing it out at an intersection or near a church. Possibilities are endless. Read more below about volunteering and its positive sides.
Volunteering is good for your health
I guess this is no news that volunteering is good for your health. As those who have ever helped out somebody knows how good it makes us feel. Do not believe me, read more here.
Volunteering isn’t something to put off until you have extra time and money. There are numerous reasons why the returns far outweigh the time you invest, especially during difficult times. Below are some reasons why to start volunteering now.
Not only for your physical health but also for mental health. The benefits are clear. It can relieve you from the effects of stress, depression, and anxiety. When you have a group of volunteers, even if you do not meet physically, it helps you develop a support system. So you do not feel so lonely and depressed. This is the most effective when volunteering with animals.
Volunteers live longer
Volunteers are happier and healthier than non-volunteers. Also, the older the volunteer, the more beneficial for one’s health. Even more than exercising and eating well. Who would have known that? Perhaps this explains why volunteering is so much connected to older people. They live longer as well. But you do not start volunteering at an older age, as they were volunteers already when younger. So now is the right time to start.
Usually volunteering is done in a group and it connects you with others. It is especially helpful for those who feel isolated or want to widen their social circle. Volunteering is a great way to make friends. Though at this moment social volunteering is not prohibited or accepted, there are still options for you to volunteer. Don’t know where to start? Check this webpage for tips.
Volunteering makes you feel good and builds your self-esteem
Helping others and doing good for the community will create a natural sense of feeling good. It definitely gives your pride and puts you on a pedestal. After all, you are giving your time, care, and a helping hand to make somebody else feel better. Not to mention that this will give you a boost in your self-confidence. The aspect of helping others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-being.
Also keep in mind that when volunteering, you are not receiving monetary compensation. Therefore choose those organizations or actions, you feel closest to. It is a great way to give back to them. While helping others you can forget your own problems. Most of the time we help out those who in need and it can show us, that perhaps we are not in the worst position in our life. Another way of feeling good.
A little remark, when volunteering, you are gathering valuable experience, which can be useful in your life. For example when applying for a possible new job opportunity. Though we recommend not to go for a full-work option. Why? Read more from here.
Conclusions: the importance of volunteering
It’s clear the benefits of being a volunteer are huge. Don’t you think? Improved mental and physical health, possibility to make new friends, and feeling less lonely. It also gives you a sense of purpose and deeper self-confidence. In turn, all of these things will help to boost your overall happiness: a win-win situation for all involved.
Before considering volunteering, ask yourself a few questions before taking the plunge. Firstly, think about which causes you’re passionate about – it means you’re more likely to enjoy and stay committed to the work. We like food and veganism and hence our volunteering is connected to both of these subjects.
Secondly, are you looking for regular volunteering or one-time opportunities? Thirdly, consider the skills you can offer and what is it you are hoping to get from the gig. Is it to be around people, feel better, or learn something new. Whatever it is, the main idea of volunteering is to enjoy yourself and have fun!
Inspiration:
How to embrace the new year and set your goals?
Bye-bye 2020! You were a struggle, enjoyable, but still a struggle. We are really happy to greet the new 2021, and set our new goals!
We will leave the Covid-19 madness on the side and count our blessings for 2020. What a year it was – nice travels at the beginning of the year, moving back to Estonia from Germany, and then moving to Canada. Living with friends and looking feverishly for an apartment on our own. The pains of finding work and our own path. Constant food abundance, new awake open-minded people, lots of cycling, and good food. We are ever so grateful and we are ready for the new year with new goals!
If you still haven’t set your goals for the new year, it’s not too late!
There is every reason to feel excited about this year. A tiresome 2020 is past and we have at least in theory so much promise and potential for growth. The strength has to come within yourself to make things happen. The beginning of the year is the time to feel hyped and energized. You can only do this if you leave the previous year behind. Many things didn’t go the way you wanted. It is completely okay. Just set your new goals and move ahead!
Here are some recommendations for you to use this new year to start over and start fresh.
- Make amends and fix any misunderstandings you have with your dear ones
- Forget the past mistakes and focus on not repeating them
- Choose a mantra, which will describe the new year
- Set new goals
Make amends and fix any misunderstandings you have with your dear ones
This is pretty straightforward, but we can’t repeat enough that the people around us are the most important. Our closest ones. They support you, they help you, and are there when in need. We should be able to be on good terms with them and let our ego go and bend, apologize, and be vulnerable.
We need real, supportive, and loving people around us. Do not waste any time on people who you have to run after, who never call you back, pick up your call, or initiate something. You have better stuff to do than spend your energy on them. Remember always: quality over quantity.
Forget the past mistakes
Past is past. Mistakes we made then, will stay there. Though they may affect us even in the present day, the only thing we can do is let them go. We have to accept the mistakes and learn from them. The best way is to focus on not making the same mistakes this year.
Choose a mantra, which will describe the new year
We have been choosing one for the past three years. Epic, create, and action is the words that we chose to describe our new year. This time we agreed on action, as instead of just sitting, we act. We do not postpone things we want to do, we do them right away. It just felt right for us to go for this particular word/mantra. Your’s can be completely different. One tip, though. Choose the word which helps you to make your goals come through the best.
