The Power of Small Things

Small things

Hello, and welcome to my little post about small things! Little things can make a difference & we can too 😊

Have you made the switch to plastic free shampoo bars? I’ve been using them a while now & enjoy trying different ones. I like Garnier’s Ultimate Blends Oatmeal Shampoo Bar. Because I have sensitive skin it helps soothe the scalp & stop the itch! You can also get a kiddy ‘no tangle’ shampoo bar too for the little ones. https://www.garnier.co.uk/hair-care/shampoo-bars

Another one I’ve been trying recently is the Aussie Koala Bear Shampoo Bar. This is so cute sitting in my soap dish & lathers up really well with a nice soft foam. There’s a ribbon to hang it up too (keep away from running water when not in use). https://aussiehair.com/aussie-products/shampoo/nourishing-hug-solid-shampoo-bar/

Another thing I’ve been trying lately is Dr Beckman’s Magic Leaves Detergent Sheets for your laundry. https://www.dr-beckmann.co.uk/products/magic-leaves-bio-25-sheets/ They dissolve quickly into water even at low temperatures & can cut out plastic bottles altogether.

I found if you add one sheet you don’t get much scent so I added two without a fabric conditioner, but the fabric was still left feeling a little cardboardy. My conclusion is that due to the water quality in our area, that some sort of water softening is required!

Previously I had tried the washing ball called Eco Egg which our local supermarket now stocks. The idea is that you use the egg for up to 50 washes so don’t need a whole line of plastic bottles taking up room in your cupboard (you buy refill pellets to add in to keep the product going).

I didn’t like these as the ball makes an awful clonking noise through the whole wash & the scent was non existent. Plus it takes up space in the washer that the magic leave sheets don’t so I do prefer the sheets to the ball, in fact I gave away the ball + refill for someone else to try!

I've also tried Method Kitchen Spray refill. Available in a tiny bottle the size of my hand, this is strong enough to make up 10 bottles using water & re-using an old spray bottle. The citrus & mango one we tried so far & the smell is divine!

Caught the bug? 

Talking of small things it has been lovely to see bees & butterflies in the garden this year but we have noticed a drop in numbers. I saw mostly small white butterflies, even though we have a large selection of flowers including allium, buddleia, clovers, daisies & home made wilfdflower seedballs, plus we leave parts of our lawn to grow wild.

We avoid using any pesticides in the garden & leave out shallow bowls of water with bug hotels dotted around (for solitary bees). The butterfly watch survey results will be published later this September so will be interesting to see what the trend is countrywide.

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If you want to help bugs in your garden why not check out https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/gardening-for-bugs/ for some ideas. 

Don’t forget the hedgehogs need our help too. Encourage them into your garden with a small gap in the bottom of your fence for them to travel across spaces. You can map your hedgehog friendly gardens on this site https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/. Why not get the kids involved in designing a wildlife friendly space around your lawn.

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Remember, remember the 5th of November & remember the hedgehogs too. Make sure they’re not hiding out in log piles, if you’re planning to light a fire on fireworks night. 

Meanwhile next year why not take part in a Butterfly Count? You can load an app on your phone to help with recording & identification. You’ll be an expert before you know it! https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

If you have a wild space you can record your patch in the following site: https://wild-spaces.co.uk/. Folks with just a patio or window box are encouraged to take part too, we can all do our bit to help wildlife thrive & be(e) strong!

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According to bug life, 8 out of 10 wildflowers rely on insects for pollination. Our crops depend on insects too.

Don’t forget that hover flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wild bees (including solitary bees) & honey bees can all help with pollination so a good range of bugs in your garden can all help!

Did you know also that 25% of native UK beetles are pollinators too as they like to feed on pollen & nectar? More useful tips here at: https://earthwatch.org.uk/blog/the-different-types-of-pollinators-and-why-we-need-them/

Video on wild spaces:

A cool idea for bringing more insects into your garden is planting wildflower seeds. Pollenize is a company that sells a blend of 34 native seeds & grasses with an extended flowering season. Once planted they’re encouraging businesses & citizens to record their planting on an interactive re-wilding map https://www.pollenize.org.uk/seed-map.

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If you don’t think your little space helps why not check out ‘The Every Garden Matters’ report? They say ‘green corridors begin at home’.

Small gardens can connect wildlife as they move from one garden to another. We built our houses in their way, maybe we can give back a little to encourage nature to return. https://gardenorganic-assets.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/documents/Every-Garden-Matters-report.pdf

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The organisation ‘State of Nature’ writes regular reports on wildlife & habitat decline in the UK. Can be depressing but also a reminder on how we can (& must) do more to turn things around.

