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Freezycup, The Individual Stainless Steel Popsicle Mold

July 25, 2013

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.

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

July 25, 2013

2 November 2012 — 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.

Dog Food Without Plastic

July 24, 2013

About two years ago, one of our employees who always brought her dog to work had a great idea. She decided to start bringing her dog’s food in one of our 2-tier 14 cm (5.5″) tiffins. In one of the compartments, she would put some ‘yummy’ dog food and would keep the other empty so she could fill it up with water when she came to work. It worked great! Animals are just as likely as humans to be contaminated by toxins leaching from plastic. So stainless steel is a great alternative to plastic, especially because animals won’t be able to chew on it, and because it can be completely sterilized in the dishwasher, which is not the case with plastic.

We offer one, two and three layers tiffins. With the 3-tier tiffin (as shown on the photo) you could have a layer with food, another one with biscuits and the last one would be reserved for water. These tiffins are made in Thailand of high quality 18-8 stainless steel. You can see them all here.

The Little Bald Eaglet that Got Caught in Plastic Fishing Line

July 24, 2013

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.

Freezing the Season’s Harvest in Safe, Non-Toxic, Plastic-Free Stainless Steel Containers

July 24, 2013

August 2011 — We have some great products available to those looking for a safe and plastic-free way to store the bounty from the garden.

There is our 4 litre / 1 gallon rectangular stainless steel airtight container which can accommodate a large batch of frozen tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and so on. We love this container. We use it a lot to bring large batches of food to a potluck or family dinner. We also use it to conserve our bread as it sits nicely on our countertop and it has the perfect shape. Available for $62.95.

Now, we also have a set of 4 large stainless steel airtight food containers. Four convenient sizes are included: 18 cm / 7 1/16″ diameter 1.75 L / 59 oz. capacity; 20 cm / 7 7/8″ diameter, 2 L / 68 oz. capacity; 23 cm / 9″ diameter 4 L / 135 oz. capacity; 26 cm / 10 1/4″ diameter, 6 L / 203 oz. capacity. The four containers nest into one another completely (with the lids on) thus optimizing storage space. Available for $99.95 (for all four).

Some Titanium Dioxide with your Milk?

July 24, 2013

For those of you who didn’t know that many “unknown” chemicals are added to plastic used in food packaging, you had better read this news from Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI):http://www.bevnet.com/news/2010/11-2-2010-PET-Dairy. PTI is announcing the use of a new technology (oPTI^TM) to manufacture plastic bottles for storing light sensitive dairy products such as milk and drinkable yogurts. This technology allows the company to use fewer additives in the manufacturing process “which can limit package recycling”. The company’s Vice-President states in the press release that “[d]airy applications (…) are sensitive to UV rays which decrease shelf life. To solve the problem, additives such as titanium dioxide [TiO₂] are frequently added to high density polyethylene or traditional PET containers to achieve shelf-life objectives. In addition to impacting the recycling stream, these additives are expensive (…).” The company also indicates that it can use many different colors to its bottles using this technology, but that “these cannot be recycled as part of the clear PET stream.”

Microwaving Without Plastic

July 24, 2013

26 January 2011 — I have already discussed my reservations about microwave ovens and their links with cancer (see myolder post: Stainless Steel in Toaster Oven Prevents Aluminum Garnish on Burrito). However, many people find them extremely useful and they are a common feature at schools and office cafeterias. Fortunately, we have discovered a fantastic new line of products which allow you to re-heat your food in a microwave without worrying about plastic touching your food. These are borosilicate glass food containers that are heat and cold resistant. They can be used to warm up food in the oven, toaster oven, microwave oven and they can also store food in the freezer. They come with an 18-8 food grade stainless steel lid featuring an ingenious silicone seal system that allows you to create an airtight seal by pressing a button. To release the seal, the button just needs to be pulled up.

The Perfect Tray for Last Minute Breakfast in the Car

July 24, 2013

If you are like me, you probably rush to the last minute in the morning in order to get your child’s lunch ready on time while making sure he gets dressed, eats his breakfast and brushes his teeth. Unfortunately, sometimes I am just not efficient enough to get all these tasks done on time, so we have to leave quickly and bring our son’s breakfast in the car. We just found these really practical little food trays, just perfect for breakfast in the car. Mind you, they are also great for the picky kid who doesn’t like it when various parts of his meal mingle together. The tray is made in Korea of high quality stainless steel 18/8. It is of course BPA-free, phthalate-free, lead-free and it is dishwasher-safe.

How clean is your bin?

July 24, 2013

September 2011 — 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 andThe 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.”