Introduction:
As the demand for eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic bags continues to grow, Aussie Bread Bags have become a popular choice for individuals and bakeries alike across Australia and beyond. These reusable bread bags are not only practical and convenient but also help reduce waste and promote sustainable living. To ensure that your Aussie Bread Bags stay fresh, clean, and ready for future use, it is essential to follow proper washing and care techniques. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through a detailed step-by-step process for washing your bread bags using a gentle hand wash method.
Step 1: Prepare the Washing Environment
Creating an optimal washing environment is the first step towards effectively cleaning your Aussie Bread Bags. Start by gathering the following materials:
Step 2: Empty the Bag and Shake Off Crumbs
Before beginning the washing process, empty the contents of the bread bag and give it a gentle shake to remove any loose crumbs or debris. This step helps prevent these particles from clinging to the fabric during the washing process.
Step 3: Soak the Bag
Submerge the bread bag in the warm water and allow it to soak for a few minutes. Soaking helps to loosen any stuck-on residue, making it easier to remove during the washing stage.
Step 4: Hand Washing
Add a small amount of the mild detergent to the warm water, creating a soapy solution. Gently agitate the water to evenly distribute the detergent. Take the bread bag and carefully hand wash it by gently rubbing the fabric together. Pay extra attention to any stains or soiled areas, using the soft-bristle brush if necessary. However, avoid using excessive force as it may cause damage to the bag's fabric or stitching.
Step 5: Rinse Thoroughly
Once you have finished washing the bread bag, rinse it under cool running water until all the soap residue is completely removed. It is crucial to ensure that no detergent remains in the bag, as it can affect the taste or aroma of your bread.
Step 6: Drying the Bag
To dry your Aussie Bread Bag, gently squeeze out any excess water without wringing or twisting the fabric. Lay the bag flat on a clean, dry towel or hang it in a well-ventilated area. It is important to allow the bag to air dry completely before storing or using it again. Avoid placing the bag in direct sunlight, as this can cause the fabric to fade over time.
Additional Tips for Care and Maintenance:
Conclusion:
By following these detailed steps and tips for washing your reusable Aussie Bread Bags, you can maintain their cleanliness and extend their lifespan. Proper care and maintenance not only help preserve the freshness and quality of your bread bags but also contribute to a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Embrace the reusable revolution and enjoy the benefits of using Aussie Bread Bags, knowing that you are making a positive impact by reducing plastic waste and supporting a greener future. Reusable, eco-friendly, and sustainable bread bags are an excellent choice for those looking to live a plastic-free, zero-waste, and environmentally friendly lifestyle. Incorporating low-waste practices like using compostable bread bags is a wise way to minimise your ecological footprint and promote a waste-wise society. Join the movement and make a difference today!
]]>The special procedures and machines that help sustain crucial body functions until your body heals enough to carry the functions on its own. Well, the ocean is to the planet what life support is to a weak body- it replenishes the planet.
That means prioritising ocean protection if we are to survive in the next few years.
Guess what’s the biggest threat to the ocean and the life on the planet?
Plastics.
Why are Plastics a threat to life on the planet?
Perhaps these statistics sourced from Condor Breaks will help paint the picture of the dangers of plastic on the planet.
One million plus seabirds and more than a hundred thousand marine animals breathe their last breath due to plastic pollution annually. All the baby turtles in the ocean have ingested plastic before moving to the sea.
Every day, close to 8 million bits of plastic find their way to the oceans. And the world doesn’t seem to slow down in the production of plastic waste- 381 million tonnes every year.
These stats are enough to worry you. To make you think about what the situation will be in ten years. Especially if we don't do something significant about it.
What's One Thing We Can do to Combat the Spiking Levels of Plastic Pollution?
That’s exactly where reusable bags come in.
Plastic packaging is the highest contributor to plastic pollution. Past a million plastic bags are disposed of every minute. The total usage of plastic bags around the world surpasses 500 billion annually making plastic the greatest culprit in plastic pollution.
If all plastic bags were replaced with reusable bags, a positive story would ensue on our oceans in the next ten years.
That is why the benefits of using reusable bags cannot be understated.
Let’s have a look at the benefits of using compostable bags for your business and the planet.
3 Key Benefits of Reusable Bags for Your Business and the Planet
Just like the name, reusable bags can be used more than once. Considering that most plastic bags can only be used once, having bags that can be used again means greatly reducing the total waste after disposal.
While we cannot talk about other reusable bags of this attribute, Aussie Bread Bags are bio-degradable. That means even after you are done using it and disposed of it, it isn't going to be a nuisance years later but rather manure for plants to grow on.
And if there's one sure way to guarantee a reduction in plastic bag waste, it's by making it compostable.
If the statistics mentioned before made you think about ways you and your business can make things better, then using bio-degradable reusable bags is one of those ways.
The best part is that it doesn’t involve changing a lot in how you do your business. Just the type of packaging bags you use and you immediately make leaps towards making the planet a better place.
]]>
What sustainable items are we speaking about?
Think wooden disposable cutlery in place of plastic. Reusable metal straws replacing plastic single use straws. Sustainable or recycled paper-based packaging.
Every little bit makes a difference. So apart from these few steps that we have mentioned above, you often find yourself asking ‘how can I become more sustainable in my everyday life?’
We have the top tips…
Start a home garden
Growing your own produce can be a fun and fulfilling way of building your sustainability credentials. There is nothing like eating a salad that you have grown yourself. Your own strawberries always taste better than any ones bought from the shop.
The best news? You don’t need to live on acreage to grow at least some of your own produce. You don’t even need a back yard! Something as small as pots on a kitchen bench can give you a great harvest of herbs. If you have a balcony, even better! Think tomatoes, Lebanese cucumbers, strawberries, lettuces, spinach or radishes. There are loads of fresh produce growing options for even the smallest space.
Eat less meat
Eat less meat…Now we aren’t suggesting that you totally give up meat and go vegan overnight! But, adding a few vegetarian meals to the weekly meals’ rotation is a great way to increase your sustainability.
How does this help? Simply, meat production is generally a high energy user and also contributes to a high level of emissions. So, eating just a little bit less will help reduce energy demands and emissions from both the energy and farming practices!
Recycle, repurpose, upcycle, sell
In the last few years, online sales platforms have opened up a totally new world in buying or selling second-hand items. Sell your no-longer-worn clothes or shoes, unused furniture or unwanted household items. It’s really easy to recycle, upcycle and sell extra odds and end pieces from around the house, while also giving you some spare change in your pocket.
There are so many online selling platforms now, that there’s almost no excuse to throw things out anymore!
Or, if you are feeling altruistic, donate your quality pre-loved items to charity to be re-sold and re-used.
Upcycle your old furniture by repainting, remodelling or repurposing. It could be a console table as a slim-line desk, repainting that old, battered dining table as an outdoor table or just using it in the garden as a planting table. Or, how about garden beds made from wood from transport pallets?
