Using The Light (Featured Post)

by Leave a Comment

About a month ago, we had a small parcel delivered and to our complete amazement it wasn't for me. This rarely happens in this house and so Mr. TBaM was overjoyed to open it up and discover what somebody had sent him. He'd forgotten that it was an energy monitor so that we can assess how much electricity we're using in the house, how much it costs, whether our house is happy with us or not (I kid you now, it frowns at us if the house is deemed too hot!), and the overall aim is to reduce energy consumption.

The first night, he ran around the house like a child on E numbers, flicking on and off all the different electrical items to see how much energy they use; "Look at the kitchen lights! Look how much they use! Even more than the dining room lights!" To which I responded that I already knew that and it is why he is nagged all the time to turn them off. 'I told you so' was mentally said. The worst is the washing machine, shower and the fan in the downstairs loo. He nearly had a fit when he saw power consumption go up to 2.5kwph when said fan was turned on yesterday.

Nonetheless, has it made us cut down on the amount of electricity we use?

Yes. We're far more conscious now to turn off the only two high power lights in the house, remove chargers from sockets, and turn the heating down slightly. Every small action can mount up and make a big difference in one house; imagine how much it can make worldwide?

Especially worthwhile remembering at the moment when people moan about the lack of warm weather; climate change anyone?

I've blogged several times about how I am a bit of an eco-warrior; we put out less one bin bag of rubbish a fortnight, have a compost bin, recycle all we can, have a food waste bin, refuse excess packaging in shops, and (as is the law in Wales to charge for carriers – 5p each) we always use reusable bags. There are a few others things that I'd like to investigate to help reduce costs, both financially to use and ecologically to the environment. In the past we've had out an energy advisor for free cavity wall insulation but unfortunately due to debris in the cavity, we're unable to have that put in. The other area that I'd like to investigate is solar panels on the roof.

As our garden is a perfectly south-facing garden we could garner quite a bit of solar energy. When we first moved in the solar panels that were around were the type that heated the hot water and fed into the storage unit for use in the house. Unfortunately we'd just had a brand new combination boiler installed and therefore it wasn't compatible. However, nowadays the solar panels available for use in residential properties, like Trina Solar panels, feed back electricity into the National Grid which the home-owner is paid for. People in Britain may mock the amount of sun we have but enough sunlight reaches us every 15 minutes to power the world for an entire year. It seems rather wasteful to not make use of it, especially when there are tax incentives and rebates to help finance solar panels.

I'll let Mr. TBaM finish rejigging the patio at the bottom of the garden before I ask him for the next alteration on our house though!

This is a featured post.

Sigg With Cuipo: One Metre At A Time (Review)

by Leave a Comment

Since I first started reviewing SIGG eco water bottles (nearly two years ago) I have purchased no more than five plastic water bottles. That's an absolute maximum, and a generous top limit at that.

The first thing we do when we get ready to go out is fill up our water bottles and put them in whichever bag is accompanying us. And, by the time we've brought them home again, they're empty. We're drinking more, saving money, and reducing the amount of rubbish in landfill sites. My first post about our SIGG bottles provided the statistic of having prevented me from buying approximately fifteen bottles in that first month.

15 bottles a month x 23 months since I had my first SIGG bottle = 345 less bottles in landfill.

(It has its downfalls; there are loads of craft activities I've seen on Pinterest that I can't do because I have no plastic bottles!)

The latest collection of SIGG bottles that found their way to us, were produced under collaboration with Cuipo.org. The Cuipo Rainforest Preserve is in Panama. A rainforest which was once protected from the outside world by harsh geography is under threat of deforestation due to improved transportation. Agriculture, logging, development, mining, and tourism have all played a part in its destruction. Cuipo.org have managed to secure 3,300 acres of this rainforest and through the campaign 'One Metre at a Time' are working to safeguard and preserve square metres of the rainforest, one metre at a time. There is a range of products available to purchase which allow the customer to redeem a voucher and therefore 'Save a metre'. And the campaign is also helping to teach indigenous people the skills required to protect their land by becoming park rangers.

