Greencare - A Review

 This is my 23rd review on plastic alternatives.

Scoring system:

❤ = Will keep, I love it / 👀 = Not sure, will try some more / 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me

Review Twenty Three - Greencare by Sainsbury's

You may not have failed to notice that these products in the Greencare range are in plastic bottles, so you may also be wondering why these are being reviewed in a 'reduce your plastics' site?

My reason for choosing this product is that it comes in a 100% recycled plastic bottle. 

For years we were recycling plastics not realising (like many) that most of it doesn't get recycled & some may even find its way abroad. This led me to start this wonderful blog & sent me on a mission to do more.

So it's great to see some companies beginning to use utilise recycled plastics which is why I have supported this. They are pretty good products and at a decent price too & I found myself switching to them with no trouble at all. E-cover for example are becoming too much out of my price range & Method can be pricey too.

For various brands that do use recycled plastics in their products check out this post at: 

https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2019/11/natural-products-in-recycled-packaging.html

Plus check out my recent post on the British Plastic Survey for statistics on recycling, shipping abroad, landfill plus incineration.

So back to Greencare, they are a range made by Sainsbury's who do washing detergent & fabric conditioner, cleaning sprays, window & floor cleaner, washing up liquids (smells lovely), dishwasher tablets and shower spray (smells scrummy too). 

When they have both price AND product mix right as well as being eco friendly then it makes me happy.

Now there is the issue of what happens to plastic when it is recycled. Can we keep it going for a long time? Well sadly it downgrades (often know as downcycling) so is not a long term solution. 

Humans need to act fast to find a better solution however we also need to find ways to use the recycled stock that we do have, to make new things, rather than relying on virgin materials (or nurdles - for more on nurdles check out my blog post on hidden plastics).

I found this article below very interesting where it discusses how different plastics are rated and how some plastics are better able to be melted than others and why it cannot be recycled an infinite number of times. Green Matters - Can You Recycle Recycled Plastic?

Also this article on downcycling is a good read: https://ailuna.com/what-is-downcycling/

For me I love the greencare range so will score it a ❤ from me.

Next I'll be reviewing the eco egg which I finally got around to purchasing. Mixed feelings about that which I will explain more in a later post.

Meanwhile, happy washing!!

Plastic Free July

 The Big Plastic Count Results Are In!

Just in time for Plastic Free July, the Big Plastic Count results are in. A survey was sent out to interested hosueholds in May 2022. Published by Greenpeace & Every Day Plastic, the results of the survey are indeed very shocking. 

Some takeaway nuggets include:

🌍  Nearly a quarter of a million people (248,957) from 97,948 UK households took part in the biggest ever Plastic Count Survey.

🌍 On average, each household threw away 66 pieces of plastic packaging in one week, which amounts to an estimated 3,432 pieces a year.

🌍 Over a million pieces of plastics were counted from fruit & veg packaging whilst over a million more made up of snack bags, packets and wrappers.

🌍 The majority of these types of plastics (57%) are soft plastics which are less likely to be recycled.

🌍 The survey found that just 12% of the type of plastics discarded will likely be recycled in the UK whilst 17% shipped abroad, 25% could end up in landfill whilst 46% be incinerated.*

🌍 The UK is the 2nd worse country for plastic waste per capita after the USA and is almost double the weight than plastic waste generated in Italy.

*Different local authorities handle recycling in different ways so there's some level of guesswork involved but the calculations were based on types of plastics being discarded in the week (a tick off chart helped categorise what was being used, ie cartons, peelable lids, trays, wrappers etc and also categories for food, personal products (for body washing etc) & household products such as cleaning sprays & wash tabs etc etc.)

🌍 They concluded that 62% of the pieces of plastic recorded in the count are either not collected or poorly collected for recycling by UK local authorities, and likely to end up in landfill or incinerated.

🌍 Incinerating plastics cause way more pollution/carbon emissions than burning coal & releases toxic fumes into the environment.

🌍 Landfilling meanwhile releases methane & ethylene into the atmosphere as the plastics are broken down (if the landfill is exposed to the elements), coupled with microplastics being carried by wind.

This highlights the need for much better investment in recycling products, reducing single used products & encouraging a deposit scheme for return of plastic bottles as an urgent requirement. The government discussed previously a deposit return scheme however a scheme has yet to be implemented.

Also a bigger look at circular economy would be a help, for instance Mother Nature has far less waste, what is no longer needed goes back into the system and used by some of other part of the eco system. Humans have a much more linear system, make something, use it, discard it, buy another and so on. 

