Updated: Jul 18, 2023
Triwa is a fashion accessory company who make bracelets, sunglasses but mostly watches and watch straps. They focus on watches but aim to create them with a symbolic value to allow the wearer to create a modern statement, not to just add another fashion item. This is seen in two of their large collections ‘Time for Oceans’ and ‘Time for Peace’. Due to these great collection of watches their link to sustainability and the great message they are pushing I felt they deserved a short blog post. Here I will go into two of their ranges mentioned above and my own watch I purchased from them.
Triwa Company
As mentioned Triwa produce a number of fashion accessories but predominantly watches that help you make a statement. They aim to put stories to a stylish watch, which I believe they succeed in. On top of this they acknowledge that they are ‘not saving the world’ but are innovating a watch with materials, organisations and ambassadors that want to make the world better. They call this 'Time for Change’, which is obviously very fitting. Additionally, as with other sustainable companies I have seen they are also being transparency with us, which is always a great sign of a eco-friendly and ethical company. A key way they achieve this transparency is by calculating their products carbon footprint, so you and they can understand the impact it is having on the planet over time. As I have said before they make a wide range of accessories but below, I go into two of their key ranges that are sustainable.
‘Time for Oceans’ Range
Although I don’t own one, Triwa ‘Time for Oceans’ collection consist of some bright plastic watches on nylon straps that to me have a very much ’summer beach’ vibe. Therefore, if you want a splash of colour to your outfit then you could pick one of these up. What makes them sustainable is that they are completely made from recycled ocean plastic. They state through their partnership with Tide Ocean Material all plastic in the manufacturing is ethically collected from oceans and shore and then cleaned and recycled with the help of solar power. This has three meanings, one to help combat the issue of ocean plastic pollution, two to create a great product from recycled materials and to create a watch that has the statement to stop plastic pollution & to protect our oceans.
‘Time for Peace’ Range
I was lucky enough to get a watch from this collection, the Humanium 39 Recycled Green Super Slim Quartz. As I got this a while ago, I unfortunately did not get the automatic watch they now offer. Nevertheless it is a great watch, which has been running for some time that I wear as my daily beater watch.
Now, I would of gotten the automatic option, as this doesn't contribute to the waste of batteries as the quartz option does. However, as mentioned this was not an option at the time. You might ask how does the watch link into sustainability. Well quite simply through the key aspect of the watch, which is what it is made of. The 'Time for Peace' range is primarily made from Humanium metal, which is made from destructed firearms. This is obviously great, as it is getting rid of a destructive weapon, recycles (or in a way upcycles) and creates a very interesting statement piece with the aim to highlight the issue of gun related violent. As well as the case and face being from recycled resources the strap is made from recycled PET canvas.
On top of this, for every watch sold they give 15% to conflict torn societies and victims of armed violence and have donated over $100,000. What I love about all this is humans can be a little overlooked when looking at sustainability and eco-friendliness. However, ethics should be a huge part of this and should extend to people in sustainable products. I am not sure if it is the green strap or the bright dial but it is probably my most commented on watch. Then when I explain it has Humanium metal people are even more surprised and intrigued about the watch.
My Thoughts!
Finding sustainable, eco-friendly brands is challenging but can be fun and reward. Especially, when you find a brand like this that incorporates great messages such as 'protecting our oceans’ and ‘ridding the world of illegal firearms’, use of recycled materials and their donations to further protect the planet and even their goal of having ambassadors that want to make the world better. It is clearly a brand you want to support. Watches are one of my passions and clearly so is sustainability, eco-friendliness and ethical living, so finding a great looking unique watch was a must buy. What do you think of the company Triwa and their watches? Also, are their other watches out there that are sustainable, if so let me know in the comments below.
Updated: Jul 18, 2023
I have been getting into my houseplants and to keep them fit and healthy they often require you to use filter water. Additionally, filtered water can often be a much-needed item in your household depending on your local water supply. However, something that has always bothered me about most conventional water filters is the wasteful ‘cartridges’ that constantly need to be changed, often going to landfill and contribute to one of the worst pollutants in our modern day, plastic. Now I know some of these companies may detail some recycle scheme, however, I feel these are often ineffective, as to recycle them you have to go through the onerous task of returning it to the company you brought them from. This is often difficult to do and takes more actions of you, which I believe often leads to the majority of people not doing so. Additionally, you are still going through hundreds of plastic cartridges and the harmful plastic they are encased in.
Therefore, I went to search for an eco-friendly way to filter water. This is where I
found Phox Water, who market themselves as ‘The World’s Most Eco-Friendly Water Filter’. This defiantly peaked my interest and with some research, they defiantly seem a lot better than conventional water filters I could find. So I quickly ordered one with a 12-month supply of the clean refill filter media (they also offer an alkaline filter media, which offer other benefits) and waited. It arrived shortly and I have been using mine for several months, so here is my review of the Phox V2 Glass Water Jug and clean filter media.
