"As the group gathered closer, we began to dissect the carcass. The group’s initial wonder at what all this colorful “stuff” was inside the dead bird turned to outrage and ultimately shame as we all started to recognized plastic objects from our daily lives (some we had even used that morning). In the end we counted three lighters, two magic marker caps, one toothbrush, numerous bottle caps, and many small unidentifiable pieces of plastic." - Wayne Sentman Biologist (cited in Jaymi Heimbuch Treehugger.com)
The problem with plastic pollution is widespread and it doesn't take too much searching to come across news article after news article to witness the impact this is having on the environment. One such issue that really struck me was the problem of plastic pollution on far away and remote islands such as in the Midway Atoll. The waterbirds here were quite literally starving to death due to having stomachs filled with plastic, many of which are every day items we all use without a second thought, such as toothbrushes. The images in some of these articles really capture just how widespread and devastating the issue has become, however, a more recent documentary called "A Plastic Ocean" on Netflix pushes this further and really hits home with footage documenting the struggle of the waterbirds in the region - I would definitely recommend watching it! One small step we can all do is find alternative products to the ones commonly found down our shopping aisles, including the humble plastic toothbrush. According to dental professionals we should change our toothbrush approximately every 3 months, meaning the average person should go through 4 toothbrushes each year, totaling to around 300 in their lifetime. In Australia it has been estimated that up to 30 million tooth brushes are disposed of each year in landfill, which is staggering in itself but dwarfed by the United States where it is estimated that 850 million toothbrushes are discarded to landfill each year. So what alternatives are there? One great product my partner and I have been using for several years now is the Environmental Toothbrush. The toothbrush is designed by a Brisbane dentist, and the handle itself is made from bamboo (a natural cellulose fibre), meaning the handles are biodegradable and sustainable. Bamboo is an extremely sustainable plant, according to the Environmental Toothbrush "It is the fastest growing plant on earth, and incredibly abundant. Our bamboo is cultivated for between three to five years, and then harvested. It re-generates itself naturally, with minimal rain and without the need for harmful pesticides." At the end of the life cycle of our toothbrushes, we now compost the handles and they ultimately break down to be unrecognisable in good quality compost. Unfortunately the bristles at this stage are not biodegradable but they are made from a BPA FREE polymer resistant to microbial growth. It is in my opinion still a far better and more sustainable option until one that is completely biodegradable comes onto the market.
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In the recent "war on waste", single-use plastics are getting a lot of time in the spotlight and rightly so, however, there are several products right beneath our noses that we may overlook. One of these is the trusty kitchen scourer. I won't bombard you with more facts about the impact of plastics as I mention this in other blogs, but I will highlight a great new product I now use that is a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional kitchen scourers.
The two most commonly used kitchen scourers are the metal scourer/steel wool, and the nylon scourer (yep, made from synthetic plastics from crude oil). Both of these products are manufactured from non-renewable resources, and end up in landfill rather than being recycled. Until recently I was guilty of using both of these products, however, I got tired of seeing how often they were deteriorating and then just ending up in landfill. I did a bit of research to find some alternatives and came across a great product, the Safix Scrub Pad. The Safix Scrub Pad is made from natural coconut husk fibres held together by a non-toxic adhesive and comes in two different sizes. The big selling point for me was the fact it was biodegradable AND compostable. Another positive for me was that it was Fair Trade. I will admit I was a bit concerned about the longevity of this product and was under the impression each scourer may only last a week tops before they start to fall apart. I couldn't have been more wrong. These scrub pads will last weeks before they even show any signs of wear. They have not scratched any of our cookware and easily remove any food/greasy deposits. The products are advertised with "Will not scratch non-stick and delicate surfaces", so based on my experiences I can vouch for that. We have since placed one of our used coconut scrub pads in our compost bin and within weeks it is barely recognisable. Hopefully in a few more weeks it will be broken down further with the rest of our compost into some good quality compost! I will make a side note that if you are planning on using these and composting them, also be mindful of what kitchen cleaning products