Naturally Goode

Tag: recycle

  • How to cut down plastic use around the home and office

    How to cut down plastic use around the home and office

    There has been much in the news about the issues surrounding single use plastic.  Lately, some air time has been given to the problems we are having with being able to process recyclable plastics at the rate we are recycling them.  Most recently, it has emerged that in Victoria and NSW, there are even major issues with the volumes of glass being recycled.  The processing plants are unable to find a market for most of the glass and it is just sitting in storage, which isn’t really helping anyone.

    While smarter folk than I figure out what to do about those issues, I focus my attention on what I can do to prevent it happpening in the first place, at least in my own space.  There are several small changes I have made, that I have mentioned previously, to avoid single use plastic as much as I can.  These include using Onya Mesh bags for loose grocery items, not buying any fresh produce that is pre-bagged or wrapped, always remembering my green shopping bags, using beeswax cloth wraps instead of glad wrap and carrying metal straws in my handbag for the kids.

    It occurred to me the other day that there is something else I do which I don’t think I have mentioned.  Whenever I can, I buy BULK.  This can apply to nearly everything we consume and the definition of bulk can be different for every household, depending on the number being catered for.

    By way of example, I currently have an enormous whole watermelon on my kitchen bench.  I know it will get eaten within a week and I can chop it up into edible size pieces and keep it in containers in the fridge.  I buy baking flour in 10kg bulk because I know we will use it and I have a big pantry so we have the storage space.  Half my family have a dairy fetish so I buy milk in 3L bottles.  I would buy bigger if it were available.

    I also get my (Tri Nature, obviously) cleaning, laundry and kitchen products in bulk. This saves me quite a bit of money as well as reducing the amount of plastic and packaging we recycle.  Below, I have broken down a couple of examples of the bulk size I use of Laundry Liquid and how it benefits the environment and me.

    I tend to use the Laundry liquid more than the powder.  This is largely because I am efficient with my time (read: lazy) and it’s easier to pump liquid into the machine than fiddle around with the bucket and scoop.  I have a 5L laundry liquid on my laundry bench.  By buying the 5L ($74.95) I save over 17% when compared with buying the 2L bottles ($34.95 * 2.5 = $87.38). It takes me 8-12 months to use the full 5L but there’s a 2 year shelf life so I am still well within that.  This not only saves money but it saves 1.5 extra empty bottles of packaging.

    For argument’s sake, let’s say I used 5L in less than 6 months.  I could buy the 20L ($222.90).  All Tri Nature 20L quantities actually come as 4 * 5L (this is for OH&S purposes so no one is lifting a 20kg or more bottle).  While this doesn’t save on packaging compared with the 5L on it’s own, it does save multiple shippings so it’s still a greener option.  Plus, most 20L prices are heavily discounted so now I am only paying $55.75 for a 5L bottle, which is 36% lower than the 2L price.  Of course I buy the 20L because I sell what i don’t use myself, but there’s no reason why 20L can’t be shared between 4 households, businesses or departments.

    Most of the Tri Nature products come in bulk sizes such as 5L, 20L and 10kg.  The biggest sellers include:

    • 5L and 20L of Multipurpose Cleaner
    • 5L and 20L of Disinfectant (especially popular in businesses such as cafes, child care centres and commercial kitchens)
    • 5L and 20L of Floor Cleaner
    • 5L and 20L of Dishwashing Liquid
    • 5L and 20L of Moisturising Handwash (used in mining and other industries as a body wash)
    • 10kg Laundry Powder
    • 10kg Dishwasher Powder

    Next time you are ready to reorder, have a think about whether bulk could benefit you and the earth.

    If you are not sure what size Tri Nature product you may need, write the date on the next bottle you open and see how long it lasts you.  If the bulk size will be used up in under 2 years, then it will be a worthwhile investment.

    If you’re not sure if the product you need comes in bulk, get in touch with me and I can help.  Don’t be shy, it’s what I am here for.

