The Green Police

In Your Weekend magazine, dated 16th February 2013 there was an article titled "Only Natural"

Cover page of 'Your Weekend' magazine which inspired this blog

This article described the growing industry of natural cleaning products and asked if these products are actually better for the environment.  You are probably all familiar with the arguments so I won't  re-visit the subject, but I do want to highlight a useful summary of the environmental accreditation standards that can be obtained here in New Zealand.  

The accreditation standards are listed below. You will need to do further reading to get the full story, and do further investigation of the companies you wish to purchase from to really be sure you are making the best choice. 

Environmental Choice

• Operated and managed by the government owned New Zealand Ecolabelling trust. 
• Generally recognised as NZ's most comprehensive and robust product-focused certification
• Focuses on the life cycle of individual products - including toxicity, water and energy management, consumer information and packaging
• Compliance is audited annually
• Weaknesses include that it does not test whether ingredients come from a sustainable source and there are specification inconsistencies, for example phosphates are excluded from hand dish wash formulations but not laundry or dishwasher formulations.  In addition, the specifications are developed with industry to ensure they are commercially viable.*  

Read more at: http://www.enviro-choice.org.nz/

*In terms of this last comment I would have to say that is is something that everyone does seem fixated on, yet the reality is that if we don't have a sound environment there will be no commercial viability anyway so its kind of a backwards thought, which we need to educate consumers on so they can provide better challenges to companies. 

Enviromark

• Based on a British programme and is owned and managed by Landcare Research.  It focusses on process; specifically, how the company assesses and manages its environmental impact.  It has a life-cycle approach.
• Divides its standard assessment system into bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond.
• Weaknesses are that all products can be labelled with the logo, but individual products are not tested.  The five step certification is also misleading as Enviromark bronze simply means the company is considering environmental impact and complying with the law.  Measurable improvements are not required until gold level.

Read more at: http://www.enviro-mark.co.nz/MainMenu

Green Tick 

• Launched in 2001 by a Wellington couple, products are assessed against 20 criteria based on life-cycle  legal compliance, waste reduction, disposal programmes and raw material sourcing.
• A random sample of products is assessed.  Assessment reports are available online and reassessment occurs every 2 years.
• Weaknesses are that it focusses largely on company process and policies with limited product testing.  Products are not individually certified.  Ecostore was the first Green tick certified but they left because they said the bar was set way to low. 

Read more at: http://www.greentick.com/index.html

The full text from "The Green Police" summaries

Compostable Packaging

 

A bit late with the blog this week so a quick one with a link to a source of compostable packaging.  Found this in the "Good" shopping handbook. 

www.friendlypak.co.nz

Biodegradable?

Unrelated to the friendlypak link, but I have included this little section because they use the word biodegradable:

Remember that biodegradable does not always mean safe for the environment so check if its biodegradable and not compostable, what that actually means.  Case and point is the biodegradable plastic bag that you see at many stores these days.  These break down in sunlight to small fragments of plastic which get into the waterways and into the food chains.  If they end up in landfill they don't break down because there is no sunlight.  Both options are not so good! 

The picture below shows a "biodegradable plastic bag", made from oil based plastics breaking down after being left in the sun.  You can see the little pieces of plastic that will blow their way into the waterways..............

This weeks challenges: 

1. To use compostable plates/cutlery if you are having a BBQ or party at your home or workplace and don't have enough plates and to buy food from food sellers that use compostable packaging.
2. To challenge food sellers, that don't use compostable food packaging, to use it too, point them in the direction of this link or others.
3. To make sure you ensure that the packaging is then placed in the compost or green waste bin, not into landfill.  Remember compostable items that go to landfill will cause release of methane which is a powerful greenhouse gas. 

Backyard gardens

I know we've talked about growing some of your own food before but I thought it was worth another post becasue its a growing area of interest for many people and its is certainly something that is evolving my garden.  Since I have been studying the Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Practice I learnt a lot more about the word permaculture and have heard and read more about food forests and I have really started to develop an interest in this.  Its all about better utilisation of land to feed ourselves and our communities.  For those interested in food forests you might be interested in this link, to a project by Andy Cambeis who is involved in the development of the Lake Hawea food forest. 

