28-07-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaYesterday I went to one of my favorite raw restaurants here in New York to grab some lunch, and I noticed that they star selling Glass Straw. And I thought "WOW! this is an amazing solution for our plastic waste problem!' it is very small but still a big help!
Think about how much garbage already exists on our planet and plus every time you purchase your smoothie or juice, you use one of those plastic straws. 5 minutes later - its all in the trash. and like this everyday!
Well, now you can buy only one glass straw and carry it around with you. It's made of high quality glass and will last forever.
"- glass straws don't leach toxins into your food as you drink
- each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill
-one glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws"
see more info on the website below.
love, Val
30-06-2010 | Posted by: Anne-Marie Van Dijk.... about Stonyfield Farm!
As Lonneke mentioned in her previous post, StonyField Farm makes extraordinary greek yogurt! Oikos.
Thick and creamy, you can get it in three flavors (plain, honey and vanilla). It satisfies both the palette and the stomach while preserving our well-being and that of the planet by being organic.
Thumbs up for StonyField!
But what truly sets them apart is what I am going to share with you next:
As many of you are aware of there is one thing most yoghurt companies have in common - whether they are organic or not - and that is that their products come in plastic tubs.
What few people realize is that these plastic tubs are often non-recyclable. Why? Because most recycling plants don't take #5 type plastics (check the number under your tub, more than likely it will be a 5-type plastic.)
StonyField thought this was unacceptable and, together with Organic Valley, partnered with Preserve to create the Gimme 5 program.
The Gimme 5 program places drop-off boxes at various locations, including WholeFoods, to help people get rid of their #5 tubs in a responsible fashion.
Preserve then collects these plastics and recycles them back into a variety of products, including toothbrushes, razors and tableware.
In any case, when reading about this I couldn't help but feel humbled by their efforts to help preserve our planet.
Make sure to do your part by depositing your empty tubs in a Gimme 5 recycling box :)
29-06-2010 | Posted by: Anne-Marie Van DijkTwo months ago I wrote about a great site that allows you to see whether certain ingredients in your favorite skin care products are carcinogenic. The site is called Skin Deep.
I was so impressed by their concept that I decided to become a member of the umbrella organization called Environmental Working Group.
Today, I received a number of tips to help protect yourself against environmental toxins.
Exposure to certain environmental toxins, over time, can lead to cancer. It is an under-unrecognized but very real threat. Below are a few tips from the EWG to help protect yourself against these various (daily) toxins:
1. Filter your tap water: common carcinogens include arsenic, chromium and chemical byproducts.
2. Seal outdoor wooden decks and play sets: some are coated with an arsenic pesticide.
3. Cut down on stain- and grease-proofing chemicals: "Fluorochemicals" related to Teflon are dangerous to your health.
4. Stay safe in the sun: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is cancer-causing. Seek shade, wear protective clothing and use safe and effective sunscreen (visit EWG's sunscreen database)
5. Cut down on fatty meat and high-fat dairy products: Dioxins and PCBs accumulate in animal fat.
6. Eat EWG's Clean 15: Many pesticides have been linked to cancer. Lonneke wrote a great piece about the least contaminated fruits and vegetables (See OYL post: "Dirty Dozen")
7. Cut your exposure to BPA: a synthetic estrogen found in hard plastic water bottles.
8. Avoid carcinogens in cosmetics: use EWG's Skin Deep cosmetic database to find out which products are harmful and which ones are safe!
9. Read the warnings: Some products actually list warnings of cancer risks - Read the label before you buy :)
10. Want to do more? Sign EWG's petition demanding congress reform the nations broken toxic chemicals policy.
23-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelThese days you cannot even get through security at airports with a bottle of water. We all know that! But how annoying is that? Flying is one of the biggest things in drying out your skin! You NEED to drink a lot of water... But to bother the flight attendant the whole flight is not so nice either... And all the plastic cups you waste! I see airlines recycling those cups more and more, Like Continental's Eco Skies plan, where they try to collect and recycle all the metal and plastic cups on board. Great idea!
But what I saw a woman do, sitting in 8C on this flight from Amsterdam to NYC, was something I just always forgot to do! She brought on board a reusable bottle filled with water, that she filled up after the security check!
Smart! You can bring an empty bottle on board, and ask a flight attendant to fill it up. This way you have water to drink whenever you need it! Sometimes you can fill it up before the flight with a tap in the bathroom, but some countries the water is not so clean ( In the Netherlands the water from the tap is suitable to drink).
So now I am going to bring my reusable bottle with me on every flight!
There are many good brands, like Sigg, Klean Kanteen and Natura.
The Klean Kanteen one has a wide mouth, so it is easy to drink from it.
I have one from Natura Water and Sigg that I love! Remember last December's Pura Vida party? we gave out free reusable bottles to create awareness around all the plastic waste we have! You can find pictures in the OYL picture section above.
By the way, it's the silver one from Natura for the people who are going to look for it ;) Also, they now have a competition to win one, so go to the site and sign up!
