Zero waste

I've made great progress over the last few years in ditching the disposables and trying to reduce the amount of waste I produce.  And I was doing pretty well in only producing a small bag of rubbish every two or three weeks.  Unfortunately, living in an apartment now I have no possibility of setting up a composter anywhere (no garden, no balcony and don't even know anyone who I've been able to persuade to set one up in their garden), which means that I now have a full small bin full of rubbish every week and sometimes twice or three times a week during the height of canning season.  Funnily enough, I've found that the habits I've built up over the last few years are more difficult to break than the habits they were replacing, which I'd had for much longer.  So even after more than four years it still bothers me every single time I throw something in the bin that I know could be perfectly well added to a compost heap.  I've considered trying to get a small wormery going in the kitchen but I don't really have space for it and there is a clause in my rental contract that states that I am responsible for ensuring there are no infestations of insects or bugs.  I've already managed to acquire moths (of the clothes eating variety) and somehow it seems to me that bringing a whole lot of worms into the building might not go down too well.

Germany was probably one of the first countries to introduce rubbish separation and recycling so we have three bins available to us in our building.  One for paper and carton, one for plastic packaging and one for general waste.  I'm also lucky enough to live just across the road from some glass bottle banks, for those bottles that don't have a deposit to be claimed once you return them to the shop.  Once I've separated out all the stuff for those bins I don't have much left to get rid of except for veg peels etc.  Switching from disposables has certainly made shopping a lot easier, too.  No need to remember to buy sponges or dishmops every couple of months, I just use my own knitted cloths.  No need to remember to buy serviettes, I have cloth ones that I bought nearly fifteen years ago that are still going strong.  No need to remember to buy kitchen roll, I have lots of rags and cloths to soak up any spill.  No need to remember to buy toilet roll except once a year or so, I have an old towel cut up into squares that work so much better than paper.  No need to remember to buy sanitary towels, I have my mooncup and washable pads.  And no need to pay for any of those things anymore makes it all even better.

I don't think I'll ever get to the stage of producing zero waste but it's still a goal worth aiming for I think.  Top of my list for the next place I move to, though, is enough outside space to have a small composter or wormery on the go.  Until then, this post marks the end of the April A to Z challenge.  It's been interesting but I'm not really sorry that it's over.  I may take a few days rest from blogging now.  Or I may be back tomorrow already, since it's a bank holiday here and all.  Can't believe it's May already, time is really flying by.  A sign that I'm getting older, apparently.  I like to tell myself that that's balanced out by my getting more childish, though.  You take what comfort you can get, I suppose. :-)

Mooncup

Disclaimer: Yes, this post is about the use of a mooncup and other non-disposable methods of sanitary protection during a period.  That means there'll be some frank descriptions of things such as the pill, periods, bodily functions and possibly vaginas. Yes, if you're the type to be offended or feel uncomfortable reading about those topics, you can run away now.  You've been warned.

I first heard of menstrual cups just after I started this blog and Liz from Pocket Farm left a comment (on this post) asking if I had ever considered using a diva cup.  I followed her link and seriously thought it was a joke.  I few months later I came across a thread on one of my favourite discussion forums and realised there was a whole world of disposable sanitary towel and tampon alternatives out there.  That discussion can be found here and is highly recommended reading.

For those who aren't already aware, a menstrual cup is a small medical grade silicon receptacle which is inserted into the vagina during a period to collect the fluids, which can then simply be tipped out and the cup re-inserted.  Washable cloth sanitary towels/pads are also widely available or can be made at home.  There are different types and lots of lovely, lovely different fabrics to choose from.  Sea sponges are another alternative to tampons but as I've never used them, I can't offer any other information on them than that they exist.

On reading the thread mentioned above, as I was trying to 'green' my life, and also because I was intrigued by people on that thread mentioning a noticeable decrease in pain and cramping after switching from disposables, I decided to give it a go.  Although by now I had accepted that menstrual cups weren't actually a joke product, never having been a fan of tampons, I wasn't sure I'd like using one and so I opted to get some cloth pads instead.  I ordered 12 from Wee Notions and honestly never looked back.  They come in lots of lovely different fabrics and I have to admit that especially at the beginning, I got a real kick every time I went to the toilet and instead of looking down at the same old white, I was looking at swirls of blue and pink or black and white.  That might be just me though.  I get the same kind of kick when I (very, very occasionally) paint my toenails, even though I don't ever wear open-toe shoes.  My own secret little splash of colour, so to speak.

