Video fail :(

Well I got some really exciting mail (!!) and took a video showing it, but once again I have been foiled by internet quality.

Well good news, just in time, I received my Lifesaver Bottle. AND I opened up the package and there was no plastic wrapping! Hurrah :). Huge win. However, there were also no instructions so I have yet to set the thing up. Hahaha. I think it should be very straightforward, I just have to prime the filter. Once it is up and going I will be able to take water from any source and be able to drink it! No one plastic bottles for me. 

Just in time to because I arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia last night. There is purchased bottled drinking water in my hostel (Six Degrees) which is very nice but (from today) it looks like purchasing water is the only way to go. Good thing I can thwart that. 

I have eaten street food once, and it was a sit down place with reusable plastic dishes. The other place I have seen used card stalk paper to serve their dish. I have yet to try bringing my own take away container but I think that will be doable. The only foreseeable issue is the language barrier as food safe is of a different standard than I was taught :P. I am not too worried.

Well I will set up my bottle tomorrow and try it out, then give another update!

Shampoo review

Well I have used the shampoo and conditioner from Lush twice now. Before I used it the first time it occurred to me that I might need a more sophisticated way of carrying it than loose. After all, I would have to get it wet...then what? Well I tried just shaving a small amount off first to use. That worked okay... but didn't really lather and I ended up using quite a bit. So, it would keep it dry but I think I would run out fairly fast.

So then the next time I tried using it more like a bar of soap. That worked a lot better, it lathered and seemed to work well. The past couple of times my hair has seemed to get greasy a bit earlier. I will have to monitor that a bit. But then I have this issue of letting it dry or packing it wet...? No good.

So the new plan is to make to carrying cases (which will drain :) ) out of pop cans! Haha cool! We got the idea after watching some youtube videos on how to make a backpacking stove. How hard could it be? 

So that is tomorrows project, to construct this container. Only one more week of this super lame internet. Hopefully the next country will allow me to upload pictures. It is Indonesia, so we will see.

I have something really exciting in the mail. I am reeeeeally hoping it will arrive tomorrow. Oh man! I will keep you posted.

New Product!!

Well the time has come... new deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, all with no plastic packaging! Hurrah. Thanks Lush. Of course, who knows if I will like them all.


I have a picture but as usual I cannot upload it. Gah this internet is terrible :(. 

I have been using the deodorant for about a week now (it is a solid white, smells weird :P) and I gotta say, I am reeeeally happy with it. Actually, it is the best I have ever tried (including the clinical strength stuff). It has minimal ingredients but it blocks all smell and keeps my shirts really nice. I am really hoping that I am as happy with the shampoo as I am with the deodorant. 

Of course, they are quite expensive. ($11, $15, and $10 / kg respectively). I have pretty high expectations that it will last a long time though. At least until I am back in Canada would be nice :).

The next adventure will be to figure out a carrying case...

WOW!!!! (More research is needed :P)

Holy! I just saw a post from my Aunt on my facebook wall about an invention to clean up the ocean. 

http://inhabitat.com/19-year-old-student-develops-ocean-cleanup-array-that-could-remove-7250000-tons-of-plastic-from-the-worlds-oceans/

(Hopefully this link works...) 

If not here is the gist "Boyan Slat has unveiled plans to create an Ocean Cleanup Array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans. The device consists of an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms that could be dispatched to garbage patches around the world. Instead of moving through the ocean, the array would span the radius of a garbage patch, acting as a giant funnel. The angle of the booms would force plastic in the direction of the platforms, where it would be separated from plankton, filtered and stored for recycling."

There is a TED talk on it as well that I have yet to watch. I saw the article and got so excited that I had to immediately write a quick update. As soon as the video loads (ha ha) I will watch it!!

 

So far it sounds pretty good. Definitely worth some more thought.

 

New Zealand: Three successes! (one fail....ish)

*First off, apologies to anyone who is reading this blog and isn't able to see the photos. Something is off with the internet here and I can't fix it :(. When I get to Indonesia I will try again (and possibly won't be able to fix it till Canada....who knows). On to the update.*

Well I have been in NZ for just over a week now and it is about time for an update. 

Good news!!! New Zealand has a bulk section!!! Wahooo. Sad news, you can't bring your own containers....but still. On the right track! I have a photo but the internet here is so poor that it won't load :(. I will have to update that later.


I needed to get a do-dad for my camera strap so that it wouldn't fall off my wrist and my mom took me to this great store (knowing that I am plastic waste free this year). It is called David's Emporium and it is a bulk dollar store (ish)!!!! It's great! Here I am in front of this huge wall of buttons (again, I will have to update this later). You can buy as many as you need without any packaging!! Hurrah! The store really is good though.

Another exciting observation - I went out for ice cream and the product itself came in a big card board box (instead of a plastic tub). How great is that! Good work New Zealand.

The not quite success (and good thing I have a polite Canadian clause into my rules) is that I haven't quite got my family on board. If I am with them shopping (all the way to the cash register) then there is some better flexibility for not using plastic. However, if I am not part of the shopping crew then the plastic sneaks in... Since we are family I am making more of a fuss about it than I would at someone else's house (you can be less polite around family :P). They are pretty happy with reusing any plastic that comes into the house, but not as happy to eliminate buying it all together. As a "guest" I don't have a huge amount of say but I am creating a bit of a movement. I have also turned down a lot of things (chocolate and such) if it is coming in plastic. I'm not 1005 happy about it, but it is better than nothing.

Until next time...

Picture...

I came across this picture and was saddened. It is on exhibit at the Zurich Museum of Design in Switzerland. 

Garbage released in the sea every 15 seconds.We suck.

Brilliant!

I never thought that I would approve of vandalism but a colleague of mine showed me this picture.

     


She found this on Facebook, posted by the Plastic Pollution Coalition. I am not sure if that means they are responsible for the stunt (that happened in Vancouver, Canada) or not. I think that it is just brilliant. It really brings to light what is happening in the ocean.

Course bringing to light is not really the right word. I have been told to cut the rings that come with cans to avoid this since....well I'm not sure. A long time. At least since grade 6 I would say. However, it is still an issue and I think this is such a good way to showcase it.

Well done vandals, well done.

PS I hope the plastic was recycled afterwords!