Set new goals
Perhaps the most interesting part is setting down new goals. Here are many things to keep in mind.
- Your goals should fit in with your purpose. Ask how these goals help you to make your vision come true. You should only concentrate on what really matters to you the most.
- Write down your new goals. Not because you may forget them. They are more effective when written down. Use a notebook or a notes app on your phone or laptop. We prefer the old-school pen and paper version.
- Revisit your goals as often as you can. For example, read them when you are waking up or going to bed. This will help you to influence all your actions toward the attainment of your goals. All as we say – let it out to the universe!
- Short list of goals works the best. I know it is very difficult to put down just a few important goals, but this helps you to be on track the best. We wrote down 7 and too many to count goals. So we had to revisit them and cut our list shorter. Now we are sure that we are focused and achieve more because we are not pressured to accomplish a lot.
Conclusion
We hope this short article helps you to set your new goals and makes you embrace the new year. Remember it will be mostly how you will make it. Some things just happen and then we have to deal with them. Follow your goals, remind yourself of them, and just do it!
Share your thoughts or tips on what else to try to do at the beginning of the year.
Happy New Year!
P.s. Make sure to check our last year’s recommendations for the new year as well.
Inspiration:
Community fridge – new phenomena on the streets
During tiring times, communities have come together. Read below how the community fridge is helping to fill the gap while offering free food for people in need.
We appreciate food, hate food waste, and work every day to save food, share food, and enjoy food. As a society, we waste so much food every day – approximately 1/3 of the food will end up in the garbage bins. Since we love the environment and try to consume as little as possible, this is a really hot subject for us.
Though we have close connections with the European way of saving and sharing food – Foodsharing, the more common term in Northern America is community fridge, a new phenomenon that should be the norm in every community.
What is a community fridge aka freedge?
A Community Fridge is a refrigerator located in a public space. The fridges, sometimes called “freedges” are a type of mutual aid project. They help to share food within a community. Some Community Fridges also have an associated area for non-perishable food.
Source: wikipedia.org
So basically, it is a fridge in a public space, which gets filled by anybody and can be emptied by anybody (you what you need, leave what you don’t). The food is always free. There is always so much leftover food. These fridges offer a convenient way to store and share surplus food.
Sometimes, such fridges are accompanied by little pantries, which hold the space for food items, which do not need refrigeration. So in a way, community fridges are like little free stores offering a variety of food; except that you never know what you’ll get at the freedges!
Wow, that sounds fun – how can I start a freedge?
Luckily as with most wonderful things, you can educate yourself using the world wide web. Freedges are connected to a worldwide network offering information, support, and media for all community fridge related questions. Please find the link to the Freedge Network at the end of this article.
You may already have a fridge or two in your city, town, or neighbourhood. Now you just have to fill it with food or take food if there is a need. Leaving food in the fridges is not charity. Food is a basic human need. And if our governments fail us, then joining our forces for mutual aid is the only way to go.
The first and most important thing is that you need a small group of like-minded people who believe in saving food and sharing it with others. This is a good start if you can communicate with a small group and set your goals and tasks. Finding a location for the fridge is a very tiring process. Especially when reaching out to businesses and asking permission for the fridge at their storefront. If that doesn’t work out, try private locations. All you need is a spot for the fridge. The shed to protect it from weather, and electricity to keep it working.
When you have found a spot for your community fridge, then it is time to explore more about the options of how to fill the fridge on a regular basis. Visit your local bakery, café, and speak to the manager at your home grocery store and inquire about their surplus food. Most of the time it just goes to garbage or organic recycle bins, but instead, it should reach people. This is where we all can step in. Reach out and make a change.
No good deed goes unpunished
The idea to write this article came because of saddening news. As one of the first community fridges in Toronto was shut down by city officers at the end of November 2020. It was closed because in the city official’s opinion that it was abandoned therefore posed a threat to children, who may lock themselves inside of it…
Jalil Bokhari, founder and community organizer of Community Fridges Toronto shared a post about it on their Instagram feed. And it went viral – 5000 likes in a day! Obviously, one little fridge touched so many people. It offered food to hundreds and hundreds of people in its short four-month life-span. Luckily, the Toronto Community Fridge has four other fridges up and running. But they need desperately all the support they can get. Including filling with food, maintenance, and winterizing. Communities can together to help with all that.
CBC wrote an article about Toronto city’s shameless decision to close the fridge down. In there: “Bokhari said the city’s order is upsetting because the fridge was a source of “fresh, good looking food” for many people in Parkdale and food insecurity is an issue in the neighborhood. The city also failed to help provide a solution, he added.”
