What a great feature on the Sydney Weekender! –
And Mike Whitney could have not made it any clearer:
ANYtime and ANYwhere! –
its entirely up you! just make sure you send us your picture
What a great feature on the Sydney Weekender! –
And Mike Whitney could have not made it any clearer:
ANYtime and ANYwhere! –
its entirely up you! just make sure you send us your picture
I always wanted to do a year of ‘Compacting’ ( buy nothing new for a year) … but that’s exactly what happened… I always ’wanted’, but never did… So when Plastic Free July came along… I thought: “Brilliant, that’s going to be a breeze. After all, I am one of the Founders of the Two Hands Project. I got my reusables sorted!
So what is Plastic Free July?
The challenge is quite simple. Attempt to consume no single-use plastic during July. “Single-use” includes plastic shopping bags, plastic cups, straws, plastic packaging…basically anything that’s intended only to be used once and then sent to lan
dfill. If refusing ALL single-use plastic sounds too daunting this time, try the TOP 4 challenge (straws, plastic bags, plastic bottles &coffee cup lids).
Plastic Free July was started as a local challenge by Earthcarers in Western Australia – this year over 4000 people around the world have registered!
Well… this is my dilemma bag last year… and I only did one week…
What stood out was clearly that I didn’t have all my reusables sorted! And those tetra packs from the Soymilk! – I knew there would be heaps over the year. Also the contact lens packaging made me sad, as I can’t seem to come up with a solution (glasses are sadly not an option for me) All the other bits were clearly avoidable quite easily.
Back to the Soymilk –TETRA packs: easily solved!! Ever seen a ‘soymilk maker’? … I am HOOKED! And the tiny amount of ( organic ;-) Soybeans needed! – what a saving every time you make soymilk! I AM IN LOVE with this MACHINE! –
Picture: the actual amount of soybeans needed for 1 litre ! – ( bottle isn’t full because I had my coffee already ;-)
So why the title? – Well girls, if you are doing this challenge for a month… you might be stuck with some questions that you aren’t sure who to ask… fret no more: LUNETTE MenstrualCup It’s silicone. Once done for the month you sterilise it by boiling it a few minutes. It’s yours for life. Best thing ever. Yes it takes a week to get used to& trust it, but that was no different when you tried your first tampon. And with the LUNETTE it just ‘catches’ rather then absorbing. So it is much better for your natural balance… no more thrush..
for those that are not convinced: on Average one woman will use over 11,000 tampons or pads in their lifetime, of course : single use, which will end up in landfill or in the sea…
Whilst we are with the Girls themes… How to organise a plastic free HENS send off?? – I ‘highly’ (pardon the pun) rec
ommend to send her off with style: “ High Tea” ( this one at Sydney’s famous Queen Victoria Building) …came with sparkling wine… that’s plastic free too..
So on the day after Hens and all that sparkling you maybe craving some COFFEEE…but PLEASE, don’t buy into these…For me they were just silly, expensive, wasteful and I didn’t even like the coffee!! … And then I visited Paul who was helping at the Fremantle waste audit.. and that’s when I realised that they are a much bigger issue: there isn’t anywhere to put them : metal or compost?? So unnecessary.
And to the question on ‘Bio’ plastics, check out my shocking 47seconds Video… I got nothing else to add ;-)
also this video from the star studded Plastic Free July ‘ Google Hang out’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4yIQtDlON20
Silke Stuckenbrock, co-Founder Two Hands Project
Check out the facebook pages of Coca Cola and Mount Franklin , read and like the comments from fellow Australians regarding this legal action and leave a comment of your own.
You can even make your own “boycott coke” placard and photograph you and your friends with it and post the pics.
Posted in Clean Ups, Events, Site News, Sponsors
Tagged 10c, cash for containres, cdl, cds, cheeki, coca cola amatil, court, melbourne, mount franklin, nothern territory, paul sharp, plastic pollution, powerade, refund system, reusable, silke photo, sodastream, sue, two hands project
We’ve now been on the Sea dragon for a week, settling in and waiting for our weather window to open to allow departure.
The major hold up has been Typhoon Mawar (Rose) which has killed eight in the Phillipines and is currently heading towards our projected course.
This storm is pretty wild, with gusts up to 130mph!! We certainly don’t want to experience those kind of conditions at sea.
One person with no choice but to weather the storm is British adventurer Sarah Outen, who is currently in the path of the storm in her attempt to row solo across the Pacific. Sarah is buckling down in the face of Mawar. It will be intense though Sarah and her state of the art carbon-fibre boat should stand up to the pounding.
Sea Dragon may attempt to rendezvous with Sarah to offer assistance (and chocolate) if she requires it. Her position is not too far from our first way-point. After her ordeal friendly faces may be welcome.
