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earaercircular · 1 year

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Little recycling, although a lot of entrepreneurship that practices it

Orujo is called the wet solid waste

Complaint to the EU of the Spanish waste situation. The business commitment to sustainability is renewed.

In Spain we do not recycle well or enough. Almost 20 percentage points below the 55% set for 2025, according to the Cotec Foundation for Innovation[1]. This reason has led 26 environmental organisations and entities to denounce[2] the situation before the European Commission, "in the form of a distress call", they clarify from Greenpeace. In addition, "close to 80% of the waste[3] is not separated correctly, which makes it difficult to do quality recycling," they say from Ecologistas en Acción[4].

We continue to be anchored in the linear model of resource use and, at the same time, the growing number of entrepreneurs who turn waste reduction into their source of inspiration or the reason for their business is surprising. Below, we present three innovative proposals from those who do embroider circularity.

Floral, but not ephemeral

The case of Gus&Flowers[5] combines vocation and design in equal parts. Behind the brand, Gustavo Vaquero – who left his job as a computer scientist to open this flower shop, because he always felt, “above all, a gardener” – and his companion, Carlos Piñeyroa, “I am the flowers and the vase”, he jokes. Thus, while he deals with strategy and communication, his partner (Gus for everyone) creates different floral compositions full of volume.

Are they selling flowers here? They say they are sometimes asked. And it is that its showcase is misleading because it is unconventional, with the right vegetation to tell a story and almost always, among it, a poster with some proposal: workshops, talks, encounters with wine, "everything that mixes knowledge and life", they indicate .

Afterwards, another question usually arises for those who buy: why do their flowers last so long? “We did not want to use refrigeration and we looked for a basement that would provide enough natural cold. Nor is there too much transportation, which is why we offer flowers that are in season and within a radius of about 100 kilometres for deliveries," Piñeyroa details. Thus, they extend the life of the product and can even make it eternal with their “Long live the flowers” service, which they provide together with the ceramic artist Pilar González. Once the bouquet withers, the artisan and researcher burns it and with that ash she enamels and makes a unique piece, “which in turn will serve as a support for another floral ensemble just as special as the one immortalized”, comments Gus. His next challenge will be to measure the carbon footprint from the very origin of the plant. Not in vain, they have been among the ten finalists of the 50+ Emprende 2023 Awards[6] (Fundación Generación Savia and Endesa[7]), delivered the day before yesterday.

Upcycled uniforms

Another business tandem is the one formed by Laura Fernández and Nuria Cavia, co-founders of Deleite Wear[8], the solution that offers hotel owners and tourism entities uniforms created from their own textile waste. “We go one step further. We upcycle by saving high-quality sheets, bedspreads and lingerie, cottons that are no longer seen in clothing stores and that we transform into shirts, aprons, tunics, chef jackets, etc.", details the second, who is also Laura's mother (the specialist in sustainable fashion). From these designs, each organisation measures the positive impact that saves natural resources. “A Deleite Camisa avoids 3,000 litres of water, what we would drink in five years, and at the same time offers decent work to vulnerable groups,” she continues.

The initiative has just entered the Lanzadera startup incubator[9] and already has recognitions such as the NextGen StartUp Award[10] and the best horeca proposal in the Madrid Emprendedoras Award[11], on top of the adhesion of pioneering entities in sustainability that in this way help to reduce the contamination of 67% attributed to tissue production.

Now, having consolidated their business with white clothes, they are looking for "how to dye sustainably using alperujo[12], a residue from the olive oil harvest," explains Fernández, who did research on it in his Master's in Textile Engineering and continues to develop it with the OliWasTex project[13]. (CPU).

Sea-scented accessories

Next to REnáutico[14] (formerly Baluma) we also come across young entrepreneurs like Laura, although in this case, it is a trio: Miguel Díaz, Lucia Sáenz de Miera and Inés Irigoyen. Their degree of entrepreneurship united them and encouraged them "to promote a social and sustainable project at the same time", she comments. This is how a brand of fashion accessories emerged “ethically produced in Spain from nautical waste; specifically, boat sails, which we transform into resistant, waterproof, reversible and unique products”, she adds.

After three years of recycling, they have reached agreements with many ports and yacht clubs that donate the material they remove and take it to small craft workshops. They work on demand and, above all, they sell to companies.

Now it's time for these three examples of companies that recycle, already established as a benchmark, to also make their way of achieving profitablility.

Source

Mamen Lucio Maderuelo, Poco reciclaje, aunque mucho emprendimiento que lo practica, in: El País, 21-04-2023; https://cincodias.elpais.com/extras/entorno/2023-04-20/poco-reciclaje-aunque-mucho-emprendimiento-que-lo-practica.html

[1] The Fundación Cotec para la innovación (Cotec Foundation for Innovation) is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote innovation as an engine for economic and social development. Cotec has close to 100 Members, including private companies and regional and local administrations. YE. King Felipe VI is the Honorary President. There has also been Cotec Italia since 2001, and Cotec Portugal since 2003, which give an international character to the drive for innovation promoted by Cotec. The Cotec Foundation has distinguished itself since 1990 for carrying out intense work at the service of technological innovation among Spanish companies. In fulfilling this mission, Cotec stood out mainly in two activities: serving as an observatory for R D I in Spain, and providing analysis and advice on innovation, technology and the economy. In 2015 Cotec decided to expand its challenges to become a true agent of change that contributes to the development of the Spanish economy and society based on a more ambitious definition of the concept of innovation. https://cotec.es/en/la-fundacion?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3a2iBhCFARIsAD4jQB2cKjqfId-90Pakd_T7gDYcdWBXdikCJ6ncuJlTjlisj_ENMyEgVXYaAhbfEALw_wcB

[2] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/712071401437347840/26-organizations-sue-spain-before-europe-for-low?source=share