20-06-2010 | Posted by: Eyal Amir
Eco Kingdom. Making our homes friendlier to the environment shouldn't take more then a few simple steps. My responsibility as a real-estate broker, who happens to love this planet, is to give you some tips to help you upgrade your apartment/home into an eco-friendly kingdom. Step One: ENERGY - we should all support renewable energy, like wind power, green power or even solar power. These days, big companies like Con Edison give us easy and affordable solutions to make this change. Go to: http://www.conedsolutions.com/residential_green_power.html to get more information. Of course, there are many different companies who offer different programs to fit our needs. Please research the web to find the program that best fits you! Step Two: RECYCLE - As citizens born into a consuming society, it is impossible for us not to create trash on a daily basis. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything about it. Actually the solution is pretty simple. Get 3 trash bins and make one for paper, one for plastic and metal and one for biodegradable/compostable trash. Make sure to divide your trash into these 3 groups and always place it in the right bin. There are companies like Tiffany Carting Corps who take your trash and make sure to keep it divided until it gets to the right recycling plant. Go to http://tiffanycarting.com/index.html to get more information about it. Step Three: WATER – We must use our water resources wisely, as it is one of the most important pillars of our planet! Don’t waste water! Use it wisely and with extra care. Personally I recommend installing water filtration systems to the general pipelines of your apartment and, if it turns out to be too expensive, you should start at least with your kitchen pipeline. Go to http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com to compare and contrast various water filtration systems. Step Four: ECO-FRIENDLY HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS – we all use many different products to ensure proper housekeeping. From cleaning products to personal hygiene products and also products to improve the lives of our favorite pets. Almost every product that we purchase can be greener and better for the environment. These days it is very common to find green solutions in almost every drugstore. You can also shop online in stores like http://www.greenhome.com. Step Five: GREEN DESIGN – Personally, whenever I see a piece of furniture that I like laying on the side walk, I take it, clean and sanitize it, and use it for my personal use. If you don’t like used or second-hand furniture pieces you can shop for eco-friendly furniture. There are many stores to choose from, http://www.eco-furniture.com is a website where you can find some great options. We can find endless ways to make our homes greener and with time I will give you more tips that I have found to be useful. As of now, you can start by applying the simple tips mentioned above. Please do, and make a difference! Eyal.
12-06-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelYou know a baby can put a lot of pressure on the household, and also the environment. Think about all the clothes you have to wash after just one burp attack. Or all the toys you buy or get. And of course the diapers, that you use A LOT for your baby.
When I was shopping, I came across a flyer for a dutch shop: Kaatje Katoen ( "Kathy Cotton"). The flyer and website are in Dutch, but what was interesting is, that they sell washable diapers. The modern kind is much more fun than the ones my parents used for me ( Yes, I was a washable diaper baby). Those classic ones where horrible, with that cotton cloth, and plastic diaper u had to tie around the baby.... those days are over!
Because now there are different brands who offer nice diapers, that are washable. Like Itti Bitti ( see picture on the left), a diaper made of fleece or fleece velours, in many different bright colors, with buttons to close.
Or the diapers of Tots Bots, like the Bamboozle, made of sustainable bamboo. You do need a plastic wrap for on top, but these days those wraps are much nicer!
All the washable diapers have in common, that they are comfortable for the baby, but most of all: create much less waste. And that is something to keep in mind in this era of overconsumption.
I am gonna give one to my sister to try out with her baby boy. I mean, it is a colorful present!
What do you think of washable baby diapers?
08-06-2010 | Posted by: Valentina ZelyaevaAll right, I am probably obsessed with tea! I just love to have my warming cup of tea every day. At home I have huge collection of herbal, green and white teas.
I recently bought super cute reusable tea container (made with glass, not plastic!) to take it with me when I go to work or when I'm traveling.
So, what I do is: before I leave my home, I pour hot water into my tea container, add few (or alot!) pieces of fresh ginger and few leaves of jasmine tea. And it seats there, brewing for an hour or so.
When I open the lid, ginger aroma is so refreshing and warming that everyone around me wants to have a sip;)
Either you are a ginger-fan or someone who looks for natural remedies to boost your immune system, you will love this recipe!
love, Val
31-05-2010 | Posted by: Maruja RetanaSeen any good movies lately? Well, I saw 'The imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' yesterday, AWESOME! But before that I was invited (thanks to Lonneke) to see something more serious... Beautiful Tuschinski in Amsterdam hosted the premiere of a documentary called 'Sea the truth', a film made possible by political party 'Partij voor de Dieren' and the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation. So...early in the morning a large group of people gathered in front of the cinema. Mostly politicians and activists (I felt a little bit like an oddball fashionwise) that were interested to see the sequel to 'Meat the truth'.
Sea the truth describes the alarming situation concerning the fishing industry, focussing mainly on 2 aspects: the shocking decrease of fish in the oceans caused by commercial fishing, and the incredible amount of poison that is polluting the fish. Interviews with scientists and other experts are accompanied by amazing underwater footage of diver Dos Winkel, reminding us how wonderful ocean life is.
Here are some shocking 'highlights' according to the documentary:
- if we continue overfishing, there will be no fish left around 2048. That means we have about 40 years of sushi left (if we're lucky)...