you use. One product we use which is easily found at local supermarkets is Earth Choice Dishwash liquid by Natures Organics. This product is plant based, grey water & septic safe, cruelty free - CCF Accredited, the packaging is made with 100% recycled & recyclable plastic and they are Australian made and owned. So just remember in our war on waste there are a whole suite of smaller changes we can make and alternative products to use to help make a difference! Globally, demand for beef has been increasing due to population growth, urbanization, and rising incomes, particularly in developing countries. Beef production however has a huge environmental footprint, which is gaining more widespread attention and giving consumers the opportunity to make a statement through their diet and lifestyle. Some environmental impacts/issues associated with beef production include (but not limited to):
Greenhouse gas emissions Estimates for the greenhouse gas emissions produced through livestock are varied, but range from 10 percent to 20 percent of total global emissions (and up to 50 percent of individual countries total emissions). Carbon dioxide gets widespread attention in the fight on global warming, however, the focus is usually on industries and the use of cars, as opposed to what we eat. To put the impact of diet into perspective, it has been estimated that the average diet of a "meat eater" (eating just 100 g meat per day) would result in approximately 7.2 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per day for that individual. When compared to a vegetarian diet this reduced dramatically to just 3.8 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per day, and further still for a vegan diet to just 2.9 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per day! Of the greenhouse gases, livestock production of ruminants (e.g. cows) also accounts for approximately 27 percent of total anthropogenic methane. Now why is this important? Like carbon dioxide, methane is a greenhouse gas, but worse still, methane is more severe when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere. It has been estimated that the same volume of methane (as carbon dioxide) would trap 100 times more heat in the atmosphere over a 5 year period. With that being said, methane does dissipate far quicker than carbon dioxide and there are mitigation options in place helping reduce the overall impact of methane on global warming. As a consumer we can assist and go one step further by changing our lifestyle and diet to help further decrease the production of both carbon dioxide and methane by finding alternatives to beef. Water resources The use of water resources on agriculture are also staggering with approximately 70% of all human water use being used in the industry. Of all the crops & livestock produced through agriculture, red meat from beef, tops the list as the most "thirsty" production line. It is estimated that the production of just 1 kg of beef requires between 5,000 & 20,000 litres of water with average estimates around 16,000 litres. Pork comes in at an average of approximately 5,000 litres per kg of meat produced, and poultry comes in lower still at approximately 3,500-4,000 litres per kg of meat produced. Better still, compare this to vegetarian/vegan food sources, rice comes in at approximately 2,500 litres per kg, soy beans come in at approximately 2,000 litres per kg, wheat at approximately 1,800 litres per kg, and apples at just 800 litres per kg! This shows that in our efforts to save water, one of the biggest steps we can actually take is to change our diet. Check out this interactive site on the "Water we eat" which has some great graphics comparing the different production lines and water use. Take home message - "Food" for thought Now i'm not expecting everyone to suddenly turn vegetarian or vegan after reading this blog. I for one found it initially quite difficult when switching my regular diet to a predominantly vegetarian/vegan diet. With that being said however, there are more and more vegan options available at the local supermarkets that make this change easier than ever, these include Quorn, Vegie Delights, Fry's, and the Alternative Meat Co. just to name a few. Be mindful as well that your change can all start with just one day. This could be something as simple as committing to a meat free Monday (check out their site which includes a whole bunch of recipes). If you can't bare to go completely vegetarian or vegan, then choose alternatives such as poultry and fish, but also make a statement as a consumer when purchasing these and only purchase sustainably sourced products, ones with animal welfare approval (e.g. RSPCA) and those that are organic/free range. Further reading
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AuthorMy name is Garry and I am extremely passionate about the environment. I have completed my BSc. Conservation and Wildlife Biology with First Class Honours and have worked in the Environment sector since 2009. Archives
October 2019
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Local Food Initiative, mitchell haindfield, everyoneisgone, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Takashi(aes256), ilyayakubovich.com