Ode to Earth

⭐️FIVE STAR REVIEWS⭐️

Always so grateful to my wonderful customers for their support and to those who take the time to leave a review on the products they buy and the service they receive. It means the world to a small business like Ode to Earth.

Hello Discs are flying off the shelves. Read to find out why. Save to read for later and send to a friend who has been thinking of making the switch to reusable period products.

Would you try one?

Have a great weekend,
Caroline

❤BACK IN STOCK❤

Hello Discs in Sea Fog and Black are back in stock at Ode to Earth. To all those waiting for their return, thank you for your patience! The recent survey on tampons has many people looking at reusable period options. The Hello Discs are the world's #1 rated menstrual disc. Check them out on our website and read what users have to say about them.

https://odetoearth.ie/products/hello-disc%E2%84%A2-menstrual-disc

🌎Today, August 1st 2024 is Earth Overshoot Day. The date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year.

August 1st is an average date. Ireland's Overshoot Day was actually on May 2nd this year! In contrast, November 24th will be Overshoot Day for Indonesia. Not all countries will have an Overshoot Day. Sadly, the countries using less resources and having minimal impact on the Earth will suffer because of the countries using up more resources than they should.

If everyone lived as we did, we would need almost 3 Earths which obviously won't happen!

This day serves as a reminder of the unsustainable impact that we have on the planet. However, it can also serve as inspiration to take action. Never underestimate the power you have as an individual!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead

To calculate your Personal Overshoot Day, head to www.overshootday.org to take the quiz.

Caroline💚

🌞HELLO JULY! 🌞

Can't quite believe it but it's July already and so the start of Plastic Free July.

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. It was started in 2011 by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and a small team in local government in Western Australia and is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world.

The movement has inspired 100+ million participants in 190 countries. You making a small change will collectively make a massive difference to your communities.

Why is it Important?

Plastic consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Global plastics production doubled from 2000 to 2019 to reach 460 million tonnes.
Nearly two-thirds of plastic waste comes from plastics with lifetimes of under five years, with 40% coming from packaging, 12% from consumer goods and 11% from clothing and textiles.

GLOBALLY,
Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, 19% is incinerated, 50% ends up in landfill
and 22% evades waste management systems and goes into uncontrolled dumpsites, is burned in open pits or ends up in terrestrial or aquatic environments, especially in poorer countries.

See post for ways you can cut down on plastic.

What one swap will you commit to this Plastic Free July? If you've been meaning to do something for a while, this could be a great time to do it! Let me know below! 👇🏽

Follow along for more tips on how to be plastic free this month and every month. Sign up to our newsletter to grab a discount code coming soon! Link in stories.

Happy Hump Day! Back with some more tips to help you reduce your exposure to toxins in your home. Today, I'm focusing on the kitchen!

Healthy kitchens aren’t just about nutritious foods - we should also consider the items in our kitchen that might expose us to health-harming chemicals.

To create a truly health-supporting space, we need to choose materials that are safer for us and better for the planet.

Here are my top swaps for a low-tox kitchen and why these are important:

🍳Swap non-stick for stainless steel or cast iron: While non-stick pans are convenient and make clean-up a breeze, they are made with PFAS. These are per- and poly-fluoroalkylated substances, also known as “forever chemicals” because of how long they stick around. PFAS exposure has been linked to everything from increased cholesterol levels to cancer. Scratched non-stick has been found to release around 2,300,000 microplastics and nanoplastics. Eek!

Stainless steel & cast iron are better, safer choices that will last a lifetime.

🫙Swap plastic food containers for glass: plastic containers leach chemicals like phthalates and BPA into your food, especially if you heat it in plastic or if the food is oily or acidic.

Glass containers are both inexpensive and will last a long time. Plus, they don’t hold odours or stains like plastic can!

🥫Swap canned foods for jarred, frozen or dried: Canned foods contain an epoxy lining made with bisphenol chemicals (like BPA, BPF, etc), which migrate out into the food itself. Canned foods are a staple, so do your best here - it’s not about perfection!

👩‍🍳Swap plastic cooking utensils with wooden or stainless steel. Many kitchens have black plastic spatulas and ladles, that are often melted at the edges, which isn’t ideal. Instead, use wood or stainless steel utensils - they’re more durable, will last longer and will not expose you to harmful chemicals!

