How to have an ethical Easter

Lots of chocolate is consumed at Easter to celebrate the occasion but this can cause more harm to the environment than you might think. Below are five important aspects to consider when purchasing chocolate to help you have an ethical Easter.

Is it palm oil free chocolate?

Around 300 football fields of the world’s most biologically diverse rainforests are felled every hour for palm oil plantations, killing around 6000 orangutans, plus Sumatran tigers and many other species every year.

Australians unknowingly consume on average 10 kilograms of palm oil each year and unclear food labelling makes it hard for people to exercise their consumer choice. Palm oil is a high yield and low cost versatile ingredient used extensively in most manufactured foods, cleaning products, body care, make up and bio fuels. Inadequate government labelling regulations allow brands to hide palm oil behind more than 200 alternate names such as vegetable oil, Glycerine, Plant Surfactant and Caprylic Triglyceride, making it extremely confusing for consumers to identify. Palm oil-based butter which mimics the taste of cocoa butter is used extensively by chocolate manufacturers as a production cost saving measure. When purchasing chocolate this Easter, make sure you purchase 100 percent palm oil free chocolate. 

Is it ethically made and Fairtrade? 

Is the chocolate made and owned by locals? Where was the coco sourced? Was it grown and harvested sustainably? Were the workers treated and remunerated fairly?

These are the questions that you should ask yourself before purchasing chocolate for Easter. According to Choice, approximately 70 percent of chocolate consumed globally is sourced from West Arica where over two million children under the age of 18, some trafficked, work under treacherous conditions to harvest the cocoa. By purchasing ethically made and Fairtrade chocolate, you’re supporting cocoa farmers who provide safe and sustainable employment for their community.

Do you need to consider food allergies?

It’s important to consider if the recipient has any food allergies when purchasing chocolate this Easter as you don’t want to cause any allergic reactions. Are they lactose or gluten intolerant? There is a wide range of dairy free and gluten free Easter chocolate options for people with food allergies.

Does it align with the recipient’s values?

Shopping by a person’s values is important to remember when purchasing Easter chocolate especially if the person lives a vegan, cruelty free or palm oil free lifestyle. There is a large range of vegan chocolate available from local chocolate artisan. 

Is the packaging environmentally friendly?

Most Easter chocolates are wrapped in aluminium foil which is recyclable through council recycling bins but only if you follow the correct guidelines to ensure it is filtered correctly at the recycling facility. Collect all the small used aluminium foil wrappers and scrunch them up into a tight large ball then place it in your recycling bin. This will ensure the ball is sorted correctly and has the highest possible chance at being recycled.





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The plastic invasion. How plastic is impacting our health and the environment.

We’re all aware of the impact of the accumulating mass of plastic pollution on our environment. Countless articles have been written and research undertaken has led scientists to uncover microplastics in the stomachs of birds and small marine animals. Now researchers have found plastic particles in our drinking water leading to serious concerns for the health of current and future civilisations. 

We have produced more plastic in the first ten years of this century then we have in the whole of the last twentieth century. Since the 1950s, we have produced over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic and only 20% of the plastic we currently use each year is recycled or incinerated. So, what happens to the remaining 80% of plastic used? It ends up in landfill, in our oceans, or worse in the stomachs of animals who mistake it for food.

If plastic is harming our wildlife, could it be affecting us too? This was the question raised by scientists at Orb Media who recently completed a global study to understand if microplastic fibres were present in tap water from cities around the world. In a first of its kind study, Orb Media and partners collected and tested samples from 12 nations across 6 continents and discovered more than 80% of the water collected was contaminated with plastic particles.

The United States water samples had the highest contamination rate with 94% of plastic particles found in water samples from well-known buildings and landmarks including the Trump Tower in New York, Congress buildings, and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters. Closely following the United States were Lebanon and India. Water samples collected in the UK, Germany and France had the lowest contamination rate, but this was still high at 72%.

Scientists say if plastic particles are in our drinking water, they’re surely in our food too. This has been the case for the small aquatic animals including small fish and prawns, and it has now been found in sea salt. In a separate study, tiny particles of plastic have been discovered in store bought sea salt products in the UK, France, Spain, China and US. These studies prove plastic is infiltrating our lives and potentially harming our health.

Plastic is a terrible chemical produced product that causes more damage the longer it remains on the planet. It is virtually indestructible and doesn’t biodegrade; instead it breaks down into smaller fragments, some in nanometer scale (one-one thousandth of one-one thousandth of a millimetre). These are called microplastics and they are everywhere. They are floating in the atmosphere around us; shedding from our plastic produced clothing and the dust from tyres of the passing cars around us. These plastic particles are nearly impossible to see and therefore can easily be consumed and absorbed by our bodies. Studies have found particles in nanometer scale have the ability to penetrate the intestinal wall and be transported to other bodily organs including the lymph nodes.

