How to create a plastic free pantry

Creating a plastic free pantry is an easy way to reduce your contribution to landfill and exposure to chemicals from plastic.

Plastic free products are alternatives made from glass, stainless steel, organic cotton, hemp, jute, bamboo and wood, and have no plastic packaging. The benefit of glass is it is nontoxic, nonporous, stain resistant and infinitely recyclable whereas plastic is quite the opposite and made from a concoction of synthetic chemicals, some known carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Creating a plastic free pantry is easy and can be very affordable. Follow the steps below to create and maintain a plastic free pantry in your home.

1. Start by collecting and purchasing glass jars:
You can build up a collection on mismatched glass jars by collecting them as you use them from premade sauces and spreads. Alternatively, you can purchase a collection of matching glass jars specifically designed for storing a variety of foods. Kilner products are great for creating a plastic free pantry with its large range of glass jars available in various shapes and sizes. Kilner’s iconic clip top jars are perfect for storing pantry staples such as flour, sugar, pasta and rice whereas the preserving jars can be used for pickling foods or homemade jam.

2. Use reusable bags:
Maintaining a plastic free pantry is the most important aspect. It’s important to remember you are trying to eliminate all types of plastic from your pantry, including single use plastic from food packaging, grocery bags and produce bags. When preparing for your grocery shop, pack in your reusable shopping bags, bread bags, and produce bags. This will stop you from bring home additional single use plastic packaging.

3. Avoid purchasing anything in plastic:
When shopping, avoid purchasing anything in plastic packaging opt for foods in cardboard boxes, aluminium BPA free cans, and glass jars. Once used, the packaging can either be reused, recycled or composted.

4. Shop at local farmers markets and bulk food suppliers:
Instead of shopping at grocery stores where the aisles are filled with plastic packaging and premade foods, shop at farmers markets and bulk food suppliers where you can purchase wholefoods in bulk using your glass jars. Not only will you be supporting local producers and eliminating packaging, but you will also be reducing your food miles.

5. Bake and cook as much food from scratch:
A lot of premade foods are packaged in plastic. Instead of choosing the convenient option, use the wholefoods you bought in bulk to make your own foods from scratch. Not only does homemade cooking taste better, it does not contain artificial or synthetic preservatives, colours or ingredients.

Related: Shave waste free and save the environment; The environmental problem with palm oil; Hemp food approved for consumption

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How to detox your home

Most of us are focused on living a healthy life whether it be exercising regularly, eating healthy foods or reducing internal toxins, however detoxing the home is an area that is commonly overlooked but can benefit your health and wellbeing greatly.

The average home contains between 500 to 1000 chemicals. From the cleaning products used weekly, to the physical walls and floors of the home, there are many toxic chemicals lurking in our possessions that surround us every day. Detoxing your home can seem overwhelming at first but if you start by making small changes, you are more likely to continue to reduce your chemical exposure over time. Changes can be as simple as swapping to natural alternatives or opening your windows more regularly to let in fresh air.

Chemical free cleaning
Cleaning is a daily household task that can significantly increase your exposure to chemicals. Most commercial cleaning products contain a concoction of harmful chemicals that are known carcinogens, skin irritants and hormone disruptors. To reduce your daily exposure to these chemicals, swap your chemical produced cleaning products to plant-based and palm oil free alternatives, or make your own.

Reducing plastic
Plastic kitchen products contain numerous toxic chemicals and when used, especially heated, can emit toxins and leach chemicals into the food or liquid contained inside. Reduce your use of plastic products in your kitchen, especially ones that contain Bisphenol A (BPA). Instead, use glass or stainless steel containers, and bamboo or wooden cooking and cleaning utensils.

Freshening the air
Reducing odours in your home is usually a top priority for every houseproud person, however commercial home fragrance products are commonly produced using a toxic concoction of synthetic fragrances. The self-regulated fragrance industry selects from over 4000 chemicals to produce their products and due to proprietary knowledge regulations, companies are not legally required to disclose the ingredients used in each product. Most of the chemicals used in this industry have previously never been tested and the ones that have been tested, are assigned a ‘safe dose’ that permits use in low quantities. This ‘safe dose’ is taken in isolation and does not account for a person’s daily exposure to other harmful chemicals. Instead of using synthetic home fragrance products, opt for 100% pure essential oils. They contain no harmful chemicals and will make your home smell fresh and inviting to any unexpected visitors. Another alternative is to regularly open your windows to refresh the air inside your home.