If you want to help out with insect & wildlife counts in your local area then their site has a list of organisations they work with, including bat counts, mammals, butterflies, birds & marine life https://stateofnature.org.uk/

People’s Trust for Endangered Species are also keen to encourage spotters who can record their findings – from stag battles to hedgerows to water voles - check out their site for ideas: https://ptes.org/get-involved/surveys/ 

Old from new

So what else have we been up to? My hubby has been busy growing tomatoes & chillies & I love to grow herbs. I decided to venture into micro herbs this year. Re-purposed plastics can be good for this (we’re not against plastics but wish to cut down heavily on single use plastics, finding a new life for old is always a good).

Old tubs can be used as containers for growing seedlings. Drill a whole in the bottom of one tub & add some chord. Put water in the bottom pot & the plant with chorded hole next level up & it becomes self watering as the water soaks up the chord.

Cut the top off the upper half of a lemonade bottle & you have an instant cloche which can be watered from the top. Or you can even use an old cleaned Ziploc bag as a mini greenhouse placed over the top. 

Meanwhile, you can use old margarine pots as a micro herb grower (see photo above). You can even turn lemonade bottles into a make shift vase!

A new project for self is to make something ornamental for the garden using old medicine spoons. I have donated old spoons to an artist for paint stirring but built up more since. I have plans to create a flower using the spoons as petals – let’s hope I’ll get around to it some time!

Stocking up for Christmas!

Meanwhile, there’s only a few months ‘til Christmas so I’m pleased to announce that our Christmas shop is now open! I make cotton fabric crackers with seedballs & a poem inside or cracker sleeves so you can make your own crackers using loo roll. Add your own mini gifts inside. They can be used time & time again & can be washed & ironed if they get mucky paws on them!

We also have washing up cloths of various designs that can be composted as they’re all made from natural materials. Plus fairylight bottles made from upcycled whisky, gin, rum & wine bottles. The batteries can be replaced keeping your gift going for longer & helps to light up a Winter’s eve.

New for this year, get a 12% discount on multiple items in your trolley. 

💬 Quote SAVE12 to get the discount when checking out 

Meanwhile enjoy that last little bit of summer, it’ll be soon time to get out your winter warmers!

Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas:

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Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!

Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

 Homemade Items for Sale 

 

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Season's Greetings!

You could being saying, 'Ahh Christmas' or you could equally say 'Arghhh, Christmas' - either way I hope it's a joyous one for all my readers! 

It's a perfect time to snuggle up with your loved ones, but do we need the stress and does the planet need all the waste? An absolute no on both counts.

To take away some of the strain, I have written useful tips on how to have a green Christmas, how to reduce waste, some eco books to buy & loads more. 

(See Christmas links at bottom of page).

Meanwhile take a look at some of our hand made goodies, including:

Re-usable Fabric Christmas Crackers
Cracker Sleeves to make your own
Christmas Themed Washing Up Cloths
Home Made Wildflower Seed Balls 
Washable Re-Usable Face Wipes 

Stocks are very limited so grab 'em while you can!

For those with the Winter blues, why not check out our positive news section to give you a bit of a boost along the way? 

Meanwhile, for those forward thinking types (one step at a time) then why not check out my directory of all good things, to help you decide which charity you'd like to support, how you can volunteer and some good sites to browse for the New Year.

So put your woolly browsing socks on & enjoy the ride!

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Useful links for an eco friendly Christmas:

Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!
Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

🎄 Homemade Items for Sale 🎄

 

A Greener Planet

Green Planet

What a joy it was to watch Sir David Attenborough’s Green Planet aired by the BBC earlier this year. It was split into 5 episodes, exploring Tropical Worlds, Seasonal Worlds, Human Worlds, Water Worlds & Desert Worlds.

Sir David Attenborough follows the remarkable nature of plants, including how they grow in remarkably hostile terrains and how, with a little care, we can encourage nature to spring back allowing a biodiverse environment and benefitting us in the long term.

If you missed this amazing programme & you’re based in the UK you can access clips at: https://www.bbcearth.com/shows/the-green-planet or find past episodes in your TV box.

Inspired by the BBC programme, an AR experience has been created for a short time in Piccadilly Circus, London. It runs from Friday 11th February to Wednesday 9th March.

Travel through some digitally enhanced worlds including Saltwater, Freshwater, Rainforest, Seasonal & Deserts.

