7 years...

My mate Ang got me this.  It's not a new invention but it's definitely a smart concept, Seltzer's 7 Year Pen.  It's sold as sustainable but it doesn't look green nor does it look recycled, and if we were quick to judge, the pen seems more a novelty than sustainable.  But when given greater thought, it's actually quite ingenious!  You see what I realized, we as people have become accustomed to the everlasting supply of pens.  Whether we use and/or "borrow" them from work or they're given to us as promotional gifts, pens are freely available, so much so when we lose a pen it's no sweat off our backs.  

So here enters the 7 year pen and this is how the game plays out:

First the question, "Really? This pen will last 7 years?"  

Next comes the challenge, "I'm going to test this claim".  

And finally "excuse me, do mind if I grab my pen back", after lending the pen. 

What's happen is, I am now more cautious when I use/lend my 7 Year Pen.  I also make sure I always carry this particular pen with me to ensure it gets it's full 7 year use.  This change in behaviour is quite astonishing as these thoughts and actions would not have come about had it not been for the composition of four little words "the Seven Year Pen".

Conclusion.  All I really need is one pen.  While some may argue that a pen doesn't take up much space, and what harm could a little pen do, the bigger picture is imagine multiplying this with the number of pens discarded daily on a global scale.  Each year, an estimated 100 million pens are discarded every day.  And imagine those that go to landfill.  And imagine to keep up with the illusory demand for low cost pens, the type of workers who make them (sweatshop labour comes to mind).

Wow, who would have thought a novel idea such as the 7 Year Pen could have such a positive effect on the world?   

Guess this simply shows the importance of innovative communication strategies when it comes to addressing conscious consumption and a sustainable future. 

Seltzer's 7 Year Pen reduces waste by increasing the size of the ink supply inside the pen. The jumbo ink cartridge fills more of the barrel's circumference, enabling the writer to pontificate a remarkable 1.7 meters a day for seven years.

"Regardless of the uber-efficient technology, we knew it would be equally important to design the Seven Year Pens in such a way you'd actually want to keep them for seven years. Our designers went to work, turning "regular" pens into "favorite" pens. We started calling them the Seven Year Pen so everyone would know it was designed with a purpose."

Seltzer Goods is a company that uses FSC certified 100% post-consumer recycled paper and veggie-based inks.  They are "serious about eco-friendly materials, packaging, and production methods".  They also support Earth Justice with an annual donation.  "Earth Justice uses the power of the law to protect our natural resources and defend the right of all people to a healthy environment."

Nature's Alternative Soap is A-OK

A while back I purchased a packet of Wild Soapnuts. I had read about them in an Oxfam email blast but it was at one of the many markets I loiter at, that I finally made the purchase. While I may have made the purchase I either forgot about them or there was so much laundry detergent laying around that I just never had the need to use them. I'm all about not wasting anything unless I really dislike it but I will always give it a go first or it's past it's used by date.

Anyhoo, I finally took the plunge and tested these Wild Soapnuts over the weekend. I had finally run out of laundry detergent, outside was washing weather and I was in desperate need of underwear. Everything was going swimmingly until I realized a funky smell on my fingers. These Wild Soapnuts sure are smelly. Not sure if its just the ones I got but lets say I had to wash my hands not once, not twice but three times to rid the funky smell. So I was worried during the wash cycle. Will my precious clothes reek? OMG I hope not.

Guess what? They didn't, actually there was no smell but maybe a clean one! Plus my mascara stained towel was no longer mascara stained. Booyah! I really need to have more faith, don't I?

What are Soapnuts?

The soapnuts I used are from the outside of a macadamia-sized berry found in the Himalayan foothills, which is then cracked open and dried in the sun, producing a dark golden shell. The shells are found to contain a high percentafe of saponins (mother nature's soap), a surfacant, which is found to remove dirt and oils from fabric when dispered in water.

Why Soapnuts?

Soapnuts are a wild harvested product in true organic form. Used for centuries in India, China and Nepal, and has been tested to be hypollergenic, antibacterial, biodegradable. It's on the supermarket shelves in Europe and it's cheaper than the chemical alternatives.

Soapnuts can actually be used as a liquid soap as well, but for the time being I'll just stick to using them to launder with first! For more info check www.wildsoapnuts.com.au

Haigh's chocolate is not just chocolate

I work a part-time job to pay the bills and so that I can truly spend MY time working towards a sustainable future. Afterall, David Suzuki did say we needed to slow down, and slow down I have, no longer am "I heading towards a brick wall at 100 miles an hour."

