Vegan margarine replacing dairy margarine

When i first morphed into a Vegan one of my major fears was loosing my beloved margarine on my toast and crumpets, so when i discovered ‘Pure’ i didnt look back. The other great things about ‘Pure’ is its healthy cholesterol levels and a source of Omega 3.

The Sunflower oil ‘Pure’ that i prefer (basically as it tastes just like normal margarine) is FREE FROM:

- Dairy products
- GM ingredients
- Hydrogenated oils
- Artificial colourings & preservatives
- Added flavourings
- Soya products
- Gluten

Pure dairy free spread

Check out the Aldo Zilli’s Monthly recipe using the ‘Pure’ vegan spread as one of the main ingredients and i’ll try and post a few more of these.

From deveils to little eco angels? Maybe...

This morning I didn’t work out - I plonked the Mink Baby in the gym’s creche for an hour and chilled out, reading the paper, sipping a coffee and this artcile in The Times caught my eye - perhaps convenient disposable nappies will become an eco-friendly option after all?

Relief for parents’ disposable nappy guilt

by Lewis Smith

A scheme to recycle thousands of tonnes of used disposable nappies into everything from tiles to bicycle helmets and, eventually, to extract methane from them to generate energy is about to start.

The first of five plants designed to reclaim the plastic and fibres used to make nappies and incontinence pads will open in Birmingham, with four others planned by 2014 for cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and London.

The £12 million Birmingham plant will be able to process 36,000 tonnes a year, with plastic recovered from the nappies and pads used initially to make roof tiles. Other items, including cycling helmets, shoe insoles and cladding, could be made later.

In a second phase, which executives at Knowaste, the Canadian company that will operate the plant, hope to have running by the end of 2011, methane will be extracted from the used nappies and sold to the national gas grid…”

To read the entire article go here.

What do you think?

Can the (quite rightly) demonised but convenient disposbale nappy undergo a reform and become a useful member of society?

Why Eco Disposable Nappies?

Landfills Fill Me With Dread As I Fill Them With Disposable Nappies...

I mentioned in my first blog post that one of the things I was concerned about while subject to my bouts of eco-worrying, was the amount of disposable nappies I send to landfill.

It is (perceived) convenience that makes me love the disposable nappy - so sleek, so easy to dispose of (short-term anyway), they have pretty pictures on and they don’t need washing, they keep your baby dry and happy, if only they weren’t so indestructable in themselves, and destructive to the environment as a result!

I was hoping I could find an equally convenient disposable eco-friendly nappy, so that I could put one of my major eco-worries to bed.

Hence the review of eco-friendly disposable nappies at www.minkbaby.co.uk!

Why Eco Disposables? What about cloth nappies?

Cloth Nappies - Eco Friendly Too?

I thought about continuing to use the modern style of cloth nappies, which we used when Georgie was very little (she is currently 19 months). This is why I decided to see if I could find a genuinely eco-friendly nappy before thinking about cloth nappies again:

• I noticed that Georgie tended to get more uncomfortable and had more nappy rash with washable nappies than with disposable, especially at night. I could just have been doing it wrong, and I will look at cloth nappies at another time.

• Crèches generally will not accept babies in cloth nappies

• Extra water, chemicals and energy are used when washing baby nappies at home

• Disposables are more convenient for today’s busy lifestyle

• Not everyone has access to a ‘nappy service’

• Independent studies confirm that ordinary disposables and washable nappies are equally damaging to the environment, even if they use different resources.

[most of the above bullet points were found at www.ecobaby.ie - I had my doubts about how truly eco friendly cloth nappies were and ecobaby seems to be able to confirm those doubts as being reasonable]

So I thought that I should find out more about eco-friendly disposable nappies.

How will Eco Disposables Shape Up Compared With Leading Non-Eco Brands?

Good Question...

I must admit I was slightly concerned about the idea of using eco-disposable nappies. I really do have in my mind that being eco-friendly must involve a great deal of inconvenience, suffering second best in a noble fashion for the sake of the environment. This appears to be my deep-seated belief, and probably does account for my tendency to eco-freak-out in the face of positive, eco-friendly change.

I have been very happy to go with supermarket disposable nappies, and just before I started this trial with Moltex, I had been using Morrissons nappies, which ever ones were cheaper at the time. However in the two weeks leading up to this review, I had been using Huggies because my parents were kind enough to buy us a great big box from Costco.

These Huggies are pretty, and they feel nice, and you’d think they’d be great because they are a leading brand. But you know what? These Huggies leaked overnight nine nights out of fourteen

Now to be totally fair, there may be many reasons for this that don’t relate to the efficiency of Huggies - perhaps we just needed to go up a size, for example. I considered this, and did some internet research.

I was looking for impartial reviews and found myself mummy blogs and mums forums. My pot-luck research seemed to suggest that despite their world domination, Huggies and Pampers are not necessarily as good as you might think. In fact in general, Tesco nappies appeared to get the most votes from informal consumer trials that have been conducted by UK mums up and down the country. I considered using Tesco disposable nappies, but to my knowledge, they aren’t eco-friendly. So I decided to give the eco-friendly disposable nappies a go.

The first ones I decided to try were the Moltex Oko Eco Nappies, which, are said to be as good as leading brands - I hope that’s true!

Before we get into how they performed, let’s look at why you should use them - what are Moltex’s eco-credentials?

Moltex Eco Nappies - What Makes Them So Eco-Friendly?

Features and Benefits

Moltex Eco Nappies Are Compostable

Imagine, a nappy that doesn't take up landfil but simply breaks down into harmless materials

The first thing that attracted me to try these nappies was the fact that they are compostable- in fact you can even put them in a wormery and turn them into excellent garden fertiliser, if you’re so inclined!

I am thinking that if these nappies compost, then as long as I use compostable nappy sacks, I should be able to put these nappies straight into our Green Bins (where the compostable rubbish goes for collection.) I’m going to check with my local authority about that though, before I go recommending it as something we all should do!

Anyway, these nappies have proven to breakdown to make excellent compost within 8 to 10 weeks in a wormery. Now all I need is a wormery…

Moltex Eco Nappies - As effective as leading brands

As I mentioned before, Moltex Eco Nappies have been reported to be at least as effective as leading brands. This is definitely heartening.

Moltex Eco Nappies - Do Not Contain Substances That Are Harmful to People or the Environment

[The following information was taken from and excellent review of Moltex Eco Nappies by The Nappy Tree which you can read in full here.]

“The impact of disposable nappies is directly related to the substances used in the manufacture of the nappy, the amount of resources used, how well the nappy works (how many are needed daily) and the method of disposal.

The Moltex Eco nappy is good news on all of these fronts:

No perfumes, lotions, antioxidants, or TBT, which is much better for sensitive skin.

The synthetic perfumes used in many conventional disposables to combat odour can be harmful to sensitive skin. Ironically, the bleach residues or other chemicals found in many disposables can react with urine, causing odours other than those naturally associated with baby, hence the perfumes.

Synthetic lotions are put into some nappies. These are like oils and are meant to be waterproof, but become rancid over time. Chemical antioxidants are added to lotions to make them stay fresh longer. Moltex Eco nappies have no lotions, and no need for antioxidants, which is better for baby, and better for the environment.

TBT (tributyl tin) is an environmental pollutant with a hormone-like effect. The smallest concentrations of TBT can harm people’s immune systems and impair their hormonal system

(Taken from a report by Greenpeace - 19 May 2000. Full details of the report can be found here.)

Tea leaf extract to reduce odour & irritation

Moltex Eco Nappies use pure natural green tea leaf to help minimise odour, which has also proven very effective in protecting against fungi, viruses and yeast, which can cause nappy rash. It naturally contains cell constructing substances such as vitamins A, B and C which are essential for cell metabolism.

Unbleached wood pulp

Moltexâ??s Eco Nappies are beige in colour as they are manufactured using 50% unbleached wood pulp and 50% ecf ( elementary chlorine free ) bleached wood pulp, reported to be the least polluting type of quality paper available.

