Gardens make me smile

Our cuddling carrots.  Seems we planted the seedlings too close together, but we loved them all the same...  Do you have a photo of something in your garden, or someone else's, that makes you smile?

The clever Linky list below allows you to upload a photo and, if you wish, include a link back to your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  (Just upload a smallish image for speed and it gives you the chance to crop it to size.)

And, for more edible gardening inspiration, please come along to meet David of Productive Gardens this weekend Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 August at Biome Paddington or Biome City store on Thursday, 2 September.  More info about times and location 

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Talking rubbish with like-minded friends

Photo credit: winning poster in the World Industrial Design Day competition

Do you have anxieties about throwing things "away"?  Do people putting food scraps into recycling make you edgy?  Do you break out in a sweat when there's no recycling bin to dispose of your drink bottle?

During our recent visit to Melbourne for the retail trade fairs, I had a hurried and animated chat with Wasteman.  What fun to gabble with a like-minded soul about rubbish -- rubbish of the wasteful kind that is.  Wasteman devotes a blog to problems with waste and loves to take photos of rubbish bins and odd rubbishy things.  He introduced me to the waste pyramid and thinking about recycling being the last resort. 

Could it be that because we find recycling so easy we are actually likely to generate more recycling and waste, rather than first trying to avoid, reduce or reuse?

At home we have just ordered a larger recycling bin being offered by the Brisbane City Council.  Ours is always overflowing each fortnight, but maybe that's not such a good measure of our eco-performance. Seems we should actually be trying to downsize our recycling bin by generating less "stuff" to be recycled.

Things to make me feel less-wasteful:

• Buy in bulk
• Choose items with little or no packaging
• Pack a wrapper-free lunch using Goodbyn or Kids Konserve
• Grow our own vegetables
• Use shopping bags that last forever.  Wasteman has more to say on this!
• Stop the Junk Mail, but what about the newspapers?
• And my daily buzz, BYO my KeepCup reusable coffee cup - and save 50cents in the process (1 coffee per day x 50 cents saved = $182 dollars a year!)

We just received a lovely letter from the Salvos Stores about their Buy Nothing New Month in October.  They say this national 'conscientious consumuption' campaign is about reducing the community's impact on the environment by encouraging reusing and recycling.  It's a fantastic concept.

I love to send things to the Salvos or Reverse Garbage....I've blogged before about my hoarding tendencies because I can't bear to throw things away (Continuous loop of Reverse Garbage).  

Are there any other friends out there with strange anxieties about waste?  Tell us here or please pop on over to our Facebook page and tell us there...

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Cooloola Great Walk opens: 5 day trek from Noosa to Rainbow Beach

The new Cooloola Great Walk is set to become one of Australia's iconic long distance walking tracks attracting international and local bush walkers to Queensland.

The 102km Cooloola Great Walk links the Noosa North Shore to Rainbow Beach via the eastern high dunes, the upper Noosa River, Poona Lake and Carlo Sand Blow, with an optional route via Double Island Point.

Showcasing the outstanding natural attractions of the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park, the track winds through rainforest, tall eucalypt forest, dry coastal woodland and heath plains.

You can undertake the full 5 day trek or a shorter walk by joining at several entry points.  The designated overnight camp sites must be booked. A lovely two day walk can be undertaken from Rainbow Beach to Freshwater, where you camp overnight and then walk back.  If you love cool, fresh water when bush walking, you won't be disappointed by the upper Noosa River, Lake Cooloomera, Freshwater Lake and Poona Lake along the way.

From Rainbow Beach, keen walkers can hike another 13km to Inskip Point and catch the barge across to link up with the Fraser Island Great Walk!

We recently explored the Carlo Sand Blow, which is at the Rainbow Beach end of the Great Walk.  Here's just a glimpse of the beautiful wildflowers and plants you can expect to see along the way.

Coastal bush sculpted by the wind.  View looking across Carlo Sand Blow. On the opposite hill you can see a track where people slide down the dune and tiny specks of people!

Interesting links
All the Great Walks of Queensland
Construction of the Cooloola Great Walk
More about Rainbow Beach

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Win $500 'mind, body & sole' shopping day in Brissie

We've joined forces with our friends at the exceptional shoe store Children of the Revolution and mind-expanding The American Bookstore to give one lucky Biome customer a fabulous day out in Brisbane.