The Green Planet AR Experience is located at Piccadilly Circus in London. Tickets are free & can be booked online at https://thegreenplanetexperience.co.uk/

Also available is this Green Planet double-sided colour poster. Produced by the Open University, it is free to order online at https://connect.open.ac.uk/greenplanet

If you enjoyed the programme, you can test your knowledge with the Green Planet Quizzes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/603w5bpcKGlp2WtkzqLDp6X/the-green-planet-quizzes

How Can we Keep our Green Planet Green?

Hedgerow Planting:

Hedgerows are easy to undervalue but they are a great refuge for multiple species of birds and insects. According to Positive News, the Climate Change Committee recommends a 40% increase in hedgerows, which not only helps wildlife but they can act as a carbon store. Devon Farmer Rob Wolton, with the aid of entomologists, spotted 2000 species in one hedge alone, including insects, small mammals, lizards, grass snakes and various types of birds.

The Guardian report that hedges reduce the likelihood of flooding downstream, help to suck pollutants out of water, and prevent soil erosion. Flower filled hedgerows could also attract pollinators which have been in decline. (An excellent look at the benefit of hedgerows and how they can help us reach net zero can be read in the Guardian link above.)

The Tree Council kick started a National Hedgerow Planting Week end of May/early June last year. Their Close the Gap Hedgerow Project is part funded by the UK Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund in unison with the National Lottery.

If you’d like to support them you can donate to the Tree Council, pledge a hedge or get tips on looking after your own hedge at: https://treecouncil.org.uk/our-members/close-the-gap/

The People's Trust for Endangered Species have links to a hedgerow survey app you can download.

Tree Planting:

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Everyone across the UK is being invited to plant trees from October 2021 (when the tree planting season begins) through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022.

For more info head on down to: 

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/queens-green-canopy/

The Local Authority Treescape Fund (LATF) will re-open in early 2022. The government expects that up to 100 grants worth £50,000 to £300,000 will be available for local authorities in the next round.

The first round of funding is currently supporting planting of an expected 260,000 trees outside of woodlands, with 139 local authorities awarded a share of £4.4 million across 42 projects. 

For further tree & woodland planting grants head on down to: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tree-planting-and-woodland-creation-funding-and-advice

So why are trees so important? Although they can produce carbon, they sequester twice as much as they emit allowing them to be a carbon sink.

According to an article by Eco Watch: ‘Forests emitted on average 8.1 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide and absorbed 16 billion between 2001 and 2019.’ The net amount absorbed is 1.5 times more than United States emits annually, so our trees MUST be nurtured if we want to continue our existence.

Peatland Restoration:

The UK Peatland Strategy was launched in April 2018 by the IUCN UK Peatland Programme. They estimate that 80% of peatland is degraded, this sadly leads to drying out of the peat causing carbon loss rather than carbon capture. In the UK, three broad peatland types exist – blanket bog, raised bog and fen. Peatland in good condition can help with water filtration and prevent flooding, as well as encourage a more diverse mix of plants and insects which then encourages a greater mix of birds and wildlife.

In 2021 the UK government produced an England Peat Action Plan (PDF). According to the plan they have launched a four year ‘Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme’ investing over £50million in peatland restoration by 2025.

According to Cambridge news:

“Peatlands are Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon store, holding more than twice the amount of carbon in all the world’s forests. 87 per cent of peatlands are degraded. In this state, they do not capture and store carbon but emit an estimated 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent every year.

“The Government’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme aims to capture this carbon by setting 35,000 ha of degraded peatland on a path to restoration by 2025.”
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/fens-benefit-cash-boost-20-22704400

Seagrass Planting:

Swansea University, Sky Ocean Rescue & WWF have been planting sea grasses to help our shores. Sea grasses are a useful source of carbon capture & provide a haven for sea life. 

Sadly 92% of seagrass on UK shores have disappeared - with planting projects, the aim is to bring back a thriving community. https://www.wwf.org.uk/press-release/seeds-planted-uk-seagrass

A Seagrass Seeds of Recovery Fund has helped create a Seagrass Nursey in Wales. For some of the seagrass projects around the UK, including England, Scotland & Wales check out: https://seagrass.org.uk/?page_id=87

Rewilding Land:

Rewilding is allowing nature to return back to its natural habitat. Land can be over farmed losing its nutrients; trees can be cut down for house building & animal grazing can strip young shoots preventing new growth. Hedgerows can be cleared to make way for larger fields and waterways can be straightened and narrowed, reducing natural flood plains which can result in flood water rushing down into inhabited towns and villages.

