#Reusable Timber Packaging Systems | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

enviroblog-spring21 · 4 years ago

Text

The Socio-Environmental Economy (Class 8)

Our current era is defined by people and their governments being forced to grapple with three centuries of industrial capitalism. Environmental economics, the topic of this week’s class, seeks to understand the fundamental link between our economic system and the environment; one simply cannot exist without the other, yet capitalist economic order acts entirely separate from the environment it derives the value it claims to create. I believe that industrial capitalism causes humanity to perceive itself as separate from the environment, paradoxically humanity’s actions within the environment have never been so profound. As the consequences of industrial capitalism crescendo in the twenty-first century, it is vital to speak its language (economics) in order for political economy to come to grips with the environmental devastation that could cause its downfall.

Consumer or Citizen? asks us the question: are we citizens of Earth or consumers of it? I believe the problem with our economic relationships with the environment is that we almost exclusively act the latter, rather than the former. If we are going to continue to be consumers under the industrial-capitalist regime we are under for much longer, there must be a collective reasoning that in deriving wealth and value from natural capital and ecosystem services we must also responsibly steward the environment from which we derive such value.

The cornerstone literature of Fordham’s Environmental Studies program, Living in the Environment, provides insight into the inseparable link between the environment and economies.

The book defines natural capital as “natural resources and ecosystem services that keep humans and other species alive and that support human economies.” While it is easy to fathom the direct ways in which natural capital is derived: timber from forests, drinking water from reservoirs, and even real estate value from pristine parks, there are many ways in which we derive natural capital indirectly.

Many of us will never dive into the open ocean and see a coral reef up close, but as exemplified in The Value of the World’s Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital, many of us reap the abundance of natural capital its ecosystem makes possible. Coral reefs provide habitats and resources for a diverse population of aquatic life, providing for abundant fisheries that supply supermarkets, restaurants, and fish markets all over the world with seafood. More urgently, humanity’s failure to save these keystone ecosystems from acidification has ramifications not only for the local tourism industry, but also for the entire world’s food supply, and that of the remaining aquatic ecosystem.

For an example more close to home: Rhode Island derives immense economic value from the natural capital and ecosystem services provided to it by the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay which both support major pillars of the state’s economy. Fishing is an obvious one, as the New England states are famous for their seafood. Less obvious are the “unmarketed recreational activities,” [to which people flock to Rhode Island’s coast for: from sandy beaches to rocky shorelines people from all over the world come to Rhode Island in order to unwind and appreciate its natural beauty, simultaneously they also support the state’s economy, even if it is simply through inevitable tolls and beach admittance fees that help keep our natural landscapes clean and lower pollution levels.

As the climate crisis slowly reaches a crescendo in the Global North, many businesses big and small are switching to different variations of sustainable business models, whether it is GM committing to producing electric vehicles exclusively by 2035, or small coffee shops locally sourcing their food. The Wikipedia article on sustainable business provides a comprehensive glimpse into how the private sector can (and should) forge real change towards a sustainable future by reflecting environmental values in business policy.

I have experiences with a couple of different case studies in sustainable business. I worked at a local cafe in my community called the Nitro Bar which heavily emphasizes environmental values in its business practices. The cafe sources the lion's share of its foodstuffs from local farms, bakeries, and even other cafes in Rhode Island, the only thing it does not locally source are the coffee beans used to make their nitro cold brew, but that would be impossible since coffee cannot grow in Rhode Island. The Nitro Bar also packages some of their food products in reusable containers that customers can bring back to the store and use for other purchases, in addition to composting all of its food waste and shipping it to local farms for use.

Another case study (which also has to do with food) is Fordham’s Climate Impact Initiative Team calling for the university’s full divestment from its food supplier: Aramark. Although Fordham is not a business, for all practical purposes it operates as one in its pursuit of cutting costs wherever possible. Aramark provides cheap food to many large institutions, but the corporation faces controversy from every angle for its business practices, including its environmental policies that support industrial agriculture and produce mammoth amounts of waste.

In conclusion, I believe that industrial capitalism brings us to the current environmental juncture in which we find ourselves. I believe that it does not need to fall due to its coming environmental reckoning, however, to stand it must conduct a reckoning of its own that accounts for two things in particular. First, industrial capitalism needs to depart from the belief that the wealth it creates is due to capital itself. There would be no capital to spend, nothing to buy, and nothing to sell without the bounty of nature that it destroys in its name. I believe that if industrial capitalism clearly recognizes its reliance on natural capital and ecosystem services, and that without them much of its wealth would be lost, the second thing becomes inevitable: sustainable business. We are seeing paradigm shifts in businesses large and small already as the magnitude of the climate crisis becomes more and more pronounced. Today consumers value environmental responsibility in the business they patronize and their own consumer habits. Thrift stores and textile recycling is all the rage now, locally sourced food is more and more common in supermarkets and main streets across the United States, and our biggest auto manufacturer, General Motors, is committed to the exclusive manufacturing of electric vehicles by 2035. I believe that we are only seeing the first initial steps in our transition to a greener more environmentally friendly economy, and it comes as a result of a collective recognition that much must be done in our economic relationship with the environment in order to remedy the climate crisis.

Question: Will the transition to a green economy as it is going today be quick enough to effectively mediate the climate crisis?

WC: 1,034

0 notes

myexpertblogaboutmakeupremovercl · 4 years ago

Text

The Advantages Of Using Organic Cotton Pads

Our range of bamboo makeup remover pads can help in reducing your waste outcome. Generally, one multiple-use pad is the equivalent to using up to 300 non reusable cotton pads.

We make our products to have the least ecological impact to advertise ethical intake, this occasionally indicates a cautious harmonizing act in between various products as well as sources. In order to make best use of reusability as well as washability, our multiple-use pads are made from 70% Bamboo and 30% Cotton. The packaging box it can be found in is made from 100% recyclable cardboard.

So what are the advantages of using recyclable cotton pads?

You can conserve cash

Our multiple-use cotton pads can quickly assist you conserve cash in the future. If you were to acquire a pack loaded with 50 cotton pads for ₤ 3 - ₤ 4, the amount of packs would you purchase in a year? Allow's say 7 for arguments sake. That would certainly equate to 350 cotton pads for 365 days in the year. That would certainly cost you ₤ 28 a year. Alternatively you can invest ₤ 11 on a pack of 10 multiple-use cotton pads which will quickly last you a year. (As long as they are cleaned correctly. (Review exactly how to maximise the long life of your multiple-use cotton pads below). That's ₤ 17.00 in your purse, not counting the hundreds of cotton pads that will not end up in the landfill.

You produce way less waste behind you

According to research by Mintel, 47% of comprise wearers consistently use single-use face wipes as well as cotton pads; with most of single-use cotton pads being non-biodegradable and also virtually indestructible. Most of single-use compose remover pads are comprised of a considerable quantity of plastic, which can take centuries to break down. It goes without claiming, replacing solitary use cotton pads with recyclable cotton pads can help reduce the variety of cotton pads winding up in land fills.

Green cotton pads is better for your skin

According to makeup artist and elegance specialists, making use of recyclable makeup pads can be incredibly advantageous for your skin. Using a multiple-use cleaning towel or comprise elimination pads to get rid of make up as well as cleanse the skin guarantees extensive cleaning. A recyclable fabric can be utilized numerous times as well as rinsed; it's less abrasive on the skin, and by using tepid water, it's less most likely to create inflammation.

Do multiple-use pads really make an environmental distinction?

Simply put, yes-- but the degree to which they're greener than traditional pads and tampons is difficult to measure. Here's the important things: The Epa doesn't publicly share details on the precise effect that disposable menstruation items have on the setting. That said, we know sufficient to believe that, whatever the effect might be exactly, it isn't great.

