3R - återanvändning taget till nya nivåer

På Balkan hör återanvändning till vardagen, då ekonomin sällan tillåter hejdlös konsumtion. Dessa hundkojor hör dock säkert till de mer originella lösningarna...

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Med Julen bara några dagar bort...

...får vi inte glömma att det inte är många barn som är så lyckligt lottade att de får en julklapp. Varför inte då skicka dem en julklapp, genom en gåva? Om Du hör till dem i världen som har en möjlighet att hjälpa dessa barn, då kan Du göra skillnad redan idag!

Vår lilla ansträngning kan betyda väldigt mycket för någon annan!

Nedan några adresser där gåvor kan göras:

Rädda Barnen: (https://www.rb.se/geengava/pages/julklapp.aspx)

Plan Sverige: (http://plansverige.org/)
ActionAid: (http://www.actionaid.se/) Read more...

Hur återanvända barnens konstverk

Jag hör till den grupp av föräldrar som hade svårt att slänga barnens hantverk och måleriarbeten. Nästan varje dag när de kom tillbaka från förskolan och senare skolan, fick jag "en liten present", speciellt framtagen för mig. Och naturligtvis började jag spara och lägga undan konstverken i olika lådor. Men snart därefter insåg jag att vårt hem skulle drunkna i papper...

Med detta i åtanke, följer här några idéer för att ta hand om delar av barnens värdefulla konst utan att låta dem ta över ditt hem.

1. Rama in de bästa kreationerna. Barnens konst är i regel ganska levande, och ser bra ut inramad. Du kan även byta ut bilderna med jämna mellanrum.

2. Sätt ihop en bildbok. Låt barnen hjälpa till att välja bilder inom samma tema (djur, växter, ritningar av familj, etc.) och sätt ihop dem till en bok. Denna kan placeras på hyllan och avnjutas av hela familjen - eller ges som gåva till nära och kära.

3. Om det inte bär emot - klipp upp ritningarna för att använda som bokmärken (laminera dem, om du inte har något emot plast, och de kommer att hålla mycket lång tid.)

4. Tillverka några enkla pussel för barnen. Detta fungerar bäst om du limmar fast målningen/ritningen på en kartongskiva först. (Se till att limmet inte är giftig!). När limmet torkat, klipp upp bilden i enkla former.

5. Ytterligare ett annat bra sätt att bevara ditt barns konst är att skanna in den. På så sätt kan själva pappret återvinnas medan du fortfarande kan titta på konstverken när du vill.

Så, med lite kreativitet, lite organisation och fantasi, är det möjligt att behålla dessa målningar och ritningar utan att drunkna i papper. Och som alltid, kommer barnen bli glada och vår Planet tacksam!

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Din guide till grön inslagning av julklappar

Om du vill vara miljövänlig så ska du definitivt inte bidra till den enorma högen av presentpapper som hamnar på soptippen. Så vad gör du?


Ett grönt sätt att slå in presenter är att återanvända det du redan har. Om du inte vill spendera pengar på en massa miljövänligt men nytt papper kan du istället använda dig av unika saker som du redan har hemma, och som på ett enkelt sätt kan omvandlas till roligt inslagningspapper, t.ex. de tecknade serierna i dagstidningen, färgstarka och unika sidor från olika veckotidningar eller varför inte gamla kartor.

Brunt eller enkelt vitare paketpapper kan helt förvandlas med hjälp av stämplar, färger, märkpennor, dekaler eller annat du kanske har hemma. Barn kan fingermåla och stämpla med sina händer på papperet. Far- och morföräldrar kommer garanterat att älska denna form av genuint inslagna klappar. Kartonger och papperspåsar blir lätt till presentpåsar och förpackningar, gärna färgsatta också de med märkpennor, färger kritor eller andra "konstnärliga" material som du har hemma.

Ett annat bra sätt att införa ett grönt perspektiv i presentinslagningen är att slå in en present med en annan. Ska ge bort en filt? Använd då filten för att slå in en annan julklapp och knyt ihop det hela med ett snyggt band. Slå in strumpor och underkläder med en tröja eller skjorta. På så sätt blir inslagningsmaterialet en present i sig och kastas inte bort.

Om du är händig med nål och tråd kan du tillverka ditt eget återanvunna inslagningsmaterial med hjälp av tyger och bitar du har. Av gamla jeans och t-shirts kan man även sy coola väskor och tygpåsar.

