A wind-up lantern is the perfect eco-accessory for the garden
For eco-friendly light on the go, use a Freeplay wind-up lantern. Perfect for camping, travelling, or even just in the garden, this is a perfect eco-friendly source of light and requires almost no effort to run – as little as 60 seconds winding gives you up to three hours light. This portable lantern is fitted with a dimmer switch so you can set it to your perfect brightness – maximum light if you need it, or a more subtle glow. The Freeplay wind-up lantern doesn’t need batteries or replacement bulbs so is cheap to run and environmentally friendly – no toxic batteries to dispose of and no mains electricity needed. It also has a cluster of ultra-bright LED lights as a primary light source but a second, single LED bulb to use as a directional light – so you can use it like a torch if needed. When fully charged the light gives you around three hours of bright light but lasts an impressive 70 hours at the lowest setting – perfect for lighting on the go. (You also get 40 hours of directional light from a fully charged lantern). Pleasantly retro looking in design, this lantern in fact utilises modern wind up technology to create the perfect eco-solution and to give you the light you need anywhere, anytime.
Stylish recycled designer lightshades are perfect for your home
Light up your home with Use UK’s range of beautiful recycled designer lightshades. These eco-friendly lightshades are handmade from 100% recycled cardboard – consisting of 80% post-consumer waste and 20% post-manufacture waste – and are available in a range of styles to complement any decor scheme. These include the beautiful regency black, spiro and art deco style Taj oblong as well as a selection of other styles. These recycled shades are designed to fit both pendant and UK standard lamp bases, with the smaller BC (29mm) lamp holder ring inside (this is unsprayed). The lightshades are available in two sizes (small is 17.5 x 20cm and the medium is 20 x 30cm) but, as each shade is made to order, the wider European lamp holder ring is available on request. Because of the recycled material used in the lightshades, each is slightly different and may have minor imperfections, as is characteristic of recycled products – which just adds to their homemade charm. In buying one of these stylish lightshades, you are not only supporting British trade and design, you are encouraging the use of recycled material and preventing waste going to landfill – so this really is a greener way to light your home. Just make sure you use an energy efficient lightbulb to really maximise your eco design credentials!
Shed some light with a lovely lentil design lamp
If you are looking for a stylish and environmentally friendly lighting solution, this recycled lentil design lamp could just be the perfect choice. Designed and hand-made in London, this stylish lamp utilises eco-friendly materials and contemporary design to create something that is both chic and ethically sound. Because it is made in the UK there are no air miles to worry about, and the recycled lentil design lamp is made from recycled paper and porcelain clay, which is cleverly infused with lentils, which is what gives the lamp its beautiful finish. The lamp gives a lovely warm glow so is ideal for living rooms and bedrooms, especially on these cold, dark nights! Measuring 48 x 16cm, when turned off the lamp has a neutral, ceramic colour, plain enough to complement any decor, but is transformed to this lovely shade when switched on. So you can enjoy the best of British design while safe in the knowledge that you are not only investing in style, but in sustainability and the environment. So switch on a recycled lentil design lamp today, and shine a little light into these grim winter evenings.
Stylish and chic eco-design with a recycled glass grape light
Much like the sustainable coco tooth light we featured in an earlier post, this recycled glass grape light proves that green design doesn’t have to look ‘rustic’ or ‘hippyish’. It is a perfect example of how eco-friendly and ethical designers are taking green principles and using them to make some of the most cutting edge interiors products around. The recycled glass grape light is made from 100% recycled glass, and is available in a range of colours. You can select turquoise, amber or clear glass, depending on what best complements your decor, and the light would make a beautiful and striking addition to any home. Although the design may look hi-tech, it actually utilises traditional skills, with each bulb in this recycled glass grape light handmade by traditional craftsmen on the souks of Damascus and Aleppo. Recycled glass is gathered from the local area, brought to the workshop and then crushed and melted before being worked into this stunning design, making the light a perfect combination of age-old skills and modern design. The light comes in three sizes – small, medium and large – depending on your living space, or you could buy a range of sizes and colours for a more dramatic effect. Whatever your choice, this recycled glass grape light allows you to support environmentally friendly producers without compromising your aesthetic standards.
Ethical, sustainable and stylish - the coco tooth light
Many people here the words ‘ethical design’ and it conjures up images of cheesecloth or tie-dye, but this stunning coco tooth light illustrates that ethical, sustainable design can also be the epitome of contemporary chic. Proving that being green doesn’t have to mean ‘hippy’, this coco tooth light is designed to show that you can be ethical without compromising on good design. Handmade in the Philippines, this beautiful light is made from coconut shell slivers sourced from ethical growers. These shell slivers are cut, bleached and drilled and then sewn onto a wire frame to give this striking fluid effect that is both modern and natural. The coco tooth light is not only stylish it is sustainable: the coconut shell slivers are a sustainable by-product of the food industry, so using them in this way not only provides an extra source of income for the growers, it reduces landfill and is an innovative way to use what would just otherwise be waste. 27cm in height and with a diameter of 45cm, this light looks like it has sprung from the pages of a design magazine and would make a perfect focal point to any room. Who says ethical can’t be cool?