Susan E. Powers, Ph.D., the Spence Teacher of Sustainable Environmental Systems and also the supervisor of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment at Clarkson University, tells SELF that, according to study she published last year in Resources, Conservation, as well as Recycling, a single person who menstruates utilizes anywhere from 108 to 504 menstrual products in a year. Working with approximately 240 products annually as well as a representative weight of 10 grams per product, she then approximated that a person person that menstruates will certainly utilize concerning 2.4 kgs (or around 5.5 extra pounds) of menstruation products in a year. Powers explains, "That would actually range from one to five kilograms of sanitary items," and also also then, these numbers just account for completely dry, unused tampons as well as pads plus their product packaging, with absolutely nothing to say of how much liquid (as well as consequently extra weight) they might soak up after use.

An extra 5 extra pounds of waste yearly could not seem like a lot, however based on information from the Globe Wellness Organization, we can approximate that a person's main reproductive years are in between the ages of 15 and also 49. This indicates that most people obtain their duration for about 34 years, provide or take some years for points like pregnancy, not getting your period while using a hormone IUD, and so on. That has to do with 187 additional pounds of waste throughout one's life time-- just from period products. While some brands do market disposable pads as well https://theuniqueblogaboutclearasilpads3666.mozello.com/blog/params/post/2613216/bamboo-make-up-remover-pads-are-saving-my-acne-prone-skin-and-also-aiding-t as tampons as naturally degradable, this term can be a bit deceptive. Usually biodegradability is based upon whether or not a product will decompose in a natural environment (like being immersed in water), yet a lot of land fills aren't precisely "natural surroundings," so snagging naturally degradable products could not be as environmentally impactful as you 'd expect.

But it isn't just whatever we end up throwing away that makes single-use pads less than environmentally friendly. We also need to consider the sources as well as energy needed to create them in the first place, Powers claims. "Solid waste is frequently what we think about since that's what we see, yet there's all this various other things," she claims, noting the chemical emissions launched when preparing wood-pulp products that enter into pads (as well as the environmental impact of harvesting the timber). Simply put, a non reusable pad already has an environmental impact prior to it even gets to the store, Powers states. By comparison, a multiple-use pad will generate some quantity of waste throughout its life expectancy simply because of the fact that it's washable, which requires you to use even more water and also detergent (a pollutant) than you would certainly with a non reusable pad, however its overall footprint will still be a lot smaller sized, Powers explains. And also, if you're dropping the pads in with the rest of your washing, it's probably not including much to your general footprint.

So the short answer is yes, changing to reusable pads would possibly minimize the stress that any type of single-use pads you would or else make use of could put on the environment. But Powers explains that you don't need to quit disposable pads cold-turkey to make a distinction. Pads that are unbleached or packaged in more cardboard and also much less plastic are somewhat far better options because they create smaller sized footprints, she states, including that making these sort of modifications to your period regimen is an "intermediate step that could minimize people's effect" on the environment. "It's a bigger barrier to say, 'I'm mosting likely to utilize a multiple-use product,' than it is to state, 'I'm mosting likely to lessen the product packaging,'" she says. "Much better to obtain people to take even the tiny steps to move away from our present technique." That said, if you're ready to cross that obstacle, we have some recommendations for you.

Reusable Cotton Pads - Why as well as Just how to utilize them

As we are seeking to minimize our ecological footprint, much of us are opting for multiple-use choices in our life. From shopping bags to straws, there are now readily available many no waste choices to single-use products. Among them is recyclable makeup pads, which help reducing the ecological effect of using makeup and using toner. Below we describe why they are such a good selection.

Why Should You Make The Button?

Usually, each woman uses 3 cotton pads daily which totals up to around 1.000 per year. Plus the plastic packaging, which is typically not recycled as well as ends up polluting our earth in a garbage dump. It is a great deal of waste, right? Even if 100% cotton, single-use cotton pads can be composted just if they have not been in contact with chemicals such as makeup, nail polish remover or disinfectants. In addition to that, cotton pads are typically mixed with artificial products, such as polyester, which can not be reused. Cotton is a natural product, however it is additionally among one of the most environmentally demanding crops: each kilogram of cotton calls for 20,000 liters of water to be created; over fifty percent of the world's cotton production occurs in locations with high or extreme water tension; the cotton market eats a lot of chemicals, 6% of the globe's chemicals as well as 16% of pesticides. It additionally exposes both cotton growers and also consumers to toxic carcinogenic chemicals that are utilized during production. Besides the environmental footprint, cotton farming and also manufacturing are additionally frequently connected with several violations of moral manufacturing criteria such as forced and youngster work. Select reusable over non reusable to help in reducing your ecological effect one action at a time.

How To Use Your Reusable Makeup Pads

The switch to recyclable makeup pads is really easy as well as it represents a great solution for any lasting lifestyle. They're utilized much like single-use makeup pads however washed after each usage. Apply your makeup remover on the pad as well as utilize it to clean away any type of makeup. You can additionally use them to apply your toner, with nail polish remover when needed, or in lots of other means you would certainly utilize single-use makeup pads. After that, you can merely hand laundry or toss them in the cleaning machine, air dry as well as reuse. Relying on the degree of treatment, multiple-use makeup pads will certainly last you years. This significantly decreases your environmental impact and also assists you live an extra environment-friendly way of life.

youtube

0 notes

svsmpackaging · 2 months ago

Text

Top 5 Benefits of Using EPAL Pallets for Your Business

In today's competitive logistics and supply chain industry, using the right pallet can significantly impact your operations' safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Among the many options available, EPAL pallets stand out as a trusted choice for businesses across the globe. Certified by the European Pallet Association, EPAL pallets are known for their durability, quality assurance, and compliance with international standards.

If you're looking to streamline your logistics or boost the credibility of your exports, here are the top 5 benefits of using EPAL pallets for your business — and how SVSM Packaging, a reliable supplier of quality packaging solutions in India, can help.

1. International Standard Compliance

EPAL pallets are manufactured according to strict European guidelines, ensuring uniformity in size, strength, and quality. This consistency makes them ideal for businesses involved in cross-border trade, especially with European partners. Their standardized dimensions make them compatible with most handling equipment and storage systems, reducing logistical hiccups.

SVSM Packaging offers EPAL pallets that are fully compliant with these international standards, helping your business easily meet global trade requirements.

2. Durability and Strength

One of the standout features of EPAL pallets is their incredible durability. Built from high-quality timber and designed to bear heavy loads, they can withstand rough handling and repeated use without compromising on safety, making them a cost-effective solution over time.

By sourcing EPAL pallets from SVSM Packaging, businesses can be confident in the strength and longevity of their shipping materials — ensuring smooth operations from warehouse to delivery.

3. Enhanced Safety and Hygiene

EPAL pallets are often heat-treated and conform to ISPM-15 regulations, which help eliminate pests and pathogens. This makes them an excellent choice for pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and food & beverage industries, where hygiene is non-negotiable.

SVSM Packaging ensures that each EPAL pallet undergoes proper treatment and quality checks, providing your business with safe, clean, and reliable transport platforms.

4. Eco-Friendly and Sustainable

Sustainability is no longer optional — it's a necessity. EPAL pallets are reusable, repairable, and recyclable, making them an environmentally responsible choice. Their robust construction allows multiple trips before retirement, reducing the need for frequent replacements.

Partnering with SVSM Packaging gives your business access to eco-friendly pallet options, helping you contribute to a greener supply chain and align with sustainability goals.

5. Cost Efficiency Over Time

While EPAL pallets may have a higher upfront cost than non-standard pallets, their longevity and reusability offer great ROI. Reduced product damage, improved handling efficiency, and fewer replacements mean lower operational costs in the long run.

With SVSM Packaging as your packaging partner, you get not only top-grade EPAL pallets but also expert support in choosing the right pallet solution tailored to your business needs.

Conclusion

Choosing EPAL pallets is smart for any business focused on quality, safety, and long-term savings. With their globally accepted standards, environmental benefits, and unmatched durability, EPAL pallets are valuable in your logistics strategy.

Looking for a trusted supplier? SVSM Packaging offers high-quality EPAL pallets in India, and they are backed by exceptional customer service and technical support. Enhance your logistics game today with the best in pallet technology.

