Category: Vesica blog | Page 4

10 Sep

A Personal Note and Thank you From Us

2020-09-10
By Vesica
0 comments

Hi Friends,

I wanted to write you a personal note to thank you for the ongoing support you have given us during these difficult times.

As a family-owned small business, 2020 has been an interesting year! The nation-wide ban on music festivals and local markets in Australia saw our usual haunts disappear overnight and left us feeling a little bit lost. Suddenly we were left without our retail opportunities, our customers or opportunities to spread the Vesica mission. Small businesses and artisans alike are suffering greatly under these tight restrictions.

The 6 years since I opened Vesica have been a whirlwind. What started as a passion for all things eco-friendly, and a love for making natural leather products, grew as my family grew and quickly became my livelihood. I rely on the support of amazing people like you to keep Vesica thriving as a business.

That being said, you’ll notice a few changes popping up around here. The time to focus on our little home on the web has meant that we are finally launching our newsletter! We’ll be sharing bi-monthly updates, eco-living tips, new products launches as well as exclusive discounts and offers.

We will be sharing handy tips and actionable advice for navigating eco-friendly living more regularly on the Vesica blog. Don’t forget to keep checking in over there to keep up with our latest posts. We’d love to hear your ideas for future blogs or stories of adventures you’ve had with your beloved Vesica products, so feel free to get in touch with us!

I’m so excited to give Vesica a voice and connect with the amazing friends I’ve met along the way, who I’ve missed greatly.

We’re also taking this opportunity to give a little back and reward all of you wonderful ambassadors, and passionate promotors leading the plastic-free revolution, with the Vesica affiliate program.

If you’ve ever been complimented on your water bottle and graciously shared our details with a new friend or internet pals and then thought, ‘I really should be getting a kick-back for every person that asks me about my bottle…or tea infuser.’

Well, now you can!

Simply, sign up here, share a short link or show them a QR code to scan. Then any purchases they make can be traced back to you and we’ll pay you a %.

My super supportive customer base and quality product offering have been the building blocks that have kept Vesica standing all these years. I can’t wait to grow the Vesica family even further through the affiliate program.

There are plenty of other ways you can show your support to small businesses during this time. Of course, investing in some new products for yourself or loved ones is amazing but there are plenty of ways that you can support us without spending any money at all. These include:

Writing a review on the Vesica Facebook page.
Following us on Instagram and liking/commenting on/sharing our posts.
Posting pictures of your Vesica products, using our hashtag #MyVesica.
….Giving #MyVesica a search and connecting with other Vesica friends.
Sending us a message with your love, photographs and stories of your Vesica products.
Subscribing to our newsletter.
Telling your friends and family about us!

Thank you again for choosing Vesica and for continuing your eco-friendly journey with us. Keep in touch!

Love,

Shane x

19 Sep

Environmental concerns, Vesica blog

What does it mean to be ‘Eco-Friendly’?

2019-09-19
By Lilly
0 comments

What does it mean to be ‘Eco-Friendly’?

Being ‘Eco-Friendly’ and ‘Eco-Conscious’ are such trendy things to do these days – it seems like every other person is getting on the ‘Zero Waste’ bandwagon and hype. Or at least we seem to hear these words flung around so often now that they seem to have become slightly ambiguous or may have lost a bit of significance and meaning. Because I don’t think just swapping out your take away coffee cups for keep cups and using bamboo cutlery is the complete story really. I mean, those are some great simple moves you can do to get started, (and I know that’s not all the ‘Zero Waste’ movement is about either, there’s a lot more to it) but there’s more to this story than just reducing waste don’t you think? I know all of this comes from a place of love and compassion and wanting to do good for the environment, but living a life with less unnecessary plastic waste is only one way of incorporating a more Eco Conscious mind set into your reality.

