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Plastic pollution: How you can help & take action now!

| Inside & Out


Our oceans are filling up with plastic. In fact, we are all responsible for over 8 million tonnes of it finding its way into the ocean. Plastics longevity started off as major plus point, but over time, it has become a huge problem. Plastic doesn’t actually break down, it only breaks up, and because it’s so useful, it’s been used to make so many products. However, Plastic NEVER goes away; affecting our turtles, seabirds and other marine life. In short, plastic is a substance the earth cannot digest and our reliance on it is overwhelming our planet. So lets get busy changing old habits around single use items; and making the world cleaner and greener for everyone. More than 30 countries have introduced some form of voluntary or regulatory approach to restricting the use of single-use plastic bags. Governments in Australia and around the world have taken action to reduce plastic bag pollution. International and national policy measures to date have tended to focus on lightweight ‘supermarket’ shopping bags as these account for the bulk of bag usage and littering.

So how can you help?

Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics
Wherever you live, the easiest and most direct way that you can get started is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded.

Participate in a Beach Cleanup
Help remove plastics from the ocean and prevent them from getting there in the first place by participating in, or organising a cleanup of your local beach or waterway. This is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to fight ocean plastic pollution.

Recycle
This should go without saying, but when you use single-use (and other) plastics that can be recycled, always be sure to recycle them. This helps keep them out of the ocean and reduces the amount of “new” plastic in circulation.

Spread the Word
Stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution and help make others aware of the problem. Tell your friends and family about how they can be part of the solution, or host a viewing party for one of the many plastic pollution focused documentaries.

Would you ever knowingly put Teflon on your skin?

| Health & Beauty


No way! But you could be doing it every day without realising. New research from the Environmental Working Group has found Teflon and other similar chemicals in nearly 200 personal care products, ranging from shampoo to shaving cream to sunscreen. These chemicals have been linked to serious health risks, but cosmetics companies are still putting them in the cosmetics we put on our skin every day. Europe has banned or restricted more than 1,000. We have to stay safe from Teflon and other harmful chemicals in our personal care products.

Teflon, or PTFE, is part of a questionable family of chemicals called PFASs that includes PFOA. PFAS chemicals are virtually indestructible and can cause serious health harms like cancer and birth defects. While PFOA has been phased out since these serious health risks were revealed, Teflon and other similar chemicals are still widely used – and new research is revealing that PFOA replacement chemicals may not be any safer. Out of the 200 products containing PFAS chemicals, 61 contain Teflon, including cosmetics like foundation, mascara, and even sunscreen. In cosmetics, Teflon may be contaminated with more dangerous PFAS chemicals that have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and infertility. Risky chemicals like these have no place in our personal care products!

Most common Pesticides on Fruit & Vegetables 2018

| Health & Beauty

Strawberries remained at the top of this year’s Dirty Dozen™ list, taking first place for produce with the highest levels of pesticide residues. 99 percent of strawberries have pesticide residues and up to 22 different pesticides were found on a single strawberry according to EWG (Environmental Working Group). That includes the following:

Carbendazim (Hormone Disruptor)
Found on 16% of Strawberries

Bifenthrin (Possible Carcinogen)
Found on 29% of Strawberries

Apples ranked fourth on this year’s Dirty Dozen™ list with more than 80 percent of samples testing positive for diphenylamine, a chemical which is banned in Europe. Apples contain an average of 4.4 pesticide residues, so even pesticides found at low levels could pose a health risk.

Another surprising find on this year’s list is spinach. Although it came in second on EWG’s Dirty Dozen™ list, spinach has the most pesticide residues by weight. Spinach also consistently tests positive for some particularly nasty pesticides – like permethrin, a neurotoxic bug killer banned in Europe, and DDT, a toxic pesticide banned in the U.S.

How hazardous are the chemicals used on fruit and vegetables? Some are fairly benign. But others are linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental damage, hormone disruption and neurological problems. For those of us who don’t want to eat pesticide residues and who want to stop fumigants from endangering farmworkers and neighbours of farms, buying organic is a small price to pay. The transformation of strawberries from an occasional treat to a cheap and abundant supermarket staple should serve as cautionary tale about the consequences of chemically driven industrial agriculture.

So, we urge you to take the time to explore the Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce, showing the full list and charts of the “Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen” from the EWG 2018.

Homemade oriental spice room freshener

| Homemade Cleaning Recipes & Tips

Who doesn’t love to walk into a home and immediately be welcomed by a natural fragrant scent in the air? Air fresheners are a big business, and it’s not hard to see why, but making them at home is much cheaper, and way healthier for you. I love making my own oriental spice room freshener, especially in the colder autumn or winter months.