Creating ambiance 
Although they enhance the home’s atmosphere, most commercial scented candles contribute greatly to indoor air pollution. Most chemical produced candles are made from paraffin wax which is derived from petroleum. During the manufacturing process, the petroleum is chemically bleached and deodorised to turn it into wax. When candles containing paraffin wax are lit, they emit hazardous toxins including benzene and toluene which are both known carcinogens and comparative to the toxins in second-hand smoke. If you love the ambiance candles create, try to avoid purchasing candles that are made from chemicals and buy natural bees wax candles instead.

Detoxing your home can greatly benefit your health, the environment and save you money in the long term.

Related: Zero waste toxin free washing; Plastic free living; The health impacts of synthetic fragrance

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Zero waste toxin free washing

The laundry is one area in the home that can contain many chemical produced cleaning products. From washing powder to stain remover, most commercial cleaning products used to wash clothes and household linens are usually laden with toxic chemicals including fragrance, surfactants, stabilizers, bleach, dioxane, brighteners and phosphates.

When chemical laundry detergents are used, toxins are released into the air, washed down the drain and absorbed into the fabric of the garments you wear each day. This not only impacts your health but degrades the quality of our oceans and threatens marine biodiversity. To significantly reduce your daily exposure to chemicals and reduce your impact on the environment, simply swap to a natural laundry detergent.

Soapberries are a natural, chemical free and zero waste alternative to conventional laundry detergent. Commonly referred to as ‘soap nuts’, Soapberries are the fruit produced by the Sapindus Mukorossi tree. The shell has high levels of ‘saponin’ which reduces the surface tension of the water to remove dirt and leaves fabrics soft and clean. They are hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and odourless, making them perfect for people prone to skin sensitivities and allergies.

Soapberries can also be used as a multi-purpose liquid soap. Simply boil a few berries for fifteen minutes. The soapy water can then be used to wash hands, surfaces, hair and dishes.

The most exciting eco-friendly aspect of soapberries, is the berries can be composted or placed in the garden to decompose once you are finished using them. They are completely zero-waste.

Make a small change for your health and the environment and change the way you wash your clothes.


Related: What toxic chemicals are in your toothpaste?; Looming health hazards of synthetic chemical repellents; Why is BPA the only concern?

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Alexx Stuart 30 day low tox life e course

So peaceful and clean.  Image source: http://bestpaperz.com/ct/8903757-stone-mountain.html

Lighten your toxin load to end the year on a healthy high with Alexx Stuart's 30 days to a low tox life e course. starting 15 October 2014.

For only $49 for the month of sessions plus all the course materials, you will learn how to:

• shop green
• make more green stuff yourself
• be a peaceful person
• choose great pantry, cookware and bake ware
• minimise your electronic exposure effects
• avoid 'greenwashing'
• avoid the top carcinogenic chemicals
• avoid hormone altering chemicals in your personal household care
• become a super sleuth that can spot a dodgy ingredient a mile away

Alexx has a lot of expertise to share and the e course is her way of sharing that knowledge with a whole bunch of people as time effectively as possible.  The 30 days to your low tox life e course is a simple, guilt free approach to lowering your toxic load. Your journey to ditching the weirdo, harmful chemicals all around us will be fun and empowering, NOT filled with fear, guilt or difficulty.

We're really looking forward to the course ourselves with several of the Biome team signing up; plus, Biome founder Tracey Bailey will participate in the expert sessions.

We love that it is all about positivity, encouragement, empowering you with the knowledge and motivation to make small but significant changes.

Among the course inclusions are a private Facebook group, expert interview sessions, an email a day, e course book and product guide, giveaways to the participants, access to Alexx to answer all your questions & more ...

