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1 in 5 Australians admit they don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-carson-109004">Christine Carson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> Do you wash your hands every time you use the toilet? How about before you handle food? Be honest. Australia’s Food Safety Information Council has released its <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-report-card-on-aussie-handwashing-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2024/">latest report card</a> on the country’s hand washing habits. It found 19% of Australians don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet. Close to half (42%) admit they don’t always wash hands before handling food. So who’s doing well when it comes to hand hygiene, who’s not – and why does it matter? <h2>What did the report find?</h2> The new report surveyed hand washing practices of 1,229 people. Results were consistent with what we’ve learned from <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-research-shows-improvement-in-aussie-handwashing-but-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2023/">similar surveys</a>. Once again, women do better than men at washing their hands after using the toilet, although only slightly (80% of men say they do every time, versus 83% of women). Just 55% of men wash their hands before touching food, compared to 62% of women. Age also seemed to make a difference. Under 34 years old, 69% of people washed their hands every time they used the toilet. Over age 65, that jumped to 86%. Although some of these differences aren’t completely unexpected – such as <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2020/02/women-hand-washing-more-than-men-why-coronavirus.html">the gap</a> between men’s and women’s hand washing habits – the reasons remain unclear. <h2>Why don’t people wash their hands?</h2> Public health messaging often focuses on how to wash hands well. But there’s less research that follows up on how widely people actually adopt these practices. And to understand why – if they are skipping the soap and water – those messages might not be getting through effectively. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33998334/">One study</a> that looked at this question in India asked school children about barriers to hand washing. The vast majority (91%) had low “illness threat perception”. In other words, they simply didn’t perceive a risk of getting sick form not washing their hands after going to the toilet. Interestingly, the inability to see germs with their own eyes was one of the biggest barriers, cited by 46% of the children. But 72% said they would wash their hands if their friends did. It’s tempting to speculate these reasons may also apply to other age groups, but we simply haven’t done enough research to know. People’s reasons for hand washing, or not, likely vary across their lifetime and with their circumstances. <h2>What are the risks?</h2> Urine and faeces contain millions of germs, especially faeces, which has more than <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-poo-is-mostly-alive-heres-whats-in-it-102848">100 billion</a> germs per gram. When you use the toilet and touch surfaces in the bathroom, you will pick up germs. People who skip the hand washing step on the way out take those germs with them when they leave, depositing them on each surface they touch afterwards. You may not get sick yourself, but you’re increasing the spread of bacteria. This can increase the risk of infection and illness for other people, including those with compromised immune systems such as older people and those undergoing common forms of treatment for cancer. Hand washing before cooking and eating is also important. The risk here goes both ways. If you have disease-causing germs on your hands (maybe because you didn’t wash them after the toilet) you may transfer them to the food where they can multiply and even produce toxins. People who eat the food may then get sick, often involving vomiting and diarrhoea. In the other direction, some foods naturally carry germs before cooking – such as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7697675/">salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in raw poultry</a>. If you don’t wash your hands after handling these foods you may transfer them to other surfaces and risk spreading infection. <h2>How should I wash my hands?</h2> Follow these three simple tips for hand washing correctly: <ol> <li> wet your hands and rub them together well to build up a good lather with soap for at least 20 seconds and don’t forget to wash between your fingers and under your nails. You might have to use a nail brush </li> <li> rinse well under running water to remove the bugs from your hands </li> <li> dry your hands thoroughly on a clean towel for at least 20 seconds. Touching surfaces with moist hands encourages bugs to spread from the surface to your hands. </li> </ol> <h2>What about hand sanitiser?</h2> If no running water is available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. These rapidly inactivate a wide range of germs, rendering them non-infectious. Hand sanitisers are effective against a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513254/#_article-17334_s3_">wide range of bacteria and viruses</a> that can cause many common gastrointesintal and respiratory infections. However if your hands are soiled with organic matter – such as blood, faeces, meat, sand or soil – they won’t be effective. In that case you should clean your hands with soap and water. <h2>The bottom line</h2> Hand washing is a bit like wearing a seat belt — you do that every time you get in a car, not just on the days you “plan” to be involved in an accident. The bottom line is hand washing is a simple, quick intervention that benefits you and those around you — but only if you do it.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241481/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-carson-109004">Christine Carson</a>, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-australians-admit-they-dont-wash-their-hands-every-time-they-use-the-toilet-241481">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Constipation increases your risk of a heart attack, new study finds – and not just on the toilet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vincent-ho-141549">Vincent Ho</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> If you Google the terms “constipation” and “heart attack” it’s not long before the name Elvis Presley crops up. Elvis had a longstanding history of chronic constipation and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/elvis-addiction-was-the-perfect-prescription-for-an-early-death">it’s believed</a> he was straining very hard to poo, which then led to a fatal heart attack. We don’t know what really happened to the so-called King of Rock “n” Roll back in 1977. There were likely several contributing factors to his death, and this theory is one of many. But after this famous case researchers took a strong interest in the link between constipation and the risk of a heart attack. This includes a recent <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpheart.00519.2024">study</a> led by Australian researchers involving data from thousands of people. <h2>Are constipation and heart attacks linked?</h2> Large <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y">population</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/">studies</a> show constipation is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks. For example, an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y">Australian study</a> involved more than 540,000 people over 60 in hospital for a range of conditions. It found constipated patients had a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes compared to non-constipated patients of the same age. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/">Danish study</a> of more than 900,000 people from hospitals and hospital outpatient clinics also found that people who were constipated had an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. It was unclear, however, if this relationship between constipation and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes would hold true for healthy people outside hospital. These Australian and Danish studies also did not factor in the effects of drugs used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), which can make you constipated. <h2>How about this new study?</h2> The recent <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpheart.00519.2024">international study</a> led by Monash University researchers found a connection between constipation and an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure in a general population. The researchers analysed data from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk">UK Biobank</a>, a database of health-related information from about half a million people in the United Kingdom. The researchers identified more than 23,000 cases of constipation and accounted for the effect of drugs to treat high blood pressure, which can lead to constipation. People with constipation (identified through medical records or via a questionnaire) were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or heart failure as those without constipation. The researchers found a strong link between high blood pressure and constipation. Individuals with hypertension who were also constipated had a 34% increased risk of a major heart event compared to those with just hypertension. The study only looked at the data from people of European ancestry. However, there is good reason to believe the link between constipation and heart attacks applies to other populations. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26812003/">Japanese study</a> looked at more than 45,000 men and women in the general population. It found people passing a bowel motion once every two to three days had a higher risk of dying from heart disease compared with ones who passed at least one bowel motion a day. <h2>How might constipation cause a heart attack?</h2> Chronic constipation can lead to straining when passing a stool. This can result in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">laboured breathing</a> and can lead to a rise in blood pressure. In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">one Japanese study</a> including ten elderly people, blood pressure was high just before passing a bowel motion and continued to rise during the bowel motion. This increase in blood pressure lasted for an hour afterwards, a pattern not seen in younger Japanese people. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">One theory</a> is that older people have stiffer blood vessels due to atherosclerosis (thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque) and other age-related changes. So their high blood pressure can persist for some time after straining. But the blood pressure of younger people returns quickly to normal as they have more elastic blood vessels. As blood pressure rises, the risk of heart disease increases. The risk of developing heart disease <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12493255/">doubles</a> when systolic blood pressure (the top number in your blood pressure reading) rises permanently by 20 mmHg (millimetres of mercury, a standard measure of blood pressure). The systolic blood pressure rise with straining in passing a stool has been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">reported to be</a> as high as 70 mmHg. This rise is only temporary but with persistent straining in chronic constipation this could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22256893/">Some people</a> with chronic constipation may have an impaired function of their vagus nerve, which controls various bodily functions, including digestion, heart rate and breathing. This impaired function can result in abnormalities of heart rate and over-activation of the flight-fight response. This can, in turn, lead to elevated blood pressure. Another intriguing avenue of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6399019/">research</a> examines the imbalance in gut bacteria in people with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3596341/">constipation</a>. This imbalance, known as dysbiosis, can result in microbes and other substances leaking through the gut barrier into the bloodstream and triggering an immune response. This, in turn, can lead to low-grade inflammation in the blood circulation and arteries becoming stiffer, increasing the risk of a heart attack. This latest study also explored genetic links between constipation and heart disease. The researchers found shared genetic factors that underlie both constipation and heart disease. <h2>What can we do about this?</h2> Constipation affects around <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36826591/">19% of the global population</a> aged 60 and older. So there is a substantial portion of the population at an increased risk of heart disease due to their bowel health. Managing chronic constipation through dietary changes (particularly increased dietary fibre), increased physical activity, ensuring adequate hydration and using medications, if necessary, are all important ways to help improve bowel function and reduce the risk of heart disease.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237209/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vincent-ho-141549">Vincent Ho</a>, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/constipation-increases-your-risk-of-a-heart-attack-new-study-finds-and-not-just-on-the-toilet-237209">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Passengers on cancelled flights to be compensated under new reforms