Animals, birds and insects that rely on natural surroundings begin to suffer as their native food supply may be lost due to lack of forest and ground cover and lack of healthy plant and flower growth in the area. Soil can lose nutrients and peat land can dry out. With dry peat land, unhealthy soil and a lack of greenery, this leads to carbon storage becoming much harder to control causing carbons to be lost into the atmosphere.

Rewilding projects help to work with landowners and farmers & allows nature to return back to its former glory, thereby encouraging a more biodiverse landscape. This will help with carbon capture thereby helping us out too!

If you’re a landowner, here’s 12 steps to begin rewilding: https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/start-rewilding/12-steps-to-rewilding

Regenerative Farming:

Check out this short video by the United Nations:

Overgrazing can deplete soil causing loss of nutrients and soil erosion. We don’t have to STOP farming, just re-think the methods in the way we do it. 

Methods could include planting wildflower meadows along the edges, building more hedgerows, allowing fields to recover before bringing grazers back in, avoid over tilling of soil which could strip the nutrients, planting trees, shrubs and herbs that produce food which also encourages pollinators & allowing grazing animals to move between trees rather than land clearance.

Our recent eco booze article covered ways in which grape producers encourage local biodiversity in between their planted vines as an example.

There’s also the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund by the UK government which encourages collaborative farming communities getting together to exchange ideas. 'The scheme plays a significant role in fostering and strengthening an engaged, collaborative and environmentally aware farming community.'

Wildflowers:

The Tower of London are holding a Super Bloom event this year. Vibrant meadow flowers will be used to fill the moat in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

In spring 2022, over 20 million seeds will be sown from carefully designed seed mixes. 

The flowers will be in bloom from June to September. Tickets can be booked online at: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/superbloom-at-the-tower-of-london

Seedballs:

One of the Green Planet episodes covered a project in Kenya, whereby seeds were encased in charcoal ash and scattered by volunteers which included school children and wardens. Numerous ways have been used to plant seedballs, including dropping from planes, using slingshots to project them in random directions (great fun for the kids!) and some countries even uses camel riders to drop seedballs as they trek through the desert.

More on the Seedballs Kenya project at: https://www.seedballskenya.com/

The beauty of seedballs is that the material used to encase the seeds (such as charcoal, clay), can be used to protect the seedlings and feed them during the early development. The seeds naturally bury their roots down into the soil so don’t need digging in.

Did you know that Lovelier Planet have been making seedballs with wildflower seeds for your garden? A good way to attract bees and butterflies into your garden to increase pollination. 

They are individually hand made from 50% compost & 50% clay and come in packs of 10 balls in a gift pack (which can be personalised on request) or in home made fabric crackers in packs of six available, with Easter and Christmas designs. See our etsy store for more details.

Resources for the Family:

Schools:

Ask your school to apply for some free tree planting packs with the Woodland Trust: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/your-school/plant-trees-with-your-school/

Try this excellent Tree Tools for Schools site, which is a child friendly & full of resources: http://treetoolsforschools.org.uk/menu/

Apply for fruit tree and hedgerow packs with the Tree Council (current application ends 7th March 2022) https://treecouncil.org.uk/schools-and-education/orchards-for-schools/#apply

Weddings:

Couples can get married in the Northwoods Rewilding Centre in Scotland. Maybe carbon offset your wedding day or perhaps ask for donations to support re-wilding projects. More info on all these options at: https://www.scotlandbigpicture.com/weddings.

For confetti, why not choose flower confetti using dried petals? (Normal confetti may contain plastics). https://www.confettidirect.co.uk/ 

For flowers & bouquets, check whether they are grown in the UK (rather than flown in from abroad) to reduce your carbon footprint.

Some great links below on eco wedding choices including venue and suppliers at: 

https://eco-friendlyweddings.co.uk/

Funerals:

Green burials are becoming more popular. Read more on this at: https://www.funeralbasics.org/what-is-green-burial/ or https://www.dignityfunerals.co.uk/arranging-a-funeral/types-of-funeral/eco-burial/

Did you know you can choose alternative coffins too, including beautifully designed cardboard based coffins?

 
Memorial:

If you have lost a loved one why not donate a tree in their honour through Woodland Trust? RSPB can accept memorial donations and have a book of remembrance at selected reserves.

Shopping:

Support sustainably produced projects such as companies that use green energy or re-utilise waste products (check out our recent eco-booze article for some ideas).

If buying products made from trees, look at for the FSC label to ensure it was properly managed, or use products made from faster growing bamboo. Our reviews section has some ideas for you. 

Check whether your product uses sustainable palm oil by using a Giki app. (This app looks at various ethical badges to help you make an informed choice). 