Learn more and enroll in the 30 days to a low tox life e course here >
This is an affiliate link for which we may receive some commission.


About Alexx Stuart





Alexx is an avid researcher and recipe creator and shares her findings, recipes, endeavours and experiences on her blog and through her Facebook community. Her food philosophy: Keep it real. Keep it unrefined. Try for organic as much as possible.  With thyroid issues and PCOS, Alexx tends to stay away from most grains and sugars. She is also interested in traditional foods & food as medicine, how big business affects the food we eat and the products we use today. 

Alexx's Real Food Manifesto image is popular on Pinterest!

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How does vinegar kill germs? And is vinegar eco friendly?

Australian Vinegar makes distilled traditional vinegar in South East Queensland.

 Answering a quick question is not so simple in some matters eco-friendly!

Because we are often suggesting vinegar as an eco friendly household cleaner and disinfectant, I wanted to understand how vinegar does kill germs.

It is the acetic acid in vinegar that kills bacteria and viruses by denaturing (chemically changing) the proteins and fats that make-up these nasties (source: Professor Peter Collignon, see below).  Most general purpose white vinegars contain about 5% acetic acid.

The stronger the acetic acid content the more effective the vinegar will be at disinfecting. 

Unfortunately, due to the lack of transparency in food labelling by mass food producers, it is hard to find a vinegar that states the acetic acid percentage or even what it is made from.  Generally the ingredients just say "Vinegar".  You may find some boutique brands of cooking vinegar that do give the percentage. 

Some "vinegar" is made from petrochemicals (but will be labelled "Imitation vinegar")

What we are presented with as vinegar today is not necessarily the vinegar "that our grandmothers used to clean with".  As with many products in our modern world, cheap petrochemical processes are corrupting how nature intended things to be done.

All vinegar contains acetic acid.  Acetic acid is the chemical name for the naturally occurring substance that is created from distilling or fermenting a grain or plant.  However, it is also the name given to acetic acid that is made from petrochemical derivatives such as butane.

Companies such as Monsanto and BP manufacture acetic acid on large scale that involves using carbon monoxide and methanol to create a chemical reaction, or heating butane in the presence of metal ions such as manganese, cobalt and chromium, which decomposes to produce acetic acid.

This is the pure acetic acid often used in foods as an acidity regulator and is labelled E260

Given the lack of any information on the packaging, I had a hunch that "home brand" bulk white vinegar most likely contained acetic acid not made from fermented grains, rather petrochemical-derived ethanol. However, Australian Vinegar CEO, Ian Henderson, has explained that Australian Food Standards dictate that when pure acetic acid that has been made by oxidation under high temperature of Ethyl Acetate (including from oil) is mixed with water and sold as food, it must be labelled “Imitation Vinegar”.  This appears to be different to the Food Standards in the USA.

Ian is adamant that if we buy a product made in Australia that is labelled as vinegar, it will be made from ethanol that is either grain based or sugar based. 

The home brand vinegar I looked at says on the label "product of Australia".  And according to the ACCC, 'Product of' means that each significant ingredient or part of the product originated in the country claimed and almost all of the production processes occurred in that country.

However, Ian does say that E260 pure acetic acid may or may not come from fermentation, but probably does not (instead coming from petrochemicals), so it is best to assume it does not.  Thus it appears worthwhile to avoid E260 in foods.

We were pleased to find an Australian vinegar maker based in south east Queensland making vinegar from distillation.  See here a post Ian has written for us to clarify any miss-information around Vinegar, Imitation vinegar, synthetic acid, acetic acid and E260.

Australian Vinegar specialises in technically challenging 'Clean Labelled' vinegar which is free from allergens, sulphites, artificial colours and flavours and all 'E' numbers.  LiraH is the retail brand of Australian vinegar and makes caramelised balsamics, wine vinegars, apple vinegars and Verjus.

Thank you to TheEcoMum blog for your detailed article on the topic of petrochemical derived acetic acid.  Please read that article if you are interested in delving further, although the information about Australian Food Standards is not correct according to Ian.