It is heartless that the government body, elected to support and help us, makes a decision to close a community initiative that helps them take care of its most vulnerable and forgotten citizens. This being said, it is more of a reason to start even more fridges everywhere! Share the food, spread the love, and keep our tummies full. All of us. Not just those with money to buy all they need and throw away long before the food touches their plates…
Conclusion
With winter is around the corner in the northern hemisphere, and as times are hard for many, it is the right time for people to come together to start community fridges and pantries all over the world. Find a group of like-minded people, a place for a fridge, and plan to build a protective shed around the fridge. When this is all done, the rest will follow. Your community will come together and the fridge will make many people sustained and happy.
Reference and links:
Biomethane and the environment- Why the car you drive matters
If you absolutely have to buy a new car, then please consider for the sake of our planet investing in a biomethane gas vehicle!
I have been recently very active in the food saving front. We are a small dedicated group of people who are always moving fast to save food. One member is an avid cyclist, but she is always looking to pick up food by car. I have helped her a few times. However, as a cyclist, I feel really bad after driving, as I spent fossil fuels to save food – a dead circle (as we say in Estonian). Most of the time, the car haul is enough for two people to haul with a bike.
There is another member in our group who owns a biomethane i.e. compressed natural gas vehicle. He said that this type of gas is renewable. I know that natural gas isn’t. I was a bit confused. Below you can read my little research on biomethane.
The most popular renewable energy sources are currently:
- Solar energy
- Wind energy
- Hydro energy
- Tidal energy
- Geothermal energy
- Biomass energy
His car uses biomass energy (compressed natural gas i.e. biomethane). And therefore indeed, is using renewable sources. The gas is made from the conversion of solid fuel. It means that plant materials become gas. Biomass fundamentally involves burning organic materials to produce electricity or gas. In this case, this does not include burning wood. And nowadays, this is a much cleaner, more energy-efficient process. It is possible to convert agricultural, industrial, and domestic waste into solid, liquid, and gas fuel. Biomass also generates power at a much lower economic and environmental cost.
What is biomethane or renewable natural gas?
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) or Sustainable Natural Gas (SNG) or biomethane, is biogas that has been upgraded to a quality similar to fossil natural gas. It has a methane concentration of 90% or greater. Biogas is a gaseous form of methane obtained from biomass. By upgrading the quality to that of natural gas, it becomes possible to distribute the gas to customers via the existing gas grid within existing appliances.
Source: Wikipedia.org
The main problem why biomethane, i.e. compressed natural gas cannot be distributed faster is the cost and placement of fuel storage containers. This is the reason why the municipal government, public transportation vehicles were the most visible early adopters of it, as they can more quickly write off the money invested in the new (and usually cheaper) fuel gradually. In spite of these circumstances, the number of vehicles in the world using CNG has grown steadily (30 percent per year).
Biomethane is 100% environmentally friendly. It can replace natural gas wherever it is currently in use. This also includes compressed natural gas cars. The most exciting part is that the fossil fuels in the transportation section can be replaced with biomethane. Plus, the pricing is better as well!
Biomethane and emissions?
Compared to petrol and diesel, the whole emission of biomethane is smaller. The number of ash pieces and sulfur dioxide is barely visible.
The combustion of biomethane creates the following compared to petrol:
60% less SO2 (Sulfur dioxide), 50% less CO2 (Carbon dioxide), and 45% less NO2 (Nitrogen dioxide).
Aside from that, compressed natural gas is environmentally friendly. It’s also cheaper and takes you farther distances. Compare the distance and the cost with other common sources of fuel below.
Biomethane and Estonia
It would work best for smaller countries if their governments can develop the biomethane market. Let’s look at the case of Estonia, a small country on the coast of the Baltic Sea close to Finland. The current funding allows the country to build more than 20 biomethane stations and one production factory by the end of 2020. The state is subsidizing to promote the market in the transportation sector of every spent mWh (megawatt-hour).
In 2018, two production stations started in Estonia. The annual capacity of one plant is 6 million m3 of gas. Biomethane is maid mostly of wastewater sediment. The second plant can create up to 1,5 million m3 gas in a year. The matter of the production is manure and biomass.
During April, a month heavily affected by COVID-19, still, 6334 mWh of local biomethane was produced. 5224 mWh was made from wastewater sediment. 1110 mWh of animal manure, biomass, and leftovers of food manufacturers.
How to make biomethane?
The survey composed by the Development Foundation in 2014 in Estonia states that there are yearly resources to create up to 4,7 TWh biomethane. The raw material would be mostly biomass from the grasslands (83%) and the leftovers of the farming production (9,8%). But also biodegradable waste from the industry, landfill gases, and solid waste of the waste cleaners. Creating more options to make biomethane, creates a locally sourced supplier using local and raw materials.
Are there biomethane cars?
Several car manufacturers are offering biomethane suitable cars with CNG-motor. There are options for cars, service cars, buses, and trucks. Even in tiny Estonia, you can find different models. Wherever you are, I am sure the variety is much-much wider.
Here is a list of possible models by manufacturers:
- Škoda Octavia Combi
- Opel Astra (hatchback and Sports Tourer)
- Volkswagen Golf, Golf Variant and Caddy
- SEAT Leon, Ibiza and Arona
- Fiat Doblo
On top of that, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Iveco, Scania, and Volvo offer natural gas-fueled cars and buses.
