Reduce and reuse: it helps our environment

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Stuff. Possessions. Things. We all have way too much of it. Especially if you have children or if you are one to hold onto things for sentimental reasons. There may be a psychological underlying reason why you hold onto your stuff, but no matter what the reason is, there are ways to help reduce and reuse it.

However, possessions, in themselves, are not bad or evil just when they become an obsession and the possessor gets possessed by them then the things are a little different.

On the other hand there are many instances when you do want to reduce clutter and some of the stuff, I am going through that process at the moment and it is not an easy one, I tell you.

Here are some ideas to reduce and reuse:

Birthday party favors: When kids come home from birthday parties, in the main, the flood of plastic trinkets and useless odds and ends end up where? In the trash, then ultimately in the landfill or cluttering up bedroom desks. Why not let the kids take home their own plant? They will love it and so will their parents.

Clutter Control: Not an easy thing, not even with a book or two but a must nevertheless as I am happy to attest, though still working on it.

Clothing Swaps: This is such a fabulous way to get rid of the things you no longer need or wear and get some new threads.

Reuse & upcycle: “E How” offers great suggestions on how to reuse and upcycle everyday items in lieu of continually tossing them into the recycling bin and “Replaygound Blog” also does the same.

You too may wish to keep an eye on this publication and go through some older posts as to some ideas of how to reuse and upcycle items that most consider waste or at best recyclables destined for the recycling bins.

Also keep a look out for an e-book that is in production from this writer that will be dealing just with that, namely upcycling what others consider trash.

Going paper-free is another great way of eliminating clutter but, and here comes the but, for that you need a PC, a scanner and the right software.

The Story of Stuff: If you have not already watched the video, then this is a big must. The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard is a 20 minute video that is captivating and worth every minute of your time! Teaching you environmental and social issues without being too preachy, Annie Leonard forces you look and really think about the stuff you have in your life.

Despite the fact that I am of Gypsy stock and grew up on the road in the old small trailers where possessions and clutter just could not be, as soon as I have hit settled life with living in a house I have become a pack rat and keep so much of the “might come in handy some day” stuff that it is no longer funny.. Does that day ever come? Yes, when I have thrown the things away that I had for the “might come in handy event”.

When it comes to reduce the primary reduction must be a should be as regards to packaging and such like for it is packaging that is the greatest problem when it comes to waste generated and the holiday period over what is called Christmas is one of the times where most of this is generated, followed by Easter.

Much of the stuff that we buy is over-packaged in a way that is totally and utterly unnecessary, such as – another pet peeve of mine – Braun replacement toothbrush heads which are individually blister backed and then put into another hard plastic blister. You know the kind I mean, I am sure.

In many places those blister packs are not taken by the municipalities for recycling so they end up in the landfill and the same is true for all the non-recyclable metalized wrapping paper, for instance, and other laminate wraps, cards, boxes.

We must change back to the ways it was in the days of old and no, I do not mean us to go to live in caves or tepees again. But when we bought things then they were in normal cardboard boxes, such as matchbox cars, for instance; boxes that one can recycle and that would rot down if put into the compost, for instance. Other things were just sold loose and put into paper bags or you even brought your own jars along. Everything today is simply over-packaged and for no real reason.

We must change...

© 2010

Sharpie®, Paper Mate® & EXPO® Brands Partner With TerraCycle™ to Launch First-Ever Upcycling Program for Used Writing Instruments

Major corporations and local charities work together on The Write Path to a Healthier Environment™

TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 2010: Sharpie®, Paper Mate® and EXPO®, three of the world's most recognized writing and marking brands, today announced a new partnership with TerraCycle™, the pioneering upcycling company that finds new ways to repurpose otherwise throwaway items. The partnership will create the world's first program to collect and reuse pens, markers and other writing instruments while also helping raise funds for schools, charities, and non-profits nationwide.