[3] What the waste law brings: harmonization and municipal rates. A state tax replaces those approved by the autonomies. The Law on Waste and Contaminating Soils for a Circular Economy entered into force on April 10. This rule, which transposes two European directives, seeks to regulate waste in an integral way and strengthen its separate collection, especially that of domestic waste. https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/04/20/companias/1650471895_741817.html

[4] Ecologistas en Acción (Spanish: Ecologistas en Acción, sometimes Ecologistas en Acción-CODA) is a Spanish grassroots confederation of 300 ecological groups, founded on December 9, 1998. https://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/

[5] Are…. we are ephemeral, ethereal, almost invisible…. we are from Madrid,... but you will not see us, unless you look up, and look up, a little below the sky... you cannot touch us, you cannot call us, because we hardly exist... Of course, you will see us in Sr.Ito, Kike Keller, Swinton&Grant, Ecoalf, Latitude, Almacén Alquián & Hóptimo... we are a new concept: the store without a store, the trees that are not trees,... we are the trend that is yet to be invented... We are Gus&Flowers. We are four, we are two, we are one… Gustavo Vaquero is the gardener, the passionate about plants, the creative, the promoter. Carlos Piñeyroa is like a two-faced, the one with the business and the one with the narratives, the one with how to do it and how to tell it. https://gusandflowers.com/quienes-somos/

[6] A digitization project, a hot sauce and trips around Spain win the +50 Emprende Awards https://50emprende.es/

[7] SAVIA is a non-profit project led by the Endesa Foundation. The Foundation's activity focuses on five lines of action: Education, Training for Employment, Urban Biodiversity, Culture and Corporate Volunteering. The SAVIA project falls within the Training for Employment area. Endesa Foundation seeks to promote a necessary cultural change among a group estimated at around 925,900 professionals over 50 years of age (source: EPA first quarter 2023) who have been prematurely terminated from their jobs. A cultural change that also offers solutions to the Spanish social and business fabric (SMEs, startups and NGOs) to which we approach great professionals, endowed with talent and experience for their growth and development. https://www.generacionsavia.org/info/sobre-savia

[8] Deleite Wear up-cycles hotel textile waste re-valorizing it into new sustainable uniforms for your employees. A circular solution with big positive climate impact to align your business with the social and environmental responsibility your clients are demanding. Each Deleite Wear product implies on average:

· Water savings for an adult to drink during 5 years

· Energy savings to charge 912 smartphones

Deleite Wear impact garments are manufactured locally in Spain supporting social inclusion, working hand in hand with the ateliers to achieve a circular and resilient textile economy. https://deleitewear.com/

[9] The Lanzadera de Startups (Startup Shuttle) is a training and coaching program for young entrepreneurs to define their innovative ideas. Its purpose is to provide them with an accelerated program in three or four weeks to start the project, teaching them the necessary knowledge bases for a good business development. https://www.marketinginsiderreview.com/que-es-lanzadera-startups/

[10] The Supply Chain Management Review NextGen Awards. NGSC Awards recognizes the companies shaping tomorrow’s supply chains with advances that are helping organizations navigate the complexities of the modern supply chain while also preparing them for success in the future. https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/awards/

[11] The 2023 Emprendedoras Award is one of the Madrid City Council's lines of recognition for the work of women entrepreneurs. The total endowment amounts to 100,000 euros in different prizes, in addition to other contributions in kind. This award is nationwide. The Madrid City Council has the collaboration of Womenalia, the Spanish Association of Business Women of Madrid (ASEME), the Hotel Business Association of Madrid (AEHM), the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC), Onda Madrid, PwC Spain and IBM. https://www.madridemprende.es/premio-emprendedoras/

[12] Alperujo is the solid liquid waste generated by the new two-phase method of olive oil extraction. Orujo is called the wet solid waste,[2] which is generated by the traditional methods of extraction, based on presses, and the continuous three-phase decanting processes. The process generates additionally one stream of olive oil and two streams of wastes, the Orujo and an aqueous waste called alpechín.

[13] OliWasTex investigates the revaluation of a post-industrial waste as an innovative source of ecological textile dyes. This project responds to the demand to find new circular solutions and is aligned with an early but growing fashion trend. Olive oil production presents 3 main lines of waste: olive leaves, waste water from the olive mill and olive pomace ("alperujo"). Alperujo consists of the solid parts that remain after the extraction of olive oil, a mixture mainly of stones, pulp and perhaps some leaves and other organic matter with high concentrations of phenolics and acids that make it highly affine as a dye for cationic textile fibres. https://oliwastex.upc.edu/ca

[14] REnautico is a project for the reuse of waste, mainly nautical waste, such as sails from boats that cannot continue sailing, and we create new products such as sustainable fashion accessories: bags, toiletry bags... All ethically produced in Spain. Our purpose is to contribute to reducing the waste that is generated annually and to be able to demonstrate that they can have another opportunity, we seek to cultivate a more responsible consumption mentality and use of current resources.

#circular economy #recycling

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angiethewitch · 4 years

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All jokes about being an introvert aside, humans are naturally social creatures and we need stimulation. Whether you're self isolating or your city/town/country is on lockdown, this will affect your mental health if you don't take care of yourself. I know we all joke that we never go outside anyway, but the fact we can't go out, even if we want to, is going to affect us. So I've compiled a list of things to do!

Clean. Cleaaaaaaan. Being in a clean house will make this so much nicer. If you're stuck in your house all day, being in a clean home will help. Plus, it's good exercise.

If you have a garden and can go in it, do! Plant some stuff for spring, tidy it up, feed the birds, whatever.

If you have a Netflix watch list, go through it. Watch stuff in the background while cleaning or something.

If you're sick, change your bed. I've been in bed a lot and I just changed it and it's nice to have fresh sheets instead of my sweaty ones.

Take up a craft. Go on pinterest and diy some shit.

Watch documentaries

Change out of your pyjamas, even if it's just into a hoodie and some sweats. You'll feel better.

