Wandering around my house today I noticed a product in my household that I get completely frustrated about if we buy an alternate product. What product is it you may ask? Well, it is a specific brand and type of toilet paper. That's right, toilet paper!
We buy double length 100% recycled "post-consumer waste paper" toilet paper. This isn't plush, extra soft, printed, excessively chlorine-bleached toilet paper which many people indulge in, but rather a recycled product. When you come to my house you may experience this product and I think you might be surprised that it isn't scratchy like some people believe recycled toilet paper is, it isn't unattractive and is certainly practical and appropriate for its use.
The product (6 rolls of toilet paper) is branded as "Safe", endorsed by Planet Ark (produced by Encore Tissue) and made in Australia. The best part about the product I buy is that the amount of toilet paper on each roll is the equivalent to two standard rolls. These rolls still fit my standard toilet roll holder and means that I save on the number of toilet roll tubes (less waste), the amount of packaging used to cover the entire product is reduced and the double length means you have to need to change the toilet roll less. The only unfortunate thing about the product is that it is packaged in a plastic material, where surely a paper wrapping would suit just as well and could then be recycled.
The product is also rated as an ethical choice by the Ethical Consumer Guide.
What a great product and it means that all the recycling of paper and cardboard products as part of my domestic waste collection, might eventually come back to me in the form of toilet paper later in their life cycles.
Give it a try, you might be surprised.
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Showing posts with label consumption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumption. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Have you outsourced your environmental impact?
I was daydreaming the other day about my future vegetable patch. Carrying on from this lovely moment, I continued to ponder but this time specifically about the irrigation system that is going to have to support this dream. Then my thoughts strayed to considering how significant a burden a vegetable garden can be on your domestic water bill, your rain water or your dams, depending on your situation. No matter which one of these water sources you have you become keenly aware of how much water it takes to get your vegetables going and producing adequately.
In line with this, when you create a vegetable patch, no matter what style or type, there are a significant number of imposts on your household budget, particularly during the establishment phase, but these do carry on through to the maintenance phase. Anyway, long story, not so short, it made me think! At least I am keenly aware of this 'economic and environmental' impact to produce the lovely vegetables and fruit that I receive. All resulting from hardwork, effort, investment and natural resources.
But how many products and systems does the average householder have that removes them from the direct production process or means that they do not understand how much and many resources (water, soil, nutrient, electricity, timber, minerals, waste, etc, etc) it takes to produce the items in their household? The answer, I'm afraid, is soooooo many! Basically, our households, systems and businesses have allowed us to outsource our environmental impacts and become removed from this production process. This in turn, creates a false sense of one's personal environmental impact. No wonder we have a society which does not value the environment or think the planet is in dire straits.
Many people in our society do not believe that the environment has an intrinsic value and should just be preserved/conserved. Moreover, many of these people are completely devoid of understanding and experiencing natural resources. How can we therefore expect them to care for the planet?
Obviously education is a key component of rectifying this situation! With my thoughts being an important focus on arousing a re-connection to nature and particularly natural resources. Maybe with such information people might start to care about the world and potentially change their lifestyles to recognise the finite nature of many of earth's provisions.
Pin It
In line with this, when you create a vegetable patch, no matter what style or type, there are a significant number of imposts on your household budget, particularly during the establishment phase, but these do carry on through to the maintenance phase. Anyway, long story, not so short, it made me think! At least I am keenly aware of this 'economic and environmental' impact to produce the lovely vegetables and fruit that I receive. All resulting from hardwork, effort, investment and natural resources.
But how many products and systems does the average householder have that removes them from the direct production process or means that they do not understand how much and many resources (water, soil, nutrient, electricity, timber, minerals, waste, etc, etc) it takes to produce the items in their household? The answer, I'm afraid, is soooooo many! Basically, our households, systems and businesses have allowed us to outsource our environmental impacts and become removed from this production process. This in turn, creates a false sense of one's personal environmental impact. No wonder we have a society which does not value the environment or think the planet is in dire straits.
(Source: http://pervasiveshopping.wordpress.com/)
Many people in our society do not believe that the environment has an intrinsic value and should just be preserved/conserved. Moreover, many of these people are completely devoid of understanding and experiencing natural resources. How can we therefore expect them to care for the planet?
Obviously education is a key component of rectifying this situation! With my thoughts being an important focus on arousing a re-connection to nature and particularly natural resources. Maybe with such information people might start to care about the world and potentially change their lifestyles to recognise the finite nature of many of earth's provisions.
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Friday, March 23, 2012
Have you calculated your environmental footprint?