We need to be more forward thinking rather than letting waste pile up to the point where we can no longer live due to all the products we rely on (meat, plants, water, air) becoming too polluted to rely on. Many would say we are already past the tipping point.

A thorough report of the Big Plastic Count is available at: 
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Final-Big-Plastic-Count-Results-Report-V2.pdf 

So how did I do? 

I've been trying to reduce plastics for a number of years and have been recycling plastics since the late 80s/early 90s. Even so, my weekly plastic tally came to 40 plastic items. 

A portion of these items are re-used as we wash out plastic bottles for making our own fizzy drinks, using a ginger beer plant as a base plus plastic ziplock bags are used for disposing of cat litter. 

The majority of plastic products I buy have recycled content in them, however 40 items was still shocking to me - this is under the national average but it's still too much.

Some useful links for you:

🌍 5 Surprising Things from the Household Plastic Count
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/5-surprising-things-we-learned-from-the-biggest-ever-household-plastic-count/

🌍 Government on the Next Steps to Tackle Plastic Waste
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-to-tackle-plastic-waste

🌍 Dame Ellen MacCarthur Foundation - A Circular Economy to Encourage Less Waste
https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

🌍 Greenpeace, Plastic Questions Answered
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/plastic-pollution/

🌍 Books on Plastic Waste for Adults
https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2019/12/plastic-free-books.html

🌍 Eco Friendly Books for Children
https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2020/01/eco-friendly-books-for-children.html

Review - Uranus Wiper (!)

This is my 19th review on plastic alternatives in my bid to reduce 50 plastic items this year. Hope you enjoy! 

Scoring system: 

❤ = Will keep, I love it / 👀 = Not sure, will try some more / 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me

Review Nineteen - Uranus Wiper Toilet Roll

This is no April Fool's Joke and yes, uranus wiper is a 'thing'! But what is it I hear you ask. New on the market, Uranus Wiper is a toilet tissue packaged in a brown paper plastic free cover. It has the cutest design (see pic below). 

Described as 4 ply cushiony soft. I bought mine from Amazon although is showing out of stock at the moment.

My review

The Good: For each pack sold, a penny is donated to the Anal Cancer Foundation, a charity dedicated to accelerating prevention and treatment methods that eliminate anal cancer.

The packaging is lovely and whimsical, a very eye catching design. The kraft bag can be used for composting, storing items, even a cat play bag afterwards. Plastic free too which is a plus, plus all round.

It's also good to see that 75% of the product is made from post-consumer waste paper that would have ended up in landfills. The remaining 25% is from pre-consumer waste paper (from virgin paper manufacturing processes).

The Bad: Although they are large sideways (due to being 4 ply and embossed) I have found they are very short in height meaning you need extra to do ya business. The inner tube is also much larger than my usual Cheeky Panda plastic free buy. It does mean that the roll runs out pretty quickly (the Cheeky Panda sometimes you only need one sheet so that one goes a lot further as it doesn't disintegrate as much).

The Ugly: The design and feel reminds me of kitchen roll so does seem a bit strange wiping ya bum with something that looks like a shrunken kitchen roll, but that's just a personal thought!

And as always, for plastic free products, the price was quite high.

Overall I found this a great idea and love the design. The use of recycled materials in plastic free packaging, with some of proceeds going to charity is a win, win. Despite this, I think you can go through the rolls fairly quickly and I'm not sure I would be happy to tear myself away from my current fave at the moment which is Cheeky Panda!

So sadly an 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me, is the score from me.

GreenCane

I've also tried GreenCane Toilet tissue - these are made from bamboo and recycled sugarcane. This comes in a paper packaging that has a cellophane window (cellophane is made from plant material which is compostable).

My review on the GreenCane loo roll is that stands up less well to moisture than the Cheeky Panda product. The inner tube is not as sturdy either and I've been saving inner tubes to make Christmas Crackers later in the year.

However, it is an option for those looking for plastic free alternatives that uses recycled or sustainable materials for the tissues themselves. 

There's also loo rolls called 'Who Gives a Crap' which are recycled paper loo rolls individually wrapped in patterned paper. I haven't tried these yet though to review them. 💩 

What Does BPA, PLA, Phthalates Mean?

Some Plastic Terms Explained

What is BPA? 

BPA stands for Bisphenol A and used in resins since the 1950s and also used in plastics.

It can form a shiny hard plastic surface called polycarbonate and has been used in the production of plastic plates, microwaveable food trays, re-usable water bottles, sippy cups, canned foods, dental sealants & even some till receipts.