Also look out for the Rainforest Alliance logo on products for sustainable agriculture.

Check the label and see which products are produced locally. Avoid those sent by plane (for instance perishable goods such as fruit & veg flown in from abroad). Support your local farm shop for fresh produce.

Support local care farms (aimed at helping people as well as the environment whilst growing and selling fresh produce). There is a UK map here which you can enlarge to see the local care farm in your area. https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/your-area

Check our food to save the planet article a look at the impact of various food choices.

Waste:

Check the packaging of items you buy in store to see if the manufacturer uses recycled content for their packaging (this uses less virgin plastics or trees which would add to your carbon footprint).

If you have a zero waste store in your area, help cut down on packaging waste by taking your own containers. See this directory for some stores near you. 

https://www.thezerowastenetwork.com/

Reduce food waste (waste produces methane which can affect plant growth and increase global warming). There are some food apps to help reduce waste you can try.

Holidays:

Flying is a huge source of greenhouse gas emmissions for our planet. Look for greener ways to get around. If staying in the UK check out the National Trust’s eco holiday accommodation site.

Reading:

Check our list of eco books which can help make swaps in your life to more eco friendly products. https://www.lovelierplanet.com/search?q=books

Garden:

Create a wildlife friendly garden with tips from the PTES. The site includes pollinating flowers, how to create woodpiles, insect hotels, bat boxes, ponds & hedgehog friendly gardens.

Anyone donating receives a free Wildlife Friendly Garden Kit too!

Exercise:

Ditch the gym membership and find some outdoor gym equipment in your local area. This site shows some ‘fresh air fitness gyms’ that might be near you.

Check for local activities such as ranger led nature walks at the National Trust.

If you like walking, maybe get a group of friends together to do a beach clean or litter pick.

Waterhaul, a UK company, can sell you litter pickers for about £15 made from recycled fishing nets and face masks. Great idea! Or the RSPB has one made from recycled plastics & metal.

Easter:

You’ll be surprised that even Easter eggs have their affect on the planet as well as worker’s rights. The Ethical Consumer group has listed Cadbury’s, Terry’s & Nestle as scoring poorly in their league table. 

Read on to learn more. (It’s worth reading the summaries below the league table too for some interesting insights).

Christmas:

Maybe not relevant now, but keep an eye on our tips towards the end of the year to reduce waste at Christmas. https://www.lovelierplanet.com/search?q=christmas

Banking:

Support banks & pensions that don’t invest in companies that fund oil production or chopping down of trees.

For a look at ethical investments check out this very informative site: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/money-finance/introduction-green-investment-funds

The site below is an eye opener for those looking at greener savings accounts. I was shocked to see my bank has been financing the nuclear weapons industry, as well as contributing to climate change industries whilst scoring poorly in tax payments and the use of tax havens. 

They are also involved in high levels of directors pay. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/money-finance/shopping-guide/ethical-savings-accounts

What Else Can We Do?

⚘ Support charities such as wwf, woodland trust, wildlife trust, & friends of the earth. Support your local Green Party candidate. 

⚘ Support companies that offer free tree planting with your order such as Floral Fox. Switch your search engine browser to Ecosia to support tree planting projects with every click. 

⚘ Get ready for Earth Day 2022 with your Earth Day Action Toolkit! 

Don't forget to breathe!

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Festive Dreamin'

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint This Christmas

This time of year can be joyous but can also be stressful, not only for us but also for the planet. Thrown away toys, unwanted gifts, plastic packaging, excess food waste, the list goes on. But we can do better. Here’s some thoughts on how to reduce our use of resources AND make ourselves feel better at the same time!

Reduce – it’s so easy to get into the habit of excess buying. A poster on a forum had some good ideas. Buy your child something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.

For older members of the family maybe set a limit so you don’t feel you have to spend lots, no more than a tenner perhaps. Or make your own items that they enjoy like bath salts for a bath enthusiast or your own biccies for that someone with a sweet tooth. Try these 100 Homemade Gift Ideas for some inspiration.

If you do buy gifts, why not buy from a charity shop catalogue, you know your gifts are also helping charity, or look to sponsor an animal maybe.

To reduce food waste keep an eye on use buy dates. Best before dates are usually safe (even after the date) but use by dates you want to keep an eye on. I try to write on a white board which things need eating as a reminder or bundle left overs in the freezer for later in the week.

Food waste can often be composted but it does produce methane, a greenhouse gas so reducing waste can reduce our carbon footprint.

There are some food waste apps that help to reduce waste you can try.

