Life Without Plastic Blog

India rising... above plastic!

We are just back from a trip to "Incredible !ndia" -- this is the tag line used by the Indian Ministry of Tourism to promote India around the world, and it's true, India is !ncredible.  One might argue that I'm biased because I have Indian roots, but this is a country that grabs everyone by all senses and flys away with you. It is so alive, just teeming with life.  And the colours - I love the flowers sold in the street, and the numerous fresh vegetable stands.

We were there to visit family and meet with some of our suppliers.  We visited Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi.  Doing what we do, Chantal and I were always on the lookout for signs and info about the current state of the plastic pollution in India, and what is being done about it.  With a population exceeding a billion, over 30% of which live below the poverty level, dealing with plastic waste is a challenge by any measure.  And yet, we found many signs of positive action. 

Certainly with so many people and so much waste, plastic is a problem, and it is visible wherever one finds garbage. We even saw truckloads of plastic bottles and bags being transported to the mythical "away", likely a landfill. 

Apart from increasing overall waste, plastic bags clog drains and increase flooding - the increased flooding creates breeding grounds for malaria and dengue fever.  Bags can be a problem in the countryside where vegetables are grown as they break down into increasingly smaller pieces while leaching chemicals into the soil.  Bags and other plastic garbage are also eaten by animals, such as cows and dogs, and killing them by clogging their intestines.

Awareness of the problem is growing, and both governments and citizens have taken action over the past decade. Bans on plastic bags have been put in place in numerous municipalites including Mumbai and Delhi and Kolkata.  While implementation is an enormous challenge, the bans must be having an effect because compared to our last visit to India ten years ago, the difference is visible.  There are clearly fewer plastic bags around, in the stores and on the streets, and many people seem to carry their own reusable bags for shopping (of course, this is a practice that has always been more prevalent in Asia than in the West). 

In Mumbai, we came across a plastic bench with the following printed on a small white label attached to it, "Made from Plastic Waste-Recycled".  On the grounds of Victoria Memorial in Kolkata we noticed a sign in English, Hindi and Bengali reading, "Avoid Plastic Bags Please. It Is Injurious To Health." 

In talking to people - from shopkeepers to executives - it becomes clear that the issue of plastic pollution is one they are aware of and they understand why it is a serious issue.  This awareness and willingness to act to decrease plastic use and waste is slowly permeating daily Indian life.

This is one of the things I love about India.  As the largest democracy in the world, it is a crazily diverse country and I sometimes marvel that it even works. Yet, with such a varied, colourful and tumultuous history and existence, Indians are accustomed to embracing change and going with the flow. A change may happen overnight or become mired in the famous Indian beaurocracy and stagnate for years, but if it makes sense, the Indian people will accept it and make it a part of their lives quickly.

So as India slowly rises above plastic - and there is lots of rising yet to do because plastic pollution is still a huge problem in India, as in so many other parts of the world - we could all learn from this willingness to accept change.

Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

All photos by Jay.

Plastic-Free Water Filtration with Water's Best Friend Binchōtan Charcoal

We think water is as alive as us. We all need water to stay alive and thrive. So when the water we put into our bodies is unhealthy because it is polluted with toxins like chlorine and lead, it defeats the purpose of hydration:  to promote life.

We often get asked about simple plastic-free water filtration systems. As far as we can tell, there are not a lot out there.  Most water filtration systems use plastic casing for the filters and/or the storage vessel, or are large and expensive.  So we've always been on the lookout for something small, simple and inexpensive to rival the Britas^®' of the world. We think we may have found a wonderful option.

Kishu binchōtan or white charcoal is a high quality hardwood charcoal carefully made in the Kishu or Wakayama region of southern Japan. Sustainably harvested branches of holm oak trees grown specifically for this purpose are slowly fired in traditional kiln ovens over several days by kishu artisans. Their techniques have been perfected over hundreds of years.

The resulting charcoal is an elegant glasslike substance with millions of microcavities that give it remarkable toxin-absorbing properties. The kishu charcoal naturally bonds with certain toxins, including lead, mercury, cadmium, copper and chlorine. It simultaneously imparts minerals that are healthy for the body: calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphates and zinc.

