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...
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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. đ
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 youâre 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 đ 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 productâŠ
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 didnât 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 worldâs 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 â 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 thatâs 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 worldâs 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 160,000kmÂČ 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 thatâs 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 3mÂł 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, itâs 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 beltâs 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
Boost your immune system while social distancing
Probably by now, many people have done a fair share of staying home and practicing social-distancing. But how do you boost your immune system during these changing times?
It is a little known fact that humans (even introverts) need to have people around them to be well…human! We are not meant to be alone. Babies who are devastatingly starved of socialization do not develop healthfully. Prisoners in solitary confinement even for hours come out mentally changed from when they went in… We are not any different from them as during quarantine and social distancing times, we need to boost our immune systems to make it.
Based on a true story film that we just had the opportunity to watch, Just mercy, a wrongfully convicted Walter “Johnnie D” McMillian suffered life-long repercussions after solitary confinement and 6 years on death row, till he died long after his release. The human spirit needs positive socialization in order to support life. While our social-isolation during this global panic-attack is a far cry from what people on death row. (Did you know that at least 1 of 9 are wrongfully convicted due to poverty and race?) Endure, we still need to maintain or immune system to ward off illness and maintain hope that things will be OK.
Here are 5 ways to boost your immune system during these challenging times.
Eat whole foods to boost your immune system
While others scramble mostly for pasta, rice, canned food, and toilet paper…as a vegan, stock up on fresh fruits:
- lemon,
- orange,
- kiwi,
- kumquat,
- berries,
- banana,
- apple, etc.
and vegetables:
- carrot,
- eggplant,
- spinach,
- tomato,
- pepper,
- cucumber
- zucchini and other squashes etc.
You can cook, steam, bake, stirfry, and freeze them if needed. Ensure that you eat colourful fresh produce and limit refined starch that will surely add your waistline especially if you’re not active. Whole foods also include whole-grains, legumes, healthy fats like (extra-virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds. These foods contain vitamins and minerals such as the following:
Vitamin C
Vitamin c is the main vitamin that boosts the immune system.
Foods that contain vitamin c: orange, lemon, kumquats, sweet peppers
Vitamin B6
Foods that contain vitamin B6: Leafy greens, chickpeas)
Vitamin E
An antioxidant that fights off infections.
Foods that contain vitamin E: Spinach, nuts, and seeds.
Limit stress and anxiety to boost your immune system
Stress weakens your immune system, so whenever you’re feeling stressed, ask yourself this: “Can I do something about this right now?” If so, make a plan on what you will do about it. If you answer no, then rub your hands together and shake it off your hands.
Stress ball of light practice
- Rub your hands together to create warmth and friction, then open them as wide as you want, to create an energy ball. Do you feel the energy between your hands?
- Imagine that your energy ball is made of golden-white light. Now, one by one put in everything that is stressing or worrying you in this energy ball. It can be a colourful ball of light if you want.
- Now, release the ball to the sky and let the universe or God or source take care of it, transmuting it into light energy.
Prioritize physical activity to boost your immune system
It is easy to become a couch potato or for some of us, to go on being one, but does this make you feel good? Probably not. While it is good during self-isolation to do nothing and return back to your human-beingness, rather than doing, it is also important to move your body. The energy that flows through your body needs ways to express itself, so exercise is an important way to do this. you can make it fun and follow along to a dance video online.
A friend of ours sent us a dance video which we have enjoyed and I even looked for more. Not only is it fun to dance (you don’t need to be good at it, just focus on getting the moves somewhat). The interesting thing is, when your attention is turned to dancing and how your body feels, you give your mind a break from all pointless thinking, therefore, relieving stress.
You can also go for a walk if your garden or backyard or in nature to walk your dog. Keep in mind that your state police might come looking for you…even if you are not near anyone…This should not last very long hopefully. David Icke’s son, Jamie Icke took his dog for a walk in the countryside and when he got back to his car, there was an office there who questioned him on what he was doing…clearly not about health but about power.
Do something creative to boost your immune system
Not that we need expert advice on the obvious, but experts agree that creativity is healthy!!! Creating something out of nothing is a great feeling whether it’s cooking, art, a dance, a story, music. You don’t need to create the wheel, just do something your way or not. Something that gives you a finished product in the end. We are powerful beings on this earth to play with energy and create things. Our creations with the right intentions, fulfill ur spirit and the spirit of all.