Life in the harbour has been exciting too, with dodgy shipping agents trying to fleece us and clearing immigration only to be delayed and having to get our passports re stamped.. effectively we have entered Japan twice without leaving!
Not much to do now except to read, spend some time writing and waiting for typhoon Mawar to let us on our way.
Posted in Expeditions, Tsunami Debris Expedition
Tagged 5gyres, algalita, debris, mawar, plastic pollution, sarah outen, sea dragon, tokyo, tsunami, two hands project, typhoon
“Your storage space will be in a box next to your bunk, dimensions – 50cm x 40cm x 26cm”
Really? Wow. Trying to minimize my pack list for the month at sea has been a challange. If I wasn’t committed to documenting the voyage I think I could meet the space limitation, though the x220, cameras an audiod recording gear take up more space than my personal supplies!
Tokyo is great, very interesting from a plastic pollution perspective. Vending machines are everywhere! They even dispense beer. What surprised me is every vending machine has it’s own recycling bin. Is this a legal requirement?
This has an obvious impact on reducing the beverage container pollution in urban areas, though we know Japan has a beverage container pollution problem on the coast.. So where is the local contribution coming from? I have some ideas on that.. will follow up after some more detective work.
Joining the 5 Gyres/Algalita Marine Research Foundation 2012 Japanese Tsunami Debris Expedition has meant acquiring some new gear, my 4 year old laptop just couldn’t cope anymore. Goodbye trusty friend. The learning curve in new software and gear is a small challenge, have to get up to speed before we sail. Thanks to Lenovo and Adobe for supporting Two Hands Project with gear and imaging software.
While in Tokyo we are staying in “Fight House” a previously abandoned building which housed survivors after the 2011 tsunami, it is now used to house kids visiting Tokyo from the country for sporting events.
Meeting the team has been a blast, we have a diverse crew from as far afield as Switzerland and Brazil! I’ll introduce them in upcoming entries.
Our Japanese hosts have been wonderful, and hosted a party for the expedition team, great food and an abundance of beer.
One of the highlights so far was attending the Symposium on plastic pollution at Tokyo university. Great presentations all round, the science being conducted in Japan on this issue is impressive, and somewhat surprising given the heavy use of plastic packaging here!
Captain Charles Moore of Algalita Marine Research Foundation joined us in Tokyo to present at the symposium. It was great to meet the man who is credited to alerting the world on the existence massive plastic pollution in the North Pacific Gyre.
Gotta run, Fukushima Prefecture is next.
Paul
Posted in Site News
Tagged 5gyres, algalita, clean ups, debris, fukushima, minamasoma, plastic pollution, radiation, reactor, tokyo, tsunami, two hands project
Our wonderful supporters have donated a whole lot of awesome experiences and products for our fundraising event at Murrays at Manly on the 15th May. We will have a raffle, silent auction and a live auction run by auctioneer Andrew Lutze from Cunninghams and MC, Wendy Harmer, comedian and editor of The Hoopla.
Starts 7pm. Check out the auction items!
*Lady Elliot Island –Overnight incl. flights from Hervey Bay– value $1130
Out on the frontier of the Great Barrier Reef exists a coral cay island ‘Lady Elliot’ where the coral reef is alive and teaming with life, where hands-on adventure and exploration are keys to this Australian holiday experience in a declared ‘Marine National Park Zone’. It’s a special wild kind of a place where people come from all over the world and yet fit together, blend together within minutes of meeting each other through a common need. That need is to be closer to nature and experience the environment and it’s creatures.
Lady Elliot Island, Great barrier reef coral cay – timelapse – South side from Quinton Marais
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*Jervis Bay ECO Package– total value of $475
Stay overnight at Worrowing Eco Hut, a secluded studio style luxury cabin on 250 acre property neighbouring Jervis Bay National Park, self contained 1 queen bed, double spa bath, kangaroos & nature at your door.Only 3.5 min to beach or lake & the perfect coastal hideaway. Eco Hut Queen bed self contained studio,with double spa ,overlooking a natural bush setting in a secluded location with kangaroos ,wallabies and wildlife at your doorstep , neighbouring Jervis Bay National Park and nestled between the pristine waterways of St Georges Basin and Jervis Bay . Exclusive to couples and the perfect getaway experience. (value $275)
Worrowing Eco Hut
While you are in Jervis Bay you’ll also get two adult tickets from Extreme Whale & Dolphin Watch Cruises …very cool indeed, if you go in October you may catch some whales with calves! (value up to $160)
After all the action you’ll have built up an appetite so enjoy your lunch at Pilgrims Wholefood Café, yum! (value $40).