Here is a list of European CNG cars HERE.
Biomethane production – practical circular economy
Producing biomethane from the waste of the agriculture industry is an excellent example of a practical circular economy. Biomethane can be produced from everything that ferments. It can be manure, silo, cut grass, the top of the vegetables, restaurant food leftovers, etc. Also the production excess of dairy, bread, and meat industries. Basically, everything of organic-biologic origin, except wood.
And if you find that this is all too much for you, then please try composting at home. Check out our tips here!
Sources:
Don’t Buy Peanut Butter In A Plastic Container. Ever.
We do not buy much plastic, as we know about its health hazards. But this new discovery about peanut butter in plastic containers blew our minds!
It is only suitable that we address this critical subject in honour of plastic-free July. More people have to hear about plastic and its many bad sides. We are so used to it, that we do not even notice how it silently creeps into different areas of our lives: food, hygiene products, chemicals, toys, etc. come in plastic packaging.
I came across this recommendation when I was looking to find out if this particular peanut butter was in a glass or plastic container. It was very hard to figure this out, as most of the time it was simply called a jar. That could be either glass or plastic, right? Anyway, I landed on an informative website (source is at the bottom of this article), where I discovered the following:
Don’t buy any kind of peanut butter in PLASTIC containers
That includes even the organic kind. It is a recommendation also for any kind of nut or seed butter. Basically, avoid any kind of plastic containers! This knowledge is originally from a book written by Lee Hitchcox, D.C.
He states following:
- Most of the peanut butter on the grocery store shelves (even in many “natural foods” stores) already contain pesticide and/or fungicide residues, tons of sugar and a host of other additives
- Peanut butter has to be heated to be able to flow through the machinery for it to be quickly, easily and consistently poured into jars (plastic jars are also often then heat-sealed. The sealing of the combination foil-type/plastic barrier that is usually found under the lid for food safety reasons.)
- The concern is that the now hot oils/fats in the peanut butter help the plasticizers (in the plastic jars and lids) leach into the food, and along with all the other chemical residue and additives, make for an incredibly toxic product.
- The plasticizers bond to the oil in the peanut butter as a result of the packaging process.
- The consumer is then eating plastic… which is why peanut butter in plastic is one of the most toxic foods you can purchase.*
*Direct information from the original source.
It sounds awful, doesn’t it?
Where is the peanut butter in glass jars?
We really didn’t buy much peanut butter in plastic containers. But from now on we will never do that again. We hope that one day we can also start buying, when our budget allows, the organic kind in glass jars.
If you are in North America, you should probably stop buying your nut butter from Trader’s Joe’s and Costco. Because their organic peanut butter comes only in plastic jars.
Tamara was so kind to share a list with links on her post about few safer choices of peanut butter:
- Santa Cruz Organic (in glass)
- Organic Maranatha (in glass)
- Organic Once Again (in glass)
- Fixx & Fogg (in a glass jar)
You may also keep an eye on Nuts to You butters, as they offer organic and conventional nut and seed butter since 1989. This is an original Canadian full-range nut butter manufacturer. The nuts and seeds in their butter are dry roasted or raw and do not contain added salt, sugar, or saturated oils. Nuts to You nut butter are kosher, Non-GMO and dairy, soy, wheat, and gluten-free.
But even from a regular convenience store, you can find all-natural, peanut butter such as this one.
Basically whatever you buy, try to keep in mind that the fewer ingredients they contain, the healthier the product, and if possible choose a glass container. Besides, 100% peanut butter tastes so much better anyway! But if you are more interested in what kind of results Tamara Rubin got from the testing of XRF technology, click here to see the results of this testing!
Thank you so much Tamara for opening our eyes! Our search for the plastic container free peanut butter goes on. Though recently we have started thinking of making it on our own!
Source: Tamararubin.com
Mould on food: meh or no way!
Your favourite pastry may grow mould overnight. Should you trash it or should you eat it? Mould on food – all you need to know!
I remember my first encounter with mould on food when I was making buttered bread during my early years. When I took the bread out from the bread closet, it was half-covered with a grayish, teal furry looking mould. I learned that was bad and not good to eat, even if the end of the bread is okay.
As I grew older, I saw mould sometimes on top or on the sides of the home-made preserve jars, my mom or grandmother had made. Mom cleaned it thoroughly and the jam always tasted good. Now, juices tend to have a bit of a funky taste. Then later I saw it on cottage cheese, milk, cheese, and nuts. I have heard so many different opinions about mould, so I finally decided to look up all there is to know about it on food.
Why is it important to talk about mould?
Because of misknowledge, we may waste food that is still edible to eat. Wasted food means wasted money, more garbage, and contributing more climate change, as food waste is considered to be one of the most heated environmental problems. If you waste food, it means that you may have wasted some of your next meal. Each bite you eat is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Think of growing, processing, packaging and transporting the food we eat. All this contributes to climate change. Discarded food will rot and release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
“Fruit always starts to rot from the inside“
I heard this from a woman with whom we were circled around to get food from Foodsharing in Berlin. I just got an apple and it had a soft brown mouldy spot. She said I should not eat it. It got me thinking. Would the same apply to bread, which is covered with small mouldy spots? Would it be okay just to cut the bad parts off and then eat it?