A simplistic way to determine the environmental "footprint" of your lifestyle and decisions is to use a 'footprint calculator'. WWF has a good one that provides you an indication of the number of planets we would need if everyone made the same decisions you have made, in regards to transportation, food choices, waste generated, energy usage, air travel and size of your house.
Have a go!
WWF footprint calculator
See what impact your lifestyle is having and maybe provide you with some inspirations for ways to change and you reduce your impact.
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Have a go!
WWF footprint calculator
See what impact your lifestyle is having and maybe provide you with some inspirations for ways to change and you reduce your impact.
Pin It
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Seasonal produce guide
Via the 1Million Women campaign blog I have discovered a "seasonal produce guide" that lets you know which fruit and vegetables are in season and therefore the ones you should buy. Food that is in season will have shorter food miles, be fresher, be better for you and will generally be more enjoyable to eat.
I have been wanting a pocket size seasonal produce guides for ages and have started dabbling in creating my own, going so far in some instances at looking at when you should plant various crops and calculate their availability based on time till harvest. But, yippppeee, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and I have now printed out the Sustainable Table's version.
The one downside to this guide is that it has been produced (by the look of things) by people based in southern Australia. There is therefore some seasonal variation between the northern parts of Australia and the fruits and vegetables available in the fields in southern Australia, but at least it does provide a guide. It will provide you with some reference to what you should be able to buy and perhaps over time you can amend it to better suit your region.
Give it a go and let me know what you think. Pin It
I have been wanting a pocket size seasonal produce guides for ages and have started dabbling in creating my own, going so far in some instances at looking at when you should plant various crops and calculate their availability based on time till harvest. But, yippppeee, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and I have now printed out the Sustainable Table's version.
The one downside to this guide is that it has been produced (by the look of things) by people based in southern Australia. There is therefore some seasonal variation between the northern parts of Australia and the fruits and vegetables available in the fields in southern Australia, but at least it does provide a guide. It will provide you with some reference to what you should be able to buy and perhaps over time you can amend it to better suit your region.
Give it a go and let me know what you think. Pin It
Monday, January 23, 2012
South East Queensland Food Network
There is a new push in south-east Queensland to promote local opportunities to producers and connect them to their local markets. The Queensland Business Review published an article this week entitled: Farmers Take Control of Local Supply Chain, which can be found at http://www.qbr.com.au/news/articleid/77703.aspx.
From my review of this article it looks as though producers, tourism organisations and local Councils have established the South East Queensland Food Network as an attempt to promote local produce to people visiting areas and to develop alternate supply chains.
I'm not sure what the outcome will be, but it sparked my interest as there certainly will be opportunities to find out more about your local producers (including who they are and what they produce) and potentially establish direct links to them or alternatively promote their use through your local supermarkets.
It is always great to find out more information about food that is available in your local area and where you can purchase it from.
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From my review of this article it looks as though producers, tourism organisations and local Councils have established the South East Queensland Food Network as an attempt to promote local produce to people visiting areas and to develop alternate supply chains.
I'm not sure what the outcome will be, but it sparked my interest as there certainly will be opportunities to find out more about your local producers (including who they are and what they produce) and potentially establish direct links to them or alternatively promote their use through your local supermarkets.
It is always great to find out more information about food that is available in your local area and where you can purchase it from.
Pin It
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Aaaah...the good ol' days!
A friend of mine sent me a message today about the good ol' days and their associated environmental impact. Not sure who wrote it, but thought it was a very interesting take on the environmental impact recent generations have had for things that the current generation probably take for granted and without consideration for their environmental footprint/impact.
So, here it is:
"Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own carrier bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologised and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The cashier responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day.
So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have.... Back then, we returned milk bottles, fizzy pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilised and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
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So, here it is:
"Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own carrier bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologised and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The cashier responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day.
So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have.... Back then, we returned milk bottles, fizzy pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilised and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator or lift in every store and office building. We walked to the supermarket and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two minutes up the road. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of England. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used screwed up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?"
Friday, January 13, 2012
What is Palm Oil?
In recent years I have heard bits and pieces about palm oil and how it is used in many, many products that we consume (grocery and cosmetic items) and how it is impacting on precious tropical forests in south-east Asia, particularly orang-utan habitat. Other than these things, I don't know a lot more about palm oil or its issues.
I was reminded of this issue this morning when reading the finished box of soap as I took it from the bathroom and to the recycling bin. I think the brand is "Country Life" and it advertises itself as Australia made and owned and Palm Oil Free. You will also find in smaller print it is made from locally and imported ingredients (as most things do).