What makes my part-time job tolerable is my manager. She understands my motivations in sustainability and lends her support to it. Bless her as my actual work and the organization I work for is far from accepting to environmental sustainability. An organization with offices nationwide and abroad, it's quite disappointing they are without a sustainability policy. This is something I hope to change... but will leave that for another blog post.

Anyhoo, with Easter drawing near, my manager gifted a Golden Murray Cod to my team in-place of Easter Eggs. No, it wasn't literally a slimy fish but a chocolate shaped fish from luxury chocolatier Haigh's. Such a lovely gesture. You see the Murray Cod is an iconic fish. It is the largest freshwater fish in Australia, growing up to 1.8 metres long and has an estimated life span of over 100 years! But it is now in danger. Numbers are in great decline and it has been classified as a vulnerable species. So what Haigh's has done is produce a Chocolate Murray Cod made in honour of the native Murray Cod. Part proceeds from the sale of every Haigh’s Chocolate Murray Cod goes to Healthy Rivers Australia (previously known as The Waterfind Environment Fund). This not-for-profit organization works to improve the health of Australia’s river systems and support the survival of our precious native fish species.

A lovely gesture as my manager did not just give me chocolate, she gave her support to a vulnerable specie.

click the above image to find out more on
Haigh's Green scheme

Sweet Lochie

I am the second child as is Lochie, the second grandchild, the second nephew, the second everything. My point is we both are not the first. Not that he and I are bitter about it but let's face it, shall we say the novelty wears down after the first. I love nephew number 2 as do I love nephew number 1, but I am a bad aunty for it was Lochie's birthday on 13th January and it is only until now that I blog about it. The intention was always there but not so the urgency.

So what "green" gift do I give a one year old? To start him on his green path, a Baby SIGG bottle of course. With removable handles, good habits aka sustainable behaviour are instilled in this bub from get go!

Happy Birthday Sweet Lochie!

While you may have started life differently to most, you have however ended up being the most gorgeous, sweetest bub ever.

Earth Hour - some candles are bad eggs

Tonight is Earth Hour.

At 8:30pm, Earth Hour will sweep around the globe as people switch off their lights and celebrate a worldwide commitment to protect our planet

Initally, the idea behind Earth Hour was to make a bold symbolic statement about the critical issue of climate change and to engage Australians in taking action. 2007 was the first year of the campaign with approximately 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses in Sydney taking part, switching off their lights in a clear signal to government and industry that there's a demand and a need for change.

Since then, Earth Hour has rapidly gained momentum and burgeoned into a worldwide, community-driven sustainability movement.

Those switching off their lights may opt for candle light. But there is a catch. If we are doing this for the purpose of saving the environment, we need to make sure the candles we use are made from soy/natural beeswax/vegan and NOT paraffin. Paraffin candles in fact does more damage than turning on a light as paraffin candles produce a number of byproducts when they are combusted, including greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Paraffin is also a petroleum product, making it a nonrenewable resource and adding to pollution through oil spills and other issues associated with the oil extraction process.

SOY CANDLES are BEST!

Local Vs Imports: The Show Down

There's this belief that buying local is best. While I can see the arguments for buying local, ie supporting local farmers and the local economy, and less travel miles, it was only recently that I started to question this idea. You see I was at Aldi supermarket the other day where I was faced with the decision as to whether to buy a bottle of olive oil made in Australia or one made in Itay. Naturally I went for the Australian one. But looking at the carbon label and Aldi's website, if I am to choose an olive oil that is good for the environment and will reduce my carbon footprint, I have selected wrongly.

The ALDI everyday range of olive oil products has undergone a comprehensive assessment to determine the total carbon footprint, which encompasses all the life cycle stages, from raw materials and manufacturing right through to disposal or recycling of packaging.

Each olive oil product has been assessed and certified by the Carbon Trust as meeting all requirements of the Publicly Available Standard 2050 (PAS 2050). The PAS 2050 is a consultative document that specifies standard best practice for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services.

Judging from Aldi's carbon assessment chart, the olive oil from Italy has a lower overall carbon footprint of 300 as oppose to the one from Australia which has a footprint of 320

This then leads me to the question, have we been naive and too trusting to believe everything purchased "local" is best?

