Since the 1950s, about 8 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced and it’s found everywhere, all over the planet and even inside the human body. In other words, plastic is polluting everything.
But plastic is posing another threat that I’d never considered before: impact on the climate.
Plastic is mostly made up of carbon which is released when it breaks down. And researchers are saying this could have negative effects on ecosystems around the world.
One of those researchers, Aron Stubbins, professor of marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern University in Boston says he was surprised by what he found:
To celebrate you, me, and the legions of people who are taking action to fight to plastic pollution, etee is offering $10 off your order in the Plastic Free Club. Use it towards ANYTHING storewide from now until July 23rd ('21).
It's the perfect time to save and stock up on your favourite items, from Fluoride Chewpaste™ to Concentrated Dishwasher Detergent to All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate, to Powdered Laundry Detergent, to Beeswax Wraps, to Shampoo Bars and more!
Thanks for fighting the good fight, friends!
Chantal and the whole crew at etee
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Big hair and big ideas lived large then. Brick cell phones went into production. The artificial heart was invented. The disposable camera came into being. The CD was born. IBM launched their personal computer and a few years later, Apple did the same with the Mac. And sometime mid-decade, liquid dishwasher detergent started showing up on shelves.
Though liquid detergent didn’t seem quite as revolutionary as the other inventions of its time, it did solve many problems. Unlike powdered detergents of the 80s, it wouldn’t cake up, it didn’t form geological formation in the dispenser cup of your dishwasher, and it didn’t leave behind gross grit on your dishes.
But as we’ve learned over the past 35 years since liquid detergent arrived on the scene, it’s not the best option for keeping your kitchenware clean. That is, unless you have a high-powered dishwasher, soft waters, rinse your dishes clear before loading the machine.
3 REASONS WHY LIQUID DETERGENT SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE 80s
To answer the need for better-built powder, etee just released a new, Concentrated Dishwasher Detergent in powder form that features planet-friendly ingredients and sustainable packaging. As an added bonus, you only need to use 1 teaspoon—that’s right, 1 teaspoon!— to get effective washing power. No grit or residue left behind!
Want to try it out?
For the next few days, you can get a sample size of our all-new Concentrated Dishwasher Detergent for FREE. That’s 36 teaspoons or 36 washes! Just pop into our store, stock up on some etee essentials, and we’ll add a free sample of our dish detergent!
Remember when the plastic straw came under siege? It was a few years back and the general public demanded alternatives, restaurants debated whether to even have them on hand, and lawmakers had to consider bans to protect oceans and sea life and to keep them out of our landfills.
As the Great Straw Debate was taking place, it got me wondering: Why wasn’t nylon floss suffering the same fate?
After all, single-use floss not only has environmental implications but health ones too.
That’s miles and miles of nylon filament coated in synthetic wax. It’s not biodegradable. It’s not recyclable. And it’s so strong that it can entangle, or worse still, strangle wildlife.
In short, that covers the environmental part.
Now over to the health side.
You know and I know that flossing is critical to maintaining good oral health. If you’re flossing away every day, you might be thinking “I’m an oral health hero!”.
But if you’re using traditional floss, you might also be exposing yourself to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that can leach into your bloodstream.
PFAS are used in non-stick and water-, stain- and/or grease-resistant coatings like cooking pans, waterproof jackets, and food packaging. They don’t easily break down, can stick around in your body (and the environment) for decades, and have been linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and endocrine disruption in humans. Nasty stuff, overall.
Luckily, there’s an alternative to harming the environment and your health. It’s etee’s floss made of Ahimsa Silk!
Each 30-metre spool is made of 100% cruelty-free pure mulberry silk, candelilla wax, and natural peppermint oil. And it comes in your choice of plastic-free packaging: a glass jar container or an all-new stainless steel container.
To recap, the silk etee uses is sustainably made and 100% backyard biodegradable, the packaging is reusable and recyclable, and the whole shebang is not going to harm humans or the planet.
I’d say that’s the best option, right?
Keep it clean, kids!
Chantal and the whole crew at etee
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Let’s talk about microplastics. “Microplastics” is a buzzword thrown around a lot these days, but what’s the big deal? It’s just a small amount of plastic, right?
Well… it turns out a little plastic can have detrimental effects on our planet.
According to the USGS, In the United States:
That’s pretty gross when we consider that we’re eating plastic, BUT the biggest harm is to wildlife.
Fish, birds, and other wildlife “can experience digestive obstruction, impaired reproduction, other adverse biological effects, and even death.” says the USGS. By obstructing digestive tracts, these animals stop experiencing hunger because they feel full and they starve to death.
Additionally, contaminants including pesticides, trace metals, and pathogens accumulate on plastic particles and have been found in high concentrations. So not only are the plastics themselves harmful, but they attract and carry with them other harmful substances, chemicals, and disease-causing organisms.
Microplastics come from a variety of sources -- essentially anything made of plastic can and will break down into microplastics. The most common source, though, are synthetic fibers.
Synthetic fibers account for 35% of the microplastics in our oceans making them the biggest contributor to microplastics. Microplastics are released from our clothes and directly into our waterways when we put them in the wash.
4 major fibers to look out for are: polyester, nylon, acrylic, and polyamide -- all made of plastic.
Throwing away perfectly usable clothes just to buy new ones, even if they are made of natural fibers, is still wasteful. Your synthetic clothes already exist, so use them until they’re no longer wearable or donate it to someone who could use it.
BUT, you can still stop microfibers from leaching into our waterways in the wash. For the plastic clothing you do have, use a Guppyfriend Washing Bag which will catch the plastic microfibers in the wash so you can dispose of them properly.
When you do buy new clothing, opt for natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, and linen.
And speaking of washing your clothes, we just launched our new concentrated laundry detergent and we’d love to know what you think.