Pull an eco seed cracker this Christmas!
Even the most expensive or luxurious of Christmas crackers are destined for landfill five minutes after you’ve pulled them, but not these beautiful Biome eco seed crackers. Simple and stylish, the crackers come in boxes of six and they have a secret – each cracker is made from handmade seed paper, so once you have pulled the crackers you can plant the exterior paper and you will be able to grow your own wildflowers – much better than just consigning a pile of shiny paper to the rubbish bin! Inside the crackers you’ll find the traditional motto, snapper and hat, with each gift hand-made by a small co-operative of disadvantaged women in Nepal. The Wonderful Women collective in Katmandu helps socially and economically disadvantaged women build up their skills and independence and earn money in a safe, healthy and supportive environment. The women are paid fair wages to make their own chemical-free felt from soap and water and hand sew the lovely decorations for the crackers. The eco seed crackers themselves are handmade in the UK. They are also simple and stylish to look at, so would be an attractive addition to any festive feast. So why not pull a Biome eco seed cracker this Christmas, and help socially disadvantaged women in Nepal build a better future for themselves at the same time?
Light up your Christmas with this charming fair trade Nativity tea light holder
The beautiful fair trade Nativity tea light holder is ceramic and depicts a lovely Nativity scene. Made in Manos Amigas in Peru, the Nativity tea light holder is made by Tearcraft, a company that specialises in beautifully handcrafted fair trade products. Their home wares, gifts and novelty items are sourced from around the world and all of the producers are paid a fair price. This means that those craftspeople – like the makers of this fair trade Nativity tea light holder – are able to invest in their own communities, and keep traditional crafts alive. Tearcraft also emphasises the importance of good working conditions, encouraging good practice amongst its suppliers. Tearcraft also believes in sustainability, so many of its products are made from recycled or eco-friendly materials, making them both planet and people friendly. The result is a range of fair trade goodies that are well made and lovely to look at, but also leave you with a clear conscience that the people who made such items are not being exploited. This fair trade Nativity tea light holder would make an ideal table centrepiece, adding rustic charm to your Christmas decor, and you know that by lighting up this tea light holder, you are investing in traditional crafts and better conditions for workers – and that really is in the spirit of Christmas!
Sparkle with solar powered Christmas lights
Solar powered Christmas lights are a great way to add some festive cheer to your home without any green guilt! Normal Christmas lights use both energy and create CO2 emissions, but you can still light up your life with these solar powered Christmas rope lights. Made in Germany and created for the British climate, they are designed for both outdoor and indoor use, though they do work better outdoors where, on clear winter days, they should be able to store enough power to work for around two and a half hours every evening. Stylish and simple, these solar powered Christmas lights can actually be used all year round as beautiful garden decorations, but are particularly lovely at this festive time of year. The solar powered Christmas lights are available with yellow and red bulbs (or you could buy two sets for a mixture of both!). If you don’t trust the British winter to deliver enough clear light to charge these over the whole of the festive season, you can always use these to complement your existing traditional tree lights, only switching on the electric lights if your solar powered lights have not fully charged – you’ll still be saving energy and money, and doing your bit for a greener Christmas. And probably impressing the neighbours more than having a giant glowing Santa on the front lawn…
Pants to Poverty Santa Pants – making Christmas sexy and fun
Pants to Poverty Santa pants are the latest style from ethical underwear manufacturer Pants to Poverty. Pants to Poverty was set up as an evolution from the Make Poverty History initiative and proves that fundraising can be both fun and serious at the same time. The Pants to Poverty Santa pants, like all Pants to Poverty ethical underwear, are made from organic cotton (so reducing their environmental impact, as standard cotton is a chemical intensive fabric) and are Fair trade, ensuring that producers are paid a fair wage for their goods and not exploited. On top of this, £1 profit from the sale of every pair of Pants to Poverty Santa pants is reinvested into campaigning for Trade Justice. The red and white Pants to Poverty Santa pants are available in male and female styles, and small, medium and large sizes. These sexy, snuggly eco-pants make a fun, festive and cheeky gift for the man or woman in your life – and at less than £10 per pair, they are an ideal stocking filler. Or you can wear them with stockings, the choice is yours! However you want to wear them, and whether you have been naughty or nice, why not put a pair of Pants to Poverty Santa pants on your Christmas list?
