Skip the Black Friday this year, pleaaaase!
Black Friday is here again. Millions will spend more than they can afford, buy more than they need, and create a ridiculous amount of waste!
Tag: low impact
Inspiring quotes on plastic for motivation
As the last post on Plastic-Free July, we will leave you with various quotes on plastic. Learn and make a change!
Plastic Free Beach Toronto thanks to Dora Attard
Be open and let the world inspire you. Dora Attard inspired us when we met her at Woodbine Beach. Please find out more about her work below.
Since there is not much left of Plastic-Free July, which we prefer to call Plastic-Free Every Day, this is high time to introduce you to a wonderful woman, Dora Attard. Have you ever met a complete stranger in your city whose work inspires you? We did, on a warmish early September day in 2020, our last beach day of the year. It was Sunday, which is why we were able to meet her in the first place.
Who is Dora Attard?
She is a Toronto resident and a garbage collector. And Dora Attard is also the founder of Plastic Free Beach Toronto. Plastic Free Beach Toronto is an organization that educates people on the amount of single-use plastic that is used and thrown away daily and encourages people to create a cleaner world for future generations.
The way we got to know Dora was so random. As we were leaving our beach day and sending our friends closer to their bus stop, we noticed her giant globe made of trash. It is made from the garbage collected on Woodbine Beach this past summer. In the artwork, water bottles make up the world’s oceans while plastics of different colours make up the continents. We approached her to find out more, and we ended up having a refreshing conversation with her and her friend.
We found out that they have been doing this activity for quite some time. Presenting the beautiful artwork, which she had to install and dismantle every day, wasn’t all she did. Dora is a passionate fighter against plastic. She is bringing awareness to the problem of plastic use, promotes a plastic-free lifestyle, suggests skipping single-use plastic, etc. Plus she organizes garbage pick-up at Woodbine Beach. Since it was the end of the day, we couldn’t participate in this activity, but had a nice chat with Dora.
Why plastic is so bad near water?
Plastic is a substance that companies create to make easy money. It may be convenient, but is it worth the huge price that our planet and its inhabitants have to pay? Plastic will outlive us, and that in of itself should shock us. It should be a universal law that species do not leave Earth worse than they found it, that we do not destroy the planet for future generations.
In Canada, just 9% of the plastics collected will be recycled. This number is so ridiculously small. This long-lasting, poisonous material will be here for a long time. Plastic poses the most risk to the waterways. How will the beaches, lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds on Earth look in 5 years’ time? 10 years? 20 years? This is why it is important to deal with plastic now; today. This is crucial so that we avoid problems associated with each time frame in our home country.
We love Dora’s work, that she saw the problem and she took matters into her own hands. What a great way to make a change in your community! She said that the pieces of garbage most commonly found on the beach are cigarette butts, lids and bottle caps, water bottles, and plastic straws. She also finds needles, which humans and animals may step on or they may be found by children. The above-mentioned quite large plastic pieces are not the main problem. “The majority of the little bits I find are washed up from lake that has been broken down in microplastics. They’re eaten by birds and fish, and if you’re not a vegetarian and you eat the fish, then the plastic ends up inside of your body.” Dora stated.
What you can do to support Plastic Free Beach Toronto?
Participate at the Beach Clean-Up Day! It takes place on Sundays from 8-10 AM on Woodbine Beach up until the beginning of Fall. Always be sure to check Dora’s Instagram account for up-to-date information. Please share her handle with your friends and urge them to join you to the clean-up-day, to help keep our beaches clean and beautiful. Dora and her team will provide reusable gloves, buckets/bags, and pickers. The meeting place is out front of the Olympic Swimming Pool.
We are really interested in participating, but since Sunday is the only real relaxing day – read: sleep-in-day – then, unfortunately, yes, this Is the situation. BUT if a miracle will happen and I find myself wide awake at 7 AM, then Dora be sure, I will be there!
More about Dora Attard
Watch a short clip about Dora Attard and her work at CBC.com and read more on the same page.
Watch a video of Dora explaining what is it exactly she is doing in this video.
Visit Dora’s Instagram account Plastic Free Beach Toronto.
Support her work and buy her plastic artwork from Etsy.