I became a dedicated fan of washables and although I still liked the idea of the mooncup (that's the type I have now, there are lots of different brands available - menstrual cups have been around since the 1930s!), I decided that I was so happy with my washable towels it didn't matter.  I went from needing to take the pill and using strong prescription painkillers just to make it through some days when I had my period and even then sometimes having to miss a day or two of work to having minimal pain that could be either just borne with or handeled using ordinary painkillers and being able to come off the pill, too.  A while after starting to use washables, I was invited to a wedding and happened to have my period.  Not wanting to have to carry around dirty towels with me all day, as well as having bought a ridiculously tiny handbag to use, I decided to just go ahead and use up some of the always towels I still had lying around.  Within a couple of hours I had started to have the most incredible cramps.  Of a type that I hadn't even realised I was missing.  Definitely different than the ordinary cramps I had since gotten used to and it reminded me that when I first started using them, I had noticed that the type of cramps I was having were not only far less severe but they reminded me of when I first starting having my period.  I managed to get through that day and after that made sure to get rid of any disposable towels I still had left and have never used them since.

That day convinced me, however, that I should consider at least trying the mooncup, as it would be ideal for a day when you don't want to be carrying supplies with you.  So I bought one.  And then did nothing but take it out of the packaging for a look and think to myself, "Must try that sometime".  Eventually I did try it once or twice but really didn't click with it at all.  I waited until I got my period at a weekend, and luckily it was a weekend when my housemate was away, too, so no-one to notice if I was spending longer than usual in the bathroom or wonder what the hell this silicon thing was boiling away on the cooker.  I didn't heed the advice I'd heard over and over again to cut as much as possible off the stem and, well, ouch!  I eventually did get it down to something I feel comfortable with, probably a little bit over half a centimetre.  But I also really struggled to just contort my body in such a way as to be able to get the bloody thing (pun intended) in or out.  Once the contortions had finished, I really did like it, but it just all seemed like too much hard work somehow and since I loved my washables so much I just left it in the cupboard.

A while after moving to Germany I decided I really should give it a proper go again.  Same thing, I used it once and then felt like it was too much like hard work and gave up.  But at the beginning of last year I really, finally, actually made a proper effort.  I re-read through the thread I've mentioned above, I read through all the FAQs on the mooncup website and anything else I found that I thought might help and I gave it a proper go, telling myself that I was going to use it every month for at least six months, even if I only used it for one day each month, and that if after that I still didn't like it, I'd just leave it be.  It took about three months for me to get it figured out and by the end of six, I couldn't imagine ever being without it.  

I had blamed a lot of it on being overweight and therefore not as agile as I felt I needed to be but really, it turns out that I just needed to find the way that really worked for me.  For what it's worth, for me that means a slight squat and then going up on tiptoe.  I discovered this completely by accident but this position seems to tilt my pelvis at just exactly the right angle to allow me to really easily insert the mooncup.  The body is a funny old thing.  Before I figured that out I had had some success with making sure that my back was against a wall (otherwise I sort of kept pushing myself backwards and could never get a grip on the ruddy thing).  Lots of people say that using the mooncup really made them feel more in touch with their bodies and I must say, I have to agree.  I had already had some of that feeling from using washable pads but using the mooncup took it to a whole new level.  I've always been a big fan of masturbation so I would have thought that I was fairly well acquainted with my body.  But now I really am (maybe it's just because I'm less, er, distracted when I'm putting the mooncup in or taking it out and therefore I'm paying more attention) and I've found that to be a fairly powerful thing.  I wasn't brought up to be ashamed of my body but women aren't generally encouraged to pay too close attention beyond what's absolutely necessary to "down there" (oh how that phrase annoys me, even if I do use it on occasion) and that, I find, is a pity.  

So anyway, the mooncup gets a big thumbs up from me.  It is especially wonderful when travelling and as I managed to time my long holiday to Australia in December to be having my period on both the flight there and the flight back (only me!), I was extra pleased to have taken to the time to really give it a chance and make it work.  It may not be for everyone but if you do decide to try it out, please do give it a few months.  It takes time to get used to but it is well worth it.  Although I did have the initial cash outlay for the washable pads (which I still use as panty liners) as well as for the mooncup, I had recouped that money after only a few months of not having to buy disposable towels.  So over the five plus years I've been using non-disposable forms of sanitary protection, I have saved myself a LOT of money.  And saved a huge amount of unnecessary waste adding to landfill or worse, ending up polluting our seas.  If you're a woman who gets periods, please do consider switching to non-disposables and for all men and all women, even if you don't have a use for it yourself, please do consider telling your daughters, friends and anyone you think might listen.