To enter ~ simply visit Biome Eco Store at 215 Adelaide Street, City and fill out an entry form. Customers who are already on our e-newsletter list automatically receive an entry ++ plus you can get bonus entries by filling out an entry in store.

The prize ~ an awesome day out to soothe mind, body and sole.

Three people - one from each store's customers - will each win a $500 prize.  Read below how to enter with the other stores too*.  Drawn on 30 June 2010.  The Biome winner will be notified by email and on this blog.  Vouchers are for use in the Brisbane City stores only.

First up, a visit to Children of the Revolution across the road from Biome at 204 Adelaide Street with a $200 gift voucher.  Children of the Revolution specialise in great shoes that are great for you.  They have divine boots to see you through winter and heaps of other spunky things.  Campers, Birkenstock Earth, Think!, El Naturalista.  (PS. there's now a store in Sydney too at 637 Darling St, Rozelle).

After that, a visit to one of Brisbane's most wonderful bookstores. The American Bookstore is a 100% Australian owned and operated family business at 197 Elizabeth Street in Brisbane City.

A great place to go for hard to get titles and special orders - and you can now buy books on line. American Bookstore is giving you $100 to spend on any books in store.

Then stop by Biome Eco Stores in the City with a $200 gift voucher in your pocket.   You know what we offer and this is your chance to buy something special you've had your eye on.

*How to score more bonus entries ~ one customer from each of three stores will win a fabulous day in Brisbane, so to increase your chances even more please visit:

* Children of the Revolution's Facebook and contribute a post on how you look after mind, body & sole

* American Bookstore's website and subscribe to their newsletter

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Kids Konserve raises the safe lunch bar

Like many of our customers, we're always on the search for reusable, waste-free lunch packaging that is free from toxins too.  Our team are "wrapped" with Kids Konserve for both adults and children. 

Ainsley says: "Kids Konserve is a brand I am so excited about. It's an aesthetically pleasing eco friendly product that is fantastic quality and free of all the yucky stuff."

"It's not only a great range for children but something any young at heart adult would find just as useful when packing your own lunch from home."

"A great plus with this range that I don't see in too many other brands is the containers with safe-plastic lids are leak proof so you can take salads with dressing or dips and not be concerned about a big mess."

"The Food Kozy that's perfect for sandwiches is also a fantastic reusable alternative to plastic wrap, foil and snap lock bags."

Tracey says: "the kids have already given Kids Konserve a great work out.  The insulated thermos jar has opened up a whole new set of lunch option - banana smoothies are the top request at the moment."

"I'm pleased with the bottles for the kids too because they are the only leak-proof stainless steel bottle for kids with a pull top spout we know of."

Customers are also loving the new lunch packs which include a beautiful recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, stainless steel bottle, Food Kozy and two leak proof stainless steel food containers.

FREE ONLINE SHIPPING OFFER

To celebrate the launch of the full Kids Konserve range in Australia, we are offering free shipping when you include any Kids Konserve item valued over $10 in your order.

Offer expires, midnight Friday 25 June 2010.  Excludes shipping of Bokashi and over-size items.

Green Goods by Biome distributes Kids Konserve in Australia.  We welcome wholesale inquiries.   Please see Kids Konserve Wholesale 

Kids Konserve is also stocked by Eco Essentials, Everything Free.  For more stockists see Kids Konserve stockists

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Waste update: Foodbank will be in every Australian State

As reported on Australian Food News

Foodbank has received its license to commence operations in Tasmania, meaning that Foodbank Australia will be providing food assistance in every State of Australia.

The Australian Food News article says:

"More than two million Australians, including one million children, rely on food relief each year.

 

The Foodbank Tasmanian office is set to open at the former Chickenfeed distribution centre at Cambridge, near Hobart, with the aim of providing up to 66,000 Tasmanians with food support donated by supermarket chains, retailers, manufacturers, producers and growers. The site itself is also a donation, with a 10-year lease on the centre given to Foodbank by philanthropist Jan Cameron of Retail Adventures.

