Hello Green Beauty: Green Living

5 Eco-Friendly and Zero Waste Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is just around the corner and everybody is getting ready to buy gifts for their friends and loved ones. Since zero waste, eco-friendly and sustainable are the popular buzzwords this year in most social media channels, why not inspire your loved ones to start their own zero waste journey by giving them the following sustainable Christmas gifts.

1. Collapsible Silicone Coffee Cup with Hard Sleeve

Available at HerOrganicBeauty in various colors (Php 265)

For the coffee lovers in your life, this collapsible silicone coffee cup is just the perfect gift to give. It’s BPA-free (since it’s not made with plastic), lightweight and portable that it can even fit inside your pocket. You can carry it around with you when you go to coffee shops that offer discount when you bring your own coffee cup. The collapsible cup also comes with a cup sleeve so that you don’t burn your hand while carrying a hot beverage. The sleeve is the only part of the cup that is made from polypropylene plastic (PP).

2. Collapsible Silicone Food Containers w/ Lid

Available at HerOrganicBeauty in various colors, sizes and shapes (Php 138 to Php 290)

If you’re planning to do an exchange gift with your office colleagues, then this sleek collapsible silicone food container would be very useful as their daily office lunch box. Since it is collapsible and stackable, it can save space in their bags or office pedestals. It is also leak-proof, air tight, microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe. It is BPA-free so it won’t leach chemicals into your food during storage. Moreover, it can withstand the wear and tear of general use so silicone food containers have longer lifespan than plastic microwavable containers. The lid though that comes with this silicone container is made from polypropylene plastic (PP).

3. Pencil with Plantable Seeds

Available at HerOrganicBeauty for 4-Pieces in a Pack (Php 105)

Have you heard of a pencil that can grow into a plant? One of the most innovative sustainable items I often see on my social media feed is what we called the “plantable” pencils. It looks like an ordinary pencil but instead of an eraser, it has a gelatin capsule at the tip of the pencil which contains plant seeds (e.g. basil, mint, tomato, etc.). Once the pencil is too short to use, you can actually plant it and wait until the seeds turn into plants. The plantable pencils are also lead-free and 100% natural & biodegradable, which made them the perfect gift for kids. It’s also the perfect opportunity to teach kids how to plant at a young age.

4. Reusable Stainless Double-Sided Razor w/ Refillable Blades

Available at HerOrganicBeauty (Php 100 to Php 270)

It’s no surprise that most of the personal hygiene products that we use contribute to our ever growing waste problem – one of these products is disposable plastic razor. Unknown to most people, disposable razors are quite a challenge to recycle properly since they are made of several materials – plastic, rubber and metal blades. In the end, most of the plastic razors will end up in our landfills and will take hundreds of years to decompose. In contrast, this stainless-steel razor is more durable and cost-effective since you can just replace the blades. For the men in your life, this eco-friendly reusable stainless-steel razor would make a great gift.

5. Refillable & Retractable Bamboo Ballpoint Pen

Available at HerOrganicBeauty (Php 65 – whole pen, Php 25 - refill)

When I was still a student, I used to write a lot so I can’t imagine how many plastic ballpens I had tossed in the trash since then. Luckily, there are now more options these days when it comes to more eco-friendly ballpens. For instance, this ballpoint pen is refillable and made from sustainable bamboo wood. Not only will you save money from buying ballpen refills, but will also minimize plastic pollution since the body and the cap are the largest plastic parts of the ballpen. The actual ink refill though is still a disposable plastic but it’s already an improvement compared to throwing out the entire ballpen.

Do you know any other eco-friendly and zero waste gift ideas this holiday season? Share them on the comment section below J

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, by Hello Green Beauty

In Green Living,

Piñatex: Vegan and Sustainable Alternative to Animal Leather

Image Credit: Piñatex [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know that the leather industry is one of the primary contributors to our ever growing pollution problem? Leather tanning – which is the process of converting animal skin into leather – involves the use of harmful chemical agents. The most commonly used leather tanning agent is chromium which can be toxic to human at high exposure over a long period of time. Environmental issues also arise as chromium waste (which comes from leather tanning facilities) contaminates our water, thus endangering marine lives. Another cruel side of the leather industry lies in the unethical killing of animals (e.g. crocodiles, ostriches, cows, etc.) for their skin in order to meet the growing demand for leather products. This situation led to the creation of synthetic leather that is normally made from PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) – a type of plastic that does not decompose so it just ends up in the landfill.