We’ve only just scratched the surface here, so let your imagination go wild. See what you can come up with and let us know in the comments!
]]>
The Great COVID-19 Reusable Disruption
And then the COVID-19 virus hit us. We had just learned to live in our strange, new and changing world. And the Delta strain took hold… What was expected to be the impact of COVID-19 on our sustainable living, light environmental footprint goals? It pretty much decimated the use of reusables for a short period time. It definitely set back progress by a lot of years and depleted any energy left in the grid.
What was the Issue with Reusables During COVID?
What happened? Initially, cafes and fooderies reverted back to single use plastics. Why? Well, it was due to the concern that the reusables could potentially carry the COVID-19 virus on their surfaces. In short, anything that had been in peoples’ homes was not welcome in cafes or fooderies. It was putting the health of the community at risk and potentially worsening or extending the effects of the pandemic.
Cleanliness and sterilisation became everyone’s favourite words. However, in our preoccupation with cleaning and sanitising to stifle the spread of the virus, the importance of reusables was diminished. Unfortunately, without a focus on their importance and reminders to use them, even discouragement in using them, their use dropped. Dramatically.
Not Necessarily the End for Reusables
It could easily have been, but this was not the end for reusables. As we learn more about the COVID-19 virus, its behaviour and how it spreads, the tide has once again turned in favour of sustainable options.
There have been many studies and experts who agree that as long as reusables are washed properly, there is no additional risk. That is that they are very safe for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Experts Agree, Even in a COVID-19 World, Reusables are Safe to Use!
There were over 125 experts from over 19 countries who agreed that reusables were safe.
What changed their minds from the beginning of the pandemic? It was that the research showed that the virus is transferred more by close contact between people and airborne droplets, rather than surface contact.
This means that our reusable coffee cups, straws or juice cups are back on the menu for a lot of cafes or shops. I can hear the collective sigh of relief from mother nature and our natural environment!
Reusables are back and it’s time to pick up where we left off and drive progress towards those sustainability goals once again.
]]>
Believe it or not, that little number inside the triangle on your plastic waste means something! It equates to the type of plastic that has been used to create that item and whether or not it can be recycled at home or industrially, trashed or possibly enter an alternative recycling program such as REDcycle.
To keep it simple and brief for you:
#1 = CAN be recycled through your yellow bin
#2 = CAN be recycled through your yellow bin
#3 = Rigid items CAN be recycled through your yellow bin, soft plastics through REDcycle or similar
#4 = soft plastics through REDcycle program or similar
#5 = CAN be recycled through your yellow bin
#6 = CANNOT be recycled through your yellow bin, avoid where possible!
#7 = Check with your local council
Click here to download the high-res version.
What can and cannot be recycled does differ from council to council throughout Australia, so if you're ever in doubt, get in touch with your local council for clarification to help ensure you're doing the right thing and helping to reduce your waste footprint.
]]>
But, when we still live very busy lives and are incredibly time poor, convenience is a must in our daily lives and single use bags at the supermarket just made things so easy. No worries about forgetting the reusable bags in the car (or at home). No reducing the amount of shopping you do to fit the bags you have with you. No buying additional bags that you need at the moment, but don’t need later, you have enough at home.
Single use bags were always there, you didn’t have to think about them, and they just magically increased in number according to your shop. So, how can we balance the convenience that single use plastic grocery bags gave us, with a sustainable, green future?
What alternatives to plastic grocery bags are available?
Let's find out…
Alternatives
The most popular alternatives to plastic grocery bags are jute or hessian, canvas or calico and paper bags (reusable of course).
What are the pros and cons of these and why are they the most popular?
Pros
Jute or hessian bags are the best options available as alternatives to plastic grocery bags. They are made from natural fibres which are renewable and sustainably produced. They are also biodegradable, so when they are too worn to use again (after hundreds, if not thousands of uses), just throw them on your compost heap and they will break down.
Source: alburyenvirobags.com.au
Calico or canvas bags also can be used hundreds or thousands of times, but an added bonus is that they are washable. That means no more dirty bags. Just pop them in the machine and they return to new. When you are choosing your bags, choose cotton options, as they last longer and have a more sustainable production footprint. As with jute or hessian bags, once their usable life is over, the materials are biodegradable, so cut them into small pieces and pop them in the compost.
Source: www.aussiebreadbags.com.au
Paper bags are made from renewable sources, can be very easily composted and can also be recycled. They are a winner also, just watch they don’t get wet!!
Source: officeworks.com.au
Cons
The only real drawbacks of either jute and hessian or calico and canvas bags are their manufacturing processes. They can have quite a significant footprint, so be careful to source sustainably produced bags and use them for their whole useful life. This will counteract any initial impacts.
Paper bags’ biggest drawbacks are their manufacturing process environmental impact and that they can only be used a few times.
Our recommendation
What’s our recommendation for a sustainably produced, reusable grocery bag to replace single use plastics?
Aussie Bread Bags! The range now has a new produce bag for your fruit and veggies, keeping things together and increasing convenience… the bag you put your bread or veggies in in the shop is the one they can be stored in when you get home! No double handling.
Aussie Bread Bags keep your bread and produce fresher for longer, are large and sturdy, made from renewable fibres, are washable, compostable, Australian made… the list goes on! Check out the range and their benefits here - https://www.aussiebreadbags.com.au/collections/larger-aussie-bread-bags.
]]>Paper bags are thought of as the environmentally better option when compared to single use plastic bags. Makes sense doesn’t it? There’s no (or minimal) oil used in a paper bags manufacture that causes pollution and is a renewable resource. Unlike plastics. Also, paper bags break down easily, so don’t litter our waterways and oceans forever.
The following might be very surprising to you then...
Research says:
Recent research and studies into the impacts of plastic and paper bags on the environment show some very interesting results. They suggest that it may be a misconception that paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic.
The impact of paper.
It has to do with the production process. Paper bags are far more resource heavy in their production than plastic bags. They use an estimated 4 times more water and produce over 3 times more greenhouse gasses.
Paper bags are also made of wood pulp, which is often from virgin resource (or first use resource) and is the result of forest clearing.
The manufacture of plastic.
Plastic bags are made from polyethylene, a by-product of natural gas refinement. This by-product would otherwise be discarded through being burned off. This burning off contributes to greenhouse gasses and causes pollution. It then could be argued that the manufacturing of plastic bags is actually helping to reduce the pollution from this from entering our atmosphere.
While that’s a bit of a stretch to paint this in too much of a positive light, it is a far better option at this point than paper bag manufacture.
End of useful life differences.
The differences between paper and plastic bag impacts on the environment that support the use of paper come at the end of the bags’ useful life. When the bags are discarded, paper will readily and easily decompose into organic matter and disappear without causing harm. Plastic does not. They often biodegrade into micro plastics or end up in our oceans and waterways. This causes pollution and is often harming or killing our wildlife.
The moral of the story.