Although there are currently no advanced filtration systems that can filter out plastic particles in nanometer scale, you can still do your bit to reduce your plastic impact on the environment by refusing to use single use plastics and wearing clothing made from natural fibres.

References:
Orb Media: Invisibles - The plastic inside us
The Guardian: Sea salt around the world is contaminated by plastic, studies show

Related: Shave waste free and save the environment; The environmental problem with palm oil; What is a circular economy?

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What is a circular economy?

Image by circular.flanders (on Instagram)

What is a circular economy?

A circular economy is based on a regenerative system where resources input and waste are reduced by recycling, reusing and repurposing everything. It's a contrast to a linear economy which is structured on a 'take, make and dispose' system.

A circular economy is designed to extract the maximum value from the resources used in the initial development of products. This requires innovation from businesses to discover new ways to use existing materials rather than disposing them; and resourceful thinking from individuals to repurpose old or worn items.

 

Why is a circular economy important?

Along with forging new opportunities for product innovation and business development, a circular economy also helps to significantly reduce waste by keeping resources in a closed loop system for as long as possible. 

From start-ups to global companies, initiatives and innovations are beginning to form the cornerstone of business production models as waste continues to mount. TerraCycle, an international recycling and upcycling company, is a great example of a circular economy initiative that takes hard-to-recycle packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. From plastic pens and coffee pods to gloves and beauty packaging, TerraCycle collects and recycles these products eliminating them from landfill. TerraCycle has currently recycled over 3,783,212,164 pieces of waste.

How you can help

A circular economy relies heavily on consuming differently such as reusing products for as long as possible, recycling and upcycling. We can all work towards creating a circular economy in our own lives by repairing broken objects, buying second hand items, buying and using reusable items, recycling and finding a new purpose for old items. Below is a list of ways you can participate in a circular economy within your household.

1. Refurbish old furniture;
2. Mend worn clothing;
3. Recycle as much as you can;
4. Compost instead of purchasing fertiliser;
5. Use reusable products such as a KeepCup, shopping bag, produce bags and water bottle;
6. Shop at second hand stores;
7. Buy new products made using recycled materials instead of virgin materials;
8. Repurpose objects instead of discarding them;
9. Try to live zero waste as much as possible; and
10. Borrow and share household items instead of buying new ones.

Related: Shave waste free and save the environment; The environmental problem with palm oil; How to create a plastic free pantry

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How your washing could be harming the environment

Most of us are aware of how our consumption of single use plastics and non-biodegradable items contribute to environmental waste. We do our best to not litter, reduce our waste and pick up rubbish when we see it, but what about the waste produced from washing our clothes?

Research has uncovered a single washing machine cycle can pollute our oceans with up to 700,000 microscopic plastic fibres. These fibres which are considered microplastics, less than 5 mm in diameter, are nearly impossible to see and clean up. They end up floating in our oceans, harming our marine life and poisoning our food supply with toxic chemicals. The Guardian coined it “the biggest environmental problem you've never heard of.”

Most clothing produced nowadays is made from synthetic plastic fibres. Fabrics such as polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate, spandex, latex, Orlon and Kevlar are all made from synthetic plastic fibres in a process called polymerization. Chemicals produce from natural non-renewable resources such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide are used to produce most synthetic plastic fibres. The chemicals are pushed through spinnerets which are tiny holes that cool the chemicals and form tiny synthetic threads. The threads are then dyed and weaved into fabric. Synthetic fibres can be made with different qualities which make some synthetic fabrics more environmentally damaging than others when washed. Research completed by Plymouth University found acrylic fabric had the biggest environmental impact, releasing approximately 730,000 synthetic fibres in a single cycle.

Synthetic plastic fibres don’t biodegrade and the manufacturing process is environmentally damaging. Purchasing clothing made from natural fabrics such as cotton, linen (made from flax), silk, wool, cashmere, hemp or jute are more eco-friendly alternatives. These natural fabrics which have been used for thousands of years are non-toxic and biodegradable. When washed, they shed natural fibres that don’t pose a threat to our marine life.

 

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Why you should go meat free on Mondays

If you’re on your journey to live more sustainably and want to improve your environmental impact, Meat Free Monday is a great way to reduce your consumption of meat. Launched by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney in 2009, Meat Free Monday raises awareness of the devastating environmental impact of meat production from the livestock industry, and encourages people to reduce their consumption by having one meat free day each week. Meat Free Monday isn’t a push for people to become vegetarian or vegan, but rather about rising awareness of the environmental and health benefits of reducing your consumption of meat.

Livestock farming is a rapidly growing industry that has severe implications for the earth’s climate. The consumption of meat world-wide has greatly increased in recent decades leading to a significant rise in meat production globally. According to Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project, production has tripled in the past four decades, and risen by 20% in the last 10 years.