You just throw it in your water container and that's it. One stick lasts approximately six months and, depending on its size, can filter up to 8 gallons of water a day. Every month it should be boiled in a pot for about ten minutes and then dried for ten minutes, a simple ritual that keeps the exterior cavities open. When the water filtering capacity is reached, you can then use the kishu charcoal in your fridge or just place it in a room, where it will absorb odours and help freshen the air.  You can then bury it in the garden or put it in your composter where it will slowly decompose. 

LifeWithoutPlastic.com offers 4 different sizes of binchōtan charcoal: bottle size (1 L / 32 oz), pitcher size (5 L / 1.3 gal.), medium dispenser size (15L / 4 gal.), and large dispenser (30 L / 8 gal.).

We even like to leave pieces of it lying on our desks and around the office. It's intriguing to just look at and is a great conversation starter or long phone conversation playmate. If you get distracted from the conversation because you're lost in the minutiae of the pores, just explain yourself and see what sort of interesting response you get.  "Oh sorry, I was just marvelling at the millions of absorbant microparticles in my portable Japanese kishu binchōtan charcoal water filter. What was that you were saying?"  Great way to spice up the day, while keeping your water healthy.

Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Image credits:  EarthTimes (top right), Kishu

Drip Coffee Without Plastic

Looking for the ultimate plastic-free coffee experience? Try the Chemex coffee maker. It's been made in the USA for over 50 years and it makes truly delicious coffee.  The amazing fact about the Chemex line is that even people who don't care about drinking coffee that's been seeping through plastic in a regular drip system will buy the Chemex line just because the coffee tastes better.  So not only is it the best plastic-free alternative to drip coffee machine, but it makes the best coffee. Period.

The Chemex line is made of borosilicate glass and has an elegant look. We carry the glass carafe with the built-in handle. We liked the Chemex coffee system so much that we decided to carry the most popular products of the line. The only thing we were a bit disappointed about was the fact that the company sells only disposable filters. Part of the secret of such delicious coffee making lies in the filter itself, which should have just the right porosity.  We decided to experiment a bit and asked a company that already makes reusable hemp filters for other types of coffee machines to create filters for the two carafes we are carrying. After we tried the hemp filters, we thought the coffee was pretty good. Although we are no connaisseurs, the coffee seemed just as good as with the paper filters.

We are pleased to offer our customers at LifeWithoutPlastic.com the Chemex 1 pint (0.5 L) for an individual portion and the Chemex 40 oz (1.2 L) for about 5 cups of exquisite coffee. Paper filters for the small and larger Chemex are also offered along with a wire grid glass protector to keep the carafe warm on the stovetop without damaging the glass.

It took us a while to figure out the best coffeemaker with no plastic, but this one is worth the wait. Although it is still not perfect, in that it does not operate automatically, the great tasting coffee it creates is worth the extra trouble. Check out this little video on how to make the best coffee, without plastic:

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Freezycup, The Individual Stainless Steel Popsicle Mold

When we started LifeWithoutPlastic.com in 2005 and went live with our first website in 2006, we had posted on our wish list of products that we were working on a "plastic-free popsicle mold". It took us a long time to finally come up with an ice pop mold without plastic because we kept looking for a supplier outside of China. After many disappointing attempts, we finally decided to have it made in China as long as we had assurances from the supplier that working conditions for workers were ethical and that the product would pass the CPSIA tests with flying colours. We were impressed with the manfacturer and their willingness to work with us to make this product as healthy and versatile as possible out of high quality components.

We are pleased to introduce the Freezycup^TM, a plastic-free, BPA-free, freezer lollipop mold that is more than just a mold for popsicles. It can also be used as a drinking cup and your child can rest his popsicle in it when (s)he needs to do something else. We like to ensure our products have more than one life, so when your children are done with popsicles, the cups can be used as fun party glasses. 

