This is what we pay a lot of money for. Mass market manufactured toys, more often than not, produced in china.

Look what I found recently at a market stall. 

This naughts and crosses set is hand made from timber. It has provided me and my daughter with many hours of enjoyment, and if looked after, it will last for many years to come. 

And the best part is… have a look at what it cost me…

Why do we feel so compelled to waste our money buying plastic garbage from the big toy shops when there are so many wonderful alternatives out there? 

I know I know! I’m afraid the timber naughts and crosses set is just no where near as ’sexy’ as the colourful packaged glitzy in your face stuff you find in the shops.

Oh and by the way, The $1.00 I spent on the naughts and crosses set went to a good cause.  

Have you ever found something at a fete or market that you have enjoyed for many years that was an absolute bargain?

These spinning tops have been around forever.

The mechanism that makes them work is truly wonderful. A twisted metal rod is pushed downward and must somehow drive a fitted cog. To be honest I have always wanted to open one of these spinners just to see exactly how they work. Perhaps now that I’m blogging about these things I might actually do it.

Anyway, the point is, the toy above doesn’t require batteries, and, looked after, it will continue to run as long as there are people left on the planet who are strong enough to push the driving rod.

If you can find more examples of products that don’t require batteries i’d love to hear from you. If you are from a battery company, I’d love to hear from you also. 

Nothing like a good old fashioned debate to kick things off…

wasteman

I never thought I would hear myself giving high praise to real estate agents but check this out. Most of the time the agents will run a long power lead to a spare power point in your home when you sell. 

Not these guys…

Well done Marshall White. You didn’t have to use  solar, but you have. Someone inside this organisation has been touched by the wasteman. Keep up the good work.

over&over
wasteman

I reckon there could (not should, I don’t use the word should) be a law which states that if the lid on the bin can’t close, then the bin doesn’t get picked up. 

Thoughts please…

wasteman

Herald Sun march 2009

You might remember the battle I faced with my old Ipod and the dying batteries. See the previous post here.

Recently in the Herald Sun newspaper there was a lift out special concerned solely with the iPod.

The above image has been lifted directly from the article. Don’t be fooled. Apple make sexy products, no disputing that. Their products however are nowhere near as green as the company makes out.

You make up your own mind.

Here’s a little cartoon I drew a while back.

I was told once that mountains help bring rain as they force the clouds to lift. If this is so, why don’t we make mountains out of our e-waste. There’s enough of it, that’s for sure. If we were to do this we would have to call it ‘The Great Digital Divide’. It’s just got such a great ring to it.

So what do you think? Crazy idea or what?

wasteman over&over

I was on an aeroplane recently from Melbourne to Sydney and Qantas, for some unknown reason, feels it necessary to feed everyone. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why. What a heavy handed waste of just about everything. Sad actually.

Anyway, I noticed (because it’s my job to notice) the message printed on the cutlery wrapper. It reads ” closed loop recyclable packaging”.

My understanding of closed loop packaging is that it dosen’t matter so much that all the cutlery comes in plastic packets because the packaging has been designed with the end in mind. The people who manufacture the packaging are the very same people who want it back for recycling - closed loop! Sound reasonable, even sensible !

Look out for the closed loop symbol on packaging you use.

I will endeavour to find out more and report back

over&over

wm

So what’s so amazing about this…

This wall (and the four mail boxes) is the only thing that has been built of this proposed development. There is nothing behind this wall but an empty block of land, but lo and behold, the delivery person still manages to put the local newspaper into every mail box. It’s not as if the delivery person can’t see it either. This photo is crap (apologies)  and doesn’t show the cyclone fence just to the right. Through the cyclone fence one can plainly see an empty block of land. I might keep an eye on this one…stay tuned!

over&over

wm