The agricultural industry relies on large pastures of land and non-renewable resources to produce animal feed, and support livestock farming. More than one-fourth of the earths land is used for the production of livestock farming of meat, milk and eggs. This has a devastating effect on the environment where rainforests are being cleared, leading to habitat destruction and loss of animals globally. Along with this, the industry uses approximately one third of the world’s fresh water to support the production of meat which includes the farming of feed for livestock.

The industry’s greenhouse gas emission contribution exceeds the combined exhaust from all transportation, accounting for 18 per cent globally, while producing 40 per cent of the world’s
methane and 65 percent of the world’s nitrous oxide.
Reducing your consumption of meat is not only good for the environment but it is good for your health too. Enjoying meat free Monday’s doesn’t mean you have to dramatically change your lifestyle. It can be as simple as swapping your meat patty on your burger for a vegetable patty, or using lentils in your curry instead of chicken.

Cowspiracy is a insightful environmental documentary that investigates the environmental impact of that animal agriculture industry.

Try meat free Monday this week!

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How to reduce your waste habits to fight climate change

Everyone has the ability to fight climate change by reducing their waste habits. Even the most simple daily changes can make a big impact. Below are 12 ways you can reduce your waste habits to fight climate change.

 

1. Buy in bulk: Buying in bulk is an easy way to reduce your consumption of single use packaging. Swap your pre-packaged supermarket items for bulk wholesale purchases. When visiting your bulk wholesaler, remember to pack in your reusable containers and jars, and only buy what you need. This simple lifestyle change will significantly reduce your annual household contribution to landfill.
2. Reduce food waste: Australians waste approximately $10 billion in food every year. Reduce your household food waste by setting weekly meal plans and only buy food you need for the week. Eat leftovers for lunch or turn them into another meal. Keep food in your fridge and pantry fresher for longer by storing it correctly in food storage containers and bags.
3. Use reusable shopping bags: Plastic bags are one of Australia’s largest environmental hazards with over 3.92 billion plastic bags used and disposed each year. Using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic disposable ones will greatly reduce your contribution to landfill.
4. Reduce food miles: When buying food, try to reduce your food miles as much as possible by purchasing direct from your local farmer. Where possible, avoid purchasing pre-packaged food and opt for buying in bulk from a local wholesaler. Reduce your use of single use plastics by using reusable containers to store your purchases.
5. Stop using plastic food wrap: Plastic food wrap is one of the most wasteful products used in kitchens. This single use plastic destine for landfill uses valuable natural resources to produce and releases numerous toxic chemicals in production, transport and disposal. Durable containers, reusable food covers and beeswax wraps are eco-friendly alternatives that will reduce your use of plastic food wrap.
6. Recycle what you can: The recycling service offered by most local councils is a great environmentally friendly initiative that makes it easy for every household to reduce their contribution to landfill. Keep a separate bin in your kitchen for recyclables and regularly sort out your general waste from your recycling. Contact your local council if you are unsure of what to recycle to ensure you place your waste in the correct bins provided.
7. Use toxin-free cleaning products: Chemicals are in numerous household products from shampoo and soap to detergent and toilet cleaner. Switching to nontoxic environmentally friendly cleaning products will reduce the number of chemicals you use in your home and will support a healthier environment. An affordable alternative is to make your own from natural ingredients. This will ensure you know exactly what is in each product and you can avoid the nasty chemicals found in most conventional cleaning products.
8. Repair, swap or donate: Try repairing broken or worn objects before replacing them. This will not only save you money but will prevent functioning items being sent to landfill. If you need to replace an item you might have outgrown or simply don’t require anymore, try swapping it or donating it.
9. Grow your own produce: From edible flowers and herbs to vegetables and fruit trees, it is possible for everyone to grow their own produce regardless of the size of their backyard, balcony or home. If you live in an apartment and don’t have access to a backyard, try growing smaller plants and vegetables in pots on your balcony or kitchen windowsill, and join a community garden to grow larger produce. If you have a backyard, dedicate a small section to planting edible plants. Growing your own produce will significantly reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the food miles of the produce you consume.
10. Switching to LED lighting: Replace old incandescent, halogen or compact fluorescent bulbs with LED bulbs. They have a longer lifespan, consume less energy per lumen produced, and do not emit UV radiation. Switching to LED lighting will reduce your carbon footprint and save you money.
11. Eat less meat: The meat industry contributes around 6 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Try reducing your weekly meat consumption by having one meat free day each week. Take part in Meat Free Monday and opt for plant-based meals more regularly.
12. Be thoughtful about your wardrobe : The production of clothing has a big impact on the climate, especially with the sudden increase in fast fashion production. When purchasing clothing, try to avoid buying new items and opt for purchasing second hand items or swapping clothing with family and friends. If you do need to buy brand new, buy ethically made clothing from environmentally friendly materials.

Related: The environmental impact of plastic straws; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups; Top environmental documentaries to watch

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The environmental impact of fast fashion

Fast fashion isn’t just a term used in the fashion industry. It’s now on the lips of environmentalists and environmentally concerned citizens.

