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Store Leftovers Properly: You Should Never Use These Plastic Containers

After enjoying the ice cream, what remains is the empty packaging. Margarine containers and the like are also still popular to store, freeze or reheat leftovers from food. But why shouldn’t you continue to use such containers?

Ice cream and margarine containers: why can continued use be harmful to health?

But what exactly makes such containers harmful to health if they are reused? Many of these packages are made of thermoplastics. This is especially true for ice cream packaging. These are designed for cold, frozen food and are completely harmless for this single use. However, if you put warm food in it, the container heats up and the plastics come loose. This allows them to transfer directly to the food. In the long run, you absorb various residues from the packaging through the food. Repeated rinsing and prolonged use can also cause chemical transfer as the containers are not designed for such a purpose.

But not only margarine packaging or ice cream containers have been designed for single use. Other retail packaging should not be misused either. These include: cream cheese jars, yoghurt pots and containers for ready-made salads.

Conclusion: If you want to continue using the containers, you should use them to store pens, screws or other small parts. However, if you want to store food, freeze it or heat it up in the microwave, use products that have been specially made for this purpose*. Glass containers and stainless steel jars are the better and healthier choice for storage jars.

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Lifestyle

Ideas for Making Shower Gel Yourself without Plastic

Simply make your own shower gel without plastic. Make a homemade shower gel quickly and easily with natural ingredients and do without chemicals. For more sustainability and softer skin.

We use shower gel for our bodies almost every day. Therefore, you should make sure that your shower gel is mild and environmentally friendly. But not all ingredients in the usual shower gels are good for our skin and the environment.

Benefits of a homemade shower gel

The shower gel is used almost every day. But often we don’t even know what’s inside. And even a look at the ingredients doesn’t make us any smarter. Although the conventional shower gels are mostly tolerable, the Öko-Test shows that not all shower gels are good. Because some contain the substance formaldehyde, which can irritate the skin.

The frequent use of so-called PEG compounds is viewed just as critically. Because these ensure that our skin becomes more permeable to other foreign substances. And besides all that, microplastic is still an issue. If you don’t want all of that in your shower gel, it’s time to make your own shower gel. We have collected recipes without plastic. Because this is a good way to promote environmental protection in the household.

Instructions for making your own shower gel

If you now want to make your own shower gel, there are a variety of recipes. The right shower gel is available for every skin type and taste. We have collected the best recipes for you. You can just as easily make homemade shampoo.

1) Easily make shower gel with soap

The classic do-it-yourself shower gel requires only a few ingredients and is free of harmful ingredients. You should have the following ingredients ready:

  • 50 g natural or curd soap (without palm oil)
  • 400 ml distilled water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (e.g. almond or coconut oil)
  • 1-2 tsp thickener (cornstarch or cornstarch)
  • a few drops of essential oil
  • container

The preparation is very simple: first, rub off 50 g of the soap. Then put the water in a saucepan and heat it up. Then you can slowly add the soap shavings and stir constantly. Then add the vegetable oil and thickener. Finally, if you like, you can add a few drops of essential oil of your choice. Then let everything cool down before pouring the mixture into your container. Old shower gel bottles or glass bottles are suitable for this. In addition, also note our ideas for making deodorant yourself.

2) Homemade shower gel without soap

Since soap can dry out the skin, people with particularly dry skin should make a non-soap shower gel. For this you need the following ingredients:

  • 220 ml distilled water
  • 40 ml betaine (from the internet)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch or cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp almond oil
  • 15ml aloe vera gel
  • container

Once you have all the ingredients, start by slowly mixing the starch into the water. As soon as a creamy mass has formed, you can add betaine and almond oil. Then you have to stir the pure aloe vera gel into it. Alternatively, you can also use the fresh juice of the aloe vera plant. All you have to do is puree them before use.

3) Almond oil and honey shower scrub

You can also prepare your skin with a homemade scrub made from almond oil and healing honey. All you need are these:

  • 50 grams of soap
  • 90 ml distilled water
  • 3 tbsp almond oil
  • 20 natural shea butter
  • 20 grams of sugar
  • 10 grams of honey

First, you have to bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Then let it cool down a bit before you stir the grated soap into it. Then melt the shea butter and add it to the mixture. You can now also add the almond oil to the mixture. Then mix the whole thing with a hand blender and let it cool down. When everything has cooled you can stir in the sugar and honey. And your homemade peeling for the shower is ready.

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Food

How Unhealthy is Water From Plastic Bottles?

With sparkling water and from the plastic bottle – that’s how many prefer to drink their water. But the effect of plastic on human health is controversial. Does bottled water from PET bottles really pose a risk?