Buying local food does not guarantee that it is sustainably produced. Pesticides, chemical fertilizers, factory farming, hormone use, and non-therapeutic use of antibiotics can all be involved in local food production, so it's important to make sure that the local food that is bought is from farmers or gardeners using sustainable methods.

Thus it is important to know the true carbon footprint from the things we buy. Fortunately, Aldi has taken the lead by working with Planet Ark, to introduce the carbon reducation label.

Aldi maybe internationally owned, they do however strive to operate with a sustainable conscience and will always endeaviour to support local farmers who just need to offload their goods.

Lighting up Off Grid

I am indifferent when it comes to IKEA. While I'm not a fan of uniform looks, IKEA does know a thing or two about style and design. They are at the end of the day Swedish and we do like em' Swedes! I guess if you can give your room/pad a touch of your own personality without it screaming 'brought to you by IKEA' then that's fine. While I still prefer second-hand/upcycled furnishings over IKEA, there are times when IKEA is the easiest point of call. Foruntately, they do recognize they have a responsibility beyond home furnishing, which you can read here.

So, the other day whilst running an errand and I came across IKEA Sunnan Solar Powered Lamps. Not only was I sold on price $19.95 but I was also sold on knowing that for every IKEA Sunnan lamp purchased worldwide, another is donated to UNICEF and Save the Children to enable children in homes without electricity to do their homework.

It's really simple to use. Take it out of package, leave it outside for 9hrs, bring it in and use it! A 9hr charge should last you 3hrs. I have one in my bedroom and surprisingly I have not had the need to charge it everyday. Quite impressive that I think I might just get myself another for the other side of the bed and make my bedroom completely offgrid when it comes to lighting. Can be done, especially now that we're in daylight savings time!

"In June 2010, it is one year since the SUNNAN solar lamp campaign started. So far, around 500,000 lamps have been sold. The two best selling SUNNAN countries are Japan and Italy followed by Germany, Switzerland and France. In FY11, IKEA hopes to sell one million SUNNAN lamps worldwide in order to enable the same amount of lamp donations to UNICEF and Save the Children."

So come on Australia! Start lighting up with an IKEA Sunnan!

Swiss made SIGG

A few months ago I blogged about Vapur, the anti-bottle. While the concept is great but for everyday use, not so. I do like my Vapur bottle for the convenience at music festivals and the likes but it does get grotty and I'm not so keen on grot. But the SIGG on the other hand is the BOMB. It was always a desire of mine not to buy into the SIGG brand but now I realize there is a reason why so many peeps choose the SIGG. An aluminimum reusable bottle lined with BPA-free Eco-Care liner and phthalate-free ingredients, it's easy to clean, nice and light and keeps my water fresh. All that I need to quench the thirst.

With my SIGG bottle, I'm in pretty good company!

I love my nephew & he loves me

Jackson is my nephew and yesterday was his Third Birthday. Happy Birthday my luv!

It may be pretentious of me to say this but I reckon I´m his favourite aunt. Mum reckons it´s because he sees me as his playmate rather than as an adult. I guess she has a point since I am a big kid at heart after all!

Jackson loves Thomas the tank engine, I love green smart living. So we have a conflict. How can I make this little boy happy while staying true to myself? Something´s gotta give right?

Well as it would happen Thomas has a friend called Whiff who hauls freights containing recycled items to Sodor recycling plant. Luv it! Now I can teach Jack about recycling cans, paper and bottles and he gets to add another train to his Thomas collection. A win-win for all!

A good clean - 2009 Green Awards winner

When you put something out there, people are bound to respond. How one respond does however differ. Positive feedback is generally the norm but then you also get people making contributions from a shared interest.

Our communication tends to circulate amongst our already developed circles but when we branch out what we get is access to another world.

Last month I was forwarded not just once but twice the link to Environmental Toothbrush. Maybe this was a hint I needed to brush my teeth more often?? But since I have yet to meet @ody_who, I figured this couldn't be the case. Unless, @m_zero_ had mentioned something to her, he being the other culprit. Probably not, well better not! You see @m_zer_o is a dude that thinks big, actually make it HUGE. He did what I'm kind of doing with this blog. Live the "green" life but he took it to another level by setting himself the challenge of living a year carbon neutral (check it here). Pretty CRAZY. Good crazy tho not the other crazy... So not surprising he would come across stuff like the environmental toothbrush.