And this is where SIGG come in. Each SIGG bottle sold saves one square metre of the rainforest. The first set of Cuipo bottles from SIGG are available in 0.6 and 0.3 litre sizes. Customers purchasing a SIGG Cuipo receive a unique activation code and by entering the code on the Cuipo website, the customers can view their square metre of rainforest via Google Maps.

We were sent the 'Steve the Sloth' (for me, how apt!), 'Bring Your Own Bananas' (Mr. TBaM) and 'Tiko' (for The Boy) bottles to try out and redeem our three metres. And they were just the thing to quench our thirst on a warm Spring day full of frisbee throwing and tree climbing. We may not have tropical rainforests over in Wales, but The Boy certainly treasures any forest he can get to grips with!

recyclable water bottles

The special edition SIGG Cuipo bottles are available from both SIGG online and the Cuipo website directly, from £16.49.

I was sent these products for the purpose of this review post, my opinions are honest and unbiased.

Eco-Climate Week Challenge

by 4 Comments

I always try to be a bit of an eco-warrior on the sly, which is why I'm currently sat here in my fleece with socks and slippers on, rather than turning the heating up another degree. The temptation's strong, I can tell you, but I shall resist.

And this week it seems significant to make that effort as it has been Climate Week, Britain's biggest climate change campaign, where people all over the country have hopefully been thinking about how they can live and work in a more sustainable manner. Quite frankly, anyone who continues to believe that the world's climate is NOT being effected by our behaviour, needs to remove their head from the sand, take off their blinkers and look around at what we are handing over to our children.

We were sent a number of items from Andrex to see how we could make some small changes as our contribution to Climate Week.

andrex ecoclimate week

We already compost as much as possible or use the council's food waste collection, recycle everything that can be, use reusable shopping bags (Wales charges 5p per plastic bag), and Mr. TBaM ditched his car eight months ago in favour of a bike, therefore the changes we made were:

  • fitted a Hippo water saver bag into the bathroom toilet;
  • worn socks, slippers and an extra layer rather than turn the heating up;
  • kept the heating below 22°C (believe me, this is huge for me!);
  • used a 'Showertime' to monitor and reduce the amount of water used when showering;
  • filled the kettle with the exact amount of water required;
  • used Andrex Eco recycled toilet paper;
  • walking to the town centre for shopping.

For more tips on how to make your lifestyle more sustainable and environmentally friendly, visit Andrex's Sustainability website.

What one change could you make to become more environmentally friendly?

SIGG Dino Glow Active Top

by 33 Comments

SIGG have a new design out for the drinking caps on the environmentally conscious and durable, eco-bottles. The new Active Top is a soft-spout, similar to a straw which is innovative in appearance and functionality, and can be used with water, juice or carbonated drinks.

The Active Top twists to open and close, but on the way from close to open it passes through the 'air' setting which is perfect if the bottle contains a carbonated drink which needs to let out the excessive 'fizz' before being able to drink from it.

[Read more…]

I've Always Wanted To Be A 'Trolley Dolly' (Review)

by 15 Comments

For the past year in Wales, we've had to pay for carrier bags. It's only 5p a bag, but if you're doing a monthly shop in a supermarket and are anything like me, then that could soon mount up and you could be paying £1 just for bags while shopping. Therefore, everyone now uses bags for life or jute shopping bags, which are excellent and sturdy.

To be honest, I'd been using reusable shopping bags since I came across the rather cool designs on Super-U bags in France seven years ago. Sometimes I'd forget to grab some from the boot, or become a little enthusiastic when picking things from the shelf but by and large, I am an Eco warrior and reuse!