Collection centers called "Writing Instrument Brigades" will be set up at participating locales, primarily in large corporations and schools where writing instruments are used most. For every writing instrument collected at a Writing Instrument Brigade collection center, two cents will be paid to a school, community group, charity or non-profit organization of the participant's choice. Overall, the collection efforts will reduce landfill proliferation, educate and inspire consumers to get involved, and provide much needed funding to schools and non-profit groups nationwide.

"Keeping one pen or marker out of a landfill may seem like a small contribution, but multiply that by the estimated $5 billion* of writing instruments sold in the U.S. each year and it is a big opportunity to reduce waste to landfills," said Ben Gadbois, President of Markers, Highlighters, Art and Office Essentials for Newell Rubbermaid Office Products, maker of Sharpie, EXPO and Paper Mate products. "As the world's leading producer of writing instruments, it's not only our responsibility but our moral obligation to do our part to help the environment. TerraCycle offers us an innovative way to repurpose writing instruments after their useful life has expired."

The collected writing instruments will be dissembled and/or reprocessed to make new products.

How a Writing Brigade Works?

The free program is available to any individual or group and is easy to operate. Interested parties simply sign up with TerraCycle (www.terracycle.net) to establish a Brigade location and then select the school, charity or non-profit group to which they want their collection funds directed. Each Brigade prints a pre-paid shipping label from TerraCycle's website to ship the collected writing instruments to TerraCycle for upcycling into new products. TerraCycle will donate two cents per writing instrument to the collecting Brigade's chosen organization.

Why Should an Organization Get Involved?

In partnership with TerraCycle, Sharpie, Paper Mate and EXPO brands are proud to offer a simple, easy way for organizations and individuals to help the environment and local communities at the same time. The one-of-a-kind program provides an outlet for millions of used writing instruments to be upcycled instead of discarded.

For more information on the Writing Instruments Brigade, visit any of these websites: www.sharpie.com, www.papermate.com, www.expomarkers.com.

* As reported by WIMA, Writing Instruments Manufacturers Association, 2007.

SOURCE TerraCycle Inc.

Something Green: A New Wedding Experience At The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has unveiled a new Green weddings package designed to add environmental mindfulness to the wedding experience and to provide an exclusive “Shopping with the Chef” farm-to-market experience for brides or their wedding planners.

Taking advantage of northern California’s rich bounty of regional farm and seafood products, and responding to marrying couples’ new interest in providing a fresh, environmentally sustainable menu experience for their reception guests, the Something Green package allows brides and their planners to join the hotel’s executive sous chef, Kaleo Adams, on a shopping visit to area farmers’ markets just prior to the wedding. The result will be a uniquely fresh, seasonal reception menu that shows off the best of San Francisco’s regional and organic ingredients as harvested directly before the wedding and hand-selected by the bride and chef together.

Couples can be assured that their reception cuisine will come directly from local farms and producers, meaning that a minimum of fuel will be expended on shipping. Locally-sourced reception menu highlights, depending upon season, might include Fresh California Gazpacho, Eugueni’s Pea Soup with Citron and Mint, Mishima Ranch Kobe Beef Tartare , Brentwood Farm Corn Soup, Star Route Farms Baby Head Lettuces, K and J Farms Stone Fruit, Dirty Girl Farms Tomatoes with Burrata and Basil, Strawberry Mountain Ribeye, Squash Blossom-Roasted Chicken, California Line-Caught King Salmon and Whole- Roasted Field-to-Family Organic Capon.

Shopping with the Chef is one of two Green add-ons for 100-plus-guest weddings at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. The hotel’s Green Wedding Design service also offers use of sustainable, recycled, organic and eco-friendly tabletop elements, with a goal of making a reception less energy and resource-intensive. Natural fiber linens made of linen, flax, cotton and silk are offered as part of this green option, as are table centerpieces that avoid flowers which have been imported and sprayed with pesticides, some of which are banned in the US due to their toxicity.