Plane passengers could soon be entitled to compensation or refunds for delayed or cancelled flights in Australia. The long-awaited Aviation White Paper will be handed down this morning, as part of the federal government's crackdown on the aviation sector. The white paper makes 56 recommendations, including the the establishment of an Aviation Industry Ombudsman Scheme, which will have the authority to make it compulsory for airlines to provide support to passengers and give travellers more rights. The Aviation Industry Ombudsman Scheme will also be able to refer to allegations of misconduct for investigation and enforcement. It will also introduce a new "Charter of Rights" entitling airline customers to refunds for flights that are disrupted, cancelled, or unreasonably delayed. Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the changes were critical to ensure that passenger had better experiences in the air, and will provide them with a baseline for the services they can expect on flights. "The aviation customer experience has deteriorated post-COVID, with an urgent need to better protect the rights of the travelling public," she said. She added that Australians were often not being dealt with fairly by airlines. "The bottom line is if people don't get the service that they are expecting, then customers deserve to get their money back or they deserve to get an equivalent service," she said. "And that's really not what's been happening when it comes to the consumer space." Under the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme, airlines will also have to "show cause" and provide a valid reason why a flight has been delayed or cancelled, and the ombudsperson has the right to request additional information. Airlines will also be required to provide support to people to make alternative travel arrangements. As part of its white paper, the government will also establish new minimum standards for airlines to make their services more accessible to those with disabilities. Legislation to establish the aviation ombuds office will be introduced next year, but the government plans to appoint an interim ombudsperson. The scheme is expected to be fully implemented in 2026. Image: Shutterstock

Legal

What is ‘slot hoarding’ – and is it locking out regional airlines like Rex?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> It’s been a depressing year for regional aviation. Rex Airlines has just become the second Australian airline to go into voluntary administration this year, after Bonza’s collapse in April. Is Qantas’ chief executive Vanessa Hudson right – that there simply <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/australia-can-t-sustain-more-than-three-airlines-says-qantas-boss-20240714-p5jtlo.html">aren’t enough passengers</a> in Australia to support more than three airlines? That’s certainly a convenient narrative for the members of our domestic airline duopoly, Qantas and Virgin Australia, who now face even less competition. Or did Rex fall victim to other airlines’ strategic management to limit the number of airport slots available to them to successfully fly between the capital cities? This practice is known as “slot hoarding”. On Thursday, the former chair of the the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Rod Sims, seemed to think so, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/01/rex-airlines-administration-qantas-virgin">telling ABC radio</a>: <blockquote> The government outsources the management of the slots at Sydney airport to a company that’s majority-owned by Qantas and Virgin, it is just unbelievable. </blockquote> It’s certainly not a new allegation. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/06/rex-and-bonza-call-for-immediate-overhaul-of-sydney-airport-laws-to-increase-competition">Rex</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/06/rex-and-bonza-call-for-immediate-overhaul-of-sydney-airport-laws-to-increase-competition">Bonza</a>, and the <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/accc-warns-sydney-airport-slots-manager-has-conflicts-of-interest-20231220-p5espy">ACCC</a> have all previously raised concerns. So how exactly do airline slots work, and does the system need reform? <h2>What are slots?</h2> Back in the 1970s, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) developed the airline slot system to reduce airport congestion. The aim was to improve the traffic flow during peak travel times at “level 3” high traffic density airports – a category that includes Sydney and Melbourne. Under the system, airlines are allocated a daily number of slots they can use. Importantly, there is a set amount of slots available, as they represent specific time windows for aircraft to take off or land. Airlines <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2018.04.005">schedule</a> their slots ahead of time as part of a yield management program. This plan looks across the whole calendar year, taking into account projected peak and off-peak travel times for business and leisure travellers. An airline owns the time slot it is designated by the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2018.04.005">airport infrastructure</a> capacity, whether it gets used or not. The IATA system relies on what’s called the “<a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2024/02/80-20-rule-looks-to-survive-government-overhaul-of-sydney-slots/#:%7E:text=Currently%2C%20an%20airline%20can%20keep,calls%20it%20%E2%80%9Ctoo%20generous%E2%80%9D.">80/20 rule</a>”, which states an airline must use 80% of its allocated slots or it will loose its unused slots. The 20% is a buffer. But it has been <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2024/02/80-20-rule-looks-to-survive-government-overhaul-of-sydney-slots/">criticised</a> as overly generous. Airlines can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1000936123002340">buy sell or lease</a>, slots they are not using due to slow demand or the need for financial gain. These can sell for <a href="https://simpleflying.com/biggest-airport-slot-deals-list/">huge sums</a>. <h2>Can slots be hoarded?</h2> Broadly speaking, slot hoarding is the practice of booking slots for use only to cancel them in bad faith, preventing other airlines from getting access to premium travel times. In June last year, Rex’s then-deputy-chairman John Sharp <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/06/rex-and-bonza-call-for-immediate-overhaul-of-sydney-airport-laws-to-increase-competition">accused Qantas</a> of engaging in the practice: <blockquote> It’s as plain as the nose on your face that Qantas is hoarding slots by cancelling sufficient flights to remain within the 80/20 rule. </blockquote> Slot availability is a particular <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/accc-warns-sydney-airport-slots-manager-has-conflicts-of-interest-20231220-p5espy">issue for Sydney Airport</a>, because takeoffs and landings are capped at 80 per hour. Sydney Airport Corporation’s executive general manager of aviation, Robert Wood, as well as the airport’s then-chief-executive Geoff Culbert also both expressed <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-21/airlines-qantas-virgin-slot-hoarding-solving-problems/103110390">serious concerns</a> about slot use last year. In February this year, the federal government unveiled a <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/reforming-sydney-airport-slots-boost-efficiency-competition-and-consumers-outcomes">range of reforms</a> for Sydney airport’s slot system. These included requirements for increased transparency on how slots are used, and new independent audits. Notably though, the government made <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2024/02/80-20-rule-looks-to-survive-government-overhaul-of-sydney-slots/">no change</a> to the 80/20 rule. <h2>What needs to change?</h2> A number of further reforms could help make the airport system friendlier to new entrants and more equitable. One possibility is to sell a predefined number of slots to the major participating airlines. Airlines would have to make a business case outlining their proposed needs over the next calendar year. Currently, airlines request slots from the airport slot management team at no cost to the airline, a system which favours established airlines that have met the 80/20 rule. But a key criticism of this proposal is that the cost of purchasing slots <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-21/airlines-qantas-virgin-slot-hoarding-solving-problems/103110390">would be passed down</a> to the flying public, likely resulting in higher airfares. Bidding for slots would also add new cost barriers to entry for would-be startup challengers. Another possibility is to look at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2019.0926">slot allocation based on fairness</a>, measuring an airline’s needs against airport infrastructure. Airlines that had historically used 80% of their allocated slots would be given priority bidding on up to 50% of the following year’s total airport slot allocation. The remaining 50% of slots could be prioritised for new airlines without an established history, with the goal of awarding them take off and landing times that aren’t necessarily premium, but close enough. Airlines that didn’t achieve this 80% target or were found to be abusing the slot hoarding rules would be removed from the top-tier fairness status and placed in a slot allocation “sin bin” until their performance measures were brought up to standards. Australia has challenges ahead for domestic flights that are already at capacity. Government reforms that provide better oversight of airport usage of the 80/20 rule could help mitigate the risk of anti-competitive behaviour. Australian airlines have the right to compete without feeling unfairly held back, and we as consumers have the right to reasonable airfares. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235960/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-slot-hoarding-and-is-it-locking-out-regional-airlines-like-rex-235960">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Sam Kerr's alleged racial comments revealed by UK paper