If you have schoolwork to do, do it. I know, it's boring, but itll kill some time.

Paint, collage, sketch. Try and improve your skills. Get creative!

Call your family and friends! Facetime or phone. Call your mum, your auntie, your best friend, whoever. We're human and we need contact.

Rearrange your furniture, create a new environment.

Have a clear out of clothes you don't wear anymore

Read!! Read books you haven't read yet or reread your favourite books. Get lost in a different world.

If you're not in school, perhaps teach yourself something. I like to study stuff in my own time. Botany, human evolution, space, anything. Learning stuff is fun when you're not getting graded on it.

Fuck it, learn a new language. Go on omegle or something and talk to people from different countries and test your skills.

Bake, cook, make something. I recommend bread. I have a recipe under my #angie talks tag.

Support small businesses. I'm on a group chat with fellow shop owners and they're all worried about the sales going down. I know, right now you're worried about needing necessities, but shop around on etsy and buy birthday presents, diy kits, jewellery etc. You'll make their week.

If you're sick, open the windows. Its recommended for coronavirus anyway but its nicer to be in bed with the window open.

Watch nature outside your house. For like half an hour today I watched birds. I counted 56 this morning.

Make your own natural remedies for your symptoms. If you're on any medication, as always, check for interactions.

Nap

Put on loud music and dance. Get your blood flowing

Check out home workouts on YouTube. Keeping active boosts your immune system and itll pass the time

Make stuff out of trash. Pinterest is full of diy crafts, my favourites are bird feeders out of bottles and planters out of bottles.

Get into your sewing pile and mend clothes

Embroider funky patches

If you're quarantined with family, chat to them. Suggest a family movie night or break out some board games. My husband refuses to play chess with me because I'm too good at it, I've never lost a chess game in my life

Chat to people on tumblr

Journal how you feel or vent to someone. Its frustrating being stuck inside

World build! Make maps of imagined places

Upcycle your clothes and make them look cooler

Make a bucket list

That's all the suggestions I have for now. If anyone is interested in more recommendations for books/movies/shows/stuff to learn, let me know!

Please, look after your mental as well as your physical health. Stay in touch with people, we need togetherness in these times, not isolation. Stay safe, stay healthy♥️

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scorpio-marionette · 2 years

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PREVIEW: "Who's the Guy?"

Pairing: Female!College Student OC x Male!Shop Owner OC

Rating: this preview is rated PG-13

Warning: AGE GAP, minimal use of character names, curiosity, OCs, Second Person POV, fluffy maybe?, potentially really hot guy, a little angst if you squint at it, coffee drinking, mentions of alcohol consumption, gawking

Author’s Note: the story in which this fic previews is not yet rated. You are now entering an original universe. This will eventually become a co-written universe between myself, @supernaturalgirl20 , @writer-darling , and @misspearly1 . These are characters I came up with. We're all just building the world they live in. Please feel free to tell me what you think and if you want more!

If you would like to learn more about the Male OC, please let me know!!!

It’s a chilly New York afternoon beyond the large panes of glass in front of you. Fog rims their edges like picture frames, the art they hold is the rainy world outside. A palette of gray and blue dotted with warm spots of yellow is bland and boring to the toasty interior of the cafe. The false incandescent light bulbs that never fail to make the environmentally cautious gripe illuminate the room with their soft LED glow. The reclaimed and upcycled wood set in industrial style frames make up the majority of the furnishings. Tree bark browns, rosy reds, sunshine yellows; all are mixed with the avant garde art pieces on the walls from local artists. Even when no one is here, the room feels alive with life.

Your first week here has gone smoothly, or about as smooth as it could with your classes being hectic. Luckily you had already been coming to the cafe long before working here so you weren’t taken by surprise as to the traffic this place sees. Not even having a lack of barista knowledge slowed you down. You were hell bent and determined that this job would work out after falling out with your last employer due to their negligence. You benefited from the slow times too. You could work on your school projects and papers as you waited for people to brave the weather for a drink. Being close with everyone in the cafe allowed you to bounce ideas off of everyone in hopes of sparking something. The only thing no one could help you with was your script writing assignment. You had no idea what to write and neither did they.

That’s why you’re staring out the window now. The rain has always been your greatest writing companion, filling your head with ideas as it fills the rivers and streams with more water. However, its aid seems to be eluding you. It’s leaving you to find something on your own. You contemplate giving up for the day, but the anxiety in your chest reminds you that this isn’t something you’re writing for fun anymore. This is a class assignment. A work assignment really. You had held yourself to such a high standard that now your professor is expecting something spectacular, and you just know you’re going to let them down. Perhaps you’ve been too ambitious. You sigh in exhaustion.

Moving away from the window, you hear Char coming from the backroom of the cafe. She’s a good boss, very understanding of your problems. She makes sure you’re heard and tries to help as much as she can. When she stops at the counter to drop the box she carried up, she looks at you. There are bags under your eyes from pulling all nighters. Stress lines are forming on your face from worrying about this project. You look dead even though you have a cup of coffee in your hand. Usually at a time like this, she’d break out the emergency stash of Bailey’s she has stashed in the back, but she knows no amount of spiking your cup is going to help you write this thing.

“You still need help with that paper of yours?”

“Yeah, unfortunately. Still don’t have a muse unless you count sleep.”

Char chuckles at your response as you slowly blink your tired eyes. At that moment the little bell above the door chimes. Turning you see an older gentleman enter the room. He’s not too much older, maybe 24 years at most. A muss of chocolate brown curls adorns his head and frames his face nicely. Sweet, inviting eyes of shadowed amber compliment his strong nose and pouty lips. He’s all jaw though the image is softened by his visible signs of age. He’s tall, standing at maybe 5’ 11” and broad at the shoulders. He tapers in at the waist, becoming narrow at the hips. How you can tell when he’s wearing baggy sweats is beyond you, but you know. Somehow you just know. He seems to have legs for days as he breezes by you to get to the counter. He seems well known as well, with how Char smiles at him. The mysterious man quietly gives his order as if to not disturb the silence of the room. Handing Char what he owes her, she waves him off and insists it’s on the house.