“Environmental hormones in mineral water!” was the headline in many major media outlets in 2009. Two scientists from the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main published research results at the time that suggested mineral water was contaminated with substances that have an estrogen-like effect. Since then, the validity of the study has repeatedly been questioned by various parties and authorities have given the all-clear. But the fear that water from plastic bottles is contaminated with environmental hormones or other chemicals persists.

What has happened in research since then? Are hormones really a problem – or are there possibly other substances? Do unhealthy substances from plastic bottles get into the water at all?

PET bottles: hormones in mineral water?

Since the Frankfurt study of 2009, no other serious research has found such high levels of exposure to hormonally active substances. So did the substances really come from the plastic bottles?

The search for the source is extremely difficult and far from over, says Dr. Martin Wagner, one of the authors of the study. “I am still of the opinion that there was estrogen pollution in the water at the time. But nobody knows exactly where they came from,” explains Wagner. “Unfortunately, little has happened since then, there have been hardly any scientific studies on mineral water in the last ten years.”

dr Frank Welle, a chemist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV), doubts that the hormone pollution really came from the plastic bottles. In the Frankfurt study, it was striking “that the same brand of mineral water in glass or PET bottles showed no significant differences.” He wrote this in an analysis in 2014. He also says that since then there have been no relevant publications on the subject. “But that’s not surprising if there are no hormones at all in mineral water or PET bottles.”

According to the last statement by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) from 2011, there is “neither evidence of estrogen-like activity in the mineral waters, nor have substances been detected in concentrations that could have caused such an activity.” However, the BfR sees a need for further research.

also dr Martin Wagner, who is now doing research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, says: “In the last study, we did not find any estrogenic effects in PET.” Overall, PET came off relatively well. However, he announces that a new, as yet unpublished study has definitely found hormonal stress. “This shows that results in this area are difficult to generalize.”

How do pollutants get into the water?

If the plastic bottles really aren’t the (biggest) problem, how do chemicals get into the mineral water? One possible source of contamination is the water source.

Contamination of mineral water at source

Various contaminants get into mineral water from water sources again and again. Among other things, the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) established in 2006 “that in some cases the raw water already has an estrogenic effect.” This suggests that any estrogenic contamination that is actually present could come from the springs instead of from the bottles. “But this has not been systematically investigated since then,” criticizes Wagner.

Plastic bottled water: chemical aftertaste

Assuming that PET plastic bottles are more or less harmless: why does the water sometimes taste so strange? Everyone knows the chemical taste when plastic bottles have been in the sun for a long time. Acetaldehyde escaping from the plastic is responsible for this. The substance is created in the manufacturing process of PET; it can be released into the water, especially at high temperatures and for long periods of storage.

Water in plastic bottles: harmful or not?

So is water from plastic bottles (PET bottles) a health risk? According to the current (!) status, probably not. We deliberately formulate this so vaguely because in some cases significantly more research is needed to be able to answer this question conclusively.

The suspicion that hormonally active substances migrate from plastic bottles into mineral water has not (yet) been confirmed according to the current state of research. Various substances from the PET can be released into the contents of the bottles, but according to the current state of knowledge, not in critical quantities. Not only on this, but also on a potential health hazard from microplastics, there is still a lack of clear knowledge.

In addition to substances from the plastic, residues from agriculture are also found in mineral water – however, this applies to water from both plastic and glass bottles.

As a precautionary measure, should we stop drinking water from plastic bottles? Everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to do without for health reasons. But there are other reasons that speak for it.

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Lifestyle

Make Faded Plastic in the Car Look New

Useful tips for caring for faded plastic in the car and making plastic parts look new. With these home remedies and professional tricks, your plastic parts will be beautiful and presentable again.

Who doesn’t know this: Over time, the plastic parts on and in the car fade. But this problem is easy to prevent and fix. In the following, you will find out what you need for this and how you can help your plastic parts to shine again.

1) Clean plastic parts

First, you should clean the bleached plastic. Wet cleaning cloths, for example, are suitable for the plastic parts in the interior of your car. There is also special cockpit cleaning wipes for this purpose. Then it’s best to wait until everything has dried really well.

Make your own cleaning spray with home remedies

If you like, you can also make your own cockpit care spray for the faded plastic in the car. Here you can use the universal household remedy vinegar for cleaning. It is best to dilute it with a little water and fill it in a spray bottle.

For a more pleasant smell, you can use essential oil with a scent of your choice or air the car well after cleaning. Alternatively, you can use diluted washing-up liquid to clean your car’s interior. This is more pleasant in smell and you don’t have to buy extra essential oil if you don’t already have it at home.