The legal controversy surrounding Matildas star Sam Kerr following allegations of racially charged remarks directed towards a police officer in London continues to unfold, after a UK newspaper published those alleged remarks. According to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26401266/sam-kerr-football-charge-crime-police-fifa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>, Kerr allegedly called a police officer a "stupid white bastard" during a dispute over a taxi fare. The details emerged as Kerr faced charges for using insulting, threatening or abusive words towards the officer, causing alarm or distress. The seriousness of the allegations is underscored by the potential consequences, with Kerr facing a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment if convicted. The incident is said to have taken place in January 2023 shortly after Kerr's remarkable performance in a Chelsea FA Cup victory, and Kerr has maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges brought against her. The delayed prosecution in Kerr's case has sparked speculation, with reports suggesting that determining the appropriate charge was a complex process for the Crown Prosecution Service. However, as the trial approaches, the focus shifts towards the legal proceedings and the evidence that will be presented in court. Throughout her career, Kerr has been a prominent figure in the fight against racism in sport. Her past actions, including posing with an Aboriginal flag alongside her Matildas teammates, reflect a commitment to promoting inclusivity and unity. Kerr's accolades both on and off the field have solidified her iconic status, making the allegations against her all the more surprising. In response to the controversy, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson and Football Australia CEO James Johnson expressed their lack of prior knowledge regarding the incident. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment directly on the matter, but said that Kerr's actions during her tenure as the national flag bearer exemplified pride and dignity. “I don’t comment on legal matters before Australian courts, let alone other ones,” Albanese said. “I will say this about my contact with Sam Kerr, she was our flag bearer at the coronation. My contact with her was exemplary. She did Australia proud at that time and I think that my contact with her has been nothing but delightful.” Images: Getty

Legal

Flight attendant reveals why you should never use the toilet paper on a plane

A flight attendant has revealed the gross reason why you should never use the toilet paper on a plane journey. The seasoned cabin crew member, an American woman named Cheryl, shared the three things she would never do on a plane after seeing what really goes on behind closed doors on an aircraft. Her first tip for any traveller was not to use the toilet paper in a plane bathroom. Sharing her tips in a TikTok video, she wrote, "If you examine the toilet paper, I promise you're going to see water droplets on it, or what you think are water droplets." "I don't think we can trust most men to make it in the toilet on a normal day, let alone flying at 36,000 feet with turbulence." To combat this, the flight attendant recommends bringing a travel pack of tissues in your hand luggage to use instead. She also warned her viewers against wearing shorts on their next flight. "I would never wear shorts on a plane. You're going to freeze to death," she said. Cheryl pointed out another valid reason to opt for long pants on a flight, stating, "Say we have an evacuation. You have to go down the slide. Your butt cheeks are going to be sizzled off.” Lastly, Cheryl urged travellers to never book less than a three-hour connection between flights. "Delays can happen for a million and one reasons. The likelihood that you're going to miss your connection is pretty high if you're booking shorter than three hours," she said. Image credits: TikTok

Travel Tips

This bathroom item is dirtier than your toilet seat, according to a microbiologist

Bathrooms and germs Bathrooms are filthy – there’s just no way around it. They’re home to toilets, sinks and showers and tend to be one of the dirtiest places in the home, no matter how often they’re on your cleaning schedule. And because the toilet seat plays host to your derrière, it’s easy to label this as the germiest spot in the bathroom. But research is disproving that notion. Overall, the hard surfaces – such as the toilet seat and floor – are scrubbed down often because they’re the first lines on your bathroom cleaning checklist. And many people focus on cleaning the toilet because nothing screams dirty like a line of biofilm in the toilet bowl. But what about other bathroom-specific items? Dr Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, says that it’s the fabrics in our bathroom that deserve the most attention. Yes, your bathmat is actually dirtier than your toilet seat, followed by towels, including those facecloths (which is why you need to wash your towels often). Here’s what you need to know. Are bathmats really that dirty? “We’ve done a lot of research on the microbiology of homes and, more recently, the bathroom,” says Gerba. The bathmat is problematic for two reasons, he says. First, it gets wet when you’re getting out of the shower, and it stays wet and moist, often in a dark and damp room. The second issue is that many people wear shoes in the bathroom, a huge contributing factor to the dirt, grime and bacteria found on bathmats. “Almost 90% of all shoes have faecal bacteria on them,” Gerba says. “You’re walking in dog poop all the time, and you don’t know it.” Beyond tracking shoes throughout the house and across bathmats, Gerba also pointed out the potential of spray from the toilet to land on bathmats. The Ecological Fluid Dynamics Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder experimented to see how far water droplets were ejected into the air when flushing public restroom toilets. The airborne particles shoot out quickly, reaching as much as 1.5 metres above the toilet within 8 seconds. The droplets were unpredictable and landed on the walls around the toilet, including behind it, and also on the ceiling. Which means that depending on the proximity, spray from a toilet can easily touch down on a plush bathmat. But while some research might suggest closing the toilet seat cover at home before flushing, not everyone agrees with that solution. “When you close the lid, the spray then goes over the top of the toilet seat and hits the walls on the side because you’ve narrowed the opening, which makes the water shoot out at a higher speed,” Gerba says, adding that closing the lid also leads to the toilet seat and underside of the lid getting more contaminated. How to prevent dirty bathmats Whether or not you close the toilet seat, one thing is certain: Keeping your bathmat as dry as possible is important. One of the factors that make bathmats the dirtiest spot in the bathroom is that they sometimes stay damp for hours, depending on how humid your environment is, how many people are showering and how much water splashes on them. Drying off in the shower will keep your bathmat from getting soggy. You can also hang it to dry instead of leaving it on the floor, where it will stay wet longer. Another tip: If you don’t remove your shoes when entering your house, at least take them off before going into the bathroom (and clean your floors often). That way, you’re not tracking outside germs onto a bathmat where they can quickly and easily multiply. “When you get out of the shower, it’s moist,” Gerba says. “Any time we have a fabric, it absorbs water, and things like faecal bacteria will survive longer there than on hard surfaces.” How to wash your bathmat The hard surfaces in bathrooms are satisfying to spray and wipe down, which Gerba recommends doing every few days. But what about bathmats? You should wash your bathmat at least once a week, and not just to keep it fresh and fluffy, but importantly, to remove bacteria. The first step to washing bathmats is to check the care label and follow the instructions on the tag, including which temperature is best for the fabric. Most bathmats can be machine-washed, but be careful with rubber-backed bathmats, which shouldn’t be dried on high heat. In general, quick-drying fabrics, such as microfibre and chenille, can be good options because they dry fast and are easy to launder. Something you can easily wash twice per week is the healthiest option. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/this-bathroom-item-is-dirtier-than-your-toilet-seat-according-to-a-microbiologist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Why are people putting toilet paper in the fridge?

