Blue not green

Maybe it’s Al Gore, maybe it’s the Stern Report, maybe it’s parenthood, but I’m definitely becoming more eco-conscious as I get older. M recently organised for us to use all-green cleaning products, which I thought was brilliant. The recycling system in Godzone is pretty good too, and we try to recycle as much as possible.

My biggest bugbear is over-packaging. Computer games – essentially a bunch of digital data that could be downloaded with zero environmental consequences – usually come in enormous boxes with plastic interiors, simply so that they stand out more in Electronics Boutique. Luckily, M won’t let me buy computer games so we’re clear on that score. We try and reuse plastic bags too, but I generally remember as I'm getting out of the choked up car park at the shopping centre.

Unfortunately, I still drive a 4WD (usually alone) because we got it cheap, and I fly back to blighty once a year leaving a trail of poison in my wake. Modern life, as the man once said, is rubbish.

By the way I just read a great article on the top 10 un-green products. Here’s a sample:

Plastic lawn mower blades
If you have purchased a cheap electric lawnmower in recent years, then you may already be familiar with this nasty development: steel mower blades have been replaced by disposable plastic ones that barely seem to last 15 minutes. They don't so much cut the grass as shred it, and only one sort is compatible with your particular mower. The label is made from 100% recycled paper, which makes me want to kill someone.