Greening of life

A VERY large dog sits with its head on the table looking intently at a plate of home-made biscuits, while a dark, sleepy cat drapes itself languidly around its owner's neck like a warm, furry scarf. "I'm glad the photographer isn't here now," says Lou Sandles, shifting the now comatose cat to a more comfortable position. "People would think I was very strange indeed."

Which is precisely what she isn't. Yes, she enjoys talking about compost, biodegradable nappies and organic lemons, but she is not didactic and does not preach from a green pulpit. In fact, as she talks, two words keep cropping up again and again that seem to sum up her entire philosophy: common sense.

"I've no interest in starting some sort of green revolution," she says as we munch our way through the delicious biscuits in her York terrace house. "I have a common sense approach to green issues.

"I put it down to my childhood. I remember my grandmother always had plastic bags drying on the washing line. She lived through the war years and firmly believed in 'waste not, want not'. That wasn't recycling to her, it was common sense."

After her son was born five years ago, Lou started searching for alternative baby products on the Internet. Virtually every website she visited had a link to something called WEN. She was intrigued and investigated further.

What she discovered was the Women's Environmental Network, a national group founded in 1988 to campaign on environmental and health issues from a woman's perspective.

Lou's son started full-time education in January, leaving her with more time to dedicate to green issues, so she decided to set up a WEN branch here in York.

"I didn't know whether there would be two or 200 of us," she says. "In the end I frog-marched two friends along, so at least I wouldn't be sitting there on my own."

More than 30 women turned up at last week's inaugural meeting. They each had their own issues and passions, but they all had one thing in common: the desire to make practical, positive changes.

"The sort of women who join this kind of group usually have a certain degree of environmental awareness already," says Lou. "They are people who have begun to change their own habits and who are able to go out into the community and raise awareness in others. Even one small change, such as reusing your plastic bags, can make a big difference."

Nationally, WEN has a number of long-running campaigns: putting breast cancer on the map; persuading supermarkets to rethink their packaging; raising awareness of harmful chemicals in cosmetics and toiletries; promoting the use of real nappies; and encouraging locally grown, organic food.

The York group is already planning to put an event together for the next Food And Drink Festival, highlighting how we can grow and cook our own food. But this is just one of the many issues they hope to raise.

"Cosmetics and toiletries are a big issue because a lot of them are packed full of horrible chemicals," says Lou. "These are chemicals that can be passed on to babies through their mother's breast milk and can have detrimental effects down the line in terms of fertility rates and sperm counts. I know my son is only five, but I should like to have grandchildren one day."

She is also concerned about packaging, which encourages waste and makes it difficult for people to recycle, and baby wipes, some of which contain chemicals banned from teething products.

"It's not okay for babies to swallow these chemicals, but it's okay for us to rub them all over their skin," she says. "That just doesn't make any sense to me."

One of Lou's more unusual passions is composting. To say she is a fan is something of an understatement.

"It is really easy and it really works," she says. "People think a compost heap is just for kitchen scraps, but you can throw on virtually anything that isn't plastic. Paper and cardboard, including your egg boxes, the contents of your vacuum cleaner, kitchen towels and tissues, as long as you haven't blown your nose on them, even cat hair - you can compost all of it."

Lou would like the York group to run a composting workshop at some point, perhaps in conjunction with a seed exchange, where gardeners will be invited to bring along their half-used packets of seeds from last season and swap them.

These activities, and many of the issues tackled by WEN, are not exclusively of concern to women, so why is the organisation a resolutely all-women affair?

"Generally, we are still the ones who do the shopping, put the rubbish out and look after the children," says Lou. "In most cases, women are still in control of the domestic situation and are in a better position to make those small changes which make all the difference."

She firmly believes that small, practical changes and not grand sweeping gestures are the way to go. Growing your own veggies, composting teabags and switching to biodegradable nappies may not change the world, but such small changes will make your part of it a greener, more sustainable place to live.

"This is not some sort of political party," says Lou. "You won't be seeing me burning a bag of disposable nappies in front of the council building to make a point.

"My message, if I have one, is positive, not combative. I'm not trying to promote anything that doesn't make good common sense."

For more information about WEN, check out the website at www.wen.org.uk or write to WEN, PO Box 30626, London E1 1TZ. For information about the York group, phone Lou Sandles on 01904 612882.

DIY cosmetics the green way

If you would like to try chemical-free cosmetics and toiletries, the Women's Environmental Network has come up with these do-it-yourself alternatives.

Thyme bath bags: For a soothing, relaxing soak, put dried thyme into an eight-inch square of cheesecloth. Add a little raw oats to soften the water. Tie with string and either hang from the tap as the bath runs or let it float in the water.

Sugar cleanser: If you want a great facial cleanser, add a small handful of sugar when you soap your face. Massage for a couple of minutes and rinse with warm water.

Lemon tonic: Never throw a squeezed lemon away without first using it to rub over your hands and elbows. It softens, cleans and bleaches all in one go.

Camomile eye freshener: After enjoying a cup of camomile tea, don't throw the bag away - squeeze out excess water and put the bag over your eyes for ten minutes to reduce puffiness and refresh.

Egg shampoo: Beat one or two eggs in a cup of water and massage into wet hair for five to ten minutes. It is important to allow time for the egg to clean the hair and the protein to act as a conditioner. It is also important to rinse the mixture off thoroughly. Remember: don't use hot water or the egg will scramble!

Sage tooth powder: Grind a couple of handfuls of sage leaves with a handful of sea salt in a pestle and mortar. Bake in the oven until hard and grind again into a fine powder. Put in a sealed jar and use instead of toothpaste. Alternatively, rubbing sage leaves across the teeth cleanses them and sweetens the breath.

Petal lip balm: Fill a sterilised jar with 2-4 tablespoons of rose or marigold petals and slowly pour one cup of almond oil over them. Fill to within an inch of the top of the jar. Close and label and leave in the sun for five days in summer, 15 in winter. Strain off the oil during a warm part of the day. Press the petals to extract all the oil and warm this oil in a double boiler, stirring continuously. Add one tablespoon of beeswax and one teaspoon each of honey, vanilla extract, vitamin E oil and aloe vera gel. Pour back into the jar and close tightly. The balm will harden quickly. Apply as and when needed.

Steam clean: Steaming is the most thorough, deep-cleansing method of cleaning your skin and is beneficial to all skin types. Simply lean over a bowl of boiling water, cover your head with a towel and make a steam tent. Once a week is ideal for normal skin, less often if skin is very dry, and daily if very greasy.

Updated: 09:55 Tuesday, March 16, 2004