Over the years our jute bags have become quite worn and battered, they also take a lot of space up in the boot and trolley. I've been asked to review a Trolley Dolly Primo bag, which I'm a little excited about. I don't think it's normal to be this excited about it but it is what it is and I squealed a little too loudly when I opened the packaging!

reusable shopping bag

The Trolley Dolly bag is a revolutionary shopping bag which is sure to make any shopping experience far easier and less stressful, keeping everything together in one place. Resembling a normal handbag; inside the main section are coloured, strong, nylon shopping bags (in the Primo bag there are nine: seven vest, one box and one bottle) and four mesh bags for loose fruit and vegetables. There is a front pocket with a pen loop, a coupon or loyalty card pocket, and space for purse and keys. On the back there is a clear, plastic pocket to put shopping lists which can be easily seen at all times while shopping. The niftiest bit is that the Velcro holding the handles together is incredibly strong which means that it can suspend from the trolley's handle to access bits and pieces, the shopping list and keep an eye on valuables.

I'm really excited by the Trolley Dolly bag, not only because I think that Mr. TBaM will make more of an effort to actually return the bags to the correct place with this (he's always leaving them in the porch!), but because it's so practical, compact and convenient. The Boy is going to love helping me shop with it too!

reusable shopping bag

Using the Trolley Dolly was incredibly easy and genuinely helpful: The Boy loved helping me pick the fruit and vegetables out and bag them, they weighed virtually nothing so didn't add to the cost at the till; the shopping list was easily visible at all times, which made it so much easier to stick to what I should have been buying; and the handles on the shopping bags are long enough to tied together to stop the food falling out and rolling around the boot.

When I posted a photograph on Instagram, I was asked about how strong the bags were in relation to bottles. They take about 13kg in each bag, but how does that translate to normal shopping?

reusable shopping bag

(Please note that I'm not an alcoholic! I had to sift through various cupboards to find these!)

The Trolley Dolly Primo bag retails for £34.99 from ZPM.

If you enter the discount code THEBOYANDME at checkout, you can receive 15% off a Primo or Eco bag.

I was sent this product to review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

Eco-Force (Review & Competition)

by 112 Comments

I'm a little bit of an eco-warrior on the sly. I use environmentally friendly washing detergent and conditioner, washing-up liquid and dishwasher tablets. And before anyone points out the dishwasher elephant in the room, they use less water than washing by hand. I refuse to use the tumble dryer except in case of dire emergencies, everything gets dried on the line or airers.

When I was asked by Ecoforce if I would like to review some of their household cleaning products, I was more than happy to accept. I was sent a variety of sponges, brushes, dusters and clothes to trial.

[Read more…]

Hot Wheels On A Hot Bottle (Review)

by 2 Comments

Coinciding nicely with the latest edition to our Hot Wheels track collection, was the arrival of a new water bottle for The Boy from SIGG Eco Bottles. The Boy already had a small bottle which he is incredibly fond of and has served him well, but as he is about to turn three next month, SIGG felt that he probably was drinking more and therefore needed a larger bottle to keep him going during the day.

And he is now a boy obsessed! His old bottle lies feeling sorry for itself in the cupboard, I even have to alternate them so as not to cause jealousy and sibling squabbles.

Hot Wheels has been everywhere with us: to the beach, to Pizza Express and bowling. It had issues when we went bowling, a lack of opposable thumbs meant it was difficult to pick up the ball.

The Hot Wheels bottle is a really good sized bottle for the pre-schooler; not too heavy to carry, holds enough water to quench his thirst and also looks really attractive. On top of this, the aluminium casing means that it tends to stay cooler for a lot longer than plastic bottles. And surely the fact that we're teaching our children to be eco-friendly is a big bonus?

The Hot Wheels SIGG EcoBottle is available from SIGG directly.

The Boy was sent this bottle for the purpose of this review. His opinion is honest and unbiased, as is mine.

Green Laundry Liquid?

by 2 Comments

"Would you like to review some Ecover?"

Um, yes please!

So, Ecover sent me Concentrated Non-Bio Laundry Liquid and Amongst the Flowers Fabric Softener. I've been using the Non-Bio Laundry Liquid for several years now and I cannot sing its praises enough!

We're sensitive souls in this house and so have to be quite choosy with our washing detergent. Some of the standard liquids are fine but generally one of the three of us will start itching within five minutes of wearing clothing washed in biological liquids. And well, powders don't seem to dissolve properly.