Det finns många sätt att slå in presenter ekologiskt. Det viktigaste är att du använder resurser miljömedvetet för att få en grönare Jul i år. De ovan föreslagna idéerna är bara några av många möjligheter till grön inslagning av julklappar. Tänk kreativt och du kommer säkert på kul och gröna sätt att slå in dina presenter!
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Tips för en Grön Jul

Barn älskar julen. Och julen behöver inte bli en belastning för miljön. Med lite ansträngning och fantasi, kan vi minska julens miljöpåverkan. Återvinning, pyssel, köpa lokalt och ge upplevelser som gåvor är enkla och roliga sätt att fira en miljövänligare jul.


Motto för en Grön jul:
Köp smart - Tänk grönt!

Köp mindre. Välj en eller två meningsfulla presenter till dina barn, i stället för högar av billiga, ömtåliga och ibland skadliga grejer. Kvalitet är bättre än kvantitet.

Undvik leksaker som främjar våld. Det finns redan för mycket våld i världen, och den nya vågen av datorspel för barn är oroande. Det finns många leksaker och samarbetsspel som är roliga, vårdar barnens kreativitet, skapar känsla för aktiv lek och lär ut bra värderingar.

Välj leksaker som inte förmedlar stereotyper utan snarare uppmanar till öppenhet.

Köp en leksak tillverkad av naturmaterial, som är certifierad, återvinningsbar (PEFC eller FSC trä, ekologisk bomull, återvunnet papper ...) och eventuellt inte kräver batterier (t.ex. drivs med solenergi).

Prioritera leksaker tillverkade under goda arbetsförhållanden och där de anställda har skälig ersättning för sitt arbete, alternativt leksaker som tillverkas lokalt.

Välj solida och tåliga leksaker, tvättbara och reparerbara, som länge kan utforskas, delas och överföras från äldre till yngre barn.

Ha i åtanke att en leksak kan följa barnet under större delen av dess uppväxt och gärna delas mellan generationer.

En handgjord leksak, som görs av dig själv eller något litet familjeföretag, är oftast ett miljövänligt alternativ.

Välj samarbetsspel (sällskapsspel baserade på samarbete snarare än konkurrens). Dessa spel har mycket litet gemensamt med traditionella dataspel där man spelar mot varandra, tvärtom hjälper samarbetsspel barnet att öppna upp relationer med andra och ger erfarenhet av arbete i team.

En stor gåva till ett barn är tid tillsammans: en praktikplats på gården, ett museum-besök, en matlagningskurs, en kreativ workshop ...

En ”leksak” som gör barn till skådespelare/deltagare, inte åskådare är hantverk, kreativ fritid, upptäcka naturen. Dessa presenter är mycket ”gröna”.

För "äldre" barn kan en prenumeration på en tidskrift som ger glädje som dessutom kan förnyas varje år vara en perfekt julpresent.

Varför inte dessutom ge barnet glädjen av att ge? Be dina barn att välja ut 3 leksaker som de inte leker med längre, och donera dem till ett centrum för hemlösa, kvinnocentrum, etc. Dessa leksaker kommer säkerligen att göra någon annans jul gladare.

Överväg att ge en meningsfull välgörenhetsgåva i ditt barns namn, till organisationer som arbetar med att stödja barn, familjer, miljö, hälsa och säkerhet runt om i världen.

GOD GRÖN JUL!
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Skogen ger friska och smarta barn

Once the vacations are over and school, sports and other free-time activities start, it seems there is never enough time in the day to just get outside with our children. Enjoying the outdoors with children is a fun, healthy way to spend quality family time. I am a firm believer in getting lots of nature time - anything, as long as it includes plenty of fresh air, surrounded by dirt, plants and TREES.

Naturskyddsföreningen has an on-going campaign for preserving small-forests for the well-being of our children. Forests play an important role in the future of our children and our environment but most of all, when children are spending their playtime outside, it fosters creativity and healthy childhood development, while helping prevent childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder and emotional stress. Through this campaign, you can contribute for the preservation of forests.

And in case you need some tips on how to have outdoor green-fun, here it is:

Explore Nearby Nature
No need for a costly outing – explore your backyard, a local playground or beach. Remember that adventures can be made by keeping it simple - jump in mud puddles, catch snowflakes on your tongue, throw leaves in the air or skip rocks on the water.

Have Fun
Go outside and play! Take a break from chores, schedules and to-do lists. Try not to look at it as one more “should”. Just 15-20 minutes outside is often enough to rejuvenate us and push the “reset” button on our hectic lives.

Set Limits on Screen Time
Don’t be afraid to set time limits on TV, video games, computers and cell phones. Likewise, it’s more than okay to require time spent outdoors each day or week. Don’t let the grumbling deter you – the entire family will reap the benefits of unplugging and getting out the door to explore./connecting with nature.

Encourage Unstructured Play
Kids need unstructured playtime outdoors to explore, discover and use nature on their own terms without grown ups giving all the directions and rules. Stand back and watch where their imaginations and creativity take them.