We don’t need to have a *perfect* kitchen, but these swaps can help us create a healthier one! Pop any questions you may have in the comments and I'll answer them as best I can.

Caroline😃

References:
PMID: 36030853

Happy Hump Day! Back with some more tips to help you reduce your exposure to toxins in your home. Today, I'm focusing on the kitchen!

Healthy kitchens aren’t just about nutritious foods - we should also consider the items in our kitchen that might expose us to health-harming chemicals.

To create a truly health-supporting space, we need to choose materials that are safer for us and better for the planet.

Here are my top swaps for a low-tox kitchen and why these are important:

🍳Swap non-stick for stainless steel or cast iron: While non-stick pans are convenient and make clean-up a breeze, they are made with PFAS. These are per- and poly-fluoroalkylated substances, also known as “forever chemicals” because of how long they stick around. PFAS exposure has been linked to everything from increased cholesterol levels to cancer. Scratched non-stick has been found to release around 2,300,000 microplastics and nanoplastics. Eek!

Stainless steel & cast iron are better, safer choices that will last a lifetime.

🫙Swap plastic food containers for glass: plastic containers leach chemicals like phthalates and BPA into your food, especially if you heat it in plastic or if the food is oily or acidic.

Glass containers are both inexpensive and will last a long time. Plus, they don’t hold odours or stains like plastic can!

🥫Swap canned foods for jarred, frozen or dried: Canned foods contain an epoxy lining made with bisphenol chemicals (like BPA, BPF, etc), which migrate out into the food itself. Canned foods are a staple, so do your best here - it’s not about perfection!

👩‍🍳Swap plastic cooking utensils with wooden or stainless steel. Many kitchens have black plastic spatulas and ladles, that are often melted at the edges, which isn’t ideal. Instead, use wood or stainless steel utensils - they’re more durable, will last longer and will not expose you to harmful chemicals!

We don’t need to have a *perfect* kitchen, but these swaps can help us create a healthier one! Pop any questions you may have in the comments and I'll answer them as best I can.

Caroline😃

References:
PMID: 36030853

Have you heard of the term "endocrine-disrupting chemical" (EDC) and wondered what it means and if it’s just hype or an actual real problem?

Read on to find out more!

EDCs are chemicals (natural or synthetic) that can interfere with and disrupt the normal functioning of your hormonal system. The endocrine system, which includes the thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands and more, regulates nearly every bodily function, such as growth, metabolism, reproduction & even mood. Because this system is fine-tuned to respond to teeny-tiny amounts of hormones, even slight changes caused by EDCs can have significant effects.

EDCs have been linked to problems including, but not limited to:

😕 reproductive disorders in men & women
😕 obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, T2 diabetes, & cardiovascular disease
😕 neurological & developmental issues
😕 various cancers and much, much more!

They are definitely a very real problem, so it’s totally reasonable to be concerned, but it’s not necessary to panic, and here’s why:

We’re all exposed to varying amounts of EDCs, some that are unavoidable and others that we can lower our exposure to. Feeling like we have to prevent every single exposure is a) impossible and b) a recipe for stress and anxiety that no one needs more of.

When we focus on lower exposures in the places we can, the anxiety and overwhelm tend to quiet down a lot!

Here are ways to start lowering your exposure to EDCs:

👉 Eat organic, as many pesticides are EDCs
👉 Avoid house cleaners with synthetic fragrances
👉 Avoid scented paraffin wax candles, plugins, etc. Opt for soy/beeswax/naturally fragranced candles instead
👉 Choose safer personal care products free of phthalates & parabens. (Check out the products at Ode to Earth !😜😜!)
👉 Wet dusting (using a damp cloth) will help remove EDCs in the dust in your home.

Do you think you could lower your exposure to these chemicals? What is the easiest switch to make? Let me know in the comments!

Save this for later reference and please share with friends. Knowledge is power and all that!

References:
PMID: 34452686
PMID: 27760374
PMID: 25714811

♻️👈 Do you know what the little chasing arrow symbols on plastics tell us about their toxicity?

Contrary to popular belief, these symbols don’t actually tell us much about an item’s recyclability (in practice, only #1 and #2 plastics are widely recycled, and even then, not very well. The rest end up in landfills/are incinerated).