In which Garden Pheenix discussed the Pill

This post is actually a response to this blog as I found myself going on and on and on and finally I exceeded the character quota for a comment (even after doing things like switching '&' for 'and' and all that.  As Pheenix as said it so nicely, I'm also going to shamelessly rob her disclaimer bit for the top of this post. :-)

Yes this is about the pill, hormones, periods, and possibly vaginas. Yes if you're a man you can run away and I won't be offended - but hey you might learn something too :c) If you're a woman, you can run away too. You've been warned.

I started taking the pill the first time when I was 20. Didn't have (or at least didn't notice) any particular problems but as you say, you're not really informed or looking out for them either. I had lots of issues with my family and in general anyway so I don't know if any of it was attributable to the pill. I just know I loved knowing exactly when I was getting my period and the fact that it didn't ever last longer than five days.

I moved to Germany the following year and got a different pill here which also seemed fine but when I went back to Ireland two years later I couldn't get that one there at all so was put on something else. I do remember at that stage starting to get the feeling that I was just being sold the most expensive one regardless of what my actual needs were. I never really seemed to get one I was happy with for the next year or so (often ended up bleeding in between periods for example) and eventually I just came off it entirely for a few years. But then I was in a position to be having sex again so I went back on it. Again with the feeling of simply being sold the most expensive one. Didn't do too well and eventually stopped taking it again. By now (late twenties) I was having horrible periods, very painful, dreadful moods and very heavy. I don't know how often doctors tested me and wanted to tell me I had PCOS but I just don't. I started taking it again as a way to deal with the painful heavy periods somewhat and was also taking very strong prescription painkillers including having some months so bad my GP would actually inject anit-inflammatories directly into my stomach (or thereabouts) but then started to get more and more interested in sustainability and all that. Which is when I first heard of the mooncup (which I have to admit I thought was a joke the first time someone sent me the link - and I'm a pretty down-to-earth kind of person most of the time) and the radical idea of using washable sanitary towels. So many women on that discussion reported having much lighter periods and less pain as well as feeling far more in touch with their bodies that I decided to try it out. Within a couple of months I had come off the pill (didn't need it for contraception anyway - boo, I hate being sinlge) and was having far lighter, less painful periods. Have the occasional heavy one now and sometimes painful but it's the pain I remember from when I was a teenager - I hadn't even realised the type of pain I was feeling was different. Hmmm, I think this blog post of yours is going to inpsire some of the longest comments ever.

The interesting thing the last time I came off the pill (bout 5 years ago) is that my GP asked me why and I told him about the mooncup, not using disposable sanitary towels etc. and all the anecdotal evidence that it can improve bad periods and he had NEVER heard of it. He actually went and looked it up on the internet while I was still in his office and I have always hoped that he might have looked into it a bit more and perhaps told other colleagues or patients too.

I remember reading reports about increased levels of female hormones in many boys which may be partially attributable to the increased levels of hormones getting into the water supply. You take the pill, it's in your body, you piss and some of that makes it's way into the water systems (sorry, have no sources to direct you to). So the whole thing came part of my attitude of really trying to think the things I do and have taken for granted for years through properly and all the way down to the last possible consequence.

Since I moved back to Germany I have had a few migraines (oh how I wish I didn't hate my job/have so much debt I can't quit my job!) with the added delight of visual auras so I think that excludes me from taking the pill anyway (plus I've very overweight still). But now I'm in the lovely position of perhaps, maybe, potentially being in the position of needing to have contraception again so I'm going to have a long chat with the doctor when I go in for my smear test later this week.

I saw a program on the telly once about the swingin' 60's in UK someone commented that actually, the wide availability of the pill didn't make women free, it just made them available. Always found that thought very interesting, it kind of resonated with me.