#pallets

0 notes

catsarticles · 5 years ago

Text

Why I’m doing something about plastic - and you should too

Plastic is a big problem for the environment. It pollutes our water systems, kills animals, disrupts ecosystems, and leads to public health disasters due to waste mismanagement in countries to which landfill is shipped for processing. Plastic breaks into smaller and smaller pieces (‘microplastics’) and then enters our body through the food system, with little understood effects on our bodies. Petrochemicals derived from fossil fuel production are used to make almost all plastics, the same fuels driving dangerous climate change. Plastic is also an accelerating problem. In the past decade humans have produced more disposable plastic than in the entire 20th century.

We have all seen the images, birds feeding their chicks plastics, trash in a dead whale’s stomach, or the excruciating video of a biologist trying to extract a plastic straw from a sea turtle’s nose. An intact plastic bag was found at the bottom of Mariana Trench (Source). Microplastics that have shed from our clothes (nylon and polyester shed in the wash) have been found in the snow in Antarctica (Source). A recent study has highlighted the microplastic contamination in the River Thames, estimating that 94,000 microplastics per second flow down the river in places (Source). Modelling has predicted that there will be more plastics than fish in the ocean by weight by 2050 (Source). The impact on humans is perhaps less well understood. Plastic enters the food chain via trophic interactions (animals feeding on one another) or into drinking water through wastewater effluent. The WHO has found microplastics to be frequently present in fresh and drinking water (Source). Poor waste management, including of importation of the ‘world’s landfill’ leads to mountains of waste blocking rivers and polluting cities in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and China. The effects of plastic waste mismanagement have been linked to respiratory distress, cancer, hormone disruption, and food chain contamination with high levels of hazardous chemicals has been demonstrated in local produce in Indonesia (Source). Single use plastic is therefore a life and death problem for animals and humans alike.

Plastic is a polluter. In 2019 alone, the production and incineration of plastic was forecast to add more than 850 million tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, equal to the emissions from 189 five-hundred megawatt coal power plants. As plastic decomposes in landfill it releases CO2, as does burning plastics in incinerators (including a number of other toxins released into the air). If the production, disposal and incineration of plastic continue on their present growth trajectory, by 2050, the global emissions from plastic could emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2 per year, releasing as much emissions as 615 five-hundred-megawatt coal plants. If growth in plastic production and incineration continue as predicted, cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will be over 56 gigatons CO2e, or between 10-13 percent of the total remaining carbon budget (Source).

Of course, plastic will continue to play a vital role in healthcare, industry and production of essential every day consumer products. But we can, and we must, phase out the throwaway stuff. We can do this as individuals by exercising our powers as “conscious consumers” through our buying and our influencing powers.

Reduce, re-use … recycle?

There is no doubt about it, it is preferable to recycle materials that can be over other means of waste disposal. But it’s not a complete solution. Although estimates of how much plastic waste is recycled vary, a 2015 study estimated that of all of the plastic waste ever generated, approximately 9% has been recycled, 12% has been incinerated, and 79% has accumulated in landfills or the natural environment (Source). In addition, not all recycling is considered equal. ‘Upcycling’ is when something is recycled into another product of equal or greater value than the original product. Most plastic recycling is ‘downcycling’ as the recycled plastic products are of lower value than the original product and can only be used in limited applications (for example, plastic ‘timber’). Because of this degrading effect, plastic may only be recycled once before ending up in the environment. Not only that, but when shipped to other countries, such as Indonesia, recycling can end up being sorted by hand, mostly by marginalised communities who face incredibly poor working conditions and pay (see more).

Plastic is extremely durable, hence its popularity. But this means that, in terms of waste management, this is a material that is not meant to be managed. Our actions as consumers must certainly start, but shouldn’t finish, with recycling. Ultimately it is better to reduce overall use of disposable plastic products in the first place.

The pervasiveness of plastic

To understand the pervasiveness of plastic, make a list of products around the house that contain plastic that you use on a daily basis. I tried to do this and gave up at breakfast (teabags release microparticles of plastics into tea). Of course there will always be certain levels of plastic in the world. It’s cheap, durable, and essential for some (e.g. medical) products. But it is undeniable that we are surrounded by ubiquitous, and more often than not superfluous, plastic packaging. We are also throwaway consumers, who place no value on reusing and repairing common household items, due to their low cost and replaceability. Research from DEFRA found that waste from households in England amounted to 22.8 million tonnes in 2016. This is equivalent to 1.1kg per person, per day (Source).

Why me?

The impacts of my individual action are surely a drop (or a microplastic particle) in the ocean of plastic waste? Plastic free alternatives are usually more expensive, and almost always less convenient. The places that are available to me as a consumer don’t align with my plastic free consumer desires, but what choice do I have? I put this dilemma to Will McCallum, ‘Head of Oceans’ at Greenpeace at a recent Zoom lecture I attended. He told me that although, yes, I was a drop in the ocean, my individual actions were still worth it. The piece of plastic in my hand could end in a sea creature’s stomach. In addition, I have a voice and consumer power to amplify these issues. He suggested making a ‘crime file’ of the worst offenders, and taking to social media to pressure companies. This has been proven to work: previous Greenpeace ‘worst offender’ Sainsbury’s pledged to cut their plastic usage by 50% by 2025 following coordinated campaigning. By joining forces with other people and campaigning together, I as an individual actually can make a difference.

The rest of this article focuses on the ways we can try to make a difference as a “conscious consumer.”

A caveat

When advocating individual action it’s important to remember why single-use plastic is popular in the first place. It’s convenient. It’s cheap. Its durability keeps food fresh and sterile. Alternatives can be expensive, and often have to be purchased from specialist stores often with additional transport or delivery charges. In supermarkets the consumer is actually penalised for helping the environment by higher prices for loose and plastic free produce (Source). No one should denigrate the parent who chooses to put their children in disposable nappies, or suggest that the only way to eat is from whole foods bought plastic free in bulk when nutrition, cost, and, yes, convenience necessitates otherwise.

A passage from a book I recently read, Natural by Dr Alan Levinovitz, set out the moral trap into which the conscious consumer should avoid falling:

“This is ‘consecrated consumption’ into which the ritual of shopping becomes a kind of spiritualised retail therapy dedicated to nature… At Whole Foods, every purchase, even if it’s unnecessary, is nevertheless a good one.

To the contrary: high socioeconomic status makes one’s ecological footprint far greater – larger homes to air-condition, longer flights for vacations – and the effects of being “green” are minimal. Rich people emit more carbon even when they recycle and buy canvas tote bags full of organic veggies. The truth is obscured when rich people are the ones with time and resources to spend on living naturally. “People think environmentalists are the ones driving electric vehicles, but forget about the twenty people riding the bus” remarked California’s attorney general Xavier Becerra in 2018.”

Some recommendations

With that caveat that we must take a rounded view of our personal environmental impact, some plastic free swaps are truly easy, and enjoyable There are other benefits to shopping at smaller, environmentally conscious companies too. Ethical concerns often pervade the whole product cycle of such businesses, beyond packaging and extend to ethical sourcing of ingredients and not testing on animals. Often buying these products directly supports local, independent businesses and livelihoods.

The following are some examples of products that I have switched to over the last 12 months, all of which I would recommend:

Let’s start with the basics. A Keep Cup (I like the brand Frank Green), and a reusable water bottle. I use glass Tupperware to store my food, and carr(ied) a spork for takeaway lunches to avoid single use cutlery.

Halo coffee pods. I’m obsessed with coffee, but Nespresso pods have been described as an “environmental disaster” due to production intensive raw materials in each pod and low levels of recycling. Halo capsules (Nespresso compatible) are made from waste sugar cane, a by-product of the sugar cane industry, and can degrade in as little as 28 days in a home compost. Even more impressible, all of the packaging associated with Halo capsules is also home composable and break down into organic components. They’re also delicious – I recommend the Ristretto blend.

Splosh household products. Splosh products are delivered as concentrates in pouches meant to refill bottles you can order from Splosh, or use your own. Splosh claim that the combined effect of concentration and using pouches reduces plastic by over 90%, and the extra 10% to hit the zero waste mark is achieved by Splosh receiving your empty refill pouches back to be reprocessed. As for my review: they smell good, they work well, and the products are very good value.