Look & Size:
Packaging:
All their packaging seemed to be compact and professional, which was a good initial sign. My order came in a single large box (about the size of two show boxes with some extra depth) with the jug and the 12-month supply. The filter media comes in a very small box with the carbon filter and the media in a vacuum packed tight paper PLA composite that is compostable, keeping it all condensed and easy to store. I assume this can be delivered through your letterbox if you only ordered a 3–month supply. The box has all the instructions on how to insert the filter material and prep the jug for use. This made the installation and replacing of the filter elements simple and easy.
The Glass Water Filter and Jug:
The jug itself was larger than I thought it would be. I have seen a couple of Brita filters in the past and they are quite thin and can often fit in the side of your fridge door. Well for sure the Phox Water Jug certainly cannot do this. It is a large cylindrical shape that can hold about 2.2L. For me this is not so much a problem, as I have not kept it in my fridge and just stored it near my houseplants. However, if you are thinking about having this in the fridge, I hope you have a large amount of free space. For your reference, here are some of the filter dimensions:
- Height: 30.5cm
- Diameter: 14.5cm
(the diameter was taken from the spout to the lip section to take the lid off [widest section])
As for the look, you can see the picture for yourself and make your own judgment, for me it looks fine, nothing spectacular but then again I am not that bothered, as it is not really an item you have on display in the house.
The filter:
Now, I have to say this filter is still not perfect but then I do not think there one that is. The reason it is not perfect is due to the filter media. Unfortunately, even though the media is derived from natural sources it contents are not recyclable or compostable. I believe this is because there aren't components that can be used to ensure the water is properly filtered, which are also compostable or recyclable. Now, this is still a negative and I wish there was a solution, having said this, in order to get filtered water I would much rather only have to replace the filter media than the whole plastic cartridge.
To replace the filter media you take the jug apart and twist out the cartridge and clean the parts. The cartridge has its own lid, which has a carbon filter flattened between it and is where the first point the water runs through. You then fill the top container with the media, which filters the water to the holes at the bottom, which lead into the large 2.2l reservoir jug.
Quality:
Now, I do not have any tests or knowledge to check the water quality before and afterwards. Additionally, I have not had much experience with previous water filters. However, in my opinion the water to me taste cleaner after it has been filtered, which must mean it works, right !? Further to this, I have been using it on my plants for the last few months and they have not shown any negative signed and are continuing to grow.
The Positives:
To summarise the overall positives of the Phox Water system here are my key points:
Its more Eco – You do not have to bin large cartridges with all its additional plastic. They have made a filter system, which you can easily replace the filter media only,
Packaging is small and completely recyclable, reducing your waste impact.
The water tastes cleaner and fresher, so it does its job as a water filter.
The instructions are clear and concise and makes it easy to reuse.
The Negatives:
Now for some negatives. These are some I have noted and others I have seen people mention online but thought as this is a review I should put these into this article. I should note though that I always like to be a bit pessimistic, as I do not know your personal circumstances and if you want to buy this I want to be as open and honest. Although there might be more negatives than positives, this is not to say that the filter is poor. It does what it is meant to do; I just wanted to share everything with you:
The jug is a bit heavy, which is not a problem for me at all but if you think it will be for you, it is something to consider.
It has a wide spout, again this is not much of an issue, as long as you are filling something bigger than it is you shouldn’t have a problem. However, if you are filling anything too small like a typical bottleneck you might get your hands wet.
Some people have noted the filer is a bit slow but again, I would not have thought this is much of an issue. Most people fill theirs up and leave it (often in the fridge) until they want a drink. For me as I mainly use it for my plant it is much the same. I fill it up and let it sit until I want to use it for my plants.
As mentions, the filter media is neither recyclable nor compostable.
In my opinion, considering these negatives do not affect me, these are nit-picky and very small compromises to make for the benefit of reducing your waste. I would much rather use a heavier, wide spout and wait for the filter to do its job than contribute to the plastic pollution destroying this world that our typical filters cause. I will admit it is not perfect, as the media still has to be wasted but it is a step forward and drastically reduced the amount of waste you would typically produce.
My Verdict
Well I have decided to share this on my sustainable blog, so I do believe it works and overall a far more sustainable option than conventional water filters. I find the filter works fine and replacing the filter media simple and easy. Most of all I am happy more and more companies are working towards producing a more sustainable, eco-friendly and less harmful product of everyday items. Having said all this, if there is a more sustainable, eco-friendly option out there I would love to know what it is, as I haven’t been able to find one. I will conclude with, if you need one right now that filters the water to a level of non-eco-friendly water filters does and is better for the environment, why not try Phox Water?