Why the Environmental Toothbrush is so great:

In Australia, over 30 million toothbrushes are used and disposed of by Australians each year, amounting to approximately 1000 tonnes of landfill each year. The plastic they’re made of won’t break down in our lifetime. Nor within the lifetime of our children. Imagine that on a global scale.

The Environmental Toothbrush is a simple solution. Made from bamboo, a natural cellulose fibre, they are 100% biodegradable, environmentally sustainable, and do not pollute the environment. The amazing growth and self-renewing ability of bamboo means that deforestation is not necessary either. Even our packaging is bio-degradable.

Plus it's developed by an actual dentist!

Winner of www.news.com.au 2009 Green Award

London Calling: Emma´s Birthday

Em is one of my besties, who has set up home in ol´ London town. I miss her dearly but London seems to agree with her (maybe not in the colder months, luckily for me she gets aways from the cold by coming home!).

Anyhoo, it was her birthday last week. Now being eco, we bang on about buying local. So what happens when the gift recipient is overseas? Even though the gift is small, sending something from Melbourne to London still contributes to air travel miles, right? So for the convenience as well as expanding the green chic love, I went on the search for UK ethical/environmental online stores. I did come across several but it was Love Eco that appealed to me the most. A UK based online store selling ethical and eco-friendly alternatives that are in touch with modern life and trends.

I have always luved Robert Indiana´s famous LoVE design, so when I saw it printed on a cushion at Love Eco, I knew I had found the gift for Em.

What I also like about Love Eco is they tell you the eco-ness of each item they stock.

The LoVE cushion:

• Handmade in the UK.
• Cover is made from felt that is made from recycled plastic bottles
• Inner cushion is made from recycled fibre filling covered in organic cotton muslin (both also made in the UK).

Thanks so much Becky (@loveeco) founder of Love Eco, for all your communication and help! It was such a pleasure dealing with this lovely being and she was ever so accommodating with my extra requests!

The Anti-Bottle

Although I had an unpleasant day, I still ended it with a grin on my face. For my Anti-Bottle had arrived. Vapur - stands like a bottle but can fold, roll and flatten when empty. This is great news for me! Even though I carry a pretty big bag, I prefer not to carry so much space wasting items. I already have my keepcup, notebook, tupperware containers etc... lots of stuff! So this Vapur is perfect. Bonus, it has a bike clip attached so excellent for festivals, clip it to your belt hoop or for cycling clip it to your basket!

Extra Info

• BPA free
• Easy to clean
• Vapur donates 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations

Can´t get enough of reestore

I cannot stop thinking about these guys. The vision they hold. I wish I could see objects from their lens 24/7. For now I will remain inspired from what they have chosen to share and demand more later...!

Previous occupation: Roll top bath
Current occupation: Chaise sofa
www.reestore.com

Jack´s world

From way back, ok maybe 7 years ago isnt really way back, I knew I was onto a good thing. Not only was Jack Johnson´s debut album Brushfire Fairytales a welcome sound and would go down in history as one of his best works, I was quite fortunate to observe his relaxed demeanor backstage and on set. Not only blessed with good looks, he is also a soulful being who is switched on to world issues while keeping it real.

Seven years later, Jack is still making good music and making it green. His latest album ¨To the Sea¨ not only debut at number 1 last week in Australia but also in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Switzerland. It´s not surprising this man has a mass following. He always seem to welcome us into his world with lyrics that are honest, relatable and relevant. And that´s the beauty of it. To be allowed into his world is to understand that the goodness and beauty within it needs to be preserved through sustainable practices.

To the Sea

• recorded using 100% solar energy

• album printed on 100% post consumer waste recycled paper

• packaged using FSC-certified recycled paper

Click here for more on Jack Johnson´s green actions. I particularly like their push for Universal music to develop biodegradable corn-based shrink wrap and soy-based inks.

¨Oooooooo ooooh, Are they laughing at or with me, Oooooooo ooooh, Why can’t we just say what we mean¨ - At or with me

Hello Lor-ren my ecoboo!

A couple of weeks ago my childhood friend and her hubby welcomed into the world this gorgeous little thing named Lor-ren.

How did I inflict my green ways on this young family? Buying baby organic of course! Though it would seem baby organic is quite the rage as the organic baby´s blanket I wanted to purchase was out of stock. I generally try not to buy baby clothes as gifts, so avoiding the cutesy tops and bottoms, I went for Ecoboo booties and bib. So so cute and I know for a fact from my two darling nephews, that you can never have too many bibs.