I found this concept of ‘deep ecology’ a particularly interesting point of discussion and I feel can be a good starting point for further contemplation about Eco-Consciousness. Initially introduced in environmental literature in the 70s by Norwegian philosopher and mountaineer Arne Naess in an era after the 60s where environmentalism was emerging out of grassroots political movements. Drengson in his article Some Thought on the Deep Ecology Movement described it as having an ethic of ‘respecting nature and the inherent worth of other beings’ and involves ‘ redesigning our whole systems based on values and methods that truly preserve the ecological and cultural diversity of natural systems.’

Link to article – Some Thought on the Deep Ecology Movement by Alan Drengson
http://www.deepecology.org/deepecology.htm

Some pretty thought provoking stuff regarding to eco-conscious living, don’t you think?

But I guess what this means for me is living with an awareness of this deep innate connection that we have with the land – to the natural environment around – to the birds, the trees, the animals, the rocks, the mountains, the fire, the rain – to all other beings and the world around, including ourselves. Because we are simultaneously at one with everything that is arising moment to moment, so we must listen to it, respect it and take care of it, otherwise it dies – we die.

Actually, we are not separated from these things – we are but one part of the same interconnected whole. We are a complete Eco-System connected together and unto ourselves. Interdependent with each other and part of the larger whole. You. And me. And everything. On a cosmic scale. ..Boom. This is literally it. ..and you can feel it right down to the chaos of the complex buzzing interconnected world of your own body’s system. The living bugs and bacteria and cells and micro-organisms and even atoms all interacting and exchanging on a micro-cellular level in, on and around your body and in the environment. You – yourself – we, have a micro biome and are completely integrated with it and dependant on it for survival, as it is to you. We are all part of the infinite micro-cosmic biome.

So for me, being Eco Conscious not only means being conscious of your plastic consumption and your waste and your ecological footprint…but in the same way this is connected to how you treat yourself and your own body as well, what foods you eat, what toxins you allow to come into your life, and the habits behaviours and beliefs we choose to create in our lives. Are you truly living consciously in harmony with your own innate micro-biome? Your own personal landscape? – physically, mentally, emotionally – and even spiritually? And with the landscape around you? The people you interact with on a daily basis? the other animals you share the land with? And the land itself?

It’s all connected. And once we start to truly open up our awareness and consciousness about how we are truly impacting our ecology around us including ourselves – you begin to see that we start making more healthy choices for our-selves, our bodies and the environment. You might start eating healthier, going to the farmers market, reducing your plastic footprint, considering toxins in your life, moving around stagnant energies, learning, challenging yourself, expressing yourself authentically, being creative, being in nature and getting outdoors, going on adventures and reaching out into the unknown. You might find yourself meeting new people, discovering new places, having conversations with the neighbours cat, listening to the birds, planting trees, considering your impact on others, practising self-care, tidying, detoxing and cleansing, and healing in all kinds of different ways.

There are a few key indicators that resonate with me in terms of how I define Eco-Conscious living for myself, and I’ve outlined some of these things in the Eco-Friendly QUIZ, but ultimately it’s you who decides what living an Eco-Friendly lifestyle looks like for you.

…Let us know what you think, leave any comments below, feel free to share your Eco-Conscious story and journey with us and spread the word about this awesome and inspiring Eco-Friendly movement!

Article Written by Lillian Adele
(www.lillianadele.com)

Photo by Sylvie Tittel

26 Jul

Environmental concerns, Uncategorized, Vesica blog

Take the ECO-FRIENDLY QUIZ: How Eco-Conscious are you?

2019-09-17
By Lilly
0 comments

ECO-FRIENDLY QUIZ: How Eco-Conscious are you?

Below are some questions that you can answer Yes or No.