Anyway, I thought I should have a look into what "palm oil" is. WWF has an informative webpage that describes palm oil as being derived from the "fruit of the oil palm tree", which comes from two main oil palm trees (African Oil Palm and American Oil Palm). Further information about palm oil and its uses from WWF site include that
The growing of oil palm trees seems to be quite widespread around the tropics, with palm oil plantations in our region being focused in Malayasia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Furthermore, these plantations are apparently often associated with illegal or unsustainable deforestation activities (although I will have to investigate this further).
Once again, the consciousness of the consumer can make a difference to such matters and certainly impact on businesses and activities outside our national boundaries. We can achieve this just by making informed choices about the products we choose to buy.
As the GreenPalm.org website states that if we just stop "our" consumption of palm oil, it is likely that the product will then just be purchased by another "user". But, if appropriate assistance (in the way of education and trade support, for example) can be provided to primary producers in these regions (many countries being third world nations) there is the possibility they will be able to modify their businesses towards sustainable practices. There may also be better planning (through assistance) for new plantations, thereby reducing or preventing deforestation of these important areas.
My understanding is that the GreenPalm group is supporting such actions for this industry through the development of a certificate trading program for palm oil, which includes the labelling of products containing sustainably produced palm oil. WWF and a number of other interested groups also seem to tackling the issues and providing education to consumers and producers, as well as developing standards for responsible palm oil plantations, through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
Again, it can come down to being conscious of your choices, choose products that have sustainably produced palm oil or no palm oil (where there is sustainable product alternatives) and try to find out where the "imported ingredients" come from and generally make informed decisions.
If you'd like to know more details of what countries and brands are using palm oil, as well as their commitment to utilise sustainable palm oil sources in the future, the WWF has developed the Palm Oil Buyers' Scorecard 2011: Measuring the Progress of Palm Oil Buyers.
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I was reminded of this issue this morning when reading the finished box of soap as I took it from the bathroom and to the recycling bin. I think the brand is "Country Life" and it advertises itself as Australia made and owned and Palm Oil Free. You will also find in smaller print it is made from locally and imported ingredients (as most things do).
Anyway, I thought I should have a look into what "palm oil" is. WWF has an informative webpage that describes palm oil as being derived from the "fruit of the oil palm tree", which comes from two main oil palm trees (African Oil Palm and American Oil Palm). Further information about palm oil and its uses from WWF site include that
"the palm fruit yields two distinct oils - palm oil and palm kernel oil. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit, is edible and used in food. Palm kernel oil is extracted from the seed of the fruit and is used mainly in the manufacture of cosmetics."
Once again, the consciousness of the consumer can make a difference to such matters and certainly impact on businesses and activities outside our national boundaries. We can achieve this just by making informed choices about the products we choose to buy.
As the GreenPalm.org website states that if we just stop "our" consumption of palm oil, it is likely that the product will then just be purchased by another "user". But, if appropriate assistance (in the way of education and trade support, for example) can be provided to primary producers in these regions (many countries being third world nations) there is the possibility they will be able to modify their businesses towards sustainable practices. There may also be better planning (through assistance) for new plantations, thereby reducing or preventing deforestation of these important areas.
My understanding is that the GreenPalm group is supporting such actions for this industry through the development of a certificate trading program for palm oil, which includes the labelling of products containing sustainably produced palm oil. WWF and a number of other interested groups also seem to tackling the issues and providing education to consumers and producers, as well as developing standards for responsible palm oil plantations, through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
Again, it can come down to being conscious of your choices, choose products that have sustainably produced palm oil or no palm oil (where there is sustainable product alternatives) and try to find out where the "imported ingredients" come from and generally make informed decisions.
If you'd like to know more details of what countries and brands are using palm oil, as well as their commitment to utilise sustainable palm oil sources in the future, the WWF has developed the Palm Oil Buyers' Scorecard 2011: Measuring the Progress of Palm Oil Buyers.
Pin It
Friday, January 6, 2012
Where does it come from?
As a result of my rising interest to know where my food comes from and to buy local, potentially organic and good quality, I have started to pay attention to the origin of the products I am buying. This has certainly been eye-opening to say the least.
Here are a few of the things that I have noticed over recent months.
I have found this a fascinating journey to discover where things are produced, certainly with my attempt to buy food from within 250km of my household. But the one thing that has been considerably absent is the amount of information on packaging, which makes it really difficult to make informed choices about your food your buying and available in the mainstream and market-dominating shops.