Created in conjunction with San Francisco’s Floramor Studios, the hotel’s Green Wedding designs incorporate organic and/or local flowers, live potted plants, and beeswax candles that can be used again and taken home by guests or donated to local charities. Environmentally-mindful tabletop options also include seeded place cards to be taken home and planted, recycled glass centerpieces filled with organic locally-grown flowers and cranberries, succulent plants in small silver goblets used as centerpieces and then offered as guest favors, and arrangements of fresh herbs and candles nestled in beds of regionally-grown lentils, split peas and beans – all of which add color and can be composted following the wedding.

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco’s Green Wedding team may be reached at (415) 296-7465.

Think of the Poor

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Think of the poor whose lives, from the cradle to the grave, are blown this way and that by chance as dead leaves are blown by the wind. They cannot plan their lives. They cannot say 'John, of course, will inherit the estate, George will go into the Army and Henry into the Church.' No; they must take what life offers. They must grasp at spectral chances. They must pick up the crumbs that fall from life's rich table (and the crumbs from the rich man's table). And yet, all these lives, each so casual, drifting as tramps drift from one cold charity to another, all these lives, none of which can safely formulate its own plan – all these lives, I say, coalesce into that solid basis which is the very foundation on which the state rests, the inexhaustible arsenal from which alone we can draw for the defense of the national being. Think of the poor and about the poor, oh members of the government and those in money.

And while the poor today, in the twenty-first century, may no longer be, in the developed world, living the kind of wretched lives they lived in the eighteenth, nineteenth and even the early twentieth century, and many believe that they are in control of their own destiny, they are, in the main, still as much oppressed and kept down as in those days when the aristocracy ruled in Britain (more than now).

We even have nowadays politicians that have come from the poor and working classes and gone a long way, and many, however, great their motives and ideas to start with, have become part of the oppressive establishment, and this also refers and especially too the Labor Party in Britain of today, the so-called New Labor.

The founders of the Labor Party, such as Kier Hardy, would turn in their graves if they could at the betrayal of the ideal that they fought for and for which many of their comrades died even. The massacre of Peterloo in Manchester being but one example.

It has always been reckoned that, for instance, in America even someone born poor can achieve the “American Dream” but I think that the jury very much is out of that, especially nowadays.

Kids used to be told that they could, if they'd study hard, etc., climb the ladder and even become president of the country. He truth is that – at least today – very few will ever able to achieve that if they were born into poverty in the States. Way too much money is needed to even get onto the first rungs of that ladder to make it possible for a poor boy (or girl).

And yes, there are still poor in the richest countries of the world, whether the United States, Britain, Germany or Australia. As Jesus is supposed to have said “the poor you will have with you always” it still is, and their chances often are still as bleak, even in those rich countries mentioned, as they were in those olden days.

In fact, as far as I can see it, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider every day again, rather than narrowing, be this in Britain or the United States.

Now with the recession, which some keep claiming to have passed, things are getting worse still but even before it came to pass they were already headed south again.

Today the poor may no longer be villains, as of the days of old in Britain, for instance, and basically property of the local land owners, they still are not much better off than in those day. They today have to prostitute themselves for wages, wages which, in many cases, are going down rather than up, while the costs of living are rising all the time. So, in fact, the poor are getting poorer by the day.

The system, as it stands, of capitalism and consumerism, is totally slanted against those on the lower scale of income levels but, no, communism and socialism – as we have known them – will not make a difference there either, A new system is needed.

Another aspect too is that the poor often think that aspiring to this or that, in the matter of possessions, will make things better, all of it advertising led. This is not making them happier or better off; rather the opposite.

And this is a lesson that also must be learned by us all. Namely that we are not what we own and that things, however glamorous and whatever, do not make us happy. In the same way as one cannot buy love one cannot buy happiness. It is but an illusion.

© 2010

Germany has run out of solar panels due to generous feed-in tariff

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

A burst of new business at the end of 2009 put Germany close to adding a record of solar power to the grid, according to the head of Germany’s BSW solar industry association, Carsten Koernig. He estimates that in this year, 2009 alone, it will be very close to 3 Gigawatt.

While he is not sure what the final end-of-year number will be, he is sure of one fact. It cannot be over 3 Gigawatt, simply because there is no more capacity than that available in the whole of Germany.

