Can’t buy enough sanitary pads – try reusable MyPads

Reusable MyPads (Source: MyPads)

MyPads are reusable menstrual and incontinence pads made from cotton and/or hemp. They are Australian-made and come from bushfire affected South Coast NSW. You can order them online from www.mypads.com.au and an introductory pack is available. 

Benefits of cloth pads: 
- they are cheaper over time than disposable tampons and pads, 
- they save sending single-use, plastic, synthetic pads to waste, 
- they are breathable and gentle on the skin, 
- the hemp inserts are more absorbent than disposable pads, 
- they are convenient as you never need to run out of pads again, 
- they are comfortable to wear. 

Why Hemp? 
- hemp requires no chemicals to grow so is kinder to the land and to your skin, 
- hemp fabric is antibacterial and anti-fungal, 
- hemp is ten times more stronger than cotton and thus more durable, 
- hemp is more absorbent than cotton so the inserts are thinner and less bulky. 

Read more at: 
- MyPads: www.mypads.com.au
 - MyPads – How Do They Work?: www.mypads.com.au/how-do-they-work/

Can't get enough portable hand sanitisers - try this!

Meths-soaked handkerchief in plastic bag. Photo: Julie May

Since the coronavirus became more widespread, I have been unable to purchase portable hand sanitisers at my local supermarkets, so I had to improvise. 

The advice on hand cleaning came from governments and it was to: frequently wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Apparently, the best is to use soap as it breaks down the fats in the virus, killing it. Next best is an alcohol-based hand sanitiser as the alcohol kills the virus. Hand cleaners without alcohol or soap do not work! 

Soap and water are easier to use at home but I needed portable hand sanitisers while out so I could wipe some hard surfaces and clean my hands after touching hard surfaces at the supermarkets, on hand rails, door knobs, steering wheels and similar. So, I used what I had at home: a handkerchief with a few dabs of methylated spirits (95% alcohol) placed in a degradable plastic bag or better still a click zip one (to prevent evaporation). 

If you no longer have handkerchiefs, which are reusable, then you can use tissues, serviettes or similar but not toilet paper as it breaks up easily. Make your hand sanitiser just before going out as 'meths' evaporates quickly. If anybody knows better, please let me know. 
- N.B. 'Meths' is toxic and drying if used in large amounts or for a long time in one application. Just use a little quickly and only when out of the house if you can't find better portable hand sanitisers.

- Keep safe and well.

Biodegradable drinking straws made from rye grain stalks left after harvest

Rye drinking straws made from the stalks left over after rye grain harvest. (ABC News)

There is a growing demand for biodegradable or reusable straws as some governments around the world legislate to reduce single-use plastics including plastic drinking straws.

Straws made from the hollow stems of wheat, rice and bamboo are already available in Australia, but are imported from overseas. Marion Vigot and Alexis Branlard aim to supply Australian biodegradable straws made from the strong, hollow stems of rye for the Australian market. They hope to produce 1 million straws from the first harvest and have formed the start-up company called Mister Rye based in Adelaide. South Australia is to ban single-use plastics next year and they are hoping to offer these rye straws as one of the alternatives.

One hectare of rye can produce 300,000 straws, so they only need a few hectares to make a million. They have formed arrangements with two organic rye farmers to do this. After harvesting the rye grain, the rye stalks are gently harvested and rolled into small bales by a vintage 1950’s hay baler. Then the straws are selected from between the nodes and hand cut by a team of workers. Marion and Alexis are hoping to mechanise this latter process. The straws are available online from Mister Rye at: https://www.misterrye.com/ 

For more information: 

- “Recycled rye straws an option to help environment and farmers in war on single-use plastics.” ABC News, October 11, 2019. 

– Also featured on Landline, 08/03/20, and available on iView for awhile: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/landline/series/0/video/RF1904Q006S00

Australian eucalyptus-based cleaners from Bosisto’s

Bosisto's eucalyptus spray and wipes (photo Julie May)

These effective local products were created by Bosisto’s which was founded in 1852 by Joseph Bosisto. It is the oldest fully Australian owned company and the first to extract and produce eucalyptus oil products. The oil comes from a natural forest of Blue Mallee trees at Inglewood, near Bendigo, Victoria. Today the company produces many different products that are natural and without harmful ingredients. The two spray and wipes pictured above are effective cleaners and disinfectants as eucalyptus oil is antiseptic – plus it has a pleasant odour! 

The company now uses a range of Australian native essential oils as seen in the hand and body cleaners made from: Desert lime and Eucalyptus; Kakadu Plum and Lemon Myrtle; Banksia Flower and Lavender; Waratah Flower, Mint and Mandarin to name a few. Other products include: cold and flu remedies; laundry and other cleaning products; aromatherapy and other therapeutic and personal care products. All are available online or a selection can be purchased at most Australian supermarkets, including the two cleaners pictured above. 

Reference: https://www.bosistos.com.au/

Australian billionaire funds off-grid solar/battery systems to bushfire affected areas still without power

Source: RenewEconomy

Australian billionaire, Mike Cannon-Brookes, has teamed up with Tesla and 5B, an Australian solar company, to donate stand-alone solar and battery systems that can provide power to remote communities affected by bushfires and storms. Some remote communities are still without power such as Cobargo in NSW and Goongerah, East Gippsland, Victoria. These two communities have already received a solar battery system each from Cannon-Brookes’ Resilient Energy Collective.

At Cobargo the solar and Tesla battery system provides power to the all-important communications systems of a police radio tower and a RFS (Rural Fire Service), National Parks and Eurobodalla Shire radio tower. The other system installed powers the Goongerah Community Hall, which provides relief services, a local internet connection, refrigeration and community meetings.

The stand-alone systems are easy to transport and quick to install. This includes the 5B solar panels that are readily and rapidly deployable - see image. The systems have a daily capacity ranging from 8kWh to 400kWh and can allow infrastructure, homes and businesses to operate off-grid, 24 hours a day. Cannon Brookes says the Collective has the capacity to roll out systems at another 100 sites “in the next 100 days if required”.

Such systems could provide resilience and independent renewable power for any remote community and reduce the need for the repeated trucking-in of diesel for generators.

Read more: Cannon-Brookes teams with Tesla, 5B to fund solar and batteries for fire victims. RenewEconomy, February 19, 2020.