We particularly love AllMatters because of their focus and priority on traceability of the high quality materials that they choose to use in their products.
So if you're asking "Who Made My Clothes?" ... here's your answer!
Here's a visit to the production line for AllMatters high waist underwear (now available in heavy absorbency by the way!)
The production is done in Portugal, using high-quality and mindfully selected materials, including wood-based fibers, TENCEL™ Lyocell and VEOCEL™ Specialty Viscose, manufactured at Lenzing; an Austrian textile manufacturer known for their unique closed-loop control process that limits its impact on the environment.
Emilia (Above) and Vera (Below) work on High Waist Period Underwear in Portugal.
If you're worried about PFAS or nano silvers in your period underwear, rest assured that AllMatters underwear do not contain these substances, and we have a third-party report that has confirmed this.
Wear your favourite soft and comfy AllMatters undies with confidence, and feel free!
P.S. AllMatters is also B Corp certified! But what does that mean, exactly? It means AllMatters is walking the talk – proving that their business actually meets the high standards of social and environmental impact. The stringent B Corp assessment looked into how the company is governed and all that they do for their community, workers and environment.
Find AllMatters products in Singapore at:
The very first Earth Day was held in the U.S. in April 1970. Millions of Americans, including students from thousands of colleges and universities, participated in rallies, marches and educational programs across the country.
Earth Day was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, an environmentalist who hoped to unite the grassroots environmental movement and increase awareness of ecological issues. “The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy,” Senator Nelson said, “and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.”
Today, Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to raise awareness of and promote support for environmental protection. An estimated 1 billion people in more than 193 countries take part in Earth Day commemorative activities every year!
People also tend to extend events to the whole week, referred to as "Earth Week".
The fact that Earth Day has been held for more than half a century now is a reminder of the power of numbers. The individual decisions of people to march on the first Earth Day resulted in change in their country -- in July of 1970, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency was established by special executive order to regulate and enforce national pollution legislation -- and started a global movement that continues to this day!
Mindset shifts don't happen overnight. Personally, my "green awakening" started when I was spending more time camping and exploring the great outdoors. When we take time for nature, we start to see the beauty of our environment and will feel a need to protect it. Whether it is a tree outside your window, or a nature park nearby, spend five minutes fully observing your little slice of paradise, and take note of how you feel.
I'm sure you've seen the infamous "trash jar" in various zero-waste blogs or on the Internet. I've never done this myself, but the idea of collating and assessing your waste is a good one! It would be an eye-opening activity to do this on a less stringent manner.
For example, gathering your kitchen scraps in a bowl or cup and composting it at the end of the day would be a nice start. Food waste is one of the highest waste streams in Singapore. For food waste, there is unavoidable waste (for example, egg shells or apple cores), and avoidable food waste (waste we could have prevented by being a bit more mindful). "Avoidable food waste" are items that could have been consumed if better managed. For example, leftovers from a meal expired food, stale food blemished fruits and vegetables.
Besides food scraps, looking at physical trash can also be eye-opening. For a start, you can sort your trash into recyclables and non-recyclables. For each category, you can also consider what was "avoidable" and what was "unavoidable", so you can make better decisions in the future!
The fastest way to make a change is to JUST DO IT! Put a zero-waste kit together and commit to using it! When I used to work in an office, I would keep this kit in my pigeon hole to use at work. Find a way to make these little actions easy for yourself so you can keep the habit up.
I can't say this enough -- you don't have to spend extra money to create a zero-waste kit! The best place to look first would be your kitchen cabinets! And if you still need something, our "reusable kit" lifestyle section would the next best place to look ;) We have cutlery sets that you can mix and match, stainless steel bento box and flasks to BYO for a start!
This Earth Week, I'm going to be hosting five school and corporate talks and one workshop!
I always say that our main "product" is not the bamboo straw and not even the best-selling crystal deodorant! Our main product is our message.
Talking to others or actively trying small sustainable actions is the simplest form of advocacy. Actions rub off on others! We need to do is start more and more conversations about this topic. For sure, big change can only come about when there is systemic change. But even if we change the economic and political structures upholding the worst industrial and corporate offenders, we can’t sustain current consumption levels. It's important to know that demanding systemic change and being open to changing our individual lifestyles to reduce our personal impact are not mutually exclusive matters. And shifting personal mindsets is something like planting a seed. The person will take their growth and their journey back to their workplace or their community and bring about change there.
Have you ever wondered how much environmental impact food has?
Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce your carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent. While we don't have to quit cold turkey or go entirely vegan right away, reducing the amount of meat and dairy products we consume is definitely a big way to reduce our environmental impact on the planet.
The study created a dataset based on almost 40,000 farms in 119 countries and covering 40 food products that represent 90% of all that is eaten. It assessed the full impact of these foods on land use, climate change emissions, freshwater use and water pollution (eutrophication) and air pollution (acidification).
The scientists also found that even the very lowest impact meat and dairy products still cause much more environmental harm than the least sustainable vegetable and cereal growing. The research also found grass-fed beef, thought to be relatively low impact, was still responsible for much higher impacts than plant-based food. “Converting grass into [meat] is like converting coal to energy. It comes with an immense cost in emissions,” according to Joseph Poore, at the University of Oxford, who led the research.
Among my favourite plant-based swaps are... homemade oat milk (recipe here) - sweetened with dates!), vegan cheese (locally made too) by Kroodi, and Impossible or Beyond meats are always interesting (though not a staple for me)!
One of my earliest memories was tending to a jar of Alfalfa sprouts when I was in kindergarten. My mother had bought a packet of seeds and it became my task to rinse them and drain the water through a muslin cloth every day. It was really a joy to see my own sprouts grow! After a week or so they were long and ready to eat! I recently tried this again, using my nut mylk bag to double up as a straining cloth.
I am also trying to restart my basil plant pot because the best pesto is really the homemade ones! I used to have SUCH a lush plant but lost it after a spate of hot weather.
Growing your own edibles and interacting with the food that finds its way to your plate is a real joy.
Join a weekend litter clean-up or start your own -- around your neighbourhood you could try "plogging" (picking up litter while jogging)!
Beach clean-ups and sea creatures entangled in human-created plastic have become the classic poster images for "environmental action", and the bulk of marine pollution is plastic waste, floating or submerged.
But did you know that more than 80 percent of the “annual input” of plastic litter, such as drink bottles and plastic packaging, comes from LAND sources. How does all this plastic end up in the water? Even if you throw trash away into bins, winds may carry the plastic trash (often lightweight) into drains or waterbodies.
Drains and canals in your neighbourhood eventually lead to the open water. Littering, storm winds and poor waste management would be some factors contributing to marine pollution. Plastic waste is especially problematic as a pollutant because it is so long-lasting. When they break down, they don’t disappear but become smaller, more dangerous micro plastics.
Beach clean-ups often end with bags and bags of trash -- very visual reminders of just how much trash there is due to people's irresponsible actions -- but you can clean up even when you're not at the beach.
]]>Have you ever thought about the evolution of the toothbrush?
The earliest form of "toothbrushes" were actually “chewing sticks”- for example, miswak or neem. In ancient Babylon, people chewed on twigs to shred the edge into fibres, creating a "brush" that they would use to clean their teeth. Some plants even contained cleansing or antiseptic properties. Miswak or neem chewing sticks are still common in some parts of the world.
The Chinese were probably the first to invent the earliest form of 'toothbrush' in the form we currently recognise. These were made with boar bristles stuck onto or tied with twine onto the handles of bamboo or bone. These would be very similar to modern toothbrushes, but probably a lot more harsh on the teeth.
Over the past few centuries, toothbrushes have clearly developed to suit different preferences and ages. Most conventional toothbrushes are made with plastic handles and nylon bristles, which are inexpensive materials. Toothbrushes are now accessible to almost everyone.
Rethinking the norm
Plastic toothbrushes are given out in hotel rooms on the daily, treated as disposable and discarded without much thought.
If you follow the standard usage of three to four months per toothbrush, you would be going through at least four toothbrushes a year, all of which are non-renewable plastic, non-recyclable, and will not break down for several hundred years if they somehow wrongly find their way into the natural environment...
You've probably seen pictures of beach cleanups where dozens of sea-battered toothbrushes are laid out for scrutiny. You might've seen a poor seabird cough up a head of a toothbrush (ugh!) Either way, you're most likely aware of the plastic litter problem that we face today.
Perhaps that is enough to compel you to seek an alternative.
If not, let us change your mind ;)
Three reasons why bamboo toothbrushes are great!
1. Plastic toothbrushes are NOT recyclable
Plastic toothbrushes are mostly NOT recyclable because the composite plastic used to create them does not break apart efficiently, and chunks get stuck in recycling machinery.