There are many different types of plastics and while all of them are likely to be problematic from a health and environmental standpoint, some are worse than others. Those chasing arrow symbols can tell us a little bit about the type of plastic it is and offer clues to what specific chemical exposures we might get from them.

Nearly all plastics leach chemicals including bisphenols and phthalates into their surrounding environment - if that environment includes the foods and beverages you drink, you’ll be ingesting those chemicals!

This is an issue because both bisphenols and phthalates are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals, exposure to which is linked to things like:

👉diabetes
👉obesity
👉cardiovascular disease
👉certain cancers
👉birth defects
👉premature birth
👉neurodevelopmental disorders
👉infertility and more…

Our goal is to limit the use of plastics that have direct contact with food or drinks. That means, whenever possible, not storing leftovers in plastic, not microwaving in plastic and choosing glass or stainless steel bottles instead of plastic drink bottles.

Swipe through to learn more about what those numbers can tell us about potential toxicity and which ones we should definitely aim to avoid.

Reminder: not all uses of plastic are bad - medical equipment, bike helmets, etc are life-saving! What we want to do is limit the amount of *avoidable* plastic use (while at the same time holding the largest plastic polluters, which are corporations, responsible!)

References:
PMID: 36969097
PMID: 35295000
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00083
https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/introduction-to-edcs

Some inspiration for a new week and a new month!

Start Where You Are
Use What You Have
Do What You Can

Arthur Ashe

Time spent in nature is good for the soul. Climbed Torc Mountain on Saturday and dipped in Cromane beach today with a visit to . I hope you got to enjoy some time in nature this week.

There was lots of attention on our planet last Monday for Earth Day. I love when the focus is on bettering our planet, something that is at the centre of my business each and every day. If it spurs people on to make small changes, I’m here for it! 🌎

Palestine is never far from my thoughts when I’m celebrating the beauty in the world. I recently downloaded cookbook with 60 delicious dinner recipes. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Al Ostaz family in Gaza. is Lilly’s friend and part of the team in . Check out Lilly’s page for more. A small gesture to help a family in need.

FASHION REVOLUTION WEEK is happening this week, running until the 24th April.

Fashion Revolution Week was created to mark the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where 1,132 garment factory workers, mostly young women, were killed and more than 2,500 were injured. We remember and honour them by demanding that no one should die for fashion!

In celebration of the tenth anniversary as a global, people-powered movement, Fashion Revolution Week 2024 will mark ten years of activism with ten days of action. Check out for ways to get involved.

What steps have you taken to create a more ethical wardrobe? I would love to hear below. 👇

I will share some tips during the week also on what we can do.

The slides read - 80 Billion garments are produced each year with 400% more clothes being produced now compared to 20 years ago. A garment is worn 7 times on average, before being thrown away.

35 kg of textile waste is generated per person per year in the US on average and only 20% to 30% of the clothes in most wardrobes are worn regularly.

79 trillion litres of water are used by the fashion industry every year. 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year.

Synthetic fibres, such as polyester are plastic fibres, therefore non-biodegradable and can take up to 200 years to decompose. Synthetic fibres are used in 72% of our clothing.

Working 7 days a week for 16 hours per day makes 96 hours per week the normal working schedule for garment workers in manufacturing countries.

The environmental and social cost of the fashion industry forces us to rethink fast fashion and stresses the need for more sustainable business models and practices.

It’s World Health Day, a good chance for me to share how the plastic free and low tox products available at Ode to Earth benefit your own health as well as the health of the planet.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be found in things like plastics, personal care products and household goods.

Here are 5 reasons why these chemicals matter so much and why they deserve our attention!

📌Low doses can be hugely impactful to our health:
While the prevailing belief is that only large exposures are harmful, when it comes to chemicals that interfere with our hormonal system, decades of research have shown that very tiny doses actually matter a lot.

📌In utero exposure can lead to permanent effects:
All people can be affected by exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, but in utero are the most concerning. Exposure during this time may interfere with normal fetal development and can lead to an increased risk of developmental issues and chronic disease in adulthood.

📌Exposure is linked to a long list of chronic health issues:
Because our endocrine system regulates nearly all functions in the body (metabolism, growth & development, sexual function & reproduction, heart rate, blood pressure, appetite and body temperature, to name a few) exposure has been linked to dozens of health issues from obesity and cancer, to ADHD and autoimmune disorders.