Recently, people on social media have been advising you to replace that box of bi-carbonate of soda (baking soda) in the back of your fridge with a roll of toilet paper. Does this weird trick work? We asked kitchen and appliance experts to see what the pros had to say! <h4>Why put toilet paper in the fridge?</h4> Ruiz Asri, editor of Honest Food Talks, says toilet paper’s absorbency is behind this hack. “Moisture in the refrigerator often contributes to mildew and unpleasant odour,” Asri says. The toilet paper absorbs excess moisture, along with foul smells. References to toilet paper in the fridge can be found as far back as 2015. But its dedicated use of it as an odour absorber seems to be more recent, with videos appearing on TikTok and Facebook. Does it work? Yes, to a point. While TP will absorb odours, other options are more efficient, take up less space and generate fewer odd looks from houseguests. Amy, from the parenting blog Amy & Rose, has tried the TP technique. She had some fishy smells in the fridge, and her daughter suggested that she try the toilet paper hack. So did it work? “In my experience, somewhat,” she says. But here’s the catch: It’s just a temporary fix. <h4>Alternative fridge odour busters</h4> So if you want something longer lasting that takes up less space, read on for some alternate odour-fighting strategies. Bi-carbonate of soda Bi-carbonate of soda (also known as bi-carb and baking soda) is the go-to solution for many households. It caught on in the 1970s, when one manufacturer promoted it as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical cleaning. By 1994, a US newspaper reported “more refrigerators are likely to have bi-carb than working light bulbs.” Bi-carb is a base material, which means it neutralises acids. Because most odours are acidic, it can cut off the smell at the source. (Side note: After deodorising a fridge with bi-carb, don’t use the contents of that box for baking. Cooking can reactivate those acids and contaminate your cake.) As the bi-carb interacts with more acids, it becomes less effective. Most people will need to replace it every three months. Black cumin seed oil Corinne Segura, a building biologist practitioner and founder of My Chemical-Free House, has first-hand experience with fridge odours. “When food went bad in my fridge, it left a lingering foul odour,” she says. “I used black cumin seed oil, which has a deodorising effect, to clean up the smell.” Segura credits this to the essential oil’s ability to deodorise methyl mercaptan, a chemical that produces a rotten scent. “I mixed five drops of black cumin essential oil with 1 tablespoon of dish soap and applied it in a thick layer to all the plastic components inside the fridge,” she says. “I let it sit for two hours before washing it off. This worked well to get rid of foul odours in the fridge.” Activated charcoal Activated charcoal captures the particles that cause bad smells, just like toilet paper. It’s available as a powder, in pre-cut filters or as fabric you can cut to size. It functions by collecting the volatile compounds given off by smelly items, reducing odour. Swap out the charcoal every month or so to keep it effective. Vanilla extract For those who prefer a more pleasant scent, especially around their food, Asri offers a particularly sweet recommendation. “Soak a cotton wool ball in vanilla extract and place it in the refrigerator,” he says. “This combats bad odours and leaves your fridge smelling like a bakery.” Crumpled newspaper and charcoal If you want a deep-clean on your fridge or freezer at minimal expense, go with one paper product that’s even cheaper than toilet paper. Fill up a particularly stinky fridge with crushed charcoal and crumpled newspaper (you can buy unprinted newsprint paper). You’ll need to replace the newspaper every day for about a week, but it’s a low-cost way to deal with a foul-smelling situation. <h4>UV light purifier</h4> If you gravitate towards high-tech solutions, consider a fridge with a UV light filter. “Ultraviolet light can destroy bacteria, mould and other pathogens,” says Alexander Hill, a sales rep for UK-based Appliance Depot. “Some fridge purifiers use UV light to sanitise the air and surfaces inside the fridge, thus reducing the source of many odours.” Take that, toilet paper. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/diy-tips/why-are-people-putting-toilet-paper-in-the-fridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Why do people with hoarding disorder hoard, and how can we help?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-grisham-37825">Jessica Grisham</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/keong-yap-1468967">Keong Yap</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-norberg-493004">Melissa Norberg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> Hoarding disorder is an under-recognised serious mental illness that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25909628/">worsens with age</a>. It affects <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31200169/">2.5% of the working-age population</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27939851/">7% of older adults</a>. That’s about 715,000 Australians. People who hoard and their families often feel ashamed and don’t get the support they need. Clutter can make it hard to do things most of us take for granted, such as eating at the table or sleeping in bed. In the gravest cases, homes are completely unsanitary, either because it has become impossible to clean or because the person <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23482436/">saves garbage</a>. The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18275935/">strain on the family</a> can be extreme – couples get divorced, and children grow up feeling unloved. So why do people with hoarding disorder hoard? And how can we help? <h2>What causes hoarding disorder?</h2> Saving millions of objects, many worthless by objective standards, often makes little sense to those unfamiliar with the condition. However, most of us<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X21000282?via%3Dihub"> become attached to at least a few possessions</a>. Perhaps we love the way they look, or they trigger fond memories. Hoarding involves this same type of object attachment, as well over-reliance on possessions and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32402421/">difficulty being away from them</a>. Research has shown genetic factors play a role but there is no one <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27445875/">single gene that causes hoarding disorder</a>. Instead, a range of psychological, neurobiological, and social factors can be at play. Although some who hoard report being deprived of material things in childhood, emotional deprivation may play a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20934847/">stronger role</a>. People with hoarding problems often report excessively cold parenting, difficulty connecting with others, and more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34717158/">traumatic experiences</a>. They may end up believing people are unreliable and untrustworthy, and that it’s better to rely on objects for comfort and safety. People with hoarding disorder are often as attached or perhaps <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/11/3/article-p941.xml">more attached to possessions</a> than to the people in their life. Their experiences have taught them their self-identity is tangled up in what they own; that if they part with their possessions, they will lose themselves. Research shows <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005789421000253?via%3Dihub">interpersonal problems</a>, such as loneliness, are linked to greater <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32853881/">attachment to objects</a>. Hoarding disorder is also associated with high rates of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34923357/">attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder</a>. Difficulties with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30907337/">decision-making</a>, planning, <a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/12/3/article-p827.xml">attention</a> and categorising can make it hard to organise and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20542489/">discard possessions</a>. The person ends up avoiding these tasks, which leads to unmanageable levels of clutter. <h2>Not everyone takes the same path to hoarding</h2> Most people with hoarding disorder also have strong beliefs about their possessions. For example, they are more likely to see beauty or usefulness in things and believe objects possess <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1025428631552">human-like qualities</a> such as intentions, emotions, or free will. Many also feel responsible for objects and for the environment. While others may not think twice about discarding broken or disposable things, people with hoarding disorder can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30041077/">anguish over their fate</a>. This need to control, rescue, and protect objects is often at odds with the beliefs of friends and family, which can lead to conflict and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32853881/">social isolation</a>. Not everyone with hoarding disorder describes the same pathway to overwhelming clutter. Some report more cognitive difficulties while others may have experienced more emotional deprivation. So it’s important to take an individualised approach to treatment. <h2>How can we treat hoarding disorder?</h2> There is specialised cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) tailored for hoarding disorder. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/46862/chapter-abstract/413932715?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Different strategies</a> are used to address the different factors contributing to a person’s hoarding. Cognitive-behavioural therapy can also help people understand and gradually challenge their beliefs about possessions. They may begin to consider how to remember, connect, feel safe, or express their identity in ways other via inanimate objects. Treatment can also help people learn the skills needed to organise, plan, and discard. Regardless of their path to hoarding, most people with hoarding disorder will benefit from a degree of exposure therapy. This helps people gradually learn to let go of possessions and resist acquiring more. Exposure to triggering situations (such as visiting shopping centres, op-shops or mounds of clutter without collecting new items) can help people learn to tolerate their urges and distress. Treatment can happen in an individual or group setting, and/or via <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35640322/">telehealth</a>. Research is underway on ways to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34409679/">improve</a> the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915322001421">treatment</a> options further through, for example, learning different emotional regulation strategies. <h2>Sometimes, a harm-avoidance approach is best</h2> Addressing the emotional and behavioural drivers of hoarding through cognitive behavioural therapy is crucial. But hoarding is different to most other psychological disorders. Complex cases may require lots of different agencies to work together. For example, health-care workers may work with fire and housing officers to ensure the person can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984612/">live safely at home</a>. When people have severe hoarding problems but are reluctant to engage in treatment, a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21360706/">harm-avoidance approach</a> may be best. This means working with the person with hoarding disorder to identify the most pressing safety hazards and come up with a practical plan to address them. We must continue to improve our understanding and treatment of this complex disorder and address barriers to accessing help. This will ultimately help reduce the devastating impact of hoarding disorder on individuals, their families, and the community.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208102/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-grisham-37825">Jessica Grisham</a>, Professor in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/keong-yap-1468967">Keong Yap</a>, Associate Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-norberg-493004">Melissa Norberg</a>, Professor in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-with-hoarding-disorder-hoard-and-how-can-we-help-208102">original article</a>.