My first eBay purchase

I registered for eBay a couple of years ago but to be completely honest found it all a bit overwhelming so never really got into it or bought anything. Today I needed to make a payment through PayPal which turned into a big pain in the neck as my account was in Ireland and you can't change your address to another country, you have to open a new account in the new country. But, since I've changed my address with the credit card company to my German address I definitely couldn't use my Irish account as the details would no longer match. So, after faffing around getting the German paypal account set up I thought I would just have a quick look at eBay. That was when I realised I couldn't remember my log-in for eBay so I decided to go ahead and create one straight away.

After all that 'admin' work I decided to see if the pottery set I have was up there. I have more than enough dishes but one thing I am missing is a butter dish. I've been meaning to buy a butter dish for a couple of years but wanted to take my time choosing a really nice one rather than just a generic one from the kitchen reject shop or somewhere like that. So I've been checking charity shops and the like for something a bit special and thought if I could find one from the set I have it would be perfect. There is one posted but it's up as a rare collector's item so I'm not sure I'll even bother bidding on it - will wait till closer to the end of the auction to see if the price has gone mental or stayed reasonable. It's really nice too - I like the shape of it.

While I was there I decided to see if I could find a dehydrator as that is something on my list of things to get someday. And in my search for that I came across a yoghurt machine, almost brand new and with the auction about to end in seven minutes. So, I am now the new owner of a yoghurt machine (something else I've almost bought several times in the past but thought I shouldn't as it's so easy to make without any special equipment - the only problem being I've never been quite able to make it work!). For the very reasonable price of 2 euro I have to add and even adding the 6.90 for shipping it is a bargain I think.

I have set myself an eBay limit of 20 euro (including shipping) and a commitment to only look for things that are on my list of to-buy anyway. If I ever have a big purchase to make I can reconsider this but as a general rule it should stop me getting in trouble. One of my sisters developed a bit of a bad habit of buying stuff left, right and centre and often paying more than she would have in a shop, often for stuff she didn't need at all. I have more than enough money issues without going down that route. But, for today, I am pleased with my purchase and will in future try to emulate one of my other sisters, who just uses eBay to keep an eye out for stuff she needs, presents for the kids etc and so is able to get some very good bargains and put stuff away for when it is needed. I think the important thing is being able to let stuff go. The butter dish will be a good test for me. 20 euro would be a bit expensive for a butter dish but if I were to buy a new hand-painted one (which I had contemplated for a while) I would more than likely pay more than that. We shall see.

In other news I used my Mooncup for the first time today. Will post about that later in the week but fair warning now to anyone who may be a bit squeamish and prefer not to read about that kind of thing - I make sure to put mooncup in the post title so you can avoid it if you prefer.

Zero waste

Two websites of people who are attempting to live without producing any landfil waste are:

therubbishdiet

homecompostingrecyclingforum

It's interesting reading. I currently put out our big wheelie bin about once every six weeks (sometimes longer, rarely less) - if I was sharing a house with someone who was more into trying to live a sustainable life it would undoubtedly be less. However, one thing I'm very aware of is a tendency to think if it can be recycled then it's okay. I can put plastic bottles into the green bin (which goes out every four or six weeks) and bring soft plastic packaging to a local recycle centre - I do try not to use plastic but sometimes I don't put all that much effort into it I have to admit and all because I know I can send it for recycling. It's something I do have to work on. Particularly because I'm fairly certain there are no recycling plants in Ireland and everything has to be shipped off somewhere else to be recycled. It's reduce, re-use, recycle - recycle is supposed to be the last option.

Using non-disposable sanpro has defintely had a huge impact on the amount of waste I produce - have been using washable pads for over a year and just bought a mooncup to try it out. And I finally found all those cloth hankies which I knew I had. Decided months ago to stop using paper tissues, used up what I had and then couldn't find the cloth ones. Knowing I had them somewhere (they were my dad's, so plenty big enough for my nose too) meant that I didn't want to buy new ones and so I spent a couple of months using toilet roll. Which kind of defeats the purpose! Anyway, have been using the cloth hankies for a few days now and they're so much nicer. Lovely and soft and gentle and I don't have to worry about whether a particularly big sneeze is going to blow them to bits. Won't go back from this one. Would love to start using wee wipes/cloth TP but will need to see what my new housemate is like before trying to sneak that one in.

In other news, Saturday 14th June is world wide knit in public day - there is a knit taking place in Dublin so I'll be hopefully heading along to that. Check out the website to find one in your area/find out about starting one in your area.

Happy Christmas everyone

I'm not a practising Catholic anymore and working on getting myself removed entirely from the church but I was raised that way and it feel normal to wish people happy christmas so I continue to do so. Hope everyone has a great time whatever way they choose to celebrate this time of year (or not).

