Ecotypical Tips and Eco-blunders
Created | Updated Feb 19, 2002
Welcome to ecotype's back catalogue of ecotypical Tips of the Week............ Or whatever time period it takes for inspiration to strike!
This page is still in seedling form, but will grow each time a new pearl of folly is added to my home space. The chances of other researchers having better ideas than me are as the chances of woodland soils being nutritionally enriched by passing bears -
i.e. very probable, hence all comments and, of course, additional suggestions, are welcome.
Subject: DIY home improvements
DIY is appealing to an eco type, because of the possibilities of re-using stuff and saving money. All that wrapping, all those solvents, so much transport of heavy materials, half of which will probably end up wasted because of mistakes
"If you're going to plumb in a kitchen sink, use an S-bend trap under the sink, not a bottle-style trap. Not even if bottle traps are the only ones going for free at the civic amenity tip. Cos if you do, evil gack will build up in the trap, not get flushed through properly, and stink your kitchen out. Look on the bright side, though: if this happens, just compost the goo 
"
"Cleaning paintbrushes is a pain in the arse - you lose loads of paint, send a lot of crud down the drain into some unsuspecting watercourse, and it takes ages to get the last bits of paint out. If I'm doing several coats of paint, I wrap the used wet paintbrush or roller in cling film and it keeps pretty much OK until the first coat has dried. Then I just unwrap it and carry on using it. As long as it's wrapped up closely, the brush or roller never seems to dry out or go lumpy, so it saves at least one brush-cleaning session without affecting the quality of the paintwork."
Subject: Pets
Chapter 1: The problem of poo
No question about it, playful pooches and cute kitties consume outrageous amounts of protein-rich nosh, and this is the cause of many a battered green conscience. They crap up other people's gardens (cats) or parks, pavements and beaches (dogs) and anxious pet owners can get through a pile of unsustainable resources in the effort to clean up. There are, however, one or two ways of mitigating this.
"
I've been doing some research.
There's a s**tload of catlitter purchased by feline fans each week, most of which comes from UNsustainable sources. Typically, cat litter is produced from:
Fuller's Earth: This is the mineral bentonite, consisting of fine clay particles with a high silica content. It clumps nicely but is very heavy. Fuller's Earth is extracted from bentonite mines, which are usually open-cast, and notorious for causing a blot on the landscape. When mined in the UK, bentonite has caused some vigorous local protests; when mined elsewhere, it's very demanding on transport resources due to its heavy weight.
Lightweight cat litter: Fullers Earth or similar, but with a lightweight mineral filler/binder, and more air.
Pine pellets: These are pressed sawdust, taken from odds and offcuts, from the thinner, otherwise unuseable tops of softwood tree trunks, or from trees grown specifically for making sawdust. Most are from "sustainable" sources in that the plantations are replantable once felled. However, the plantation site may actually have had a high nature conservation value before the conifers were planted there.
Recycled paper pellets: These are made from pulped, processed paper, variously bleached and/or dyed, and shaped. Some are more highly processed than others. Not all are from truly "post consumer" paper; some of it may be leftover industrial paper from otherwise wasteful printing or manufacturing.
Other mineral products: A range of minerals, some of which require high levels of processing and purification, are used for cat litters. Of these, Zeolites are popular because of their all-round absorbency (of gases
as well as liquids); most other cat litter minerals have silicates of some sort in them. It is worth noting that dust from silica-rich cat litter has caused concern re. cats' respiratory health.
Other substances: Wheat gluten, which can be purified and used for a range of non-food used. Sand - the one silica-rich product rarely marketed, but still often used, for cat litter. Peat/peat-free compost, either left-over or out of the bag (messier to use than proprietary cat litters, but very popular with cats!), likewise mushroom compost.
Ecotypical verdict:
pure Fuller's Earth - probably the least appropriate;
Bio-Catolet brand recycled newspaper catlitter - probably the "greenest", and popular with fussy felines. Also composts well. There must be similar products to Bio-Catolet, but watch out: most other paper cat litters are harder, less absorbent, much less suitable for composting, and more prone to getting scattered about by enthusiastic burying activity."
Chapter 2: Toys
Softies could in theory spend a fortune on heavily wrapped, plastic pet toys, most of which appear to have been produced in dodgy factories, utilising the least environmentally-friendly plastics. They tend to elicit a lukewarm response from pets, the interest lasting only for the short time it takes to rip them to bits
"My recipe for THE BEST cat toy ever is one way of putting guilt-inducing wasted carpet to good use. Get a big, strong cardboard box and tape it so that it's totally closed. Cover with carpet offcuts. Cut circular holes of roughly cat-sized diameter in half the faces of the box, without totally finishing the circles (leaving a small "hinge" on each "door"). Shut all the "doors" except one. My cats are usually apoplectic with curiosity at this point. Throw a couple of cat treats, a ping pong ball, or a catnip mouse, into the box. 
Watch as the cats go crazy exploring and lunging in and out of the holes..."