Dr. Carmen Hijosa saw the need to create a more sustainable alternative to leather that has less impact to the environment and is cruelty-free (both to animals and workers). She had a light-bulb moment while working as a consultant in the Philippines and saw how locals use piña (pineapple leaf fibers) to create Barong Tagalog – the national dress of the Philippines. After seven years of research and development through a PhD at the Royal College of Art in London, Piñatex was born under Dr. Hijosa’s company Ananas Anam.

Piñatex is a non-woven plant-based textile that is derived from pineapple leaf fibers (sourced from the Philippines) which can be used as an alternative to leather that is made from animal skin. The raw material itself is sustainably sourced from discarded pineapple leaves which farmers normally just throw away. The fibers extracted from the pineapple leaves undergo a certain process until they become a non-woven textile with a unique leather-like appearance. The resulting textile is lightweight, breathable, flexible yet very durable, which makes it an ideal material for making shoes, bags, wallets, clothes and upholstery (e.g. sofa, car seat). Piñatex also comes in variety of colors and finishes (e.g. gold and silver metallic finishes) which give fashion designers more options when it comes to their product designs.

Piñatex is 100% vegan. In fact, Piñatex is the first fabric to become PETA-approved for being vegan and cruelty-free. In recent years, more and more fashion brands are using Piñatex to create eco-friendly and animal-friendly clothing and accessories.

Here are some of the products that are made with Piñatex.

Bourgeois Boheme: London-based vegan footwear brand using Piñatex

Maniwala: Plant-based, cruelty-free bags made from Piñatex

Altiir: Metallic biker jackets using Piñatex

At the moment, Piñatex is not yet 100% biodegradable since it’s still using petroleum-based resin for coating the textile. Don’t worry though as the company is working hard to eventually find a way to replace petroleum-based resin from Piñatex. Instead of using PVC (a petroleum-based plastic often used in synthetic leather), Piñatex uses PLA (Polylactic acid) which is a bioplastic that is derived from renewable sources (e.g. cassava). Now, you might ask, is PLA biodegradable? The answer is “it depends on the temperature of the area where it is being decomposed”. PLA degrades better at 58 degrees Celsius which means that it is more suitable to be decomposed in an industrial composting (where temperature can be controlled) than in a landfill where the ambient temperature is only around 25 Celsius.

Even though Piñatex is not completely biodegradable, I believe that the company’s goal to not use any by-product of animals is already a big step against animal-cruelty in traditional leather making. I’m looking forward that more textile manufacturers will follow the footsteps of Piñatex towards the creation of leather alternatives that are kind to our environment, to the animals and to the people who are making them J

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, by Hello Green Beauty

In Green Living, Health

Product Highlight: CocoWonder

Image Credit: CocoWonder

Coconut is often called as the “tree of life” because every single part of it can be used to make several products. Andy Albao saw this opportunity and decided to establish CocoWonder – a Filipino brand that focuses on creating high quality healthy products from coconut. The company takes pride in the fact that they produce the raw materials directly from their farm and are processed immediately in their facilities to maintain the product’s freshness. All products offered by CocoWonder are 100% US and EU certified organic and they have certifications to prove their claims.

Without further ado, here are some of the bestselling CocoWonder products.

1. Coconut Aminos Liquid Sauce

Image Credit: CocoWonder

Soy sauce is a very popular seasoning that is often used in cooking Asian dishes. However, if you have a soy allergy or you need to reduce sodium in your diet, then coconut aminos is a good alternative to soy sauce. Coconut aminos is made from fermented coconut sap and sea salt. It contains less sodium than soy sauce. In fact, coconut aminos has 90mg of sodium per teaspoon while soy sauce has 291mg of sodium per teaspoon.

CocoWonder Coconut Aminos is vegan, soy-free, gluten-free and non-GMO. This savory seasoning with sweet-salty taste can be used exactly as soy sauce in cooking, marinade and dipping sauce. Take note though that unlike soy sauce which can be stored in the kitchen pantry upon opening, coconut aminos must be refrigerated after opening and will last for about 3 months.

