Share this microbead plastic pollution Infographic created by the The 5 Gyres Institute and help spread the word about an enormous problem threatening the worlds aquatic environments.
Read more about how you can help Ban the Bead…
Plastic in the Oceans
Plastic is being found in marine environments all over the world.
It is breaking down into microscopic particles, being eaten by aquatic wildlife (who then sink and die), attaching to other objects, and washing ashore.
(Photo credit: 5Gyres.org)
Microbeads being banned all over
The past few weeks have been busy and exciting on the plastic microbead front!
Microbeads are the ludicrous little plastic particles used as scrubbing agents in a variety of personal care products ranging from body scrubs to toothpaste. They are washed down the drain and end up in waterways where they absorb toxins and are ingested by fish.
Why the food revolution and living without plastic go hand in hand..
Do you know what’s in your food? I mean what’s really in it? Are you aware of every single ingredient, where it came from, how it was made, how it will affect your health – as opposed to what the flashy label on the package may proclaim?
Here’s another question: Do you know what’s in the plastic holding your food?
Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals
11 March 2011 — What we have long suspected – and one of the key reasons we began this company as a precautionary measure – is beginning to be confirmed. Most plastics leach hormone-mimicking chemicals. A study released online by the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives on 2 March 2011 is entitled just that: Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals.
The study authors assessed over 450 plastic products from stores like WalMart and Whole Foods to determine whether commercially available plastic resins and products, including baby bottles and other products advertised as bisphenol A-free, release chemicals that mimic the hormone estrogen. The results are stunning: Almost all commercially available plastic products sampled, independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source, leached chemicals having reliably-detectable estrogenic activity, including those advertised as BPA-free — and in some cases, BPA-free products released chemicals having even more hormone activity than BPA-containing products!
Happy Earth Day! Do you have a toxic love for plastic?
22 April 2011 — As we often say, we consider every day Earth Day. But it’s a powerful thing to have one day of the year when Mother Earth is celebrated more intensely and by so many worldwide simultaneously.
On this Earth Day, we have chosen to highlight an important new book released this week – Plastic: A Toxic Love Story – that focuses on our societal relationship with plastic, and some of the fundamental ways this complex, colorful, and, yes, often toxic substance has impacted the world and each person in it. Seasoned journalist Susan Freinkel shares reflections on her personal relationship with plastic by guiding the reader through the history and life cycles of a cast of characters we can likely all relate to in some way: a comb, chair, Frisbee, medical IV bag, disposable lighter, grocery bag, soda bottle, and credit card. Engagingly written and scrupulously researched, the book is sure to open many eyes, and elicit many exclamations of, ‘Wow, I had no idea!’
Plastic kills. Just ask the cows…
We’re just back from India where Co-Owner Jay has three aunts and many cousins. It was a spicy, soothing and spiritual time visiting family in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. We also had excellent meetings with some of our suppliers. You can read more about our trip in our recent blogpost: India Rising…Above Plastic.
One thing that may astonish any new visitor to India is the sight of free-roaming cows. They go where they please. The holy cow, described by Mahatma Gandhi and others as the Mother of India, is considered sacred and protected from slaughter in most Indian states. But there is much more to wandering cows than their holy stature.
The Little Bald Eaglet that Got Caught in Plastic Fishing Line
I have always admired the majesty of bald eagles. So when I discovered the Hancock Wildlife Foundation and its live webcams installed near bald eagle nests, I was thrilled. I opened a small window on my computer screen and I could admire the eaglets progressively transforming into magnificent birds. I must admit that the life of a baby bald eagle is pretty boring at times, but the parts when a parent comes back to the nest with some food for the eaglets is quite fascinating.
Two weeks ago, however, disaster struck and it was all because of discarded plastic… One of the three eaglets of the Victoria/Sydney nest got caught in some fishing line that must have been used to build the nest. The poor thing was not able to move and therefore could not meet its parents to get fed when they would bring food to the nest. Many of the thousands of people watching got really upset and started raising money to fund a rescue operation. Fortunately, within days of the incident, a crane was commissioned and Mr. Hancock, the operator of the webcams, was able to free the poor eaglet from the fishing line. As of today, it is still alive and seems to be doing quite well. Go take a look.
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:
Mint leaf removal duty
20 November 2010 — This post may not initially appear to have anything to do with plastic. Just wait. Read on to the end.
I love mint tea. It’s a primal sort of thing. There is something about the smell of fresh whole peppermint that puts me in another state of being – it’s such an ethereal, magical fragrance. For me it’s tinged with comfy homey memories of Mom, cozy warmth, an Olbas oil neck massage, summer, deep velvety green, hot mint tea by the fire on a snowy winter day.
Right now I’m on peppermint leaf removal duty. This is not an arduous task. It is a supreme pleasure. My fingers are perfumed by the leaves. We share a garden with our neighbour Peter, and this mint comes from there. He’s a master gardener and master accordian player. Tons of talent, that guy; I learn a lot from him. I harvested it a few weeks ago and it has been drying on our basement radiant floor ever since. So tonight I decided to take all the dry leaves off the stems to prepare my winter stock of peppermint for tea. It’s slow going because there is a lot. I drink a lot of mint tea. When I’m done I’ll have a couple of large jars full of delectable mint leaves, just yearning to impart their magic through a boiling water bath for a few minutes. Then into my body to shimmer my soul.