Check my reviews for some eco products too for some ideas of less wasteful products to try or check out some of our home made items for sale.

Reuse – it’s OK to reuse old wrapping paper, or even use brown wrapping paper tied in string. You can find ways to brighten it up. Be creative and inventive! 

Try this site for some eco friendly gift wrapping ideas.

Recycle – frustrating I know, we try so hard to recycle but it can be very complicated. To get an idea of what recycling symbols mean check out our blog post.

RecycleNow is also a great site to guide you along the way.

For anything tricky to recycle like toothpaste tubes and cat food pouches, take a look at Terracycle to see if there’s a recycling point near you.

Rekindle – is there an old hobby you lost sight of? Maybe a favourite walk you used to do you haven’t done in a while? It’s OK to take time to do more for Planet You. 

There’s no point running around totally stressed out and have little time for you. If you have a large bunch of people young and old to cater for, work out which jobs folks love to do best and play on their strengths. It’s less of a task if you enjoy it!

Recoup – let’s face it, some of the best things in life are free. Fresh air, warming sun, crispy leaves, trickling water – if you have access to these things enjoy them. I love a nice walk on a cold crisp day at Christmas. Even better when you can snuggle up when you get home!

Rejoice – Grab ya fave music, radio is usually free and lifts your spirits. Or grab that book you never got around to reading. Why not check out our list of eco friendly books too? 

Instead of full throttle take a step out and breathe a little. (Believe me, this is something I have to remind myself to do regularly). 

If you’re feeling bad about reducing your gifting this Christmas, take a look at Martin Lewis’ tips on why it makes sense to take a step back. 

Check out too this lovely idea of the repair shop for preloved teddies. They deserve some love too! 

Happy Christmas!

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Useful links for an eco friendly Christmas:

Green Christmas
Less Waste at Xmas
Have an Eco Christmas

🎄Homemade Items for Sale🎄

How to Have an Eco Christmas

 Go Plastic Free This Christmas!

Christmas is a wonderful time of year but sadly encourages a lot of waste and plastic wrap. Even glittery cards may contain plastics although thankfully some stores are beginning to ban certain types of glitter, opting for more eco friendly ones instead.

Last year I covered some ideas on 'How to have a Greener Christmas' including eco friendly advent calendars, alternative wrapping, cards, decorations and gift ideas. I also wrote a post on 'Less Waste at Christmas' examining the impact of Christmas and what we can do to help reduce our waste.

If you're looking for inspiration or gift ideas why not check out my list of books on reducing plastic waste suited to children or adults (click on the word adult or child for a seperate listing).

So what have I been up to lately? 

During the year I have been busy making plastic free products including:

* Fabric re-fillable Christmas crackers with wildflower seed balls inside
* Patterned washing up cloths made with 100% cotton and natural kapok
* Makeup wipes made with cotton and soft wynciette fabric
* Upcycled crafts including wine and whisky bottles with fairy lights
(the light switch is made from plastic, batteries are replaceable and should last a lot more than single use).

Current Prices of my goodies are as follows:

£3.10 for reusable fabric cracker sleeves
£3.95 for unsponge washing up cloths
£4.30 for xmas themed washing up cloths
£6.25 for festive cracker with inner bamboo tube + pack of 6 seed balls
£7.45 for 6 makeup wipes + tote bag
£7.95 for 7 makeup wipes + tote bag
£7.99 for gift box + pack of 10 wildflower seedballs
£8.10 for reindeer facewipes + tote bag
£8.99 for giant size refillable cracker + tote bag
£10.50 for fairy light bottles (around £7.50 + £3 postage)

(Supplies are limited and prices may vary -
proceeds go towards keeping our web site going).

To check out my Etsy store go to: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LovelierPlanet

We are also proud to be listed on the new PlasticFreeThings marketplace which only lists UK sellers who make their own products. 

Our store front can be found at: https://plasticfreethings.com/lovelier-planet/

 

Also check out my plastic free reviews section for lots of gift ideas including plastic free razor, bamboo toothbrushes, beautiful wax wraps and more.

The site below reviews some plastic free household items such as loo rolls at: 
https://www.greenspringboard.com/help-me-choose (treat yourself to an eco friendly bottom!)

Random News!

1) During your web browsing why not try Ecosia, a search engine that donates 80% of profit per clicks to growing more trees around the world? As part of their projects, 2020 trees were recently planted around hospitals in the UK:  https://blog.ecosia.org/ecosia-planting-uk-nhs/

2) Did you know that National Tree Planting Week (for UK) starts on 28th November? Our local farm shop have been asking for pledges to plant bushes and trees on their land where they will add in bird feeders and nesting boxes. 