The little colourful spots you see on food is just the mould on the surface. These spores allow the mould to reproduce. It works really similar to plants – it has roots below the surface, which travel deep into the food. It really doesn’t help just to remove the spots covering the bread. If you do that and eat it, you will consume some mouthfuls of fungus nevertheless. This wouldn’t be life-threatening, but what one should keep in mind is that foods that are mouldy may also have invisible bacteria growing along with the mould.
Luckily most moulds are harmless, but unfortunately, some are dangerous. Mycotoxins are the poisonous ones. They are substances produced by certain ones found primarily in grain and nut crops. But they are also in celery, grape juice, apples, and other produce. These substances are often contained in and around the threads that burrow into the food and can cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems.
Some mould is good for you!
I guess you know that some moulds are used to make certain kinds of cheeses and can be on the surface of cheese or be developed internally. This is all good. For example, the blue-veined cheese such as Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, and Stilton are created by the introduction of P. roqueforti or Penicillium roqueforti spores. Brie and Camembert have white surface moulds. Other cheeses have both an internal and a surface mould. These are used to manufacture these cheeses are safe to eat.
As a vegan, I do not know much about it anymore. I haven’t had any vegan cheese go mouldy on me. Not sure if that will ever happen to me. 😀
Help – moldy food!
Mould grows out of spores that are always in the air. Mould spores are not harmful in the air, but when they land on a surface, they start searching for nutrients and water. So food serves as the perfect environment for mould to grow – once it starts growing, it usually will spread quickly.
If there is some mould on your food – don’t panic yet. Read the tips below. They will help you to figure out, which foods are not good to eat, when they are mouldy and which are good to go. You just have to cut the mouldy part off. Exciting!
THROW THESE OUT if you see mold:
- Luncheon meats, bacon, or hot dogs, cooked leftover meat and poultry
- Cooked casseroles
- Cooked grain and pasta
- Soft cheese (i.e. cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre, Bel Paese, etc.)
- Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all types)
- Yogurt and sour cream
- Peanut butter
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Bread and baked goods
- Jams and jellies*
- Cheese made with mold (such as Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Brie, Camembert)
*The mould in jams and jellied could be producing a mycotoxin. Microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mould and using the remaining condiment. I guess my grandmother and mother have been wrong all this time. :O
EAT THESE, after cutting off the mold
- Hard salami and dry-cured country hams (Eat them. Scrub mould off the surface. It is normal for these shelf-stable products to have surface mould.)
- Firm fruits and vegetables (such as cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, etc.), as well as hard cheeses, are OK to eat if you remove the mould. Cut off at least 2,5 cm (1 inch) round and below the mould spot. Keep the knife out of the mould itself so it will not cross-contaminate other parts of the produce.
Remember while you’re removing mould, etc. that you should be washing your hands and food prep surfaces often.
How can I prevent mould from forming?
Refrigerate, refrigerate, refrigerate. This is the best advice coming from somebody who doesn’t even own a fridge 🙂 But I mean colder temperatures, the better, so your food doesn’t start going mouldy. Its growth is encouraged by warm and humid conditions. Be aware though, that they can also grow in the refrigerator too, just more slowly (think of yogurt and milk). When the mould spores dry, they float through the air and find conditions in which to grow some more mouldy friends.
Keep your fridge clean to avoid more food from getting spoilt and decrease food waste. And if possible keep the humidity at home 40 percent, examining food for mould before you buy it, purchasing food in small amounts so mould doesn’t have time to grow, covering food with plastic wrap, and eating leftovers within three to four days.
Sounds pretty easy, uh?
The best is not to let your food go to that state in the first place – consume it when it is fresh and do not horde food!
I have been eating mouldy bread, the same way I described above – discarding those little spots – and I am still here. After knowing that it is not only on the surface but also inside of the bread, it doesn’t make me want to eat mouldy bread anymore.
And if you are wondering what a low mould diet is, check out Balanced-healtcare.com article to find out more.
When was the last time you found mouldy food at home?
Note: Mould/Mold can be used interchangeably. Mould, as in with the ‘U’ is the Canadian and British spelling while omitting the ‘U’ as in Mold, is the American way.
References:
How many times do you think the ‘mould’ was used in this article?
Have you ever cleaned off the mouldy part of a food item then eaten the rest?
Paper waste and recycling 411
“Prefer paper to other materials, as it can be recycled”. But how many of us really know about paper waste and its recycling?
Evelyn mentioned the other day that if she has to buy something made of paper, then she would like to buy the item made of recycled paper. She said that making paper is one of the main reasons that forests are taken down. Trees along with plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and provide oxygen. So I decided to look into the recycling world of paper and paper waste.
A useful but wasteful product…
These days paper is an everyday natural material, we all use it and take it for granted. Moreover, we are using it more and more each day, creating lots of paper waste. Though it is a recyclable material, paper still makes up almost half of the waste in the U.S.