Yesterday was solstice and my brother was supposed to be coming over for some mince pies. I didn't tell him I was also planning on cooking a nice dinner and getting him to fill out his bit of my Christmas book. I'll be in Florida with my little sister and her new hubby for Christmas and he'll be on his own for the first time. He's even less inclined to celebrate Christmas than I am and isn't bothered at all but I don't like to think of him being on his own. He's supposed to be spending the day with a friend so hopefully that'll work out. Yesterday, about the time he was supposed to be ringing me to tell me he was ready to be picked up, he rang and said he wasn't going to come over after all because he'd just been fired and was going to go and get shit-faced (his expression, not one of my favourite ones!). I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach when he told me. He was on the dole for about four years and only started working properly last September and it had really seemed to be working out well.

He ended up not going to a friend's house but to a pub near where we both live on his own so I called in there on my way home and kept him company for a while and then drove him home. He brought home a few cans of beer as well so at least I knew he was safe at home and could just fall into bed when he needed to. He had a huge argument with his boss and did think that if they could talk today they'd be able to sort it out. It sounds like it was something that blew up out of nothing because his boss was in a mood and my brother was tired after working early and doing a nine-hour shift with no break. Of course I don't know if there's been anything going on in the background but I also know I have to leave it up to him. It's one of my big problems that I try to look after everyone in my family when really they're all well able to look after themselves.

Anyway, I'm at the airport now, waiting to find out if my flight to Florida is delayed. Got up horribly early (for me) after staying up much too late (hadn't planned on not spending the evening at home so was up till after one packing and clearing up). Didn't realise how sleepy I was when I got up until I went to the toilet in the airport. I'm just finishing my period but decided since I'm travelling to take no chances and use a super size sanitary towel. It was one of the ones with wings and somehow I forgot to take off the little bit of paper on the wings and fold them over. I've done stupid things when sleep-deprived before but this is definitely a first. Didn't feel I thing either during the hour or so until I saw it. What a strange way to start my day!

Must go now. I'm using one of those internet kiosks where the screen is at head height standing and it feels like everyone must be reading this over my shoulder.

I'm looking forward to a week of little or no rain and lots of sunshine/light. Hopefully that'll keep me going through the next month or so of dark winter days here. I also booked cheap flights to Germany to visit a friend in January so that should help too. I was speaking to a friend's sister the other day and she has just moved into a new house and has a huge garden she wants to plant some trees in. So I'm going to buy some trees for her in the spring and consider that my contribution to offsetting my air travel. It feels good to have decided to do something.

Happy Christmas all. I hope 2007 brings you everything you wish for and need.

More lists...

I need to get down on paper things I use which are definitely not the eco and/or local choice. Some of these items are ones I'm not prepared to do without but I feel that if I write it all down, it'll focus my attention a bit more and perhaps lead me to changing these choices too.

Chemical cleaning products at home - I decided when I wanted to switch to eco products that it would not be a good idea to simply flush away the products I already had and am still trying to use them up (a year later! I was always a sucker for special offers, didn't realise how much I of a stock I had built up). At this stage I think I'll try and give them away.

Shower gel/body lotions etc. - as above, I've been using up what I had. Nearly finished.

Deodorant - tough one this. May use some holiday time to experiment with eco products - it took me years to find a "conventional" one that works for me.

Toothpaste - need to replace soon and will try Kingfisher or similar brand.

Make-up - I don't wear much so will stick with what I already have and think more about it if/when I need new stuff.

Face wipes - so convenient. Have been reducing use but can't quite give them up yet.

Sanitary towels - have used organic ones before and they're okay, need to try and get them more often but they are more expensive.

Petrol - until I can afford a hybrid/runs on vegetable oil type car the only thing I can do about this is minimise my use of the car. Already use bus for to and from work. Must get fit enough to use bike.

Philadelphia light - a Weight Watcher's necessity. I have a serious weight problem but eating more fresh food and less processed food will help a lot. There are certain products that are very useful in making low-fat meals and this is one of them.

Colour catchers - can't afford to keep buying new white underwear.

Clothes - don't buy many and because of my size don't have much choice anyway. When I lose weight I would also like to start looking at buying more organically.

I'm sure I had a dozen more to add but can't think of them now - will have to come back to this list later.