2. Coconut Sugar

Image Credit: CocoWonder

Coconut sugar is one of the most common healthier alternatives to white sugar. CocoWonder Coconut Sugar comes from the liquid sap that is collected from the flower buds of the coconut palm trees. Since it is less processed than regular white sugar, it retains most of its nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. It also has a low glycemic index (GI) so it will not elevate the blood sugar level as much as white sugar. This makes coconut sugar ideal for people with diabetes.

3. Coconut Flour

Image Credit: CocoWonder

CocoWonder Coconut Flour is made from ground and dried coconut meat. It is not only gluten-free, it’s also grain-free and nut-free. It is also rich in fiber and protein which help balance the blood sugar level in the body. Coconut flour has a mild, sweet taste and a faint coconut smell. Since it’s not a neutral-tasting flour, it will impart a subtle coconut flavor to your cooking and baking.

Take note that coconut flour may be a little bit tricky to use as compared to wheat (white) flour. You only need to substitute ¼ cup of coconut flour for every 1 cup of all purpose flour. Since coconut flour is gluten free, you will need to use more eggs with it in order to bind the ingredients together. Moreover, coconut flour absorbs more liquid, so you might need to increase the amount of liquid whenever you use coconut flour in baked products.

4. Coconut Butter

Image Credit: CocoWonder

If you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative to butter, then CocoWonder Coconut Butter is what I can recommend. I have personally tried this product and instantly fell in love with it because it reminds me so much of the taste of latik (coconut curds used as toppings in Filipino rice cakes).

Coconut butter is actually a pureed coconut meat. It can be spread on toast and used as a non-dairy coffee creamer. Even better, you can eat it directly from the jar, just like what I normally do J

Make sure to refrigerate the coconut butter as soon as you opened its container. Since coconut butter can become rock-hard in the fridge, you need to thaw it prior to consumption by placing the jar in a bowl of hot water for 5 – 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to be scooped out of container.

If you want to know other uses for coconut butter, then you can read this article.

5. Coconut Cider Vinegar

Image Credit: CocoWonder

If you’re a fan of apple cider vinegar, you will definitely love CocoWonder Coconut Cider Vinegar. Coconut cider vinegar (also known as sukang tuba in Filipino) is made from fermented coconut sap. Since it’s a fermented product, it is naturally rich in probiotics – a good bacteria that is beneficial for keeping our gut healthy. It also has a milder taste than apple cider vinegar and has a little hint of sweetness. Coconut cider vinegar is also a good source of potassium – an important mineral that can lower blood pressure, therefore keeping your heart healthy.

6. Coconut Oil

Image Credit: CocoWonder

CocoWonder offers several types of coconut oil: extra virgin, culinary virgin and MCT.

Extra virgin is an unrefined, unbleached and non-deodorized coconut oil. Since it’s unrefined, it has a strong coconut taste and smell. It also retains most of the nutrients of the raw coconut fruit.

Culinary virgin, on the other hand, has reduced coconut taste and is odorless, making it ideal for cooking since it won’t affect the flavor of your food.

MCT, which stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides, is a variant of coconut oil that is gaining popularity in recent years. 100% MCT oil is made by extracting medium chain triglycerides from coconut oil (which typically contains about 50% MCT). You may ask, what makes MCT so special than a regular coconut oil? Compared to its long chain triglycerides counterpart, MCT oil is easier to digest which is the reason why it can be used as an instant source of body energy. Proponents of MCT oil claim that it can also be taken as dietary supplement to support weight loss (but should still be taken in moderation since MCT oil is still a fat).

Aside from food products, CocoWonder also sells personal care products that are made from coconut (e.g. lotion, soap, etc.).

For complete product listing or if you want to order CocoWonder products, then you may visit the following channels:

Official Website: http://www.cocowonder.com.ph

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CocoWonderPH

Shopee: https://shopee.ph/andyalbaocorp

What are your favorite CocoWonder products? Share them on the comment section below J

P.S. To always get the latest blog updates, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook.

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, by Hello Green Beauty

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Healthy Drinks: Honey Yakult Lemon with Chia Seeds

5 Eco-Friendly and Zero Waste Christmas Gift Ideas

Piñatex: Vegan and Sustainable Alternative to Animal Leather

Product Highlight: CocoWonder

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Healthy Drinks: Honey Yakult Lemon with Chia Seeds

5 Eco-Friendly and Zero Waste Christmas Gift Ideas

Piñatex: Vegan and Sustainable Alternative to Animal Leather

Product Highlight: CocoWonder

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