Vinegar to kill germs

Back to using vinegar to kill germs.  According to Ian Henderson, whether acetic acid is made from petrochemicals or distillation, the end product is the exact same chemical structure (the magic of chemistry).  That said, if you are wishing to reduce the use of petrochemicals in our world, the source of the ingredients is important.  For others, using any white vinegar to clean is still a far preferable solution than toxic bleaches and ammonia.

Professor Peter Collignon recommends that when cleaning at home we should keep it simple.

Rather than concentrating on disinfecting or killing the bugs, we should focus on cleaning with hot soapy water and good old-fashioned elbow grease to physically scrub away organic material.
"You've got to clean the surface first and that's usually enough. Then you have to ask yourself whether you need to disinfect at all," he says.
"For the kitchen sink, for example, you probably don't need anything except cleaning."
However, that dirty chopping board might warrant disinfecting – but only after you've given it a good scrub with hot, soapy water.
It's only the act of rubbing and scrubbing a dirty chopping board that can break down the slimy matrix around certain types of salmonella, allowing the disinfectant to then get to work.
As for commercial cleaners, Collignon says we don't always need the level of disinfection in the home that these products provide.
"We over-use chemicals," he says. "Instead of using one unit, we use 1000 units, and the benefits are marginal."
"All of us would like to use a magic potion so that we don't have to use the elbow grease. But that's a false premise."

If you do need to disinfect, clean first, then disinfect with the least toxic, most biodegradable product that does the job.  Vinegar is at the least toxic and most biodegradable end of the scale when it comes to disinfectants.

I have yet to find in Australia any "cleaning vinegar" labelled with a stronger concentration of acetic acid such as you can find in the United States.  Nor have I found any vinegars promoting that they are made from "non petrochemical sources" as is also happening in the States.  Perhaps due to the fact in Australia it would need to be labelled Imitation Vinegar.

With your consumer purchasing power and questioning of the companies selling "vinegar" on Australian shelves we can achieve greater transparency in labelling.

Sources:
Ian Henderson has two science degrees and a diploma in vinegar making from Austria. Ian was awarded a Churchill fellowship to study vinegar making in Europe. Ian is the CEO and principal Vinegar Maker at Australian Vinegar. 
Professor Peter Collignon, infectious disease physician at the Australian National University's Medical School, who was interviewed for and ABC article. 

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Recycling plastic bags

Green newsflash!  You can stop throwing away flexible plastic bags like bread bags, grocery bags, frozen food, pasta and confectionery plastic packaging.  Recycling plastic bags is now possible in Australia.

We all know that hard plastic such as plastic bottles and containers can be recycled through kerbside recycling bins, but until now our household has been putting flexible plastics in the rubbish (meaning off to landfill).

We now gather all soft plastic in a separate bag and take them to our local Coles supermarket to the Redcycle bin located at the front of the store.  From there, the bags are used by Australian recycled plastic manufacturer Replas to make a range of products such as outdoor furniture, bollards and decking.

For those not able to visit Coles, we have asked Redcycle to let us know whether there are other options for non-metro residents to drop off bags.

The greenie ideal is for product manufacturers and distributors to take responsibility for their product throughout its entire lifecycle, including what happens to it at the end of its life.  Redcycle is a true product stewardship model where everyone involved in the life cycle of a product, including the consumer, has a role to play.

Soft plastic bags are a great scourge on our environment, ending up in our waterways and oceans. Alternatively, they are dumped in landfill or transported overseas to be dealt with there (that's another story!).  Recycling plastic bags not only helps reduce the pollution, but it also reduces the need to use precious resources to make virgin plastic.

What types of flexible plastic bags can be recycled?

• ✓ Bread bags
• ✓ Biscuit packets
• ✓ Frozen food bags
• ✓ Rice and pasta Bags
• ✓ Confectionery packets
• ✓ Cereal Box Liners
• ✓ Newspaper wrap
• ✓ Plastic shopping bags
• ✓ Old green bags

Find more info here about Redcycle, an initiative of  Melbourne based consulting and recycling organisation Red Group.