Updated: Feb 16, 2022
I have recently had my adventure where for 4 hours myself and my partner have been taken around a quaint peninsular in a Land Rover in Suffolk with our tour guide Phil in search for some of Great British wildlife. We enjoyed it so much that I thought I would right a summary of our experience and the motivation it has given us to get out and see more.
It was Christmas 2019 (a distance memory) were my partner gifted me an experience to discover some of the British wildlife right on our doorstep but are unseen by most. I had received a voucher to book and see what Phil called the Suffolk big 5, which consists of ‘badgers, foxes, hares, owls and deer. Although, he cannot guarantee everything on the list he knows the locations to go and what to look out for. Well unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and the poor weather at the time it has taken to May 2021 to book a date and despite the spotty weather we had decided to go for it and hope for the best.
So with my new trendy (according to their online reviews and my opinion) Nocs Waterproof binoculars, my compact digital camera and excitement we met at the start of the peninsular to begin our tour. We received a warm welcome from Phil who pleasantly introduced himself and then detailed the journey we would be going on. Although, most of it was done by car there was also a short walk to see a bit more. Luckily, Phil is very agile in his car and is able to manoeuvre the thin country lanes and stop in the right spots to see some incredible creature.
We start the journey and quickly go through to the country lanes between farm fields. Our first spot is the British Hare, which stood out with it reddish fur and black tip ears (the picture does not do it justice) poking among the farmers crop. Although we saw many of these throughout our tour I cannot think of a time I have seen them before. We saw them jump around a little and as we went on saw plenty more in every field looking up, running through the field before lying down out of site. Through these lane we also saw Sparrows, Goldfinches, Robins and more darting in and out of the road side hedges, where much of our wildlife live. Occasionally we would see among the hares the odd rabbit, partridges and female and male pheasant in all their colours and glory. We also saw a little Muntjac Deer and pheasant slowing out vehicle as it crossed our path.
Further along among the farmers field in the distance on the far edge of the fields in front of a small woods we see our first heard of farrow deer, again a pleasant sight. On the way to our next area, we hit a stroke of luck as I managed to spot what turned out to be a slow worm. I spotted it and thought it looked strange but as it was in the middle of a muddy country drive thought it was likely to be a bit of wire. We got out to see the slow worms tongue flicker out and slowly move on to the local bush. Another first experience for me.
After this we head towards a small old hamlet, where Phil gave us the history, which was interesting. On our way to the final destination we also passed a bridge and spot a Tuft duck to add to our growing list of wildlife spotted. We reach the hamlet and drove up by a row of trees, not sure what we were looking for until Phil pointed out a Little Owl sitting proudly on one of the stretched out branch. These owls are rather small but still incredible, after a while it got spooked by the some dog walkers and fly’s off. Luckily it lands on a wood fence just around the corner, again we watch the little owl for some time and takes some pictures before we leave.
We park up and take a short walk to a quiet area. Again seeing some Greylag and Canada geese, squirrels, dark pheasants, some local horses and some interesting looking trees. It was a nice to break the drive and get out and be among nature for a while. We come back and head to our final destination, on our way stopping again to see a different herd of farrow deer and a distinctive melanocytic one standing out among the rest. Another beautiful wildlife spot.
We finished our evening by parking up on a hill overlook another and into a small valley oversees two bushy patches. It was a great position although far away but you could see the hills and these habitat hotspots perfectly, especially with some binoculars. Immediately we saw a Roe deer staring dead at us from the middle of the valley by the bushes on the edge of the farmers field. After starring for a while we did not see anything else until I spot a fox that seemed to suddenly appear right onto of the badger set, I pointed it out and watch it walk across the hill and under a row of bushes along a farmers field. Before long, Phil pointed out another fox from the other bushy patch that slowly walked off to the same direction. After a little, more time my partner pointed again to the Roe deer just in front of the bush line at the bottom of the fields, which had moved, whilst looking at this I noticed something in the tree/bush line, a white floating head. I focused in on it and it came a little further out and then I was sure. I had just seen my first wild badger. We continued to watch the two deer and the badgers behind them come in and out of sight for some time. Then to finish the evening we had cups of teas and listens to the cuckoo. A great wildlife tour, rekindling our passion for nature and wildlife.
The afternoon was an incredible experience and I couldn’t thank our guide Phil enough. He did a great job to show us some incredible wildlife and I hope he continues to do this career he is clearly so passionate about. He now specialises in wildlife photography tour, which I would encourage you to book and enjoy.
We enjoyed the tour and all it taught us about finding incredible wildlife, right on our doorstep. We learnt a lot about where to find them, what to look for, what to avoid and much more, all to help you find these animals without unethically attracting them. This experience ignited something inside myself and my partner to take the time and explore more of Britain and its wildlife, which I will hopefully show with you over the years to come.