Slow Down, Relax and Enjoy
Make time for “down time” outdoors. Often we forget to just “be here now” – watch the clouds, lie in the grass or lean against a tree trunk. Have children identify a special ‘sit spot’ that they can return to on their own to unwind.

Expand Your Comfort Zone
Stretch your own comfort level with bugs and worms, rain and mud, snow and cold, darkness and the likes. Your kids will pick up on your squeamishness or discomfort. Let them see you relaxed and enjoying yourself outdoors.

Don’t Be Afraid of Not Knowing the Answers
You don't have to know everything about plants and animals to help your children enjoy them; half the fun is asking questions and being curious. Use your sense of wonder to learn and discover together.

Direct your children's attention – and join in their fun
Research shows that children learn more when someone participates in an experience with them. It's as simple as pointing out trees or touching a leaf with your child; encouraging her or him listen for birds, smell the flowers, or feel the wind or soil.

Go outside and play – together!
Twenty years from now, your child may not remember your driving them to every piano lesson or soccer practice. But you can bet they'll remember climbing a tree, making a snow angle or having a mud fight with you!

Share Your Childhood
Teach your kids the games that you grew up playing – the ones that didn’t require lots of equipment but needed lots of creativity or negotiating. Building forts or fairy houses, flashlight tag, kick the can, pick-up soccer, backyard relay races, sardines and the likes.
Bring the Outdoors In
Have a “wonder tray” on permanent display where kids can display all those nature treasures that just have to come inside. Keep magnifying glasses nearby. Have a bird, animal or weather watching station at the family room window with binoculars, field guides and a journal for recording observations.

Bring the Indoors Out
Go outside to do the things you usually do inside – eating meals, reading books, drawing, or painting projects. Bring the “indoor” toys outside and let your kids use them in new ways.

Be Flexible and Spontaneous
It’s hard to stick to a plan when you’re exploring and making discoveries. Be willing to let your kids take the lead, wherever that may be. Their sense of wonder will most likely lead to many “teachable moments”. Keep a blanket and extra clothes in the car, to help take advantage of spontaneous outdoor opportunities – throwing rocks as the ice is breaking, catching a beautiful sunset or finding a new trail.
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Miljövänlig rengöring av leksaker

Just like myself, I know that many parents are looking for ways to clean their children’s toys in an environmentally friendly way. Probably many of you wonder what is the best, most efficient way so to make sure we keep our kids safe from viruses/bacteria, be gentle to earth and at the same time avoid harsh chemicals so damaging to our environment.

I have some thoughts and tips for soft, wooden or plastic (!!! ugh) toys which I would like to share with you.

Am confident that most of you do have plastic toys home (whether bought by yourself or by relatives, friends…), they all need to be washed from time to time. Many can be cleaned in the top drawer of the dishwasher which is the simplest manner but it might not necessarily lighten your impact on the earth. Washing them by hand in a sink with slightly soapy water might be a better option.

Wooden toys I usually just wipe with a damp rag to remove the dust, but to make sure to get rid of “some germ leftovers” from the play, you can wash them in a sink using water and non-toxic dish soap. I use Ecover Dishwashing liquid which I assume is safe enough for health. Wooden toys should never be soaked in water for long and must be dried immediately, otherwise the wood can swell and the grain may rise to the surface.

For soft toys (I hope they are made from natural-organic cotton! but if not, this tip is valid as well for other non-natural softies), I use the hand-wash gentle cycle on my washing machine. Usually I turn the machine on 40 degrees but if you are hesitant about the quality of the toy, use cold water instead. Always use environmentally friendly detergents.

I know many children suffer from asthma and allergies so my advice would then be - wash any stuffed animals that they sleep with (along with all their bedding) in hot water (cold & tepid water unfortunately does not necessarily kill dust mites, which are a leading cause for asthma symptoms). I know it is not as earth-friendly as a cold water wash, but the kids’ health comes first in this case. If you do not think the toys can withstand a hot water wash, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer for 24 hours - this will kill dust mites & some other stray bacteria.

I can also recommend winegar, of course in small quantity, mixed with water (1/5 winegar with 4/5 water). In our home, winegar replaces most of the time many of the various washing liquids/powders/soap. If you are not too keen on the vinegar smell, I recommend adding a few drops of an essential oil, such as lavender, lemon or tea tree. These aid the germ-busting, as they are anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal.

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Etiska ekologiska leksaker

Tips for Green Kids' Ethical Toys! Which one are they? Well, if you want to make sure that when buying toys/games for your children, they are “green” and safe for their health, consider some advices below on how to find more sustainable and less toxic toys, better for the child and the environment:

1. Choose natural and organic toys so to avoid toys made of conventional fibers sprayed by pesticides and chemically treated fabric, unhealthy for the child and the environment. Look for organic and naturally-dyed fabrics (preferably Öko-Tex certified), such as organic cotton, bamboo, natural wool, linen, kapok, or hemp used for soft toys.