Greenie fact
According to Clean Up Australia, Australians are sending 429,000 soft plastic bags to landfill every hour.  That seems an incredible number!

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Clove oil and mould

Many people with seemingly unsolveable allergies are excited by the growing consensus that mould causes some allergy and asthma problems - and clove oil is the magic ingredient to help end the sneezing and wheezing.

The Victorian Department of Health states:

• Mould associated with damp buildings can trigger nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, wheeze, respiratory infections and worsen asthma and allergic conditions.
• People with weakened immune systems; allergies; severe asthma; chronic, obstructive, or allergic lung diseases are more susceptible to these symptoms and other serious health effects.  Source.

However, to get rid of mould is not as overwhelming as you may think.  Remember, mould can only grow where there is sufficient moisture and it is spread by mould spores.

An excellent ABC article explains: Mould is a fungi, along with mushrooms and yeast, and is everywhere around us; in the air we breathe and in the dust around our homes.  When mould reproduces it creates spores that are carried in the air. As an allergen, inhaling mould spores affects the body in the same way as inhaling dust mites or grass pollen.  ABC Source

Action plan to get rid of mould

1. Remove sources of damp and moisture, ventilate wet areas, mop up water asap.
2. Clean off any visible mould - unfortunately, nothing beats elbow grease to actually scrub it away. You also need to clean it off several times with fresh water, being careful not to re-contaminate the area with the mould spores.
3. Spray with clove oil and water mixture (see recipe below). Clove oil actually kills the mould, rather than a bleach that just masks the mould.
4. Place a clove oil room sanitiser - either a DIY one such as soaking a piece of chalk in clove oil, or a ready made mould aroma gel in the mould-prone area.  The clove oil will continue to kill mould spores circulating in the room.

The great news is that you do not need harsh chemicals such as bleach to get rid of mould.  For those suffering from allergies and asthma, this is a double relief because bleach and ammonia ecascerbate those conditions. 

How to clean mould with clove oil

• First clean the surface with a mixture of 4 litres of hot water, 1 tablespoon bicarb of soda and half a cup of vinegar.
• Mix a quarter teaspoon of clove oil (no more) per litre of water, put it in a spray bottle, lightly mist on. Leave for 20 minutes and wipe off.  Spray again and leave.  It will take 24-48 hours for the mould spores to dry and drop off.

For more mould recipes see our earlier blog post Get rid of mould with clove oil.

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Led replacement for halogen

NASA Earth at Night

Would you like to replace your energy-guzzling halogen downlights with efficient LEDs but are confused about where to start? 

Many people think it would be too difficult or costly - but actually it's much easier than you think.  Read on...

Home lighting is one of the most significant opportunities to save energy and slow climate change. Currently, lighting accounts for approximately 20% of global electricity consumption. To reduce this figure and lower the world’s environmental impact, an Australian company Brightgreen has developed innovative, energy efficient, high-quality lighting solutions.

Brightgreen DR700 is an innovation in LED lighting which can easily replace any standard 12V 50watt halogen downlight globe and provide 1:1 light - but only use 10.5 watts instead of 50 watts (meaning lower electricity costs).

Brightgreen has pursued three objectives:

• Bright, high quality LEDs that overcome the common limitations of LED lights - Brightgreen LEDs are just like halogens (only better!)
• Products made to last - Today’s commercial giants thrive on creating products that have short life cycles and become obsolete within a few years after purchase.  In contrast, Brightgreen’s products are designed to survive for more than 70,000 hours and last 15 times longer than other forms of lighting, such as halogen.
• Always sustainable - Unlike halogens and fluorescents, Brightgreen’s products are free from UV light, mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium and all other heavy metals considered toxic to the environment. All components of Brightgreen’s products are fully disposable and recyclable, again reducing our environmental impact on the earth by not leaving anything behind.

LED replacement for halogen

Simply remove your halogen bulb and replace it with the Brightgreen DR700. It is that easy to install the DR700!   **Please check first that you have an MR16 fitting (which has two sharp pins and is most common for 12V recessed downlights).

You can make difference to global warming and your budget by trying one at home today?  See how the led replacement for halogen works and then consider replacing more.  

