I was lucky to have time to visit the first kick
of The Good Trade Summer Fair at UP Town Center last April 13, 2019. It was also my
first time to visit the mall dubbed as the place “where great minds come
together to shop and dine” which I had been planning to visit since last
year, so
it was two points for me that day, hooray!
So armed with my list I went there like an eco-warrior
aiming for the kill! But no violence here! It’s just me trying to end my habit
of using single-use plastic and disposable items that are harmful to the
environment.
And now without any further ado, here are my fantastic
finds! Take a look and see which ones you'd like to buy too, and, just maybe, you’d find the inspiration to put up an eco-friendly business in the future to sell zero-waste items as well.
1. Castor oil from
Artem – So my first purchase is castor oil from Artem Skincare and
Apothecary. I did plan to buy castor oil that day but I was planning to do so
at Landmark, Trinoma just before I go home, but since it’s available there, I
decided to buy it. Take note that Artem do refills! I brought with me an empty bottle
that day, unfortunately though, I wasn’t able to dry it properly so I had to
buy a bottle from them for P30. Fifteen (15) milliliters of castor oil is P60
so in total, I spent P90 for one 15 mL of castor oil. Castor oil at Landmark is
P148 for the same volume so I got to save 58 pesos! I compared Artem’s castor
oil and Landmark's castor oil when I got home and they don’t seem to differ.
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| Castor oil from Artem Skincare and Apothecary |
2. Camomile tea
flowers from Artem – Artem’s stall looks very pretty especially because of
their lovely dried flower tea in huge clear jars. My mom drinks camomile tea
from Twinnings because it is good for her stomach, so I was excited to find
lovely dried camomile flowers being sold there. I bought 250 grams and the
owner Trixia gave me instructions on how to make the tea. Just a few buds are
enough for a small cup. Filter is not needed as the flowers don't disintegrate
in the water. You can also bring a container where you can keep your dried
flower purchase.
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| Camomile tea flowers from Artem |
3. Bamboo
toothbrushes from Druid and A to ZeroWaste. Bamboo toothbrushes come in two
variants, one with regular off-white nylon brush and one with black-colored, charcoal-infused
nylon brush. The lifespan of a bamboo toothbrush is 3 months just like plastic
toothbrushes or until the nylon becomes frayed. Unlike plastic ones though,
bamboo or wood is compostable. So going for a bamboo toothbrush helps reduce
the number of old plastic toothbrushes in the garbage. Remember though that the
nylon brush is still plastic and must be removed from the wooden body and
thrown in the non-biodegradable garbage bin. Tip: Bamboo toothbrushes are
available in different stalls for different prices. Some come with a box which is nice if you intend to give the toothbrush as a gift for friends so ask the stalls if they have boxes.
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| I have forgotten which comes from which store but they all look quite lovely to me. |
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| Outer, waterproof side of the cloth night pad |
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| Inner side of the cloth night pad |
5. Tooth powder from ZeroBasics–
Toothpowder was on my list, but I was just looking for a P20 toothpowder advertised
somewhere in The Good Trade’s event page to give it a try but I could not find it. What I got instead
is a full jar of 110 grams worth P180. It says on the label that it contains mineral-rich ingredients to restore the strength of the enamel and maintain healthy teeth and gums. One hundred ten grams are a lot so I am now looking for a friend who might want to try the tooth powder so we can share the bottle and split the
cost. (Do you want to share?)
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| 110 grams of ZeroBasics Tooth Powder is plenty! |
6. Organic shampoo bars from Mayumi Organics
– I wish I had more money with me so I could have bought more organic shampoo
bars from Mayumi Organics. The bars are so fragrant and lovely for the hair,
especially color-treated hair. You can choose from various scents and
properties. I was chatting with a friend while shopping and she asked me to buy
for her the Green Apple Shacoon bar (shampoo and conditioner cylindrical bar). Mayumi’s
shacon bars are good for dandruff and priced at P160 at 65g. I got a hair
fortifying shampoo bar which also helps lessen hair fall, is sulphate free, and
contains Vitamin B5 to strengthen and condition hair.
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| Green Apple Shacon Bar from Mayumi Organics |
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| Hair Fortifying shampoo with gugo from Mayumi Organics |
7. Bamboo milk tea
straw from A to ZeroWaste – I already own a stainless steel straw (which has already been to
many restaurants already and almost got left behind in the cinema, too!) and
have in fact given dozens away last Christmas to family and friends. This time
I opted to give the bamboo straw a try for my milk tea and frappuccino days. I got
this for P35. Now my next project is finding the right tumbler to
use with my bamboo straw and what establishments will allow me to use my own
tumbler and not push me to buy their own-logo infused ones.
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| Smooth milk tea bamboo straw from A to ZeroWaste |
8. Oatmeal cookies from The Goody Train –
I got 3 pieces of oatmeal cookies for P100. I honestly did not know much about the
background of the store when I purchased from them (considering that I researched about the merchants before going to UP), but I’m sure they are zero waste too since they passed The
Good Trade’s screening and customers can have their takeaway in their own containers. The cookies
are a nice treat to bring home after a day of zero waste shopping.
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| Oatmeal cookies from The Goody Train |
9. Free Loofah! I
got this freebie from ZeroBasics (where I bought the tooth powder) and the owner said she saw these lying around somewhere
in Batangas and thought to pick them up and share them to others for free this free stuff she got from nature!
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| Remove the dried outer skin before using! |
Are you now looking forward to visiting The Good Trade Fair too?
Don’t forget to bring ecobags to catch all your goodies as well as clean and
dry containers for your fragile, liquid, and/or edible purchases and refills!
And also don’t be shy to ask questions from the sellers about their products.
Remember that knowledge is our power in achieving a zero waste, eco-friendly
lifestyle and ultimately defeating climate change.
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