Some parents have asked us how to deal with freezers that don't have a flat surface - how to prevent the mold from tipping over? Many economical and versatile options are available. One can use our stainless steel sandwich box which has a flat bottom and can be laid down on the freezer shelf. Another option is to use a larger cup, such as our 200 ml children's cup. With these two solutions, there is no need to invest in a tray, the sole use of which is as a popsicle tray. Once the summer season is over, you have a sandwich box or a kid's cup you can use.

Let us know what you think.

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Walk the Talk with Beth: Kick the Habit and LIVE Plastic Free

Beth Terry writes the pre-eminent blog in this world on living without plastic: My Plastic-free Life. She meticulously tracks her monthly plastic consumption down to the last plastic envelope window, and blogs passionately about it. That alone is reason enough for us to love her and consider her one of our heros, but there is more. Why do we love Beth?  She's funny, straightforward, unafraid to tell it like it is, a superb researcher and writer, an idea factory, super well-organized and systematic, action-oriented, great at making fun of herself to make a point, and, as you can tell by now...she walks her talk. I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know her in person a few years ago, and at the time I blogged about the blast we had together at the Green Festival in San Francisco.

Now, everyone can walk Beth's talk and change their lives and the world at the same time by living with less plastic. Her book, Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, was just launched worldwide a few days ago, and it is well worth checking out. You can purchase it here.

Finally, a how-to guide for living without plastic. If you've ever wondered what in the world to do to replace the plastic in your life, this is the perfect place to start. Plastic water bottles drive you nuts, but you're addicted to them: learn about the damage you're causing and the options out there (Chapter 3). You love cheese, but hate buying it in the plastic wrapping: page 195 (buy it in bulk). You prefer liquid soap but it always seems to come in plastic bottles: page 220 (recipe to make your own). There's so much plastic in your kitchen, where do you start?: pages 267-276 (set your priorities by first asking some key questions). There is lots of background detail in this book, plus resources and suggestions, so you will not only change your habits and your life for the better, you will educate yourself deeply about the power of plastic to control us, whether we realize it or not.

Chantal and I were thrilled to be interviewed by Beth about Life Without Plastic and be included as one of the many 'Plastic-Free Heros' she features throughout the book. You can read a bit about our story on pages 142-143...  

One of the neat things about this book is that it quite literally is plastic-free. This is no small feat in a publishing world where the norm is a plastic coated cover and jacket, polyester or nylon thread in the binding, and plastic glue throughout the binding. In this case, the jacket is uncoated (a simple and even elegant kraft paper jacket), the thread is made of cotton, the spine is exposed, and a plastic-free glue was used for the binding. 

On a final note, Beth is a true testament to how the actions of one single person can have an enormous effect on the whole world. She is creating waves with her blog that documents her life without plastic, and now this handy how-to guide is taking the world by storm as people open their eyes to the plastic problem, and realize there are alternatives.

So now it's your turn. You too can make waves in your life and the lives of others.  All it takes is one simple action to get started. If you're not sure where to start, read this book and/or check out Beth's blog. Oodles of possibilities...

Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Speak Out for Nature & Democracy

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, and the Canadian Federal Conservative Party are leading a horrific and devastating charge against nature and democracy. Although 60% of Canadians voted against them at the last election, they still managed to obtain a majority of seats and have now started a war on nature with bill C-38 (the name of the bill is a joke: Jobs, Growth and Long Term Prosperity Act).  This is a budget bill that contains numerous measures that attack long standing legislative protection of the environment.  From killing the Kyoto protocol to repealing the National Round Table on Environment and Economy to reversing the protection of the Fisheries Act and closing the Polar and Atmospheric Research Laboratory. It also greatly reduces the length and scope of the environmental assesment process of any project with a potential impact on nature. The list goes on and on. At the same time, additional funds are being given to enhance the Canadian Revenue Agency's ability to audit environmental groups. All of this packed in a budget bill that will not be afforded the expert review of an environmental committee at the Canadian Legislative Assembly. It will only be reviewed by the finance committee.