Ingredients
1 sliced organic orange
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon five spice mix
½ teaspoon cloves

Add 2-3 cups of water to a small sauce pan and add the ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Do not let water evaporate (you can add more if needed). The boiling allows the spices to release their fragrance, while the simmering will keep the mixture hot and fragrant. Top off the saucepan with more water every 30 minutes. If the water evaporates, your pot will scorch! Pour the mixture into a mason jar, and keep it (uncovered) on top of a candle warmer.

Don’t let smoke ruin your life & your home environment

| Health & Beauty

Smoking is a huge contributor of indoor air pollution and a particularly unhealthy, costly habit that increases the chances of house fires, and renders your home less desirable to live in and visit.

We are all aware of the serious, harmful consequences smoking poses to our overall health and fitness, however, we are less aware of the adverse and dangerous effects that second and third-hand smoke can have on our loved ones and the inside of our homes. A known human carcinogen, passive smoke is a combination of the smoke exhaled by the smoker and the smoke being emitted into the air from the tobacco product itself.

Cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke are extremely unpleasant for non-smokers and the odour seeps into almost every exposed crevice and corner of the house, clinging to ceilings, walls, floors, fabrics and furnishings, rendering it almost impossible to remove.

This smoke contains a cocktail of noxious chemicals and minute particles that over time, stain and discolour painted walls, ceilings, fabrics, soft furnishings and wallpaper. The poisonous haze penetrates deep into electronic equipment such as computers, iPads, DVDs, televisions, fans, air conditioning units etc., leading to dangerous levels of chemical, moisture-laden dust that eventually results in corrosion and breakdown.

Over extended periods of time, smoke will embed itself into everything in your home, damaging and destroying items beyond repair. To eliminate the risk of future detrimental health issues caused by inhaling and ingesting these toxic fumes, you must remove all second-hand smoke from your home immediately.

There is no risk-free level of exposure to cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke; it is harmful to everyone. And it is especially dangerous to babies and young children as their lungs, respiratory and immune systems are extremely fragile and still developing, offering less protection to the effects of passive smoking. Clearly, the impact to babies and young children is much more destructive.

Young children constantly exposed to passive smoking tend to suffer more frequently with coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia, croup and ear infections, and have an increased risk of developing asthma, compared with children of non-smokers. Babies persistently subjected to breathing in second-hand smoke, have a higher risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome.

Of course, it is not only babies and young children affected by passive smoking, but adult non-smokers are also highly susceptible to the harmful effects of inhaling second-hand smoke, increasing their chances of developing blood clots, strokes, lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory disorders.

Even pets are affected: not only do our four-legged friends inhale smoke, but the particles become lodged in their fur and are ingested when they clean themselves with their tongues. New studies have brought to light that persistent second-hand smoke may cause certain forms of cancer to mutate in cats and dogs.

Many governments are increasingly aware of the serious health risks posed by second-hand smoke and indoor air pollution and for this reason, have imposed comprehensive smoke-free laws, prohibiting smoking in public areas, including restaurants, workplaces and bars. This legislation will in time have a positive effect on our health and well-being, so let’s follow this example and quit smoking in our homes. Start by removing ashtrays and asking family members and guests not to smoke in the house when they visit. If they must smoke, politely ask them to smoke outside, away from the building. Creating a smoke-free environment is vital to purer, indoor air quality, and will make your home a safer, healthier and pleasanter place for you and your family.

Stale smoke is exceptionally difficult to remove and impossible to do so quickly. However, there are a few tricks of the trade to disguise its unpleasant odours.

To begin eliminating the stench and damage created by smoking in your home, open as many windows and doors as possible, allowing fresh air to flow through. Leave them open as long as possible as the fresh air will allow stale smoke and particles to dissipate, helping to cleanse the air.

Scrub walls and floors, wash curtains and other washable fabrics, allowing them to dry outside in the sunshine. Spritz upholstery with a home-made fabric freshener, clean all windows and glass, and spray around one of the delightful home-made air fresheners—a tea tree oil or eucalyptus formula is perfect at masking lingering odours. Sprinkle carpets and rugs with baking soda and leave for a few hours before vacuuming; this will soak up and neutralise stale smells.

The only way to remove smoke odour and de-fumigate your home completely is to begin thoroughly and systematically cleaning everything in your home. I know this process may seem a daunting, unachievable task, but begin slowly, with one room at a time, removing and cleaning wall hangings, curtains, blinds, soft furnishings, bedding, etc. You may even want to consider hiring a steam cleaner to thoroughly clean fabrics and upholstery.