I hope you are all doing well during this time. It’s important to do things that light a spark within you. Avoid the news because it is fear-based and will affect your immune system and well-being. Be hopeful that you don’t have to carry anything on your shoulders. Return to this list when you feel negative. It’s fine to allow yourself the space to feel everything without judgment, but don’t dwell there. Come out for some air or open the windows.
It’s darkest before the dawn and
a new day is on the horizon and
it’s bright!
References:
The Scientific Reasons Why Being Creative Can Make You Happier
Covid-19, the environment and us
Covid-19 is storming our consciousness, and its impact will not be forgotten. The environment has a break, as this virus has a positive impact on nature.
The world has been both reacting and responding to the novel coronavirus Covid-19. People are storming grocery stores to hoard food, toilet paper, and other essentials. To be honest, I never imagine I’d experience this reality in my life. As Y2K or year 2000 came and went and some of us still had the matched, candle and dwindling food supplies.
We are temporarily emitting less CO2!
Through a human effort to contain or better yet, mitigate the infectious virus, CO2 emissions have decreased by a quarter in the largest, most polluted economy – China. Unnecessary productions across the globe have been halted, and people should self-isolate, work from home and practice social distancing. While these things are great in slowing down the spread of coronavirus, it is amazing that humans can see a difference in the environment by simply putting a stop to the activities that negatively affect the planet. It’s unfortunate that production will speed up to catch up on what was missed after the corona nightmare is over.
What if we continue to do some of these things even after coronavirus is no longer a hot topic at the forefront of our collective mind? I hope we will think about the pandemic according to WHO (World Health Organization). And realize that our hearts and minds were changed because of this shared experience of vulnerability. I hope that we will be more careful and conscious consumers. That we’ll use our purchasing power wisely. Acknowledging that is just as important as voting for salespeople politicians if not more.
The power of health these days
At this time, many of us are keenly aware of the power of our health. Some of us did not take it so seriously just months ago last year. We eat what we want even if it is slowing killing us. Now is the time to eat vegan as it’s the safest way to make sure you don’t eat raw animal products. Since Covid-19 needs a human or animal host to grow and spread. The origins of this virus have been linked to lizards, bats and alive animal market in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus since December 2019.
How our actions affect everything
What if we continued to drive less, buy less, take our health seriously knowing that it could be taken away at any time? No, living in fear is not the answer. But our very survival as humans on earth is threatened each and every day by the decisions we make or fail to make. Covid-19 is unknown and scary, while global warming has neem known for decades while we live in denial of it.
What should I do during this time…?
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (optional: while singing your favourite song in your head to spare others)
- Avoid panic buying (more than your share of supplies, i.e., food, water, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and masks), but do get your meds!
- Avoid large crowds and work from home if possible!
Update: Many places of work are now operating only remotely.
- Beware of important topics that are slipping by, laws that may be being passed behind our backs because of hyper-focus on the coronavirus…ie. China’s re-education camps for 1 million Muslims
- Have compassion for other humans- you probably don’t need 24 packs of yeast..if someone asks you for one to bake a cake for a child’s birthday party, give her one put some back! (crazy story a colleague shared, *SMH*).
- And most importantly, hold dear a vision of a better tomorrow for humanity; one that honours all life!
- meditate t centre yourself
- Stay away from people who want to argue with you for not wearing a mask.
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 đ
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. Itâs 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 canâs number one enemy – and a canâs 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 canât get in there and do what they should. Others fit perfectly, triggering events the body didnât intend to initiate. Because of BPA, everybody dances around what to call the canâs 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?ï»ż
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!
The whole truth about plastic numbers*
You have actually no idea of the secret life of plastic. It is wilder than most of us would ever think! The truth lies in the plastic numbers.
Perhaps there are some amongst you, like me not long ago, who will make a big revelation about plastic and it’s recycling. I was silly for a loooooong time to think that the three chasings arrows, which looks like the recycling sign, means that the product is recyclable. Whoops! No! Stop! Think again.
Anyway, coming back to these signs and the numbers inside of them aka plastic numbers. As they all have it inside, which is what tells you the whole truth about this particular item. You can find such triangles composed of three chasing arrows from 1 to 7. The purpose of the number is to identify the type of plastic used for the product, and unfortunately, not all plastics are recyclable or even reusable.