The moral is, that to reduce your environmental footprint, steer clear of both paper and plastic in favour of natural fibre bags such as jute, cotton, canvas, calico, etc.
Aussie Bread Bags offer some great fabric bags to transport and store your bread, produce and groceries. In reality, though, the bags are so sturdy and versatile that they really can be used for transporting anything you need them to! They are sustainably produced and have a minimal impact on the environment.
Never need plastic bags again by visiting www.aussiebreadbags.com.au to buy your selectiong today.
]]>Hot, crusty with its soft, pillowy centre… it’s one of life’s very simple luxuries and we all love it. And don’t get me started on that heavenly smell of a freshly cooked or heated loaf…
Source: https://www.chatelaine.com/food/kitchen-tips/best-tips-for-keeping-bread-fresh/
But unfortunately, that fluffy goodness doesn’t stay fresh for very long. In what can seem like the blink of an eye your cherished loaf of bread is hard and stale, or worse still, growing its own little ecosystem of grey, green, white or strangely multicoloured mould. Even with the help or your best friend the Aussie Bread Bag assisting.
So, what do we do? We run the gauntlet and plunge our precious bread into the freezer to extend its life, just minutes before it turns into something that is completely unusable.
Source: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a52691/moldy-bread-safety/
I’m not sure about you, but in my house, once my prized loaf has moved to the freezer, it can be a clear case of out of sight, out of mind.
Now cold and hard, but very well preserved, it can hang out in the back of its new icy cold cave of a home for months before being found in my biannual freezer clean out and thawed for use.
How long can bread be kept frozen?
But have you ever wondered how long it is safe to keep that bread in the freezer for? Does bread have an expiry date even when it’s stored below -15C?
The short answer is yes, bread does have an expiry date, even when it’s frozen. Well, that’s one question answered, but how long do we have to thaw and reheat our favourite staple?
To get the low down, we asked a group of experts, and apparently this is quite the controversial topic.
The UK verdict:
In the UK, the guidelines are that your commercial loaf of bread or specialty baguette can be kept in your freezer for between 4 – 6 months. That is 4 months for your fancy baguette and up to 6 months for your trusty supermarket loaf.
But before you start to panic, it’s not that after this time the bread will make you sick if you eat it, it simply loses quality. It can taste stale, have a harder texture and start to fall apart when it’s thawed. Even the toaster won’t help if your piece is crumbling.
For this length of time, you also need to make sure your bread is stored away from the direct fan to avoid freezer burn and that lovely freezer taste.
Australia’s verdict:
Here in Australia, we are a little bit more conservative with our bread storage. The official guidelines are that bread should only be kept in the freezer for 3 months, and this is providing that it is stored in an airtight container.
However, follow these guidelines and you are all but guaranteed to be eating fresh tasting, fluffy bread when you pop it into the oven to thaw and refresh itself or crunchy toast from the toaster.
]]>
Reusable grocery bags have been heralded as the saviour of the environment and the eco-friendly alternative. But there are very convincing arguments for and against their use. Some points of view go as far to say that the so called ‘environmentally sustainable’ options are actually worse for the environment than single use plastics.
Source: https://eatright.org
We’ve done the groundwork and resolved the confusion in the following.
The Pros.
Of course, the use of reusable bags reduces the number of single use plastic bags that used, in turn, reducing the pollution caused by them. This can only be good for the environment and wildlife.
Reusable bags are tougher and more resilient than single use plastics, meaning they last longer. This also means there is a lower number needing to be disposed of, which reduces the amount that end up in landfill or in our oceans, also reducing the harm to marine life or animals caused by them. All good things as well.
Recycled and biodegradable bags can also mean the lifespan of plastics are extended, which means the demand for new ones is reduced. This, as a consequence, reduces the number of plastic bags needing to be manufactured. Even better news for the environment.
But it’s not all good news…
Source: pinterest.com
The Cons.
While some bags have a lower environmental impact than others, all bags leave some impact through their manufacturer and also in their disposal once their useful lifespan has been reached.
Being made out of stronger, tougher materials can also mean that they need more resources to manufacture, leaving a larger footprint on the environment initially. It does sound counter intuitive.
This leads to an interesting point…
Environment Friendliness Grows with the Number of Uses.
Here’s a very interesting point for you in regards to that possible counter intuitively mentioned earlier. If you were to measure the environmental friendliness of a single use plastic shopping bag against a multiple use bag, both only being used once, the single use plastic wins every time. It’s actually more environmentally friendly for single use! That’s a sobering thought.
Maximum environmental friendliness of multiple use bags is reached when they are used over and over again. The key to making your multi use bags the most eco-friendly it can be is to use them as many times as is possible. The more uses, the smaller the footprint it leaves behind.
In the UK, the minimum number of times a multi use bag should be reused is recommended to be:
Source: https://aussiebreadbags.com.au
Disposing of grocery bags in the proper way whether they are multi or single use bags; and recycling where possible at the end of their lives will also make sure that yours (and their) environmental footprint is minimised.
So, the outcome is YES, reusable shopping bags do help the environment, but only if they are used as they are intended. Many times over!
You can start your reusable bag journey today by purchasing an Aussie Bread Bags and saying good bye to single use plastic bread bags for good.
]]>While not many people have wells now-a-days, the essence of the saying still applies. This is particularly valid when we live in the driest populated continent on Earth. Australia’s average rainfall is a scant 470mm per year.
Source: wikipedia.com
But us Australians don’t let that worry us! We are right up there with the highest users of water per capita in the world. We use an average of 100,000L of water per person each year. Leaving quite a gap between 100,000L and 470mm!
While we aren’t totally reliant on rainwater to meet our water needs, we do still need to learn to be careful with water. Available fresh water in Australia is expected to reduce over the coming years with rainfall reducing due to climate change. We really do need to conserve as much as we can.
How do we do this?
Firstly, measuring the amount of water we use in our homes will give us a base to show savings. And this is quite easy. Just take a look at your water bill (or ask your rental agency for a copy). This will have the amount of water you use and a comparison against other homes in your suburb.
Where do we use the water then?
Our homes are directly responsible for about 12% of water usage each year. While this is not a large percentage, reducing it can save a significant amount of water for the future, not to mention money in water charges.
What are the biggest users of water inside our homes? These are typically our showers, responsible for 34% of indoor water usage in the average home, followed by toilets at 26% and then laundries at 23%. To make a change in our homes, lets target these with some of the following water conserving actions:
Source: winton.qld.gov.au
But what about outside? This is where 40% of household water is typically used.
As a population, we generally use drinkable water for everything inside and outside our homes. But we don’t really need to do this.
One option for gardens is using non-potable water such as tank or rainwater to keep our gardens and lawns lush. Another option is to capture the grey water from showers, washing, kitchen, etc in your home and use it to water the gardens and lawns, or cleaning the car, the boat or the house.