Ecover is magic stuff! It is kind to skin, environmentally friendly and smells gorgeous. I cannot even begin to convey to you how much I love smelling newborn baby clothes that have been washed in Ecover; they just smell heavenly and I used to bury my face into The Boy's clothes and inhale deeply.

They have also created Plant-astic bottles! They've come up with a system that uses sugarcane to make the ethylene which makes the 'plastic' bottles! It is 100% renewable, reusable and recyclable.

The concentrated laundry liquid sells for £6.33 (750ml) and the softener is £1.83 (750ml), both do between 21-25 washes as they are concentrated.

I was sent this product to review. My opinions are honest and based on years of using it.

How Future Friendly Are You?

by 3 Comments

I like to think I'm a bit of an eco-warrior. It stems from teaching primary school children about the 4Rs for a good few years:

  • Refuse
  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Recycle.

I'm a big believer in the importance of reducing the amount of waste we create. Did you know that 85% of the contents of your bin can be recycled, but on average only 20% is? With the targets that have been introduced in this country, many councils are now offering more facilities for recycling: but it's not just about separating your plastic and cardboard, we need to stop using so many resources and so much packaging in the first place.

Therefore when I was invited by Proctor & Gamble to take part in their Future Friendly campaign, I was very excited. The challenge is to follow the Future Friendly Sustainable Living Activity: the seven day plan involves undertaking three inspired but small acts a day, for a full week. To help people who want to take part come up with these three small tasks, there is a rather fabulous little online tool which I thoroughly recommend visiting (click on the picture to have a go) as it can highlight areas in your house to help save energy or use less resources.

Did you know that the average family wastes £680 a year on uneaten food? £680?! That is shocking and such a waste on resources. How many of us just scrape away the scraps or bin the best befores? To help reduce our food waste (and cut down on our portion sizes) I've signed up to the website LoveFood HateWaste which has a nifty section of hundreds of recipes. Simply select the food that needs using up and it will suggest some recipes! (Action 1 done!) I've also started shopping online having planned in advance what food we need to buy for the month without being tempted by all the extra goodies at the ends of aisles. (Action 2). Buying some items in bulk can also cut down on the amount of packaging that is used, e.g. larger packs of dried pasta, washing-up liquid, toilet rolls, etc. (Action 3).

Factoid: Did you know that recycling a glass jar or bottle saves enough energy to power a laptop for 25 minutes? As the average family uses 500 jars a year, that's a lot of blogging and tweeting power!

I've actually followed the online tool above and found all of the little titbits of information that can help me to be Future Friendly. The irony is that it told me to print off the list to keep a reference! Funnily enough, I've saved it as a PDF instead!

Here are some of the 21 things that we will be trying to implement over our Future Friendly Activity:

  1. using watering cans to water the plants as opposed to a hose which uses 1000 litres of water every hour it is on (should be easy enough to do, The Boy's water-table is a great water-butt at the moment!;
  2. turning the washing machine down to 30° instead of 40° (Ariel powder and liquitabs are formulated to work at 30° which uses 30% less energy each wash than at 40°);
  3. use saucepans that fit the hob (this is for hubby not me. He always uses a medium pan on the large gas with it up full-whack. So much heat is wasted over the sides of the pan);
  4. measure out the water that I need to boil before putting it in the kettle;
  5. putting wet (not dirty) kitchen towel into the compost bin, along with scrap paper that's been used on both sides. A good compost bin is full of compost critters; they like small holes and gaps created by scrunched up paper which is biodegradable;
  6. install toilet hippos (a few pounds from DIY stores and can save 3 litres of water per flush);
  7. turn off the extractor fan in the downstairs toilet, it's not needed and uses too much power;
  8. put on my cardigan and slippers rather than knocking on the heating!

I'm not going to write all 21 targets up in this post, but I will pop back in a week's time and tell you which other inspired little acts I've got up to with The Boy.

I was provided with a recycling box and a range of P&G products to help me complete this project. My opinions are my own.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...