Plastic numbers i.e. codes
Code 1: PETE or PET: Polyethylene Terephthalate – soft drink bottles, mineral water, fruit juice, cooking oil, salad dressing containers, mouthwash bottles, and peanut butter containers.
Code 2: HDPE: High-Density Polyethylene – milk jugs, cleaning agents, laundry detergents, shampoo bottles, washing and shower soaps, cereal box liners, butter tubs.
Code 3: PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride – trays for sweets, fruits, bubble foil, food wrap, medical equipment.
Code 4: LDPE: Low-Density Polyethylene – shopping bags, highly resistant sacks, wrappings, frozen food, and bread bags.
Code 5: PP: Polypropylene – furniture, luggage, toys, the lining of cars, Alpro yogurt containers, mixing bowls, ketchup bottles, syrup bottles, and medicine bottles.
Code 6: PS: Polystyrene – toys, hard packing, fridge trays, cosmetic bags, costume jewelry, CD cases, vending cups.
Code 7: Others (including polycarbonate, bioplastic, and acrylic) – other plastics, acrylic, nylon, fiberglass, etc.
By understanding these simple classifications, we can best use plastics to our advantage. While minimizing the health and disposal issues that may otherwise arise. Below is some information about the seven classifications for plastics, and the recycling and reuse information for each type.
#1 – PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
PET is one of the most commonly used plastics in consumer products, and is found in most water and pop bottles, and some packaging. It is intended for single-use applications; repeated use increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth. Polyethylene terephthalates may leach carcinogens.
PET plastic is recyclable and about 25% of PET bottles are recycled. The plastic is crushed and then shredded into small flakes. Which are then reprocessed to make new PET bottles, or spun into polyester fiber. This recycled fiber is used to make textiles such as fleece garments, carpets, stuffing for pillows and life jackets, and similar products.
NB! Products made of #1 (PET) plastic should be recycled but not reused.
#2 – HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
HDPE plastic is the stiff plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent and oil bottles, toys, and some plastic bags. You can tell a difference easily if compared to PET. Luckily this is the most commonly recycled plastic and is considered one of the safest forms of plastic. It is a relatively simple and cost-effective process to recycle HDPE plastic for secondary use.
HDPE plastic is very hard-wearing and does not break down under exposure to sunlight or extremes of heating or freezing. For this reason, HDPE is used to make picnic tables, waste bins, park benches, bed liners for trucks and other products which require durability and weather-resistance.
NB! Products made of HDPE are reusable and recyclable.
#3 â PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
PVC is a soft, flexible plastic used to make clear plastic food wrapping, cooking oil bottles, teething rings, childrenâs and petsâ toys, and blister packaging for myriad consumer products. It is commonly used as the sheathing material for computer cables, plastic pipes and parts for plumbing. Because PVC is relatively impervious to sunlight and weather, it is used to make window frames, garden hoses, arbors, raised beds and trellises.
PVC is dubbed the âpoison plasticâ because it contains numerous toxins which it can leach throughout its entire life cycle.
Products made using PVC plastic are not recyclable.
#4 â LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
LDPE is often found in shrink wraps, dry cleaner garment bags, squeezable bottles, and the type of plastic bags used to package bread. The plastic grocery bags used in most stores today are made using LDPE plastic. Some clothing and furniture also use this type of plastic.
LDPE is considered less toxic than other plastics, and relatively safe for use. It is not commonly recycled. However, although this is changing in many communities today as more plastic recycling programs gear up to handle this material. When recycled, LDPE plastic is used for plastic lumber, landscaping boards, garbage can liners and floor tiles. Products made using recycled LDPE are not as hard or rigid as those made using recycled HDPE plastic.
Products made using LDPE plastic are reusable, but not always recyclable.
#5 â PP (Polypropylene)
Polypropylene plastic is tough and lightweight and has excellent heat-resistance qualities. It serves as a barrier against moisture, grease, and chemicals. When you try to open the thin plastic liner in a cereal box, it is polypropylene. This keeps your cereal dry and fresh. PP is also commonly used for disposable diapers, plastic bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato chip bags, straws, packing tape and rope.
Polypropylene is recyclable through some curbside recycling programs. But only about 3% of PP products are currently being recycled in the US, for example. Recycled PP is used to make landscaping border stripping, battery cases, brooms, bins, and trays. However, #5 plastic is today becoming more accepted by recyclers.