2. Bamboo toothbrushes do the job just as well
Bamboo toothbrushes can be just as good for your teeth as plastic toothbrushes. Bamboo Straw Girl toothbrushes are made with medium-to-soft nylon bristles, which are the best choice for your teeth. When choosing any kind of toothbrush, consider the size of the head, the shape of the handle, and the bristles. Toothbrushes that can easily fit into the narrow areas of your mouth with soft bristles and a comfortable handle are the best. We asked our dentists!
3. Bamboo toothbrush handles are made from quick-growing bamboo
Bamboo grows quickly! That means that our bamboo toothbrush handles are made from a very quickly renewable material.
While long-lasting, durable plastic can be the right material at times for certain products, is it truly the best material for the toothbrush, an item that we use and dispose of every few months? It makes sense to replace the handle with a renewable material - bamboo.
Bamboo toothbrush FAQ
When should I replace the toothbrush?
Replace your bamboo toothbrush every two to four months, as you see fit. To help the toothbrush last longer, always dry it across the rim of your cups rather than standing up inside them, so as to reduce the likelihood of water accumulating at the base of the cup.
If you purchase a bulk pack of toothbrushes and want to extend their shelf life, keep them in the fridge :) A big tip for anyone in a tropical environment.
How do I dispose of the bamboo toothbrush?
The bamboo handle is 100% bamboo and technically compostable. However, if you are using a small home composting system, the handles will take months to years to break down due to the lasting nature of bamboo. If you have a chipper or a way to break the handle into smaller pieces, it will break down more quickly. We recommend first repurposing the toothbrush for general cleaning. Then, check if you have a local composting collection system.
What if I don't compost?
If you do not have such a system in your area, you should dispose of the toothbrush in general trash. Your sustainable action in this case is choosing a product that makes use of a renewable material (very quick growing bamboo) versus oil-based non-renewable material plastic.
Have any more questions? Ask us at bamboostrawgirl@gmail.com or direct message Bamboo Straw Girl!
]]>Before you hit "check out" on any of the year-end sales online or pick up something on impulse because you're tight on time... Always remember that meaningful, well thought out gifts make the biggest impact.
The Christmas gifts I remember were handmade or thoughtfully picked out - a handsewn doll from my mother and a book from my father (who endearingly went to Books Actually at their original Ann Siang Hill location and asked them for help to pick a book for 16-year-old me! - He left the shop with a copy of "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"... aww!)
When it comes to year-end gifting, I stick by this motto:
(And this year, I've added another line - shop secondhand!)
Take a leaf from Santa -- make a list and check it twice! Planning gifts early means you won't shop on impulse. That's a big plus! Pay attention to your recipient's lifestyle, personality, and needs, and find an item that fits them.
I just want to add here that we don't have to SHOP at all. For example, I once admired my grandmother's assorted button collection and a box of old coins, and was given it a few weeks later. It was my prized possession for awhile! It means a lot when we hear and remember something so simple as a passing comment.
Before we had our own website, I was an Etsy seller. I loved the community in those years and discovered new small brands and small home-run businesses every day! As a small business owner myself, it really is true what they say -- every time you purchase from a small shop, an actual person does a little dance! I do still mentally acknowledge every single website order with a "OMG thank you!"
Needless to say, 2020 is hitting small businesses hard and choosing to support small homegrown shops creates jobs within your own community!
Supporting local businesses is great for the environment because they often have a much smaller carbon footprint than large companies.
I LOVE seeing the secondhand and swap options grow in Singapore. Besides shopping on secondhand apps or sites like Carousell (where I'm sure many unsuitable presents sometimes end up), here are a few of our local favourites:
For clothes: The Fashion Pulpit or Swapaholic
For books: Thryft or Books Beyond Borders
On that note, the gift of time spent together is always the best!
Experiences could be a nice home cooked meal, a picnic, or a special dinner out. Experiences could also be an afternoon spent swapping at a clothes swap (or swapping from each other's closets!) Or purchase a gift card from a small, local shop so your "giftee" can pick out the item of their choice from a shop you would like to bring awareness to.
Our gift cards have been popular gifts this Christmas and it's wonderful to see people find our store and pick out sustainable lifestyle items thanks to a recommendation from a friend.
If you need help picking out a gift for a friend, send us a message through Instagram or email us at bamboostrawgirl@gmail.com and we will help walk you through some options!
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We are careful to price our products in a way that reflects their value. When you shop with us, you can be sure that the people who made our products have been fairly paid for their hard work. We pride ourselves on quality, which is tricky when it comes to natural materials. When you use a product from our shelves, we hope that you sense a connection to the materials and the makers. Our prices reflect the fair wages for our makers, and what we need to do product development, conduct school outreach programmes and keep our staff paid!