If you are landscaping, following a build or just updating your yard, use water sensitive urban design. This imitates the natural water balance that was present on the land prior to building or landscaping. Techniques include using permeable paving, filtration garden beds and swales or soakwells that hold stormwater, reducing run off and allow the water to soak back into the soil.
Source: gardners.com
Once again, these actions will not only save water for the future, they will also save you money! Once the initial investment in a grey water system or WELS rated taps or appliances is over, you can get some water for free! Imagine the savings!
]]>
Or you might have heard of one popular and very close relative of sustainable farming, called organic farming.
Yes, these two are similar, and share many common methods, but there are some significant differences.
Let’s look at why and how.
Sustainable farming is a system of agriculture that focuses on three main objectives:
It’s a holistic approach that uses new technologies in land management, minimising soil depletion, compaction and salinity, and generally managing potentially negative impacts of farming processes.
Efficiency and effectiveness are the focus. The motto of sustainable farming is ‘farm smarter, not harder’. This underpins the whole approach.
Sustainable farming holistically looks beyond pure production of crops, to increasing the profitability of practices and future potential of the business that underpins the farm.
Source: Farmmanagement.pro
What are some sustainable farming practices? Restricting the amount of heavy farming equipment used and maintaining consistent patterns where heavy machinery is used to minimise negative impacts. These practices reduce the amount the soil is compacted, allowing higher oxygenation of the soil and higher moisture levels. In short, improving soil health.
Integrated pest management is another key practice of sustainable farming. It looks at the lifecycle and biology of pests, changing practices to minimise damage. Pesticides and the like are used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.
Rotational farming or crop rotation and diversity practices are heavily relied on to support sustainable farming. This means growing a variety of crops on the one piece of land that help to improve soil health and reduce pests.
An example…. your lovely crop of carrots, leeks or white cabbage will dramatically deplete nitrogen in the soil, reducing the soil quality. After harvesting this crop, rather than just spreading fertiliser, you would plant a crop of beans or peas, or a cover crop of clover to replenish nitrogen in the soil. This can give you another profitable crop, while also maintaining the balance and health of the soil to maximise your income in the future.
Source: sustainability-times.com
Organic farming can be easily confused with sustainable farming and does use a lot of the principles and methods. But there is one big difference.
Organic farming has a narrower focus. It is a way of production that avoids the use of pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified plants or organisms and the like. Examples are the use of methods that encourage balanced host/predator relationships to manage pests and using only natural, renewable resources in production processes.
While both practices aim to build and maintain healthy soils, biodiversity and reduce pollution, organic farming is less focused on the underlying business. Less emphasis is placed on profitability and efficiency, with more emphasis on practices used and reducing environmental impacts. This is generally why organic products tend to be a premium price.
Source: researchleap.com
Sustainable farming takes a wider lens view to include economic and social sustainability of farming, as well as the environment. It aims to ensure equity is maintained, social impact is positive and ongoing, affordability of products is high and that the systems and methods are driven by a future focus.
At the end, it’s all about sustainability into the future for the farmer. Securing a future for our farming industries. It’s about farming smarter, not harder.
]]>It’s a very busy time of year at the moment. Whoever named this end of year season a ‘holiday’ obviously did not have children!
Once you have survived the craziness of Christmas, and then revelry of new year’s eve, back to school and it’s very necessary preparation is hiding just around the corner to greet you!
There are school bags, lunch boxes, stationery items, uniforms, shoes, hats, electronics and books to buy; the list seems to be never ending!
So how can you do back to school in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way? Read on for our top tips…
No, we don’t mean the academic ones; we mean the sustainable three Rs:
Source: urbanimpact.com
To start with, we all know just how fast kids grow, so why not reuse as many uniforms as possible? Many school uniform shops offer both new and second-hand uniforms, hats (washed well, thankfully) and school bags for sale. Buying good quality second hand can mean you are paying less, while you are saving the environment at the same time.
Many schools or communities also have swap days or social platforms that can link you with other families who may have reusable items available for swap or sometimes just to give away.
You might score some pre-loved text books also!
Source: shutterstock
Stationery can be a killer. All that paper in note pads and books, plastic in erasers, rulers and pens, and of course the pencil cases that get destroyed and need replacing at least twice a term.
How can you make your stationery purchases more sustainable? Buy products made from natural, renewable or recycled materials.
Recycled note pads and books are generally available anywhere and are just as easy to locate as non-recycled products, at the same price many times.
Check that your pens and pencils are made from either recycled or environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials.
Buy fabric pencil cases rather than plastic, they have some great, junky patterns, are washable and often a lot more durable than their plastic counterparts.
Source: shutterstock
Lunch boxes can be the trickiest things in your sustainability efforts. They are often filled with plastic pre-packaged foods and snacks that take a very heavy toll on the environment.
Our tips in this space are to try recyclable containers where possible; buy a quality set of containers and wash and reuse.
Buying snacks in bulk, rather than individually pre-portioned packages. This will not only save some extra packaging from landfill, it can be easier on your wallet also.
Try linen or cotton bags to divide snacks between (Aussie Bread Bags have a range of sizes available). They keep baked items and sandwiches fresh and fruit and snacks contained. Cotton or linen bags are light in weight and best of all, they are washable and reusable for the entire year, if not beyond.
Source: shutterstock
Good, sustainable habits always start at home, so while you are in the sustainable mindset, why not restock your linen bread bags from Aussie Bread Bags for the new school year. They are available in a range of sizes and brilliant for keeping all your sandwich bread fresher for longer, without the environmental toll.
]]>Christmas can be a beautiful time of year.
Full of love, laughter, family and friends, giving and receiving. It's the one time of year most of us look forward to for these exact reasons.
But for some of us, Christmas can be a lonely and saddening time. Something may have changed throughout ones year to change their circumstance this Christmas or perhaps it's always this way for them.
It's important to remember this and give back when we can.
Volunteering.
There are countless charities and not-for-profit groups around Australia doing so much for those in need year round. They're always in need of volunteers to help deliver goods, serve food or just lend a hand with whatever they need.
Here's just a few to look at, but ask around to find a local group you can help with.
We All Care
Meals On Wheels
Wayside Chapel
The Smith Family
The Salvation Army
Share the Dignity
Homeless Shelter
The other important way we can give back at Christmas is by:
Donating.
This time of year can also bring busier than usual schedules to many of us, thus you may not find volunteering an option for you, donating is also just as important! This such as food, gifts, clothing or even donating you Return & Earn money instead of taking the receipt for yourself can be a huge help to organisations such as below at this time of year.
Again, check out your local area to see who you can donate to.
OzHarvest
Stewart House
Barnardos
Foodbank
Sisters of Charity
Donate your Return & Earn
So please, if you're in a position to help spread the love and positivity to those who need it most this Christmas, please consider giving back this Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone, from Aussie Bread Bags.
]]>Christmas is one of the most exciting, stressful and chaotic times of the year! In some way we all get caught up in the hype of shopping, gifts, huge amounts of food and decorations.
