Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer (a type of plastic) that has a wide variety of applications. It’s a very durable plastic that is resistant to fatigue, which is why it’s used for things such as flip-top bottles, piping systems and kettles. It’s also used in sanitary products, woven bags and to seal tea bags …
71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. We can’t live without the ocean: it produces more oxygen than the Amazon Rainforest and stores 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere. The ocean is thought to be home to over 700,000 different species, up to two thirds of which have yet to be …
The BBC’s Blue Planet II documentary series, which first broadcast in 2017, did a great deal to highlight the devastating effect plastic waste is having on the oceans and marine wildlife. The series showed shocking images of plastic-filled seas, which are becoming increasingly toxic and dangerous environments for whales, fish and other wildlife. It’s clear …
Freezer bags are very useful for storing all kinds of food and liquids, but are they safe? There is growing evidence that storing food in plastic can lead to the transfer of harmful chemicals, which negatively effect our hormonal health in particular. The transfer of chemicals is typically greater when plastic is heated, for example …
The production of palm for use in food and personal care items is contributing to the destruction of rainforests around the world, particularly in Indonesia. Around half of all the products in UK supermarkets contain palm oil or palm oil-derived ingredients, so it’s difficult to reduce your palm oil consumption. Most peanut butters contain palm …
Tea bags appear to be made out of paper, but most of them actually contain small amounts of polypropylene, a plastic used to seal the tea bag together. Polypropylene isn’t biodegradable, so putting tea bags in your compost bin can lead to plastic pollution. There are also concerns about plastic from tea bags leaching into …
The “BDIH Standard” is a certification that aims to provide a clear way of proving that a cosmetics product is truly natural and sustainable. In order to obtain the certification, a product must meet certain criteria. Some of these criteria include the following: Materials should be taken from plants as much as possible (as opposed …
Parabens are a type of preservative that are often used in cosmetics and makeup to prevent mould and bacteria from growing in them. There are lots of different parabens, but some of the most commonly used are propylparaben, methylparaben and butylparaben. If one or more of the ingredients in your makeup ends in ‘-paraben’, this …
Cows are a common sight grazing in the UK countryside, so you might assume that all milk in the UK is grass-fed. However, this isn’t the case as most dairy cows spend a large part of the year inside. Traditionally, cows have been kept inside during the winter from November to March and then allowed …