German supplies of solar panels have completely sold out. Demand for parts, especially, and equipment such as inverters has outstripped supply. Germany’s very consumer-oriented feed-in tariff legislation makes it profitable for any homeowner to install panels on their roofs to supply the grid – and so homeowners do just that.

More than 40,000 people work in the photovoltaic industry. The 2008 record solar installed was 1.6 GW, bringing Germany’s total to 5.3 GW; one third of the world’s 15 GW of solar power. This year’s 3 Gigawatt could propel it to half the world’s solar power.

Part of the increase in end-of year sales was was due to pent-up demand as the financial crisis starts to ease in Germany; but part of it was last-minute homeowners and solar investors getting into the action before 2010, when the Feed-in Tariff rates will step down 10%.

Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act has required power companies to buy all the energy produced by anyone making renewable power, at a fixed above-market price for 20 years.

This payment started out in 2003 as 3 times what the electricity consumer would normally pay for electricity, then went down to 2 times the retail rate. Even after it goes down 10% next year this still amounts to well over what the electricity customer pays.

A surcharge of $1.67 on the monthly bill does not begin to cover that extra cost to the utility; but the nation shares in the Common Good of lowering carbon emissions.

If other countries, such as Britain, would follow similar acts as to solar and small wind much of the energy needs and demands of Europe could be made available by renewable sources. Britain, however, is going for nuclear stations – again large ones – an d also new coal fired power generating plants and is quite clear who pulled the lobbying strings here.

Nuclear, coal and oil simply have such a powerful lobby that renewables just, in Britain at least, cannot compete.

The fact that Britain refuses to even consider a feed-in tariff of at least the cost of what the consumer pays for electricity from the power companies, let alone with real incentives as in Germany or Denmark, makes the installation by homeowners of solar and small wind not an economic viability, unlike many of our European Union neighbors.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown talks a lot about going green and reduction of carbon emissions, etc., but when it comes to doing something about it that would benefit everyone government fails to deliver. Not that government has the slightest interest in doing what other countries have done; it would benefit the average person way too much.

© 2010

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THE BIOCHAR DEBATE – Book Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

THE BIOCHAR DEBATE
Schumacher Briefing No.16
by James Bruges
published by Green Books November 2009
ISBN 978 1 900322 67 6
210mm x 148mm 96pp in b&w paperback
£8.00
available in the USA via Chelsea Green Books

“There is one way we could save ourselves [from global heating] and that is through the massive burial of charcoal. It would mean farmers turning all their agricultural waste - which contains carbon that plants have spent the summer sequestering - into non-biodegradable charcoal and burying it in the soil ... this scheme would need no subsidy: the farmer would make a profit.” – James Lovelock

Charcoal-making is one of the oldest industrial technologies, and in the last decade there has been a growing wave of excitement about its potential for combating climate change.

This is because burying biochar, that is to say, fine-grained charcoal, is thought to be a highly effective way in which to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

In addition, so usage seems to show, it can increase the yield of food crops and the ability of soil to retain moisture.

Some people are concerned, though, that awarding carbon credits for biochar could have seriously damaging outcomes, and I can but agree with them.

The Biochar Debate agrees with this but describes an alternative approach to carbon credits called the Carbon Maintenance Fund (CMF) that avoids the dangers and pitfalls of the credits.

This would give every government the incentive to enable its businesses, farmers and individuals to increase their country’s carbon pool.

It is based on remote sensing by satellite, a tried and tested technology, which would be applied globally each year to measure the increase or decrease of carbon in plants, soil and roots.

The Biochar Debate sets out experimental and scientific aspects of biochar in the context of global warming, the global economy and negotiations for the future of the Kyoto protocol.

It concludes with suggestions for how any individual – you and me – can make our contribution to saving the Planet.

While it all sounds very nice indeed the question that stands out first and foremost in my mind is “where is all the material for the biochar come from?” And the other question is, obviously, “how well does this work.”

We must also not forget, and the author did not either, in fact, the living carbon sinks, the woods and forests, in my opinion, but then I am a forester.