PP is considered safe for reuse, but not always recyclable.
#6 â PS (Polystyrene)
Polystyrene is an inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with a wide variety of uses. It is most often used to make disposable styrofoam drinking cups, take-out âclamshellâ food containers, egg cartons, plastic picnic cutlery, foam packaging and those ubiquitous âpeanutâ foam chips used to fill shipping boxes to protect the contents. Polystyrene is also widely used to make rigid foam insulation and underlay sheeting for laminate flooring used in home construction.
Because polystyrene is structurally weak and ultra-lightweight, it breaks up easily and is dispersed readily throughout the natural environment. Beaches all over the world have bits of polystyrene lapping at the shores, and an untold number of marine species have ingested this plastic with immeasurable consequences to their health.
Polystyrene may leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food products (especially when heated in a microwave). Chemicals present in polystyrene have been linked with human health and reproductive system dysfunction.
Recycling is not widely available for polystyrene products. While the technology for recycling polystyrene is available, the market for recycling is small. Awareness among consumers has grown, however, and polystyrene is being reused more often.
NB!! Polystyrene should be avoided where possible.
#7 â Other (BPA, Polycarbonate, and LEXAN)
The #7 category was designed as a catch-all for polycarbonate (PC) and âotherâ plastics. So reuse and recycling protocols are not standardized within this category. Primary concern with #7 plastics, however, is the potential for chemical leaching into food or drink products packaged in polycarbonate containers made using BPA (Bisphenol A). BPA is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor.
Number 7 plastics are used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, water cooler bottles, and car parts. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters âPCâ by the recycling label #7. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as ânon-leachingâ for minimizing plastic taste or odor. However, there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids.
A new generation of compostable plastics, made from bio-based polymers like corn starch, is being developed to replace polycarbonates. These are also included in category #7, which can be confusing to the consumer. These compostable plastics have the initials âPLAâ on the bottom near the recycling symbol. Some may also say âCompostable.â
NB! #7 plastics are not for reuse unless they have the PLA compostable coding. When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for childrenâs food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. PLA coded plastics should be thrown in the compost and not the recycle bin since PLA compostable plastics are not recyclable.
Do so with other plastic items that have found their way to your home.
Are your eyes open now?
Okay this is something, isn’t it? Why nobody told us this truth about plastic numbers earlier, right? And all these plastic names are really complicated. I found it easier to remember the number and whether they can be recycled and are they safe to reuse.
After obtaining this information I went to our kitchen and I looked through the few plastic items we had looking for plastic numbers. I found two plastic bowls, which we got for free from somebody. For some reason, I have always disliked them. So, they are good to go now and find another use as a flowerbed or collecting green waste. The other few containers we had were all number 5 PP i.e. Polypropylene.
Let’s wrap the plastic up: which recycling numbers to avoid and which are “safest”
You probably agree after reading this post that itâs really best to avoid using all plastics if youâre able. But at the very least:
- Avoid recycling symbols 3, 6, and 7. While Number 1 is considered safe, it is also best to avoid this plastic.
- Look for symbols 2, 4, and 5, as these plastics are considered to be safest. These are the plastics to look for in terms of human and animal consumption.
Recommendations to keep in mind while buying plastic:
- Look for the numbers of safer plastic: 2, 4, 5 and 1. Avoid codes 3, 6, 7.
- Code 1 plastics are the easiest and most common plastics to recycle) and Code 7 – the most difficult to recycle.
- Avoid heating any grade plastic, not even in the microwave.
- PET is widely used for plastic bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks. These bottles are meant for single use only and then recycled.
- Avoid using disposable food containers e.g cups and plates. They are made up of Polystyrene or Styrofoam. When heated they may emit styrene to your food and drinks, which can damage your nervous system and is carcinogenic.
- Look for plastics labeled âBPA- freeâ.
- Opt for substitutes of plastics e.g glassware, jute or paper bags, metal containers.
- Always recycle or throw away containers once they start to crack or break.
- Donât use the containers which are used to deliver food or carry food after a single-use.
Unfortunately, plastics will be used. But you can certainly limit your use of the product. Hopefully, this post shed some light on this crazy material, which seems to surround us everywhere.
Most of the information in this article is coming from a true eye-opener article by Earth Easy.
If you are not familiar with the term curbside recycling, please CLICK HERE to find out more.
