Here's a couple of submissions from EC magazine's Notes and Queries page (April/May 1999). I'll be posting these on a regular basis - feel free to post your own questions, or any answers.

Q: Does anyone know of an 'ethical' futon supplier? (Amy Swift, Huddersfield)

Q: What shoudlI do with waste cooking oil, such as from a deep fat frier? (S. McKinchip, Nottingham)

-- Sam Kimmins (ethicon@mcr1.poptel.org.uk), March 26, 1999

Answers

Old pallets make excellent futon frames. They will take a bit of fiddling with to make into something resembling a proper futon though. As for the mattress, I would suggest using second hand mattresses from a Salvation army shop or the like.

-- joseph ryan (joseph@levego.zpok.hu), April 21, 1999.

Further to my E-mail of 3/5 discussing, amongst other things, Amy Swift's enquiry in your Notes & Queries section about ethical futon suppliers, I saw the following company advertising futons made from 'all natural materials' in the CAT catalogue, which may be an acceptable supplier :

Alphabeds on 0155-9395 428/496

Kind regards

Carolyn Nolan

(Note: This may be 0115 9395 428/496. ed.)

-- Carolyn Nolan (Elizatale@aol.com), May 19, 1999.

I have heard it said that putting cooking fat onto your compost heap will attract rats, but I think that is nonsense. If you have a heap, chuck it on. I have done this, and had success both compost and vermin wise.

-- Austen (austen@freeuk.com), October 19, 1999.