2. Wood is great! Look for toys made of FSC-certified wood which are sustainably made toys. The FSC certification is important; it ensures that the toy you buy is made of wood that has been harvested responsibly, allowing for sustainable growth. For the little ones, untreated, unpainted wood is safe to chew unlike plastics that may contain PVC.

3. Look for PVC-free. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) seems to be everywhere we look. Many PVC toys contain phthalates, chemical compounds that make the PVC plastic more flexible, which initial studies have linked to both cancer and hormonal disruption.

4. Power down. Batteries have become second nature in most toys today. It is a problem when these toys get disposed of, and who wants to give their child the opportunity to chew on a battery? Could your child stay just as entertained with a simpler toy, and maybe learn about renewable energy (i.e. solar or dynamo powered toys)?

5. Non-toxic paints. The paint on your child's toys may contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds). There is a range of new toys that use water-based and low-VOC or non-VOC paints (and nearly all of them will advertise this fact). A non-toxic toy means a “healthy” and a safe toy for the child and the environment.

6. Long-life toys. When purchasing a new toy, consider the toy’s potential longevity. Quality means not only that you will not have to buy another one shortly; it also means that when the toy is no longer in use, you can always pass it along. In the long run some money saved + less garbage to the landfill = good for the children and the planet!

7. Have you noticed that sometimes it is the box that interests the child? It can prove the most fun to imaginative children. So, next time you think about throwing away the box from that new toy, think of it as a potential arts and crafts project instead. It is even better if the box is made of recycled material…!

8. And how about the inside of the box, often containing useless plastic packaging that risk ending up in the nature? Maybe consider giving priority to toys with least possible wrapping and packaging?

9. Place of origin. When choosing a toy, do you wonder where and under what human and working conditions the toy has been produced? The name/country of the “designer”/­brand is not always sufficient; check for the place of production and if possible try to choose companies/producers who are committed to safety and quality while embracing fair trade practices.
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Leksaksåtervinning

So far I have not found figures for Sweden but did you know that more than 40 million toys were thrown away last year in the UK? I am sure the number must be high here in Sweden as well.

Of these 40 million, 13 million toys ended up in the dustbin and landfill sites.

Difficult to believe, right? I must admit I was quite shocked when I learnt this, especially as I have an ecological toy web shop. These toys might well be ethical but they are not ethical if they end up in our landfills when a child does not want to play with them any longer or has grown out of them.

When children receive new toys they are a source of endless fun and amusement. One can see a happy smile on their faces as the toy is something new to play with. Children do not really care whether toys are brand new or not. They are new to them and that is all that matters. When a toy is outgrown by a child, it can be turned into a “new toy” for another child who will again see it as a new source of endless fun.


So, instead of throwing away “old” toys, they can be donated for a good cause (to another child, to a charity, or simply sold). Children can also get involved by being asked to sort out which toys they do not want play with anymore. After that, it can be decided together with the child - regarding where/who to donate the toys to. This is an opportunity to discuss issues relating to the environment and recycling as well as helping good causes.

But, of course, toys also can break. Sometimes an “old” toy can be repaired. If this is possible (but still having in mind child-safety), it might request some skills and free time. But if possible, I think it is worth it, both for the child and for our environment.

And we should not forget Christmas - the period of the year for which 70% of the total world toy production takes place. Before Christmas is the best time to get children to go through their toys and sort them out. You can say to your child that Christmas is going to bring more toys so she/he need to make space for the new ones. Then we can decide together what to do with the toys. Maybe to donate them to children who are not as lucky as ourselves? However, do not forget to take the irreparably broken toys to the local central municipal recycling plant.

• Having all this in mind, here are some tips on how toys can be Recycled – Reused – Reduced – Repaired:

• Repair the broken or half broken toys when possible, but always have in mind the safety of the child.

• Take the irreparably broken toys to the local central municipal recycling plant.

• Recycle for a good cause. Toys can be donated to charity organisations or community groups.

• Reuse toys by exchanging them among your family, friends, neighbours…
Organise a Toy-for-Toy party and invite friends-family-neighbours over with their children’s “unwanted” toys. All kids will get “new” toys that cost no money and have no costs for our environment!

• Selling toys as second hand ones is nothing new. However, do not forget to check in what shape they are to make sure they are safe.

• Reduce the amount of toys piling up in your child’s room (and the resulting toy trash) by choosing natural and environmentally friendly toys which are long lasting and good for your child and our environment.
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