Rhino poaching

Support this cause by buying a Rhino bag at Woolworths! Rhino poaching is at a record high in South Africa currently. Get involved and do your part! Read more on the subject at http://goo.gl/WmCHl

Photo: http://goo.gl/zntrU

Lunch time triumph

This morning when I woke up I decided it was time to start packing my own lunch. This week has been quite busy and I haven’t been eating regularly or healthy, grabbing food on the go.

When packing my linseed and soya sandwich (which might sound unappetizing but is my favourite type of bread currently) I wondered how many people I know take the time to look after themselves when scurrying to get things done. Getting all the things you need to do done can be very stressful and eating well can reduce these stress levels. Comfort food is, well, comforting and makes you feel good.

Packing lunch I’ve found has saved me some time and effort (as well as money of course) but it is also lowering the level of waste I produce daily. This is because there are no plastic wrappers, containers or bottles that are being thrown away as a result of food consumption.

Some people argue one should use paper bags when packaging your food for the day, I believe a once of investment in a lunch box is a better alternative. Its re-usable, sturdy and inexpensive. Furthermore you can fill old water bottles with whatever you want to drink, no drinking on the job hey ;)

Quick Lunch tips:

-When packing lunch you can also remember to pack in utensils so as to avoid having to use plastic knives, forks and spoons.

-Use a flask/bottle from home to bring your drinks to work/campus

-Use re-usable washable containers to store your food in.

Photo: http://goo.gl/HabDE

Green gifting

Its that time of the year when shops are starting to remind as that the end of the year is near and that Christmas time is coming. Being a person who likes personal gift buying as opposed to generic ordinary, expected gifts I’ve been thinking that this Christmas I want to buy greener gifts and encourage my friends to do the same.

Gathering information on how to do this is a bit tricky. Firstly I know that I usually tend to try and buy all the gifts I need in one day to avoid having to spend hours going through the same shops with the same uninspired goods. One good idea is to visit local markets. These markets usually produce local goods, which not only helps you to support a local trade, but also gives you the opportunity to invest in the community where you live. I especially love the different markets that Hermanus has to offer including a craft market, which is held every first Saturday of the month.

Furthermore people say you should avoid plastics, pva, overly packaged goods and anything made from endangered woods (I’m not really sure which type of wood this is, so should probably check into that.) It makes sense that one should try not to increase your waste output by buying a lot of plastic stuff that will probably break and then end up in the bin anyway. How about treating your bookworm friends to a second hand book, who needs a new home?

I am definitely going to try and keeping wrapping paper out of the picture by using something more environmentally friendly or perhaps even trying something that is functional as well. Green gifting can be way more creative then conventional gift giving.

If you have any other green gifting ideas or tips let me know!

Party hard, tread lightly! I concur

If you love music then this is for you, Cape Town festival Rocking the Daisies! Being one of the only green festivals of its kind in South Africa, it lowers its carbon footprint by not using too much energy during the weekend of the festival. Electricity is supplied from a nearby farm in Darling, which uses fans as a means of creating a more sustainable resource. Energy is purchased prior to the show ensuring that the festival makes a minimal impact on the environment.

With big names like Lark, Jack Parow, Gazelle and Just Jinjer(to name only a few) forming part of this festival it is no surprise that this festival is going from strength to strength. This festival’s website is hosted by RSAWeb which uses 90% less energy than normal traditional hosting sites.

Rocking the Daisies has also won the SA Climate Change Leadership Awards again, which recognizes and rewards South African businesses, communities, individuals, youth and schools that are taking part in voluntary action to combat global warming.

The festival will take place on the 7^th-9^th of October.

What's behind what you buy?

Sweatshops, are we adding fuel to the fire by not being conscious of what we buy?

Sweatshops are a term used for a working environment that is said to have unacceptably difficult or dangerous working conditions and is often also linked to low wages, long hours and child labour.

Not being a very sport orientated person I have never really bought into Nike’s idea of being the one. Recently I have however been considering what we buy and what goes into the production process of the things we consume.

When it came to light that a big brand like Nike were using sweatshops to produce their goods, most companies knew that it was time to start changing. Nike has stepped up and is even starting to develop greener clothing.

The new culprits are technology companies these days. Making themselves guilty of mistreating workers to feed consumers insatiable need for new products. Hewlett Packard, Dell and the might Apple have come under the microscope following the recent troubling events at Foxconn. Watch this video to see what companies are doing to people in a quest to fulfill your needs.

Let’s be more proactive and start supporting companies who support their staff. Let’s invest in ethically run companies who uphold morals and values. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do.

Beauty products..

Beauty products… we are bombarded with so many choices today, but how harmful can these products be to us and the environment we live in? We are not taking note of the effects of these products but rather on the effect they have on our self-esteem. Most beauty products go through extensive animal testing to ensure that we can use them, because of the complex formulations of the ingredients used.

Wait, shouldn’t this be setting off some alarm bells already? These products contain so many ingredients that our skin needs to process daily. Shouldn’t we be searching for healthier alternatives?

I’ve started with my hair-care routine. Found a wonderful product called Rosemary and White Tea Shampoo and Conditioner sold by a local store called Sudbury Hill. Very impressed so far. My hair is shiny, clean and it smells great.

Now I have to find some more natural make-up products. This is bigger challenge in my community than I had anticipated for so I’ll be doing some more research.

Quick tips I’ve found for lowering your impact on the environment when doing your daily skin care routine are as follows:

- Use a facecloth instead of make-up removing wipes.

- Don’t use disposable razors.

- Take shorter showers.

- Make sure you finish using all of your product before buying new one’s.

- Use products with less chemicals in them

Monday Madness and Shopping

So it’s Meat Free Monday and I, being in a hurry this morning (and very hungry) bought myself a bacon and cheese sandwich, which I then realized I couldn’t eat. So I had some muesli and yoghurt and took the bacon off the sandwich. Commitment is so bittersweet. Trying to find something yummy to eat on campus has led to a bit of frustration. Ending in me eating a packet of chips (mostly due to the fact that our cafeteria only offered peas as a vegetable.) I suddenly have a new appreciation for vegetarians. Will have to make my own supper tonight.. Enough ranting.

I’m assessing my wardrobe. Let’s face it. This not usually the first thing one changes when going green. Reading a view articles most people agree that wearing things that already exist is the best way to go. One can of course always add things to these old garments or change them in any way to ensure that your look is fresh and updated. Furthermore there is consensus on the types of fabrics that should be worn when buying clothes as these fabrics are made to lessen the impact on the environment by for example saving water. Fabrics recommended are wool, hemp, organic cotton, soy silk, bamboo etc. The newspaper dress shown is beautiful…tad bit extreme but I might try it when I feel adventurous.

Placing shopping on my agenda this week has also led me to conclude that it is time to buy some re-usable shopping bags. I have however been using the bags I get in shops as dustbin liners, so they have not gone to waste.

Photo from: http://goo.gl/852jy