Next time you're at the shops, maybe take a look to see where the things you're buying come from. Might make you think about all sorts of things rather than just what colour it is or how cheap it is. Maybe you could even drop me a comment and let me know what thoughts were stirred up by this exercise. Pin It
Here are a few of the things that I have noticed over recent months.
- All tinned tuna (all brands) in my local independent grocer store come from Thailand and many don't tell you what type of tuna it is (that is, is it threatened blue fin or a bit better yellow fin)
- All but one brand of frozen vegetables (mixed variety) in my local store come from China and the one that doesn't comes from New Zealand
- All the clothes that I have looked at in main stream stores come from China, no matter what price range I looked at
- The moisturiser I use (one based on nasty petrochemicals and probably tested on animals) is made in Thailand
- Many of the main stream brands of tampons seem to be made in some part of Europe, with the ones I have looked at made in Germany or Slovenia
- Many manufactured products which are 'made in Australia' say they are made from local and imported ingredients. The label then denies you information about which ingredients or proportion of ingredients come from which country.
- Much of the bulk-provided organic food (ie non-local markets) comes from wide and far in Australia, with many of my local producers potentially using traditional, chemically enhanced agricultural methods.
I have found this a fascinating journey to discover where things are produced, certainly with my attempt to buy food from within 250km of my household. But the one thing that has been considerably absent is the amount of information on packaging, which makes it really difficult to make informed choices about your food your buying and available in the mainstream and market-dominating shops.
Next time you're at the shops, maybe take a look to see where the things you're buying come from. Might make you think about all sorts of things rather than just what colour it is or how cheap it is. Maybe you could even drop me a comment and let me know what thoughts were stirred up by this exercise. Pin It
Friday, December 23, 2011
Ian Lowe's sustainable future
"A sustainable future will involve using resources more efficiently, maintaining natural systems, developing social cohesion, nurturing our cultural traditions and finding durable economic activities".
This a quote from Ian Lowe's Quarterly Essay called Reaction Time: Climate Change and the Nuclear Option. Issue 27, 2007. Pin It
This a quote from Ian Lowe's Quarterly Essay called Reaction Time: Climate Change and the Nuclear Option. Issue 27, 2007. Pin It
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Growing Change
I have just found an interesting documentary trailer showcasing the Venezuelan food production revolution. The trailer can be viewed at www.growingchange.com.au. You can buy the full documentary for $15 and organise showings, if you like the principles expressed in the documentary or have a group that would be interested.
I believe the principles behind what is being done in Venezuela is what many people believe should be happening around the world. That is, removing the dominance of multinational companies from our food chain and providing a food production system which is fair and appropriate to the people producing the food and those buying the food.
Another interesting article of linked relevance can be found at: http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/6060. This article shows how how food production and importation can be affected by government policy and how innovative government policy can provide protection for local industry whilst still providing its people with the relevant and "required" resources.
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I believe the principles behind what is being done in Venezuela is what many people believe should be happening around the world. That is, removing the dominance of multinational companies from our food chain and providing a food production system which is fair and appropriate to the people producing the food and those buying the food.
Another interesting article of linked relevance can be found at: http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/6060. This article shows how how food production and importation can be affected by government policy and how innovative government policy can provide protection for local industry whilst still providing its people with the relevant and "required" resources.
Pin It
Friday, November 25, 2011
Guide to ethical supermarket shopping
I picked up this guide today from a local shop for $6. It is devised by the Ethical Consumer Group Inc (www.ethical.org.au). They advertise the guide as a way to have an impact "with every dollar you spend".
The guide is larger than you are probably likely to carry around if you're just going to be popping into your store to get a litre of milk, but if you're doing your regular shopping and you're carrying a handbag it certainly wouldn't be a struggle to fit it in. You could then use it as a easy reference guide to compare products and make some informed choices whilst in the store. I think they also have a iPhone App.
All products listed in the guide have their production location listed (ie Australia or overseas), as well as providing a rating of the product based on things such as "areas of environmental and social impact, treatment of animals and accountable business practice." The guide also lists all the products in relevant categories, provides their names and their parent company's name.
I'll let you know if I find it useful once I try it out whilst shopping. Pin It
The guide is larger than you are probably likely to carry around if you're just going to be popping into your store to get a litre of milk, but if you're doing your regular shopping and you're carrying a handbag it certainly wouldn't be a struggle to fit it in. You could then use it as a easy reference guide to compare products and make some informed choices whilst in the store. I think they also have a iPhone App.