Experience days make eco-friendly Christmas gifts
Christmas might be one of the best times of the year for us, but it can be a nightmare for the planet. Year on year people buy more food than they need (do you really need three different types of trifle?) so a huge amount of organic waste is binned, and that’s before you even start on the presents. Every Boxing Day, vast piles of discarded packaging and gift wrap are thrown away – much of it non-recyclable – and, when it comes down to it, many of us are left with a big stash of presents that, if we’re honest, we don’t really need. So why not do something different this year and buy someone an experience instead? It’s easy to do: you simply pay in advance for a voucher they can redeem at a time that suits them. It’s fast and straightforward (no trailing around the shops!) and as you are buying experiences, not things, you are cutting down on wasteful packaging (although most vouchers do come in a presentation box, so it’s not entirely waste free) and it means your gift doesn’t end up stuck in a cupboard unused or, even worse, dumped in landfil. Sample gifts include restaurant experiences for two, or wine tastings, or a meal and a trip on the London Eye. Gourmets might enjoy the chocolate making workshop, while braver souls will thrill to the ‘Go Ape’ high wire experience. Each gift makes a big impact on the recipient, but a small impact on the planet.
Keep everyone happy this Christmas with a Fair Trade hamper
With Christmas fast approaching, many people are wondering how they can celebrate the holidays without damaging their green credentials. Traditionally Christmas is a season that creates huge amounts of waste, much of it going straight to landfill. One way to avoid buying heavily packaged, gimmicky gifts that people don’t need (does anyone really ever use a foot spa?), is to buy a gift hamper. An ideal Christmas present or, if you’re visiting the relatives over the festive season, a perfect hospitality gift, a basket of foodie goodies will be enjoyed over the holiday. Buying practical gifts such as food cuts down on waste and, in these money-conscious days, is particularly welcome. The Fair Trade Hamper from Natural Collection is sure to put anyone in the Christmas spirit. Filled with tasty treats from Traidcraft and Divine, the hamper includes a selection of cake, puddings and chocolate (including chocolate coins, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake). The whole package comes in a Fair Trade woven basket that can be reused afterwards. It even includes a Christmas card! And because it is completely Fair Trade, you can be sure that your generosity won’t only be appreciated by the recipients, but also by the producers, who are guaranteed a fair wage for their crafts and produce. This enables them to support and help educate their own families, creating a stable livelihood and a better standard of living for them and their communities. And that, surely, sums up the spirit of Christmas?
Green Fingered NASA Technology
Urban dwellers often find themselves in the unfortunate position of wanting to grow something green to help the environment but cannot do so because they do not own or rent a little patch of Earth. Those people who are lucky enough to have their own garden will note growing plants, flowers, shrubs and trees can prove to be a very rewarding experience. Moreover, as environmental awareness has increased sharply recently, many people take great delight in giving a little back to the planet.
Furthermore, gardens are ideal for people who wish to grow their own food, which is sensible in the middle of a recession and an era in which green produce is heavily treated by chemicals. A garden is also useful for growing flower bearing plants such as rose bushes, which come into their own on birthdays and Valentine’s Day. You can even grow your own organic Christmas decorations by planting a holly bush. However, the aforementioned urban dweller does not always have access to this way of life. Indeed, in his or her case the grass is very much greener on the other side. Nevertheless, the Aeroponics Power Plant Growing Machine, which is based on cutting edge NASA technology, is the perfect solution for those stuck in a concrete jungle.
Requiring a connection to the mains electricity supply, the Aeroponics Plant Growing Machine is exceptional in that its technology enables plants to grow without the need for any soil whatsoever. Indeed, only water needs to be added to the machine, which uses a special growing sponge, nutrient mix and microjets to stimulate relatively rapid growth. Perfect for the green fingered soul trapped in a concrete jungle. (And if that all sounds too technical? You can still grow your own organic herbs out of a bag on your kitchen windowsill or even buy a ready made kitchen windowbox. So there’s really no excuse…)