When t-shirts go for $5 a pop, and plastic disposables go for cents, there has got to be something wrong somewhere. Mindful consumption, to us, is considering the whole life cycle of items that we choose to use or buy - from production to end of life solutions. Large-scale sale days drive impulse buys. We prefer you to have a meaningful, thoughtful connection with our products. We also want you to think twice before purchasing new when you may already have something that works just as well!
Our mission is to make conscious-living accessible to all -- and to make it clear that you need not purchase anything extra to make a difference. Whether you're looking for a bamboo toothbrush or a long-lasting deodorant stone, we hope to bring these essentials to you at reasonable prices year-round! (This leaves little room for sales at times...)
We are supporting the #CircularMonday movement for the second year running. This is a movement which hopes to drive awareness of brands and companies that focus on REUSE, REPAIR, RENT. As part of our Circular commitment, we have consistently added upcycled products to our range over the past two years.
View our Upcycled collection here!
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I used to attend weekly talks about Buddhism at a temple a few years ago and recently they’ve restarted their sessions (now on video conferencing - yay!) After last night’s session, one of my classmates asked a question about how to deal with pests since the Buddhist approach is to avoid needless killing (“ahimsa” - non harming). I thought about my own response to pests. I realised that my preference over time has been to shift the “pest” or shoo it away rather than whip out a spray.
Here’s my citronella and lemongrass incense stick for repelling mosquitos — I’m giving it a trial run among some friends and hopefully we can share this with you soon!
In a way, since “pests” appear due to the environmental factors, they have kinda been “invited” into the space - maybe by us (leftover food / dirt), or maybe by happenings in the surroundings area (stagnant water in the neighbourhood).
I remember someone saying to me that humans are not even separate from microorganisms, as many of these live on us and in our bodies. In Buddhist thought, all living creatures are different from humans in their intellect but similarly feel suffering, crave life, and have fear of death.
Here are some suggestions for how to deal with common households "guests" (uninvited)!
Use an orange! Oranges naturally repel mosquitos. Simply rub an orange on your arm, or make a DIY repellent spray using orange juice (squeezed) and distilled or boiled water.
Orange peels - left to air-dry and then hung up in mesh or cloth bags - would work too!
You can also substitute the orange juice with citronella essential oil.
Try using diluted vinegar to clean hard surfaces (floors, kitchen counter). Ants can smell the vinegar after it dries, but people won't smell it after some time!
Like many taxi drivers do, bundle a few pandan leaves together to ward off cockroaches! It smells wonderful too!
What are your favourite "pest-control" methods?
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Have you ever considered what we wash down the sink?
Have you ever thought about what exactly goes into making your dishwashing liquid and sponges?
Back when my friends first started WWOOF-ing (working on organic farms), I remember the conversations we would have about the stringent rules on the farms. Since most of them were off-grid or in rural locations, it was essential that waste was kept to a minimum and any wastewater was kept chemical-free as far as humanly possible. The detergents and cleaning liquids we were used to were replaced with vinegar, or warm water. Everything was scrutinised. It made me pay closer attention to labels too.
Most kitchen cleaning products made from plastic or packaged in plastic -- for example, kitchen sponges, or liquid detergent (inefficient in transport).
Making kitchen swaps can be more convenient and more economical too!
Seeing is believing, so here are five ideas for a plastic-free and low-waste kitchen!
Our latest bestseller, and for good reason (even if we say so ourselves!), is the solid washing block.
Made from coconut oil and lemon essential oil, you'll get a super sudsy clean without the usual harsh chemicals. Fear not, it's gentle on your hands (and the earth!)
Why solid washing soap? Firstly, liquid detergent is mostly water (up to 80% of its content is water)! Bar soaps give you more bang for your buck, lasting longer as they are more concentrated and you'll use much less for the same effect. Since water makes up the bulk of the liquid soap content, it is heavier and more difficult to transport. The carbon footprint of liquid soap is estimated to be 25% more than that of bar soap for this reason!
Secondly, liquid soaps mostly require odd-sized plastic bottles for packaging and will take more energy to produce and ship than simply wrapping a bar of soap with paper! While plastic detergent containers are often made of recyclable plastic, they are regrettably seldom recycled!
And a bonus - the refreshing hint of lemon essential oil in this bar has made this a hit among its new fans!
All-natural Washing Block - available in 2 sizes, 200g (regular) and 100g half-size block
P.S. Guess what - the block is also multi-use and can double up as a stain-stick or laundry block - great for travelling!