Kind people at theworldcounts.com have put together a very informative list of the facts on paper and paper waste:
- As we speak, more than 199 tons of paper has already been produced.
- 324 liters of water is used to make 1 kilogram of paper.
- 10 liters of water is needed to make one piece of A4 paper.
- 93% of paper comes from trees.
- 50% of the waste of businesses is composed of paper.
- To print a Sunday edition of the New York Times requires 75,000 trees!
- Recycling 1 ton of paper saves around 682.5 gallons of oil, 26,500 liters of water and 17 trees.
- Packaging makes up 1/3 or more of our trash.
- U.S offices use 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year.
- Paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste.
- With all the paper we waste each year, we can build a 12-foot high wall of paper from New York to California!
- The lessening of paper usage was predicted due to the electronic revolution. It didn’t happen. Demand for paper is expected to double before 2030.
- Every tree produces enough oxygen for 3 people to breathe.
Negative impacts of paper production
A very important fact that we can’t overlook is the environmental impact of paper production. This is because of the many negative effects:
- 40% of the world’s commercially cut timber is used for the production of paper.
- Pulpwood plantations and mills endanger natural habitats.
- Over 30 million acres of forest are destroyed annually.
- The pulp and paper industry is a big contributor to the problem of deforestation and is partly to blame for the endangerment of some species that live in the forests.
- The life cycle of paper is damaging to the environment from beginning to end. It starts off with a tree being cut down and ends its life by being burned – emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Paper production uses up lots of water. Remember, an A4 paper requires 10 liters of water per sheet!
- Most of the materials in landfills are made of paper. When paper rots, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas. When it is burned or composted, carbon dioxide.
- Pulp and paper mills discharge water that’s riddled with solids, dissolved organic matter called lignin, alcohol, an inorganic material such as cholates, chlorine, and metal compounds. All of this contributes to soil and water pollution.
- The paper industry is the 5th largest consumer of energy in the world. It uses up 4% of the world’s energy. To produce 1 ton of virgin paper, it is estimated that 253 gallons of petrol is used.
How to minimize paper waste
Paper is recyclable but it seems that people do not put much effort into its recycling or perhaps we are not educated to do so. This is something we can change if we are consistent, we can make the situation better. When thinking of environmental issues and solving them, we can no longer think that it comes down to an individual (each individual can change their habits for the benefit of all). You can’t change the world alone, you need a group of people believing and making the change. It is time to remember to reduce, reuse and recycle, and encourage everyone you know to do it as well.
What Eve and I discussed is that it would be wise to buy items made of recycled paper (ie., toilet paper!). Next time you are looking to buy paper, ask for recycled paper, even if it costs more money, producing virgin paper that is often bleached costs the environment so much destruction. The same goes for notebooks or blocks, etc. The other thing that we can do is to encourage the paper industry to use environment-friendly ways of manufacturing paper. We seem to forget our important role as consumers. We can influence how industries produce the products that we buy. With each purchase, we vote for the kind of world we want to live in.
Positive sides of paper recycling
Paper recycling reduces the demand to cut down more trees thus increasing carbon dioxide lingering in the atmosphere. Though trees are renewable resources, it is still a frightening number that around 160,000km² of the forest is chopped down every year. Trees take rain, sun and time to grow, yet chopping them down in one fell swoop is a devastating and unnecessary end. Trees do much more for us and other living beings when we leave them be to clean the air we breathe.
The recycling of paper requires 40 percent less energy than making it from scratch. Modern paper mills normally generate their energy from burning waste wood whereas recycling plants often rely on electricity from fossil fuels. So that’s the case against. Recycling causes 35 percent less water pollution and 74 percent less air pollution than making new paper. Recycling a tonne of the newspaper paper also eliminates 3m³ of landfills.
But it is still wise not to buy newspapers and magazines, instead using them in the libraries.
How is paper recycled?
I have always wondered how the recycling process of paper looks like. Earth911.com has put together a list to explain it:
- After you put the paper in your recycling bin, it’s taken to a recycling center where contaminants such as plastic, glass or trash are removed.
- Next, the paper is sorted into different grades.
- Once the paper is sorted, it Is stored in bales until a mill needs it, and then it is transferred to the mill for processing.
- Once at the mill large machines (pulpers) shred the paper into small pieces. This mixture of paper, water, and chemicals are heated and the pieces of the paper break down into fibers.
- The mixture is pressed through a screen to remove adhesives and other remaining contaminants.
- Next, the paper is spun in a cone-shaped cylinder to clean it, and sometimes ink is also removed. At this point, the pulp is sent through a machine that sprays it onto a conveyor belt. Water drips through the belt’s screen and the paper fibers start bonding together.
- Heated metal rollers dry the paper, and the paper is placed onto large rolls, which can be made into new paper products.
Give your effort to recycle paper properly
It seems like the process of making recycled paper is not so easy at all. It takes lots of energy and work hours for many people managing heavy equipment. Also, it is very water-consuming. But it is still better than cutting down more trees and making just paper out of them.