But the Christmas season can also mean huge amounts of waste, more than any other time of the year.
What types of waste are we talking? Think wrapping paper, food packaging, packaging from gifts, Christmas cards, unwanted gifts… you get the picture.
Source: Sustainabros.org.au
So, how can we reduce the amount of waste at Christmas time and create a more sustainable way to celebrate? Here are our favourite ways...
Reuse your wrapping paper. I always remember my grandmother making us kids be very careful not to tear the paper when we opened our presents, so she could use it next year. While her driver was purely saving money, from a sustainability point of view, she was well ahead of her time!
She hadn’t found these, but gift bags or boxes are also a great option, they look amazing and can be reused many, many times! Did you know, you can also buy already recycled paper for gift wrapping?!
Another one to avoid during the festive season is single use cutlery and plates or cups! Although it can be tempting to buy and use those cute little Christmas themed sets, these are just plain wasteful when you have perfectly good cutlery and crockery in your drawer already!
Source: Nationalstorage.com.au
None of us want to get caught out without a gift for someone, so we buy more gifts than we need. Even worse, we’ve all received those unwanted gifts that are either thrown out or sent to charity.
Carefully planning your present buying and maybe even asking your recipient or someone close to them for tips of what they might like can mean you buy gifts that are really appreciated. This also reduces the amount of ‘just in case’ gifts needed.
You could also consider purchasing your loved ones an 'experience' instead of a physical gift. Maybe a voucher to that new restaurant they've been wanting to try, or an art class or maybe something extreme for the thrill seeker. There's plenty of choices out there, and a lot of them are experiences we never buy for ourselves so it's even better when someone buys it for you!
Eco friendly bon-bons can also fall under this category. Rather than buying the stock standard ones from the shops that are made on mass, and filled with cheap plastic, crappy toys that usually end up in the bin at the end of the day, why not make your own eco friendly ones! I absolutely love these ones by the Inspired Little Pot, and they're super easy to make!
Source: OAWM.com.au
There’s been a big push lately to buy Australian and buy locally produced products. These are a great way to support your local communities and drive sustainable consumer practices. There are some great products and gift ideas available with just a little bit of searching on Facebook or Google.
Another option is buying your fresh fruit and veggies from farmers markets or local growers. This supports your local businesses, as well as reducing the amount of packaging that can come with supermarket fruit and veggies.
Source: earth911.com
Not all gifts need to be bought. Homemade or handmade gifts can have a very special meaning attached to them. They are something you have taken the time and effort to make yourself.
Examples of these are baked goods such as Christmas biscuits, cakes, sweets or treats. Or, if someone you know has a green thumb, why not grow them a plant or seedling yourself?
Again, eco friendly bon-bons can be home made! It’s gifts like this that can be even more meaningful than the packaged options that you might buy.
Source: Etsy
Let’s face it, we all love Christmas lights. And they only use a small amount of electricity, don’t they?
Well, yes, but there are options that use no electricity at all. Why not try solar lights to be super sustainable? They charge up during the day and then sparkle and twinkle well into the night. They are comparably priced to traditional Christmas lights and they cost you absolutely nothing to run!
Source: Sunny Bunny Solar
We hope you enjoy your Christmas with these sustainable ways to celebrate!
]]>
A lot of Australians are happily making the switch to more and more reusable products daily. And whilst this is great, we all need to be aware of how to clean our reusables properly to eliminate the possibility of spreading any potential germs.
So let's talk about cleaning our reusable Aussie Bread Bags.
There's plenty of great features that our founder, Holly Cabarrus, wove into an Aussie Bread Bag upon creation. But the mum of three knew that there was one absolute essential feature to be included.
Wanting Aussie Bread Bags in every household across Australia, Holly knew that ease of use (and maintenance) had to be at the forefront for busy parents to find it easy to make the change. That's why machine washable was at the top of the list!
After all, how easy is it to just be able to chuck your reusable cups in your dishwasher without special instructions?! Well, the same goes for Aussie Bread Bags!
Usually, just shaking out the crumbs (tip* we do it outside to give the birds a little treat too) in between uses is enough, but if there's ever a time, you accidentally smear jam all over your bread bag, you can chuck it in with your normal load of washing.
How good is that!
To become part of the solution sweeping across Australia and completely eliminate your need for plastic when it comes to buying your bread, get yourself an Aussie Bread Bag here.
]]>
In Australia, Halloween has become more and more popular over the last few years. It turns out that as a nation, we love to be scared!!
Retailers are stocking more decorations and costumes every year. These do seem to get scarier by the year also!
But are the ghosts and skeletons, the spiders, the severed fingers or blood and gore the scariest things about Halloween? Studies say no, they are not.
Source: Emojipedia.org
What started out with environmentally innocent pumpkin carvings, has now morphed into a holiday of environmental horrors.
Studies carried out in the UK in 2017 and published in the Guardian estimate that 2,000 tonnes of plastic wastes are generated by throwaway Halloween costumes sold through leading retailers. Scary stuff! Keep in mind, also, that this was just in the UK, and just in that year alone.
Source: Mcsuk.org
The study also found that 83% of the materials used to make these costumes were manufactured using oil-based plastics. From an environmental view, it really does not get a lot worse! The growth in popularity of the holiday means that this season is getting scarier and scarier as we go along.
Topping off the horror is the fact that a majority of these plastics – the equivalent of 83 million plastic bottles – will end up in landfill. And we all know the effect these can have on the environment.
If we remember, some plastics can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfill! With other plastic bottles, cutlery and table ware taking 450 years or more to disintegrate. That’s a very long time to recover from the environmental damage resulting from one single night!
It is these things that are becoming the scariest thing about Halloween. And these numbers are only expected to grow.
Not as many as you would think... It turns out that the terror for the environment caused by this holiday continues. Less than 1% of Halloween costumes and the materials used to manufacture these costumes are recycled. That is truly horrifying!!
Source: Shortlist.com
At this point, all we have focused on are costumes! We’ve completely ignored other waste areas such as decorations, single use plastic cutlery, plastic table ware, trick or treat bags, party goods and packaging for food or lollies / sweets. These wastes haven’t even dropped into our bucket!
The total cost to the environment and amount of waste from this one holiday is truly getting to the point where they are rivalling even the worst horror movie and sending a chill through even the most horror-hardened soul!
There are some very simple and easy things that we can do to reduce the impact and reduce the horror of this holiday. We can:
Reuse, swap or recycle costumes.
Use recycled or recyclable materials to make your frightening decorations.
Source: harmony1.com
Make sure you recycle plastic materials after they are used.
Choose costumes that are made from renewable materials such as cotton, bamboo, flax, hemp or linen.
Use cloth bags for trick or treat bags. Send the kids out with an Aussie Bread Bag with some decorations on it to collect their sweets.
Reduce the horror
Even these simple steps can help reduce the horror of this holiday for the environment.