📌They are not well regulated:
The vast majority of chemicals in commerce have not been evaluated for safety. Those assessed are often tested at extraordinarily high levels, and rarely for endocrine effects. They aren't tested at levels reflecting real-life exposure, despite decades of evidence suggesting harm at these lower levels.

📌They are everywhere:
Over 1000 chemicals, both man-made and natural, have been identified as being endocrine disruptors. All people are exposed to dozens of these every single day, multiple times a day.

Learning about where exposures happen can be empowering because you can focus on LOWERING those exposures. I will share more over the next while so follow along to find out more!

References:
PMID: 32707118

Happy Monday!

Drop a heart if you agree with this.

The World is changed by your Example,
Not by your Opinion,
Paulo Coelho

Here's to a great week,

Caroline x

✨Monday musings✨

Trying to remain hopeful and positive with all the awfulness in the world right now is hard. Let's try to spread kindness where we can, today and always.

Hope you are doing ok.

Caroline x

Here’s to a Green Christmas!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas. A huge thank you for being here and for all your support this year. For your orders, your likes, comments, shares, telling friends and your messages.

To those who bought Ode to Earth gifts for loved ones this Christmas, thank you!

To my wonderful suppliers, thank you for all you do. Enjoy a well earned break.

Santa agrees that an Ode to Earth gift card is a great idea for a last minute gift. Emailed straight to you! Head to my stories for a link to gift cards.

Thinking of all those for whom Christmas is a difficult time. Thinking of loved ones we have lost during the year. Thinking of those who do not have peace in their hearts or their worlds at the moment. Let’s continue to speak up against injustice and try to make the world a better place where we can.

Let’s Be Better Humans!

Take care,

Caroline x

Photo taken at

🎄GIFTS €25 - €70🎄

Give the gift of a greener future this year with our range of sustainable, plastic free gifts. Choose from:

🎁Citrus Hand Wash & Body Lotion Gift Set

🎁Burren Pine Christmas Candle

🎁Digital Gift Card

🎁Gua Sha Facial Kit

🎁Diffuser & Essential Oil Blend

🎁Cocktail Candle Set

🎁Lemongrass Body Lotion

🎁Reusable Coffee Cup

All available now at www.odetoearth.ie😍

🎄GIFTS €15 - €25🎄

Give the gift of a greener future this year with our range of sustainable, plastic free gifts. Choose from:

🎁Zero Waste Shave Set –Only 5 remaining!

🎁Reusable Christmas Crackers

🎁Christmas Cake Candle

🎁WASTED- Zero Waste Cookbook

🎁Namaste Soy Candle

🎁Zero Waste Lavender Eye Pillow

🎁Face & Beard Balm

🎁Harmony Essential Oil Blend

🎁Reusable Coffee Cup

All available now at www.odetoearth.ie😍

🎄GIFTS UNDER €15🎄

Go green this Christmas! You’ll find something for everyone at www.odetoearth.ie

If your guilty pleasure is cheese and you always have a few different types in your fridge, do you often end up with the ends of various cheeses that have gone hard? In his book, WASTED, Conor Spacey has put those odds and ends to good use in the kimchi toastie and cheese fritters, but here are some other ideas for how to use them up:

🧀Parmesan rinds
🧀Mac 'n' cheese
🧀Quiche or tarts
🧀Flatbreads
🧀Cauliflower cheese

Get your copy now at www.odetoearth.ie

Illustrations by

ZERO WASTE COOKING

Wasted is a capsule collection of recipes that have come from identifying some of the most wasted food items in our homes. This book will help you to stop wasting food and turn perfectly good ingredients into delicious dishes. And the key word here is delicious. The book's ulterior motive may be to get us to think differently about ingredients and waste, but the driver for all these plant-based recipes is flavour.

Wasted will change your mindset and reconnect you to real food, from the root to the tip.

Grab your copy now at www.odetoearth.ie

WASTED

FIVE WAYS WITH STALE BREAD

Bread is the most wasted food item in our homes. We often buy a full loaf even if we know we’ll never eat it all, plus bread has a very short shelf life. Use stale bread in recipes like panzanella or ribollita or try these easy ideas.