Less-waste or not, the efficiency and texture of reusable cloth towels beats disposable kitchen towels any time! We don’t sell “unpaper towels” because you can easily find reusable towels cheaply in any neighbourhood shop. Go forth and use all the towels, or reuse old cotton t-shirts!
Loofah sponges are wonderfully useful around the home and very similar to plastic sponges that most people are used to. Fun fact: they're actually a gourd that can be eaten - we love it stir-fried with egg! Luffa sponges can replace bath sponges and dish sponges. We dry our loofahs to be flat for efficient shipping, but as soon as you soak them in a shallow dish of water, they'll puff up all ready for the first use! The luffa is 100% natural and can be composted in home compost bins! A wonderful win!
Luffa sponges - single or sets
These brushes make great scrubbies for either the dishes or the sink and general cleaning! The agave (cactus) sisal bristles are a material that is traditionally woven into mats and ropes. Here, you can choose between soft (the lighter colour) or hard bristles, and a hand held grip or a long handle.
We recommend the hard bristle handheld brush for washing hard vegetables (potatos, root veggies, fruit), or for washing sinks and hard stubborn buildup.
Dish scrub with long beechwood handle (Soft bristles) - Head or full set
Wooden dish scrub with natural bristles (Hard bristles)
Crocheted cotton bags are said to be originally used by French fishermen. Because they can stretch to fit whatever you put inside, the lightweight bags became popular in the '60s and '70s as market totes for bringing home fresh produce and baguettes. Use for grocery runs or keep in your everyday-bag for impromptu necessities! We make our mesh bag with a little pocket to fold the bag into when not in use. When using, you can use the small pocket to store travel cards or your phone!
The budget option, of course, is to simply reuse any plastic bags under your sink or any reusable bags that you already own!
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"Are you selling reject items?"
(In short, no.)
I first encountered the philosophy of “wabi sabi” in a pottery class in primary school. Of course, our clumsy small hands couldn’t achieve any symmetrical perfection on the pottery wheel, but the teacher kindly praised the many imperfect little pots and mugs. She talked about wabi sabi — simplified as “perfection in imperfection”. I learned to accept the transience of material items and the beauty in imperfection. This idea of perfect imperfection has been an influence on my day to day life, and I thought about it again when our deodorant stones (being fragile) were damaged during transport to our storeroom or due to customer handling at retail stores (kids really like to stack the stones like building blocks, I realise).
Some time in 2015, we were faced with a particular shipment of crystal deodorant stones that had been damaged in transit due to the shipping handler's mistakes (oops!) A bit heartbroken and frustrated at the loss, I had the usual thought: Well I'll just use it myself then!
But the deodorant stones last over a year even with frequent use, and with about a hundred damaged stones in front of me, I wouldn't be able to use this up in my lifetime, not even after sharing with friends!
I decided to try a little experiment since I knew that I would personally still use the chipped items because they were totally usable. Instead of feeling anger at the damage, I decided to sell “wabi sabi” stones (with small flaws) at a discount for those who also found it acceptable.
I was curious to see if my customers would also be open to the thought of using "flawed" deodorant stones, since the cracks and chips did not affect usage.
In true zero-waste fashion, everyone supported the idea of "wabi sabi stones"! I was touched! The proceeds from the sale of those flawed stones went towards funding a donation of toothbrushes to a children's home. Win-win and smiles all around.
Ever since then, I have continued to offer "wabi sabi" options on deodorant stones since they are fragile and prone to damage either in transit or due to mishandling while on display on our retail shelves. I have also offered "wabi sabi" options on metal flasks and lunchboxes! The funny thing is that I often get questions about when the restock on wabi sabi items will be. We don't plan restocks, as we don't plan accidental damage! When they happen, they happen, and I quietly re-list the available items on the page.
When we were approached to display products for the Not-So-Convenience store , I was pleasantly surprised that they specifically asked for FLAWED deodorant stones to display.
This reduces waste and allows customers to experience the product at a discount. It also makes people consider whether they can accept perfectly imperfect items. The slight chips do not affect usage, and sometimes make the deodorant stone appear even more crystal-like as they catch the sunlight. I was surprised that over the past few years the wabi-sabi items have been a hit and people specifically look out for them! A few earth-minded stores have also sent us messages to say that we've inspired an "imperfect" range in their own shops! I love that! Thank you for embracing imperfections!
Right now, you can find all the "wabi sabi" options at this link.
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