So, enjoy your chills and spills in a more responsible way, without the environmental impact overshadowing as the scariest thing!
Sources:
]]>
It was the stuff of dreams just 12 months ago. Being able to avoid the hassle of a long commute to work and just work from home. Imagine how much extra work you could get done during the day?
In the past six months, it’s become our new norm. Thanks to the impact of COVID19 many of us have been and continue to permanently work from home until further notice.
While it was a novelty at first, it’s a great example of the need to be careful what we wish for!
We all know and understand now, that working from home comes with both its benefits and its drawbacks!
As humans, we are an adaptable bunch.
While our daily physical activity and number of steps have taken a huge nosedive (its only 100 steps from one end of the house to the other), we are gradually working to correct this. We are getting outside and walking more. Taking the kids to the park. Walking to the corner shop.
The separation of work and home life is far more difficult. This has hit hard. But even with this, we are also working through it. We are putting in solutions that mean there is a separation of work from home life. We are beginning to be more disciplined about turning off the laptop and phone at a reasonable time. And we are becoming very able multi-taskers.
Our mental health had been a great concern. While this needs continual monitoring and work, the good news is that we are reaching out. Larger numbers of us are reaching out to the appropriate services and seeking help where we need. And that’s a very good thing. We are also reaching out to each other more, just checking in and seeing if our friends and co-workers are all ok.
So, while we were shocked at some of the drawbacks of our dream working environment, we are an adaptive lot, and we are working around it.
One of the biggest winners from our new workplace arrangements are the benefits to environmental sustainability in our lifestyles.
The flexibility we have realised in working from home means we have more time in our days to really think about our lifestyles and making them more sustainable. And we are doing this!
We are driving less, meaning less pollution, less greenhouse gasses and fewer cars on our roads. And lets face it, at home we are much more likely to open the window than turn on the aircon, saving on electricity and being more sustainable. We are cooking and eating at home more, which means less food packaging and less waste.
We are shopping less and consuming less. Just go to your local shopping centre on Thursday night. It’s now likely almost a ghost town, with a lot of shops closing at 7pm rather than 9pm or later! There are just not the numbers of customers! This is driving less consumerism.
Our lifestyles at home are far more sustainable. We have dramatically reduced our carbon footprint. Those huge offices can be more often powered down, with less staff in them. They don’t need all lights on, all the time. We can close off areas in the office that are not in use, and turn off the aircon also! In the example above, with shops closing earlier, they are also reducing their energy footprint and minimising electricity needs.
We are also reducing the amount of plastics being used in our days. Rather than buying lunch from the café next to work, which is all packaged, many times in single use plastics, and also possibly using plastic cutlery, we are eating leftovers from last night’s dinner out of the fridge. We are eating these using our own re-usable, washable plates and cutlery.
Our daily coffee habits have also changed, making our own coffee at home means no disposable coffee cups or plastic lids. It’s more often your favourite coffee mug.
But it doesn’t stop there. We are actively looking for reusable, sustainable products. Cloth nappies are making a comeback for parents. Bonds have just released a new range of reusable feminine wear. And because we have the time to pop the washing on more easily, we are choosing sustainability over convenience. They are taking off!
Another great option is reusable bags for shopping bags or bread bags. Products such as Aussie Bread bags mean less cost to your wallet and also the environment. And with less time stress, we are very effectively integrating sustainable choices into our lives.
Well done Australia! Keep it up!
]]>
We’ve heard a lot about them. Some people say they are harmless and too small to do any damage. Others say that because they are so small, they cause more damage.
Microplastics have been a point of debate due to a lack of research and understanding of their impact. But in recent years this has changed. We now have a better understanding of their impact and the real cost of these small evils to the environment.
So, what are they? What are they in? How do they really impact our environment?
Microplastics are tiny, tiny pieces of plastic that are 5mm in diameter or smaller. And many are much, much smaller than that.
It turns out there are two types of micro plastics, aptly called primary microplastics and secondary microplastics.
Primary microplastics are plastics that are intentionally made that small, they are manufactured with the entire purpose of being that small and not degrading easily.
Secondary microplastics appear when larger plastics, such as single use plastics degrade and break into smaller and smaller pieces. As an example, one biodegradable plastic garbage bag, can easily break into hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of pieces of microplastic. That’s a little bit scary!
Pictured: one single plastic bag floating in the ocean can turn into millions of microscopic pieces of plastic during its 'breakdown' process.
Ok, we get secondary microplastics were originally larger plastics that we use in our everyday life.
We understand where they come from. It could be anything from take away containers that go to landfill, plastic tubes from your beauty products, plastic packaging from your bread or frozen goods, plastic bags, you get the picture.
Have a think through your daily life, you might be surprised at the amount of plastics you use during your normal day.
Primary microplastic can be a little bit sneakier. One of the most common products these are found in are in face or body scrubs, cosmetics or exfoliators. They are specifically made as ‘micro-beads’ that act as the exfoliant.
Even more worrying is that many toothpastes, particularly whitening toothpastes, also contain micro-beads. Just think with this, while this goes directly into your bathroom sink and straight into our waterways many times, you also could be swallowing some.
Another use of microplastics is in high pressure blast cleaning for machines, engines or the like to get rid of rust, grime or paint.
Pictured: Primary microplastics can hide in made made products such as skin exfoliants and toothpaste, which both wash directly into our waterways.
The problem with microplastics is that they don’t break down any further. In theory, they can actually be in our environment forever.
They also are so small that many times even the strongest filtration system don’t take them out of our waste water. So they get a free pass straight from our face scrubs, toothpastes or car engine cleans and into our oceans.
It’s at this point that they cause horrendous problems. They are eaten or ingested, either intentionally or unintentionally, by fish and other small marine animals. These can be ingested by marine animals such as types of plankton, crustaceans or even marine worms. The plastics then make these animals sick, in the best case, or can even kill them in the worst case.
And it doesn’t stop there. Moving up the food chain, these smaller animals are eaten by larger ones, who get the little belly full of microplastics also. Follow this further up and you will likely find humans eating fish or sea salt that also contains microplastics.
Quite concerning really!
Pictured: A deceased seabird, revealed the amount of plastics that can be ingested over a lifetime, and likely the cause of this birds death as many plastics cannot be passed.
As usual though, we can make a difference by making a few small changes in our lives. Here's a few simple changes that will make a direct impact towards the contribution of microplastics.
- Use natural cosmetic products which use plant based exfoliants.
- Buy toothpaste without microplastics in them.
- Be mindful of the plastics we buy and use during our normal day to day life.
- Always choose reusable options where possible and recycle any other time.
Small changes when made together can make a huge difference.
Products such as Aussie Bread Bags reusable, breathable, fabric bags can replace plastic bags in our day and make a big difference to the environment around us.
]]>It also looks very on-trend sitting on our kitchen benches, filled with delicious fresh bread.
And this is not the end of the linen magic. As a natural fibre that breathes, linen bread bags are said to keep your bread fresher for longer and mould free.