In combination with a soft cloth, you can use the spray to clean all plastic parts in your car: Spray on, leave to work for a short time and then wipe off with a damp cloth. Afterward, you can take a little vegetable cooking oil, for example, linseed oil or sunflower oil, and rub the cleaned fittings with it.

2) Processing and maintenance of the plastic

After cleaning the plastic, the processing and care begin. It is best to use a clean cloth for this. Which remedy you apply now depends on the condition of your amateurs. If the plastic is only faded and shows slight signs of wear, you can make your car interior presentable again with a simple silicone spray or special oil. Simply rub the plastic parts with it and let it take effect.

Buy silicone spray

As with all products, there are differences in handling and quality with silicone sprays. If you like, you can get advice at the hardware store and shop locally. The comparison winner in some tests is otherwise a silicone spray from Würth, which you can buy online here. At the same time, you can buy a special disinfectant spray as a remedy for a smelly air conditioner. In case your air conditioner stinks.

3) Refresh color

If the color of your plastic parts has faded so much that silicone sprays and other care products are no longer sufficient to achieve the color you want, you can also buy a special plastic dye. You should apply this evenly to the previously cleaned fittings according to the instructions on the package. Already you get a depth of color that achieves a new-looking effect. When using plastic dye and glue, be careful to avoid toxic fumes.

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Uncategorized

Plastic Packaging for Fruit and Vegetables: No-go or Necessary?

Apples, grapes and tomatoes often come in plastic wrap or plastic trays. Huge mountains of plastic are the result. Should we only buy unpackaged fruit and vegetables, or does the plastic wrap in the supermarket sometimes make sense?

Whether it’s apples in a plastic bag or a three-pack of peppers in a plastic jacket. Many types of fruit and vegetables are packed in plastic – including large mountains of rubbish.

Especially if it is disposed of incorrectly, plastic waste damages our environment and pollutes the oceans. One area where a lot of plastic can be saved is food packaging – especially fruit and vegetables.

Plastic waste in private households has increased significantly since the beginning of the corona pandemic. Since March, there has been around ten percent more packaging waste, as the recycling company “Der Grüne Punkt” reported to ZDF. Although commercial waste fell in the same period, more waste was produced overall. Time to reduce plastic waste as soon as possible.

First rule: reduce plastic waste in food packaging

When you buy fruit and vegetables, you often have a choice between individual, unpackaged goods and bulk packs in plastic wrap or trays. Here the choice seems clear: You can buy fresh fruit and vegetables individually and thus avoid plastic packaging, which immediately becomes plastic waste after consumption. Reusable reusable nets are suitable for transport. Because the top priority in waste management is waste avoidance.

Where you have the choice between unpackaged fruit and vegetables and goods with plastic packaging, you should therefore choose the plastic-free variant – even during the corona pandemic you can shop without packaging without hesitation.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin explains that there are no proven cases in which people have contracted the corona virus through contaminated food. Many people continue to reach for unpackaged apples, tomatoes and cucumbers. The trading company REWE, for example, did not notice any changes in buying behavior among its customers during the Corona crisis.

Sometimes packaging makes sense

Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. For some types of fruit and vegetables, packaging may be necessary because the goods would otherwise spoil quickly. Take lettuce, for example: without protective packaging, lettuce spoils quickly in the supermarket and most consumers no longer buy wilted lettuce. In such cases, packaging can prevent unnecessary food waste.

In a regional test, REWE refrained from packaging organic fruit and vegetables for six months and came to the conclusion that the company could save three tons of plastic a year nationwide with unpackaged organic iceberg lettuce. However, due to the lack of a plastic protective cover, an estimated 18.5 tons of organic iceberg lettuce would spoil every year, making them unsellable.

REWE came to similar conclusions with other lettuce, organic broccoli and organic berries. Broccoli, for example, blooms faster without packaging and loses its freshness. Berries are very delicate and also need protective packaging. Packaging is therefore not bad per se: it can protect the fruit and vegetables and keep them fresh for longer. Elaborate plastic packaging is not necessary.

But: If packaging, then as environmentally friendly as possible

Even though certain fruits and vegetables need protection to keep them fresh for longer, multi-wrapped plastic packaging remains harmful to the environment. An interim solution is therefore optimized packaging.

Paper packaging or cardboard packaging is usually an improvement over the plastic cover. Customers often simply want to bundle their fruit and vegetables and therefore choose the grapes or cherry tomatoes in the plastic tray. Cardboard boxes are usually sufficient here – the plastic coating is usually not necessary. Nets, such as those used for onions and potatoes, are also a good alternative.