You consider your food waste and think it’s important to compost?
You eat mostly whole foods, organic, vegetarian, vegan or mostly plant based?
You like to sit and be still for moments during the day to listen to the world?
You enjoy being in nature – going for walks, visiting national parks, waterfalls, beach, camping, travel & eco-tourism. You can appreciate the innate beauty in the natural world and have a general sense of awe and appreciation about it?
You enjoy saying hello to trees and other animals and sometimes can even be caught greeting the sun and moon at times?
You have an interest in things like the process of life and death, plants, organic food, gardening, permaculture, eco-design, minimalism, less impact and alternative living scenarios, and you appreciate the importance of biodiversity?
You’re at the farmers markets, bulk food stores, health food stores and organic shops pretty regularly to buy your produce and forgetting your green bags in the car is not something you do?
You try to be as plastic free as you can and there’s an interest in Zero Waste Living and minimising your impact and plastic footprint?
Seem to be pretty interested in things like meditation, self- care and personal development, alternative therapies and holistic healing, mysticism and spirituality and you consider spiritual development an integral part of your well being?
You do regular exercise and yoga, or have an enjoyable way to keep physically fit?
You start reading the labels of things and think it’s important to find out what’s in your food and in products that you use around the house and put onto your skin – you reduce the harmful chemicals and toxins in your life?
You have an interest in your local community, are engaged in what’s happening globally, and feel it’s important to maintain positive healthy and intimate relationships with loved ones?
You enjoy a good informative documentary, book, article, blog, podcast, channel or conversation and think conscious education is important?
You value non-violence, human rights, cultural diversity, acceptance and tolerance of others, enjoy helping, contributing and being of service to others and you feel a deep sense of love and compassion for all other living things?

This list is by no means exhaustive, but if you answered positively for the most part, I’d say you’re getting pretty Eco-Friendly up in here…Holla!

…Let us know what you think, leave any comments below, feel free to share your Eco-Conscious story and journey with us and spread the word about this awesome and inspiring Eco-Friendly movement!

Written by Lillian Adele
(www.lillianadele.com)

07 Jun

Environmental concerns, Vesica blog

What’s with all this Plastic at Festivals?

2018-07-30
By Lilly
0 comments

What’s with all this Plastic at Festivals?

So I’ve been around the festival circuit in Australia and abroad for quite some time now and I’ve noticed that there’s been a real trend happening from both festival organisers and punters when it comes to trash and managing waste…

The interesting thing is that often I see this contradiction when it comes to rubbish and this environmentally friendly conversation… and that’s these seemingly eco-friendly festivals presenting themselves as being progressive and supporting conscious choices when it comes to rubbish, but then doing things like not providing bins in venues and not separating rubbish from recyclables…

Here’s a couple of pics from The Boho Festival in Melbourne earlier this year held at The Royal Exhibition building…

There were no bins in the venue to separate trash for attendees. So no choice but ending up as trash. Really sad to see. These festivals like Boho are trying to be eco-friendly by asking vendors to use eco packaging for food – but what’s the point if they don’t get composted or recycled?

Recently a video went viral showing the outrageous amounts of rubbish left behind after the Lost Paradise Festival north of Sydney – in a National Park! Here’s the footage https://tinyurl.com/y8x45b3k

I really don’t get it! I mean, the festival organisers don’t make it easy for punters who want to do the right thing. But also, I think it’s equally important for us as festival goers to start recognising our impact, becoming more empowered when it comes to refusing trash and making a stand for truly conscious choices.

So how can we solve this dilemma? Does it come down to lack money and funding? Lack of Infrastructure? Is it pure laziness, ignorance or lack of care regarding this issue? Or is it simply just lack of awareness surrounding alternative solutions? Who’s to say…I’m not entirely sure…

The one thing I do know though, is that we as individuals and punters need to start taking responsibility for not buying into this wasteful mentality and recognising the beauty of these incredible places and lands that we get to dance, play and celebrate upon. So remember to take your reusable kit with you so you don’t have to use the disposable products – even if they are so called ‘environmentally friendly’ or compostable. In addition to this, the festivals have a responsibility to us as patrons and to the environment to provide the necessary infrastructure for waste management systems and to continue offering plastic-free alternatives.

But I think importantly we have to continue to lead the way with our actions, speaking out about these things happening and using our voices to make a difference and support the ban of plastic at festivals!

Wouldn’t that be a different kind of party? That’s one I’d love to see!