But do they actually work? Are they worth your hard earned money to buy?
In a recent test (carried out just last year) three common storage methods for bread were tested to see which delivered the best results in keeping your bread fresh longer.
What methods were tested?
The Glass Cloche.
While it looks lovely on the bench, using a glass cloche with no ventilation, on a wood or marble cutting board, was an epic fail in keeping bread fresh. The bread was not able to breathe and went mouldy within three days.
It was noticed that the crust went soft very shortly after the bread was stored under the cloche. Too much moisture was trapped, and the result was mould, rendering your lovely loaf inedible.
The next step was to add some ventilation under the cloche to keep the moisture under control. However, while adding ventilation helped with the mould when the loaf was sitting on its side, the bread that was exposed to the air dried out very quickly and became stale. And when the bread was resting on its cut end? The cut end went mouldy. Both results were a fail.
The drawer or the bread box.
Two loaves were tested in a bread box, one with the cut end open to the air, the other with the cut end pushed against the side of the drawer or box with a linen towel protecting it (keep this in mind for later).
Where the cut was protected, the loaf in the drawer or box stayed pretty close to its original, fresh texture and feel – soft on the inside and crusty on the outside for three days. A success!
Where the cut end was open to the air, the middle of the bread dried out and became hard within a few hours. A stale fail.
The linen bread bag.
Hands down the best results, but for a shorter time period on the bench. For two days the linen bread bag kept the bread fresh and soft, with a crusty crust and zero mould.
Following that time, the crust started to harden, and the hardness moved quickly into the soft centre. Within four days the bread was hard enough to be a weapon. However, we call two days of freshness from a linen bread bag a success.
Think back for a minute, remember the results from the bread box? The cut loaf was protected by linen and remained fresh for three days.
So, optimal results in the short term are a linen bread bag. For longer lasting fresh bread, you will get optimal results from the combination of an Australian made Aussie Linen Bread Bag, in a bread box. The longest lasting results are to freeze your freshly bought bread once it's cooled from cooking and only thaw what you need when you need it in an Aussie Bread Bag to allow it to breathe and not become soggy.
Visit our online store today to buy your Australian made linen bread bag.
Inspiration: https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-store-bread/
]]>We’re proud to say that we’ve worked hard to hand master a reusable storage solution for your fresh breads with all the bells and whistles.
All whilst keeping them at an affordable price.
Created by an Aussie mum with mums in mind, she believes a no fuss product was essential to become part of every household.
The Anatomy of Aussie Bread Bags:
Check out more about Aussie Bread Bags online where you can also purchase one for your home and have it plastic free delivered to your door!
]]>It feels like this July has just flown back around!
Anyway, this year, I've put a list together of the absolute necessities that I feel should be replaced with sustainable options around our homes.
These are items that just about all of us use in our homes every day. Check them out and next time you need a new one, look into upgrading yours to a sustainable option.
Beauty and Personal Care
Razor - a stainless steel one that has replaceable blades.
Shaving cream - these can be bought as bars instead of in the traditional tins.
Menstrual cup - a fabulous alternative to the hundreds of tampons us ladies go through!
Period underwear - these are a great option for overnight use during your period.
Makeup removers - I often suggest just a facecloth to remove makeup, but you can also get REUSABLE makeup remover wipes.
Shampoo and conditioner - So many package free options out there now!
Soap - make your own or buy package free from your local market.
Home
Bin liners - biodegradable bin liners are a household must!
Straws - if you haven't already, get yourself a pack of reusable straws.
Sponge - reusable sponges are the way to go! When they get grubby, wash and reuse, and rotate a few. Mine are going on five years old.
Silicone baking mat - say goodbye to tin foil forever.
Tea infuser - did you know there are micro-plastics in teabags? Use loose leaf tea instead.
Paper towel - there's reusable alternatives now! Another way to reduce our footprints!
Pegs - replace the classic 'always breaking' plastic ones with stainless steel! No rusting, no breaking.
Dog poop bags - if you have a pooch, and bin his 'business', please ensure it's in a biodegradable bag!
Shopping bags - we should all have reusable shopping bags by now, both at home and in the car, so we never forget.
Kitchen
Bread bags - eliminate your need for plastic when buying or baking a fresh loaf of bread. You can get yourself an Aussie Bread Bag via our website.
Produce bags - no need to use the thin plastic bags at the grocery stores, take your own reusable ones.
Food pouch - a spill proof way to transport food around, perhaps take leftover with you.
Silicone bowl toppers - a great way to store leftovers without plastic.
Reusable sandwich bags - no more single use plastic sandwich bags for school lunches.
Reusable bottle - don't pay for something that falls from the sky for free. Take your own from home.
Lunchbox - stainless steel compartment lunch boxes are just the best. Try one and you'll never go back.
Coffee cup - notorious for needing that on the go coffee? Providing your own is a must.
Follow us on socials for more Plastic Free suggestions as well as weekly sustainable tips and tricks to help you live a more earth friendly life.
]]>
Now, 33 years later in 2020, the worlds population is fast approaching 8 billion people worldwide with China and India leading the way with in excess of one billion each, largely due to poverty, illiteracy and lack of contraceptive needs to women.
At this rate, we’re expected to hit 10 billion people worldwide, which many scientists believe is the maximum number of humans the Earth can sustain, between 2040-2050.
Between limited availability of fresh water and constraints on food production, things could turn ugly very quickly. (Read more).
The purpose of World Population Day is to raise awareness amongst us all of population issues we are facing and to highlight ways we can improve way of life to flatten this curve.
This website tracks the worldwide population live and it’s frightening to watch.
]]>In my opinion reusables should be used over a single use throwaway any day. Whether it be a bag, a cloth, a bottle or anything in between. And this goes for both plastic and non plastic items.
So, the use of paper towel vs a sponge or cloth? For me, it'll always be a reusable cloth or sponge.
The manufacturing of either of these goods are going to include water and energy, harvesting, transport, processing, packaging, storage, and then more energy to sell the goods, lighting in the stores, the list goes on.
So when you think about it like that and how much an item has gone through just to end up being used by me, you soon realise why it's so wasteful to only use that item once and then throw it away.
Some people can be concerned about the potential germs that lie waiting for you in your sponge between uses and would prefer the single use throwaway (with any germs) of paper towel instead, but I think common sense should prevail here. If you are cleaning your sponges and cloths thoroughly, the way we should anyway, there is very little chance of them harbouring some deadly germ it's picked up from your bench top.
After all, cloths really are just like our tea towels we use daily. When they mop up a spill of sorts, just pop them into your washing machine (or even dishwasher can do the trick depending on the item) on a hot wash and hang to dry. You can get years out of your reusables this way which is not only better for the planet, but for you back pocket!
]]>There’s nothing like fresh bread. Crusty on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. It’s heaven in a slice and most of us love it.