The term ‘fast fashion’ is used to describe the fashion industry’s recent transformational shift whereby manufacturing processes are accelerated to introduce new trends to the market faster and more affordably. Fashion is one of the largest industries in the world, accounting for 2% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Over 80 billion new textile items are purchased globally every year which has dramatically increased by 400% over the past two decades. This industry is now the second highest polluter in the in the world, second to oil. Fast fashion is becoming an environmental crisis and we need to act now before it’s too late!

Manufactures are producing more textiles than ever before to meet consumer demands. What was once an industry that released two collections a year, has adapted to releasing 52 micro-collections annually, predominately consisting of inexpensive and low-quality garments. The stores work on a business model of low margins/high turnover luring customers into a fast fashion cycle of buying an item, wearing it only a few times before discarding it and purchasing another ‘trending’ item.

Currently, North Americans are the highest consumers of textiles in the world followed closely by Australians, purchasing approximately 27 kilograms of new fashion and textiles annually – twice the global average of 13 kilograms per person annually. 



This is what 6000 kg of fashion waste looks like. We waste this every 10 minutes in Australia. Thanks @1millionwomen for capturing this photo for ABC's War on Waste series coming soon.



What effect is this having on our planet?

Apart from significantly contributing to landfill, fast fashion production and waste impacts the environment on several levels.

Emissions and toxins:

Around two-thirds of clothing purchased is made of synthetic fibres such as acrylic, polyester and nylon, which is essentially petroleum derived plastic. This type of plastic produces tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing. The toxic dyes used to colour clothing is discolouring the rivers close to the manufacturing facilities, whereby farmers downstream are predicting the colour of the season by the river’s colour.

 

Microplastics:

The most recent fast fashion environmental concern is the shedding of synthetic fibres when the garments are washed. During one machine cycle a synthetic garment can shed over 1900 fibres. These fibres which are considered microplastics are nearly impossible to see and clean up. They end up in our oceans, harming our marine life and poisoning our food supply with toxic chemicals. The Guardian coined it “the biggest environmental problem you've never heard of.”

Landfill:

Approximately 85% of Australian’s textile purchases are discard in landfill annually – that’s more than 500,000 tonnes every year. While the synthetic garments take thousands of years to break down, they produce microplastics in the process.

What can you do?

1. Buy clothing mage from natural fibres.

2. Buy only what you need and wear it as much as possible.

3. When you are ready to part with your clothing, swap, sell, gift it to a friend or donate it to charity. If it's well worn, cut it up and use it as cleaning rags.  

4. Purchase from sustainable and local clothing producers

Related: Why bamboo is better for your health and the environment ; Plastic free living ; The state of Australia’s waste;

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The state of Australia’s waste

As Australia’s population increases, our war on waste escalates as we battle with a nation that is highly driven by materialism, convenience and cost, opposed to environment, ethics and health. Our nations wasteful actions are moving us towards a dangerous future and if we don’t begin to make changes, we will carry the cost of waste forever, leading to major health, living and environmental issues.

Australia’s population is currently sitting at 24.4 million. We now produce approximately 50 million tonnes of waste annually, which equates to over 2 tonnes of waste per person. During the period of 1996 to 2015, Australia’s population increased by 28% and waste generation increased by 170%, growing at a compound growth rate of 7.8% per year.

Australia’s household consumption continues to rise with the economy. The average household bin contains approximately 60% green waste which is made up of 40% food waste and 20% garden waste. Since 2005, recycling has risen at a faster rate with Australian’s now recycling approximately 58% of all the waste we generate and the rest being disposed in landfill. However, recycling isn’t the main solution to our dramatically increasing waste issue; significantly reducing our daily waste is. 

This dramatic increase in waste generation should be viewed as a window to the future of our planet’s wellbeing. To reduce our waste, we need to start monitoring the things we discard and start asking ourselves - “is there is a waste free solution that can prevent me from producing this waste again?”

You can dramatically reduce kitchen waste by composing food scraps, buying only what you need, buying from wholefood bulk suppliers and markets, using reusable shopping bags, and putting your food in containers instead of using plastic food wrap. When out and about, pack a zero-waste kit so you don't need to rely on single use products.

We can all make a difference by being mindful of the waste we generate and making simple changes to reduce it.

Reference:

MRA Consulting - State of Waste 2016 - current and future Australian trends

Related: The environmental impact of plastic straws; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups; Top environmental documentaries to watch

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The environmental impact of plastic straws

Straws are a damaging global environmental hazard increasing by millions daily, polluting the environment and waterways and injuring wildlife.

Over 500 million straws are used daily worldwide for an average of 20 minutes before being discarded. They are an item of convenience and essentially useless but people continue to use them despite their effects on the environment.

Plastic straws are one of many types of plastic polluting our earth and harming our wildlife. From production to disposal, plastic straws consume non-renewable resources and take thousands of years to break down. These chemically produced products are non-biodegradable and when disposed photodegrades over time, causing each piece of plastic to break down into small fragments.