All products listed in the guide have their production location listed (ie Australia or overseas), as well as providing a rating of the product based on things such as "areas of environmental and social impact, treatment of animals and accountable business practice." The guide also lists all the products in relevant categories, provides their names and their parent company's name.
I'll let you know if I find it useful once I try it out whilst shopping. Pin It
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Story of Stuff
I just went to a lecture by Annie Leonard, author of the "Story of Stuff". What an amazing and awesome public speaker with a strong message as well. The Story of Stuff is a short animation that examines how things are produced and our patterns of consumption.
Have a look at their website: http://www.storyofstuff.com/ and if you have 20 mins have a look at the actual animation explaining where things come from.
Very inspiring and brings some reality to our western consumptive and obsessive behaviour! Pin It
Have a look at their website: http://www.storyofstuff.com/ and if you have 20 mins have a look at the actual animation explaining where things come from.
Very inspiring and brings some reality to our western consumptive and obsessive behaviour! Pin It
Monday, September 5, 2011
Water, water everywhere...or is it?
We are now in our new house...just! This is very exciting, but overwhelming and nerve racking all at once. The first thing I have become nervous about is the level of consciousness I have brought to water use in the house. Why? Because we are no longer on town water. We rely completely on two 25,000L rainwater tanks for our household water use. This is an enormous amount of water, but I have never had a finite resource dependency.
I have always been able to turn on the tap and be assured water with come from some far removed water source, even in drought conditions. I can turn on the light switch and generally assured that my lights will come on or my fridge will continue to stay cool. I drop into a petrol station and I fill my car up with a liquid that continues to assist my car with forward momentum.
Even though a level of paranoia about water use has come over me for the first two days, it has calmed down a little in the last 24 hours given the it has rained quite heavily and I could hear it gushing towards the rainwater tanks throughout the night.
I will however have to figure out the pump that can bring water from the dam at the bottom of the hill to water the few plants I moved with us. The dam is a saving for us, because otherwise we would be completely reliant on rainwater collected from our roofs to water the vegetable patch that I plan to put in the back yard sometime in the future and this in time would be a significant drain on our resource particularly in drought periods.
I also plan on putting another water tank in to collect the water running off the carport, right at the top of the hill and potentially something smaller on the roof of the chicken hutch once it is constructed.
Watch this space as I hope to do a water audit in the future to determine the level of water that we require on a weekly basis. This will allow me to get a true handle on our water usage and whether I should be nervous about the water we have on our site or whether we can function within our limits.
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I have always been able to turn on the tap and be assured water with come from some far removed water source, even in drought conditions. I can turn on the light switch and generally assured that my lights will come on or my fridge will continue to stay cool. I drop into a petrol station and I fill my car up with a liquid that continues to assist my car with forward momentum.
Even though a level of paranoia about water use has come over me for the first two days, it has calmed down a little in the last 24 hours given the it has rained quite heavily and I could hear it gushing towards the rainwater tanks throughout the night.
I will however have to figure out the pump that can bring water from the dam at the bottom of the hill to water the few plants I moved with us. The dam is a saving for us, because otherwise we would be completely reliant on rainwater collected from our roofs to water the vegetable patch that I plan to put in the back yard sometime in the future and this in time would be a significant drain on our resource particularly in drought periods.
I also plan on putting another water tank in to collect the water running off the carport, right at the top of the hill and potentially something smaller on the roof of the chicken hutch once it is constructed.
Watch this space as I hope to do a water audit in the future to determine the level of water that we require on a weekly basis. This will allow me to get a true handle on our water usage and whether I should be nervous about the water we have on our site or whether we can function within our limits.
Pin It
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Do you pay too much for your clothes?
Up until recently I was always one to boast about how cheap the items of clothing I had purchased were. I have also obviously gained a bit of a reputation for this as well, as my mum said to me the other day "you would be so proud of how much I paid for this piece of clothing". Meaning it was quite cheap. Previously, I could rarely justify spending over $100 for any one single item of clothing and now looking at clothes in many mainstream women's clothing shops it is in fact quite difficult to buy any single item for less than about $80. But what is the true value of the clothing that you wear?
About 12 years ago I worked in a ski clothing "factory". They imported clothing made in China that they designed here in Australia. The original cost of these items were markedly different to the direct manufacture cost, which I am not sure whether most people are keenly aware of. For example, a beanie that you would pay $20 for, costs the shop only $10 to purchase from the Australian designer. The Australian designer would have only actually paid the manufacturer about $2- 4 for the item, covering the costs of material and manufacture (including labour). To me I can't understand how this price covers a person's wage and all the other bits and pieces required to make the original item in another country.