We can play a big part in decreasing paper waste and help more paper to be recycled. It is very important to recycle properly. I guess sometimes we wonder while looking at different types of paper, how to recycle them.
Here are a few common items that cause confusion:
Shredded Paper: yes, it can be recycled. But just in case also check with your local recycling program for specific information.
Staples & Paper Clips: leave them on, as the equipment at paper mills that recycle recovered paper is designed to remove them. Though, you should remove paper clips as they can be reused.
Sticky Notes: yes and no. It depends if your local recycling program accepts mixed paper. Paper mills that process mixed paper are able to remove adhesives.
Conclusion
We all use paper and we all need it. You probably have noticed that the fullest bin of the three recycling bins is always the paper one. So keep that bin filled, so more paper can be made. Avoid wasting paper and reuse paper as much as possible, ie., the blank side for notes. BUT do not start using more plastic. Also, avoid printing documents unless you absolutely need to, such as opting for online statements. Skip single-use paper products whenever you can do lessen the demand for it. You can also upcycle paper by, for instance, wrapping presents and other items in the newspaper. Share the knowledge with your friends and help to make a change.
More interesting things to read about the subject:
How Can We Stop Deforestation?
If you are looking for green products and you would like to support ethical companies, check out FirmHugger and find a variety of green options.
References: Earth911.com
The plastic lining in surprising places*
We are on our neverending path, getting to know more what things consist of. Join our adventure on finding thin plastic lining.
After we got into eliminating plastic from our lives, we started to find it from the places, we never thought plastic would be at. Of course, research is always very helpful, as from some places you would never find the thin plastic lining on your own. Or you would if you are a real detective 🙂
The truth about tin cans – most have plastic in them!
I know that this path we are on now is a path of never-ending discoveries and knowledge obtained. Also on a path of exploring more recipes with the somewhat limited variety of regular grocery stores offer in their produce section.
When we started this plastic-free, minimalism, less consuming adventure, we both thought: “Yayyy!, we skip the plastic containers and buy cans, glass, and paper-wrapped foods. Especially important for us were the tin cans, as we know that they are recyclable and even if left in nature they will degrade. But while the other day doing research while writing another post I came across a little Tweet: “Most of the tin cans have plastic lining!”. I was alarmed. What, I have never seen it or most likely not noticed.
Next time after that discovery, when I was cooking I opened two cans: red kidney beans and chopped tomatoes in their own juice. The latter had indeed the white coating, most likely epoxy resin. Wow, I was fooled and I was blind….but at least hopefully I can help some others now on their way of seeing things they way they are.
I think it applies mostly where you are coming from, as I think in North America tin cans are lined with plastic more than in Europe. But nevertheless where you are located at the moment, please do check your tin cans during your next cooking adventure. Tins are plastic lined either with a polymer (plastic) coating or epoxy resin (also plastic) and this applies for food, drink, and even cosmetics.
The plastic linings in drinks, food, and cosmetics
Aluminum drink cans
Aluminum drink cans have a polymer plastic lining. It’s there to stop acids in the beverage from corroding the metal which is not good for the can or the flavor of the contents. Rust is can’s number one enemy – and a can’s only defense is an invisible epoxy shield, just microns thick. A can of Coke (who drinks that anyway?) without that shield, would corrode in three days. You really can’t see, as it is behind the colorful design of the can.
I am not going to fall deeper how you can get to expose that lining and instead I welcome you to look at Steve Sprangler showing his discovery live on a TV show. Who would have known, uh?
Tin food cans
Nearly all tin cans are plastic lined with epoxy resin. This is used because of its exceptional combination of toughness, adhesion, formability and chemical resistance. These coatings make it possible for food products to maintain their quality and taste while extending shelf life.
In tins, the liner can be white or yellow or transparent in which case it is undetectable. In most cases, it is best to assume that any cans that you get your hands on have a plastic liner. The lining prevents canned foods from becoming tainted or spoiled by bacterial contamination.
Tin cosmetic cans
Tins used to store cosmetics are also lined with epoxy resin to prevent corrosion.
So now you are probably wondering, wait, what about recycling, were you fooled all the time? But what is happening, when the can is recycled, the plastic lining is burnt off.
Where else you can find secret plastic lining?
Many every day things contain plastic lining, which we are oftentimes not even aware of. Knowing that these items are made of plastic, should also help you perhaps making a decision, whether you continue using them or putting them at the right place.
- Coffee cups – check the cup next time for a shiny plastic lining. Also, consider paper or cardboard food and drink packaging.
- Chewing gum – it is made of plastic!
- Cigarette butts – the most littered item, which finds its way to the oceans and is unfortunately publicly most accepted litter. This is why you find cigarette butts everywhere.
- Product tags – if it is really shiny, try to peel the shiny part off…
- Teabag wrappers – tear it gently and you will find most of the time thin plastic lining. Not only, but some teabags also come in plastic, too!
- Wet wipes – they may be called disposable, but really they are made of plastic.