It’s at this moment he seems to realize you’re here. Your presence finally felt as the man came out of whatever daze he was in. Turning to look at you, his eyes begin to glow before you. His whole face changes instantly. Where he was the attractive loner who you could never approach without caution, he is now a dazzling star breaking through the monotony of your current life. Having been completely taken by him, you fail to realize he has turned away. The broken eye contact causes you to flush heavily in embarrassment, so you flee to the safety of the backroom. You wait for the chime of the bell to signal the end of your humiliation.

“You alright?” Char asks.

“Yeah, uh, who-who’s the guy?”

“Oh that’s just my regular, Eleodoro. He’s been coming here since I opened the place.”

“Oh, okay. I guess I should see him around more often then?”

“Yup! Shows up at least once a day when he’s in town. He does travel quite a bit.”

You nod along to Char’s words, eyes drifting to the glass door. The little bell sits patiently, waiting for the next guest to announce. The rain still melts and repaints the gloomy world outside. The occasional car passing by. Curiosity crawls through you like a shiver from a quick cold blast of air. Who was that man? Why was he still on your mind? Why has he had such a profound impact on you? Because he’s your muse, your brain whispers to you. Let your writing answer you and you will find what you are looking for: a story worth telling! Dazed by your revelation, you pull out your notebook and begin to write a plot. One that includes a handsome man with an adventurous life and mysterious past.

#oc #original character #preview #test fic #romance #fluff #pedro pascal inspired character #original male character #original female character #short fiction

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upcycleability · 3 years

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Sustainable Asian-American and Asian-Canadian Stores to Support!

As mentioned in my last post, we need to do what we can to help each other. I do not have much that can help in this time of need, but I do have a growing platform here on Tumblr. And one way I can use it is to give a shoutout to sustainable Asian-American/Canadian brands that are doing awesome things!

I am including some Canadian shops as well due to the fact that hatred and bigotry towards Asians during this pandemic is also a major issue there as well. So regardless if you live in the US or CA, you can find some amazing shops.

So here are a few of the shops that I have found that are owned by Asian Americans/Canadians that are also helping to make the world an awesome and sustainable place to live!

Blueland - New York, NY

Owner of Blueland, Sarah Paiji Yoo, works to reduce the use of plastic bottles by providing an alternative. This well-known sustainable brand sells a variety of products in tablet or powder form, such as dish soap, hand soap, laundry detergent, and different cleaning sprays.

They will provide a strong bottle (I think the bottle is made of plastic, but it is optional, and meant to be reused for life) and then all you need to do is buy refills to fill tthem back up! This is good as sustainable hand-wash dish soap seems to be hard to find for me.

3Women - Long Beach, CA

3Women is a wonderful shop that is after my own heart. The owner, Crystal Lee Early, as well as a few of her friends, create new clothing and designs made from vintage fabric. Their designs and clothing look very beautiful, and as a result of being reused, they are eci friendly!

Reusing the old for new purpose is something that inspires me every day, and it is always awesome to see other people doing the same!

Novel Supply Co - Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Novel Supply Co is wonderful minimalist clothing brand created by Kaya Dorey. She creates sweaters, hats, crews, and tank tops using either upcycled products, or materials such as hemp and organic cotton.

Her designs are simplistic, but facinating, and she even makes clothing for kids! Most of her clothing are white or off-white in color, which would make me nervous to wear around a cup of coffee, but they look awesome!

OpusMind - San Francisco

OpusMind is a leather brand made by Kathleen Kuo. It works to take leather scraps that would otherwise be tossed out by a local glove company and turns them into nice looking backpacks, tote bags, crossbody bags, cardholders, and even an organizer.

While leather is generally seen as a harmful material due to animals being harmed to get it, using leather scraps is a great way to get the sustainable and long-lasting benefits of leather, while minimizing the harmful effects of it.

Ocin - Vancouver, Canada

This swimwear company was created by Courtney Chew. It is a high-quality swimwear company that focuses on making swimsuits that can be worn regardless of whether you are in or out of the water, such as when exercising. These include bathing suits, swimming trunks, sports bras, hoodies, and more!

These clothes are made using recycled plastic bottles as well as recycled nylon. While recycled plastic garments can be problematic due to them shedding microplastics when washed, etc, not much can be done about clothes that are meant to become wet, like swimwear and athleticwear. So using recycled plastic is a good alternative.

Extra Shop I Enjoy!

Rehyphen - Singapore

Rehyphen by Jessica “JJ” Chuan is a fascinating designer brand that I learned about not too long ago. It is a shop that is based out of Singapore, but does do international shipping. I discovered her when looking up bags and the like made from old VHS tape.

What Jessica does is create bags, maps, artwork, and more, entirely out of VHS tape. Her beautiful designs are rather breathtaking to behold.

***

So here are just 6 of the many Asian-owned companies that are sustainable. Consider purchasing from them if you need anything, as every little bit helps.

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hometoursandotherstuff · 3 years

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Marta and her husband have been working on their UK Victorian home for 4 yrs. The house they bought was stripped of its period features by the previous owners, “so I have to indulge in my love for bygone era interiors by buying more antiques,” Marta says.

They are so thrifty they also sourced a lot of furniture from charity shops. “This table, although in perfect condition, was saved from being burnt or chucked into a landfill. I’ve upcycled it and I’ve covered the top with the real 24 carat gold,” Marta explains proudly.

“This was the first big reno project. It had an ugly ’70s fireplace. I’ve stripped the horrid carpet, smashed the fireplace with a sledge hammer,” says Marta.