Chairman of Foodbank Tasmania Michael Kent said Foodbank Tasmania’s aim was to provide nutritious meals to Tasmanian families when they could not afford to purchase food.

The 2001 census found that Tasmanian families had the lowest average weekly income compared to those of other states, and according to the Department of Health and Human Services, a lack of money is the main cause of hunger in Tasmania, resulting in more than 6000 people going without meals in the past 12 months. In times of hardship, food is often compromised to pay household bills.

The opportunity is now available for food retailers, processors and primary producers in Tasmania to donate food. Foodbank will accept all food that is fit for consumption - surplus to commercial demand, slow moving, short dated or unable to be sold."

Read more about food waste and organisations like Foodbank in our previous post on Freegans and food waste.

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Baby bottles by Dr Weil offer excellent features

The Dr Weil Baby range of glass and safe, BPA free baby bottles and sippy cups is now available at Biome.

Weil Baby includes glass baby bottles, safe plastic BPA free baby bottles, sippy cup and bottle brushes and covers.

What makes these bottles and sippy cups special:

• patented venting system that works effectively to reduce colic
• made from toxin-free, BPA-free ultra-safe Tritan plastic and glass
• bottle starts as a baby bottle, but change the teat and add a handle and it becomes a sippy cup
• leak-proof
• made in the USA
• focus on reducing carbon footprint in manufacturing, recyclable packaging and products

While breastfeeding is the most beneficial for baby and mother, it may not always be possible. The Australian Breastfeeding Association can provide support if you need.  When bottles are needed, choosing BPA free plastic and glass is safest for baby.

Read reviews on Weil Baby:  Essential Baby from Australia; Cool Hunting; Momgadget

Browse the full Weil Baby range at Biome.

Video about Weil Baby and Tritan plastic

Key Baby CEO Steve Schmidt describes how a partnership with Dr Andrew Weil, to produce a safe, clear baby bottle using Eastman's Tritan copolyester came to life.  Talks about what sets Tritan plastic apart from other baby bottle materials: can be boiled to sterilise without breaking down, dishwasher durability is superior, crystal clear and its the only BPA free bottle produced totally in the United States.

Who is Dr Weil?
Dr Weil is a world-renowned leader in the field of integrative medicine. He is founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, author of numerous books, columnist for Prevention and TIME magazines and a frequent guest on Larry King Live and Oprah.

Dr Weil explains "every product and every manufacturer that licenses my name is actively engaged in making the world better for all of us.  Through these ethical business practices I hope to encourage the transition from a consumptive economy to a restorative one. A restorative business is one that provides a valuable product that a sustainable world needs, displacing unsustainable products in the process. I personally make nothing from products to which I license my name. I donate all of my after-tax profits from royalties from sales of Weil Baby products directly to the Weil Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting integrative medicine through training, education and research."

How the AirWave™ Venting System works:

• Threads on both the ring neck and the bottle securely connect the nipple assembly to the bottle.
• Sealing ring on the nipple seats in the bottle neck and positions the nipple in the correct orientation.
• Four protrusions within the bottle neck provide a means for air to enter the bottle
• The flexible inner ring of the nipple rests against the inside surface of the bottle neck. This allows air to flow into the bottle but prevents fluid from leaking out
• NOTE: The patented AirWave venting system is designed to work with a moisture lock. Adding moisture to the inside of the nipple prior to attaching the nipple /ring combination to the bottle will assure a smooth fit and prevent leaking. The AirWave system will work without adding moisture, however extra care should be taken to ensure the inner flange of the nipple does not stick or get caught on the top of the bottle. The ring should not be over-tightened. A snug “medium tight” application will allow for best venting results.

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Travel advice

if you do not change direction,

you will end up

where you are going. - Lao Tzu

Thank you to Kate Knapp of Twigseeds who features this quote on her inspirational cards.

I have been reflecting on this quote today, wondering whether I am interpreting it the correct way.  It seems to me that it is reassuring one that either choice will be fine, so relax -- either you change direction and perhaps end up in a better place, or maintain your course and you'll end up in a good place anyway...

