Updated: Feb 3, 2023
I have always been fascinated with peoples' every day carry, even the question of what do you need to carry on you every day to perform your daily tasks is incredibly intriguing. Well for me these items need to meet the requirements of my job, working in a London office with the goal to be sustainable. In this post I look at my key items I carry most days with my focus to be environmentally friendly and sustainable. Here is my Every Day Carry (EDC):
MATRIX Power Watch:
This is a smartwatch that is ‘powered by you’. I love technology but unfortunately it is often not very eco-friendly. However, Matrix came out with a smartwatch that tells the time, send you notifications and records your running activity. The reason this is sustainable is because it never needs to be charged, stopping the waste of typical smartwatches energy usage. It achieves this by using the temperature difference between your skin and the watches case to create an electrical charge and keep the watch powered. I like the rugged design of the watch and its basic functions but in my opinion it does need some work to meet the performance and abilities of other smartwatches. I am hoping this will be achieved in the Powerwatch 2 they plan on releasing in June 2019. Although, this watch does have it's problems, it is the only sustainable smartwatch on the market that I know of. I have also done a full review on this!
Axel Weinbrecht Inkless Metal Pen:
Pens and pencils are not very eco-friendly. The plastic, ink, paint, rubber, wood and other materials all gets wasted, as soon as the ink runs out or the pencil is too short to use, so I began to look for an alternative. This led me to the Axel Weinbrecht Inkless Pen. It is made from metal and states it will never run out, meaning you never create any waste. The pen does feel a little different to use but I have been using it for a number of month now and it hasn’t run out or look any different (shorter) from when I brought it, despite a few scratches. It has a simplistic design and is around the same size as a typical pen. One thing to note, is that it writes fairly faintly, potentially making it hard to read if you struggle with this. Additionally, it writes more like a pencil as it can be rubbed out but it does leave an indent where you have used it. Having said this. taking notes is a critical part of my job and this inkless pen is a great sustainable tool that stops the constant waste from pens and pencils. I also make sure to use recycled paper and a sustainable notebook to further reduce my environmental impact.
Moral Origins Cork wallet:
This wallet was a game changer for me. I have owned an embarrassing amount of wallets but have always found it difficult to find one that hold all of my cards (10), a few notes and a bit of change, whilst also being compact. I also wanted it to be sustainable and ethical. Well after much searching I came across the Moral Origins Cork Wallet. That for me completely meets my requirements including the ethical and sustainable aspects. The only downside to this wallet is that it does not carry a ton of notes. However, I been able to fit five notes behind my cards and If you have less cards you should be able to fit more in. Although, I should note that it is the 21st century and notes are not as commonly used as they were. One small issue with the wallet is that the brass screw would rub on the card potentially wearing them out ( I don't think this is a problem with their new wallet), so I stuck a paper card at the front to stop this from happening. The wallet uses cork, which is a great sustainable product that is durable, strong and vegan. You can buy the new wallet by Moral Origins either made for £15 or you can get it where you have to self-assemble it for £12.50. I went for the self-assembly (it was incredibly easy to assemble) that came with a single piece of cork and two pairs of brass screws that form it unique shape. I should note that I have the older version and Moral Origins wallet and they have come out with a newer one, which I assume is improved. As for mine I have been using this for about 6 months now and it still looks and works great. I have also done a full review of this!
Keys:
The last item on the list is my keys of course. I aim to not clutter these and consists of my house keys, shed key, bike lock keys and that is it. I try to keep my keys as simple and uncluttered as possible with no keychain.
This is just my EDC that I have adapted to be sustainable but still allows me to carry everything I need on a daily basis. However, yours might be different and I would love to see more sustainable options that may change mine, so share your EDC with me through the comments below and my social media (in the right hand corner). Finally, if you like this article and want me to do a what in my eco-bag article let me know and I will get to work on it.
Updated: Feb 3, 2023
The use of snares is an incredibly controversial subject in the UK and even around the world. There are many debates between people who agree with the use of them to help control the populations of wildlife and those who believe that it is a cruel and nasty method that leads to the unpleasant death of an innocent animal. The use of snares has a large affects on our wildlife, the environment and the ethics surrounding the treatment of wild animals. Therefore, I thought I would weigh in, here are my thoughts on the use of snares in the UK:
Are snares legal in the UK?
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland) 1985, self-locking snares are illegal but free-running snares are legal throughout the UK.
What is a snare?
A snare is a trap usually to capture a bird or mammal using a noose of wire or cord. There are two types of snares that are most commonly used, which as mentioned above are free-running and self-locking snares.
Free-running snares: Is a wired loop that hooks onto the animal tightening to stop it escaping; when and if the animal relaxes and stops pulling the noose can become loose.
Self-locking snares: As before is a wire loop that continuously tightens, often through a ratchet action, as the animal struggles. It only tightens and will not become loose, even if the animal relaxes and stops pulling.
Why are free-running snares legal?
So, why are these contraptions that harm animals legal in the UK (UK only allow free-running snares and not self-locking). Well they are often defended for their use in 'pest control' and wildlife management, mainly for foxes and rabbits. Additionally, they are used for trapping animals for food and research programmes. The law does state that any snare set has to be set to capture a specific animal, and must be done so not to snare others. This is due to it being illegal to snare many animals such as badgers, hedgehogs, pine martens, otters, wild cats, and red squirrels to name a few. Although, the list of what can and can’t be snared differs depending on the country (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) snares can still be placed throughout the UK but does require a permit and permission from the landowner. An additional requirement is that snares are inspected daily and set in a way to not cause injury to any wild animals (often it does).