Straws are one of the top 10 items collected in ocean clean-ups. The environmental effects of plastics are permanent and widespread with plastic contributing to approximately 90 per cent of the rubbish floating in our oceans. Approximately 46 thousand pieces of plastic contaminate every square mile of the ocean.

To illustrate the extent of global plastic straw pollution, imagine how many straws the world’s most popular fast food chain McDonald’s would hand out daily. McDonald’s operates over 34,000 restaurants in over 118 countries and serves over 50 million people daily. If only one quarter of the 50 million people McDonald’s serves daily purchased a drink with a straw, they would contribute 4.5 billion straws annually to global waste.

To reduce your use of disposable straws, refuse one with your next order or use a reusable straw. It’s these small actions taken by individuals collectively that leads to extensive positive change.

Quick facts about plastic straws:

1. Over 500 million plastic straws are used daily worldwide.
2. Straws are made from natural resources including crude oil, natural gas and coal which cannot be replaced once depleted.
3. 20 minutes is the average time a straw is used before being discarded.
4. Straws are one of the top 10 items littering our marine environment.
5. 90 per cent of rubbish floating in the world's oceans is plastic, primarily straws, bottles and caps.
6. Studies estimate 1 million sea birds, 100,000 mammals and countless fish are killed every year from plastic.
7. 6,263,319 straws and stirrers have been collects at beach clean-up events over the past 25 years.
8. Reports indicate there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

Sources: choosetobestrawfree.com; weforum.org; marineconservation.org.au; cleanuptheworld.org; mcdonalds.com.au/about-maccas/maccas-story


Related: Battling Australia’s bottled water crisis;  Pledge single use plastic free in July; Your war on waste  

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Battling Australia’s bottled water crisis

Bottled water provides no benefit, it only enables a narrow-minded vision for the future of our society and environment. Now is the time to boycott this bad habit and work together to reverse our environmentally destructive actions.

Australian’s consume over 726 million litres of bottled water every year. This single use consumption that has escalated into one of the world’s most environmentally damaging consumer habits is now affecting our health and posing a major threat to the future of our environment.

In 2015 Australians spent approximately $500 million on bottled water. Over 5.3 million Aussies drank bottled water in any given seven days with Mount Franklin being Australia’s favourite bottled water brand to consume (40 per cent) followed closely by Coles Natural Spring Water (14 per cent). Boycotting bottled water does not only mean you support the future of our environment but it also removes your dollars from contributing to the billions in profits that multinational corporations receive from producing this environmentally destructive product.

Bottled water uses over 50 million barrels of crude oil during the production, transportation and refrigeration processes, and uses over three times the water to produce as to fill the bottles. It contributes the most predominant form of ocean pollution with over 46 thousand pieces of plastic contaminating every square mile of the ocean, including the ocean floor.

Plastic disposable water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Although completely recyclable, they are non-biodegradable and when disposed photodegrade, causing them to break down into small fragments called microplastics. The microplastics then absorb toxins and pollute our waterways and soil, harm our wildlife and pose potential future health hazards to humans.

Single use plastic water bottles contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Bisphenol A (BPA), a combination of man-made chemicals that have been linked to health issues including reproductive problems and various types of cancer. When bottles produced with these chemicals are exposed to direct sunlight and heat or become old and brittle, it causes the chemicals to leach from the bottle and contaminate any liquid contained within it.

Giving up bottled water means you a taking one giant step forward to not only reducing your impact on the environment but immediately cutting your support for the production of bottled water. The more profit large corporations make from bottled water, the more they will continue to produce it. Boycott bottled water and choose to reuse. It is better for your health, the environment and will save you money in the long-term.


Related: Top environmental documentaries to watch; The state of Australia’s waste; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups

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The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups

Society’s increasing addiction to coffee has become a major cause for concern for environmental groups and conscious consumers worldwide. With Australians using over 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year and Americans using 58 billion alone, it’s no surprise this single use product is now the second largest contributor to landfill waste after water bottles.

Environmental awareness around disposable coffee cups is usually centred on its end of life impacts however, the social costs and negative production externalities is deeply concerning and an issue that needs to be discussed more often. When considering the impacts of disposable coffee cups, its negative production externalities far exceed the convenience they offer with the average disposable cup being used for approximately 15 minutes before being discarded.

What are the true costs?

 Each year over 20 million trees are cut down and 12 billion gallons of water is used to manufacture disposable coffee cups. Along with this, tonnes of crude oil is used during the production and transportation process. This results in significant loss of natural resources, ecosystem degradation, reduced carbon absorption and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

The most common misconception about paper cups is they are recyclable. Most paper coffee cups are coated with a plastic resin (polyethylene) which prevents them from being recycled. Some waste collection centres can recycle disposable coffee cups by extracting the plastic from the paper however, this can be very costly and time consuming. This also raises a valid health concern about carcinogenic chemicals leeching from the cups and being ingested.