100% degradable packaging

Packaging used for Moltexâ??s Eco Nappies is made using 100% degradable maize starch and has perforations for easy re-use as a compost or bin bag.”

Minkaby Eco Product Review: Moltex Oko Eco Nappies - *****

Moltex Biodegradable Eco Nappies

I found these nappies to be excellent - when I was using them there was no leakage, no nappy rash, they stayed on fine and they basically did exactly what they were supposed to do.

To be fair, plenty of regular disposable nappies would do just as well, most at a cheaper price - but that’s just the point - we cannot afford to keep filling the land with poisonous substances that will not break down quickly and safely. Moltex Oko Eco Nappies break down in such a way that they are not only not a pollutant but when composted they actually become a resource - fertiliser!

I am going to test out other eco nappies before fixing on one brand but I am comitted to making our family budget work around a good eco disposbale nappy like this one, so that I can have my convenient disposable nappies without the eco worry.

Are you a mother of a baby or a nappy-wearing toddler?

Would you like to try Moltex Oko Eco Nappies and/or other eco disposables?

If you would be prepared to write a detailed, fair-minded review for www.minkbaby.co.uk, we would be happy to supply you with some eco nappies to try for free.

If you are interested, email ali@minkbaby.co.uk to find out more!

Related Articles:

• Why Use Moltex Oko Nappies? By The Nappy Tree
• Ecobaby on Composting Moltex Eco Nappies
• Students Win Environmental Award For Studyies in the Composting of Moltex Oko Eco Nappies
• Eco Nappies and Vermicomposting
• How to Make Your Own Wormery
• How to Tell When an Eco Nappy is NOT an Eco Nappy

Click on the image below to go through to the video, it takes a little time to load but it is worth it. Why not pop back and share your veiws with us after.

Annie Leonard and

HOW TO RECYCLE MY BEER CANS ?

For every tonne of aluminium we recycle here in the UK, Alupro has committed to plant one tree in Burkina Faso. You really can turn your cans into trees!

HOW TO RECYCLE MY CHEAP HAIRSPRAY CANS ?

HOW TO RECYCLE WINE BOTTLES & JAM JARS

HOW TO RECYCLE MY BIG CLUMSY TV ?

If you have just bought a new television or monitor and the old one still works you could donate to a worthy cause.

HOW TO RECYCLE MY OLD FRIDGE ?

HOW TO RECYCLE MY HARRY POTTERS ?

HOW TO RECYCLE MY BATTERIES ?

WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) has launched several battery recycling trials across the UK. To find out if you live in an area where these trials are taking place or to find out how they work, please visit
http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/batteries/index.html

HOW TO RECYCLE MY OLD CLOTHES

Alot of the information here was taken directly from the recycle now website which is a superb site and you should all go and check it out!

There is a fantastic section of the site where you can search for ‘where to recycle across the UK’

Go and have a play

OFFERED: ***- Football Jigsaw - 2000 pieces - Brand New In Sealed    Message List   

 

Reply | Forward | Delete   Message #56068 of 56068 < Prev | Next > 

 

This puzzle has never been done - it is still in its cellophane

wrapping, so if you know someone who likes football and/or puzzles,

this could be an excellent gift!

 

My husband likes puzzles and was given it as a gift some time ago, but

we have nowhere to do a puzzle this big!

 

If we have no takers, will donate to charity.

 

Thanks

 

—————————————————

 

 

It was collected in no time. One more step in the right direction!

What did you Freecycle lately?

Take up this Mink Baby Eco Challenge now and let us know!

We modern folk throw away a lot of stuff these days - hence to terrible land-fill issues etc.

 

We do it for lots of reasons - I find it’s mainly becuase it’s often cheaper and easier to get something new than to fix what you have. Economy and convenience are convincing motivators, in the short term at least.

 

I for one don’t like to throw things away, but neither do I stop acquiring other things, therefore clutter is an ongoing problem for me in particular, and for our house in general.

 

I’m sure Iâ??m not alone there.

 

For years I had thought that I was just incapable of keeping a tidy house. It seemed such a slog to get things even remotely straight, and to add insult to injury, it felt like not ten minutes after I had finished everything seemed to revert to â??messyâ?? again.

