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Post by Pat on Oct 16, 2006 11:47:05 GMT 1
I was as usual listening to BBC Radio Scotland this morning as I drove to work. I was horrifed to hear that 25 million trees per year are felled just to keep us in toilet roll! www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=12113Pat
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Post by davidjam on Oct 16, 2006 11:56:07 GMT 1
That is reasonably shocking? Now, is that based on your bog (*sighs*) standard toilet roll, or does double quiltet extra super comforting velvet increase the equation further... It's when you see figures like that, you realise how much of everyday day products impact... Its hard to achieve the sense of detachment at times required, so easily wrapped up in our own little vision of the world.
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Post by Pat on Oct 16, 2006 13:18:38 GMT 1
Hi David I was looking forward to the comments rolling in What can we do? Buy recycled products - if we can find them. Recycle when we can. I'm as guilty as the next person for going for the easy option. Pat
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Post by maree on Oct 16, 2006 14:09:47 GMT 1
Wow.....the felled trees figure is quite astounding. As someone who does the ordering for a retail outlet, I'll be looking for a green alternative for da shop.
.........perhaps if it was called "eco-friendly toilet tissue" rather than "recycled" this might help with marketing. The connotations of recycled toilet tissue are too vile to contemplate!!
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Post by davidjam on Oct 16, 2006 17:14:14 GMT 1
The connotations of recycled toilet tissue are too vile to contemplate!! I don't get it *innocent stricken face* david
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Post by Pat on Nov 21, 2006 13:12:24 GMT 1
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Post by Admin Mal on Nov 21, 2006 15:59:12 GMT 1
I didn't see the programme but your post about recycling tyres made me think of an old <but perfectly serviceable!> pair of leather sandals I got in Menorca years ago. Abarcas are simple traditional Menorcan shoes worn originally by farmers & fishermen and now by... everyone! They have soles made from tyres, the uppers are leather and they are worn by locals in and out of the sea. www.treehugger.com/files/2005/09/sandals_nagore.phpwww.travelpublishing.co.uk/countrylivingsoutheast/WestSussex/CSE25124.htmAs well as the recycled glass and seaweed products here, there are various other enterprises such as Burra Bears, which use recycled Fair Isle jumpers to make very individual Shetland teddy bears. We could no doubt do a lot more. I often wonder why, when we are overrun with woolly godz here, we don't do much more with sheepskin. I've bought slippers on various occasions from a place in Cornwall who have an ever-expanding and creative product range. I wonder if something similar could be done here? www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk/cat_slippers.asp
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Post by Pat on Nov 21, 2006 16:14:08 GMT 1
Hi Fiona "Looks of a modernist, heart of a hippy" eh! I wholeheartedly agree about the sheepskin. You know (and I say this only slightly tongue in cheek as it is a serious point) if you think out of the box a bit you could combine those products into something really warm for the Shetland winters! Pat
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Post by Admin Mal on Nov 21, 2006 16:38:16 GMT 1
"Looks of a modernist, heart of a hippy" eh! ;D I think with me it's also about not liking waste - whether it be money, energy or other resources. <although I am as bad as the next person at times!> I was brought up by a mother who was of the wartime 'make do and mend' mentality. Of course they had to use things carefully in those days, and throughout her life, my Mum would never throw anything <which could possibly be re-used> away. Mind you, all the carrier bags, elastic bands and old Christmas wrapping paper drove us nuts at times. I must have been quite an age before I realised that you could actually buy new uncrumpled wrapping paper...
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Post by benjiesmum on Jan 5, 2007 19:51:35 GMT 1
[/quote] ;D I must have been quite an age before I realised that you could actually buy new uncrumpled wrapping paper... [/quote] Well! That's brought back memories of something I had forgotten about. Every Christmas when my sister and I were unwrapping our presents, my mum would stand over us and take each piece of wrapping paper off us, fold it up neatly ready to use next year. I'm not sure.... but I think I remember her ironing it too! Pat if you are worried about all the trees that are felled just to make toilet rolls (and I conceed that 25 million is a heck of a lot of trees) switch to "Nouvelle" toilet roll or similar which has been used before - well no not used as toilet roll you understand - rather recycled!!!!! I suppose you could argue that its not the trees of the forest that are felled to make toilet roll though - I expect (correct me if I'm wrong) the trees felled will be softwoods that are used as a crop rather than the mass destruction on Sherwood Forest! I agree though, we are so wasteful even when we think we are being eco-friendly. We've just changed all our light bulbs to those long-life ones. Those must help a little. ;D Not quite got the hang of this quote thingie as you can see but I'm not doing it all over again! ;D
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Post by Pat on Jan 5, 2007 23:21:54 GMT 1
Hi benjiesmum I'm getting so green these days I've even switched to Co-op Soft and I'm working my way through the old lightbulbs to eco-friendly types. Like you I think every little helps Pat
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Post by maree on Jan 8, 2007 20:08:42 GMT 1
Well that's the Christmas decorations packed away for another year. Since I've never had the urge to turn da hoose into Santa's grotto at Christmas, there was just a peerie fibreoptic tree to pack back in his box. I didna quite manage to hang up da Christmas cards this year so taking them doon didn't require energy input. They sit in my in-tray........otherwise known as the kitchen table........until I do something with them.
This year I thought the card recycling scheme would not be an option, until da cooncil and Shetland Catch came to the rescue. From 3rd - 31st January folk can deposit Christmas cards at local post offices. They will be transported to Aberdeen to join the Woodland Trust Recycling Collection and will be transformed into tissues and packaging. A number of trees will be given to areas for community planting, in proportion to the number of cards collected.
................So next time you have da flu.........probably efter the Lerwick Up Helly Aa as that's usually an excellent vehicle for da spreadin of germs!...........you might just be blowin your nose on dis years Christmas Caird!
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Post by Admin Mal on Jan 8, 2007 23:55:58 GMT 1
................So next time you have da flu.........probably efter the Lerwick Up Helly Aa as that's usually an excellent vehicle for da spreadin of germs!...........you might just be blowin your nose on dis years Christmas Caird! You could snot on Santa or bogey on Rudolph to get your own back for all this card buying, writing, sending, receiving, hanging up <on in mhay's case, file on the kitchen table>, taking down and recycling. Until next year..
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Post by Pat on Jan 9, 2007 15:39:22 GMT 1
This year I thought the card recycling scheme would not be an option, until da cooncil and Shetland Catch came to the rescue. From 3rd - 31st January folk can deposit Christmas cards at local post offices. They will be transported to Aberdeen to join the Woodland Trust Recycling Collection and will be transformed into tissues and packaging. A number of trees will be given to areas for community planting, in proportion to the number of cards collected. Thanks for that mhay I will. Pat
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Post by mrgluss on Jan 9, 2007 21:33:24 GMT 1
A quick tale to recount - I was in Lerwick last week buying a new frying pan (this does have a point I promise) as the Teflon has worn off my old one (just how much Teflon does my body now contain I wonder, and is any sh*t that's flying less likely to stick to me?). Anyway, said pan came in a ridiculous big box, so I bought the pan and gave them back the box. That way I didn't carry the cardboard to Northmavine only for da essy kert to take it back to Lerwick. Flushed with success, I've decided that my New Year's resolution will be to routinely hand back packaging at the counter when I pay for stuff (although I may not be brave enough to do it in the Co-op). A small thing perhaps, but it made me feel good, and it's a fun seeing the perplexed look on the shop assistant's face. Try it!
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