Making peace with plastic. Is it possible?
We have been consciously plastic-free for 3 years. But we still hate it, so we are curious if there is a way to make peace with plastic.
Tag: no planet b
Plastic-Free July is here to make the (useless?) plastic go away!
Most likely not, but July allows us to bring more attention to a material, which is polluting our world in every field of the world.
Have you seen the ad of Tru Earth Laundry Eco-Strips?
After watching this video – you will know more than enough about Tru Earth laundry eco-strips and you will be sold. We definitely are!
Doing laundry is almost as essential, as using a comb, toothpaste, toothbrush, and toilet paper. I mean in some way or other, we all wash our clothing. But what is at the moment perhaps more essential than the laundry detergent, is the advertisement they are using to advertise their eco-strips!
When we lived in Germany we started exploring and experimenting more with natural household cleaners. Most exciting was when I realized that the horse chestnuts can be used for laundry! Lucky us they were in abundance in the area, where we lived.
I feel like I am falling off the subject here.
What I was going to say…
is that Tru Earth laundry eco-strips are revolutionary!
Though we are into zero waste, using less, buying less, and having fewer things, we haven’t yet tried the strips ourselves. Because when we moved to Toronto, we have received many laundry detergents for free. But this all happened after we purchased a locally-made natural laundry powder. So we have a lot to go through yet, as we do not do laundry so often anyway.
The good things about Tru Earth Laundry Eco-Strips:
- New zero-waste compostable packaging
- No measuring & no mess
- Dissolves completely in hot or cold water.
- Works in all washing machines, including HE. Front loads or top loads.
- Helps keep 700,000,000 plastic jugs out of landfills per year
But I do not have to like Tru Earth laundry eco-strips to know that they are doing so much good. If you see their video, then you know what I am talking about. It is so smart, so fresh, so funny, a bit sexist, but again you could overlook that because what matters the most is the message. And the message is strong. Strong and bold. The video has nearly a million views in a month. A laundry detergent! Wow!
We haven’t received such attention to plastic waste, recycling myths, and plastics longevity ever before in any advertisement. This is an eye-opener hopefully to many people. It is a good advertising trick as well, as people like me become easily their fans, without even trying their product.
Message of Tru Earth laundry eco-strips
The short video portrays a very manly man who starts doing laundry. He doesn’t like it, but soon starts to love it because of Tru Earth laundry eco-strips! He calls out men to be more manly, explains that these eco-strips replace garbage, are eco-friendly, good to your skin, etc:
These funny looking strips I just use instead of my old laundry detergent. Why? Because this replaces this garbage. And who has time to wait 450 years for this junk to decompose? No, I’d rather be doing something manly, like pre-sorting the whites, darks, and oh, so delicates.
Maybe you’re saying, “Oh no, no, no. I put all my recyclables in the recycling bin.” I hate to ruin the mood, but 75% of the content in your recycling bin is rejected at the recycling plant, which heads straight to the landfill.
There’s just not enough need for all the junk we throw away. No! And real men say, “No,” to heavy, wasteful bottles, burning fossil fuel as they ship them all over the country. I pity the fossil fool. That’s why real men use, Tru Earth Eco-Strips. No wasteful packaging, no harmful chemicals. As sensitive to your skin as it is to our planet.
Tru Earth Eco-Strips are designed to be tough on dirt, tough on sweat, and even tougher on the hardest of stains. Simply tear off a pre-measured strip, throw it into your washing machine, and watch that little beauty dissolve completely into that, oh, so fresh smelling goodness. Now that’s hot.
Drumroll, please! Watch the TruEarth laundry eco-strips advertisement here
What are your thoughts? Would love to hear your ideas about it!
If you like to find out more about different zero waste laundry detergents, including the Tru Earth laundry eco-strips, then please tune in here:
Conclusion
Some day we will try out Tru Earth ourselves and see if we are fully sold, or we will be just huge fans of creative and environmentally friendly advertising. Whatever it is, it was a nice experience to consume an ad, which initiates men to do more at home, inspire people to think about plastic and the future of wildlife. On a day like today, we need more attention on heating subjects which appreciate nature and animals.
P.s. Though the strips are a bit pricey buying them would be the most reasonable for Canadians as it is made here, to keep down the emissions.
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?
Covid-19, the environment and us
Covid-19 is storming our human consciousness, and I hope its impact will not be forgotten. The environment will need conscious consideration even after we move beyond this virus which is having a positive impact on nature.
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.
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.
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 it’s 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 – processing, transport, retail, and packaging – 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 world’s 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. CO2 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 they’ve 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!