The plastic lining of paper-based cups. Image by Choice.

After use, disposable coffee cups are discarded in landfill where they are left to degrade. During this process, they release countless CO2 emissions and the plastic breaks down into smaller fragments polluting the soil and waterways, potentially harming wildlife. 

How can we make a difference?

Sitting in the coffee shop and drinking from a ceramic cup is the best way to avoid using a disposable coffee cup but this does require time – a luxury not all of us have. A realistic alternative for our time conscious society is to use a reusable ‘on-the-go’ coffee cup such as a KeepCup. It only takes 15 uses for one KeepCup to break even, every use thereafter benefits the planet.

If we can all begin to reduce our reliance on ‘convenient’ disposable products by simply being prepared with our own reusable products, we will significantly reduce the pre and post production environmental impacts of these products. It’s time for consumers to stand up and start leading change themselves rather than waiting for it to happen. The more we use single use disposable products, the longer businesses will continue to offer it to us.

Responsible Cafes connects thoughtful cafes with conscious consumers by offering incentives to customers that bring in their reusable cups. Find your closest responsible cafe here. 

Refuse or reuse!

Related: Pledge single use plastic free in July; Your war on waste; The environmental impact of plastic straws 

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Vulnerable lungfish rescue Gympie, Queensland

Image source: The Courier Mail

It's not every day you get to save the life of a threatened species and a living fossil!

A remarkable photograph of a Gympie resident rescuing a rare lungfish from a hotel car park in Gympie after it was washed there by the flood waters that have flowed through Gympie, Queensland for the fifth time in one year.

This ancient air breathing fish can survive for several days out of the water if the surface of its skin is kept moist.  Fossil records show that the Queensland Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) has remained unchanged for more than 100 million years (since the time of the dinosaurs) - and is the longest surviving vertebrate species on the planet.

The lungfish became well known in the fight to stop the Traveston Crossing Dam near Gympie and may have influenced the then Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett's decision to veto the dam because it posed 'an unacceptable risk to threatened species such as the Queensland lungfish'. The lungfish still faces significant risks from the Paradise Dam on the Burnett River.  The dam has a fish transfer device (a "fish lift"!) to theoretically allow lungfish to migrate upstream of the dam wall as well as a downstream fish transfer device to allow them to migrate downstream for breeding and feeding.  There has been much debate and a court case over whether the devices are effective. It is also believed that lungfish have been destroyed when they are swept over the 62 concrete-step spillway at Paradise Dam

What is the status of the lungfish?
The Australian Lungfish is listed as a vulnerable species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act).  Source.

Why is the lungfish threatened?
According to Environment Australia: Evidence suggests that in recent years only small numbers of young lungfish are growing-up into adult fish. In addition, changes to the quality and extent of breeding habitat appear to be reducing the likelihood of successful spawning. Two of the key problems affecting the lungfish are the flooding of suitable spawning sites and physical barriers that block the movement of adult lungfish to the remaining breeding sites.

As explained in this article from the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland:
In the words of Professor Jean Joss, Australia’s primary lungfish expert, '…the Australian lungfish provides the only opportunity to study the development and physiology of the aquatic predecessor of all land vertebrates – including ourselves. Its significance cannot be overstated. Australia is the custodian of the source of this invaluable library of information for the rest of the world.'
 
The Australian lungfish, previously more widespread throughout the continent, is now restricted to the Mary and Burnett River systems, the latter of which used to offer the most suitable spawning sites. Despite having survived this long, and boasting a life span of 80 to 100 years, the Australian lungfish takes 15 to 20 years to reach maturity and is very picky when it comes to the conditions under which it will spawn.  Since the construction of the Paradise Dam, these favoured sites have been flooded on several occasions and have also undergone permanent change. As a result, the faithful lungfish return every year but do not spawn and reabsorb their gametes because the conditions are no longer acceptable to them.

Hats off to this Gympie resident for saving one lungfish by carrying it back to deeper water!

 

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Green Olympics London - a gold medal performance?

Source: http://www.iso.org/iso/news.htm?refid=Ref1690

From the world's first "recycled stadium", a food strategy that requires balance, affordability and sustainability, to water-harvesting, cycle parks, a sustainable timber Velo track, plus, the target of sending none of the 8,000 tonnes of consumer waste generated to landfill, there's an impressive line up on the starter blocks.

Since the last Olympics Games, environmental standards - and possibilities - have changed markedly.  Expectations of how companies and countries need to minimise impact our planet in all they do are high.  London's commitment to a sustainable Games was reportedly a central part of winning the right to host the event.

Global warming is the critical issue of our time and the Games has been built and operated with a strict carbon footprint limitation.  Reducing the tonnes of carbon dioxide and gases sent into the atmosphere is not just about vehicles and electricity.  "Embedded carbon" in the materials used to construct venues, such as concrete and steel, is the major contributor and that is why many temporary structures have been built wherever possible from materials, such as billboard fabric, and recycled materials, such as the reclaimed gas pipes making up the roof of the Olympic stadium.

