Q: I have vowed to think more ecologically about my wine consumption this year. Should I choose cork, screw tops or plastic tops?
A: FIRST, here’s a toast to you for throwing abstinence to the wind and focusing on ethical resolutions. I’m thrilled to hear that you’re not joining those puritans who spend the grimmest months of the year ignoring the glorious grape, especially as we approach January 24, which one psychologist has called the year’s most depressing day.
Now, let’s talk about bottle- tops before we get too squiffy to do it properly. Cork is the favourite of green crusaders. It’s natural, bio-degradable and produced from a sustainable farming system. But, sadly, wine-makers have lost patience with it. Some say that as many as one bottle in ten is tainted by the cork.
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Then there are those nasty plastic corks. No one really likes them but everyone ends up with one. Everyone, that is, except me because I’ve brushed up. They are a by-product of the petroleum industry: a bad thing in terms of energy cost and pollution, and impossible to recycle. And wine gurus say they don’t do the flavour any favours.
So, we’re left with screw- tops, the future of wine bottles. They are normally made from aluminium, so at least they can be recycled.
Of course, if your bottle was Fairtrade, chosen from a selection on www.fairtrade.org.uk, it would be worth a second toast.
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Q: Should I trust organic labels on cosmetics?
AFTER my piece on green resolutions two weeks ago, some of you have written to ask about the credentials of organic cosmetic companies. I mentioned the popularity of products by REN, Aveda, Dr Hauschka and Weleda, which are favourites of mine. These companies are not certified by the main governing bodies in the UK (the Soil Association and the Organic Food Federation) but they sell products labelled “organic”.
Before you decide never again to believe a word I say, let me explain. While it is wise to be wary of uncertified companies which call their product “organic” but slip in parabens — preservative chemicals linked with cancer scares — there are exceptions. Just because a company isn’t certified doesn’t mean that it isn’t up to scratch, organically speaking. Some would meet the criteria — a minimum of 70 per cent organic ingredients for a label saying “made with organic ingredients” and 95 per cent for a label saying “organic” — but haven’t submitted themselves for certification. The Soil Association is trying to change this. Weleda and Dr Hauschka are German companies, registered with an equivalent German body.
Unfortunately, there are no restrictions under EU law on using the word “organic” in cosmetics. To be safe, stick to products certified by the Soil Association or the Organic Food Federation, or shop at SoOrganic.com, the first online retailer certified by the Soil Association.
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Do you have a green dilemma? E-mail it to body&soul@thetimes.co.uk