As far as sustainability goes we still have a long journey ahead of us, but I like to think we are heading in the right direction. Anyone who knows me will know that I have used cloth nappies on all of my kids and have made cloth wipes as well. When you mention things like cloth nappies, cloth pads and moon cups you can see people cringe. I would love to see the stigma removed from these topics of conversation. This is going to be a longer blog post than usual but I would like to cover the things that I have been doing/using and hopefully sway anyone who has been sitting on the fence. So lets start with some light topics first
SOFT PLASTIC RECYCLING
So this has been one of the most recent practices we have started in our house. I didn’t realise our local Woolworths had soft plastic recycling until a month or so ago. We now collect any bread bags, chip packets, biscuit packets etc ready for when I do a trip to Woolies. I have noticed a dramatic difference in the amount of rubbish that now goes out in our red bin. The only downfall I’ve had is that I forget to take it with me most of the time so the bag ends up HUGE before it gets to where it needs to be.
If you would like more information on recycling soft plastics check out Redcycle. They have a comprehensive list of what you can and can’t recycle and there are things on there you wouldn’t even think of.
KITCHEN GREEN WASTE
We produce a lot of green waste from our kitchen. We have had worm farms for a few years now and they have been an excellent way of disposing of green waste in a way that benefits the garden. This winter, due to the change of climate, our worms have slowed right down and aren’t consuming anywhere near the amount they were. So we were left with an abundance of scraps. The worms also like to eat onions, garlic and citrus. We have started a compost pile which will eventually be moved into a bay system. We are also setting up for chickens and worm towers around the gardens to promote better soil. One other process I have done for the first time this week is making my own vegetable stock to freeze. When I eventually get my pressure canner I will be able to can them and have them on the shelf ready to go instead of taking up freezer space. All I did was collect vegetable scraps all week (onion, garlic, celery, cauliflower, capsicum and potato skins) and added them to a bag in the freezer each time I prepped a meal. At the end of the week I put the frozen scraps in a large pot with some water and fresh herbs from the garden (oregano and parsley) and simmered it over a couple of hours. I used it with some pork drippings and made a gravy. Delicious!
If you would like to learn how to make stocks like this check out our upcoming workshops here.
LOCAL PRODUCE
We used to do this more before we moved but it is something that we are getting back into. We used to buy fruit and veg at the local farmers markets but now we have more yard space we are hoping to grow most of what we consume. We have also linked in with a produce buy, swap, sell Facebook page where we can source local produce and sell/trade our surplus once we get established. We have purchased tomatoes and olives through Facebook from local producers already. My Husband loves coffee and has started buying his beans from a local coffee bean roaster called Dusty Road Coffee Roasters.
CLOTH NAPPIES AND WIPES
This has been a cost and environment saving change for us. It does take a bit more organisation and time than using disposable nappies and wipes but I think it is well worth it. With Miss E we used Nudey! R nappies which I bought second hand off a friend for $100 and some cheap swimmer nappies sourced through Facebook. We definitely made our money back with them however from my research Rudey Nudey nappies are no longer being made. They lasted us nearly 2 years before they began to de-laminate. Once Mr P was born we decided to get rid of them and purchase some new shells for Miss E and some new nappies for Mr P. I settled on Alva Baby toddler size for Miss E, and Pea Pods for Mr P. The Alva nappies have plenty of growing space so they should see out their current nighttime use with Miss E and be usable for Mr P. I’m really happy with the Pea Pods and they were a great bulk buy at $399. I worked out for us to use disposable nappies on Mr P for a minimum of 2 years we would be spending between $1200-$2000 in nappies, depending on what brand we were to use. Even with the cost of laundry supplies to clean them it’s still a big saving and its preventing 1000’s of nappies going into landfill from our household. For wipes, I have made them by over-locking flannelette squares and wetting them with water prior to use. I will do a post solely on cloth nappies and wipes as there is so much I want to discuss.
CLOTH PADS & MOON CUPS
I must admit the thought of cloth pads and especially moon cups really freaked me out to start off with but switching over was one of the best decisions I have made. It took me months of procrastination to finally order a moon cup to try and it has made a massive difference to my health. My periods are shorter and lighter with minimal cramping and back aches which is a massive relief compared to what they were. They do take a little practice to position and are more, for lack of a better word, intimate than tampons but from my experience worth the change. I made my own liners using patterns from Handmade By Glow to use as back up. The straight lined patterns were really easy to make and they are so much more comfortable to wear than normal pads and liners. As with the cloth nappies they are not only better on your pocket but also better on the environment with less products going into landfill. I definitely recommend trying some reusable feminine products, I promise they are not as daunting as they seem
These are some steps we have taken so far with others I am wanting to try. Next on the list:
-Bar shampoo and conditioner
-Reusable produce bags
-Homemade fire starters