With the real cost of clothing revealed, are we paying the right people the right amount of money? I believe not. The person that actually physically makes most of the clothing items available in Australian stores are likely to work in poor conditions, be that physical, financial or mental and generally under-valued for their input. Sure these people need employment and these industries employ them but I believe that we in developed nations can make significant contributions to improving their working conditions and the industry as a whole. We as the consumers are a very powerful group of people.
This issue is not a simple one by any stretch of the imagination, but another way to ensure that you are paying the right person for a quality product is to invest in local manufacturers or individuals, as I have discussed in previous posts. If you seek out the right types of clothing, you can ensure that the base materials are appropriately and ethically produced, the clothing is then manufactured in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible, has a smaller environmental footprint, appropriately priced and has provided the right people with appropriate compensation for their work and goods. They can be produced anywhere in the world (carbon footprint aside) but the fundamentals of a fair price for an ethically and environmentally produced item of clothing is the outcome being sought.
I know this is a bit leap and I certainly haven't made the leap yet with any great success, but I am certainly investigating the alternate options to clothing available in traditional stores. As a result I have found some interesting local designers and manufacturers and fair trade clothing groups sourcing clothing products from developing nations, which provide their workers with ethical working conditions and appropriate compensation. Pin It
About 12 years ago I worked in a ski clothing "factory". They imported clothing made in China that they designed here in Australia. The original cost of these items were markedly different to the direct manufacture cost, which I am not sure whether most people are keenly aware of. For example, a beanie that you would pay $20 for, costs the shop only $10 to purchase from the Australian designer. The Australian designer would have only actually paid the manufacturer about $2- 4 for the item, covering the costs of material and manufacture (including labour). To me I can't understand how this price covers a person's wage and all the other bits and pieces required to make the original item in another country.
With the real cost of clothing revealed, are we paying the right people the right amount of money? I believe not. The person that actually physically makes most of the clothing items available in Australian stores are likely to work in poor conditions, be that physical, financial or mental and generally under-valued for their input. Sure these people need employment and these industries employ them but I believe that we in developed nations can make significant contributions to improving their working conditions and the industry as a whole. We as the consumers are a very powerful group of people.
This issue is not a simple one by any stretch of the imagination, but another way to ensure that you are paying the right person for a quality product is to invest in local manufacturers or individuals, as I have discussed in previous posts. If you seek out the right types of clothing, you can ensure that the base materials are appropriately and ethically produced, the clothing is then manufactured in a manner that is environmentally and socially responsible, has a smaller environmental footprint, appropriately priced and has provided the right people with appropriate compensation for their work and goods. They can be produced anywhere in the world (carbon footprint aside) but the fundamentals of a fair price for an ethically and environmentally produced item of clothing is the outcome being sought.
I know this is a bit leap and I certainly haven't made the leap yet with any great success, but I am certainly investigating the alternate options to clothing available in traditional stores. As a result I have found some interesting local designers and manufacturers and fair trade clothing groups sourcing clothing products from developing nations, which provide their workers with ethical working conditions and appropriate compensation. Pin It
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Local food...how am I going?
In a post earlier this year, I discussed the concept of obtaining my food from within 250km of my house. So, how I am going? Well I haven't tried very hard, but started at least to make some conscious decisions when I am in my local grocery store (independent brand) and at the local "farmers'" markets.
What have I been successful in obtaining within this area?
What have I been successful in obtaining within this area?
- strawberries
- bread
- mandarins
- chicken
- yoghurt
- milk
- mushrooms
- fish (whiting)
- pesto
- honey
- eggs
The obvious flaw with the bread (which has been consistently raised with me) and the pesto, is that I don't know where the basic ingredients are sourced from (basil in pesto is local, but don't know about the other ingredients). This fact could actually lead to an increase in my carbon footprint as a result of extra transportation of primary ingredients to the location of manufacture, but at least I have considered one step in my food chain and this is what I consider a step in the right direction.
I have other local products available fairly readily but have not required them to date and I also have sourced herbs from my garden, mostly parsley at this stage and therefore don't have any transportation impacts on these.
Where to from here? Further investigations into the availability of many of the staple products in my pantry would be useful. Quizzing the sellers at the farmers' market where the products they are selling are coming from would also help and only buying what is seasonally available. All of these steps will assist in purchasing only products available from my local (250km) area.
Have you tried and what success are you having?