We would not be in this dilemma today had politicians listened when already in the 1890s scientists warned that basing the economy on fossil fuels, a finite resource, was dangerous, with regards to pollution as well as to the fact that one day the supply would come to an end.

Had we then, and in subsequent decades, listened and begun developing renewables we would, more than likely, not be in the state that we are in today.

Had we also listened to those that were standing against the chemicalization of farming soils would be in a much better health and shape and would absorb carbon properly.

In addition to that we have created a consumer economy and -society where everything is made just no longer to last, where everything has obsolescence after a few years factored in, that we must buy new every few year. This is yet another totally unsustainable way of living. And that aside from the way that advertising leads people to want new things every few years if not even months, and the way people go through cell phones is one example here.

When a book that I am reviewing has about as many Post-It Notes stuck as annotations to the pages then there are pages in the book this is either a sign that it is a good book or one that requires a lot of comments because of errors or what-have-you.

The Biochar Debate falls into the former rather than the latter category and the notes are, in fact, primarily for my own future references.

The author makes a great and convincing point for the use of biochar as a soil enhancer and as a means of extracting carbon (and other greenhouse gases) from the atmosphere.

Remains but the question as to why nothing is being done so far. We do not have another 1,000 years.

The author's point against, basically, carbon trading and carbon credits and especially here about not incorporating biochar into that are well made and very valid indeed.

Carbon credits and the trade in them is nothing but a trade in modern day indulgences permitting rich countries to carry on business as usual with emissions buying credits from the poor nations. What a farce.

The author, James Bruges, was brought up in Kashmir until the age of twelve. He worked as an architect in London, Sudan and India before setting up the practice of Bruges Tozer Partnership with Howard Tozer in Bristol. His books include Sustainability and the Bristol Urban Village Initiative, The Little Earth Book, The Big Earth Book and part of What About China?. He participates in FEASTA and the Quaker Economics Issues Group. With his wife Marion he

keeps in touch with and visits Gandhian NGOs in southern India.

The Biochar Debate is another one of those books that should be made compulsory reading for politicians the world over but especially those in the developed world and here especially the USA and Britain. They may just learn something here in how the fouled up, their predecessors for sure, here and how they must not permit the fossil fuel lobby to block things yet again. And that aside from the fact that oil is way to valuable to be burned.

© 2010

WETLANDS, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

What are the links between policy, research and practice when considering biodiversity in the context of climate change in coastal, lowland and upland wetlands? This is the question that the World Wetlands Day Conference 2010, by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), will be asking the UK wetland community in early February.

World Wetlands Day marks the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. CIWEM’s World Wetlands Day Conference is supporting key ideas outlined in the RAMSAR convention and is a major event for the wetland community to meet and share their views. By looking at the similarities and differences in taking action for wetland biodiversity in different habitats, the conference will explore the way that policies, research and practical action need to be joined together to help deliver the most effective outcomes.

This event is relevant for site practitioners who have to meet the specific challenges of site management on a day to day basis and may be planning for climate change adaptation; policy officers who are responsible for drafting policies on wetlands and biodiversity which inform effective practical adaptation and mitigation project, and give clarity to the impacts of climate change; researchers who can update on the latest objective thinking on wetland biodiversity and functioning in the face of climate change; regulators who make the critical links between policy and schemes on the ground; and the wetland community who need to be fully aware of the direction climate change is pushing biodiversity change in the different wetland habitats.

Speakers will include representatives from government agencies, wildlife trusts, universities and consultancies.

The winner of CIWEM Living Wetlands Award for a project that demonstrates a sustainable use of wetland habitats will also be announced.

CIWEM’s World Wetlands Day Conference 2010 is on 2nd – 3rd February in Peterborough.

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management ( CIWEM ) is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world.

The CIWEM World Wetlands Day Conference 2010 is on 2nd – 3rd February in Peterborough. The theme for this year is wetlands, biodiversity and climate. For more information, go to www.ciwem.org/events.