Mind

“I can imagine the divorce papers”: Ben Fordham's marriage deal-breaker

Ben Fordham has revealed his marriage deal-breaker during a chat about tracking devices for 9Honey’s “He Se She Said” with Shelly Horton. The radio giant, who hosts Ben Fordham Live on 2GB, shared that while he and his wife Jodie Speers track their children’s whereabouts via tracking apps on their smartwatches, they would never do that to each other. "If I said to Jodie, 'Hey, I'm going to start tracking your whereabouts,' I can imagine the look that I'd get, first of all, from Jodie, then I can imagine the conversation that I'd be having with Jodie, and then I can imagine the divorce papers that would be filed by Jodie," Fordham joked. "I can imagine Jodie just getting a hammer and smashing her watch," Horton remarked. Horton discussed how the desire to track speaks of a "lack of trust," and at the worst of times, it could suggest “coercive control” seen in domestic violence relationships. Fordham agreed, adding he and his wife of over a decade have no desire to track each other. "We've got it for the kids. But I don't know where Jodie, is and she doesn't know where I am, apart from our diaries, because we've got a diary where we kind of let each other know where we're going to be and what we're doing," he said. In terms of the idea of “coercive control” Fordham said, "And you might have people who feel like, 'Alright, if I've got nothing to hide, OK, I'll agree to this arrangement,” adding that this arrangement can be exploited. Horton then spoke about refuges and “safe” spaces that have been implemented in shopping centres to help people, primarily women, who are being tracked so closely by their partners that they are unable to seek assistance. "They can go to a shopping centre and get counselling there, and actually talk to people about how to exit the relationship, and the partner just sees them at the shopping centre," she said. Fordham highlighted that once couples have agreed to track each other’s whereabouts, stopping it “becomes a problem” so it is best to avoid it from the start. "Because the moment you say to the other person , 'Hey, look, I don't like this thing anymore, I don't want to be tracked anymore, then they'll be thinking, 'Oooh, what have you got to hide?” Fordham also suggested setting up boundaries at the beginning of a relationship. Image credit: Getty / Instagram

Relationships

Snake catcher’s “hilarious” find in homeowner's toilet

Adelaide man Rolly is no stranger to catching and safely relocating venomous snakes, but a recent job had him in stitches. He has been a snake catcher for over five decades and revealed to Yahoo News Australia that it’s not often the reptiles that shock him the most, rather it's his insight into other people’s lives. "I've seen everything," he said. "From whips and chains in the cellar to dope crops in a shed.” The most recent and “hilarious” insight came from a phone call he received from a panicked resident who asked him to retrieve a snake from her toilet. After receiving an image of the “reptile”, Rolly called the resident back immediately. "Look it's not a snake, it's some type of tapeworm... and it's probably come out of your bum," he recalled himself telling her. "I think you need to go to a chemist.” Rolly uploaded the image of the creature and shared the conversation with followers. “As snake catchers we do quite often get unusual phone calls and findings - so this one we just add to the list…,” he began his caption. “phone call “I’ve got a snake in my toilet”. Snake Catcher “Ok can you send me through a photo and I’ll call you back”.” “Caller “Sure I’ll do that now”.” “Snake Catcher “Ah I think you need to go to the chemist and ask for some Conbantrin - it’s not a snake”.” “Caller “Con wha”.” The post, which attracted more than 3,000 reactions on the social media site was instantly flooded with comments. “I'd rather see a snake in my loo then that lol,” one wrote. “At least the toilet is clean !” another joked. A person with seemingly first-hand experience chimed in and said, “I went on a call out years ago and had the same thing. I didn't know what to say to them.” The situation did not deter Rolly from his job and he seemed in good spirits. "I was going to ask her if she wanted to go fishing and she could have stood next to me and supplied the worms," he joked. Image credit: Facebook

Family & Pets

7 deadly sins that lead to hoarding

If you’ve watched Enough Already! on Oprah with equal parts sympathy and fear, thinking to yourself “That better not be me one day”, then you’ll want to read on. Non-hoarders tend to picture hoarders as people who have rooms brimming with old newspapers piled to the roof and hallway cupboards that they can not open for fear of the contents swallowing them up. The word hoarder just sounds dirty. While researchers are still trying to understand the disorder, here are some clues that could signal you need to enlist some help. Every room has a “storage area” – If your dedicated storage area is so full that you need to keep the extra microwave in the living room, you may have a problem. When your storage overflows into the rest of the home and continues to grow – check yourself.  Keeping old magazines and newspapers – Do you hold on magazines and newspapers thinking, “I might like to reread that one day…” Stop it! Just get rid of them. Apart from coffee table-worthy magazines, everything should be thrown out. Besides a lot of stuff is now online.  Storing clothes you don’t wear – While it’s ok to hold onto your favourite band T-shirt from your younger years, holding onto old clothes – especially those that don’t fit or have holes in them – it just plain silly. Donate all items that fall into this category to charity immediately! Stowing away broken electronics and appliances – Don’t kid yourself, you’re never go to get around to fixing that printer or TV! Recycle or donate used electronic items that you no longer use. Storing free loot (aka junk) – Yes, yes we’ve all fallen victim to being giddy with excitement over a free key ring or pen we pocketed at a show or the RTA. But just because you got a free mug doesn’t mean it should be stashed in your drawer or kitchen never to see the light of day again. Chuck it! Your car becomes “extra” storage – If you keep more than just spare tire and pair of shoes in your car boot, then you are hoarder territory. If you need to keep DVDs and camping gear in the car because they wont fit in the house, it’s time for drop-off to the Salvos. Daily life becomes musical chairs – If there is no where to sit and eat dinner because every chair is piled high with papers and you can’t sleep comfortably because the bed is covered in clothes, seek help immediately! Image credits: Shutterstock

Home Hints & Tips

Wrapping presents leads to mother's cheeky Christmas discovery

Queensland mother of four Nicole, was wrapping her Christmas presents early this year, when she had to take a second glance at a few images on what she thought was fairly innocent and cute wrapping paper. What she didn’t realise, was that after wrapping a few presents she accidentally selected something a little too inappropriate. The paper, innocently named "Christmas Wrapping Paper Roll" online actually contained X-rated cartoon images. One of an aroused snowman and another of a randy reindeer mounting another. I purchased them online and only noticed when I was wrapping my third present - thankfully the first two were for me and my partner!" she laughed. "When I first saw it I had to send photos to my friend and mother to see if they noticed anything off while wiping laughing tears from my face." Nicole said she wasn't planning on ditching the paper from Typo completely, but with her younger children, she wasn't keen on her kids asking about the birds and the bees over Christmas lunch. "I have only wrapped small presents in it now with strategically placed name labels," she said of her work-around. "I find it hilarious and have showed everyone. I put the post up on social media in case someone hadn’t noticed or may have left it too late to buy more paper ... and to give people a laugh!" Feeling the need to share, Nicole posted snaps of the paper in the Christmas Mums Australia Facebook group, and wasn't the only one to find it funny. Over 340 members of the group commented on Nicole's post. “This is the best!” one person commented. “That’s gold! I love it,” added another. As the laughter and jokes kept coming, many shoppers said that others shouldn’t be so surprised by the images, given Type, the store Nicole purchased from is known for selling cheeky items like this. Images: Typo