Or is it suggesting that if you feel like you are headed in a negative direction, you will likely end up in a negative place?  I do think it is giving one the courage to accept that only you can chart your direction. 

I think it struck a chord because we spend a lot of time asking ourselves whether we are making the right decisions in terms of what is an "environmentally friendly" product and what we need to do to grow a sustainable, ethical and viable business.  For example, with palm oil, so many discussions and points of view.   The planet certainly needs those who are prepared to change the direction...

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Palm oil labelling Bill needs your support

So far removed and yet so connected.  There may be some encouraging news for the orangutans and endangered species of SE Asia's rainforests if the machinery of our Government continues to grind in the right direction.

In November 2009, Senators Xenophon, Bob Brown and Joyce introduced to the Sentate, the Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling – Palm Oil) Bill 2009. The Bill is under Inquiry and submissions closed recently (read the submissions).

It's not too late to have your say. Right now, you can sign a petition to support the Bill via the Zoos Victoria Don't Palm us off campaign.  80,000 other people already have!

The proposed Bill will require the accurate labelling of palm oil in food. The principal issues being considered are:

1. The rights of consumers to be provided with accurate and truthful information to enable them to make an informed choice;
2. That allowing palm oil to be listed as "vegetable oil" on food packaging is misleading;
3. That palm oil is high in saturated fats and consumers should be made aware for health reasons;
4. That the impact of palm oil production on wildlife, specifically Orangutan's in South East Asia is significant unless it is done sustainably;
5. That sustainable palm oil can be produced with low impact on the environment and with better labour laws on plantations; and
6. That manufacturers should be encouraged to use sustainable palm oil in their production process and can subsequently use the status of "Certified Sustainable Palm Oil" as a business benefit.

Complex dilemna

Palm oil is a complex issue for consumers and business and one that Biome is passionate about.  Following is our latest assessment of the issue and in particular, "sustainable palm oil".  It appears that while highly unlikely that certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) is being used by all that claim to be, the WWF recommends that manufacturers and consumers support CSPO.

If you are not aware of the environmental threats due to palm oil, please see our Facts section below.  Biome has a commitment to not stock any products containing palm oil or its derivatives.  We do still offer some products with palm oil but we are working to remove these or to get our suppliers to substitute.  We clearly label the products where we have found palm oil. 

We are often told by suppliers that they use "sustainable palm oil".  However, we know that this would be unlikely and it is very difficult to be certain.   There is also the complex issue of whether palm oil is a better choice than a petrochemical oil... Realistically, the key problem is the major food producers and fast food chains - not a home-based soap maker making a natural plant oil alternative to petrochemical soap.

I was thrilled to discover this report today on the Don't Palm us off website, which covers brilliantly sustainable palm oil certification WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard Australia.

This report explains WWF's work with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and their certification program.  There is no hope for the orangutans without a credible organisation like the WWF working with the industry to solve the problem.   The question is, do you refuse all palm oil or support RSPO certified producers?  The WWF says:

"By supporting the RSPO and using only CSPO, companies can help slow down deforestation and the disappearance of some of Earth’s most amazing and threatened wildlife, including tigers, elephants and orang-utans. Choosing sustainable palm oil also helps companies to reduce climate change impacts, since slashing forests for oil palms can contribute to the release of greenhouse gas emissions."

According to the report, there is in fact enough CSPO to meet Australian demand, but it is not being purchased by manufacturers.  By January 2010, RSPO certified plantations were able to supply 1.76 million tonnes of sustainable palm oil per year—more than 13 times the amount imported into Australia each year.

Despite being available in sufficient quantities, only a small portion of the available CSPO has actually been bought. In the 12 months leading up to January 2010 only 40% of the CSPO available was purchased.  Apparently this is because of the premium price for the certified oil.

How do you know if the palm oil is CSPO?

As the WWF explains, at the moment you can not know.  Manufacturers that use palm oil need only list ‘vegetable oil’ in the ingredient list.   To find out whether a product contains palm oil consumers would need to contact the company who made the product and ask them whether they are using palm oil and if so, is it CSPO?   You should then ask for a copy of the certification.  If the palm oil is from a a bulk product, there is no chain of custody to prove its origins.