Who Gives A Crap toilet paper. This company sells 3-ply 100% recycled toilet paper. Best of all, they donate 50% of profits to charity partners who build toilets and provide proper sanitation to local communities. The TP is great quality, and great value when bought in bulk.

Shampoo and conditioner bars, from Lush or Ethique. Ethique claim that they have saved around 6.5 million of typical 350ml shampoo bottles from entering landfill so far. My paper Ethique packaging told me that I alone had saved 3 of these plastic bottles by switching to a shampoo bar. They last ages, and work beautifully on my hair. I keep them in a soap dish in the shower, and believe that this is one of the easiest swaps that you can make.

Soap. When did we all stop using soap and use ridiculous tiny plastic bottles of brightly coloured gel to clean ourselves? Ditch this unnecessary plastic, do as your mum told you, and clean yourself with soap and water.

Reusable makeup wipes. Makeup wipes are notorious for clogging up sewers. There are many options of reusable makeup wipes to choose from, the best being those which require only water to effectively cleanse your face. I just wash them along with my regular laundry.

Beeswax sandwich wrappers. Use as a direct replacement for single use cling film and tin foil. They are reusable, and made from all-natural materials that are eventually biodegradable.

Bin bags. This one’s a little more equivocal. There’s evidence that biodegradable and compostable material does no better in landfill than incompostable plastic (Source). However, my chosen bin bags are made from renewable and sustainable raw plant materials instead of petroleum, meaning they have a lower carbon footprint overall than alternatives, and are non-toxic meaning they won’t leach chemicals into soil or water systems.

Fruit and veg. I always try to avoid the items packaged in plastic. By using reusable produce bags you can easily buy less obvious loose items like tomatoes and soft fruit.

Bulk buying. Although I haven’t yet made the switch to zero waste stores, I try to buy in larger quantities e.g. buying the largest container of pasta (or biscuits) on offer, meaning that less packaging is used for the same amount of product.

The following are plastic free changes I hope to introduce into my household in the next 12 months:

Zero waste stores. Stocking more than lentils and brown rice, these stores now contain a plethora of fresh and dried produce priced by weight. Waitrose is currently carrying out a trial to introduce zero waste shopping into larger stores, hopefully indicating this type of shopping may become more accessible in the future.

Sanitary products. As a person who menstruates, I’m aware of the pervasiveness of plastic in disposal menstrual products, and was horrified to hear that conventional tampons and pads are the fifth most common item found on Europe’s beaches. There are an ever increasing number of alternatives to the products that I grew up with available to consumers now.

Toothpaste tablets. A totally plastic free alternative to replace non-recyclable toothpaste tubes.

DIY deodorant. Sustainable, plastic free, and added confident that you aren’t applying anything unknown to your skin.

Clothing. Some companies, such as Patagonia, are industry leaders in creating clothes from recycled material. Nevertheless, items such as polyester fleeces still shed microplastics into the water supply upon washing, making this problem seem intractable. Nevertheless, by ditching fast fashion and buying second-hand rather than new, I’m still breaking the consumption/waste cycle and getting more use out of durable plastics in clothing.

Using consumer power to change the industry

In research conducted before the pandemic, PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey 2020 showed that customers had become more interested in caring for the planet, and recommended that companies will need to innovate to meet the expectations and retain the loyalty of these customers. Forty three percent of the global respondents expressed that they expected businesses to be accountable for their environmental impact.

In my view, it is preferable that, rather than putting all of the onus on the consumer to make difficult choices finding more obscure items, retailers should take the responsibility (thereby putting pressure on the manufacturers and further up the supply chain).

I’ve mentioned the changes made by Sainsbury’s as a result of Greenpeace campaigning, but there are a number of other instances of major companies making changes in the UK following consumer pressure. In terms of UK supermarkets, (amongst others) Morrisons has committed to make all of its own brand plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable, and to reduce own brand primary plastic by 50%. Lidl have removed all black plastic (which can’t be recycled) from fruit and veg packaging. Asda’s fashion counterpart Asda George has committed to selling products made from recycled plastic bottles and clothing, as part of the chain’s commitment to using polyester sourced from recycled materials by 2025

Lifestyle brands are realising that the long term future of a brand relies on its corporate image being sustainable, as a new generation of consumers cite environmental concerns as a priority. In 2018 Proctor & Gamble released sustainability goals called ‘Ambition 2030’ and state that they are “working to make social and environmental responsibility an integral component of every brand in our portfolio.” The group aim for100% of recyclable or reusable packaging, and “a meaningful increase” in responsibly-sourced bio-based, recycled, or more resource efficient materials. Unilever celebrates operating with 100% renewable grid electricity in its manufacturing operations worldwide, and zero waste to landfill across all of its factories. The group aim to make plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 and to use at least 25% recycled plastic in packaging by then. The United Nations awarded the company’s CEO its Champion of the Earth Award in 2015 for “demonstrating the need for long-term corporate thinking that accounts for social and environmental concerns.” Unilever’s chief research and development officer, Richard Slater, highlighted companies’ lead role in mainstreaming sustainability when he said in an interview on NPR, “The onus is on us as consumer companies to innovate and come up with solutions that are great for people…[and]…convenient at the right price.”

Although positive steps are being taken, there is still so far to go in terms of companies taking responsibility for the lifecycle of their products. Consumers must be critical and demand real action, and not settle for companies making (intentionally or unintentionally) false claims regarding the environmental friendliness of their products, a process known as “greenwashing.” Organisations renowned for their environmental purpose-driven marketing are still huge contributors to the sustainability crisis. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Mondelēz, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were cited among the top-10 corporate contributors to global plastic pollution in a study conducted by Greenpeace and the Break Free From Plastic Movement last year (Source). A report published by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives named Nestle and Unilever as the top polluters based on a series of brand and waste audits conducted in six cities in the Philippines, mainly due to their production of single-use sachets (small packets containing single-use quantities of any material) that are marketed in the global South but not other parts of the world (Source). It’s not good enough for companies to sell products in packaging that might meet stringent EU standards, but then absolve responsibility in countries with historically lesser environmental protection. Decisions made in the boardrooms of companies in the global West must take real account and responsibility for the globally shared problem of plastic production and waste management. Therefore, the scale of the problems caused by these huge manufacturers, retailers and brand groups shouldn’t be underestimated, but nor therefore should the possible impact were these companies to take meaningful steps.

How to use consumer power to influence companies to change their ways (without spending anything)

Tell the brands and businesses you support that it’s time to change the way they use plastic:

Sign petitions and get behind existing campaign. Greenpeace’s petition (currently with over 2 million signatures) aims to put pressure on supermarkets to ditch throwaway plastic packaging. Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign helps consumers understand the environmental impact of a number of household brands, and encourages consumers to reach out to these businesses directly to engage with the issues. I also love this story about a group of primary school children who took their message to Universal Pictures via a petition to ensure that the release of 2012’s ‘The Lorax’ provided a platform to provide information to children on the environmental message of the movie.

Create social media storms and use hashtags, such as #PlasticFreeFriday or #PointlessPlastic, which are an easy way to attract the attention of corporates and fellow consumers alike. Tag brands in photos of offending items to ‘name and shame’ the throwaway mentality these products cater to, and to encourage companies to adopt ‘extended producer responsibility,’ a strategy to make the manufacturer of a product responsible for the entire life-cycle of the product.

Engage in local (friendly, non-confrontational) protests like the Mass Unwrap campaign to raise awareness in supermarkets that their customers dislike superfluous packaging.

Wherever possible, visit, support (or create!) local art installations, such as the ‘Plastic Soupermarket’display containing local littler found on the banks of Amsterdam’s waterways.

In addition, community-led actions like Plastic Free Caerphilly linked local businesses and concerned residents motivated to tackle single-use plastic, and resulted in the town being awarded “plastic free community” status in July 2019.

The role of Governments

PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey 2020 found that responders answered that the government bore the most responsibility for creating a sustainable world. Cynically, companies aren’t going to voluntarily do the right thing. There are a number of environmental pressure groups advocating for a number of top-down measures that leave companies (and consumers) with no choice to comply. Previous (successful) campaigns have resulted in a ban on microbeads (Source) and plastics like straws and stirrers (Source), in line with the EU standards and targets included in the Single Use Plastics Directive. Bangladesh was one of the first countries to ban the use of plastic and polythene bags in 2002, and since October 2015 the UK Government made it compulsory for large shops in England to charge 5p for all single-use plastic carrier bags (Source).