*Pictured are different plastic containers we found in our household after we were informed about the real truth about plastic numbers. All these were harmful to health. So we discarded them. There is a number of similar trays we use to arrange things in the drawers and keep different containers tidy. Find a way to use the plastic you already have and avoid buying more.
Eating local food doesn’t matter – what you eat does!
If you want to be more environmentally friendly, then you should eat local food. We all know that, right? But how wrong we have been believing that!
I love the many ways of awakening. I read and learn and think that now I know something. Then some new information comes along and it opens my eyes. Again. Wider. I am so excited about the recent discovery of food. Sharing is caring, so let us tell you the latest news about local food.
Local food is good! Or is it?
I guess by now there is not a single person, who doesn’t know that eating local food is better for the environment. After all, we are more aware of what is happening in the world. Especially what is the situation in nature. The very precious thing we keep destroying because of our needs, wants, and habits. We all need to eat, we all want to enjoy the good food, right? Not thinking much of from where the food is traveling to our plates or how it is made.
Somebody once told that eating local food is better for the environment. We all have been believing it, preaching it and sharing our valuable knowledge. Guess what, we have all been wrong. New data is out and it is eye-opening:
Why we have been thinking that local food is better for the planet? Because when food is produced elsewhere and transported to where we are, it has been creating those nasty emissions. Logically thinking, the furthest the food is traveling from, the more destroying it is for our climate. Yes, transport does lead to emissions, but it is insignificant compared to the amounts that food production does. For most food products, transport accounts for less than 10%, and itâs much smaller for the largest GHG emitters.
It is important to state that not just transport, but all processes in the supply chain after the food left the farm â processing, transport, retail, and packaging â mostly account for a small share of emissions. (Look at the graph below)
Blame the food production instead
But many people may not be aware that food production is actually very exhausting for the planet. As a matter of fact, one-quarter of the worldâs greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are created because of it. This is a frightening number, which definitely shines new light for our knowledge of planet conservation so far.
Different foods need different stages to be produced. Which means that each stage has its own emissions originate. Different stages are:
- Land use
- Farm
- Animal feed
- Processing
- Transport
- Retail
- Packaging
Depending on a food product the above-mentioned stages are bigger or smaller on creating GHG emissions.
The following graph shows you the data from the largest meta-analysis of global food systems to date, published in Science by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek (2018). In this study, the authors looked at data across more than 38,000 commercial farms in 119 countries.
What you are looking at is the total of GHG emissions per kilogram of food products. CO2Â is the most important GHG, but not the only one. Food production in agriculture is a large source of greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. Think of cows eating constantly, their burps and also the constant pooing.
Transport does matter – when foods travel by air
How often you think of how far the food traveled to the store? I have been thinking of that when looking at goji berries or seeing those beautiful Instagram avocado photos. I tend not to consume food, which has traveled for long, if except cocoa powder. This is the main ingredient for our staple food – dark chocolate. If you looked at the graph above, then, unfortunately, we have contributed a lot to the GHG because of our eating habits.
Before reading the article, which inspired me to write this post, I also thought that a lot of food is transported by air. Luckily only very little food is air-freighted. It accounts for only 0.16% of food traveled in miles. This is great, but unfortunately, those few products which still need to be air-freighted, create high emissions.
To limit your carbon footprint, it should be advised to avoid the small share of foods that are air-freighted. It is very difficult to know, which have taken a plane to wherever you’re living. Especially if the labels are not giving enough information.
The key element to know is those foods tend to be highly perishable. This means they need to be eaten soon after theyâve been harvested. Transporting them by boat would take too long. That is why the perishables are most of the time air-freighted. For example asparagus, green beans and berries are common air-freighted goods.
Next time when buying foods, which seem had arrived from far-away. Look for a country of origin and then think of the freshness of the product. These help you to figure out a bit where the food is coming from.
Save the planet, become vegan!
Yes, we are back at it again – it is better for the planet to be vegan. Animal-based foods tend to have a higher footprint than plant-based. Quit that lamb and cheese-eating. Both emit more than 20 kg CO2-equivalents per kilogram. Poultry and pork have lower footprints but are still higher than most plant-based foods, at 6 and 7 kg CO2-equivalents, respectively.
