Revive & Renew
This month, we enter The Well Store, recycle our coffee pods, wear shoes made of plants and more.
SOLAR DESALINATION
Australia’s ability to reliably produce food for an ever-increasing population is a growing concern amid droughts and increasingly volatile climate conditions. To make fresh water readily available to the farming sector, UNSW’s Global Water Institute (GWI) is developing an innovative, solar-powered version of a desalination technology called Capacitive Deionization (CDI). It removes salt from brackish water by passing water through a stack of electrode pairs with positive ions. When a voltage is applied across the electrodes, a desalted stream of water is produced. While conventional CDI uses mains power, researchers have developed prototypes powered by solar energy.
RUNNER BEANS
Reebok has launched its first plant-based running shoe as part of its initiative to abandon the use of petroleum-based plastics. The Forever Floatride Energy Shoes are made from castor beans, eucalyptus, algae and rubber.
INTERVIEW WITH MARIANA BOULOS
Founder of The Well Store
What led you to open the store?
The Well Store was launched after a journey of learning, researching and finding the way to a healthier lifestyle. It began in 2008, when my mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness and then shortly after so was my father. The hunt for healthier and natural alternatives to support them led me to find out the distressing truth about the products my family were using and the impact it had on our bodies and the planet. All the products at the store are free of harmful toxins and have a focus on fair trade, cruelty-free sustainable ingredients and use recyclable or biodegradable packaging.
REPLACE OR RECYCLE: ALUMINIUM COFFEE PODS
Nespresso said that globally it is only recycling 29 per cent of the 12 billion capsules it produces every year. That’s still billions of capsules going into landfill. Coffee pods take between 150 and 500 years to break down in landfill, so recycling is vital. To that end, Nepresso is offering recycling of its pods at 19,000 collection points in Australia and through an Australia Post Recycling Bag, but it is up to the consumer to deliver the waste.
What are some simple, sustainable swaps that people can make in the home that have the biggest impact?
Shoppers are doing a fabulous job using reusable shopping bags, but we still need to remind ourselves to ditch other plastic single-use fresh produce bags, too (what you put your individual fresh items in) and try and BYO your own reusable produce bags.
Disposable razors are probably the most wasteful accessories in our bathrooms. A reusable safety razor is chic, durable and recyclable.
Using a more eco-friendly laundry detergent helps the environment. Not only are you not exposing your body to harsh chemicals, but also not washing toxins and microplastics down the drain into our oceans.
What is one habit people can change to make a positive impact?
Plastic usage is a huge problem we need to work on. You can do this by:
• Take your own cutlery, straws and containers when you are out, avoiding single-use items
• BYO bags and produce bags when you are shopping
• Rethink your choices when making a purchase. Is it a necessity? Is it recyclable or biodegradable? Refill cleaning and beauty/body products from stores that accept refill bottles
• Focus on items that are made of a non-recyclable plastic and slowly swap them out for more eco-friendly choices as your plastic items wear out e.g. swap a plastic toothbrush for a bamboo biodegradable one.