Governments are driven by a number of competing pressures, but there is almost no doubt that the global, accelerating clamour for sustainable practices to be embedded within society and for Governments to use their power to bring about this change, has led to policies, proposals and plans advancing sustainability.

Find and sign petitions. Petitions on Parliament UK that reach 10,000 signatures will get a response from the UK Government, and those that reach 100,000 signatures will almost always be debated in Parliament.

Lend your support to established campaigns. Friends of the Earth’s ‘Help reduce plastic in oceans’campaign to commit governments to introduce a plan to phase out and better manage plastics. WWF’s campaign aims to create a global and legally binding UN agreement to set strict goals for plastic pollution reduction in each UN member state and instruct each state to create national action plans to meet these goals. Coalition groups like Zero Waste Europe influence European policy makers and Member State governments on a number of issues, including directly petitioning the European Parliament to be at the vanguard of tackling plastic pollution and single use plastics, and highlighting the injustices of the global waste trade and calling for Europe’s waste to stay in Europe.

Write to your MP on local issues or in support of relevant legislation in Parliament, and apply pressure to your local authority to improve its recycling offer. Although US focused, Greenpeace’s lobbying toolkithas some useful resources for engaging with elected officials.

And of course, vote for candidates with a proactive stance on addressing green issues.

In conclusion

Make an individual action plan. Start with a 1 month plan, then 3 months, then 6 months. Start small, and work up to larger goals and see the process as a journey with no clear destination or stops along the way.

Start with recycling everything that you can (and stop buying the things you can’t). Give up throwaway plastic bottles and plastic cutlery. Start to seek alternatives to small sachets and packaged single portion items. Then, start being organised with your shopping. Research new places to shop and form new habits. Buy quality and long-lasting household items and clothes over cheaper items that will need to be replaced. Make your feelings known through making a Twitter account and calling brands out. Engage in some community campaigning, and make your collective voice heard by manufacturers and lawmakers.

Be kind to yourself as a consumer making often difficult choices. Convenience is essential in many of our lives, and safety concerns and medical need are at the forefront of our minds and in our choices. But, please, don’t do nothing because you can’t do it all.

Further reading:

Cat’s twitter account: https://twitter.com/WhySoWasteful

See more information and tips at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/.

The Story of Plastic documentary: https://www.storyofplastic.org/.

BBC David Attenborough documentary Blue Planet II: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04tjbtx.

0 notes

elenawesley20-blog · 5 years ago

Text

The Coronavirus Pandemic’s Impact at the Environment

As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds across the globe, threatening lives and upending the sector financial system, it’s also had a profound affect at the surroundings.

Scientists first spotted a lower in greenhouse gas emissions in China, the place the pandemic began. This pattern adopted the pandemic’s unfold the world over.

In this submit, we’ll take a look at the total environmental affect of the COVID-19 crisis to this point and what classes we can take from this tragedy to fight climate alternate at some point.

Corona Live Updates

Coronavirus pandemic’s have an effect on on carbon emissions

With lockdown or keep at home orders in impact in nations around the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s been a steep decline in commute and financial task international.

Traffic congestion in major towns fell dramatically because of this. In New York, height congestion went down 47 percent from the 2019 reasonable on the morning of March 23. Los Angeles skilled a 51 percent drop.

With much less site visitors comes much less pollution like carbon monoxide. Of route, once non-essential staff are allowed to go back to their place of job, visitors congestion and pollution will rise accordingly. Will there be any lasting effect at the atmosphere?

One clue comes from Wuhan, China where the outbreak started in overdue 2019. Traffic continues to be down 50 % these days March, whilst restrictions were lifted and staff have returned to their jobs.

Air commute has also taken a big hit, thanks to order to safe haven in place, and greenhouse gases will predictably decline too.

In the U.S., home air visitors fell about 40 percent, consistent with NPR. Though cancellations were larger worldwide than in america, nor have states instituted home air shuttle restrictions.

Effect on carbon emissions

Has the drop in site visitors and air shuttle had a significant affect on greenhouse fuel emissions similar to nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide?

It seems so. China’s carbon emissions fell via round 25 percent over a four-week length after Chinese New Year, in line with Carbon Brief.

One debatable learn about from G-Feed stated that enhancements in air quality recorded in China over two months this 12 months may have saved the lives of 4,000 kids underneath five years previous and 73,000 adults over 70 years old.

Elsewhere, northern Italy reported a 10 percent relief within the pollutant nitrogen dioxide every week over the four to 5 weeks ahead of March 17. The house has been hit onerous by COVID-19 and been in lockdown.

The improvement in air quality was once much more apparent in Madrid, Spain because of keep at home orders for the entire nation. The reasonable degree of nitrogen dioxide recorded on March 17 used to be almost 75 % not up to the previous week. And in New York City, carbon monoxide, mainly from vehicles, were lowered by just about 50 p.c when put next with March 2019.

Short-term vs. long-term effects on local weather exchange

Unfortunately, this dip in carbon emissions will likely only ultimate as long as the virus does. Activity will ramp up once the pandemic subsides, creating a rebound impact noticed in different crises.

The 2008 monetary crisis led to a 1 % dip in carbon dioxide but once the economic system recovered, emissions crept back up–at a charge quicker than ahead of the crisis.

After all, measures to halt corona virus’s spread is not going to have a long lasting impact on local weather trade. Structural exchange is needed. But the fact stays that some pre-existing tendencies, like the rise of far flung paintings, were speeded up with the pandemic and could have lasting results on chopping carbon emissions and slowing international warming.

Coronavirus pandemic’s affect on waste

Medical waste

The huge demand for disposable scientific products such as single-use gloves, surgical mask and empty IV luggage within the wake of the pandemic has created a deluge of scientific waste.

In Wuhan, China, the amount of clinical waste is reported to have risen from 40 to 240 tons a day on the peak of the epidemic, in step with the South China Morning Post. Medical waste amenities in 29 cities were at or close to full capability.

Masks used by healthcare employees are sterilized after which cross to landfill or are incinerated. But Chinese producers were additionally making 116 million mask an afternoon by the end of February. It’s unknown but how quickly the public has been the usage of and putting off those mask–which the federal government suggests other folks put on in public.

The surge in solid medical waste is simply beginning to confront the USA. And no longer most effective is that this an environmental issue, but it surely places the 467,000 workers hired by way of the U.S. waste assortment and disposal trade in danger.

Reusable packaging

Plastic packaging is taking part in an build up in reputation all over the corona virus pandemic. Seen as a extra sanitary possibility, shopper spends in Europe on packaged food merchandise are soaring.

In Italy, consumer spends on packaged mandarins rose over 111 % within the week finishing on March eight, as opposed to the similar length in 2019. This is in spite of the reality there’s been no evidence that either meals or food packaging can transmit COVID-19.

Online shopping packaging

About 165 billion packages are shipped in the USA every 12 months, with the card used more or less equating to greater than 1 billion timber. Amazon and meal equipment deliveries like Blue Apron are simply two e-retailers contributing to the overflow of cardboard and plastic.

Now, with the public afraid to depart the home or underneath strict safe haven in position laws, there’s been a surge in demand for online buying groceries.

Commercial waste

An govt at a large waste company mentioned 300 shoppers have already suspended provider this week, experiences Politico.

This is up from just 25 suspensions remaining Friday, meaning less industrial waste. The govt expects that number to develop to one,000 quickly. Whether this trend will balance out the rise in client waste discussed above is still noticed.

Coronavirus pandemic’s impact on natural world

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, an concept began circulating on-line that the earth is regenerating itself. Supposed sightings of flora and fauna roaming free in city spaces received tens of hundreds of likes and stocks.

Some of those studies proved to be true and others, picked up through the likes of the Guardian and the Japan Times, had been false.