Family & Pets

Mobile phone hoarding: e-waste not good news for the environment

What happened to your previous mobile phone after you upgraded or replaced it? Did it go in a drawer? A box in the garage, perhaps? Today marks International E Waste Day, with this year’s slogan, “Recycle it all, no matter how small!”, specifically targeting small devices with a high recycling value that are often hoarded for years before they become waste. It’s a timely reminder, as results from surveys conducted across Europe suggest that the roughly 5.3 billion mobiles and smartphones dropping out of use this year would reach a height of around 50,000 km if stacked flat and on top of each other. That’s well-and-truly over the average orbiting height of the International Space Station and about an eighth of the distance to the moon. “In 2022 alone, small EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) items such as cell phones, electric toothbrushes, toasters and cameras produced worldwide will weigh an estimated total of 24.5 million tonnes – four times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza”, says Magdalena Charytanowicz of the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum, responsible for organising <a href="https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/international-e-waste-day-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International E Waste Day</a>. “And these small items make up a significant proportion of the 8% of all e-waste thrown into trash bins and eventually landfilled or incinerated.” With their valuable components of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/critical-minerals-mining-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold, copper, silver, palladium and other materials</a>, mobile phones ranked fourth amongst small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) hoarded or unrecoverably discarded – that is put in draws, cupboards or garages – rather than repaired or recycled – or sent to landfill or for incineration. The surveys ran for four months from June 2022 and covered 8,775 households across Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Romani, Slovenia and the UK and asked participants about common items such as phones, tablets, laptops, electric tools, hair dryers, toasters and other appliances. The top five hoarded small EEE products were (in order): small electronics and accessories (e.g., headphones, remotes), small equipment (e.g., clocks, irons), small IT equipment (e.g., hard drives, routers, keyboards, mice), mobile and smartphones, small food preparation appliances (e.g., toasters, grills). Italy hoarded the highest number of small EEE products, while Lebanon hoarded the least. You might recognise some of the reasons given, which included potential future use, plans to sell or give away, sentimental value, future value, use in a secondary residence or contains sensitive data. Others were also unsure how to dispose of the item or felt there was no incentive to recycle it, and some argued that they’d forgotten, didn’t have time or that the item didn’t take up very much space. This is a shame because such items, despite being small, pack a big punch in recyclability. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p218602-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/earth/e-waste-mobile-phone-bad-news-environment/#wpcf7-f6-p218602-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “We focussed this year on small e-waste items because it is very easy for them to accumulate unused and unnoticed in households, or to be tossed into the ordinary garbage bin”, says Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum, who have organised International E Waste Day. “People tend not to realise that all these seemingly insignificant items have a lot of value, and together at a global level represent massive volumes.” “These devices offer many important resources that can be used in the production of new electronic devices or other equipment, such as wind turbines, electric car batteries or solar panels – all crucial for the green, digital transition to low-carbon societies,” says Charytanowicz. <h4>What can be done about e-waste?</h4> At the governmental level, there are a number of initiatives including legislation that are coming into effect or being tightened up in order to address this increasing problem. “The continuing growth in the production, consumption and disposal of electronic devices has huge environmental and climate impacts,” says Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries. “The European Commission is addressing those with proposals and measures throughout the whole product life-cycle, starting from design until collection and proper treatment when electronics become waste.” “Moreover, preventing waste and recovering important raw materials from e-waste is crucial to avoid putting more strain on the world’s resources. Only by establishing a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/can-a-circular-economy-eliminate-e-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">circular economy</a> for electronics, the EU will continue to lead in the efforts to urgently address the fast-growing problem of e-waste.” There is also a role for more education and communication. Launched today by UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is the first self-paced e-waste<a href="https://www.uncclearn.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> online training course</a> open to anyone. A UNITAR certificate is available upon graduation of the roughly 1.5-hour course which aims to use scientific findings in a practical way for international training and capacity building,” says Nikhil Seth, UNITAR’s Executive Director. Finally, The WEEE Forum has been actively involved in collecting, de-polluting, recycling or preparing for re-use more than 30 million tonnes of WEEE and has also run communication campaigns for almost twenty years. “Providing collection boxes in supermarkets, pick up of small broken appliances upon delivery of new ones and offering PO Boxes to return small e-waste are just some of the initiatives introduced to encourage the return of these items,” says WEEE’s Leroy. At the personal level, all you have to do is quite your hoarding habits and recycle, instead!  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=218602&title=Mobile+phone+hoarding%3A+e-waste+not+good+news+for+the+environment" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/e-waste-mobile-phone-bad-news-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

Whether in war-torn Ukraine, Laos or Spain, kids have felt compelled to pick up crayons and put their experiences to paper