"My hubby did the flooring and I’ve made a new Victorian fireplace out of three different elements sourced from eBay. I wanted the dining room to look Victorian again.”

Their biggest challenge was construction on a shoestring budget and finding spare time.

"We’ve done most of the work ourselves and juggling our jobs and family life can be tricky when renovating the house from top to bottom."

“While I’m passionate about being thrifty and upcycling furniture, my indulgence lies in investing in art and design pieces.”

Marta’s art studio.

The kitchen was modernized by the previous owners. I don’t know if I wouldn’t taken on a project like this. I’d have been too disappointed that all the original features were removed!

Son’s room. "It is environmentally friendly, you can support a charity, or save a beautiful piece from a skip and you will end up with a one-off piece which you've made your own."

The small bath is nicely redone. Of thrifting, Marta says, "This is not only kinder to your wallet but the quality of the old furniture is often superior to the ones made by big stores."

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-uk-victorian-maximalist-house-tour-photos-36840460

#maximalist victorian decor #thrifted decor #victorian redo

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oursustainablefuture · 3 years

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What A Year As A Small Business Owner Taught Me About Sustainability, Upcycling, Thrifting, and Running a Brand

Written By Campbell Fauber for Our Sustainable Future

In Summer 2019, I launched the first collection of my sustainable clothing brand, Dauntless Denim, curious to see how people would respond. While I did not focus on creating an array of clothes, I decided to focus on thrifting and upcycling denim jackets, which was something I had never tried before. In short, thrifting and upcycling are two specific ways we, as consumers, can keep our planet cleaner. This process was exciting but challenging, and I definitely learned a lot. Here are some important things I learned along the way.

1. If You Can Upcycle, Do It!

Upcycling is a way consumers can reuse something they own by transforming it into something new and unique. In my own life, I began thinking of ways I could practice sustainability, which involved trying on a more personal level to keep myself from getting rid of clothes I didn’t wear anymore. I decided to upcycle thrifted denim jackets that I found at a local secondhand shop. I gave the jackets a new life by sewing on colorful fabrics that were bold and eye-catching. Upcycling is a great way to make something new out of what you already own and encourages creativity and self-expression. Upcycling is also environmentally-friendly because it helps reduce what goes into a landfill, such as clothes. With all of this in mind, I encourage you to find a piece of old clothing in your closet (or even something laying around your house) and consider upcycling it or, rather, transforming it into something completely new and reimagined.

2. When In Doubt, Thrift.

Before I started Dauntless Denim, I had gone to Goodwill a few times to look for some old clothes I could wear again. However, it wasn’t until I officially started my business that I had truly learned how great thrifting was for the environment. I found a local secondhand shop near my house and decided to stop in and see what it was like inside. There were organized racks of clothes of all kinds (e.g. sizes, colors, brands). It was incredible to see so many items ranging from men’s to women’s to kids that were for sale. Immediately, I headed to the denim section and soon discovered a rack of old denim jackets that I could use for my first denim jacket launch. I picked out a few pieces, which were way cheaper than the original price (a perk of thrifting!), and left the store feeling happy and accomplished. All in all, I encourage you to thrift whenever possible. Not only does thrifting help reduce clothing waste, it also helps support your community and establishes your new sense of style. You can also (often) find high-quality clothes for extremely low prices, which is a win-win! Lastly, thrifting is a better option than shopping at fast fashion brands. Consider thrifting at your local secondhand shop for some fresh clothing finds.

3. You Can’t Be 100% Sustainable, But You Can Try And Do Your Part

Another thing I learned about owning a sustainable small business is that not everything you do is going to be 100% sustainable. Like many other companies and brands, there is never going to be a way to be fully eco-friendly, whether it be in supply chain or production practices. In other words, there is still going to be waste of some kind and the environment will still be impacted in some way, shape, or form. However, what helped me in the early stages of planning my business was that if I can try and do my part for the environment (in my case, it was upcycling denim jackets in order to keep them out of landfills), I could feel lile I am doing what I can to help keep the environment a little bit cleaner. I also realized that even if I do my part in trying to help the planet, I am not capable of impacting the environment in such a large way that the climate change crisis is magically solved. Knowing this, though, I still feel like I need to do my part, even in a small way, to keep my community cleaner and more educated about sustainable practices, including upcycling and thrifting.

4. Cultivating Your Own Ideas & A Brand Takes A Lot of Brainstorming

Something else that I had to take into consideration when I pondered whether or not I wanted to start my own business was what my brand was going to be centered around and what types of ideas I had that would help distinguish me from other brands. I began brainstorming what I envisioned my brand to look like. What was I passionate about? What was feasible and within my skill set? What did I want to potentially sell? All of these questions were top of mind when I first started to wonder what I was going to do with my business. Then, I began trying to think of ways I could create a unique brand that was unlike others I had seen before. That’s when I decided to take the route of sustainability and upcpcycling, which was honestly something that I had been thinking on and off about earlier. Upcycling was also something that had crossed my mind a few times, but I had never really sat down and thought about how I would implement it into my business model. The moral of the story is to not be afraid of starting your own business! The entire process is exciting and motivating. However, it is important to keep in mind that it does take a lot of time and effort to create a brand that is equally unique and feasible. Make sure you are passionate about what you’re doing and don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get outside your comfort zone a little bit.