In Nara, Japan, sika deer wandered via city streets and subway stations since the tourists who usually fed them in city parks have evaporated.

Indian social media went wild about photos of a stag scampering through Dehradun, the capital of the northern state of Uttarakhand. A puma became up in the heart of the Chilean capital Santiago, which is below curfew. Neither of those accounts were disproven.

Other accounts overpassed the truth that those animals had been already common guests to these spaces. Wild boar have lengthy descended the hills around Barcelona to search for food and antagonize other people. Gangs of wild turkeys have lengthy been a standard sight in Oakland, California.

In summary: the coronavirus pandemic’s affect on the setting

Most environmental impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, equivalent to a decline in carbon emissions and build up in scientific waste, shall be temporary.

The real lesson lies in some pre-existing climate-friendly tendencies which have been accelerated. Business trip could decline, as executives notice video meetings can reach the similar effect. International industry might roll again as international locations notice how reliant they are at the global supply chain and decide to produce their own goods, says the Yale Environment 360.

And the demand for remote paintings has lengthy existed. Companies may now in the end realize staff can still be productive from home, whilst downsizing places of work or getting rid of them altogether (and the expenses associated with them).

Doubtless, the loss of existence from COVID-19 can be devastating. There is not anything to rejoice about any such horrific tragedy. It is most likely a small victory against the sort of reality to be informed from what’s happened and apply it to battle climate trade and gradual international warming one day.

#coronavirus #coronavirus live updates #Effect of coronavirus

0 notes

thehungrykat1 · 5 years ago

Text

Enchanting Summer Vacation at Lagen Island of El Nido Resorts

While this year’s summer season will probably be spent staying at home, I just can’t help but remember and dream about our enchanting summer vacation last year at Lagen Island of El Nido Resorts. This was our third time to visit El Nido, Palawan and the second island we visited among the four island resorts of El Nido Resorts (Read: My Private Island Paradise at El Nido Resorts’ Apulit Island), but it was definitely the most beautiful and magical experience we had.

The adventure to Lagen starts at the El Nido Resorts Jetty Port inside the Lio Tourism Estate where the El Nido Airport is also located. If you are taking an AirSwift flight to El Nido, then it only takes a 10-minute transfer from the airport to the port. For this trip, my fiancé and I had already been staying at a hotel in Lio Estate since we had attended a wedding there earlier, so we simply took a hotel shuttle to the port. The boat transfer schedules are based on AirSwift flights, so you should coordinate with the resort regarding your desired transfer schedule. Roundtrip transfers from Lio are usually included in their packages.

The boat ride to Lagen Island takes around 50 minutes from the port, so you can take the opportunity to marvel at the turquoise waters and limestone cliffs all around you. Lagen Island is nestled between a lush four-hectare forest and a calm, shallow lagoon. Among the four distinct islands of El Nido Resorts, Lagen is considered as the Eco-Sanctuary island resort as it has the densest forest over limestone out of the 45 islands and islets of Bacuit Bay.

Upon arriving at the island, we were directed towards the front desk where visitors were greeted with welcome drinks and a colorful song performance from the local troupe. We had booked our 3-day, 2-night package at the PTAA Travel Tour Expo at P29,900 a night for the full package which included full board meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for two person, round-trip transfers to and from Lio, use of water sport equipment, and complimentary island hopping activities during our stay. However, a Conservation Fee of P200 was charged separately.

Guests will also be given an activity sheet which lists down the schedules for all the optional activities they can do during their stay, including the island hopping adventures. After just a few minutes, we were given the keys and led to our room. Lagen Island has a total of 51 rooms that incorporate timber recycled from old Filipino homes for floors and furnishings to evoke charm and quiet luxury.

The most popular rooms are the Water Cottages which are built on stilts above the water. Unfortunately, these were already fully booked on our chosen dates so we had to get another room type. That’s okay since we already experienced staying at a water cottage during our stay in Apulit Island. They also have the bigger Beachfront Cottages which have a panoramic view of the cove.

We were booked at one of their Forest Rooms which are located where the lush forest meets the resort. These are actually closer to the main activity areas of the resort where the clubhouse and swimming pools can be found.

The room itself is just simple but has all the basic amenities you would need in a resort stay. Wifi is free all around the resort, although there are some areas where it might not be as stable. That’s quite understandable since we are staying in an island in the middle of the ocean.

El Nido Resorts is committed to providing leisurely, engaging, and educational experiences and services to all guests in a manner that has the least impact on the environment and promotes respect for El Nido’s local people and culture. This includes low-impact and sustainable guest experiences, plus water and energy conservation systems. You won’t find single use plastic bottles here, and all the toiletries make use of reusable containers.

What I really liked about my room is that it opens to a private veranda where I could lay on the sofa while watching how nature and modern amenities work together seamlessly to create this tranquil paradise.

The swimming pool just outside the balcony looks really inviting, but I’m already hungry! Guests availing of the full package get complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets throughout their stay. That means if you arrive early on your first day, you can already have lunch even if your room may not yet be available.

Lunch is served at the clubhouse restaurant which has both air-conditioned and al fresco dining areas. Guests can partake of appetizers including salads and a bread selection. Cooked dishes are spread on the buffet table consisting of local and international dishes as well.

The best area would be the grill station where you can have various fish and meat cooked fresh and hot. Desserts are also available like fruits, cakes, and local delicacies. Drinks are not included in the buffet but can be ordered separately.

After our hearty lunch, we rested for a while inside our rooms before heading back down to relax by the swimming pool. We ordered some drinks from the pool bar while enjoying a dip in the pool.

Lagen Island is known for its enriching encounters around the resort. Guests have free use of non-motorized water sport equipments on a first-come first-served basis. I spent a few round kayaking around the cove on their glass bottom boats. Snorkelling is also available on the house reef.

The main beachfront cove of Lagen Island is protected by breakwaters so I could easily do Paddle Boarding on its calm waters. I’m sure my doctors do not recommend this activity, especially after my hip replacement surgery, but where else will I be able to get these cool photos?

There are other things to do at the resort for those who are not so fond of water sports. They can play billiards and ping pong near the boutique shop at the clubhouse.

There is also a small air-conditioned library nearby where you can browse books and magazines. This is also a great place to get away from the heat of the summer. Children can also have fun at the Kid’s Playroom which also comes with several games and activities.

Make sure you book your spots on the Sunset Cruise which happens everyday at 5:00pm. This one-hour activity takes guests to a scenic spot in the island where you can watch the El Nido sunset in all its splendor.

When we got back to the resort, it was about time for the dinner buffet which is just what we needed after a tiring day around Lagen Island. This was just Day 1 so we slept early that night and got ready for a new set of adventures the following day.

Lagen Island serves as a sanctuary for a diverse variety of birds and mammals. This is why we decided to join the Bird Watching activity which starts at exactly 6:00am. Guests can observe and delight in different endemic species flourishing in their natural habitat. The expert guide will provide binoculars and will instruct you where to point them. We saw a Palawan Hornbill and other bird species flying from the limestone cliffs to the forest trees.

We also saw some exotic creatures just casually walking around the resort. This Water Monitor Lizard or bayawak was just minding his own business. They also have a Forest Guided Hike at 8:00am where guests can hike through Lagen’s forest trail which leads to a rewarding view of one of the coves on the other side of the island.

We decided to skip the forest hike because we needed to have breakfast before our island hopping activities. So after a quick shower, it was time to head back to the clubhouse for our breakfast buffet.

The morning spread included an assortment of breads, juices, sausages, longganisa, and lots of crunchy bacon. We needed to load up on energy because it was going to be a busy morning hopping around the islands of Bacuit Bay.

There are three Island Hopping group activities to choose from, each with its own destinations and schedules. These are all included in the full package so there were no additional fees for us. Since we had already done the popular Small and Big Lagoon tour during our previous visit to El Nido (Read: Paradise Within Our Reach at Lio, El Nido), we chose to do Tour 2 which starts from 9:30am up to 2:00pm. First stop was the picturesque Cudugnon Cave.

The cave looks so beautiful from the inside, but it takes a lot of effort just to get here! I had to crawl through a small rocky opening, with the help of our tour guide. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do the twists and turns that my hips had to do, but thankfully I made it through.