The hard part is keeping bread fresh so you can enjoy the whole loaf. Leave your lovely loaf out on the bench, unprotected and it will start to go dry and hard within hours. Put it in the fridge and it loses its softness, fluffiness and crustiness all at the same time.
Plastic bags have been hailed as the saviour of fresh bread for many years, keeping it fresher for longer. But in reality, they don’t breathe, meaning you lose your crusty crust in the best case scenario, and grow a large crop of mould in the worst case (and most frequent) scenario. The bad news is that when mould in residence, you can’t reuse the plastic bag either, which leads to plastics being thrown out and more damage to the environment.
What to do to keep your bread fresh?
Don’t despair. There are environmentally friendly and sustainable options out there that keep your bread fresher for longer - reusable bread bags! And they've become more and more popular in recent years.
However, there have been many (and sometimes heated) arguments around whether linen bread bags or cotton bread bags actually work. Do bread bags actually keep your bread fresher for longer?
The good news - bread bags do work!
Popular opinion says yes, cloth (whether it be cotton or linen) bread bags do keep your bread fresher for longer; and the research backs it up.
History also supports it; linen bread bags have been the most well-kept secret of the French for centuries, and we know how much the French love their bread!
Natural fibres such as linen or cotton are perfect for keeping bread fresh for longer, and Australian made Aussie Bread Bags are a perfect option.
How do linen bread bags or cotton bread bags work?
What is the magic that these natural fibres make? The trick is that they prevent too much moisture being present around the bread, at the same time as preventing too much moisture loss from destroying the texture of your loaf of fresh bread. Bread bags do this through:
Better still, cloth bread bags are reusable bread bags. Just give them a 'shake out' of crumbs or a wash when necessary and you can use them again and again.
A couple of extra tips for keeping bread fresh for longer:
1: Keep your loaf unsliced. Let the crust do its job and keep the insides of the bread soft and fluffy. Only slice your bread when you're ready to eat it.
2: Keep the sliced side face down. Once its sliced, the inside of the bread will start to stale if left exposed. The easiest way to avoid this is by standing it up on its end. Aussie Bread Bags were designed with this in mind and why they have a squared bottom at the base to make for easy standing.
Where to get your reusable bread bags?
Aussie Bread Bags offer a wide range of premium quality, Australian made natural linen reusable bread bags. With a variety of sizes and combinations available to you at affordable prices, delivered to your door, you're sure to find what you're looking for.
Shop the website and buy yours online today.
Watch our bread freshness demonstration on reusable bread bags vs single use plastic bread bags below.
]]>Let's look into each option a little further.
If you are using an electric heater, the cost to the environment of heating a room by as little as one extra degree for a year can be equal to between 310kg and 360kg of extra carbon dioxide that is being released into our atmosphere. That’s a little bit scary!!
Oil heaters are not such a good choice either. Oil is made from fossil fuels and is a non-renewable and non-sustainable fuel source. It’s also incredibly resource intensive to mine, refine, store and transport.
If your oil heater is a fin or radia system, it will need electricity to heat the oil in the system, which potentially comes at a cost to the environment (unless you use a renewable power source). If your heating system burns oil, it will have higher carbon emissions than substitutes such as wood or gas. If possible, it’s best to avoid this option.
So, we’ve established that fossil fuel driven heating systems are not necessarily the most environmentally friendly way to keep us warm in winter. But what are the best systems to keep us warm and reduce the impact of heating our homes over the cooler months? We’ve listed the most efficient heating solutions below.
We all know using solar power is incredibly efficient and far better for the environment. Installing solar panels on your roof can provide an efficient and environmentally friendly source of electricity to run your traditional heater. The only negative impact is from manufacturing of the panels initially, but these have a life of 10+ years, so it’s still better than other alternatives.
It’s the most traditional source of heating and a lot of us have fond memories of wood heaters. So how much does this impact the environment?
Wood is a renewable source of energy, although it might take a few decades for trees to grow, they do eventually grow, and they trap carbon dioxide along the way. A 10-year-old tree will trap just over 20kg of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. At the same time, it also releases enough oxygen into the atmosphere to support two humans for the same amount of time!
It is, however, labour and resource intensive to harvest and does add a bit of carbon to the atmosphere when it’s burned. However, if you look at the big picture, it pretty much pays for itself in terms of its environmental cost. That’s a pretty good option.
Not sure what propane is? It’s a bi-product of the petrol refining or natural gas production process.
It can be an efficient option in terms of emissions, as it burns cleaner than petrol or oil. It is classified as a non-renewable fuel, though, and manufacturing, storage and transport are highly resource intensive.
The news in this space is quite good. Natural gas heaters produce lower gas emissions than oil or electricity and is one of the most economical in terms of cost to you to run.
In not so good news, though, it is a non-renewable fuel and reserves are declining. A process called ‘fracking’ has started being used to extract more gas out of reserves, however this has a heavy impact on surrounding environments, ecosystems and water supplies.
When you are considering your home heating options that have the least impact on the environment as possible, choosing a heater that uses renewable energy sources is best.
]]>So now let's think about that wheelbarrow I mentioned earlier (or another infrequently used item around your home if you don't have a wheelbarrow) and tell me, when was the last time you used it? And then the time before that? Most of us will likely only use an item like a wheelbarrow once a year, yet we bought one and it sits in the back shed for the other 364 days of the year. Not ideal. Also, did you see the neighbour down the road come home last weekend with a brand new wheelbarrow from the store? Maybe he could have borrowed yours instead for his small once a year job he has.
Ok, maybe it's not a wheelbarrow, maybe it's every type of kitchen appliance known to man you have. The point is, it's not really necessary for everyone to have their own one of everything. There are plenty of items around our homes we use infrequently and could be shared amongst each other when needed.
And if no one you know has the item you require, have a look into hiring the item. You'll soon find that there are many companies out there willing to hire infrequently used items or items that are used for a limited amount of time to you. Things such as baby goods, tools, special occasion dresses, gardening tools, the list is endless and these link to just some companies that do it. There are lots out there for various needs and budgets.
How does this all affect the environment?
Well, let's think about that item around your home you don't use often. And let's think about how that item was manufactured.
How much water was used? How much power? Where were the materials sourced? Are they renewable (ie wood) or is it all plastic? What chemicals were used to create that plastic and what fumes were let into the atmosphere during manufacture? When you really break it down, sometimes the results can be frightening, then you multiply it by sometimes billions to include the manufacture of the same item all around the world and you can very quickly see why we sometimes consume our resources faster than they can be replaced, or 'over-consume'.
The two direct ways in which less consumption would help the environment are:
1. Less pollution created for manufacture.
2. Less trash/landfill left over once it's finished with (it's got to end up somewhere after all).
How you can help?
Consider every purchase you make. Do you really need it? Or can it maybe be borrowed from someone or even hired? Ask yourself how many times you'll use said item for the duration of its life, and if the answer is less than 5, definitely look into sharing or hiring rather than buying.
]]>