There's much to learn for other construction companies and event organisers - and not just the big ones.  For the individual person there are many mind-expanding ideas on what you can do in your every day life and when undertaking your own event or contruction.

Here are some of the facts gathered from media reports (sources at the end):

Low Carbon Games
Estimated carbon footprint published 2009. For the operation of the games this is expected to be 315,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and other gases – a 20 per cent reduction on the initial estimate.  New permanent venues have been built only where there was a strong legacy case. Temporary structures built whereever possible, such as the water polo venue and wings of the aquatics centre.  “Embedded carbon” in the structure of the stadium reduced by using recycled materials, such as old gas pipes which provide the truss – the ring around the top of the stadium.
Renewable Energy Games
Original target was 20 per cent of all energy supplied, largely provided by a large two-megawatt wind turbine on the Olympic site. Health and safety considerations ruled out the turbine. Renwable energy now expected to be 11 per cent of the total, provided by biomass boilers in the dedicated energy centre and a small amount of solar panels on the roof of the press centre car park.
Public Transport Games
All ticket holders given a Games Travelcard to use on public transport on the day of their event.  Walking and cycling to venues encouraged by Active Travel Programme – with 7,000 secure cycle spaces.  However, that system has some problems because they are half an hour walk away!
Good Food Games
London 2012 thought to be first major event in the world to have a food strategy, stressing choice and balance, affordability, sustainable sourcing across 800 food and drink outlets. All meat and dairy and fresh produce from the UK is Red Tractor farm assured.  All fish is certified as sustainably sourced. Much overseas produce is Fair Trade.
Zero Waste Games
London 2012 expected to generate about 8,000 tonnes of consumer waste overall. The target is send none of this to landfill. All food packaging, including that used by McDonald’s, must be recyclable or compostable (all provided by a single supplier) and colour-coded to match colour codes on different bins for different waste streams.  I very much like that idea of the colour coding!  All waste handled by a single specialist contractor running a dedicated line for Olympic waste.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/07/pictures/120725-london-green-olympic-games-bid/

Cycling's sustainable surface
The VeloPark was constructed using mainly timber and has a lightweight roof that reduces its embodied carbon emissions by limiting the use of steel. It also has rainwater harvesting capabilitys that will help cut water consumption by 75 per cent. But best of all the timber, including that used for the track, all came from certified sustainable sources.
VIPs and their greener Beemers
BMW's brightly coloured Olympic fleet includes 200 electric vehicles and 400 bicycles. Half the fleet will be BMW 320d Efficient Dynamic saloons, while another 700 will be BMW 520d Efficient Dynamics. The automaker has achieved its target of ensuring the London Olympics Games' fleet does not exceed average emissions of 120 grams of CO2 per kilometre, while also pioneering the use of zero emission technologies.
The world's first recyclable stadium
The 80,000 seat stadium was constructed with less than half the steel used in comparably sized stadia, making it the lightest Olympic Stadium to date. It includes more than a third recycled content and is expected to require 60 per cent less water than comparable stadia. The ring beam that supports the roof is also made of reclaimed gas pipes.

Sources: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/how-green-will-the-london-olympics-really-be-7982182.html, http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/feature/2194942/top-10-green-olympic-facts, http://lydall.standard.co.uk/2012/07/olympic-bike-parks-will-have-security-guards-to-deter-thieves.html, http://energy.gov/articles/2012-london-olympics-go-green-its-energy-efficient-sustainable-and-recyclable-design

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Take 3 initiative & single use plastics

Story by Biome's Online Manager:  Some of the Biome team recently attended a screening of the documentary BAG IT, which was promoted by Queensland Conservation and TAKE 3.

We learned how garbage and litter flows from our waterways out to sea and the harm it causes to water birds and sea life as well as our fragile ocean eco systems.

Turtles, who apparently eat everything, are attracted to floating plastic bags because they look like jelly fish.  While, all over the Pacific, albatross chicks are fed junk by their parents who mistake pieces of plastic for food and bring them back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year thousands of baby birds die from starvation, toxicity, and choking.  Carcases of these birds are found decaying with bits of plastic sitting in their stomach cavities still perfectly in tact.

 

TAKE 3 is “A Clean Beach Initiative” where you are encouraged to take at least 3 pieces of rubbish when you leave the beach, waterway or anywhere. You may not have put the rubbish there but you have the ability to take it away and make a difference. If we participate in this simple act and pass on this message we can help stop the damage our litter is causing to our fragile oceans and waterways.

There is no "away"

The documentary BAG IT is a light hearted look at the effect our addiction to single use packaging has in the world. We saw that although we think we are doing the “right thing” by recycling, most plastics are in fact not recyclable and get filtered into landfill.  Further, a huge amount of our “unwashed” plastics are being shipped to China and India to be processed in deplorable conditons.  Container ships are full when they come here carrying fast moving consumer goods, but they are empty on the return leg.  This makes it an inexpensive prospect to ship our garbage around the world to be processed by cheap labour, starting with sorting the heaps of stinking waste.  