The hopes are for mandatory palm oil labelling to become a reality in Australia should the proposed Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling Palm Oil) Bill 2009 be passed. A provision within the bill mandates that retailers and manufacturers label their product as containing ‘CS Palm Oil’ in the ingredient list if the product contains sustainable palm oil produced in accordance with the RSPO’s standards.

What can you do?

• Sign the petition to support the Bill at Don't Palm us off.
• Write to or call your local MP and tell them to support the Bill.
• Avoid products that do not list full ingredients or list "vegetable oil". 
• Avoid products from manufacturers and fast food outlets that use palm oil - see the WWF Scorecard report, thePalm Oil Action Group Australia website and BOS Australia.
• If the product contains palm oil ask for proof that it is CPSO - or avoid the product as this is the only safe way of knowing. 
• Join the Australian Orangutan Project, adopting an orangutan or buying their cute t-shirts.

Palm Oil Free Products

Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) has an excellent list of Palm Oil Free alternatives for food and body products. Some of the brands listed that are available at Biome:
Clean Conscience - green cleaning
Pure and Green - organic skin and hair care
Beauty & the Bees - soap, beer shampoo bar, baby care
Riddels Creek Toothpaste

We welcome any other ideas on making an ethical choice about palm oil.

Palm Oil Facts

From the Don't Palm us Off website

• Over 85% of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia. 
• The most common cause of deforestation and fragmentation in Indonesia is related to palm oil.
• An estimated 40% of food on our supermarket shelves contains palm oil.  
• In SE Asia alone, the equivalent of 300 football fields are deforested every hour for palm oil production.
• Palm oil typically costs the lives of up to 50 Orangutans each week.
• Australians unknowingly consume on average 10 kilograms of palm oil each year because we do not currently have the ability to exercise consumer choice. 
• Sustainable Palm Oil Plantations are a possibility however you need you to tell FSANZ you want palm oil labeling if they are to become a reality.
• Once palm oil is labelled, consumers can actually drive a market for proper certified sustainable palm oil because they can demand it of manufacturers.

From the BOS Australia website

"The single greatest threat facing orangutans today is the rapidly expanding palm oil trade. Rainforests are being cleared at the rate of 300 football fields per hour to make way for oil palm plantations.
While there are millions of hectares of degraded land that could be used for plantations, many oil palm companies choose to instead use rainforest land to gain additional profits by logging the timber first. Palm oil companies also frequently use uncontrolled burning to clear the land, resulting in thousands of orangutans being burned to death. Those that survive have nowhere to live and nothing left to eat."

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Bottled water two to four times cost of fresh milk

One of my favourite newspaper columns is Value Hunter with Jane Hansen in The Sunday Mail.   Jane always gives well-researched, practical advice on how to save money.  The column features a Taste Test and value analysis of a particular product.  This week it is WATER - the bottled variety!

I love her tongue in check assessment when comparing the Taste Test quality - they all "taste just like water".  Jane does raise serious considerations like the fact Coca-Cola owned brand Mount Franklin water bottle costs more than triple Coca-Cola's carbonated drink and almost four times as much as a litre of fresh milk.

And, while tap water averages $1.70 per kilolitre (less than .0017 cents per litre), bottled water costs:

~ Organic Springs 600ml water bottle $2.75 per litre

~ Mount Franklin 600ml water bottle $4.15 per litre (owned by Coca-Cola)

~ Arooma 600ml water bottle $1.48 per litre

~ Pump 750ml water bottle $3.08 per litre (owned by Coca-Cola)

Aside from the costs of bottled water on the hip pocket, we know there are growing concerns about the environmental costs of bottled water. 

Director of a new documentary Tapped: get off the bottle, Stephanie Soechtig, says “1500 water bottles end up in landfill every second – that’s 30 million water bottle a day!”   The Tapped team is currently promoting the movie with an across America roadshow, collecting pledges from people to reduce their water bottle use and exchanging their empty plastic bottle for a reusable stainless steel bottle.   The roadshow is sponsored by Klean Kanteen.

Read our article Water bottle under siege - movies, books, governments and see the new animated film The Story of Bottled Water by The Story of Stuff creator, Annie Leonard.

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