“They still draw pictures!” So wrote the editors of an influential collection of children’s art that was <a href="https://www.afsc.org/document/they-still-draw-pictures-1938">compiled in 1938</a> during <a href="https://theconversation.com/ukraines-foreign-fighters-have-little-in-common-with-those-who-signed-up-to-fight-in-the-spanish-civil-war-178976">the Spanish Civil War</a>. Eighty years later, war continues to upend children’s lives in Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere. In January, UNICEF <a href="https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/prospects-children-2022-global-outlook">projected</a> that 177 million children worldwide would require assistance due to war and political instability in 2022. This included <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis">12 million children in Yemen</a>, <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/syrian-crisis">6.5 million in Syria</a> and <a href="https://www.unicef.org/appeals/myanmar">5 million in Myanmar</a>. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 added 7 million more children to this number. To date, more than half of Ukraine’s children <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children">have been internally or externally displaced</a>. Many more have faced disruptions to education, health care and home life. And yet they, too, still draw pictures. In March, a charity called <a href="https://www.uakids.today/en">UA Kids Today</a>launched, offering a digital platform for kids to respond with art to Russia’s invasion and raise money for aid to Ukrainian families with children. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7bfZyk8AAAAJ&hl=en">As a scholar who studies</a> the ways wars affect societies’ most vulnerable members, I see much that can be learned from the art created by kids living in war-torn regions across place and time. <h2>A century of children’s art</h2> During <a href="https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war">the Boer War</a> – a conflict waged from 1899 to 1902 between British troops and South African guerrilla forces – relief workers sought to teach orphaned girls the art of <a href="https://blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/archivesandmanuscripts/2017/08/24/the-archive-of-emily-hobhouse-now-available/">lace-making</a>. During World War I, displaced children in Greece and Turkey learned to weave textiles and decorate pottery <a href="https://neareastmuseum.com/2015/08/13/every-stitch-a-story-near-east-industries/">as a means of making a living</a>. Over time, expression has replaced subsistence as the driver of children’s wartime artwork. No longer pressed to sell their productions, children are instead urged to put their emotions and experiences on display for the world to see. Novelist <a href="https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/novemberdecember/feature/the-talented-mr-huxley">Aldous Huxley</a> hinted at this goal in his introduction to the 1938 collection of Spanish Civil War art. Whether showing “explosions, the panic rush to shelter, [or] the bodies of victims,” <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/tsdp/frame.html">Huxley wrote</a>, these drawings revealed “a power of expression that evokes our admiration for the childish artists and our horror at the elaborate bestiality of modern war.” <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/herbert-read">Herbert Read</a>, a World War I veteran and educational theorist, organized another show of children’s art during World War II. Unlike Huxley, Read found that scenes of war did not dominate the drawings he collected from British schoolchildren, even those exposed to the London Blitz. In a pamphlet for the exhibition, he highlighted “the sense of beauty and the enjoyment of life which they have expressed.” While the shows discussed by Read and Huxley differed in many ways, both men emphasized the form and composition of children’s artwork as much as their pictorial contents. Both also expressed the view that the creators of these drawings would play a critical role in the rebuilding of their war-torn communities. <h2>A political tool</h2> As with the children’s war art made during Huxley and Read’s time, the images coming out of Ukraine express a mix of horror, fear, hope and beauty. While planes, rockets and explosions appear in many of the pictures uploaded by <a href="https://www.uakids.today/en">UA Kids Today</a>, so do flowers, angels, Easter bunnies and peace signs. The managers of this platform – who are refugees themselves – have not been able to mount a physical exhibition of these works. But artists and curators elsewhere are beginning to do so. In Sarasota, Florida, artist Wojtek Sawa <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/new-sarasota-exhibit-features-artwork-of-ukrainian-children-coping-with-war">has opened a show</a> of Ukrainian children’s art that will be used to collect donations and messages from visitors. These will later be distributed to displaced children in Poland. <a href="https://warchildhood.org/">The War Childhood Museum</a>, based in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, had recently concluded traveling exhibitions in Kyiv and Kherson when the Russian invasion started. The museum’s managing director, who has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-crimes-schools-d1e52368aced8b3359f4436ca7180811">spoken</a> out strongly about the need for cultural heritage protection in war, was able to retrieve several dozen artifacts from these shows a few days before the fighting commenced. Those toys and drawings, which tell the story of children’s experience during Russia’s previous effort to gain control of the Donbas region in 2014, <a href="https://warchildhood.org/2022/02/24/updates-from-ukraine/">will be featured</a> in shows opening elsewhere in Europe in 2022. By capturing the attention of journalists and the public, these exhibitions have been used to raise awareness, solicit funds and inspire commentary. However, children’s art from Ukraine has not yet played a role in political deliberations, as it did when peace activist Fred Branfman shared his collection of drawings by Laotian children and adults <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/us/fred-branfman-laos-activist-dies-at-72.html">during his 1971 testimony</a> before Congress on the “<a href="https://legaciesofwar.org/about-laos/secret-war-laos/">Secret War</a>” the U.S. had been conducting in Laos since 1964. Nor is it yet clear whether this art will play a part in future war crimes trials, as the art of Auschwitz-Birkenau internee Yahuda Bacon <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/01/25/for-child-survivors-drawing-is-therapy-and-a-tool-of-justice">did during</a> the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann. <h2>Windows into different worlds</h2> Art historians <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/%7Ealock/hbook/bremner.htm">once thought</a> children’s drawings, no matter where they lived, revealed the world in a way that was unshaped by cultural conventions. But I don’t believe that children in all countries and conflicts represent their experiences in the same way. The drawings of children imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II are not formally or symbolically interchangeable with drawings made by children exposed to America’s bombing campaign in Laos. Nor can these be interpreted in the same way as images produced by Ukrainian, Yemeni, Syrian or Sudanese children today. To me, one of the most valuable features of children’s art is its power to highlight unique aspects of everyday life in distant places, while conveying a sense of what can be upended, lost or destroyed. A Laotian child’s <a href="https://legaciesofwar.org/programs/national-traveling-exhibition/illustrations-narratives/">drawing</a> of a horse that “ran back to the village” from the rice field after its owner was killed by a bomb offers a small window into the lives of subsistence rice farmers. The desert landscapes and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-30/yemen-s-historic-tower-houses-are-under-threat">urban architecture</a> of Yemen are equally distinctive, and Yemeni children’s drawings highlight those differences even as they express aspirations that viewers around the world may share. <h2>The challenges of preservation</h2> As an academic who has also worked in museums, I am always thinking about how artifacts from today’s conflicts will be preserved for exhibition in the future. There are significant challenges to preserving the drawings and paintings young people produce. First, children’s art is materially unstable. It is often made on paper, with crayons, markers and other ephemeral media. This makes it dangerous to display originals and demands care in the production of facsimiles. Second, children’s art is often hard to contextualize. The first-person commentaries that accompanied some of the Spanish Civil War drawings and most of the Laotian images <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/tsdp/frame.html">often provide</a> details about children’s localized experience but rarely about the timing of events, geographic locations or other crucial facts. Finally, much children’s war art suffers from uncertain authorship. With few full names recorded, it is hard to trace the fates of most child artists, nor is it generally possible to gather their adult reflections on their childhood creations. By noting these complications, I don’t want to detract from the remarkable fact that children still draw pictures during war. Their expressions are invaluable for documenting war and its impact, and it’s important to study them. Nevertheless, in researching children’s art, it is necessary to reflect that scholars and curators are – like the child artists themselves – often working at the limits of their knowledge. Image credits: Instagram This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/whether-in-war-torn-ukraine-laos-or-spain-kids-have-felt-compelled-to-pick-up-crayons-and-put-their-experiences-to-paper-181458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Bargain rental is “spacious” but missing key features

A studio apartment up for rent in Birmingham, England, for less than $750 a month isn’t unusual just for its cheap price - it’s missing some crucial amenities. <a href="https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126124685#/?channel=RES_LET" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listed on Rightmove</a> for £425 ($AU 728) a month, the studio’s shower is located in an unlikely spot, directly opposite the bed. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/cheap-uk-flat1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The prime location of the shower in relation to the bed could be a perk for some, but it's clear screen makes for a lack of privacy. Image: RightMove To make matters worse, the shower is encased in a clear cubicle, with no toilet in sight. The kitchen, located on the other side of the room, seems to consist of sink and cabinet underneath, a fridge, an oven, and another cabinet above a tile splashback. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/08/cheap-uk-flat2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The rental's kitchen boasts an oven, two cabinets, a fridge, a sink and a bench (plus an overflowing bin). Image: RightMove The apartment, described as “spacious” and “part-furnished”, also includes a single mattress crammed in one corner, with a lounge chair stationed right next to the oven. Though it is just a single room, the listing agent described it as a “great home for single working professionals”. It comes just months after a similar apartment in Australia sparked outrage, with many slamming the renovated rental as “real-life satire”. Like its British counterpart, the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/property/real-estate/greedy-and-despicable-rental-renovation-causes-outrage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Adelaide studio apartment</a> featured a bathroom with a clear casing - though it does come with a toilet and a shred of privacy in the form of selective frosted glass - but differed in its hefty price amid the city’s worsening rental crisis. Image: RightMove

Real Estate

A “toilet with a view” is the latest popular bathroom trend

The bathroom, often considered a sacred and private space, is the subject of a divisive new trend that does away with the one thing ensuring this security: doors. Instead, open plan ensuites are the latest trend that can even include a view to the great outdoors. “Open plan bathrooms are on the rise for a few reasons,” Tim Bennett, the founder, architect and engineer at Tim Bennetton Architects, says. “Society has been more exposed to ‘resort-style’ living where spaces feel more generous than they used to be. “We have all allowed ourselves that touch more luxury - where the bathroom is not purely functional.” According to Bennett, one popular layout includes opening up one wall to a view or courtyard to create a space that feels open “while still being private and intimate”. “We did this with one of the first houses we designed back in 2008, so it’s certainly a trend that’s been around for a while but is quickly gaining popularity, and it makes sense,” he explains. But when it comes to the key issue - the privacy of using the toilet - Bennett notes that it’s “the only real issue that needs to be discussed”. “Some people are quite uncomfortable with an open plan toilet. But others are fine with it,” he says. “You could argue that a toilet with a view adds to ‘the experience’, but on the other hand, many people like the extra level of privacy and separation that a separate compartment provides to the toilet.” If you are considering this trend but find that privacy is a top priority, there are a few things you can do to achieve both. “Flexibility is the key - allow sliding doors so that the ensuite or bathroom can be separated off if desired, or decorate screens or blinds,” Tim says. Image: Getty Images