🍞1 Breadcrumbs
🍞2 Croutons
🍞3 Bread hummus
🍞4 Eggy bread (aka French toast)
🍞5 Garlic bread

From WASTED by

Illustrations by

🌱Today is World Soil Day. 🌱

It is held annually on 5 December to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.

This year's theme is ‘Soil and Water: A Source of Life’

95% of our food comes from these two fundamental resources so it's crucial that we care for it.

Soil nutrient loss is a major soil degradation process, threatening nutrition. It is recognised as being among the most critical problems at a global level for food security and sustainability all around the globe.

Over the last 70 years, the level of vitamins and nutrients in food has drastically decreased and it is estimated that 2 billion people worldwide suffer from lack of micronutrients, known as hidden hunger because it is difficult to detect.

Soil degradation induces some soils to be nutrient depleted losing their capacity to support crops, while others have such a high nutrient concentration that represent a toxic environment to plants and animals, pollutes the environment and cause climate change.

Kiss the Ground (.movie is a great film to watch to learn more about the imortance of soil.

Follow the amazing Vandana Shiva and watch her film to delve deeper in to the role of pesticides and their harmful effects on people, planet and food security.

Growing Your Own is a great way to limit your pesticide exposure and know where your food comes from. Gardening has been proven to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Digging in soil stirs up microbes within it. Inhaling these microbes can stimulate serotonin production, which can make you feel relaxed and happier! Give it a go and grab some of our organic seeds on special offer at the moment.

Link in Bio to shop. 🍃

Support your local grower and buy organic if you can. I have tagged some. Tag your local grower below👇🏼

Check out my stories for the Clean Fifteen and The Dirty Dozen.

It’s no secret that things can get overwhelming around Christmas time and this year is no exception. Here are 7 ways to reduce seasonal stress and keep the merry and light this Christmas.

Make this year a year to remember whilst sticking to a budget and being as sustainable as possible.

Thanks so much to Money Coach and author of 'Mindful Money', Kel Galavan for kindly contributing to a Blog Post for Ode to Earth, available to read now on www.odetoearth.ie. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
For tips on mindful spending, financial freedom and security, following is a must! Kel is an amazing supporter of mine and of all women in business and I am very grateful to her for that.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Grab a notepad, make a cuppa and have a read or save for later. Share with anyone who might also find it helpful. 🎄

If you have any other tips, would love to hear them👇 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Raffle for €1,400 of vouchers donated by small sustainable Irish businesses. Buy tickets now at www.idonate.ie/raffle/SmallIrishBusinessforGaza

Ticket price* goes directly to UNICEF Ireland's G*** Crisis Emergency Appeal via iDonate.ie.

Several winners - 1 for each prize - with a choice of prize offered, first come first served.

Here are the prizes (1 per winner):
🎟️ Jiminy.ie Eco Toys (.ie) - €100 voucher
🎟️ Green Earth Organics veg boxes () - €100 voucher
🎟️ Ohh! By Gum ethical sustainable fashion () - €100 voucher
🎟️ PAX Wholefoods and Eco Goods () - €100 voucher
🎟️ Rainbow Kids Boutique ethical dept store () - €100 voucher
🎟️ Ode to Earth.ie sustainable living store (.ie) - €50 voucher
🎟️ Flopsy Shop pre-loved kids' clothes () - €50 voucher
🎟️ Celtic Fusion Fabrics () - €100 voucher
🎟️ The Temple Wolf jewellery and gifts () - €100 voucher
🎟️ Outcrop Design personalised layered map art () - €360 voucher
🎟️ SENSAbaby () - Baby massage course to the value of €140, South Dublin
🎟️ Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place, Cork () - €100 voucher

Thanks so much to .ie for organising this and to all the businesses involved!

UNICEF says it needs funding for first aid emergency kits, water purification tablets, blankets and tarpaulins for families. With your support, we hope to help them with that through this raffle.

Thanks in advance!

Caroline

PS removed the word G*** as people were saying this text was being blanked out by IG.

* iDonate keeps a very small % to cover transaction costs and makes clear to you on checkout exactly how much that is

Some inspiration for a new week and a new month!

Start Where You Are
Use What You Have
Do What You Can

Arthur Ashe