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
Basil
I have had a couple of recipes in my weekly dinner plan that have basil in them for the last couple of weeks. I chose these recipes a little while ago and added basil to my shopping list. My basil plant in my garden wasn't doing so well, wilted leaves, large seed heads and bitter-tasting leaves (picture was taken when the basil was in its prime). I just thought this was a result of the poor soil it is currently planted in, being in terribly non-neutral (pH) mushroom compost in a bath tub.
However, from my continual search for basil in the shops and farmers' market and its lack of presence on the shelves I have come to the conclusion that basil is out of season. And due to its complete lack of presence in the supermarket I assume it is a herb that is too fragile to transport over large distances for any reasonable price.
Once again, lesson learnt, no basil in winter and will start to think about sorting my recipe book into suitable seasons in which to cook them rather than under categories such as 'pasta', 'meat', 'chicken' and so on.
The lesson: shop seasonally for fruit and vegetables and also herbs and you will shop for less and have less impact on the planet through reduced transportation impacts/costs. Pin It
However, from my continual search for basil in the shops and farmers' market and its lack of presence on the shelves I have come to the conclusion that basil is out of season. And due to its complete lack of presence in the supermarket I assume it is a herb that is too fragile to transport over large distances for any reasonable price.
Once again, lesson learnt, no basil in winter and will start to think about sorting my recipe book into suitable seasons in which to cook them rather than under categories such as 'pasta', 'meat', 'chicken' and so on.
The lesson: shop seasonally for fruit and vegetables and also herbs and you will shop for less and have less impact on the planet through reduced transportation impacts/costs. Pin It
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Unique clothing/Hand-made things
Last year I did a post on sewing your own clothes. I realise that most people don't have the time, patience, interest, machinery or skill to do this, including me on most days. So how can you can avoid mass produced clothing, household "luxury" items or gifts? Look on-line for websites and groups that support individuals that produce such items in a manner that supports their individual talent, unique products, excellent working conditions and low carbon footprint distribution (if made local to you). Alternatively, look for boutiques or designers within your area and support these people and this form of trade.
A couple of well known hand-made websites are Made It and Etsy. The latter is an international site, but does have Australian designers/producers on it. I am also lucky in my local town (which is a hinterland town in south-east Queensland) to have a designer/dress-maker boutique shop which always has very unique clothing pieces. If you're not lucky enough to have such people within your town just do a internet search for the product you are looking for and the region you live within and you will definitely be surprised who is located in your broader region. Just look out and make sure the people you find aren't just distributors for products mass-produced in a sweat shop somewhere overseas.
Support your local talent and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Pin It
A couple of well known hand-made websites are Made It and Etsy. The latter is an international site, but does have Australian designers/producers on it. I am also lucky in my local town (which is a hinterland town in south-east Queensland) to have a designer/dress-maker boutique shop which always has very unique clothing pieces. If you're not lucky enough to have such people within your town just do a internet search for the product you are looking for and the region you live within and you will definitely be surprised who is located in your broader region. Just look out and make sure the people you find aren't just distributors for products mass-produced in a sweat shop somewhere overseas.
Support your local talent and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Pin It
Monday, June 27, 2011
National Food Plan
The Australian Government is requesting submissions on its National Food Plan. The idea behind this plan is to integrate food policy with the examination of the food supply chain, protection of food security in Australia and develop ways to maximise food production opportunities. The government plans to look into all avenues, from production through to consumption.
Minister Joe Ludwig has released an issues paper to inform citizens about the development of the national food plan. Also as part of the consultation strategy, the government is planning on holding a webcast about the plan, which you can register for now.
Food Connect is supporting this consultation process and encouraging members to participate in the submission process. Food Connect believes that "small, alternative food systems..."should be supported by the government, with the aim of reducing the dominance of the two large supermarket chains. According to Food Connect the government's advisory panel has currently only invited the two dominant supermarket chains and the Grocery Council to participate at present. You would think that the advisory panel would be far more balanced and informed if the government provided a broader representation on the panel with individual representative companies and groups also asked to participate.
I will keep my eye on this in the future, but feel free to take action yourself. Pin It
Minister Joe Ludwig has released an issues paper to inform citizens about the development of the national food plan. Also as part of the consultation strategy, the government is planning on holding a webcast about the plan, which you can register for now.
Food Connect is supporting this consultation process and encouraging members to participate in the submission process. Food Connect believes that "small, alternative food systems..."should be supported by the government, with the aim of reducing the dominance of the two large supermarket chains. According to Food Connect the government's advisory panel has currently only invited the two dominant supermarket chains and the Grocery Council to participate at present. You would think that the advisory panel would be far more balanced and informed if the government provided a broader representation on the panel with individual representative companies and groups also asked to participate.
