Warm up your winter bedroom with this burnt orange fair trade and organic duvet cover
This icy winter just seems to keep getting colder, so why not add a touch of warmth to your home with this beautiful burnt orange organic and fair trade duvet cover? Currently on sale at a reduced price at Biome Lifestyle, this stylish and comfy double duvet cover is 100% hand woven, with each thread hand set on the loom by workers in Bangladesh. Workers are paid a fair wage for their products, with fair and safe working conditions, so by purchasing this you are helping marginalised workers secure fair pay and build their own future and invest in their own communities. Because the cotton is organic, you are also ensuring that the planet’s resources are not damaged by toxic pesticides (as non-organic cotton is a pesticide-heavy crop). The beautiful burnt orange colour is achieved by combining three different colour threads on the loom, giving each of these lovely soft duvet covers a richness of texture that will complement any bedroom – and add a bit of warmth to these cold winter nights. Matching pillowcases are also available (and are also currently on sale!) so why not treat yourself? And best of all, you can sleep easy under your organic and fair trade duvet cover knowing that your purchases are helping others and the planet at the same time.
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?
This fair trade footstool lets you rest easy
This beautiful fair trade footstool is a great addition to any living room. The simple but stylish design is made from pale banana fibre woven onto a rattan pole frame and topped with a comfy cotton, feather-filled cushion. The cushions are available in hand woven white cotton from Indonesia or blue or terracotta fabrics sourced from the UK, depending on your decor needs. The fair trade footstool is part of a range by the Fair Trade Furniture Company, which specialises in furniture made by fair trade producers in Indonesia. This fair trade agreement ensures that workers are not exploited and receive a fair wage for their work, enabling them to invest in their own communities. The Fair Trade Furniture Company is also committed to environmental principles – it avoids air freighting where possible, and aims at using energy efficient supplies in both its warehouses and showroom, as well as trying to use the most environmentally friendly materials for its products. The company places great value on the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of its producers in developing countries, so you can sit pretty on this fair trade footstool, comfortable in knowing you are helping craftspeople in developing countries earn a fair wage for their work.
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!
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?
Homemade charm with a handmade Kilim rug
In an era of mass-produced, identical, soulless products, there is something particularly charming about handmade goods, such as these Fair trade handmade Kilim rugs from Namaste. Hand-woven in India by skilled craftspeople using traditional production methods that have been passed down through generations, each handmade Kilim rug is slightly different, so each its own unique charm. The rugs are made from a mixture of jute and wool and come in a range of designs, including Birdsong, Inca and Diamond, and a selection of sizes. Each Fair trade, handmade Kilim rug is hardwearing and strong, so is an investment piece that will last for years, reducing the need to replace and therefore generate landfill waste. And when you buy a handmade Kilim rug from Namaste you can be sure that the skilled craftsperson has been paid fairly for his or her work, so your purchase helps small producers and their communities. So not only can you enjoy the beauty of a handmade Kilim rug in your own home this winter, you can rest assured that your money is not just helping a corporation fat cat enjoy a bigger bonus, but is helping traditional craftspeople keep their skills alive.
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?
Get your coffee without the guilt with a reusable mug
Britain has become a nation of coffee drinkers, but that habit has a high ecological cost as every day millions of disposable cups end up thrown away, destined for landfill. It is estimated that in the US alone, around 25 billion disposable cups are thrown away, and while the UK isn’t quite that bad, it does have an increasing problem. Most of the cups you use when buying takeaway coffee are coated in plastic resin, which means they cannot be recycled, so simply end up as more waste. To make matters worse, very few cups are made of recycled material – they tend to be made from virgin paper. But you can still have your morning coffee without adding to the landfill problem: use the I Am Not A Paper Cup porcelain mug. This double walled porcelain cup is especially designed for takeaway coffee, coming with a removable silicone lid. And, as many vendors now offer a small discount when you bring your own mug for refilling, it can even save you money in the long run! There are other ways you can make your morning coffee eco-friendly. Choose a coffee shop that uses Fair-trade coffee and organic milk, and you help coffee producers get a fairer price for their goods, and encourage eco-friendly farming practices. Or, of course, you can get into the habit of making your coffee at the office: take in a cafetiere and a pack of Fair-trade coffee and you will very quickly save yourself a considerable amount of money, as well as helping reduce waste. You might even be able to persuade your boss to switch to one of the new range of eco-kettles, which save energy and money by boiling as little water as is needed every time. All these small steps add up to significant eco-savings – and you still get to enjoy your morning cuppa!
I’ll drink to that! The rise in eco-friendly English wine
Many people these days are concerned about food miles, so try to reduce the amount of air-freighted food they consume. But few people consider the impact of ‘wine-miles’. This is partly due to the popularity of New World wines, but partly because, while the UK is well-known for the quality of its beers and ciders, it is not traditionally seen as a wine-producing country. Now a number of producers are trying to change this, and raise awareness of the quality wines available in our own back yard. One such producer is Davenport Wines, based in Sussex and Kent. Started by Will Davenport in 1991, the vineyards stopped using herbicides in 1996 and were registered with the Soil Association in 2000. Covering 20 acres of land, they now produce a range of award-winning organic wines – including sparkling – that give any imported wines a run for their money. These are not only the eco-friendly option because of their organic production methods, but also because, by drinking these wines, consumers are helping cut ‘wine miles’ and supporting a growing British trade. If, however, you love your New World wines too much to switch, there are still ethical alternatives. For instance, Friarwood wine merchants in the UK sell a selection of Fair Trade wines from Ormer Bay, including a range of vegan wines, which ensure their South African producers get a fair wage for their work. There are also now a selection of organic champagnes and cavas available. So whatever your tipple, you can always make a greener choice.