If this is not a declaration of war on Nature and Democracy, I wonder what is? Please sign the petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/286/802/967/

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

 

Storing Homemade Play Dough in an Airtight Stainless Steel Container

Last weekend, our son Jyoti and I made play dough. Jyoti is 9 years old so play dough is not as exciting as it was when he was little, but he had the idea of creating a time lapse video with it. So, he invented a story and took pictures of a little monster escaping the stainless steel airtight container in which we had stored the play dough. I put together the movie, and here is the result.  Feel free to pass it around.

 

Play dough is a great tool for making a time lapse video, and if you want your play dough to last, make sure it is stored in an airtight container.  Here is a good homemade play dough recipe:

Basic ingredient ratios:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)

Mix all these ingredients together in a saucepan on low heat until the play dough starts to detach from the sides of the saucepan.  Add food coloring if you wish.

Let us know what you thought of our little video.

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

On Khadi: Fabric of Freedom

Before I even get into khadi and why it is much more than just a silky soft, hand spun, hand woven fabric made in India, some background is in order.

I was born and raised in Canada, but my roots are part Bengali on my father's side. Bengali people hail from Bangladesh or West Bengal, the northeast Indian state adjacent to Bangladesh. In 1947, India achieved its independence after 200 years of British colonialism and oppression. Independence came at a divisive price as India was partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan following violent conflict between Hindu and Muslim extremists.  At that time, what is now Bangladesh became East Pakistan. This is where my father grew up until adolescence and where our family had lived for ages. Overnight there was a mass migration of Muslims out of India into Pakistan, and of Hindus out of Pakistan into India.  Our family was part of that teeming human flow moving from East Pakistan into West Bengal. Generations of family heritage were left behind overnight in exchange for survival. (Map Image: ©National Maritime Museum, London)

My father was studying at Calcutta (Kolkata) University in 1947 and was a leader in the student government. In Kolkata, violent fighting was going on between extremist Hindus and Muslims. Students - Hindu and Muslim together - had barricaded parts of the University to seek refuge and prevent the bloodthirsty rioters from getting in and spreading the killing, which had become intense, random and completely irrational. One man - revered by both Hindus and Muslims - was able to stop these senseless terrorizing riots:  Mahatma Gandhi, the key architect behind India's freedom from the British. He ended the fighting by going on a hunger strike, refusing to consume anything more than a little water each day until all the fighting stopped. It must have torn his heart in two to witness such violence between Indian people after having achieved Indian independence through non-violent means.

I remember seeing Richard Attenborough's excellent film Gandhi with my father when it was first released in 1982. As the vivid riot scenes came to life on the screen I saw my father put his head down and breath deeply. He left the cinema and paced out in the lobby. Later he explained that he was having flashbacks of those awful riots that had brought him and his classmates so close to death. He described how the students had boiled water to pour over the barricades because they knew of no other way to prevent the mob of killers from coming at them.

I mention all this context to give you an idea of what Mahatma Gandhi was capable of - through wholly non-violent means. Khadi comes into this picture because it was one of the most powerful and symbolic tools Gandhi used in galvanizing the Indian people against British political and economic supremacy to achieve Swadeshi (self-sufficiency) and Swaraj (self-rule).  Gandhi encouraged all Indian citizens to make their own khadi using a traditional spinning wheel, called a charka, and thus decrease Indian dependence on British-made imported textiles. Gandhi wore only khadi and encouraged all Indians to do the same. To this day, many Indian politicians continue to wear only khadi. (Image: Gandhi spinning on a charka at Sabarmati Ashram, 1925 --- ©Vithalbhai Jhaveri/GandhiServe Foundation (Image from Wikimedia Commons))

So now the link to living without plastic. As you can already tell, khadi is so far from plastic in so many ways. We found a wonderful Indian company that makes traditional organic cotton khadi and colours it with rich natural dyes derived from plants, fruit, and seeds. We worked with them to obtain some gorgeous bolts of super soft, earth tone khadi. We then passed this lush fabric over to our local master seamstress friend Tracy from Eco-Tav, and she has created three practical works of khadi art for us to offer to our customers for everyday use in decreasing their reliance on plastic. The two-tone blossom bag (shown at right), the portable placemat and cutlery holder (in gold or green), and the spork pouch (in gold or green).

