Recycling the Controversial
As a new mum who is dedicated to “saving the planet” the issue of what should go on my baby’s bottom has long been an issue that has filled me with dread. There are the obvious, landfill saving, reusable nappies; but what about the impact of all the washing and detergents needed to keep these clean? Then there are traditional disposable nappies; made from plastics, with chemicals, that ultimately end up in landfill. In fact, approximately 3 billion disposable nappies are sent new and existing landfill sites every year; which, when it is considered that we only have about 7 years of landfill space left is quite terrifying.
I have not one, but three, boys under the age of five- my washing load far exceeds what I would most desire it to be and, realistically, adding nappies in to the load was not an option for our family. But as someone who aspires to use as many natural products and is dedicated to reducing waste and recycling where possible traditional disposables just didn’t sit right with my conscience. I felt there had to be another way to solve this messy issue without having to compromise on my principles.
Whilst researching this issue two options appealed to my ‘Greener Side’. The primary, and most commonly known, solution is “degradable nappies”. These are nappies that, rather than being made of plastics and non-biodegradable materials, are instead made from fully biodegradable materials, meaning that they naturally break down and decay rather than staying in landfill for thousands of years. Add to this the natural components that make up the nappy and this seemed like a very good compromise to me between disposable and reusable nappies. However, it did not sit right with me that these nappies were still, ultimately, ending up in our every decreasing landfill sites.
This aversion to sending my son’s waste to landfill was what prompted me to begin searching to see if such a thing as a ‘nappy recycling initiative’ exists. Using the internet I discovered that there are a company doing just that- they will collect you nappies from your home, in a designated bin, and then take them to be recycled.
So, how are the nappies recycled? Firstly, when you throw away a nappy instead of placing it in to your normal household waste you place it in to a designated ‘nappy bin’ which, on Nappy Collection Day, is placed at the kerbside and taken to the recycling centre. When the nappies reach the recycling depot they are shredded and the plastics and polymers are separated from the actual waste and excess water; this water is filtered and then rejoins the recycling process to help clean the plastic components.
The plastic elements from the nappies are then transferred in to pellet form and are ready to be re-used in a variety of products- from bicycle helmets to plastic decking!
This ability to recycle absorbent hygiene products is a new technology and one that there surely must be more investment in as the amount of available landfill space decreases so dramatically. As outlined above the actual process is extremely effective and, with government backing, could be an extremely efficient and environmentally friendly way to solve what has always been a difficult problem.
Government investment in the recycling potentials of hygiene products would most certainly reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill considerably, and if incentives were in place for companies operating facilities to allow the recycling of hygiene products then more businesses would undoubtedly follow suit and invest time and money in to this, thus far, relatively unchartered territory.
Gold for your Garden
As we as a nation become more involved in gardening, and more people join the ‘grow your own’ craze that is sweeping the country, it is becoming more important than ever to look for sustainable, environmentally friendly products that can bolster crops and allow a garden to flourish. Gardening is becoming increasingly ‘fashionable’ with allotments in higher demand than ever before; with demand exceeding supply in most areas.
This is a fantastic turn of events as far as environmental issues are concerned; the more people that are growing their own food the less food miles are being accumulated on the whole. But, what about the fertilisers many of these gardeners use to help their produce thrive; there’s scarce little point growing your own if your tomato plant only produces 2 tomatoes! So, is there an environmentally friendly alternative to the many chemical ridden fertilisers available on the market?
The answer to this is: yes! Earth Essentials has recently launched a fantastic product called “Black Gold”, a product that could be as precious as gold for your garden.
Black Gold is a completely organic product that is produced naturally by earthworms. It is wholly environmentally safe and an excellent way to help your plants to thrive and reach their optimum potential.
The Black Gold is made up of Worm Castings and these have many benefits for the soil which in turn helps your plants to grow. Primarily the castings allow plants to absorb nutrients and trace elements both quickly and efficiently- this enables the plant to have an increased growth rate than that of a plant not planted with Black Gold. The growth of plants is also helped by the concentration of naturally occurring bacteria and microbes within the worm castings.
The worm castings in Black Gold also improve soil structure and aeration and this allows the plant to thrive within the soil. And as an extra bonus for gardeners Black Gold also means that plants need less frequent watering!
A main concern of gardeners when talking of using worm castings is that there may be some odour from the fertiliser; but I can assure you that Black Gold is naturally odour free!
The damage that can be caused by traditional chemical fertilisers has been discussed in previous editions of The Green Issue and, to name a few, these include soil erosion and the build up of chemicals within the plant- something to be avoided if you are looking to grow your own organic produce for yourself and your family.
So, why not try Black Gold as a new alternative to traditional chemical fertilisers. It can provide amazing results for even the most novice gardener. Right now, Black Gold is available at www.earthessentials.co.uk for the amazing price of just £9.99 for a 10kg price. This amazing price includes an amazing reduction from the normal price of £4.99 per 500g!
You really have nothing to lose by trying our revolutionary new Black Gold, and, perhaps, everything to gain!