Our next destination was Snake Island whose main feature is a sandbar that stretches all the way to the neighboring island. During low tide, visitors can simply walk from one island to the other, which my fiancé actually did. It took him around 15 minutes walking on the shallow waters.

The area is a great place to take a swim, especially near the sandbars where you can take lots of photos. Lagen island does not have a natural beach, so this is a better swimming spot. Unfortunately, my fiancé forgot that his mobile phone was actually still inside his board shorts, so it ended up dying during this trip. :(

It was almost noon when we got to our third stop, the Dibuluan Beach Club which is a private island also owned by El Nido Resorts. Guests from the other El Nido Resorts properties are free to visit this island during their stay.

Dibuluan Island is where we will be having our lunch, but before that, we did a little bit of snorkelling first. Various water sports are also available such as hobie cat sailing, wind surfing, and kayaking.

A simple buffet lunch was served beachside. The selection was not as good as the one served at Lagen Island, but the scenery and our hunger more than made up for it.

After a little siesta on the cabanas by the beach, it was time to go back to Lagen Island, but not before we made a short detour. The Cathedral Cave was the last stop on our trip, but we were only able to see it from the outside since they said that boats were not allowed inside.

We got back to Lagen island at around 3:00pm, so we just relaxed near the beach and enjoyed all the other amenities around the resort.

When it was almost sunset, we went to the pool bar to enjoy their Happy Hour promotion which is available every day from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Guests can enjoy Buy 1 Take 1 on selected cocktails.

We ordered a pair of Singapore Slings and watched another scenic sunset, this time on with cold drinks on hand.

But the night wasn’t over just yet, because we had scheduled a Private Dinner by the jetty for ourselves. Instead of the dinner buffet at the clubhouse, guests can arrange for a private dinner setup for an additional fee. Other options include a private dinner by the pool or at an exclusive private island a few minutes away.

The best thing about our private dinner was that we got for FREE because I had an Ayala Rewards Circle (ARC) card. El Nido Resorts is an Ayala company so one of the perks of the ARC card was a free upgrade to a higher type room. Since the resort was fully booked, they opted to give us a free private dinner instead.

This was honestly one of the most romantic and picture-perfect experiences we have had. Imagine having dinner with this spectacular view as your backdrop. Our dinner menu consisted of appetizers, soup, and a main course plus desserts. We also ordered some additional drinks to complement our meal.

It was such a memorable way to spend our last evening in Lagen Island. The next morning, we spent our free time frolicking at the resort before our boat transfer back to Lio Estate for our AirSwift flight back to Manila. El Nido Resorts is definitely one of the best and most romantic places you can visit in the Philippines. We’ve already finished Apulit Island and Lagen Island, so there’s still Miniloc Island and Pangulasian Island left to explore next.

El Nido Resorts Lagen Island

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

(0999) 7051062 / 7902-5980

www.elnidoresorts.com

www.facebook.com/elnidoresorts

#ElnidoResorts #LAgenIsland #Palawan #Philippines #Beach #Resort

0 notes

jeremystrele · 7 years ago

Text

Bring Sustainability Into Your Kitchen In Time For Christmas

Being Green

by Elle Murrell

Our edit of sustainable utensils, cleaning products, and storage solutions. From left to right: Kitchen Essentials Kit ($60) from Yesēco, Mesh Produce Bags ($29 for 5) from Seed & Sprout, Reusable Stainless Steel Drinking Straws Gold ($19.95 for 4) from Kappi, Ekobo Gusto Lunch Set ($229) from Top3, Bamboo Straws ($11.95 for 4) from Ever Co. Rhombus Table Trivets, 12 ($44) from Champ Co, Lemon Dish Liquid ($4.49) from EcoStore, EcoCoconut Dish Brush ($7.50) from Biome, Reusable Clear Food Wrap Set ($27) from Seed & Sprout. (Props: Cork Yoga Roller ($55) and Cork Yoga Block ($32.50) from Sure Project). Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Propping and styling assistant – Ashley Simonetto.

Circular ways of thinking are now starting to infiltrate our ‘growth’ obsessed societies, from donut economics to thrifting, closed-loop home utility systems, and farm-to-table consumption paired with composting. More and more people are beginning to realise that, maybe, the infinite climb isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

While gifting and using sustainable solutions won’t revolutionise the way the world functions overnight, shunning that which is short-lived, cheap, and the endlessly ‘new’ can help slow the spin of our self-made hamster wheel.

Don’t let upgrading to the next Thermo-trix-extraordinaire get all your attention, trade some everyday kitchen ‘essentials’ for alternatives, which have never been more important.

Reusable Stainless Steel Drinking Straws Gold ($19.95 for 4) from Kappi, Rhombus Table Trivets, 12 ($44) from Champ Co, Ekobo Gusto Lunch Set ($229) from Top3, Bamboo Straws ($11.95 for 4) from Ever Co, Bamboo Cutlery Set ($19.95) from Ever Co. Props: Cork Yoga Roller ($55) and Cork Yoga Block ($32.50) from Sure Project. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Propping and styling assistant – Ashley Simonetto.

Utensils + Cutlery

We all now know plastics are a problem; it turns out our rampant use of straws (an estimated 10 million per day in Australia) finally tipped the scale or, more aptly, any speculation. It’s now inspiring to see many Australian venues transition to reusable varieties. This is a trend that you can carry on over to your home, and every picnic or party you attend this summer!

What’s true of straws is also relevant to plastic cutlery and crockery too. Eating alfresco? Bring along your old-faithfuls from home. If you can’t make that work, choose alternatives that are sustainably manufactured from eco-friendly materials, which can be composted. Remember, plastic forks, spoons, and knives cannot go in your recycle bin because the utensils are the wrong shape to be properly separated by sorting machines, and only some councils will accept plastic plates.

A few Other Options

Reusable Stainless Steel Drinking Straws in gold ($19.95 for 4) from Kappi,

Reusable Bamboo Straws ($11.95 for 4) from Ever Co, contrary to some misconceptions these are easy to clean, with a brush included in the pack. They are also biodegradable at the end of their multi-month lifespan.

No straw at all.

Reusable Bamboo Cutlery Set ($19.95) from Ever Co. Another product from the family owned and operated, Australia-based company.

Ekobo Gusto Lunch Set ($229) from Top3, Perfect for a group of four, these set is made from a combination biodegradable, highly-renewable bamboo fibre with a 100% food-grade melamine binder.

Metal cutlery and sturdy crockery from home.

Rhombus Table Trivets ($29.95 for 6) from Champ Co. These entertaining and long-lasting coasters are Melbourne designed and made, utilising recycled aeroplane tyres!

Kitchen Essentials Kit ($60) from Yesēco, EcoCoconut Dish Brush ($7.50) from Biome, Safix Coco-Fibre Scrub Pad, Small ($3.95) from Biome, EcoCoconut Round Scourers ($6) from Biome, Multi-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner ($10,90) from Koala Eco, Lemon Dish Liquid ($4.49) from EcoStore. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Propping and styling assistant – Ashley Simonetto.

Cleaning Products

How bad can chemical cleaning products be, after all, you need it to be ‘strong’ enough to actually clean?

Well, if it’s capable of chemically eroding something charred on in a few moments, spare a thought for the damage these substances can do over years of build-up in our delicate ecosystems. And don’t overlook that they’re airborne, ‘volatile’ and you’re inhaling them, too. Luckily, there are a plethora of friendly alternatives.

GREAT ALTERNATIVES TO TRY

Kitchen Essentials Kit ($60) from Yesēco. This chic Australia-design is the ultimate combo of plastic-free cleaning tools – all made from 100% natural, biodegradable and compostable materials.

EcoCoconut Dish Brush ($7.50) from Biome. A coconut husk fibre dish brush with FSC timber handle, this long-lasting design is naturally antibacterial, non-scratching, and biodegradable.

EcoCoconut Round Scourers ($6) from Biome. Another coconut husk fibre design from the brand, which makes all its products to ethical standards in Sri Lanka.

