Thought Organic Cotton Face Mask
The pandemic has resulted in blue disposable face masks becoming ‘the new plastic bottle’, with billions littered worldwide, entangling birds, wildlife and marine creatures. Add to that the endless bottles of hand sanitisers, and the planet is more plastic-drenched than it was before.
Obviously some people (and professions) have to use disposable masks for safety. But for the rest of us, a reusable face mask (when needed) is a better option, as you can just wash it again and again, and use it for far longer.
Do not use face masks while asleep, not on young children or people with breathing difficulties (or cannot remove masks without assistance).
If you wear disposable masks for medical reasons, snip the strips before secure disposal, to avoid entangling wildlife. Do the same, if you find one littered.
The serious and often tragic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are hopefully behind us. But the virus is here to stay, and experts say it’s almost inevitable that another one will follow. Boston University now believes that (almost certainly), the virus started with a tiny bat inside a remote Chinese cave (believing that eating live bats at wet markets is likely how it’s spread).
Organic Cotton Reusable Face Masks
Thought Face Masks are made from organic cotton, from offcuts of this sustainable fashion company. These are one adjustable size and double-layered with a pocket to fit a PM2.5 filter (not included) with elasticated over the ear straps. Machine-washable (not designed for medical use).
EcoLiving Organic Cotton Face Mask is made of 2 layers of GOTS-certified organic cotton and a layer of medical-grade certified melt-blown filter, with recycled and OEKO Tex-certified soft elastic ear loops.
Includes a full length concealed nose bridge to achieve a secure fit over your nose and face. Sold in packs of 10 in a recycled fabric waste cardboard box, each one packed in a home compostable bag.
This pack of 3 fair trade organic face masks includes 1 each of red, green and black packed in an organic cotton bag (to wash them in). Each mask includes soft elastic hooks for the ears, and a nose adjuster to hold in place.
What About Mpox?
And the recent cases of Mpox almost certainly began in a lab, testing on monkeys. Will the powers that be never learn?
Medical experts said that it was likely we would soon get another serious virus in the UK, and that has recently happened with Mpox.
Although the risk remains low, over 1000 people have already died in Africa, and it is spreading worldwide. It is mostly caught from being bitten or in contact with infected rodents, or eating their meat.
The disease was actually first discovered in monkeys, that had been inhumanely kept for medical research. Hence the name ‘monkeypox’.
It’s known that despite being the main creatures used to try to find a cure for AIDS, researchers have never managed to create the same disease, because these beautiful creatures are monkeys, not humans. Good reason to only donate to humane research charities.
People last when they do not eat apples not meant for them. Paul Kingsnorth
Best Brands of Zero Waste Hand Soap
Green People offers a small range of hand washes (in easy-to-recycle sugar cane packaging) including an anti-bacterial version with manuka oil, an unscented version and an instant-foaming citrus hand wash for children with larch tree extract and tea tree oil (also good to wipe-clean sticky faces, toys and highchairs.
Choose unscented for pregnancy/nursing and affected medical conditions. Keep soaps away from young children and pets (due to citrus oils etc).
Bio D Fragrance-Free Hand Wash neutralises 99.9% of harmful bacteria, and is approved by Allergy UK. Safe for septic tanks, it’s made using solar power and sold in easy-to-recycle bottles. Just pump onto your hands, wash under warm water for 15 seconds, and rinse well. Available in a 5 litre version for commercial use.
Delphis Eco Hand Soap is from a highly respected company that serves the commercial world with nontoxic alternatives to cleaning products. This soap is ideal to sanitise and disinfect hands in the bathroom, killing most known germs and bacteria.
The mild soap can be used daily, and contains added moisturisers to leave skin soft. Safe to use in the kitchen, as it does not taint food. It also leaves a pleasant smell on the hands, and biodegrades after use.
Just apply a small amount onto the hands, massage into palms and cuticles, then rinse. Also sold with a 5 litre refill, it’s vegan-friendly in a recycled plastic bottle, that is easily recycled on.
Reborn Bathroom Set
Reborn is a fabulous company that makes a quality range of kitchen ware items, all made from discarded plastic and stainless steel. Designed to last years, everything is made from local waste, and made in a factory in Wiltshire.
The Bathroom set has raised air-flowing ridges to avoid mould. There are raised holes for drainage, to ensure your bamboo toothbrush does not rot, and a holder for your eco-friendly biodegradable hand wash. There’s a soap dish with raised bars, to keep handmade soaps and shampoo bars dry.
We don’t recommend the toilet brush as it could leach microplastics, instead use a silicone toilet brush.
Biodegradable Hand Sanitisers
Beauty Kitchen Hand Sanitiser (sold in a metal bottle with refill) has 62% ethanol to sanitise hands immediately, with vegetable glycerine and aloe vera to moisturise. You can return your empty packaging for free using the downloadable freepost label, for a discount on your next purchase.