The largest GHG emissions, for most foods, resulting from land use and the farm stage. The latter is responsible for applying fertilizers, organic and synthetic, and also enteric fermentation (the production of methane in the stomachs of cattle). If to combine these two, then land use and farm-stage emissions account for more than 80% of the footprint for most foods.
So what can you do to be more aware of your eating habits and food choices? As what you eat has a significant impact on our carbon “footprint”. If you want to reduce it, avoid air-freighted foods where you can. But more than this, you should focus on what you eat, rather than eating local. Eating no animal products while switching to plant-based alternatives will reduce your footprint by much more.
I survived! I wrote this article during the last hour of my 20 hours fast after almost two weeks. Wow! Thank you for making it to the end. Hug yourself and be smart while consuming food. Think about fasting, as well, as this will make you appreciate your food even more!
The high impact of full-time work
In 1926, Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford made a groundbreaking change: 40-hour weeks with five working days became a must. Full-time work was born.
Full-time work is classified as 35-40 hours in the West. Having this kind of work commitment especially outside of the home means that you trade a lot of your waking hours for money. But if we are completely honest with ourselves, full-time jobs take away from the hours you spend out of work.
Ways that full-time work trickles into your life
Your commute to and from work adds additional time, preparing your work clothes adds more time. The unpaid work you take home adds more and more time, and finally, all the mental, emotional and spiritual strain robs you of your peace and time.
We rarely just go home and switch off the work problems mode- we take our day with us home whether itâs good or bad. Imagine that you got promoted or had an amazing presentation or secured a client at work, chances are you think of these successes as a reason to celebrate after work! In the same vein, if you have a bad day at work, you may also want to indulge after work, unless you’re a master of compartmentalizing your life and accompanying emotions.
Working during most of the week also means you have less time to live your life purposely. You may be living on auto-pilot and going through the specified motions required to survive each day. Here are some ways that working 5 or more days at a 9-5 has a high impact on you and the environment.
Food choices
Before work, you may buy a packaged breakfast such as granola, yogurt, and fruit or a tofu sandwich and a coffee (your own travel mug would be the best choice but you probably forget it).
At work, you may order in lunch or go out and grab take away in plastic and packaging. Styrofoam, for instance, does not ever disappear unless burned, which causes fumes that are unhealthy for all.
You may order in more often because you donât want to spend the time you have before bed cooking (even if you like to cook), which means youâre using more packaging. More packaging equals more pollution in the oceans and more trash in the landfills.
Transportation
The distance you travel to work and the area you live determines how you will travel to work. While many in Europe are able to bike to work in cities like Copenhagen which is the bike capital of Europe and Berlin where we’re currently based which is ironically the vegan capital of Europe. However, when it comes to green transportation, those who live more than 30 minutes from work often drive in heavily toxic traffic or use public transportation. Driving over an hour a day increases gas emissions, which has a high impact on the environment.
Children and transportation
Having children is by far the highest impact choice we can have on the plane, but still, we are all here and are grateful.
As a driver, your time spent in car increases as you shuffle kiddos back and forth from school and hobbies, not to mention the resources needed to raise a new human.
Mind you, working full-time then coming home to work further is exhausting and takes away from raising the innocent children you brought into your life.
Those who ride their bikes with children are truly magical and they really help the environment; along with cloth diapers, wooden toys etc. But personally, aside from the latter fun stuff, I know that I would not be able to ride with a child in tow, because I’m comfortable on a bike as it is, especially for long periods of time with the pressure of being a valid source of transportation needed to get us from point A to B.
Note: I live an hour away from work and there are not appropriate bike lanes for those kilometres, even if I was able to cycle for 2 hours in traffic.
Time spent transporting at least twice a day to and from work means that you have less time to make conscious choices about the impact of your daily activities on the earth. But we canât underestimate the rippling effects of a happy employee – someone who makes a positive difference through their work. On the other hand, having less time and energy to devote to looking at your life for what it is and changing what you donât like means you continue doing the same thing that is bringing the same results of headaches and a lack of flow. This may lead to illness which uses up even more resources.
YOU are part of the environment
Are you happy with your job? If you are, then congratulations. You are living by example. If not, then you are the only person who can do something about it. Seek counsel from your boss and if nothing changes– move out of the environment because you are not a tree. You can move when something doesn’t work!
Your mood, your health or lack of affects the greater whole. Your choices to consume and create waste affects the world. The environment at work affects you. Are you contributing to a healthy environment or adding to an unhealthy one?
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