Did you know that the Otago Polytechnic campus in Dunedin is becoming more and more edible each year? Follow this link to find out more

One of the gardens at Otago Polytechnics Dunedin Campus

This link provides a short interesting audio on backyard food production and how much you can produce in a small area.   

Over the past 7 years I have been slowly changing the content of my garden.  We live on an 880m2 section but that includes the house footprint, driveway and a lawn for the kids to play on.  In the remaining space I now have 11 fruiting trees on my property.  Only one so far is mature and I keep it at a height of 2 metres.  It was following the success of that one which I planted 4 years ago  as well as looking at my neighbours fruit trees that encouraged me to plant more. 

My mature apple tree is in the centre of this small garden.  Also in here are 2 lenon tress, a feijoa, another apple tree which is going to be trained along the fence, 4 courgette plants, 10 bean plants and about 10 tomato plants as well as some lettuce seedlings. 

Under the fruiting trees around the garden I have planted some smaller trees.   Around those in the gaps (with no straight lines or specific order) I plant annual vegetables.  I would in no way describe my garden as a permaculture garden but that is now what I understand that I am working towards. Small nut trees are next on my plan.  I just need to learn more about them first. 

I have also discovered potatoes grow well in very shaded areas, around the roots of bigger trees so this year I have kept us in potatoes for 3 months growing them in places where nothing has normally grown.  I was also more vigilant about taking off the outer leaves from lettuces so they would keep producing longer (we've eaten and given away a lot of lettuce this summer) and made sure I planted the next seedlings about 6-8 weeks later, so as the first lettuces came to the end of their eating life, I could leave them to seed and the next would be ready.  I haven't paid for one lettuce since spring either. 

I have also started digging up under utilised areas of lawn around the back of the house after observing for a few years that even though in the winter its pretty cold and bleak, in summer its hot, dry and sheltered so summer annuals are very happy.  In the areas that stay shaded - lots of natives have been going in.  Its a bit of trial and error and learning. 

The value of waiting and observing to decide how to plant a permaculture garden is mentioned often in permaculture resources.  It has certainly been my experience too, that I have either trialled things or observed an area for a while before deciding how to plant it.  The areas I observed longer have generally been more successful with the first things planted. 

I don't use chemicals on the garden and this year I faced a problem on several of the fruit trees with fungus and leaf curl.  I was advised to spray with seaweed concentrate - which I did a bit skeptically to be honest.  Now I wish I had photographed the before and after - I did less than the bottle advised (through forgetfulness) yet they now look awesome.  Money well spent!

The now healthy nectarine tree thanks to the seaweed spray.  The fungus was so bad on this before that the people at the garden centre all washed their hands after touching the leaves I took in to show them. 

I have also learnt to do more just chop and drop - in the past I had removed much of the pruned plants to the compost, but now much if it I just left where it is, especiallya t this time of the year where some areas I don't plan to replant again until spring. This is excellent for weed suppression and provides rotting organic material for garden beetles and bacteria. Later I add compost or bokashi, horse manure, pea straw and grass clippings to keep the organic matter up.  Its not perfect but a work in progress. 

How much time does all this take?  The honest truth is not that much!  Over the whole year I reckon I spend little more than 1 hour a week in the garden.  And the produce tastes so much better that what you can buy at the local supermarket so the time is very well spent. 

If you know more about this than I do - please share! If you have never grown your own food, give it a go.  Start small - a pot on the patio or window sill even and go from there.  If you can't at your place, you might like to get involved with a local community garden.  Refer to this link for a growing list of community gardens in New Zealand. Or for those of you that have a bit more knowledge in this area - maybe you'd like to challenge and lead your workplace into developing edible gardens!  This will provide food, improve the environment and be a learning tool for work colleagues and clients a like. 

Have a great week
Francesca