Green People Quick Clean Hand Foam is for children, but good for anyone. Sold in easy-to-recycle sugar-cane packaging, this features extracts of larch tree and tea tree, and is kind to sensitive skin.
200 uses per pump, with no harsh foaming agents, and a special pump that turns into a fluffy foam. Also use as a handwash, or squirt on a cloth to wipe clean sticky faces, toys and highchairs.
Delphis Eco is ideal to protect all areas of your home, killing up to 99.999% of bacteria and viruses. Also available in a 2-litre version, the commercial sanitiser (available in several sizes including bulk for use in public bathrooms and hospitals) has a biocide to protect against bacteria, mould, yeast, algae and enveloped viruses.
Use on work surfaces, cabinets, sinks, tiles, doors and kitchen appliances. Spray onto surface, and wipe clean after 30 seconds.
Bio-D all-purpose sanitiser is made from a blend of plant-based ingredients and scented with real essential oils. Tested to food-grade standard to neutralise nearly all harmful bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella and MRSA) , this is also effective against coronavirus (EN14476).
You can also use it to tackle greasy kitchens. Just spray on all hard surfaces, leave for 60 seconds and wipe off with a clean damp cloth. Sold in recycled plastic bottles that are easy to recycle.
Bio-D Cleansing Hand Wash is made from biodegradable ingredients and sold in recycled plastic bottles, which are also easy to recycle. As as 5 litres and 20 litre drums (use with a reusable pump and tap for easy dispensing).
Choose Fragrance Free if pregnant/nursing, affected medical conditions (like asthma and epilepsy) and near babies and pets.
Online, buy cases to save on shipping costs.
If you prefer to use Scented Hand Wash, this brand is also available in the following scents (made with mild real essential oils)
- Plum Mulberry (5 litres)
- Lime Aloe Vera (5 litre and 20 litres)
- Geranium Grapefruit (5 litre)
- Mandarin Sanitiser Spray (5 litre). Wipe area, leave for 60 seconds, then wipe with clean damp cloth.
Wholesalers can order online and receive free marketing materials, and also offer refill stations, so buyers can return to refill their products. Just imagine if all shops, restaurants, schools, offices and commercial cleaning companies switched to this brand.
Where to Recycle Hand Sanitiser Bottles
Terracycle offers a free recycling program (sponsored by industry). Just order a box and place it somewhere within your community (a local shop, school, council office etc). Then everyone can drop off items of beauty packaging they can’t recycle locally.
When full, just use the pre-paid label to ship it off, and the items are recycled into other goods like recycled plastic park benches etc.
As well as hand sanitisers, you can send off hand soap bottles, creams and caps, shower & shampoo bottles (with refill pouches) and skincare pots and lids.
Try to remove excess products, but you don’t have to clean the bottles before recycling. The program does not accept perfume bottles, aerosol bottles or nail polish bottles (just wrap and bin these).
A Book on Viruses (and how to stop them)
Snot, Sneezes and Super Spreaders does the impossible, and makes learning about viruses fun and interesting. Designed for children age 8 to 12 (but good reading for anyone), how do viruses become so powerful, that they can hold the world in their grip for months at a time?
What exactly is a virus, where do they come from, how do they spread and how can be protect ourselves?
If we didn’t know it before, we certainly know after the pandemic that viruses can change the world. Author Marc tackles questions with playfulness, accompanied by quirky enlightening illustrations by Wendy Panders. The book addresses pandemics in an age-appropriate way and offers history of fascinating icky diseases of the past, and how they still hang around today.
Marc ter Horst is a Dutch writer of science books for children. After studying literature, he became interested in geology, astronomy and evolution and then became an independent copywriter. He is also author of an entertaining book for children to explain climate change.
A Solution for Long COVID?
Through the Looking Glass is a book to take readers through the confusion on what long COVID is, and how to treat it naturally. Why does long COVID affect some people (and not others). And how is the best way to recover from it?
Based on over 30 years experience of studying neurolymphatics (and helping patients recover from ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) and fibromyalgia, the author shows how using his highly-respected Perrin Technique can help to restore healthy lymphatic drainage from the brain, following COVID-19 infection or vaccination.
This is a clear and concise account of the problems that lead to symptoms of long COVID, and is an ideal read for patients, health practitioners and physical therapists, who wish to understand the basics of lymphatic drainage, and how to restore it to health.
Dr Raymond Perrin qualified in 1984 from London’s British School of Osteopathy. His research has expanded our knowledge of complex neurological disease. In 2005 he was awarded a doctorate by University of Salford, for his thesis on the involvement of cerebrospinal fluid and lymphatic drainage in ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
He is a senior lecturer at University of Central Lancashire and clinical research fellow in Biology Medicine at University of Manchester.