Why organic? The same reason as with adults. Organically grown cotton, which unlike conventionally grown cotton uses sustainable farming practices to produce cotton without the use of pesticides, defoliants or fertilisers.

Passing wind charges iPhone

It was my birthday a few months ago and one of the gifts I received was this HYmini. A gift that made me giddy for my cycling was to take on new meaning and I would no longer live in fear my iPhone would run out of juice.

What is HYmini? HYmini is a hybrid green portable power station, capturing wind power with a built in generator and then storing it in an internal battery. My HYmini came with a bike attachment, which is quite befitting, but it can also be attached to your car window and shoulder if you are the avid runner, which I am not.

2 birds 1 stone, luv it! I cycle to lose a few pounds, who am I kidding I cycle to achieve hotness! And I cycle to charge up my iPhone so I can twitter/facebook/email/make calls/sms/take photos... aka stay connected.

This is definitely a green badge moment. woohoo!! Though I would have prefer the white/grey/black color option. Much more chic then the green. But it was a gift and I guess I am the green chick... hmmm...

Upcycling at it's best

Now this is what I'm talking about...

Previous occupation: Areoplane wing
Current occupation: Desk
www.reestore.com

Hot hot hot!!!

I have "another" job to pay the bills. At this job I sit with my back to the window. I´m no genius but I don´t think there´s double glazing on the window as I am always cold. Oh probably sitting under the vent doesn´t help either.

I do get rather jealous when I see my colleagues frolicking around in a cardi or a tee and here I am forever rugged up in my jacket, scarf and legwarmers! I too want to be free and frolicky!! What to do what to do??

Well, I could just pop a heater underneath the desk but that wouldn´t be environmentally friendly unless the company was on 100% GreenPower, which is highly unlikely. So what do I end up doing? I get myself a Wheat Bag. You can find these guys every Sunday at the Arts Center market. They are true hippies, no websites or email, only contactable by the trusty telephone.

Wheat Bag, the natural alternative hot water bottle and heat remedy for aches, pains and tense muscles. Once it´s done its job fighting the Winter cold, you can use it as an ice pack during the Summer months by chilling it in the icebox for the desired effect!

You might not get the continuous heat flow as you would from a heater but it does get you out of your chair every hour or so, so you too can frolic around if you please!

5 hours of continuous heater use VS 5 lots of 2 minute microwave nukes. You do the math.

Cooking with Gas

Good ol´ murphy. When things seem to be going swimmingly, I am thrown a curve ball. I need to replace a freestanding stove/oven, which will set me back a tad. But it's a minor set back as by choosing an eco-friendly stove/oven it will be both sustainable and cost effective in the long run. So do eco-ovens exist?

First thing’s first, gas or electric?

The obvious choice would be electric given that the average gas oven uses 1.5 kwh whereas an electric oven uses 1.2 kwh. BUT keep reading… it’s the supply of energy to an electric oven which is of concern. About 78% of electricity consumed in Australia is generated by burning coal. This supply process requires several energy conversions and transport of the energy from its source. At each stage energy is wasted. The result is that only about 20% of the energy produced by burning coal actually reaches the oven compared to 100% gas combustion energy.

The inefficiency of converting coal to electricity means that overall, gas is a much more energy-efficient way of powering ovens. Cooking with gas reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% when compared with appliances using coal-generated electricity.

For extra efficiency, choose a fan-forced oven as it will further reduce your cooking time.

Bummer I’m not a Queenslander as if I were I could claim a $500 government rebate for installing gas appliances in an existing home. Oh well, you win some you lose some!

Note: Ideally, an electric oven that uses 100% GreenPower would be zenith but as a landlord I can’t insist on the tenant choosing GreenPower or can i?

Growing Gifts to brighten one's day

Life can be crazy crazy go go at times and when we want to say more than just thanks we never seem to have the time to do so. Luckily for me I came across Growing Gifts. A Melbourne based company founded on the notion that a thoughtful living gift will nurture the soul and remind one of cherished moments.

With a range of water wise succulents & feng shui plants to suit all budgets, I am sold on both the delivery option and their support for greening Australia by donating 5% of the sale price of their native tree gifts.

These are some of my favs;

Feng Shui Money Tree

Pink Quill

Lemon Tree