Shopping/Recycling Updates, All-Purpose Cleaner and Toothpaste Recipe

Lots to catch up on this week. I will split into 2 posts. 1 on shopping updates and new cleaning/toothpaste recipes and another on my Project 333 wardrobe (33 items for 3 months).

Shopping Updates

Thought I'd share a bit about our shopping routine. Saturday morning I will think up our meals for the week - usually borrowing many from the week before - if I'm getting a bit sick of something I'll look up another 1 or 2 new recipes to try. I've been trying to either cut out meat for those or at least go for chicken or fish which have a lesser impact on the environment than beef and pork.

Then I put together our list in our shop shop app grouping items together per shop (english market at the top, dunnes at the bottom for example). Once done I look at the list and figure out which containers I will need to bring. I usually bring a few spare in case there is something I see that's not on the list but limit that to 1 or 2 so that we do not buy what we don't need and won't eat. If I see anything else that isn't needed for our planned meals, I don't have any more containers and do not buy it.

Here is a pic of the bags and containers I needed for last weeks shop (I also bring a large reusable shopping bag not pictured).

This backpack is super handy as it can be carried on your back if not too heavy or rolled if too heavy - it was a life saver before we got the car and had no choice but to walk to the shop.

Last weeks shop was for the below meals

Dinners last week:

Shrimp fried rice
Salmon salad with warm potatoes and other veg
Chicken one pan dinner w potatoes and carrots
Bacon and eggs
Take out
Store cooked chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots

I got the yoghurt and glass jars for some of the recipes below.

Cost:

I think the below was about 50€

Dinners this week:

This week's meals will be:

hot chicken sandwiches
spaghetti
eggs/bacon
fish cakes and salad
chicken pan dinner
turkey burgers
bean burrito

Shopping below from the market and tesco

I found chopped tomatoes in tetra-paks which I read up on this morning and they are actually better for the environment than tin cans (contrary to my previous assumptions). According to this 2010 article "steel cans use twice as much energy during their life cycle as cartons, they produce 2.5 times more waste and more than three times the amount of CO2 emissions". Tetra-paks are also made from paper making bi-products (wood) and therefore renewable (more so than aluminium/tin cans).

Cost:

About 60€

Recycling progress

Below is our last month's recycling. We could have waited longer to go to the recycling centre but the clutter of the bags in the spare room was driving me mad.

Largest is glass, cardboard and paper.

Cardboard

Paper and Soft plastics (see below that soft plastic is no longer accepted in Ireland)

Tetra-paks and Rigid plastics

Cans

Glass

Recycling News for Ireland

For those that are interested Ireland has released a new list of acceptable recycling. Most of Ireland's recycling actually gets baled up and shipped to China where they use it for manufacturing. Very little actually gets recycled here. So if you feel like you are doing your bit by recycling (like I did not that long ago) - recycling should actually be the last resort as there is still a huge carbon footprint in getting it out of the country. Also it's so important that the recycling be sorted and cleaned properly as China has been cracking down on the quality of these bales. If they are contaminated with uncleaned/soiled items or mixed with other recyclables China is rejecting these and sending them back (more carbon footprint). It won't be long before recycling companies start passing this cost back onto consumers likely by penalties or refusing to collect in the first place. Also soft plastics are no longer accepted as, even though the packaging clearly says they are recyclable, Ireland does not have the technology to recycle these and China does not want or need this type of plastic so it must now go to our landfills instead. If you put it in your recycling - this is called "wish-cycling" - the facility will sort it out and send to landfill so again more carbon footprint for transporting. That said, the Cork facility still has a bin to accept these so I must follow up with them to ask what they are doing with it.

Recipes

In the last 2 weeks I tried a few new recipes (links below) for:

Cleaner

The all purpose cleaner is apparently citrus enzyme and is magic stuff - mine is still fermenting but it should be ready next week, I will keep you posted. The great thing about it is you can basically make it with food scraps and vinegar. When done you simply strain and dilute 50/50 with water.

Some uses here (taken from this blog)

for dishes and laundry (use 1/4 cup of enzyme)
for washing bathrooms and toilets. grime comes off easily (1 part enzyme to 10 parts water)
for removing stubborn stains and odours (coloured fabrics and floors-used undiluted)
to clean vegetables and fruits (1 part enzyme to 10 parts water)
clear blockages in kitchen sinks and drains (use concentrated or blended pulp/sludge of enzyme)
as a natural insect repellent (use undiluted) for ants, cockroaches
for mopping floors (1 part enzyme to 20 parts water)
as fertilizer for plants (use 1 part enzyme to 20 parts water, or use the leftover mop water)
as a skincare product, e.g. facial cleanser or toner (1 part enzyme to 2 parts water)
wash cars – cars will look as if they have just been polished! (1 part enzyme to 20 parts water)

Lemonade

The probiotic lemonade I made basically because I wanted to use up the lemons for the cleaner (probably the wrong way about it but anyway...), it should be ready now, I will try it tomorrow. In addition to the recipe above I added nutmeg which I saw in another video and made sure to use filtered water as the chlorine in city water can mess up the fermentation. I got the whey by staining organic yogourt through a thin cloth. I only made half the recipe as I didn't have enough honey for the whole thing.

Toothpaste

The toothpaste was super easy, I looked up a recipe where I had all the ingredients on hand - I've been stocking up on ingredients that can be used in multiple cleaning and beauty products so will have more and more stuff on hand for these types of recipes. I didn't have vegetable glycerin so used coconut oil instead as I read that could be a substitute and saw lots of other toothpaste recipes with it in it. I also didn't have fresh mint so I substituted loose dried mint (which I use for tea). It tastes quite salty but after a day of it sitting the mint has really seeped in and balanced it out a bit better - I might add a bit more mint next time. My teeth feel super clean.

According to another blog this is a little about the active ingredients:

Aloe Vera: Aloe vera kills the bacteria that causes cavities and gingivitis and is anti-inflammatory. It’s also nonabrasive, which is ideal for those with sensitive teeth.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is alkaline and neutralizes acids in our mouth and helps prevent tooth decay. It is mildly abrasive (less so than many abrasive ingredients found in store bought paste) and helps prevent stains.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil inhibits the growth of plaque and Streptococcus mutans, an acid-producing bacterium that is a major cause of tooth decay. Foaming agents used in commercial toothpaste are what cause things to taste bad after brushing your teeth, coconut oil on the other hand does not . It also helps maintain a more natural balance of lipids on your tongue, while still having potent antibacterial properties.

Lastly, this is more to do with commercial toothpastes but most contain sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) which has been linked to canker sores so if you have recurring sores a more natural homemade toothpaste may be worth a shot.

Photos below.

Cleaner on the left and lemonade on the right