In a survey of 2,517 people 93% had detectable levels in their urine. It has been known to disrupt endocrine function affecting hormones in mice & has caused health concerns among many due to its estrogen mimicking effects. The FDA have since banned BPA in sippy cups and baby bottles. [BPA has also been banned in baby bottles in the EU.]

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/09/news-BPA-free-plastic-safety-chemicals-health/

How to avoid? 

The advice mentioned in the National Geographic article above is to avoid putting plastics in the dishwasher (which may encourage BPA to leach out during the hot wash) and avoid plastics with recycling codes 3, 6 and 7 which could have BPA compounds. 

(Some BPA free alternatives are available but the article highlights that some of these can also be problematic – check out the article highlighted above for more info).

Phthalates 

Phthalates are added to Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and helps to make it become more flexible. They can be used in paints, household cleaning bottles as well as vinyl floors. Due to its flexibility it can be used in cling film, catheters, IV tubes and children’s toys. Studies suggest it could affect hormones and also the fetus, so similar to BPA it can cause health concerns.

Source: http://www.babygreenthumb.com/p-115-phthalates.aspx

How to avoid? 

The website above suggests using wax wrap or parchment paper instead of cling film, avoid microwaving plastics and use ceramic or glass containers instead for storage. Buy cosmetics that are phthalate free. Plus avoid anything containing PVC.

Phthalates are commonly found in human urine samples. An analysis of 1999-2000 data found metabolites of DEP in all 2,540 samples and metabolites of DBP in 99% of samples. (DEP is a type of phthalate used in fragranced products, DBP can be found in nail polish). These 2 chemicals are now banned in cosmetics sold in the EU.

Source: http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/phthalates/

What is PLA? 

PLA or Polylactic Acid is a plant based type of plastic usually made from cornstarch. Due to its natural backbone it is often touted as biodegradeable and sometimes compostable product. The downside it may need specific conditions to break it down effectively.

According to zerowasteman site they quote, ‘It is not recommended to put these PLA biodegradable plastics into your home compost, they might remain there for 100 – 1000 years.’

Source: https://zerowasteman.com/what-is-pla-plastic/

Industrial composters use a much higher heat setting, although it may not biodegrade at the same rate as your partially rotten food taken out for collection from the average household. Indeed, industrial composters may not accept any plastic based content whether natural or not. 

How to dispose? 

PLA bags are unsuitable for home composting and may also not be taken with your household food waste, so the natural solution is to recycle with normal plastic bags right? Sadly wrong! 

Recycle Now site states that plastic bag collections points at supermarkets cannot accept biodegradeable plastic bags. I’m guessing these bags are recycled into new bags, so they do not want biodegradeable content in it.

This can create a dilemma for the consumer – they want a non oil based plastic solution, one that breaks down as well, but at the moment it is not clear how best to dispose of them. 

Normal landfills may not have the right conditions to break them down quickly (as landfills are often hemetically sealed). Some household non recycling rubbish is sent directly to incinerators in energy recovery centres so the product may end up being incinerated at the end of its life instead.

Bioplastics 

Bioplastics is a term given to more natural, non petroleum based plastics. These may be derived from corn starch, sugar cane, vegetable matter, cellulose, wood chips or straw. I have seen mushroom based packaging also coming onto the scene using mycelium (they do say these are home compostable).

Wikipedia however states that,‘Not all bioplastics are biodegradable nor biodegrade more readily than commodity fossil-fuel derived plastics.’

They also state that the term ‘Bioplastic is misleading, because it suggests that any polymer derived from the biomass is environmentally friendly.' 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic

So similar to the PLA (polyactic acid, plant based plastic) above, some of these items may not be suitable for normal or even industrial composting.

Check out these sites for more: recycling biodegradeable coffee cups / how to dispose of your PLA based cup / how plastics are recycled (mentions compostable/biodegradeable).

Summary 

It’s great that other plastic alternatives are out there but the consumer does need to be aware that it may not be as easy to dispose of, despite the impression by some of the products listing them as eco friendly or compostable. 

I think for the moment, re-use them as many times as you can, then put them in your normal bin and at least the basis of the product was less reliant on petroleum based chemicals.

Even better, try and switch to plastic free alternatives, for example re-usable tote bags, mesh bags for weighing and carrying vegetables, and covering foods with wax wraps, brown paper or tin foil, or buying bulk items in glass jars so there’s less need for plastic wrapping or bags.

Check out my reviews and homemade section for more ideas on making that plastic swap!

Related articles – what the recycling codes mean. 