A Brightgreen LED light bulb may cost $49 to start, but it will pay for itself through power bill savings in about two years in a home.

For more information, please visit Biome LED light bulbs and Todae's extensive range of LED lights

Advantages of choosing a Brightgreen DR700 LED bulb:

• total light output of 720 lumens, the same as the average 50 watt halogen bulb
• compatible with most dimmers (see below)
• compatible with most transformers
• 3 year manufacturer guarantee
• on average, pays for itself in two years residential use and one year in commercial use
• designed for the Australian market.

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Magazine for the green mind thrives

With its beautiful photography of sustainable, serene homes, gentle nature-inspired colour scheme, and thick matte-finish paper, Australian green magazine looks and feels as great as it reads.

Each issue of green showcases the most interesting and creative sustainable designs from product designers, architects and landscapers around Australia and internationally.  The content is as much for the home reader as it is for the commercial industry.  Intelligent articles and plenty of practical know-how for your home and garden aim to help design, build, fit-out and live and work in structures that respect our planet's limited resources.  The enticing gardening pages have a stong focus on producing food and self-sufficiency and there are always examples of clever re-using and upcycling.

Established in 2007 by Melbourne-based Tamsin O'Neill and husband Tom Bodycomb, green is an independent magazine (meaning it is privately owned and is not part of the big media publishing companies).  And it appears to have not only met a gap in the magazine market, but like a well-tended garden it has flourished, keeping its readers interested and increasing production from a quarterly to a bi-monthy issue.

In the latest issue of green magazine (issue 25, May-June 2012) you can visit the home of edible garden dynamo, Karen Sutherland or learn about the opening up of a Brisbane worker's cottage (main image) and the best sustainable bathrooms.


Following on their successful niche theme, the publishers have also launched a second magazine for bike lovers, treadlie, which is devoted to bike culture, fashion and design.

Both green and treadlie magazine are available in the Biome stores and in our online store.  See all our eco magazines here.

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Freegans waste not - will you keep a waste diary?

Thank you to the simple living blog Little Eco Footprints for the inspiration for this post.  I love reading about your actions, especially your latest post Saved from the bin where you mentioned the Australian food rescue organisations that save food before it makes it into the bin - Oz Harvest, Foodbank, FareShare, SecondBite. Amazing that blog author, Tricia, then saw an Oz Harvest van pulling up at the Aldi Supermarket across the road from her - that was karma!

It's a topic that can make you feel so powerless on the world scale, but what really matters is each of our individual households.   Apparently, we throw out about one quarter of the food we buy.  That can't be hard to change.

The Guardian in the UK has an insightful feature on 'Freegans' and food waste. This article profiles Freegan campaigner Tristram Stuart and this is an eye-opening photo gallery of foods that are thrown away by stores or left to rot. The below photo shows the result of Marks & Spencer's requirement for its sandwich supplier to discard four slices from each loaf: the crusts and the first slice at either end.  This means 13,000 slices of fresh bread are discarded every day from a single factory...

How much do you throw away in one week?

 
The Guardian asked three people to record what they threw away in one week. I am going to try to keep a diary this week and report back.  That is scary, but it is incentive to be careful about what we buy.   Would anyone else like to keep a record and share it with us in a week or so?

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Zaishu: art function eco

Zaishu's latest slot-together seat/table features artwork by acclaimed Australian textile designer, Nicola Cerini. The inspiration for this work evolved from an ecology camp about rare, native and vulnerable plants of East Gippsland. The Baw Baw Daisy is from that body of work and the Waratah is also endemic to that region.

Zaishu Studio designers, Matthew Butler and Helen Punton, create beautiful and meaningful designs often in collaboration with other artists around the world. They use only certified sustainable materials, handprinting the designs in their coastal studio.  Both artistic and functional, Zaishu's signature creation can be utilised as either a seat or a table.   See the full Zaishu range at Biome.  Here's a sneak peek of their new creation for the boys...or girls...arriving at Biome.   The pretty designs are popular for Mothers Day gifts.
Gaskets & Gears...

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