Safix Coco-Fibre Scrub Pad, small ($3.95) from Biome. Featuring natural coconut fibers bound together by a non-toxic adhesive., this pad is useful for delicate surfaces and stay fresh and effective for months. It’s made by a fair-trade cooperative in India.

Multi-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner ($10,90) from Koala Eco. ‘Natural cleaning products can be created from high concentrates of pure essential oils, combined with quality plant-derived biodegradable ingredients,’ explains founder Jessica Bragdon.

Lemon Dish Liquid ($4.49) from EcoStore. This plant-based dishwash liquid from the New Zealand Brand is pH balanced and has been independently benchmarked against the market leader to ensure excellent results. We recommend investing in the bulk-buy 20-litre variety to reduce on plastics too.

Mesh Produce Bags ($29 for 5) from Seed & Sprout, Reusable Clear Food Wrap Set ($27) from Seed & Sprout, Reusable Beeswax Wraps ($15) from Honey Bee Wrap, Reusable Silicone Ziplock Bags (24.95 for 2) from Kappi. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Propping and styling assistant – Ashley Simonetto.

Food Storage + Preservation

One of the most memorable segments on the ABC’s revolutionary War on Waste series, came when a collective of bold shoppers unwrapped their overly-pre-packaged purchases at the checkout and left the waste for the supermarket to ponder (and recycle?). They carefully placed these items in reusable bags, wraps, and containers – privy to the fact that letting good food spoil would be just as careless. It all just made so much sense.

So too did the supermarket chains’ plastic carry bag ban, which has already prevented an estimated 1.5 billion bags from blowing off into the wilderness to trap, suffocate and uglify. The impact of that one small change speaks for itself, and this momentum seems to finally be taking hold!

MUCH Better designs

Mesh Produce Bags ($29 for 5) from Seed & Sprout. So stylish, so simple, so effective! These lightweight reusable bags are made from organic cotton.

While we’ve already covered storage containers that can take you from home to work and back, a trio of other useful innovations edging out ‘Glad’ wrap to keep your food fresh include:

Reusable Clear Food Wrap Set ($27) from Seed & Sprout.

Reusable Beeswax Wraps ($15) from Honey Bee Wrap.

Reusable Silicone Ziplock Bags (24.95 for 2) from Kappi.

0 notes

wsiukweb-blog · 7 years ago

Link

UK leading manufacturer Crocodile provides a wide range of wooden export crates and Export packaging for industrial use and other applications.

0 notes

themaxes-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Storage Unit Rental Athens Ga

In most spot, planners will almost allways be needed. Limited coordinators, storage containers household furniture, storing bench, yard shed, and in many cases storage containers house are definitely not a sufficient amount of. Much of the time, equally enterprises and residences have to make use safe-keeping models. The room has limitations however, many items and household furniture continue to come in. This is why houses and commercial enterprise check beyond a private storage area home for treasured possessions. Storing units service providers realise that professionals want to have their precious products and solutions free from harm so as to make their properties and companies clean and organised. Hence, the assistance will probably give the most excellent shielding and comfort. It is so because individuals will not stow their belongings to put them all. It may be easily for this planning intentions.

Storage devices is without a doubt ideal for various different personal belongings. A few individuals outlet their fantastic wine so they can place them safeguarded. Some many others are planning to playground their antique trucks and therefore they usually do not mark the color eventually. Aside from, a number of people believe that to maintain the cars inside of the storage space equipment may be preserved. A number of spots with good legal standard, this is certainly a great idea. Making use of the a number of sector storing goods that are demanded, safekeeping units’ agencies are certainly not added innovative.

These are some patterns and fashoins of storage area products at your disposal:

1.Pots

This is about the most popular hard drive machines fairly recently. Such type of storage is capable of holding a big download of gods. The previous postage and packing pots are strong and versatile to repurpose. Along with the strong resources of this sort of backup, persons can put away their motor vehicles, furniture pieces, or other extensive things on the pots. This shipping and delivery pots storage space is definitely a wonderful notion to save the space. The reusable factor is always considered to be an eco-friendly service. The storage units will provide several very creative processes among them office at home and training courses. The imaginative aspects can support what modern day global demands. Les sened-expense housing guidelines will most likely be uncomplicated to establish the packing containers. It is usually multifunctional and simple to move simultaneously.

2.Backup Containers

The services of safekeeping systems remain the same with the decades. The safe-keeping package and suites are the standard model of a storage area clinic. The canisters are perceived as a safe and secure facility for assorted goods. Anyhow, service providers continue improving their treatments in order to gain very much more potential consumers. Other than, new storage area strategies are made for one better usefulness. One of the few enhancements stands out as the storage containers container.

It can be convenient to use the safe-keeping containers. Right away, a great many reputable businesses give a organization of storage area receptacles. They should lose the storage containers containers during the clients’ place. The homeowners will fill the containers with any stuff that they will merchant. Immediately following completed, the firms will take the containers as a obtain option. Some companies use a factory to have the backup receptacles. The businesses will continue the bins anchored until such time as requested to lower out it once again. This center is the better selection for the users that do not necessitate massive storage area.

3.Climate Monitored Storage space Units

A very superb creativity is your weather controlled storage space. In the past, the hard drive devices are offered with some protected aspects. At this time, hard drive equipment come with the top- tech approach. The weather charge allows the storage area to keep healthy foods safely. As well as, any sorts of items that are sensitive to weather conditions and high temperature shall be safer to stay in this sort of storing. This can be a much better selection for small suppliers and diet retail outlets. Apart from, show up suppliers pick the service for improving their business efficiency.

4.Methods- Focused Safety measures

It may be frequently used that prospects are planning to put away indispensable data files besides other important things. Endeavor archives, quite high- value for money stocks and shares, while some fundamental legal papers on financial assets could be the samples of items which need restrictive coverage. Hi-tech security systems is offered for those people brands of things. Buyers is able to established your own id phone number and policy admittance. Like this, the important solu tions in the storage area devices will most likely be extremely collateralized.

The specialized storage space unit’s service providers are willing to function. But nevertheless, prospects need to be selective gaining the most from the system. Allow me to share the guidelines to get the best storage area products assistance.

1.Big-Caliber Site visitor Offerings

The main thing in the storing model carrier serves as a specialist customer support. A good manufacturer is required to be very easy to get to by both of those e mail and cell phones. Purchasers should also look into regardless of whether the sit e visitor service speak with a genial approach

2.Responsible Directors

Following that, following the client care, professionals would be wise to have interaction adequately with people. The managers need to be accountable for solving health problems. As a result, patrons need to find knowledgeable backup machines expert services using that experienced supervisor.

3.Ideal Hygiene

Good hygiene and cleanliness are definitely essential. It is actually vital that potential clients take a look at this incredibly necessary difficulty. A good way to inspect this issue is simply scrutinizing the hygiene regular in the office. In cases where the office environment is effortlessly polished, it can be a idea that an internet business will utilise equivalent or more appropriate cleanup process for those client’s stuff.

4.Insect-Totally free of charge

Beyond just the good hygiene, a storage containers product must be totally free of unwanted pests. Conventio nal clearing and dog spraying are crucial. Unwanted pests could do intense injury to pieces of furniture together with other remedies with timber ma terials used. At the same time, rats definitely are a very big no for a lot of components like the mats and textiles. Due to this fact, it could be imperative to be certain that the top notch online business encompasses a commitment using a pest control specialist.

5.Excellent Secureness

Together with the services of hard drive equipment indicate that we let the organization keep our invaluable personal belongings safeguard. Consequently, considerable stability is probably the most delicate disorder to evaluate previous putting your signature on the contract. The supplier really should take advantage of extra taut reliability with digital connection. Monitoring cams, favourable lights, and usual PIN-dependent security systems are simply the majority of the systems to hire.

Finally, safe-keeping units are delivered through providing ease and luxury on your potential clients. For this reason, consumers desire to find exactly the finest products which will allow the most rewarding storage products, cleanliness, and reliability. The types of hard drive systems rely on specifically what the people like to online store. To obtain the most beneficial specialist to rely upon, our recommendation is that potential customers build a methodical observation.

0 notes