The article below looks at recycling symbols and numbers; also what HDPE, PET etc means and how these are recycled. 

https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2019/10/recycling-codes-explained.html

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!

Review - Silicone Storage

This is my 7th review on plastic alternatives. I hope these help to give you some ideas on plastic reduction or alternatives.

Scoring system: 

❤ = Will keep, I love it / 👀 = Not sure, will try some more / 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me

Review Seven - Get rid of that Plastic Film for Good!

In my bid to reduce single use plastics the natural 1st choice was to get rid of cling film for good. Our family used cling film for many things (to cover cooked or raw items, seal end of opened packets, cover baked goods) but I've finally realised you don't need to rely on it at all. 

Now I reach for tin foil which can be washed and re-used again and then recycled, wax wraps I reviewed earlier, which are great additions to ridding your 'one time use of plastics project' and not only that they are pretty to look at (mine have bees on them and there are so many other cool designs too).

Here though, I review a new purchase I made via Amazon online that covers so many different eventualities. I bought a set that contains silicone pouches that can be sealed for storing liquids or solids, covers in all different sizes for topping bowls, and mesh bags which are great for storing fruit and veg. (I use these also for carrying fruit and veg recently bought in the store to save carrying them home in yet more plastic!)

So what is Silicone?

The base of silicone is sand (silica) but also additives are added to enable it to be formed into soft and hard materials. They are in fact, a hybrid between rubber and plastics. 

Tupperware plastic tubs are used by many and indeed have the advantage that they can be re-used, so not as bad as single use plastics, however I do find that tupperware doesn't cope too well with extreme temperatures. This is where silicone boldly shines through as it withstands heat from microwaves and ovens, can be frozen and cope with dishwashers too, so has multiple uses.

I have the storage set above plus some colourful silicone straws. Although you can buy glass straws and metal straws I found these were too difficult for my jaw, as I have TMJ, a painful jaw condition. Silicone is much more giving. There's no need to rely on straws of course, but it's nice to have them to hand, on the occasion where a straw might be preferred.

Amazon have a great selection of different sets of silicone storage that can include many different items, including lids, storage pouches, mesh bags and in some cases silicone straws too. So you can customise your options according to your lifestyle needs.

My Verdict?

I find the ability to try different products for different uses a great plus. The mesh bags are really handy and I love the smiley face on the lid covers. Some of our bowls are hexagonal but the round lids sit on top OK, as they are clingy enough to seal the edges just fine. The smallest one can be pulled tightly across a tin can.

I have used them in our oven with no problems and have redcurrants bought from the reduced shelf at the supermarket, which I stored in a silicone pouch in the freezer to prevent them going off. So they are doing their bit to reduce food wastage too. Also you can see the contents - with wax wraps it's hard to remember what's inside sometimes!

When newly bought, the silicone storage pouches required a bit of teasing to get them apart, they had clung to themselves so well. The seal that pushes across the top is also quite tight to start with so just a word of warning on that. 

They do sometimes take on stains from food but they seem to wash OK in the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher a coating of baking soda may help.

I love the storage set and plan to continue using them so it's a ❤ love from me!

Review - Beautiful Wax Wraps

This is my second review on plastic free reduction or replacements as I continue my quest on plastic reduction. 

Scoring system:

❤ = Will keep, I love it / 👀 = Not sure, will try some more / 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me

Review Two - Wax Wrappings to Brighten Up Your Day!

OK, so I'm hooked. These great colourful wraps are perfect for when you have a bowl of something that needs covering. Dinner left overs? Covered. Tin of pet food? Covered. 

The set I bought from Amazon online has different sizes. The smaller ones are great for opened packets of cheese or tops of tin cans. The medium and larger ones are good for covering your bowls or casserole dish with leftovers.

To start with they feel pretty sticky & you do have to scrunch them up to A. warm them up and B. to re-distribute the wax. Once you've done this you can lay it flat over the top of the can or bowl & fold down the edge to seal. 

It can go in the fridge fine although they don't recommend microwaving. I have found some alternatives for those type of jobs which I'll cover later (pardon the pun!)

My Verdict? 

They are cheery and stops me reaching for cling film every time I need to cover any left overs or opened tins. They can be rinsed too in cold water to use again and again whenever you need to. I have since seen small waxers (refresher blocks) you can use, to add a layer of wax when it needs topping up. 

The downside I found is the slightly sticky hands you feel when you first start using it, but hands can be washed no problem. I have stayed away from wrapping sandwiches for this reason (again I have alternatives for that) and also you wouldn't want to use them for raw meat.

I love them ❤ & they will definitely be a keeper!