5. Social Media Marketing Taught Me More Than Just Marketing!

For me, creating a sustainable brand, and a business in general, meant that I had to spend a lot of time brainstorming and researching the different ways I could effectively create products and also engage with consumers and my community. For example, I had to practically teach myself how to do social media marketing and use Etsy as a platform to sell my products. While this was indeed time consuming, I learned a lot about myself throughout the process. First, I learned that I have to always stay on top of trends in order to sell products (mainly denim jackets and later on, masks) that would catch the eye of the consumer and be relevant enough to do well among similar products. Secondly, I learned that when using platforms such as Instagram to show off my designs, I have to be deliberate in terms of what I post, when I do it, and what I choose to write about in my captions. The more time I spent on social media, the more I learned the ins and outs of digital marketing and the ways I could target consumers. Thirdly, I learned that I have to be patient during this process. Many times since I started my brand, I got too frustrated with myself when something didn’t go right. I immediately wanted to give up and I began questioning what I was doing and if being a business owner was even the right path for me. However, once I took a step back and learned to not put so much pressure on myself for things that didn’t necessarily go right the first time, I could approach each and every situation with more understanding and more clarity. As a result, this helped me market my products better on social media and reach a larger audience that really felt connected to my brand and what I was selling. Looking back on my experiences, I wouldn’t trade being a small business owner for the world.

Interested in learning more about Campbell’s brand? Follow her Instagram @dauntlessdenim to stay updated on her newest releases & her Etsy @shopdauntlessdenim. Also, check out her most recent mask releases as well as the one-of-a-kind upcycled jackets and skirts that are still available for purchase on her Etsy Shop.

#articles #our sustainable future #writing #sustainability #eco friendly #upcycling #fashion #design #sewing #small business #small business owner #thrifting #sustainable fashion #sustainableliving #social media marketing #study #stuyblr #journalism

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solarpunk-aesthetic · 6 years

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Hi! What do you think would be a solarpunk way to deal with clothes? The fashion industry is making clothes that don't last, so that we are forced to by new ones, but the whole "diy clothes" process doesnt guarantee good quality either and is a lot to learn for an ordinary citizen. Perhaps recycling? Any thoughts/ideas?

To be honest, nearly everything about the clothes industry is... problematic.

Probably the worst part if it all is the exploitation. Even in 2018, cotton is often picked by people who’re slaves in everything but name, and many of those people are children. These days, this happens in the poor parts of Asia where wealthy western countries can conveniently turn a blind eye. The clothing industry is full of exploitation. It’s heartbreaking, and the worst part is that we’re all complicit in this. A lot of us don’t even realise it.

Ultimately, just like so many other things in the world, we need to fix the system to remove all exploitation from it. Currently, we pay overinflated prices for clothing, the industry and business owners take the lion’s share, and virtually nothing makes its way back to the people who actually harvested the raw materials and made the clothes. Like with the fuel and food industries, we need to do better.

Things you can do in the meantime, though:

Ethical clothing retailersYou can find many of these on the internet, using fair trade materials which are certified exploitation free. The good retailers should have something on their website about what they’re actually doing to ensure this.

Second hand clothingThrift stores, charity shops, or whatever you have nearby often have perfectly good clothes for sale. They’re affordable, and reduce the demand for exploitative new clothing. If you’re learning how to modify or upcycle clothing, this is a good way to practice.

DonateDonating your old clothes to those same places is a good idea. Some places take donated clothing for poor or homeless people, both in your home country and other nations.

RecycleYour suggestion is a good one. Damaged or worn out fabric can also be recycled into new clothing – you can find some recycled clothing suppliers online too.

If anyone else has ideas, please feel free to suggest them!

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kindtokidz-toys · 2 years

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Play is so important for children and having a great play space and resources are wonderful, however play is so much more than toys. Some research even suggests that too many toys (which create distractions and overwhelm), and the wrong types of toys, can in fact inhibit creativity and healthy development. ✔️Play can be done with everyday objects you find around the house (appropriate to age level and with supervision where required, of course). ✔️Play can be achieved with all sorts of items from your local op shop. We love @thecuriosityapproach for ideas. ✔️Play is in nature and doesn’t cost anything. Think water puddles, climbing trees, nature hunts and playgrounds. ✔️You can make your own educational toys from upcycled resources such as cardboard. ✔️Free educational play print outs can be found online for all sorts of topics. ✔️Quality educational toys and open-ended wooden toys, especially the classics, are of course wonderful additions to have – however they can be found without shopping at cheap department stores who are unethical, and without breaking the budget. If you can’t afford new ones, or don’t have any family or friends who are prepared to gift them for occasions, you can find them at toy libraries, facebook marketplace, gumtree, local buy, swap, sell groups, and at op shops. We are also guilty of contributing to toy and playroom porn on the internet, since we do have such a lovely range of toys (I’m not biased or anything ☺️), and we do reshare some of the lovely set ups. However, we must remember that these are carefully edited and curated for social media, and not reflecting everyday play-life✌️. I know this post is curious coming from a boutique toy shop owner, but I want to be real about how powerful marketing is. I’m not only on here for self promotion but also education! It should be widely known that play is not an exclusive thing 🤗✌️ Image via @danni.willow #montessori #learningthroughplay #kidsroom #openendedplay #invitationtoplay #ecotoys #openendedtoys #nurserydecor #playroom #imaginativeplay #handmade #toys #kidsroomdecor #letthembelittle #play #playmatters #nursery #waldorfinspired #montessoriathome #kidstoys https://www.instagram.com/p/CcFhzp_P_TU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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livingcorner · 3 years

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These Budget-Friendly DIY Greenhouses Will Beautify Your Backyard

moodboardGetty Images

If you’ve caught the gardening bug in the last year, you know you can never have too many plants! From annuals and perennials to flowering shrubs and small trees, it’s easy to fall in love with new plants to add to your garden. But if you live in a cold climate—or if you want to start seedlings for a vegetable or flower garden early to get a jumpstart on spring—you need a greenhouse. You’ll be able to save some of your favorite plants for the next season, as well as shelter tender plants or seedlings until you can set them out in the spring. Even if you don’t have tons of space, there are greenhouses that will fit tidily up against your house or on your patio or deck. Another option is a cold frame, which generally is lower to the ground but also warms up the soil and allows you to plant sooner in the spring. Just remember that many budget-priced options are not meant to be permanent so they won’t stand up to wind or heavy snow.

