Sustainable product shout outs! Follow us on Instagram @houseoftierney or Facebook @House of Tierney to see our weekly shout outs

Tuesday 31st January 2023

Shout out to another awesome sustainable product! (apart from ours of course)

This reusable coffee cup is available here at The Little Eco Shop.

This reusable coffee cup has the unique feature of being able to drink from anywhere on the cup so it's like drinking from a mug! It's the best reusable cup I've found so far. And it's only $24.95 - bargain.

It's also MADE from recycled coffee cups!! How good is that. You just have to remember to bring it with you!

For more sustainable product shoutouts follow us on Instagram @houseoftierney

Tuesday 7th February 2023

This week's sustainable product shout out goes to Good Citizen's Eyewear! They make sunglasses out of plastic bottles!

The sunnies are light and REALLY comfy. The ones Chris is wearing (pictured below) are the Palm Beach 2.0 Aqua. Selling for $109. Shop for them here

This is an Australian company making sunnies in Sydney, NSW. If you need a new pair support this company and help them "Untrash the planet".

Wednesday 15th February 2023

This week's sustainable brand shout out is about COMPOSTING!

I've been getting a lot of questions about composting lately and I think a lot of people want to do it but they're not sure how to get started or they're hesitant because they think composting attracts rodents! (the way I do it, it does NOT)

This is how we compost:

1. You need a kitchen bin that sits on your benchtop so it's within easy reach. The one I have is similar to this one from The Compost Co (find it here) 

So every time you cut up fruit, veggies, use eggs, coffee or tea you can put all those scraps in the compost bin. So eggshells can go in, coffee beans, tea bags (but take the paper tag off the tea bag) and vegetable and fruit scraps. I don't put much citrus in, so for things like oranges, the peel is ok but not the rest. I also don't put tomatoes or onion in. So once you fill the kitchen bin up you can take it out to your outdoor compost bin.

2. Outdoor composting bin. I recommend this one available from Bunnings. 

What I like about this bin is that it's got two compartments. So you put the fresh compost in one side and then once you want it to start breaking down you switch and put your fresh compost in the other compartment. That way you're not adding fresh scraps to the compost and you're allowing the older compost to break down properly. It will take around two months to turn into compost suitable for putting on the garden. 

So when you're ready to use the compost you just rotate the bin so the opening is facing the ground, put a bucket down down and slide open the lid and your fresh compost will be ready to use! This bin is awesome because you don't need to worry about rodents because it's off the ground. I've never had any problems with rodents and I've been using this bin for 7 years!

It's time to start composting! You'll be AMAZED at how much composting will reduce what you're sending to landfill each week.

Wednesday 22nd February 2023 

This week's sustainability shout out is about SOFT PLASTICS. Like a lot of people I was so dismayed that the REDcycle program was suspended. However there is hope for this year with some new recycling plants under way from the company Arc Entotech.

In the meantime we need to avoid buying soft plastics where we can and find our local council's soft plastics recycling program. 

 Tuesday 28th February 2023

This week's sustainable shout out goes to Party Kit Network.

This is an organisation which connects party organisers with their local party kit. There is SO much waste when you host a party and often for kids you buy themed plates, cups and decorations that get thrown out at the end of the party. 

I used one of the kits when I hosted my son's birthday party last year and it was great! The kit came with plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, tablecloths and some decorations. It was only $40 to hire plus a refundable deposit of $50.

So if you're looking for a way to celebrate sustainably check out their website to find your local party kit to hire. https://www.partykitnetwork.org/

Tuesday 7th March 2023

Personally I have used Modibodi and BONDS period undies and they are so bloody comfy. Let's face it, periods suck and are painful. Let's not make it any more uncomfortable than it has to be and get some period undies. You will be saving yourself money and doing your part to reduce landfill.

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Tuesday 14th March 2023

I am SO excited for this week's sustainable brand shout out!

I might be late to the party but I've just discovered this website Goodonyou.eco

It was founded in AUSTRALIA (go us!) and it rates fashion brands according to their impact on people, animals and the planet.

It provides us with the ability to choose clothing from companies who are making an effort to be sustainable and ethical. It also shines a light on companies who are not making any effort to improve their manufacturing.

You can search by country and then filter brand, type of clothing and price. It's a great way to discover new brands and unique clothing pieces.

 

They also have an app so it's convenient too.

 

You probably wont be surprised by the brands ranking badly. Some examples are Kmart, Peter Alexander, Jeans West, Cotton On, Myer...the list goes on.

 

This website has made me conscious of what I'm buying, I used to think "How can that cute dinosaur t-shirt at Kmart only be $3? Oh well, I'll just get it, I don't have time to find something else." We all need to do better though because someone, somewhere is paying the price of fast fashion.

 

And if you can't afford to buy sustainably? (thanks inflation) Try shopping second hand, as while it saves you money, reusing is also better than buying new. There's some great deals on Facebook marketplace, often people will sell a whole bundle of kids stuff in a particular size and there will be some really nice expensive pieces in there. Or try the second hand shops like Vinnies, Salvos and your local ones. Borrow from friends, or put your sewing skills to use and alter an existing item!

 

"As consumers we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy"

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Wednesday 22nd March 2023

This week's sustainable brand shout out goes to the Australian based company Compostable Alternatives! 

I'm always trying to reduce our use of soft plastics but I could never find a solution for cling wrap. I've used the beeswax covers before but it's annoying that you can't see through them to see what they are covering.
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BUT this company sell Home Compostable Cling Wrap! They are "Home Compostable" which, according to their website break down with no human intervention within 12-18 weeks anywhere there are microorganisms and oxygen, You can get 4 rolls of cling wrap for $22 which is incredible considering it's all compostable.
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This amazing company also sell the following compostable products:
- Cups (coffee/tea cups and lids suitable for restaurants and cafes)
- Bin liners
- Gloves
- Produce bags
- Straws
- Customised stamps
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Let's support this Australian company and help them to build their vision to "live in a world where home compostable is the norm for everything that cannot be reused, and single use plastic is a thing of the past"

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Friday 31st March 2023

This week's sustainable brand shout out goes to Eco Bins. This is another great Australian company whose mission is to improve waste separation in the home and workplace. You probably separate waste at home but what about your workplace or in the classroom? If you can identify an area where recycling could improve then it's up to YOU to do something about it!

This company has a range of awesome looking bins (no seriously) that will make you WANT to separate your waste.

For me personally I love the "Home Office Bundle" ($65) which comes with the following bins:
- Landfill
- Mixed Recycling
- Soft Plastics
- Batteries
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Eco Bins also have some great recycling tips and tricks on their socials. So give them a like and support this awesome company. Check out their fantastic range of products online at https://www.ecobin.com.au/
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