- Clothing – clothes consisting of microfibre fleeces, polyester, acrylic, and nylons are made from plastic. Think about it next time, when buying new clothes.
Read more here about, where else you can find plastic.
Is eating foods from cans is harmful?**
What does it mean for your health then, you may ask. The lining contains Bisphenol A (BPA) a chemical building block that is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Unfortunately, BPA is toxic and does leach from plastic liners into the food. BUT, another but, the amount does matter, as the dietary intake of BPA from can coatings are non-existent and there should be no fear to exceed the safe level of BPA, even if you would eat the contents of 10 or even 100 cans in one day.
Unfortunately, BPA does more than make plastic plastic. it interferes with hormonal biology. Biologically speaking, hormones are rare, and potent. The system that produces, stores, and secretes them – the endocrine system – controls hair growth, reproduction, cognitive performance, injury response, excretion, sensory perception, cell division, and metabolic rate. Endocrine organs – including the thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands – produce particular molecules that fit into particular receptors on cells, unleashing a chain of biochemical events.
Hormonal changes in infinitesimal quantities cause dramatic changes, including diabetes and hermaphrodites. Endocrine disruptors like BPA get jammed in the cells so that the real molecules can’t get in there and do what they should. Others fit perfectly, triggering events the body didn’t intend to initiate. Because of BPA, everybody dances around what to call the can’s internal corrosion inhibitor. The FDA calls it a resinous and polymeric coating. At Can School, Ball employees called it an organic coating, or water-based polymer. The EPA calls it a chemical pollutant. Health researchers call it an endocrine disruptor, and a chronic toxin.
**This paragraph is directly from the Wired article “The secret life of the aluminum can, a feat of engineering”
Conclusion
In the end, the choice is yours – are you boycotting all tins and cans after reading this? We are not using canned food much. We are buying only tomatoes, coconut, and beans in cans. Unfortunately, most beans do not come in a glass jar. In our case, when we are living fridge free, cooking a batch of beans for an hour is not really environmentally friendly anyway.
We are not consuming soda drinks and if we buy any drinks, then we try to buy them in a glass,
This post is an indirect reference from the wonderful plasticisrubbish.com
*Pictured is a tin can of kidney beans. The lid’s plastic lining is scratched off with a knife.
How much garbage do we really create?
You are what you eat, but how about how much garbage you create? Let’s dig into our little garbage container and peek what is in the three bags.
As we have said many times earlier: we are trying to consume less, mostly less plastic, and keep the household clutter-free. Sometimes things just come to us. This can be simply avoided. Always buy what you really need, write down a list to avoid extra purchases, do not shop hungry and alone.
Our shopping habits
Anyway while on our new path, some may probably wonder how much garbage we are creating in a week. I have to explain a bit about our buying habits. Since we are vegan, we buy mostly fresh produce, oftentimes beans and tomatoes in a can, rice, and pasta. Unfortunately, the two latter come in plastic bags, which we are looking to skip as well or buy bags of rice in bulk. Also, we are lucky that we can save ready-made food from the workplace’s canteen, which keeps us away from buying plastic-wrapped grocery items. Needless to say, when buying things, we look for items made of metal, wood, glass and we are trying to buy food packed in paper, cardboard, glass, and tin cans.
What is in our garbage bags?
As said earlier, we have a little cardboard box, where we store three little plastic bags. We are collecting paper/cardboard, packages, and garbage. Organic waste is collected to a bowl, which we empty daily to our building’s organic waste bin.
Below are descriptive photos of our garbage bags on a random week.
1. Paper/cardboard
It contains Alpro yogurt container’s paper wrapping, toilet paper roll’s inside, some teabag wrappers, and a towel’s tag.
2. Packaging
Here you can see a bag of rice, kidney beans can, and a cookie wrapper. You can’t see Alpro yogurt container, as we reused it for something else.
3. Garbage
Here you can see mostly tissue paper, wet tissues, floss, Alrpo yogurt containers aluminum lid, some dust, and lint.
The photos above change weekly, depending on our consumption habits. But we are glad that we have managed to keep our three little garbage bags quite minimalistic. We are not into buying things and consume plastic – so I guess we have a head start.
Please read our other article, how we are sorting garbage in our kitchen.
Zero-waste is not possible
You most likely have come across the photos of the waste jars of zero-wasters all around the world. Their little containers hold almost nothing of what they trash in a year. Their jars look perhaps like an average person’s hourly trash, if even. Don’t be intimidated by the little waste they are creating. It is impossible to live completely waste-free, as things may break down, things that are not recyclable and are made of plastic. Though you can come across households, which contain no plastic and traditional paints whatsoever. Goals, uh?
But it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to eliminate plastic from your household or consume less. Yes, please do that, it is good for our planet and your wallet. Buy less, buy only what you need, try to find it without plastic and try these three zero waste disposal options, before trashing the goods.
Just make a clear plan for yourself of what you want to bring home and how you can have a clear overview of your expenditures. Such little container with three little sections works the best for us.
How have you organized your garbage collection and how you avoid plastic? Share your experiences with us!