 

I recently began to realise that, when attempting to clean, I have been spending most of my time moving and dusting random piles of stuff that I kept â??just in caseâ?? â?? this random stuff is clutter, and it makes quick easy cleaning impossible, which these days, with a small child who gets into absolutely EVERYTHING, makes my life impossible.

 

I decided to take action at last.

 

I de-cluttered the living room to see what that would be like, and as predicted, it became not only much easier to keep clean and tidy but it felt like a more relaxing place to be

 

That was nice.

 

What wasn’t nice was the idea of trying to de-clutter my entire house in one go. It made me feel like my head was going to explode.

 

So I sat down, put my head between my knees and I racked my brains for an ‘easy does it’ simple, eco-friendly solution.

 

The eco-friendly solution that came to me was Freecycle.

 

If you donâ??t already know, Freecycle is a global recyling phenomenon, most likely happening in your town right now. It’s a way getting rid of things you donâ??t need that still could serve a purpose, without throwing them away. It is also a way of getting things you do need without paying for them. I like it a lot.

 

I joined Freecycle when we had a baby. We got a lot of great toys and other baby equipment from people who didnâ??t need them anymore and we got them for nothing â?? not bad at all. Prior to this, I had never offered anything on Freecyle. Now was the time, I decided, to set that right.

 

So how did I â??choose one thingâ?? to Freecycle?

 

That was pretty easy actually because when I de-cluttered the living room, I sent the clutter to a pile in what is supposed to be the â??officeâ?? part of our kitchen.

 

And there is stayed.

 

It stayed there because when ever I had thought about the mountain of stuff I would have to list and then give away I felt weak.

 

As I started thinking about what eco products and green services I could start trying, on the road to eco-warrior-dom, I thought â?? aha, if I were to Freecycle one thing a day from that pile in the kitchen, eventually it will be gone, but not to land-fill.

 

I marched over to the pile and Freecycled the first thing I put my hand on which was: a hair crimper. I wasnâ??t convinced that anyone would want it, because most people seem hell bent on straightening their hair these days. But anyhooâ?¦this was my post:

 

To: *******freecycle@yahoogroups.co.uk Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 4:09 PMSubject: [StAlbansfreecycle] OFFERED - Hair Crimper (Remember those!) AL1 (near Morrisonâ??s)

 

We are clearing out a lot of things at the moment and one of those things is a hair crimper.

To my knowledge, it works, but my hair isn’t long enough to crimp, so I don’t know for sure.

Anyone who would like it is most welcome to collect it asap.

If no one has claimed it by the end of this week, I will have to bin it, unless a charity shop can take it.

If you’re interested, please get in touch.

 

I got off to a rocky start because the lady who wanted it for her daughter was then unable to pick it up. Luckily a lady who was picking up something else I Freecycled a few days later (two porcelain dolls) asked me if I still had it and so she got that too.

 

Since then I have also Freecylced a Darth Vader phone, the two porcelain dolls, a Pram Wet Weather Cover and my friendâ??s old TV.

 

No one seems to want to Wet Weather Cover or the old TV, so we will have to dispose of them some other way. The point is, I am trying to find new homes for old stuff, rather than immediately throwing them away.

 

I do use Ebay a lot - buying and selling. However the time it takes to list an item, sort out postage etc. combined with the likelihood that, however usable, these items probably wouldnâ??t sell on Ebay or anywhere else, dissuaded me from trying that particular avenue in this case. I do recommend using Ebay though, and will blog about the usefulness, economy and eco-friendly aspects of Ebay at another time.

 

I also car boot. That was our other option. The problem with car booting in winter is that the weather is bad and not a lot of people come out. Also it takes a lot of time and I need my husband to help me, someone to watch the baby, which eats into what little family time we have, as Steve works six and sometimes seven days a week and oh the obstacles, it’s so boring, I’ll stop now…

 

I am doing my best to Freecycle something every day, so that I can have my office back without chucking it all.

 

I’ll let you know how it goes!