The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now!

For my birthday this year I had asked my friends for only one thing: Trees!

Many donated money for trees and and a group of about 15 of us including some volunteers  ventured out to Yelahanka on a fine Saturday morning to get our hands dirty. Under the guidance of Mrs. Janet from the NGO “Trees for free” it took us approximately 3 hours to plant 100 saplings of fruit and flower trees.

And even though we were quite exhausted after that, we left with a feeling of great accomplishment. We planted something that will reap rewards for years to come and benefit our city, planet and future generations.

Apart from the obvious environmental benefit it is a beautiful feeling to create something together with your friends that you know will grow and remain there and carry fruits in the years to come.  Although we might not be together in this city anymore, this garden will be there J

Get your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors together. Celebrate your anniversary, your child’s birth or your graduation. Plant in commemoration of a loved one. Plant because you are getting together with your school friends after many years. Plant without any reason at all J

Organizations like treesforfree.org or saytrees.org will guide you on how, where and when to plant to make sure the saplings are well maintained and taken care of afterwards. Additionally your RWA can help you in getting necessary permissions to plant saplings in your immediate neighborhood.

Need some facts on why we need trees?

• Over the course of its life, a single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide.
• One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted a year. Planting 10 trees per person will remove each person's carbon debt for the year.
• Approximately 300 trees can counter-balance the amount of pollution 1 person produces in life time.
• A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. So two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four.

Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30%.

Trees keep our air clean, they reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, create shade and look beautiful.

I hope this will inspire and motivate some people to do the same. If you would like to know more or if you need any hands in a plantation drive please get in touch with me J

Lots of love,

Friederike

Why you should switch to Bamboo toothbrushes!

A few months ago I got my first bamboo toothbrush and I think you should all get one as well.

Here is why:

• Plastic toothbrushes came onto the market in 1938 and since then every single tooth brush that got produced still exists somewhere on the planet.
  

• Toothbrushes are made from a combination of plastic (which is made from crude oil), rubber for the hand piece and nylon for the bristles.
• In addition to that they come in a packaging of plastic and cardboard.
• For our dental hygiene we are advised to change our toothbrushes every three months. With an average life expectancy of 75 years each one of us will consume about 300 toothbrushes during our lifetime, about 12 pounds of plastic waste.
• All over the world over 4.7 billon toothbrushes are produced annually that end up in the landfills or the environment.

Why if there is an alternative?

Bamboo India and other companies produce environment-friendly toothbrushes that will decompose along with your other household waste after you throw them.

Their handle is made of bamboo which is the fastest growing plant on the planet and grows in abundance in India.

• During their life span bamboo produces considerably more oxygen and binds considerably more CO2 than hard wood trees.
• Bamboo also doesn’t require any chemical fertilizer to grow which protects the soil and does not add any chemicals to the environment.
• After harvesting, virtually every part of the plant is used to make a wide variety of products. From soil-enriching mulch to beautiful furniture to chopsticks, every part of the plant can be utilized.

All this makes bamboo an incredibly sustainable plant, which has the potential to save us and the environment from a lot of harm.

When you buy your Bamboo toothbrush check what the bristles are made of. Some companies use nylon 4. This is a special kind of nylon which is 100% biodegradable. Others use regular nylon which you should pluck of your toothbrush before you throw it into your composter.

Also bamboo is naturally antibacterial.

So many reasons to immediately switch to a sustainable eco-friendly dental hygiene. I have ordered mine from Bamboo India, which sends you your toothbrush also in 100% biodegradable packaging. (www.bambooindia.com)

One step towards a life without plastic waste is made! My next target is to find a way to produce my own tooth paste (powder) so I won’t have to purchase anymore tubes. If anyone has any experience on that please get in touch with me J I will start experimenting on that soon and update as soon as I find something to recommend.