The Woodland Trust offer free trees to schools and local communities, applications are open for March 2021 tree delivery. Or you can buy from the Woodland Trust shop if you want to get started now.

If you're craving fresh air and a walk in the forest, check out this link to find a wood near you. Your lungs will thank you for it!

3) It was great to hear recently that a community in Oxfordshire have built a hedgehog highway through their gardens, some digging tunnels and adding ramps along their fences? How lovely! 

Check out Hedgehog Street if you'd like to build your own and place your highway on the map.

For more lovelier news check out our positive news stories section.

Whatever you do and wherever you are have yourself a warm and fuzzy Christmas!

🎄🎇🎄      🎄🎇🎄🎄🎇🎄      🎄🎇🎄

Positive Eco News

Optimism for the New Year! 

I’d like to wish you all a Happy & Prosperous 2020. Here’s a great chance to reflect back on some positive news in & around the UK. 

It hopefully will keep us all going – the planet can heal itself, it just needs some TLC! 

Top 20 Feel Good Stories

1. Milkmen are making a comeback. In a bid to save the use of throw away plastic milk bottles, consumers are looking for glass milk bottles instead. 

2. The Woodland Trust with Chris Packham managed to reach their target to help plant 100,000 trees. There are free trees available for schools & local communities at
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/

3. Zero waste shops are popping up across the UK. See here for a map. Some milk refill stations & refills for body care & laundry care liquids are also available. This site has a great list of where to buy zero waste products or where you can refill your own.

4. People are having a Greener Christmas now and are aiming for Less Waste over Christmas.

5. Supermarkets are taking notice. There’s still a huge way to go though - supermarkets MUST try harder, however they have made a start & consumers have too. See my article on supermarket waste for more. 

6. Scientists are looking at plastic alternatives. For example a scientist has been looking at fish scales as a plastic substitute. 

7. There is a bigger trend of blogs such as this & multiple face book groups are popping up to help bring people together to exchange ideas. It’s great to see this trend continue now & long into the future. 

8. In April 2022 the UK government plan to introduce a plastic packaging tax. As a result manufacturers are already using some recycled content in their packaging (see my post on some products in recycled packaging).

9. Plastic free tea bags are also more widely available (see my article on plastics in tea!)

10. Some great products are coming out including bamboo toilet roll which is now available in paper packaging, plus tissues using recycled sugar cane, wheat germ plates, coconut shell bowls, avocado pit cutlery, bamboo toothbrushes & so much more. 

You can even get packaging made from mushrooms. Green Jiffy envelopes are also available which are stuffed with recycled wood fibre. See my reviews section for some items I’ve been testing – more to come throughout the year. 

11. Instead of being shipped abroad, more plastics are now being handled in the UK. Some un-recyclable waste has even been incinerated & the fuel generated helps to run the plastic recycling plants. 

12. Terracycle which originated in the US has expanded rapidly in the UK providing recycling points for some products that could not be regularly recycled. Examples included crisp packets & cat food pouches, toothpaste tubes & more. Some air ambulance services are able to raise funds using recycling points across the UK (see my article for more).

13. The WWF are re-planting seagrass meadows around the UK. This will help with carbon absorption & provide a much better environment for sea creatures to hide. 

14. Meadow flowers are being planted along road sides to help encourage more insects (need some bee pelican crossings though!)

15. Boats like the Poly Roger made from scavenged plastics have been used to collect plastic waste in rivers & waterways.

16. Beach cleanups are becoming more popular with many dates announced throughout the year. 

17. Beavers are being re-introduced back into Britain to help stem the problem of flood water. Water voles are making a comeback too with lottery funding.

18. Etsy has exploded with the amount of sellers some of who make their own plastic free products. Check out this article showcasing some of the home selling entrepreneurs.

19. More & more books are being published to help us learn how to reduce our plastic consumption & deal with waste more effectively. 

20. The song The World is in Danger was released by an 8 year old child Frankie Morland to raise money for the WWF & increase awareness of the problems of waste. You can buy the single in various ways using the following link.

For more lovely news check out our Lovelier News post from 2019!

Less Waste This Christmas

Why Us Humans Need to Change Our Ways

As more news is coming out about seas washing up plastics, microplastics raining down in remote places and young chicks being fed fragments of plastics by their mums, it honestly hits home just what a wasteful breed we humans are. Part of the problem is our 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality. 

If you ruthlessly recycled everything that could be recycled for years, you'd also be wondering like me why recycling was being shipped abroad? Not exactly environmentally friendly to ship things to the other side of the world. 