You're reading: These Budget-Friendly DIY Greenhouses Will Beautify Your Backyard

Now, check out a few DIY and inexpensive greenhouses you can buy to make your plants happy.

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DIY Rustic Window Greenhouse

Here’s a greenhouse so beautiful, you just might be tempted to move in. The owner made it out of vintage windows, and the level of detail is remarkable.

Get the tutorial at Liz Marie Blog.

SHOP PORTABLE GREENHOUSES

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Kitchen Greenhouse

amazon.com

$219.93

$+61404532026% off)

This mini greenhouse is made of cedar and gives you enough space to grow veggies and herbs. And it’s pretty cute, too!

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1500+ Reviews

Deluxe Wired Greenhouse

Hooray! No tools are required for assembly of this greenhouse! With plenty of space for vegetables, herbs, and flowers, it’s a reasonably priced option for most budgets.

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Upcycled Window Greenhouse

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500+ Reviews

Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse

amazon.com

$636.99

$+61404532026% off)

This greenhouse includes an adjustable roof vent, rain gutters, and a lockable door handle. Plus, it’s available in several different sizes.

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Sturdy Greenhouse Kit

Read more: There were two trees in Eden; only one was forbidden | The Compass

Ready to splurge? If you’re looking for a more substantial permanent greenhouse or you’re a more serious gardener, this kit has what you need to DIY it in a weekend.

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Mini Greenhouse

This 4×4 mini greenhouse will give you plenty of room to start seedlings or house sensitive plants during an early cold snap.

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1100+ Reviews

Portable Greenhouse

This large walk-in greenhouse features zippered front and back doors in addition to exhaust vents, a coated steel frame, and an airtight, UV-protected cover.

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800+ Reviews

Portable Greenhouse

This greenhouse is a great solution for starting your gardening just a bit earlier in the season. It’s not designed for heavy weather, such as snow or high winds, but it will help seeds get a faster start and shelter tender baby plants at a budget price.

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Greenhouse Frame Kit

This kit provides the brackets and the plans so you can DIY a sturdy greenhouse and finish it to your own specifications. You supply the lumber and the sweat equity!

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DIY Umbrella Mini-Greenhouse

How cute and practical is this? Look for pop-up greenhouse covers at your home improvement store, or make your own using an inexpensive old umbrella.

Get the tutorial at Garden Therapy.

SHOP POP-UP GREENHOUSES

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Mini Picture Frame Terrarium

Repurpose old window frames to create a mini greenhouse terrarium that will look adorable on your end table.

GET OUR TUTORIAL

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Recycled Greenhouse Tutorial

When this couple built their own greenhouse out of recycled materials, they set out to mimic the architectural details of their 1940s home. The real gem here, in our opinion, is the sliding red door. Too cute!

Get the tutorial at Montana Wildlife Gardener.

SHOP MINI GREENHOUSES

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Wooden Cold Frame/Mini Greenhouse

amazon.com

$124.99

$+61404532026% off)

This wooden cold frame/greenhouse can store quite a few plants on its three shelves, plus it’s more attractive than many others—but it’s still budget-priced.

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Winter-Proof Greenhouse

If you live in a snowy area, build a raised greenhouse (this one sits on a hand-built table) to shelter your plants all year long. Because this option is made out of old windows, it’s easy to decorate with glass paints.

Get the tutorial at Empress of Dirt.

SHOP COLD FRAME GREENHOUSES

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Mini Wire-shelf Greenhouse

If you just have a few plants to shelter, this simple wire shelf unit will work.

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Budget Hoop Garden House

Similar to the hoop greenhouse, this mini version is made using PVC pipe and plastic or floating row covers. This can be built over raised beds or planters. Place it in a sheltered area to protect from wind.

Read more: Preparing a Vegetable Garden Site

Get the tutorial at QT’s Random Ramblings.

SHOP FLOATING ROW COVERS

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Repurposed CD Cases Greenhouse

Yes, there is a use for all those old CDs! This little greenhouse is made from 40 upcycled CD cases!

Get the tutorial at Mega Crafty.

SHOP PLANT CLOCHES

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Pop-up Greenhouse

If you only have one or two plants to shelter, this portable pop-up fits the bill.

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Wooden Cold Frame

If you need to keep just a few plants or seedlings safe from weather, this wooden cold frame won’t take up a ton of space—and it’s attractive, too.

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Raised Bed with Greenhouse Cover

amazon.com

This raised bed comes with its own greenhouse cover that drops over it when cold weather looms.

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Elevated Raised Bed with Greenhouse Cover

amazon.com

This wooden raised bed is easy on your back, plus it comes with the greenhouse cover to protect your plants from sudden changes in weather.

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Lean-to Greenhouse

This 4×8 foot lean-to greenhouse is sheltered on one side by your house, shed or garage. It also helps radiate heat from the building to your plants.

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Repurposed Trampoline Greenhouse

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Mini Greenhouse

If you need a super-quick solution to shelter tender plants from an early frost, this budget option can be put up and taken down in a hurry.

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Raised Bed with Cover

amazon.com

This raised bed is easy to reach, plus it comes with covers that can be vented or removed on warm days.

Rebekah Lowin Lifestyle Editor Rebekah Lowin is the Lifestyle Editor for The Pioneer Woman, covering food, entertaining, home decor, crafting, gardening, and holiday.

Arricca Elin Sansone Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman’s Day, and more.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/these-budget-friendly-diy-greenhouses-will-beautify-your-backyard/

#livingcornernews

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ireviewuread · 3 years

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Sugar Free Bird's Nests from Singapore | LENE Bird’s Nest Review

Sugar Free Bird's Nests from Singapore

When you think of bird’s nests, you’ll naturally associate them with luxury, beauty and all things good. However, do you know that not all bird’s nests are the same? In fact, some of the bottled bird’s nests might even be so loaded with sugar that you might wonder, are you drinking a sugary drink instead?

That’s where LENE bird’s nest is here to save your body with their sugar free bird’s nests that’s made in Singapore.