Article written by Lillian Adele

(visit: www.lillianadele.com)

06 Jun

Vesica blog

10 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Waste

2018-07-26
By Lilly
0 comments

20 May 2018

10 Simple Ways You Can Cut Down Your Plastic Waste

Here are some simple and easy ways that don’t take much effort to help get you on your way to living a plastic-free lifestyle.

1. Stop Using Plastic Bags! – this is a big one that will have a lot of impact. Find yourself some colourful re-usable produce bags and get into the habit of using them. So often you have them in your car or ready to go at home – but so many people simply forget to take them actually into the shop! And stop using plastic bags as bin liners – you don’t need them! Use a high quality durable re-usable bin liner if you have to put things in the general waste – but the goal is to reduce the need for this completely – so that nothing goes to landfill.

2. Use a Keep Cup for takeaway coffee and have a re-usable take away kit – utensils, straw, & container. Coffee cups are a huge one. Just make a rule for yourself – if you’re not sitting in to have coffee or you didn’t bring a keep cup – no coffee for you today. So if you enjoy drinking coffee and don’t often have time to sit-in – you’ll soon make it a habit to bring the keep cup. Same for any other kind of take-away, either dine-in or use your re-usable kit!

3. Buy a re-usable Water Bottle. Plastic water bottles are one of the most damaging things currently in the environment because the quantity is so prolific and everyone needs water. Here at Vesica this is one of our main goals to reduce the need for plastic water bottles, so we have an awesome plastic-free high quality alternative solution.

4. Buy Whole Foods – not packaged food. Start shopping at the local farmers market, organic produce store and whole foods pantry rather than the supermarket. This will dramatically cut down your plastic consumption – as well as instigate healthier eating patterns. Just don’t bring into the house food that comes in packaging. I challenge you to try it for a month and see the difference it makes.

5. Buy things second hand rather than brand-new and try to reduce shopping online. Not only will you save the packaging that usually always comes with buying things brand-new and especially online (all those styrofoam chips, plastic inserts and bubble wrap), but you’re also not increasing the demand for the resources to produce those new products. Not to mention all the other kinds of waste and pollution that goes along with the manufacturing and transportation process. As well as that, it will force you to do more research when you want or need to buy something and start thinking more consciously about what you buy, if you Really need it and where it comes from. Plus opp-shopping, thrift stores and garage sales are so much fun to scope out and find those gems that you wouldn’t find at the mall!

6. Buy local, handmade and artisan goods. Not only are you supporting artists and the community, but often these products are much better quality, last way longer and have that uniqueness and creativity that you simply cannot get with mass produced products.

7. Support sustainable and ethical fashion brands and clothes made from natural fibres like bamboo and hemp – don’t buy fast fashion. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory and ethically it’s a no-brainer. So easy to incorporate into your life, because there are many amazing brands out there these days creating high quality affordable clothing products for every day wear.

8. Stop using plastic toothbrushes and make your own toothpaste.

9. Make your own alternative cleaning products.

10. Make your own beauty, hygiene, body care products and shampoos.
Each of these last three points are super easy and fun, plastic-free and toxin free. It’s absolutely surprising what you can use to clean your body and house – and so much cheaper! Try vinegar, lemon and eucalyptus oil (or any essential oils) for degreasing and disinfecting surfaces. Diluted eucalyptus oil is also a great natural mosquito repellent. Mix essential oils with coconut oil, bentonite clay and bicarb soda for toothpaste and you can use anything like coconut oil, coffee grounds, bentonite clay, oats, avocados, apple cider vinegar, bi-carb and much more to make all kinds of yummy body scrubs and shampoos… it’s amazing! I heard the saying once “If you can’t eat it, then don’t put it on your skin and body” and this goes for cleaning products too. So have fun with these ones – and eventually you can start coming up with your own recipes and solutions to things – The possibilities are endless!

11. And an EXTRA BONUS tip for any Parents out there – Re-usable, washable, cloth nappies!

And remember take these things step-by-step and don’t be too hard on yourself and have fun with it, enjoy the process of discovery and learning as you add more and more plastic-free solutions and alternatives to your life!

Article written by Lillian Adele

(visit: www.lillianadele.com)