In its final destination it can be incinerated causing health problems for those living near by, stock piled allowing some to blow into waterways or indeed dumped directly into forests and rivers.

Whirling tides then gather the dumped plastic creating a perfect storm, a sea of waste that eventually get pushed back onto our shores. Why on earth could we let this happen?

So what does this have to do with Christmas? Sadly reports suggest waste goes up by 30% at this time of year. Not to mention the 6 million Christmas trees wasted in the UK when Christmas is over.

So what can we do to make things better? Don't wait for governments to do anything anytime soon, the power is in the hands of the people to make a change and directly and indirectly put pressure on suppliers by changing our habits now. 

A Greener Christmas

In my 'How to Have a Greener Christmas' article I look at lots of ways we can make a difference, including ethical choices in wrappings, cards, advents calendars, gifts and decorations.

I also looked at 10 books on plastic free living that can help us through changes for the New Year. Ways we can change our shopping, house cleaning, laundry and personal care products for example. We may not do it all overnight but small changes can make a difference, it can trigger a domino effect too. Friends and family may say, 'Oh that's a good idea, I might try that myself', so your good deed could be an encouragement to others.

It can be expensive by the way, seeking out plastic free alternatives - what I do is look for special offers (discounts), or deals on free shipping. Look for companies that have ethical standards in terms of packaging and supply chains and seek out companies that help plant new trees with every order.

Meanwhile for those who like to surf the web, a new search browser called Ecosia may be an option for you. You can add Ecosia Web Search as an add on to your normal browser, for instance it will work seamlessly with Chrome. 

A chunk of profits goes to tree planting initiatives around the World making it a great choice for the eco minded. (They say an average of 45 searches is enough to plant a tree!) This video explains a little more about it.

Some plastic free companies in the UK also donate to the Eden Reforestation Project to help fund tree planting. Not only are you buying plastic free you're helping the planet breathe again. It all adds up 😊

Reducing Food Waste

Let's turn now to food. Since I started making my own bath salts and homemade vinegar sprays I've found that saving citrus peel really helps. The peel can be thrown in warmed vinegar to infuse overnight before straining into a spray bottle, ready for use as a household spray. 

When my husband has finished squeezing limes for a cocktail I will squirrel away the left over pulp and peel & throw it into a bath of plain dead sea salts that I bought in compostable packaging. The warm water in the bath helps to infuse some of that lime.

Once these food scraps are used they go into the compost to be rotted down for other purposes. We try hard also to spend the week using up left overs and only buying larger meals for the weekend. 

What We Can Do

Buy items in larger packs too so you can cook extra for during the week. It only needs warming up then saving on electricity. If you buy too much fresh produce it can sit in the fridge until you get around to using it which then sometimes gets thrown away. If you cook in bulk it has already been cooked so it's less likely to go off so quickly. 

If you can't eat it within a few days then pre-cooked meals can keep also in the freezer. I quite enjoy seeing what we can make over bits of leftovers!

A Focus on Supermarkets

It's great to see that supermarkets are also taking food waste seriously. For instance Tesco report they have donated 100,000 meals through the Community Food Connection and have partnered with a supplier in Kenya to turn surplus food into free school lunches.

81% of UK food surplus safe for human consumption, is redistributed to humans or animals       

Tesco https://www.tescoplc.com/sustainability/food-waste/

Per Sainsbury's '87% of our stores have food donation partners for unsold food, up from 73 per cent in 2017/18. We aim to reach 100 per cent by 2020 target.'

In 2018/19 Sainbsury's donated over 1,500 tonnes of unsold food from their stores and logistics network to charity, equivalent to around 3.4 million meals. See PDF file for more.

We can reduce our own waste by being savvy with what we buy, plan means in advance and learn to love your leftovers. For me leftovers often save time creating a new meal as they are already pre-cooked, just need to warm up and then done. 

If you have staples in the cupboard that don't go off quick, such as pasta and rice, you'll always have something easy to add to the meal. Compost any rotten fruit/veg so that left overs of left overs are still being used for a purpose.

Plans for 2020

My plans for 2020 include new reviews on plastic free teeth cleaning products (I've tested 3 so far), plus natural deodorant, bamboo cloths, charcoal water filters, pet products and plastic free products for your hair. My previous reviews can be found here.

I will also build up a useful directory and a list of achievements and challenges I've met so far in my plastic reducing challenge (my aim is to reduce 50 plastic items for my 50th year on this planet!)

Meanwhile I wish you and your family all the best and hope to see you next year!

🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