Sponsors of the CIWEM World Wetlands Day Conference are Atkins, Defra, the Environment Agency, English Heritage, Royal Haskoning, WWT, and Natural England.

© 2010

Green equals expensive, in many a mind

Does it have to be? No, saving the Earth does not have to cost it.

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

It never ceases to amaze me how close-minded some people still are about environmental change. Being environmentally friendly is good to some, as long as there is no perceived expense.

However, it does not have to come with a high costs attached for there is not need to buy the latest “green” gadget which, on close examination, is not very green at all, like the “Eco Button”, for instance.

In all honesty going “green” and “sustainable”, although those terms are getting somewhat flogged to death nowadays, does not have to be expensive but should and could actually save money, lots of it.

I am very passionate about what I do, as regards to writing my articles, working on some books on the subject, etc., and it gives me great satisfaction to, hopefully, give people ideas and lots of food for thought.

I see part of my responsibility as a writer as to educating people as to the environmental effects that their lives have on the Mother Earth, but also to think for themselves on environmental issues and not to accept everything as gospel and to accept all the greenwash as the truth.

That is why I put great store in honest product reviews and also why some Op Ed pieces are very controversial.

However, as far as going “green” has to cost lots of money, especially not as to your ordinary household, that is a myth. It is somewhat different in businesses and also in investing in the bigger things such as solar panels, small wind, etc. where the initial costs can be high, but where the investment has to be seen in the term of a number of years as to making a difference.

Energy saving devices, such as CFLs are something that is much cheaper and can bring quite a reduction of costs over the life of the lamp.

Everyone can do their bit for Mother Earth and it does not have to be expensive. It can even save lots of money.

Think of reusing items of waste and get away from consumption, over-consumption, and you bank account and pocketbook should feel a lot better. Going “green” does not have to cost a fortune, not even a small one, but can save you one. Alas, many folks do not understand this. And that is aside from the way it is good for Mother Earth.

There are many ways to go “green” that do not (have to) cost virtually any money at all but can save a some.

Do you really have to buy that notebook for $3 or so; could you not make one from scrap paper?

Do you have to go and buy glass storage jars for your kitchen at whatever price when you might just as well use glass jars from produce you buy for that purpose.

I have seen some people go out and buy pencil bins for the desk and such for good money where the same could and can be achieved with a cleaned up tin can or two.

How many old CDs and DVDs you have laying around?I know I have tons of them because of press packs from shows and fairs, And still people, who have old CDs and such, that they then take to the recycling bins, go and buy drinks coaster sets for however much in the stores.

There are so many ways to go “green”, aside from green with envy or green round the gills, that are simple, cheap and, in my opinion, also great fun. I rather recycle and upcycle and repurpose than go out and buy.

© 2009

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Envirosax® kick off 2010 with their newly launched UK website

- Can Brits prove we’re ‘greener’ than Americans?

Envirosax®, the eco-friendly designer reusable bags, has launched its UK website to rival their US site. The American website helps stop over 30 million new plastic carrier bags reaching landfill sites. And now the keenly awaited UK website has launched to see if we Brits can beat the Americans in the race to be the ‘greener’ shopping nation. The UK website can be found at www.envirosax.com/uk. Now, with just a click of a button Envirosax bags can be delivered straight to your door.

Envirosax is at the forefront of eco-fashion trends, encouraging us to ditch the single use carriers in favour of re-useable bags. The average British consumer uses over 160 new plastic carrier bags a year compared with the American figure of 330 plastic carriers so it would seem we are already on the way to being a plastic bag free nation.

Alex Willumsen, the UK Business Development Manager says: “The original Envirosax website is extremely popular with a high volume of monthly hits coming from all over the world. The UK has one of the highest visitor counts each month, as we Brits become increasingly aware of ‘green’ issues. That’s why we are so excited to announce that the UK website has launched and it now offers an online community that residents in the UK and Ireland can join. It’s fast becoming a great place for people to chat and be part of the phenomenal global community that is the Envirosax eco-friendly way of life”.