Packaging solutions at REWE

REWE has drawn conclusions from its unpackaged test: with immediate effect, the supermarket chain will dispense with or optimize packaging for organic fruit and vegetables. As a result, REWE saves 210 tons of plastic and 80 tons of paper every year. Where it is not possible to dispense with the packaging, the packaging is optimized.

PENNY is also permanently converting its organic fruit and vegetable items – the Naturgut Bio-Helden – to plastic-free packaging or unpacking it wherever possible. As alternatives, more environmentally friendly cardboard and paper packaging, cellulose nets or bands and stickers are used – the cucumber, for example, remains completely unpackaged. This can save up to 50 tons of plastic annually in the long term.

All in all, the REWE Group has already made more than 2,000 own-brand packagings more environmentally friendly – true to the motto: avoid, reduce, improve. As a result, REWE and PENNY alone use around 8,000 tonnes less plastic each year.

In order to achieve this amount of savings, REWE and PENNY are reducing the film thickness of the packaging and are often switching from film packaging to adhesive tape rolls or adhesive labels. Customers can also buy a reusable net and carry the fruit and vegetables home in it. Grass paper or FSC-certified paper is used for fruit boxes.

REWE also transfers the findings from the unpackaged test to the conventional range. Recently, for example, ripened avocados and mangoes are no longer packed in trays and optimized packaging is used for berries.

Conclusion: It is mainly up to us as buyers: With our purchase, we determine whether supermarkets will use more or less (plastic) packaging for fruit and vegetables in the future. And also when a food is considered unsellable – if a head of lettuce has a wilted leaf or an organic apple has a small dent, you can still buy and eat it with a clear conscience. If we deliberately choose imperfect pears, carrots or potatoes more often, we reduce food waste and contribute to less food ending up in the bin.

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Culture

No More Plastic Waste From Coffee to Go Cups

Environmentally conscious coffee drinkers face an unsolved problem. You can now buy coffee on every corner, even in small towns. So far so good. The beloved hot drink is available there in a practical coffee to go cup. The coffee mug is used once, thrown away and is anything but environmentally friendly. Every second, thousands of coffee cups made of paper fibers and the industrially manufactured plastic polyethylene pollute our environment. In addition, the disposable cups contain lids and stirrers made of plastic, which also pollute the environment and are hardly biodegradable. In Germany, around three billion disposable cups are thrown away every year, of which 320,000 coffee cups are thrown away every hour. If you want to enjoy coffee on the go without regrets, you should look around for an alternative to the environmentally harmful coffee mug. The reusable cup is an alternative.

The reusable cup allows you to enjoy coffee with a clear conscience

If you want to continue drinking your coffee on the go, you can use a reusable cup. Enjoyment is also possible in a coffee to go cup, but is no longer clouded by a bad conscience. The practical reusable cups are made of bamboo, porcelain, glass, ceramic and stainless steel.

Glass, ceramics and porcelain are not particularly shockproof and should therefore be viewed with caution. Coffee mugs made of stainless steel are more suitable. The bamboo coffee to go cups often contain half bamboo and half plastic. Some are made entirely of plastic, resin, and cornmeal. It’s worth taking a close look at the ingredients in the coffee mug. The coffee stays warm longer in the insulated reusable cup. Take a look at our webshop and buy delicious coffee or practical portioned items to go with your coffee to go mug. So you always have sugar and milk in practical portions with you.

Reusable cups are also subject to strict hygiene regulations

Reusable cups can be taken anywhere. The practical coffee mugs are useful companions that make environmentally friendly coffee enjoyment to go possible. After use, rinse out your coffee to go mug and take it with you again. Coffee to go cups are subject to strict hygiene regulations.

This must be taken into account when pouring. Hygiene experts fear that coffee cups brought in and kept in non-sterile handbags will come into contact with bacteria. This can lead to contamination of the coffee machines behind the counter. To avoid this, the reusable cup should be filled on the sales counter. Don’t be surprised if the waiter doesn’t go behind the counter with your coffee to go cup.

Coffee to go cups are very trendy

Coffee enjoyment to go is in great demand and is trendy. It is very practical to be able to drink coffee anywhere. The environmentally friendly alternative, the reusable cup, has also been further perfected. There are now deposit systems for coffee to go cups.

You receive your coffee in a reusable cup and pay a deposit for it. If you return the empty coffee mug to another branch, your deposit will be refunded. In this way, the practical coffee to go cups can be used again and again.

You can find an ecologically very valuable variant of a to-go cup in our web shop. The bamboo coffee to go cup consists mainly of bamboo fibers – a rapidly renewable raw material. In addition, the mug is even dishwasher safe.

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