- most commercial fish (except for haring) contain an enormous amount of mercury, much higher than science advices us to eat. And mercury poisoning does not seem fun...
- In the North Pacific Ocean there is a so-called 'island of plastic', (also known as 'plastic soup') a large area of litter in the middle of the ocean. This is obviously terrible for the ocean and it's contaminating the fish that we put in our mouths...
- to make fish oil, a mere 3-5% of the fish is used. And the omega 3 doesn't even come from the fish, it comes from algae.
'Sea the truth' was a good piece of information about an important part of the food industry. Even though the tone of the documentary was slightly moralistic (which always makes me a bit rebellious), I still found it very useful to hear the facts and figures. I thought the problem was well represented, and eye-opening in a way. What I absolutely missed was a 'ray of hope'. Having done research on behavioral change, I am convinced that people will only change if they believe there is a better way. I've never seen someone change their behavior when somebody told them what's wrong without offering a better alternative. The only message I heard in this documentary was: stop eating fish. I never eat meat and very rarely eat fish, but I almost felt like my mommy was scolding me! (and yes, as a result I had a sushi-fest a few days later)
Food is fuel, and what we eat affects our bodies as well as the earth. I myself have been experimenting with my diet this last year to see what makes me feel most healthy and energized, using mainly local products that cause the least waste for our planet. Having said that, I strongly believe that even though we should absolutely take this seriously, we should also feel like this is not a restriction, but rather a choice to live a healthier life. Telling people what to do is rarely effective, but informing people how to do things better for themselves and the planet might have a shot.
But, maybe I'm doing the same exact thing in this blog... ;) So, watch 'Sea the truth' and decide for yourself!
18-05-2010 | Posted by: Anne-Marie Van DijkDid you know that Continental Airlines started its own green corporate initiative?
I usually fly with Sky Team, but this time on a short trip to Sweden my ticket was booked with Continental and I had the pleasure to stumble upon Continental's Eco-Skies recycling bags.
Surprised, I started paying attention and noticed that the stewards diligently picked up and separated every single plastic cup from the paper cups and threw them in separate bags. They also collected the (cheap, throw-away) plastic meal trays and carefully placed those in another container.
Little from the "obvious" stuff seemed to have been wasted.
Upon arriving at my hotel I decided to look up "Eco-Skies" to see if their commitment is indeed sincere.
I was amazed - their initiative doesn't just stop with the recycling program, Continental Airlines has championed in several other areas as well.
Watch this impressive video to get a sense of what they are doing and what they have accomplished thus far.
* Needless to say, in the future we will still have to come up with an even greater sustainable solution to avoid manufacturing such great amounts of cups/trays or anything else for that matter (whether plastic or paper)...
13-05-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelAs I believe you can't do everything at once, can't be all perfect at once, I do everything step by step.
Right now, I am looking into ways to filter tap water at home, so I can kick my plastic habit!
There are many different ways to do so... Some products filter better than others. Well known brands that help you get cleaner water from your tap, are Brita, Natura Water,Aquasana and Watts.
What I think I want is a seperate tap next to the kitchen sink, where the filtration system is attached to. That way I never have to bring big plastic gallon bottles to my apartment!
And that is saving energy, creating less waste and plastic.
Not to mention the better taste, maybe even better than the expensive bottled water brands out there!
Also, I want to attach one to my shower head, as the heavy metals, and chlorine in the water is not good for my skin, nor for the color of my hair.
Do you have any great filtration systems you think I should look at? Please leave your ideas in the Community link below.
Thanks in advance!
03-05-2010 | Posted by: Eyal Amir
The other day I came across an article in New York Magazine and I found it pretty fascinating because it talks about the purity of our water in New York City.
Do you drink NYC tap water? Maybe you will after reading this article.
Basically, a group of scientists picked 14 different places in the city and checked the content of the different water samples they collected. Of course they found trace elements of certain things you would rather not have in your drinking water but these were in such small amounts that when I think about the idea of buying and drinking water from a plastic bottle that has been shipped from somewhere across the world, in which plastics have leached into the so called "pristine spring water", sucking lakes dry while then discarding the bottle in the average non-recyclable trash can, and all that in the name of drinking pure water from "infinite" sources...
I THINK TWICE.
I would rather save the planet... save my money.... and enjoy NYC Tap water!
(until the day I get Lonneke - and then myself - a NaturaWater filtering system! Haha)
08-04-2010 | Posted by: Anne-Marie Van Dijk
01-04-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksA good tip for everybody!
Always take a minishopper wherever you go.
This has saved me so much money and plastic!
A minishopper is a quite large sized strong bag made of fabric.
It folds up easily into a little package that fits in a little wrapper.
Which is really handy to take with you. (See picture)
I always have one in my bag.
So whenever I go to the grocery store, the market or shops, I use that bag instead of having to buy a plastic bag or getting one automatically from the cashiers.
It only cost me 1 Euro, so that was a really good investment!
--------------
Update:
I found some places online to buy them!
Check the forum for more info.
27-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
07-03-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
25-02-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
08-12-2009 | Posted by: Anne-Marie Van Dijk
15-11-2009 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
15-09-2009 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