Home Hints & Tips

An air-craft toilet with a view

Everyone knows that going to the bathroom on a plane isn’t an enjoyable experience to begin with. Cramped, dingy lighting and the most horrendous flush in the world make relieving yourself not exactly the most pleasant task. However, a Reddit user revealed they caught a flight with the best economy plane bathroom in the world. The person, who goes by username <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/drewsoulman/">u/drewsoulman </a>on the platform, shared a photo of the plane toilet that had a window inside – a feature that is unheard of in most aeroplane bathrooms. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/New-Project.jpg" alt="" width="601" height="583" /> On top of that, there was even a shelf behind the toilet – perfect for holding a phone or wallet. The post has received more than 116,000 votes and 2600 comments, and most viewers were amazed at the bathroom. “I wouldn’t leave. Better than an economy seat,” one person wrote. “Plane toilets are always so cramped and gloomy – this is nice,” added another. Someone else said they thought a window would help them get over one of their fears. “I wish this was more common. I have an irrational fear of aeroplane bathrooms. I like being able to see out the window on planes as I feel more grounded. I feel like this would help my fear,” they wrote. Meanwhile, a former flight attendant has revealed the best time to use the facilities on a plane. Mark Benders explained that flyers should go to the toilet about half an hour before landing as it’s just before the seatbelt sign goes on before the descent. “When you are on a flight and you start getting the feeling that you’re getting close to your destination, the first time you feel the aeroplane slow down from cruising speed, you will have about half an hour before landing,” he said. “That would be a good time to use the lavatory because the fasten seatbelt light will go on soon and you won’t be allowed out of your seat until the plane reaches the gate. Image: Getty

Travel Tips

Secret court papers revealed in Prince Andrew case

A secret legal settlement between Virginia Giuffre and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/giuffre-epstein-agreement-made-public-c-5175529" target="_blank">has been made public</a>, as Prince Andrew attempts to dismiss Giuffre’s lawsuit against him. Court papers, which have been sealed since 2009, revealed that Giuffre received $USD 500,000 ($AUD 694,796) from Epstein, who she claims trafficked and abused her. The royal filed the settlement as part of an attempt to dismiss Giuffre’s case against him, in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17. In her lawsuit, Giuffre accused Andrew of abusing her at two of his homes, as well as forcing her to have sex at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/30/ghislaine-maxwell-what-happens-next-charges-sentencing" target="_blank">recently convicted</a> of five charges including recruiting and grooming teenage girls and sex trafficking a minor. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations, and has <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/prince-andrew-s-latest-claims-in-lawsuit" target="_blank">previously moved to dismiss the lawsuit</a> by claiming it was “unconstitutional” under the Child Victims’ Act, since Giuffre was above New York’s age of consent at the time. He also attempted to block proceedings on the grounds that Giuffre was no longer a US citizen three days before the settlement was released. However, a federal judge rejected the claims and ordered his lawyers to turn over key legal documents. With the release of Giuffre’s settlement, the prince’s legal team argue that the agreement shields him from liability due to provisions that prevent her from taking legal action against “any other person or entity” who could have been a defendant. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> NEW: A 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and <a href="https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VRSVirginia</a> for $500k has been unsealed. Prince Andrew's lawyer's hope a clause in it (which says "potential defendants" in lawsuits brought by Giuffre are protected from liability) will see her sexual abuse lawsuit dismissed. <a href="https://t.co/750Iv5q4vh">pic.twitter.com/750Iv5q4vh</a> — Omid Scobie (@scobie) <a href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1478052106061836288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> The document states that once Giuffre, referred to by her maiden name, received the funds that she agreed to “remise, release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge the said second parties and any other from all, and all manner of, action and actions of Virginia Roberts, including state or federal, cause and causes of action”. Though Andrew was not mentioned in the document, his attorneys said the settlement released him from liability. “Giuffre settled her sex-traffickinig and sexual-abuse claims against Epstein in 2009,” his lawyers said in a court filing on October 29. “In doing so, she provided Epstein with a general release of all claims against him and numerous other individuals and entities. “To avoid being dragged into future legal disputes, Epstein negotiated for this broad release, insisting that it cover any and all persons who Giuffre identified as potential targets of future lawsuits, regardless of merit - or lack thereof - to any such claims.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrinceAndrew?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrinceAndrew</a>'s legal team is arguing that bc <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JeffreyEpstein?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JeffreyEpstein</a> paid a settlement to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginiaGiuffre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirginiaGiuffre</a>, she can't pursue him for his alleged sexual assault crimes against her. That sounds like "Yes I did it, but my friend Jeffrey paid the girl." — Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterWMurphy1/status/1478076434308427777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> They argued that Andrew’s status as a “senior member of the British royal family” meant he belonged to “one of the expressly identified categories of persons” who were “released from liability under the release agreement”. “As a third-party beneficiary of the release agreement, Prince Andrew is entitled to enforce the general release contained therein.” A representative for Giuffre’s lawyers said the document’s release was “irrelevant to Ms Giuffre’s claim against Prince Andrew” as it doesn’t mention him, as reported by <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/03/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. “He did not even know about it. He could not have been a ‘potential defendant’ in the settled case against Jeffrey Epstein both because he was not subject to jurisdiction in Florida and because the Florida case involved federal claims to which he was not a part,” the representative said. “The actual parties to the release have made clear that Prince Andrew was not covered by it. “Lastly, the reason we sought to have the release made public was to refute the claims being made about it by Prince Andrew’s PR campaign.” Andrew’s legal team will argue for the dismissal on Tuesday in New York, where US District Judge Lewis Kaplan will decide whether Giuffre will be blocked from suing the prince. Image: Getty Images

Legal

5 clever uses for Christmas wrapping paper and cards

After opening presents and reading cards from our loved ones and friends, we’re often left with piles of wrapping paper that need to be dealt with. Rather than throwing it straight into the bin, some can be recycled or repurposed into items that have that little bit of sentimental value. Here are <a rel="noopener" href="https://pop.inquirer.net/117417/10-diy-tips-for-recycling-your-christmas-gift-wrappers-and-cards" target="_blank">five</a> clever and crafty uses for your wrapping paper and cards this Christmas. Confetti <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846531/wrapping-paper1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d993d6a78ab74456ac1a7f3e6e5ad702" /> Image: One Good Thing by Jillee / onegoodthingbyjillee.com An easy and cost-effective way to recycle wrapping paper, you can make the confetti just in time for any New Year’s parties or events you’ve planned. Just run the paper through a shredder or take to it with scissors and it’s ready to be used. Drawer liners <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846530/wrapping-paper2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/aeb39c63c2ef4199af0cadba93257641" /> Image: Making Home Base / makinghomebase.com If you’re someone who meticulously unwraps your gifts or you have some spare paper lying around, this hack could be perfect for you. Simply follow <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.makinghomebase.com/how-to-make-drawer-liners/" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> to line your drawers with the paper and give them a bright, new look with minimal effort. Book wrappers <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846529/wrapping-paper3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b2c873ce9d28408aa95a3aef003f5dce" /> Image: Eighteen25 / eighteen25.com In a similar vein to drawer liners, wrapping paper can also be used to brighten up your stationery. Follow this easy <a rel="noopener" href="https://eighteen25.com/wrapping-paper-book-covers/" target="_blank">tutorial</a> to give your planners, notebooks, and journals that extra bit of colour and personality. Bookmarks <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846527/wrapping-paper4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b064416ccfc045b99b1769b262e9f01d" /> Image: The Frugal Girls / thefrugalgirls.com With this DIY project, you can turn your Christmas cards and discarded wrapping paper into a bookmark you can gift or keep for yourself. To make them, gather up your cards, a hole punch, and some ribbon, and follow this six-step <a rel="noopener" href="https://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/01/how-to-make-homemade-bookmarks-from-cards.html" target="_blank">tutorial</a>. As for the wrapping paper, you can use it to add some extra decorations to your bookmarks. Homemade envelopes <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846528/wrapping-paper5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/234a72cc71a24fed8cf1701e7abe9b7e" /> Image: Creative Green Living / creativegreenliving.com Wrapping paper can also be repurposed to make envelopes. Whether you want to send friends letters or save them for birthday and Christmas cards, follow this <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.creativegreenliving.com/2012/12/how-to-make-envelopes-from-magazine.html" target="_blank">tutorial</a> to make envelopes that are even more personalised. Image: Getty Images

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