I will keep my eye on this in the future, but feel free to take action yourself. Pin It
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Freecycle
Freecycle aims to reduce the amount of usable/re-usable items going into landfill. Groups are locally based, with volunteer moderators. Members use a bulletin board to 'advertise' things that they would otherwise be throwing out and might be of use to other people. Almost anything can be listed, you just need to want to give it away and it can be in any condition. The idea is not to sell these things or seek a fee but to give the items away.
It is amazing what people give away. Recently, I managed to get a lot of garden plants for my friends in Brisbane that were impacted by the floods. Other things that have taken my fancy, but I wasn't successful in getting (first in first served type arrangement generally) have included juicers, pots, water tanks, piano, dolls, toys, puzzles, etc, etc. I have however, managed to get a lot of crafty items for my local day care. Not only have I managed to get some interesting items, I have also managed to get rid of a lot of the clutter around the house without being concerned about whether it will be utilised by the local community group or just chucking things into the bin that someone else might be able to use.
If you're interested you sign up to your local network (see if there is a Freecyle group near you) and then choose whether you want to receive individual emails or daily digests. Each group has different members, different interests and different items available.
Another way to reduce your environmental footprint.
Pin It
It is amazing what people give away. Recently, I managed to get a lot of garden plants for my friends in Brisbane that were impacted by the floods. Other things that have taken my fancy, but I wasn't successful in getting (first in first served type arrangement generally) have included juicers, pots, water tanks, piano, dolls, toys, puzzles, etc, etc. I have however, managed to get a lot of crafty items for my local day care. Not only have I managed to get some interesting items, I have also managed to get rid of a lot of the clutter around the house without being concerned about whether it will be utilised by the local community group or just chucking things into the bin that someone else might be able to use.
If you're interested you sign up to your local network (see if there is a Freecyle group near you) and then choose whether you want to receive individual emails or daily digests. Each group has different members, different interests and different items available.
Another way to reduce your environmental footprint.
Pin It
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Large supermarkets are soul-less
Weekly grocery shopping today really brought home to me how commercial and soul-less the large supermarket chains have become.
Since moving to our new area, about 6 months ago, I have been shopping at the local independent grocery store and the local farmers' markets. For convenience today I chose to shop at one of the two major supermarket chains here in Queensland. After moving through the fruit and vegetable section and then the meat section without much incident and not many products placed into my gigantic shopping trolley, I moved into the pre-packaged and processed sections.
Oh so soul destroying. The lack of variety in products and brands shocked me. Standard brands that I use to buy from these supermarkets chains have either disappeared from the shelves or are well hidden. The chain branded products are everywhere and the amount of processed foods catering for the rush of modern life are dominant. Local products are difficult to find and I felt that much of the food is choosing the buyer not the buyer choosing the product.
I was just mortified. I don't think despite the moves that these chains are doing in an attempt to improve their reputations by stocking appropriately sourced seafood, having only phosphate free detergents, etc will induce me to shopping in their aisles, except for the oddly unavailable products at my local store.
Some of the reasons I will continue to shop at my local grocery store are:
Since moving to our new area, about 6 months ago, I have been shopping at the local independent grocery store and the local farmers' markets. For convenience today I chose to shop at one of the two major supermarket chains here in Queensland. After moving through the fruit and vegetable section and then the meat section without much incident and not many products placed into my gigantic shopping trolley, I moved into the pre-packaged and processed sections.
Oh so soul destroying. The lack of variety in products and brands shocked me. Standard brands that I use to buy from these supermarkets chains have either disappeared from the shelves or are well hidden. The chain branded products are everywhere and the amount of processed foods catering for the rush of modern life are dominant. Local products are difficult to find and I felt that much of the food is choosing the buyer not the buyer choosing the product.
I was just mortified. I don't think despite the moves that these chains are doing in an attempt to improve their reputations by stocking appropriately sourced seafood, having only phosphate free detergents, etc will induce me to shopping in their aisles, except for the oddly unavailable products at my local store.
Some of the reasons I will continue to shop at my local grocery store are:
- locally owned;
- some profits being channelled back into my local community and community-oriented initiatives;
- employment of local people at all levels in the business;
- support for other local businesses and community members;
- direct response to requests (eg. direct responses to suggestions by customers for products, ranges or stocking products within a industry - local, organic, etc);
- broader range of suppliers; and
- encourage/support and utilisation of local products.
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