So, what is the main problem?
After all this, there is a long debate as to if snares should be legal and if they should be banned. This is often seen by the strong criticism from animal welfare groups. The strongest argument for those in support of snares is to help control animal numbers for wildlife management and although this could be argued as being beneficial, I strongly believe that snares should not be used even for this reason. Here are my reasons to why all snares should be illegal:
Death – Simply, the reason that the snare is designed to capture a free roaming, wild animal to be killed is enough in its own right.
Stress & Pain – Prior to the animals’ death the snare will cause high amount and prolonged stress and pain, which nothing should go through.
Harm protected species – Even if snares were accepted as useful when managed correctly to helps control animal population it could have adverse affects on other wildlife. There are still times where animals (sometimes endangered) that should not be caught by the snare often are and sometimes results in their death.
The mechanism – Again if snares were accept, as above, it is still a dangerous unethical and violent option to achieve wildlife management. This is emphasized in that many snares that are set-up are set-up incorrectly and in certain locations or when they become damaged, quickly become a self-locking snare and a potentially slow killing trap.
Alternatives – Further to this, if animal control is 100% required there are many other traps with safer means of capturing the animal. These alternative do not cause as much or any harm and distress to the animal. Essentially meaning there is no real reason for the continued use of the snare.
What can you do?
After all of this I would like to think you have a negative outlook towards snares and want to do something about preventing them being used in your area or country. To help you with this there are three essential ways to go about doing this:
Sign a petition – There are tons of petitions in regards to animal welfare, protecting wildlife and importantly in this case stopping the use of snares, so you can sign them right now.
Share the news – Tell people and share information on your social media about snares and what they do. This can be to persuade them to sign the petitions above and understand the harm snares really cause.
Join a group – Much like the petition there are tons of groups who protest against cruelty to animals and for the protection of wildlife. You could join a group to get people to take notice and make a change. This can also put pressure on governments to change the law on the use of snares.
This is one of my more serious blog posts that I have done but I really hope it will make you think of what is going on in the UK and how its wildlife is managed. If you haven't guested I strongly disagree with the use of snares, due to all the issues I detailed above but mainly comes down to the prolonged pain and stress that any animal caught in one goes through. I don’t think anything should have to go through a prolonged period of pain and stress, especially before they are slaughtered. Let me know what you think and start spreading this post to get more people aware of snares and how to stop them. Finally, use the hashtag #Stopthesnare on your social media accounts to further help spread the word. Remember we can make a difference.
Updated: Feb 3, 2023
You may have seen this pop up in your news feed on your social media or even in an ad on the side of a webpage, perhaps even this one now. You may ask yourself what is 4Ocean and why should you buy or care about their bracelet. Well you should and I am here to tell you.
4Ocean have managed to market and promote the importance of saving our oceans. They have taken the devastation of waste we produce away from the ocean and helped to raise awareness doing so. This is mostly seen with their bracelets, which is a fashion accessory you really should be wearing. Even if you do not want to wear the bracelet you should still purchase one and I hope this article gives you a reason too.
Who are 4Ocean?
4Ocean is an organisation that is dedicated to clearing and preventing the trash polluting our oceans. This is the main reason you should get their bracelet. By purchasing a bracelet, 4Ocean guarantee “1 pound of trash will be removed from the ocean and coastline”. They also help to raise awareness by providing specific legacy bracelets, which focuses on a particular themes or animal to protect. I decided to get the Shark bracelet, which is partnered with Project Aware, which “Helps save Sharks”. Project Aware among many things create rallies to bring safeguards for sharks and rays, hence the name Legacy Shark Bracelet. #4sharks.
As well as collecting trash and raising awareness they focus on using '4 pillars' to achieve this, these are:
Optimising Technology: By using the latest technology to prevent, intercept and remove trash from the ocean and coastline.
Creating Jobs: They have teams and crews of people that are cleaning the ocean 24/7 and this number is increasing.
Education& Awareness: They educate everyone from individuals to governments on the impact of plastic and trash all around the world.
New Economies: They create a value out of the trash they remove,
Did you see what they did there?
The Bracelet
The bracelet whilst looking amazing and promoting your love for this planet and particularly the ocean. It is also a great sustainable accessory. This is because it is made out of 100% recycled materials. The bracelet is a unisex design with glass beads, a 4Ocean stainless steel charm with the cord made from RPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), which is from recycled water bottles. The beads are made from recycled glass bottles. Further to the greatness of the bracelet, it is 100% waterproof, meaning you won't have to take it off. One bracelet will set you back approximately £16 ($20). However, you should take into account this is not just for the bracelet but also for removing a pound of trash from the ocean and coastline.
4Ocean also produce reusable bottles and a clean-up kit (so you can help clean up the oceans and coastline yourself). However, you could just show your support for ridding the ocean of the waste we produce by getting a bracelet and promoting 4Oceans and their ethos. Hopefully by promoting this the war on plastic and waste will become universally accepted and companies will adopt prevention's to stop negative impacts on the environment. 4Oceans bracelets are one way to promote your love for the ocean and making an impact but there are many more organisations similarly doing amazing things like this. I would love to see what you have done to remove plastic and waste from the ocean and coastline or how you have supported companies or charities like 4Ocean, so show me your support on social media (top right corner).