The better solution is clearly to avoid plastics in the first place, or to re-use plastics many times before they are sent to "recycling".

Things you can do

• TAKE 3 - pick up other people's rubbish. We can greatly reduce the amount of marine debris in our oceans by preventing it from getting there in the first place.
• Reduce & re-use - use your reusable shopping bags and Onya Weigh grocery bags instead of plastic bags.
• Take your own container to the grocery store and shop from the Deli for meats and cheeses, or take them to the take-away from where you buy lunch and Friday night Thai. You can use stainless steel lunchboxes or glass containers that are BPA free.  
• Sign a petition to support the introduction of acontainer deposit system in Australia which will significantly increase the recycling rates of glass, plastic and aluminium drink containers. 
• Small plastic caps are not recyclable for many reasons, so although it's hard to believe, the responsible consumers are the ones who throw their plastic caps and lids into the rubbish instead of the recycling bin!  For this reason, try not to buy things with small plastic lids or get creative with them instead of throwing them away. 
• Watch the BAG IT documentary.  Find our where it is screening in Australia hosted by Tim Silverwood or visit the official BAG IT movie site.

 

You know how handmade soap gets all goopey on a soap dish? It’s because the soap sits in water and makes your lovely soap disappear faster. You can make this little soap dish with plastic lids that would usually be thrown away, to keep your soap dry by allowing excess water to drain away faster.

Here's another cool way to reuse your plastic drink bottles and lids. Vertical herb gardens are great for small spaces like balconies. 

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Replacing throw-away takeaway cups with reusable coffee cups

Are throw-away coffee cups heading for a tipping point like plastic grocery bags and bottled water?

Look in a public rubbish bin on the street and it will most likely be full of coffee cups, plastic bottles and take-away food containers.  Some of this could be recycled if there was such a facility in public places, but landfill is the only option for the plastic-coated paper coffee cups.

We have noticed in the last year a growing realisation that disposable coffee cups can not be recycled.   I was putting coffee cups in our household recycling bin until early 2009 because I did not realise.  The takeaway coffee businesses do need to better inform their customers that the cups can not be put into recycling.

Any local Council serious about reducing the amount of waste going to landfill must also address takeaway coffee cups.  As with disposable plastic water bottles and plastic bags, there seems to be only four choices:

• a ban,
• a tax or levy on the price of the item,
• a container deposit type system (so that the seller has the responsibility for recycling), or
• public education by coffee businesses and government to encourage people to bring their own reusable cup.

Most people would likely prefer the last option.  We're doing our little part at Biome by talking to our customers and finding practical, affordable alternatives.

Keep Cup reusable coffee cup a great Australian invention made from high quality, BPA-free plastics in Australia, with an estimated lifespan of 4 years.  We had great experiences using our Keep Cups over the Summer holidays.  Five of our group had a KeepCup under the tree and the coffee shops we visited were very happy for us to provide our own cups.  We were enjoying the best of our beautiful environment at the beach and it felt so good to be reducing our waste each day.  Some places even offer a discounted price if you bring your own reusable coffee cup.    Great for Mothers Day gifts.

Klean Kanteen insulated bottle with cafe cap - a great innovation from the Klean Kanteen people.  Not only a reusable option, but the double-walled stainless steel insulated cup will keep the contents hot or cold for six hours.  You could use them for coffee, tea, soup or yoghurt.  The bottle comes with a loop cap, but you can purchase a cafe cap to transform your bottle into a sipping mug.

 

Whenever you head out, just remember to grab your reusable coffee mug and your reusable shopping bags.  

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Yes we should pay to drive on Cooloola Coast

As reported in The Courier-Mail today, the Queensland Government has released for consultation a management plan for the Cooloola Coast north of Noosa to Double Island Point and around to Rainbow Beach.

Our family loves this area, so I declare a vested interest, but also some first hand experience of the people that are damaging this environment and threatening the safety of others.

It is proposed to charge people to drive and camp in the area, just like you have to pay for a permit to visit some National Parks. At the moment, it is used and abused as though it is a highway and a fun zone. A proper management plan is long overdue because this area adjoins the Great Sandy National Park and the World Heritage Fraser Island area. It has equal environmental value and beauty.

We take great enjoyment from driving along the beach to swim at Double Island Point and walk up to the lighthouse to look for whales - although we do it with some guilt about the incongruity of driving a polluting 4WD through a pristine environment. So we try to drive and visit with respect for the privilege we have been given.

Paying for access will also allow facilities to be built to accommodate 46,000 car loads of people a year -- for example, there is only one set of toilets in this huge area at Freshwater.

Link to The Courier-Mail article

Have your say by 7 September 2009 Go to the Queensland Government website for info on the Cooloola Recreation Area plan and how you can make a submission.

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