Mailbag

Unfortunately Redwood Food Co sold out to Vbites & they changed ingredients

So I can no longer eat either the Cheesely or Vegetarian Felafels, both of which I used to eat 2 x weekly each.

This is because I have severe allergies (cause internal bleeding) to, amongst other things, rapeseed oil.
VBites have chosen to swap the sunflower oil Redwood used in production to the (imho) cheapskate option of rapeseed oil.

Am pretty upset!

Wd be grateful if you could please publish this.  VBites don't even seem to have the wit to publish the ingredients on their product info on line, or even the honesty to change the product info online (still listed as Redwood in some cases).  So I bought 2 whole cases of the Felafels as Christmas supplies due to delay in holiday pipeline, and brought them home before I noticed change in packaging and ingredients.  I don't think shop will even accept returns, as they'll be out of date by time shop reopens.

Am pretty upset!

rgds

Ruth Turk (Ms)

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I just read your article "The portable glass bottle by Love Bottle". When I got to the end of it I thought "idiot". No, not you, me!

I've spent hours on the internet looking for a portable glass bottle (to the point of going to bed at 1.30 am with sore eyeballs yesterday!). Thank you for saving me a bunch of money. I'm not too keen on Snapple but I remembered a drink I haven't had for years (because it's delicious but pricey). I've just checked the web and Purdeys (the drink I'm treating myself to) is on offer at the supermarket so today I'll get two yummy drinks and two free portable bottles in one go. Double bargain!!

I baulked at the idea of spending more than £10 on a glass bottle (even a tenner was pushing it) but now I'll not bother with that nonsense :)

Blessings to you, have a fabulous day.

Martha

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The below is a question from a reader in South Africa:

Aluminium Water Bottle...

Good day to you

I have aluminium water bottles made by SYNERGY Health and Wellness Company.

I was searching the net because they seem to have a black something that grows on the inside surface of the bottle.

It can be washed away, but reappears and is increasing in frequency.

Can you tell me what I am seeing? And is it safe to drink
from such a bottle?

Kind regards,

Neena Rama
Diamond Grader

GEFFEN DCW


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I replied as follows:


Hi Neena,

Greetings...

The aluminium bottle that you have has a liner, I assume, and that probably is made of some resin which, more than likely, depending on year of make and country of manufacture, contains bisphenol A (aka BPA), which is not a good thing for starters.

I must say that I am baffled as to the stuff that you say keeps "growing" inside the bottle. If it is a growth then I would say it is something fungal and would not be safe. If it is not a living organism, such as a fungus,
then it could be a chemical leachage from the liner and that would also be not very good nor safe.

I would to replace the bottle with a stainless steel bottle and there are a number of good sources and bottles about. I must say that my current favorite is a "Lifebottle" by tapwater.org in the UK. It is a double skinned stainless steel bottle which acts somewhat like a thermos flask too... not cheap but, as far as I can ascertain, great quality.

Hope that has been of some use to you...

Kind regards,
Michael

Michael Smith
Editor
GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW

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Comment on your post about the Johnsons
03-12-2011

Dear Michael,

I tried to comment on your site to save your time, but could not find a way to leave a comment.

I was interested in your post about the Johnsons zero waste lifestyle as I have been finding their story intriguing too.

you mentioned a couple of points at the end of your article about things not being possible in the UK. I agree that we do not have many unpackaged shops in the UK, but wanted to share that in *some* of my local supermarkets they will indeed use my own containers on their butchery and deli counters. I also use my local butcher in this way... As a consequence we produced just one carrier bag of rubbish during 2010.

Just thought you might be interest - I'm in Gloucestershire :)

Warm wishes and keep up the great work with your site,

Rachelle

http://myzerowaste.com


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Green Living Review (make mine tap)
03-11-2011

Hi Michael

Thank you for the great piece in the above magazine on our scheme to promote tap water.

May I be so bold as to offer some comment on a few points you raised in the piece.

tapwater.org is the only organisation offering free access to all of our refilling points to anybody, with any bottle. We are mapping all points including fountains which should appear on our map in the coming months. We have also joined forces with organisations in Canada, America and Holland all of whom have there own reusable bottles. It is therefore very important that to join the global tap water map to be launched at the end of March that organisation promoting the drinking of tap water do NOT restrict access to only there products. We now have over 550 refilling points in the UK and growing at a rate of 10 per day, when the global map launches it will have over 5000 with some as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

Give Me Tap

I met Edwin several months ago and asked him to join our network however he is UNABLE to do this because to access his tap refilling points you must buy his bottle. As mentioned above to join and access our global tap water map all schemes have to be open to everyone. Edwin has 45 refilling points in Manchester which has remained the same for the last 18 months.

We Want Tap

I have sent numerous emails over the last 18 months to this organisation without response, the stock situation on the bottles was zero 12 months ago and has still not changed. From my limited knowledge of this operation they no longer exist however if you could give me a contact outside the website I would love to receive it.

Kind regards
Michael Green
www.tapwater.org

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