Subject: The Shoppe Newsletter No. 53

-The Shoppe Newsletter No. 53-
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In this issue:
- Throw-a-Whey Culture …. And what of our Future?
- The Sustainable Alternatives Chart – alternatives for 34 common commercial products
- Growing sprouts in a recycled jar – cheap and practical
- Making paper at home from recycled materials.
“Throw-a-whey Culture” …. And what of our Future?
Faded, cracked but largely intact a yoghurt tub has washed up on a British beach – a symbol of the legacy of a throwaway culture ……. The lettering remains clear on the pot despite it being bought 40 years ago … washed off a container ship in 1997” (from a recent newspaper article).
   What a horrifying story! On reading this article my first thoughts were: And what of the future? If we keep producing products and discarding them with disregard or thought (like there is no tomorrow) what will the planet be like for future generations? Plastic containers take thousands of years (if at all) to break-down – that is, disintegrate back into the earth. Not to mention the impact it has on life on earth: sea creatures, native animals, human habitat and the environment. We are producing materials and products that will probably never break-down and remain reminders to many cultures to come. More and more products are produced every day – another news item in the same newspaper comments that some 20 years ago supermarkets stocked just 600-800 food items – now there are 30,000 new products! The item was in reference to unhealthy eating and dieting reflecting how difficult it has become for people to resist bad food choices. So not only are we destroying our planet with ‘consumerism’ but ourselves in the process!  All in the name of “profit and progress”.

Forty Years Too Long
   In my eyes it’s not ‘profit and progress’ but ‘loss and regression’ as we slowly destroy the most precious thing we have: humanity and the planet. It’s been forty years since that wayward yoghurt tub ended up in the ocean – and in that time little has changed. The ocean is now even more clogged with discarded items – so much so the when searching for the recent lost air-liner in the furthest regions of the Indian Ocean it was almost impossible to identify plane debri from all the other debri floating in and on the ocean. In this current mindset there is no future. Something has to change or we are doomed.

What Can We Do About It?
   My personal mantra is: “Buy less consumer products’’. Reduce our dependence on commercially made products and use, instead, alternatives that drain less on the earth’s resources and leave less residue for generations to come. Swap as many commercial supermarket products with simple alternatives as you can using such things as: bicarb soda, vinegar, soap, eucalyptus oil and more. If consumer demand is less – the result will be less strain on the planet’s resources. While there are people in the mind-set of ‘buying, buying, buying’ the producers will respond accordingly with MORE products – and all in the name of the mighty dollar and profit.
The Sustainable Alternatives Chart
   I’ve put my thinking cap on and put together a practical chart listing alternatives that can be used in the home in place of 32 common commercially made products. I use all these alternatives in my home – rarely do I find the need to venture down the cleaning lane of the supermarket – and that includes other lanes such as hair products, personal care products, deodorising agents and others. Remember: Old habits die hard – so be aware that changing entrenched habits may take a bit of concerted effort and determination – but believe me it’s well worth it.

Click here to download your copy – it’s FREE! ….. The Sustainable Alternatives Chart
Growing Sprouts in a Recycled Jar  
   Fresh home-grown sprouts are easy to do and cheap to grow! Using a recycled jar keeps costs to a minimum and is great for the planet. The result: tasty, healthy, chemical free sprouts at a much cheaper cost than if purchased commercially.
 All you'll need is: A medium-large recycled glass jar, seeds* (for sprouting), a small piece of loose weave fabric (for the top – an old handkerchief will do) and a rubber band.
Place approximately 1 tablespoon seeds into the jar. Attach the fabric to the top of jar with the rubber band. Pour water into the jar (through the fabric). Leave approx. 15 seconds to dampen the seeds - drain the water. Rinse the seeds in fresh water daily. Leave the jar in a warm place (such as a window-sill) to germinate. The seeds will sprout and be ready to eat within 4-6 days.

*Examples of seeds suitable for sprouting: alfalfa, wheat, barley, mung beans, fenugreek, lentils, chickpeas, peas, buckwheat, soya beans (all from health food stores or selected supermarkets). Eat them as they are in sandwiches or add to salads. Yummy!

Growing sprouts is a great children's activity encouraging the use of recycled containers whilst discovering the wonders of Mother Earth in that small seeds can grow into something tasty and nutritious You’ll find more ideas for children's activities and information in:
e-book No. 63 - Making Play-toys from Recycled Materials:
Ideas for recycling disused materials to create an array of play-things for children at next to nothing cost. Covers using: cardboard cartons, old sheets & bedding, paper bags, ice-cream and margarine containers, rubber tyres, tin cans and lots more.   21 pages   $12.00
For download information click here
Making Paper from Recycled Materials

     Paper making, in it's original form, is complex and involves special equipment and chemicals. But it's very easy to make paper from discarded paper using recycled kitchen and household equipment. An old picture frame with fly-screen attached or a splatter shield are ideal as paper-making frames. Old tea-towels, pieces of fabric (old bed-sheet torn into small squares) or chux wipes become backing materials for drying the paper. Discarded paper, such as computer paper, newspaper, brown paper, wrapping paper are reduced to a pulp with water to make new sheets of paper. It’s so easy to do, costs next-to-nothing and offers an appreciation of how materials we use every-day are produced. Quite interesting textures and colours can be achieved using different types of paper for the basic pulp (coloured copy paper, newspaper, etc.).
   From the range of workshops I offer ‘Making Paper from Recycled Materials’ is the most intriguing. For me – any activity that involves using discarded materials to make something useful and creative is my idea of ‘true sustainability’. In this ‘computer age’ tonnes of good quality bond paper (which makes the best homemade paper) is discarded everyday – it’s such a waste. So here’s one way to do something useful with it.

For more information see e-booklet No. 17 - Home Paper-Making:
e-book No. 17 - Home Paper-Making:
   Comprehensive coverage of how to make paper. For beginners and advanced - includes creative techniques, (improvised and home-made) paper-making frames, paper-making from discarded paper, recycled fibres or plant material. Plus handy hints, possible problems, colouring techniques, sizing.    25 pages       $12.00
For download information click here
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Keep well - and I'll catch you next time.
Pam Marshall -The Self-Sufficiency Shoppe
email: theshoppe@tpg.com.au
www.theshoppe.com.au

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© 2014 Pam Marshall - The Self-Sufficiency Shoppe

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