  • How GREEN are you?

    How Green Are You?
    How Green Are You?

    The other day, as I was hopping in my 4 wheel-drive soccer-mum car that I purchased brand-new and runs on diesel, I pondered just how green I really am.  I like to think I am pretty environmentally friendly but, without question, there are many areas in which I could improve.

    While my car isn’t the greenest choice, there are other reasons why I drive it.  I have to be able to tow a horse float, which limits my options.  Within that small group of cars, I absolutely look at fuel economy as one of the most important factors.  I do a lot of driving.  Picking a car with good fuel economy is one of the ways I can improve my “greeness” and it also improves my budget.

    I tell you this story because I believe that it’s not how green we are that matters most.  It’s about how we factor our concern for our environment (whether just in our homes, or the earth in general) into our lives each day.  It’s about constantly making changes and adjustments to improve the way we impact the planet, each other and our future generations.  Every little bit helps.  It doesn’t matter what you change or how big a change you make, it just matters that you make start.  Do what you can in the space you are in and with the resources you have.

    Each day I find a different way to approach things in my life that will improve my impact on the planet.   For me, any changes have to tick 3 boxes.

    1. Must be better for the planet than what I’m doing now,
    2. Must not negatively impact my family, and
    3. Must not be more expensive than what I’m doing now.

    Here are some examples of big and little changes I have made:

    • I use Tri Nature products everywhere I can (obviously)
    • We changed over our 2 electric hot water services to heat pump services which slashed our energy consumption and bills (you can read more about this change here)
    • I use green/reusable shopping bags for any shopping.  I have the smaller ones that fold up into tiny bundles in my handbag at all times so I am never caught without.  These are also great for using in the supermarket instead of plastic bags for items like apples and tomatoes.
    • I buy in bulk where possible to save on packaging
    • I buy “nude” wherever possible.  I can’t stand the trend towards packaging on fresh produce. Drives me crazy and I would rather buy a whole pumpkin and find ways to use it than just a half wrapped in glad-wrap on a styro-foam tray.
    • I always ensure packaging is recyclable on everything I buy
    • I grow my own food as much as possible with the time and space I have available
    • I buy locally made wherever I can (if I can’t get Australian fruit and veg I won’t buy it at all, which really hurts with avocados and asparagus and I am now growing my own garlic)
    • I reuse as much as I can, especially packaging, for example:
      • I donate all cardboard to kinders – it’s amazing what they can make out of a cornflakes box
      • packing material from Tri Nature is shredded paper which I use to line my chook house and then compost once they’re done with it
      • glass jars and solid plastic containers are washed and used for
        • gifts (filled with home made goodies or decorated and filled with other gifts)
        • leftovers or home made food
        • temporarily housing “pet” bugs from the garden
        • home made slime storage
    • recycle everything I possibly can that can’t be reused
    • I carry a small bag with a metal travel fork and spoon so I never need plastic or take-away cutlery
    • I recently invested in some metal straws which live in my handbag so the kids never need to get the plastic ones (because it’s never just one of the plastic ones either)
    • I take my 1L refillable water bottle everywhere so I don’t need to buy bottled water
    • I take my 2 travel mugs with me everywhere so I don’t need to use disposable cups for tea or hot chocolates
    • I recycle as much water as I can from our house
      • the washing machine hose goes out the window of the laundry and all water from washing goes straight onto the grass and the garden.  This isn’t an issue for the grass or plants because I use Tri Nature products.
      • any water that hits our roof goes into rain water tanks and is used on the garden.  We have evaporative cooling which dumps water onto our roof every 3 hours when it’s on, so even though it hardly ever rains here, we still get water in the tanks.
      • bathrooms and kitchen I have yet to figure out.

    Hopefully I have given you some ideas about what you can do differently that will help you and our planet.  I would love to hear your ideas!  Please comment below, email me or drop me a line on facebook and let me know what you have done in your space.