Environmentally-Friendly

The production and distribution of new clothes have a significant environmental impact.  One way to reduce this impact is to buy fewer clothes.

Another is to have a Clothes Swap Party where everyone brings three items of clothing that they no longer use. The clothes are mixed together and everyone chooses three “new” items.  This works very well with a group of friends who want a new wardrobe every couple of months - obviously, only clothes in good condition can be included.

This tip was given by Merryl Donn

I am making an assumption that if you are reading a blog called environmentally friendly that you are interested in preserving our environment and consider yourself at least a little green! Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s the basis of this blog!

Some other websites are trying to determine just how green some of us are by running some green surveys, and I thought I’d help them get a wider range of responses by letting you know about their surveys. Both are quick and easy to fill in, and I will share the results when there are some ready to share.

So, one is about shopping habits and whether or not we make green choices as we shop.

The other is for business owners to see whether they are acting as green as they wish for their businesses.

If you could like to share your feelings about either topic, I’d love to read your comments, too.

By the time you have peeled a potato, trimmed the carrots, removed leaves from the cauliflower and used some eggs, you have created a fair amount of food waste in your kitchen.

For many years, this waste was just thrown in to the rubbish bin with plastics, metals and other rubbish, but there is a much better option. Of course, this option has always existed but it hasn’t always been encouraged or talked about as much as it is now.

Recycling food waste reduces the amount going to landfill and can return nutrients to the soil so it makes sense. But how do you recycle food?

You can either give the scraps to the worms to eat in a worm farm - they will produce plant-perfect food and liquid fertiliser for you - or put it into a compost bin to top up your garden beds.

We will cover both options in greater detail soon

Today organic food is still more expensive than other food found in the supermarket, and for many this does not fit into the family budget.

If you are in the position of only being able to afford some organic foods,  please find below a list of produce that has the highest level of pesticide contamination - in other words, these are the best products to buy organically.

This study was done by the United States of Agriculture and the Environmental Working Group.

1. Nectarines

2. Celery

3. Pears

4. Peaches

5. Apples

6. Cherries

7. Strawberries

8. Imported grapes

9. Spinach

10. Potatoes

11. Bell Peppers

12. Red Raspberries

Organic refers to the way a good is produced. Many products on the market today are enhanced with chemical fertilizers, modified genetically, or preserved with food additives. These actions are not taken by organic farmers.

Organic farming uses no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and focuses on health of the soil rather than putting chemicals into it which can have a negative effect on plants, insects, animals and humans.

Commercially, to call their product organic, farmers have strict rules they must adhere to.

Chocolate cake

You will need
1 large overripe organic banana (230g)
1 cup (125g) organic soy flour
3/4 cup 100% corn cornflour
11/4 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder
11/4 cups caster sugar
150g butter, melted
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 organic eggs
1/2 cup mashed organic banana
2 tablespoons organic raspberry jam

Method
Line greased round cake pan with baking powder
Sift flours, bicarb soda, cocoa and sugar into large bowl, add butter, vinegar and milk
Beat with electric mixer on low speed for 1 min: add eggs, banana and jam, beat on medium speed for 2mins
Pour cake mixture into prepared pan: bake in moderate oven for about 30 mins
Stand in cake tin for 5 minutes : turn into wire racks and cool

Please note you can put the mixture into 2 tins and sandwich cakes with whipped cream if desired

Baking Soda, or sodium bicarbonate as the scientific term, is easy to get in a supermarket and many of us have some in our pantries anyway.

This non-poisonous white powder is cheap and can be used for a multitude of cleaning applications within the home, including

. Scouring, cleaning, scrubbing

. Use like talcum powder as a body deoderant

. Make with paste and water as a toothpaste subsitute

. Sprinkle on pets as a flea deterrent

. Leave a bowl in your fridge to keep your fridge smelling lovely

. Clear your drains - place a handful of bicarbonate soda into the drain then pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar followed by a litre of boiling water

. Fabric Softener - Add 1/2 cup full of soda to the laundry powder compartment of your load of washing to keep your clothes nice and soft

. Coffee stains, crayon, marker pen remover -sprinkle on microfibre cloth and rub: wipe with clean cloth