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Ethical living

Discover eco friendly brands and sustainable fashion on our Ethical Living forum.

Original poster

Things that you do but know you shouldn't...

67 replies

babyonboard · 26/05/2006 15:42

For us..

I refuse to reuse cooking oil..it always has a nasty taste..seems very wasteful though..

We use disposable nappies..we tried washables, but it's too much work and looking at figures on how much energy washing reusables costs I'm even more convinced.
We now buy the 'moltex' biodegradable ones..since we had them..no nappy rash etc, but still feel a bit guilty..

We do the bulk of our shop in the supermarket most weeks..theres only so much you can get from local butcher/farmers markets etc..

I buy lithium batteries..nothing worse than a battrey running out at a cruial moment and these last for ages..

OP posts:
NotAnOtter · 26/05/2006 17:32

if we all simply avoided air travel we could be as un green as we liked and the world would be a far better place

foxinsocks · 26/05/2006 17:33

flushing tampons buggers up the drains/loo - blocks them quite easily (think how they swell up with all the water)

Original poster
babyonboard · 26/05/2006 17:34

it can't possibly 'increase' cholestoral..unless you are frying fatty foods..surely resuing oil for potatos/ veg isn't going to be a problem..
apart from the yucky taste..lol

OP posts:
Socci · 26/05/2006 17:35

well, yes obviously I didn't mean vegetables.

Original poster
babyonboard · 26/05/2006 17:38

avoiding air travel will sadly never happen...
i wonn't lol
maybe planes should run on all our unused chip fat

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 26/05/2006 17:40

It is the hydrocarbons that increase in reused cooking oil. Every time you reuse it the smoking point is lowered, but since most people don't realise that they still cook at the same temperature.

Consumption of large amounts of hydrocarbons isn't a good idea, but then again would you be wanting to eat that much fried food?

SaintGeorge · 26/05/2006 17:41

Lol at planes using cooking oil - one day maybe Smile

Some cars run on it now. There is one in our area. If it drives past you get really hungry - it smells of fish and chips Grin

Socci · 26/05/2006 17:42

I'm no dietician but it would worry me to re-use oil for some reason. What are hydro-carbons SaintGeorge?

foundintranslation · 26/05/2006 17:43

My sins:
using disposables and disposable baby wipes
leaving the shower running while soaping up
using a swiffer instead of reuseable cloths to clean our floors
flew last weekend

We have an organic veg box and no car though. :) And separating/recycling rubbish is compulsory over here.

SaintGeorge · 26/05/2006 17:47

Hang on, I'll find some info.

Original poster
babyonboard · 26/05/2006 17:48

sigh..
when it comes down to it as much as I think we do a lot it's all a drop in ocean..

we try to recycle , but sometimes we don't get bottles and paper picked up for 3 weeks, it's been known for our neighbours to heap them into the 'waste' bins and they get taken within a day..

the bottles we put out to recycle are often smashed along the road by drunk a' holes, or teenagers that think it's 'cool'.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 26/05/2006 17:50

\link{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon\Hydrocarbon} - not that it makes a lot of sense unless you are into chemistry.

For some reason I just remember that bit from some obscure science lesson I had years ago.

SaintGeorge · 26/05/2006 17:54

Ah, got it \link{http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/eh/ChemFS/fs/PAH.htm\Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons}.

That's the one I meant. Carcinogenic.

Socci · 26/05/2006 17:57

So is the possible problem that hydrocarbons are carcinogenic?

Socci · 26/05/2006 17:57

Ah - crossed posts Smile

FrannyandZooey · 26/05/2006 18:01

Flushing tampons doesn't just potentially block your drains, it means they end up on the beach and in the sea.

I buy fruit from all over the place. I do get an organic veg box but I just can't resist getting grapes and stuff as well.

We use disposables at night.

I use green toiletries and household cleaners but I use ordinary make-up.

We have a car and use it more than we planned to when we bought it.

The one I am most ashamed of is buying cheap clothes from companies like Peacocks and New Look. I think this is really exploitative of the countries where they are produced :(

Can we have a sort of Green Priest to come on and absolve us once we have confessed, please?

foundintranslation · 26/05/2006 18:14

Blush franny, I buy cheap clothes too (H&M a perennial favourite Blush). Had completely forgotten that. :( Only go clothes shopping 2-3 times a year and ds lives in hand-me-downs from friends though, if that redeems me at all. :)

FrannyandZooey · 26/05/2006 18:22

It definitely does! I have no such excuses (although I do buy a lot of bits from eBay, and sell on my old stuff as well)

I am Envy you are near an H + M

Original poster
babyonboard · 26/05/2006 18:56

Well..just an other example of 'green/ organic' being exclusive to thos with money to spare..
How may people on low income will buy organic, fair trade clothing for example, but if that was the standard they could..
no wonder people shop at primark and buy turkey twizzlers really..

OP posts:
sibdoms · 26/05/2006 18:59

Yes also guilty on the tesco/H& M front here - but in transition, or whatever they say about organic farms - to try and buy fairtrade or 2nd hand. But I really love H & M for the kids. O pain.
Also use dishwasher.
Training myself to turn everything off at night.
Apart from that am smug, SUV ticketing eco-activist.
hail gaia x 500.

FrannyandZooey · 26/05/2006 19:08

I don't know babyonboard, I think people's desire to buy more and more stuff and the disposable nature of fashion is partly to blame. There's no need to buy any new clothes each year if we bought good quality clothes to begin with and looked after them carefully. These days we expect things to be cheap, crap and not very good quality, so we can buy more and more of it and just junk it when we are bored. It's the Poundland mentality.

BonyM · 26/05/2006 19:08

Oooh, does that mean if I buy expensive clothes, I am being more eco-friendly? Excellent.

I must tell dh...Grin.

FrannyandZooey · 26/05/2006 19:09

Yup I am sure that buying classic well-made clothes is the way to go, if you have the fashion habit. Of course many greenies don't really care what they look like and have a delightful jumble sale chic :)

motherinferior · 26/05/2006 19:10

Disposables...and buying stuff generally.

Original poster
babyonboard · 26/05/2006 19:14

it is..how many things have you bought from primark/ newlook ..e.g.that fall apart/bobble in the wash on the second wear.

reeeealy expensive things are normally handmade in england..and fair enough really do last a lifetime, but it's hard to take the leap from ' oohh 20 new things' as opossed to two new things..

OP posts: