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Learning About Linen

Today we’re talking about linen, which comes from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum. Flax is one of the oldest documented textile fibres, dating back tens of thousands of years. The term linen comes from the genus of the flax plant Linum, and is what you’ll see most often on Canadian fibre content labels. The vast majority of the world’s linen, about 80%, comes from Europe, France in particular. Linen represents less than 1% of all textile fibres used worldwide, however.

Linen is a bast fibre, which means it comes from the stem of the plant, just under the surface. The fibres are embedded in woody plant tissues, pectins, and waxes, so the stems must go through retting (controlled microbial degradation) to free the fibres. 

Linen is mostly used in bed, table, and bath items (“linens”) in the home, for warm weather apparel, and can also be used in composites for building materials!

Pros:

  • Many people love linen’s appearance (lustre, slubby texture)
  • Strong, and highly absorbent, and dries faster than cotton
  • Cool to the touch, great for warm weather clothing

Cons:

  • It wrinkles like, instantly 😂 (we call this poor resilience)
  • Doesn’t have any stretch, can feel stiff/crisp
  • Can feel quite heavy

In terms of sustainability, linen is fabulous! In fact, @madebyorg gives organic linen an A rating on their environmental benchmark guideline. Organic linen and hemp (also a bast fibre), are the only non-recycled fibres given that rating! Conventional linen and cotton are rated C and E, respectively, for comparison. One reason for this is the relatively low energy intensity of processing the fibre (e.g. retting naturally in the field), and very little need for fertilizers or pesticides.

Because linen isn’t as troublesome as some fibres, and due to its very small market share, there isn’t a lot of information available on current developments happening in this area. The main area of focus appears to be focused on the breeding and cultivation of “climate-smart” flax in response to climate change.

So! If you need some summer clothes, give linen a try! It’s great for warm weather and has a lower environmental impact than most other fibre types, especially when it’s organic. Just call the wrinkles a design feature 😉

Sources: 

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Food Waste: What, Why, and How to Stop It

produce shelf in store

What is food waste?

Put simply, food waste is any part of food that is not eaten. Food waste occurs throughout our food system, all the way from production, to transportation, to retail, and through to individual consumer’s fridges and pantries. As consumers we would recognize it most as food we throw away after we purchase it. Common food waste in the home includes:

  • Food that spoils before we eat it
  • Food scraps that we cannot use or choose not to use
  • Overportioned cooked food (aka “leftovers”) that isn’t eaten

As food waste happens at every stage of our food system, it should be addressed from a systemic lens, especially due to the problems it causes in relation to the climate crisis.

Why is food waste a problem?

When we consider the climate crisis, food waste is a substantial barrier to our goals to reduce our global carbon footprint. According to Project Drawdown, “one third of the food raised or prepared does not make it from farm or factory to fork” (Project Drawdown). Canada also bears responsibility for our current food waste problem –  food waste costs the Canadian economy up to $100 billion dollars annually (NZWC) and the average Edmontonian’s garbage contains 22-26% food waste as of 2016 (City of Edmonton) (this stat is pre-wastecart system).

Let’s examine five problems associated with  food waste:

Greenhouse Gases

Organic matter that ends up in a landfill produces methane gas. This is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, but is 21 to 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide (Change for Climate).

Monetary Cost

Consider food waste as throwing away money, and costs the average family of four approximately $1,760 annually (Change for Climate). All of the food waste that ends up in a municipality’s waste stream requires resources in staffing, facilities, transportation, etc. to dispose or divert it. This cost is passed on to utilities and then down to the citizens via taxes.

Land space

Growing food takes up a lot of land space, livestock even more so than plant-based food – up to eight times more! Landfills and other waste diversion facilities also occupy a lot of land, and are often located in marginalized or racialized communities.

Earth’s General Store (photo: MacKenzie Photography)

Waste of resources

It’s in the name! Food waste is ultimately a waste of resources. Many of those resources are scarce already, or could be used in a more positive and effective way. This includes water for irrigation (New Food Magazine), and fossil fuels for production and distribution. As we transition away from fossil fuels and work to conserve our water, we need think hard about using our resources more efficiently.

Hunger and food insecurity

4.4 million people in Canada are food insecure (Zero Food Waste). There is no logical reason for anyone to go hungry while so much food waste exists. Many food banks or mutual aid groups already exist to divert that food which would otherwise be wasted. Setting these up on a larger scale could make a huge difference to our carbon footprint, and more importantly, to people’s lives.

Food waste is a problem because the monetary cost, carbon cost, and human cost of those resources is so high. Eliminating food waste throughout the food system is a large undertaking and will take concerted efforts by all levels of government, businesses, and community groups. But the positives would be well worth the effort. Thankfully, Edmonton and many of the surrounding municipalities have already taken a big step toward diverting food waste by introducing a cart-based waste collection system.

Even more relevant to you, reader, is that food waste can easily be prevented by individuals and households by taking a few simple steps.

Grow your own food! (photo: MacKenzie Photography)

How can I prevent food waste in my home and community?

In high income countries, the majority of food waste happens at the retail and household level (Drawdown). Therefore, eliminating or slowing food waste in our homes is one of the easiest actions we can take to reduce our individual emissions and act against climate change. They may seem small, but small actions add up to big changes!

Here are EIGHT ways you can take to tackle food waste in your home and community:

Low effort:

  • Use the Flashfood app to help prevent food waste in your local grocery store
  • Donate to local food banks or organizations working toward food security (ex: Leftovers Foundation)

Mid effort:

  • Meal plan and make grocery lists to ensure you only buy what you know you will eat
  • Move towards a more plant-based diet
  • Save your food scraps and make DIY veggie broth

Most effort:

  • Set up a Little Free Pantry in your yard or community space
  • Volunteer at your local food bank or shelter; they divert a lot of food from grocery stores and retail stores and instead use it to help our city’s vulnerable folks (note: many food bank and community organizations have paused their volunteer opportunities due to covid-19 restrictions)
  • Build a backyard composter (note, composting should be used as a last resort. We know wasted food happens, and this is the next best thing to using your food.)

FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES

Food Waste (City of Edmonton)

The Problem of Food Waste (Change for Climate)

How Cutting Your Food Waste Can Help the Climate (BBC)

Leftovers Foundation

Edmonton Food Council

Zero Food Waste Canada

Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste (Taproot Edmonton)

U of A researcher seeking input from food businesses on reducing waste (Edmonton Journal)

National Zero Waste Council

Project Drawdown

For The Wild Podcast, Episode 238 “Free Food for Liberation” (transcript available at link)Edmonton’s food waste under scrutiny in new Youth Council report (CBC)

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10 Ways You Can Reduce Waste While Camping

Getting outside and enjoying the outdoors this summer doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. As we book campsites and start packing for weekend getaways, thinking of how we can reduce our consumption and cut back on plastic waste we generate will make for a smaller, eco-friendly camping excursion. Let’s keep our memories and mementos of trips in our hearts and minds and not in a landfill.

1. Opt for reusable plates and cutlery rather than disposables. 

There’s no need to buy new. It is super affordable / achievable to camp with reusables. You can use what you already have, buy second hand goods, borrow from a friend, or invest in a quality set of packable cutlery.

2. Plan your ice strategy.

There are a couple ways to prepare ice that avoid that thick plastic bag.

Search for a locally-owned restaurant and give them a call. Ask if you could purchase some ice from them and if they could fill your cooler. 

Also invest in some good-quality, reusable ice packs, and make your own ice a few days ahead of time.

3. Skip the paper towels and sani-wipes, use rags instead.

Any single-use paper products or one-time wipes just add waste when perfectly good alternatives exist. You have rags and cloths around your home just waiting to tag along on the trip, and you can allocate them however you wish: rags for clean-up, dish cloths for doing dishes, tea towels for drying dishes, and hang on a line to dry!

 It’s always important to use biodegradable soap for all these activities while camping, especially if there’s no place to dump gray water.

4. Reuse non-recyclable/non-reusable food packaging to collect your waste.

Planning for waste free camping can start long before the actual event. For those times when you need a bag to collect waste, don’t go out and buy more bags, use the few bags you might have on hand, like chip or cereal bags. 

Purchasing more plastic bags only increases the demand and the market for plastic. Use what you already have!

5. Use a single large water jug instead of smaller bottles.

Single-use plastic bottles are an inefficient way of toting around water at a campsite. Use a 15-25L water jug with a pump and refill smaller containers as needed. Better yet, the jug can also be recycled at the end of its lifespan.

6. Prep your food at home.

Plan a meal schedule for your trip based on the length of your stay and your resources. Give yourself some options for each meal on each day and then make it! Creating food from home avoids the need to purchase food wrapped in plastic that only adds to the waste you have to dispose of.

7. Pack your food in reusable jars/containers.

Now that you’ve made your food, how are you going to transport it?

Use watertight containers to prevent your food from becoming soggy as your ice melts. Reusable containers also allow you to save leftovers — a lot tougher to do with flimsy plastic!

Also, consider the sizes of your containers and whether they’re in line with what you need. If you know you only use 1 litre of milk, don’t bring the 2 litre carton — pour liquids and other foods into more appropriate vessels.

8. Don’t buy your firewood in plastic packaging.

Many campgrounds have a wood pile available on site. Be sure to call and ask ahead of time and save yourself the work. 

Many farmers or acreages often sell firewood on the side of the road without packaging. Keep an eye out for signs and numbers!

Finally, check classifieds like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace in your area or your destination.

9. Carpool

If possible and if safe to do so, carpool to lower your carbon footprint. If not, coordinate among your fellow campers to minimize stops for other needs.

10. Leave your site better than how you found it.

Don’t “waste” the opportunity to beautify and show respect for our parks and environment! Take care of our natural sites and they will take care of you.

Any camper knows what you pack in, you pack out. But sometimes this isn’t always the case. When you go camping, be aware that you might need to tidy up after the last visitors or more! Be the best guest you can be.

Camping is one of those incredible activities that’s adaptable to all ages and abilities, and investing in good waste free tools and practices is something that will last generations!
Visit Alberta Parks for more information on camping in Alberta.