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*Oceanworld – Shark Dive Xtreme valued at $540
Two shark dive gift vouchers (Valid Monday-Friday) No experience needed- Many celebrities have done it, Silke & Paul have even filmed the Amazing Race contestants in the shark tank!
Shark Dive Extreme
“>SDX Shark Dive Extreme Oceanworld Manly
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*Double dive for Buddy team at FISHROCK cave (value at $260 )
From our mates at Fishrock Dive Centre, for certified divers. If you’d like to see sharks in the wild this is for you, Australia’s longest Ocean Cave famous for Grey Nurse Sharks!
Fishrock Cave
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*Two Reusable Glowsticks – donated by Dive Centre Manly (value $50)
For Scuba diving. One for you& your buddy – not more toxic single use cyalume glowsticks on your nightdives!
*Whitsunday Monster
This photo degrading Monster was found by Ben Ware in the Whitsundays – on a clean up with Two Hands Project Founders Paul & Silke.
Whitsundays Monster
From being a careless fishermen, Ben has turned around and dedicated his life to cleaning up the Whitsundays. Check out his Whitsundays Plastic Pollution Page. Just Ben and his Two Hands, in the little dinghy “Tintanic” – day in day out. He is a true inspiration – Taking Two Hands in his own hands, just what it’s intended to be.Anyone heading to the Whitsundays, interested in beach cleaning should look him up.
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*Driftwood Puppet by Angelika Treichler (reserve $200)
Angelika’s ideas were inspired by her art studies, she learned about Picasso’s, Schwitters’ and Duchamp’s ways of working with L’Objet Trouve’ or ‘Found Art’ – Instead of creating your artwork from a preconceived idea, you start your work from a found object, that is not usually considered art. Something you find in your environment such as household objects or, in this case, things from the natural environment.“I hope that my puppets inspire others to come up with good environmental art.”
All pieces of driftwood found under Manly Wharf, right where our famous Little Penguins nest.
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*WHALEWATCHING family pass Sydney Adventure Cruises (value $215) (2 adults and 2 kids) Have a whale of a time with the whole Family!
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*Pro Dive Central Coast –HMAS ADELAIDE Double DIVE for buddy team!! – (value $200)
Only for Certified divers. Retired navy ship HMAS Adelaide has been ‘repurposed’ to be an Artificial reef. Home to some amazing local marine life !
($18 per diver permit for Nat parks not included)
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*Indoor Climbing family pass at Brookvales Rockhouse (value $65)
– new bouldering wall & lead climbing ready!! Take you’re whole family somewhere local for an extraordinary experience of strength & technique and trust…;-)
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*Certified Organic towel set (value $50)
From Eco Downunder.
2x certified organic bath Towels
2x certified organic hand Towels
2x certified organic face Towels
Color: Driftwood
Just up the road in Balgowlah, and another shop in Mosman.
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*One voucher for a term of classes at Djazzex – dance, yoga or pilates . (value $140)
Dance yoga or pilates for any age!!
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*Two Reusable Glowsticks, Logbook folder, Two Scubapro hats & shirts donated by Dive Centre Manly
For Scuba diving. One for you& your buddy – not more toxic single use cyalume glowsticks on your nightdives and you’ll look great in the Scubapro hats and shirts!
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*Two Hands Project cleanup kit (value-priceless)
One clean up bucket, gloves, sticker and Two Hands Project CHEEKI waterbottle!
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*Billabong Board shorts (value $79)
Made of RPET …. That’s recycled bottles!!! RECYCLER SERIES – ECO Airlite Stretch Size 33
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Tagged auction, Australia, clean ups, NSW, plastic pollution, sponsers, tsunami, two hands project
Paul from Two Hands Project has been invited to join Algalita Marine Research Foundation and 5 Gyres on the first scientific survey of the Japanese tsunami Debris field!
To help raise the funds for the journey Murray’s at Manly are hosting an awesome event on May 15th, save the date! Check out the attached flyer.
Wendy Harmer, comedian and editor of The Hoopla will be our MC!
Andrew Lutze from Cunninghams will be Auctioneer on the evening, auctioning our brilliant auction items from our supporters! Check them out!
Auction goodies
We are still accepting donations of awesome items for an auction on the night, experiences/activities are great, no plastic packaging a must. Pre loved items of value are also encouraged :) email info@twohandsproject.org if you can contribute to the auction pool!
Thanks to the Plastic Ocean Project for our brilliant poster artwork and ART by COWBOY for poster design.
If you are in Sydney we’d love to see you at Murray’s at Manly on the 15th May! Tell all your friends!
You can still support the voyage even if you can’t make the fundraiser by contributing on our crowdfunding page at indiegogo.com/tsunamisurvey or by clicking the Paypal Donate tab on the right of this page.
Tagged 5gyres, algalita, debris, fundraiser, plastic pollution, tsunami