Reference
30-day minimalism challenge: 210 + 105 fewer items
20 days later after participating in a 30-day minimalism challenge to have fewer items – what was the outcome?
The 30-day minimalism challenge to get rid of stuff!
If you haven’t heard about minimalism, then it is your time to jump on and find out what a fun thing is a 30-day minimalism challenge!
Let’s make this year about challenges!
We have been throwing some challenges at you this year: Veganuary and volunteering. Perhaps you are ready for more? Choose few below!
Here are the challenges we have added to our lives before, and will challenge ourselves more in the future. Added is also an extended list of our recommendations! We hope you’ll choose a challenge, excel and add more as you can.
Minimalism
Minimalism is the lifestyle of having only things that bring value to your life: a focus on less is more, so you can focus on what matters in life. The things we have, have taken up a lot of room in our lives – not only in our physical space, but also our mental, and spiritual.
Why try minimalism?
You want more time to do things you love
Having more things is distracting. It takes time to take care of your things, put them away. Many people can agree that managing things is never-ending. It takes away valuable time that you’ll never get back. Would you rather spend your time on the activities you love or on managing your overflowing things?
You want to focus on relationships rather than things
It is an understatement to say that Western society values things over, people. What else can we expect when the corporations that sell us things value profit over people?
Your mind is cluttered
Out mind is easily cluttered when we are surrounded by things. This causes low-level stress that we can’t escape. Try studying for a test, or writing a book while in a cluttered, untidy space. Our mind creates our reality and vice versa. The more things you have around you, the more distracted you are.
You want to work less
Most people exchange money for things, and since money doesn’t grow on trees (as many of our hardworking parents have overused and annoyed us with), we trade our time for money. We then use our priceless time for things. The problem is things don’t make us happy, nor will we leave this Earth with but a few (unless cremated).
You want an organized space
It is harder to keep your space organized if you have a lot of things. Just notice any hoarder’s home. The things take over and have a life of their own. Hoarding can be linked to loneliness, although things can’t keep you company or give you a social-emotional connection. It can also be linked to old age, as many hang on to things for the memories they hold.
Buying organizing boxes to organize things is another trap we fall into. The more we have, the more we need to get to keep our things organized.
There are countless benefits of minimalism. Are you ready to take the minimalism challenge?
Pantry challenge
Have you ever looked into your pantry and closed it immediately exclaiming that there’s nothing to eat? Try again! Open it again and really let your creativity flow – ”hmm, what can I make with these peas and onions? Instead of going out and buying more, take the pledge to use what you have. it will feel satisfying to clear your pantry as much as you can before running to the store to buy more. It will not only make you more creative but also more grateful for what you have. As a bonus, gratitude will bring you more of what you want! Win, win!
Are you ready to take the pantry (and fridge) challenge?
No artificial sugar
Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Can you believe this? Companies are forever advertising sweet treats to children, and yet, sugar is as addictive as other drugs. We vote with our purchases, so if we keep buying sugary things, we are saying that it’s okay to support this billion-dollar industry.
No buy challenge
No-buy November which is a challenge that takes place in the month of November is not the only time to challenge yourself not to buy anything. What if your budget included just your fixed basic expenses? Housing, transportation, and food?
Before this challenge, make sure you have weather-appropriate clothes abs shoes for the season, then get on this! In the case of a real emergency, you may break this challenge and return to it. Even if you fall prey to your impulse buying, hop back on the challenge.
No gluten
Gluten affects your stomach and digestion. Many agree that the wheat today isn’t like before, that many are sensitive to gluten. Whether this is you or not, cutting gluten has other benefits:
- Cutting bread out of your diet can help weight weight-loss
- Avoid bloating from glutinous food that expands in your stomach
- Feel lighter and healthier
- Reduce belly fat
- Improve your digestion
- Focus on consuming vegetables and low-sugar fruits (limit high sugar fruits)
- Prevent foggy brain
Conclusion
We are super excited to get some of this challenges on again this year. They prove to be a nice change in your everyday lives. These challenges come especially handy during these times, when all your favourite restaurants, movie theatres and concert venues are closed. That doesn’t mean that we have to stop enjoying our lives. Please share your experiences on any other challenge you have taken in your life. Looking forward hearing from you!
Want more information? Read these resources to find out more about your challenges!
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.
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!
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