LENE Bird’s Nest

The story of LENE Bird’s Nest started way back when the owner is a wee child. As a child with asthma, her mother will often brew bowls of homemade bird’s nests for her to drink daily. The memory of her mother picking all the impurities in the bird’s nest with a tweezer inspired her to be on this yellow brick road.

However, what gave her the push down this road was the lack of quality and non-sugary bird nests in the market. Some of the most common issues the bird’s nest in the current market have are:

Too much sugar in the drink (Eg. brown sugar, raw sugar, etc.)

Poor quality bird’s nest

Usage of various cheap ingredients (Eg. White fungus)

Thus, she decided to create something that is free of chemicals and sugar, something that she can consume daily. That’s how LENE Bird’s Nest is born.

LENE Bird’s Nests comes in a batches of 7 for seven days of the week. The bird’s nests are produced in small batches in an SFA approved facility. That means you will always get a fresh bird’s nest when you place your order. Their bird’s nests are also cleaned by hand with water. It is free of bleach, preservatives and other chemicals.

The box’s chic design included the thick strands of the bird’s nest at the cover, wonderful incorporation of the simple style.

Sustainability

All packaging is not only recyclable but they are also printed in soy ink and recycled paper. Your first order will be in a recycled box. Subsequent orders will be placed in the signature carrier bag. This helps reduce the waste in packaging.

However, if you want more boxes to upcycle in your subsequent order, you can leave a note in the Order Notes in your shopping cart when you check out.

Aside from being more environmentally friendly through sustainable external packaging, LENE Bird’s Nest push the boundaries with the bottles containing the bird’s nest. It is highly encouraged that after you consumed the jars, you wash them and return them to the delivery person when you receive your next order. This concept is inspired by the milkman-delivery system where the milk jars are reused and sterilised after each use.

Sustainable Farming

LENE Bird’s nests are sourced from house nests in Malaysia instead of cave nests. Unlike other’ bird’s nests, LENE only harvests these nests after the swiftlets abandon the nests. This ensures that the swiftlet populations does not reduce because of our luxuries.

How to tell if a bird’s nest is good?

One of the reason LENE Bird’s Nest was created was due to the lack of quality bird’s nest drink but how does one tell what is which bird’s nest is of quality?

Well, you can tell by the strips of bird’s nest in the bottle. Most store-bought bird’s nest looks “flakey” because they harvest the ends of the bird’s nest or they meshed together parts of the nest instead of utilising the whole nest.

The best bird’s nest is often in a boat or cup shape. They also contain long and thick strands of the bird’s saliva as well - something you can see in LENE bird’s nest.

Why are bird’s nest drinks so expensive?

Another common question when it comes to bird’s nest is why is it so costly?

Well, the extravagant price is due to the rarity of how it comes by. Edible bird’s nests can only be found in a cave or a house and only specific types of bird’s nests can be consumed.

In order to harvest a bird’s nest sustainably, one has to wait for the swiftlets to build the nest, lay the egg, the eggs to hatch, the baby birds to grow up and abandon the nest before it gets harvested.

As you can tell, that process will take some time so that factors into the lavish price as well, but that is all for a healthier self.

LENE Bird’s Nest has three simple ingredients:

Bird’s Nest – high in epidermal growth factor, stimulate cell growth

Monk Fruit – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects, no sugar, protects the liver

Distilled Water

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit or also known as Luo Han Guo is the star ingredient to the sweetness in LENE Bird’s Nest. Aside from curing sore throats and dry coughs, monk fruits have other effects on one’s wellbeing as well.

Monk fruit contains an anti-oxidant called mogrosides that not only reactivate liver enzymes and break down cholesterol but it helps with DNA repair as well.

Additionally, this anti-oxidant sweetens the fruit with no sugar. This makes it suitable for those suffering from diabetes, those on a low carb diet, and those who worry about weight loss.

Distilled Water

Instead of using tap water, distilled water was used instead. This is because tap water has various minerals and some metals despite its cleanliness. With distilled water, one can be sure to smell and taste the natural fragrance of the quality bird’s nests and monk fruits used.

Bird’s Nest

Throughout dynasties, bird’s nests have been associated with beauty, luxury and royalty that’s because the Chinese royalties treated the bird’s nest as a precious health supplement. Do you know why? It’s due to their anti-ageing and beauty properties.

Aside from that, a bird’s nest is also high in protein (epidermal growth factor (EGF)) and that can help stimulate tissue and skin repair.

Due to its nourishing benefits, bird’s nest is a favourite amongst mothers who are pregnant, expecting or going into confinement. It is also great for nourishing weak lungs like those with asthma or respiratory issues.

They are only not recommended to those that are allergic to bird’s nest.

LENE Bird’s Nest Review

LENE Bird’s Nest is one of the best quality bird’s nests I’ve ever had. From its slick packaging to its premium ingredients, LENE bird’s nest gives you peace of mind with their simple and organic recipe. Let’s start with its packaging.

I like how the bird’s nests were contained in a clear glass bottle, showing the consumers the long strands of the bird’s nests. Additionally, you can also see the date it was made at the back of the bottles. It is stated that the bird’s nests should be consumed 2 months from the manufacturing date.

LENE Bird’s Nest Taste

The golden monk fruit infused its essence into the distilled water and bird’s nest. One could easily taste the sweetness produced by the fruit the moment their lips touched the bottle. It was refreshing, cooling and a pleasant experience to indulge in daily.

What surprised me was how I can slightly smell the natural bird’s nest smell despite bird’s nest generally being a tasteless product. This shows that the bird’s nests used are fresh and of good quality.

Overall, I enjoy LENE Bird’s Nest. It’s a nice treat to end the day and make you feel like royalty.

LENE Bird’s Nest

Website | Instagram | Facebook

#bird's nest #LENE Bird’s Nest #collab #food

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