This season marks the launch two of the ‘greenest’ products yet and three joyful new designs for the Envirosax graphics collection. The new bags are made from 45% recycled materials and available in two exciting shapes:

Slingsax are messenger shaped bags, carried across the body with adjustable tie straps and a front pocket feature making them the perfect everyday city bag.

Minisax bags set the trend in reusable lunch bags, with an internal cup holder/pocket tidy which also allows the bag to be folded into this pouch to be stored after you’ve eaten.

Both these eco-friendly bags come in three appealing double-sided designs, making them a perfect set with the patterns reflected in both ranges and they don’t cost the Earth either with Slingsax retailing at £9.50 and Minisax at just £3 each.

Stepping into spring couldn’t be easier with the three fabulous new designs of the original Envirosax eco-totes: the new Oasis series is a right on trend with a variety of lively, nautical prints mixed with traditional deckchair stripes and dots, in vibrant turquoise and navy tones; the Origami range is a collection of vibrant spring colours and prints, these delectable totes are not just great for the everyday but also superb as holiday beach bags; and the Midnight Safari collection is a fresh reinvention of the timeless black and white designs of the monochromatic range. All these new products are coming so keep an eye on the UK website.

Sassy, sustainable and inexpensive, these compact yet durable Envirosax eco-totes can be folded into a small package, yet can carry up to 20kg of weight. Whilst being waterproof and washable, Envirosax bags are perfect for eco-conscious shoppers who don’t want to compromise on style. They are available in singles (RRP £5.99)* or pouches of five bags (RRP £25)* to keep in the car or as a gift for your friends and family.

To buy online* visit www.envirosax.com/uk.

Alex Willumsen says: “If you are out and about you can still buy in–store as Envirosax eco-totes are stocked in nearly 400 outlets nationwide, including Fenwick and Oliver Bonas stores. Whether you shop on-line or in-store, by working together we can make the UK a ‘greener’ place to be”.

To find your nearest stockist call 01792 797 968 or email uk@envirosax.com.

www.envirosax.com/uk

*On-line prices exclude P&P which will be charged at the Royal Mail rates (Standard delivery) or £5.00 (Premium delivery).

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Supermarket ditches canned tomatoes in order to reduce waste

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Canned tomatoes are to disappear from the shelves of Sainsbury's supermarkets in an effort to cut waste.

Sainsbury's “Basics” canned tomatoes are now only going to be sold in cartons rather than cans, according to the supermarket chain's bosses.

They believe the move, for their highest selling non-fresh item, will reduce packaging by half a million kilos every year.

Switch to carton will also, store chiefs believe, help the supermarket achieve its target of reducing packaging by a third by 2015, while reducing carbon emissions by 156 tonnes a year.

Hopefully this will also do away then with any possibilities of BPA leachage into the tomatoes, as presently is possible with the lining that is in the tin cans.

Sainsbury's head of packaging, Stuart Lendrum, said that this type of carton is a strong challenger to the traditional tin can in many ways, and may well pose a threat to its dominance over the coming years.

"Packaging basics chopped tomatoes this way”, he said, “will make life easier for customers as they will take up less space in cupboards, while at the same time, the environmental impact of those tomatoes will be a lot lower.

"Also, as they can be packed more tightly, more will fit onto a lorry meaning fewer journeys are required to move them around the country."

The only problem that I can see with those cartons is the fact that, unlike tin cans, they cannot, possibly, be stored as high in shelves and are no way as safe in storage. But then that is my only concern here. I can well do without the need of a can opener and then after having to crush the can.

Though another question that comes to mind is with regards to how recyclable those cartons are. They will, after all, be a laminate of, more than likely cardboard and tin foil, and whatever else. This, as far as I know, would more than likely make them not recyclable in the same way as drinks cartons cannot be recycled. Did anyone think of that, I wonder?

They may be reducing the amount of waste but not the waste. In fact they may be creating much more stuff to go to landfill as those cartons, as said, more than likely cannot be recycled. Someone may just have shot themselves in the foot and it could be messy.

© 2010