We think it's important to know where the things that populate one's life come from, what they are made of, and who made them. It's not always possible to know this. And even with this khadi we don't know the name of the particular rural Indian weaver who made it - though we could probably find out. But we know this is a fabric that creates freedom. And that's pretty darn cool.

Jay Sinha, Co-Founder
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Polyester and Nylon are NOT Compostable

I must admit, I do not follow fashion. I am not sure what is "in" right now.  I just buy the styles, colours and fabrics I like to wear. I am kind of an unintended anti-fashionista. I almost always shop at thift stores because not only do I save a lot, but I also find the most interesting pieces of clothing. My favourite thrift store is the Value Village located on Pembina Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which I visit every time we travel to Winnipeg to spend time with Jay's parents (see photo taken from Google Street View). One thing I always check when picking my clothes is the fabric label. I always want to make sure the item is made of a natural fabric. I am always astonished at the amount of synthetic fabric used in clothing.  A large majority of clothes are made of synthetic fibres which do not biodegrade, are not compostable and take a very long time to decompose according to an article published in Grist:

"Casual composters report that a year after adding a cotton-poly T-shirt to a pile, the cotton is gone and all that remains is a spooky polyester skeleton. Estimates for a more complete breakdown of polyester seem to range from 20 to 200 years, given various conditions." (From Grist, "Ask Umbra: Is Fabric Compostable")

What is worse is that synthetic fabric breaks down over time in small particles and we end up breathing it in without realizing it. One of the worse uses of synthetic fabric is for curtains. Curtains exposed to the sun will break down quickly and the small synthetic particles float around and pollute indoor air.

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Founder
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

How clean is your bin?

First, an embarassing confession:  I meant to write this blogpost, er, um, about a year ago. Life happens. Here it is finally. Thankfully, it is still relevant. Correction: More relevant than ever.

Just over a year ago we had the pleasure and honour of co-sponsoring - with our friends at La Forêt and The Black Sheep Inn - a Wakefield, Quebec screening of the funky, powerful, funny, award-winning, *important* indie documentary The Clean Bin Project. I'll get to why it is so important a little later.

The dynamic, waste-busting, film-making duo of Vancouverites Jen and Grant embarked on a year-long project they dubbed their  "zero waste, consumer-free year".

Their mantra:  "The goal is zero landfill waste. For one year we will not buy any material goods and will attempt to live without producing household garbage." 

For the duration of the Project between July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2009, they had three cardinal rules:

1. No buying stuff. (They could not buy any material goods.)
2. No producing garbage.  This means “avoid packaging”. (They could not buy anything that comes in non-recyclable packaging and they had to avoid excess packaging)
3. Take responsibility for your waste. (They had to take all waste produced personally by them home with them to recycle, compost, etc.)

Jen works as an environmental planner and grows a fine garden, and Grant is a self-employed music producer who likes to wear white pants (more on that in the film). Together they show just how challenging it can be in every day life to go zero waste in our consumerist, overpackaged society. As they say, it was "a competition where less is more".

We loved the film for many reasons, but obviously because it beautifully displays the problem of plastics as a key source of waste, especially in the environment. There are superb interviews with a couple of our heros, anti-plastic crusadors Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and photographic artist par excellence, Chris Jordan.  

This is such an important film because it shows just how much one can have an impact at the individual level when you become aware of the waste you produce on a daily basis. And it provides ways that you can take action. Take a look at the top ten tips Jen and Grant suggest for taking action to reduce waste.

We had the opportunity to meet the smiling Jen and Grant in person at the screening in our hometown last year. Wakefield was one stop on their 7600 km bike ride across Canada screening the film in 30 different communities and inspiring folks like us along the way to work toward clean bins. These are two down-to-earth folks who are helping make this world a better place.

The film is currently screening all over the place (and picking up film fest awards as it goes). We highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance, and if not, DVDs will soon be available for purchase off their site.  Even better, you could organize a screening in your community.  Jen and Grant might even show up to do a fun Q&A after the film. And Grant might even wear his white pants.

Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com