Relax this Christmas with a domestic goddess aromatherapy candle
We’re all so busy these days that there never seems to be time to relax, but this gorgeous domestic goddess aromatherapy candle aims to help you unwind. This scented soy wax candle contains essence of sweet orange, which helps maintain calm, and essence of frankincense to keep the mind elevated – so whether you are having people round to dinner or just trying to get all of your Christmas chores sorted, lighting this domestic goddess aromatherapy candle will help you remain unflustered. The candle is 100% natural and is eco-friendly, as soy wax is non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and burns cleaner than paraffin wax, being virtually soot free. The candle’s soy wax is made from soybeans, which are a renewable and sustainable resource, as well as being biodegradable. Even the wicks are made of soy! Containing natural essential oils and fragrances and hand poured in the UK, each candle offers about 50 hours burn time, so they are excellent value for money. As well as the domestic goddess aromatherapy candle, the range includes a love potion candle – perfect for Valentine’s Day! - which contains jasmine, a proven aphrodisiac. Or if you feel you never have enough hours in the day, can choose the 25/7 aromatherapy candle, which contains stimulating essences of basil, sweet lemon and grapefruit. So unleash your inner domestic goddess today with an aromatherapy candle – and you can be a green goddess at the same time!
Stay safe and stay green with eco-friendly cycle lights
Cycling is one of the most eco-friendly modes of transport, but now that the evenings and mornings are darker, it’s important to keep safe when you are cycling. Luckily, there is now a range of eco-friendly products available to help you cycle safely without damaging your eco-credentials! Pedalite battery free 360 degree pedal lights are a brilliant solution to the problem of visibility. Designed to keep cyclists visible to motorists from any angle, these lights are powered by your kinetic energy, so as soon as you start pedalling, the pedals harvest and store energy. This means that, if the bike is stopped at a junction or you are freewheeling, the lights continue to flash. Because they use no batteries or rechargers, they are environmentally friendly and cheaper to run. Pedalite also produce a solar powered bag light: this light slips easily over rucksacks and gives over three hours light when fully charged, so is ideal for cyclists (or horse riders) who want to be sure they are seen on the road. Another eco-friendly, battery-free solution is the Power Plus wind-up head light, which comes with a universal clip to attach it to any bike. Visibility isn’t the only issue in these winter months: no one wants to break down on a wet and windy road, so make sure you keep your bike well-maintained. You can buy eco-friendly bike maintenance kits from Green Oil UK, which will help keep you on the road all through the winter.
Shine a light with eco-friendly desk lamps
Stylish but eco-friendly and energy efficient design is hard to come by, but this eco desk light from Luminair manages to beautifully combine high end style with the latest in eco-friendly thinking. The shade and frame of the light are made from black walnut wood, from sustainably managed forests with stringent environmental policies in place. This means that for each tree harvested, more are planted, making this one of the most sustainable materials around. These forests are also in the UK, which cuts down on air miles, often a concern when buying wood-based products, as some imported wood can have environmentally questionable provenance. The light itself incorporates an energy efficient LED light drive, meaning that using the light saves you money and energy – reducing your bills and your carbon footprint! As befits a light made to the highest design specifications, it offers all the features you would expect, including touch sensitive switch and dimmer, and precision machined and turned silver aluminium fittings. The light is also available in a Superflux version, which is similar but offers an ultra-bright 3W ‘super-flux’ LED light head. This Superflux light, too, is energy efficient and eco-friendly, made to the same exacting sustainable and environmentally friendly standards and out of the same beautiful black walnut wood. Either one of these super stylish lights would look great on any desk, making them ideal, eco-friendly gifts.
Stylish solar-powered Sun Jars provide eco-friendly lighting for home and garden
Solar powered lighting is many things, but it is rarely beautiful. However, eco-friendly designers Suck UK Design have come up with an innovative lighting solution that manages to be both green and stylish. Their Sun Jar lights combine solar technology with classical design to provide energy efficient lighting. Made with a traditional Mason jar, the lights contain a solar cell, rechargeable battery and low energy LED lamps. Simply leave in direct sunlight to charge up the Sun Jar, and it automatically activates when it gets dark or when the lights are switched out. (There is an override switch located inside the lid so you can turn it off and conserve the power). Because the Sun Jar uses warm coloured LED lights and the glass is frosted, it gives a warm glow – looking like sunlight diffused through the jar. With no visible external switches, it will intrigue and impress visitors! The Sun Jars are also watertight, so make ideal garden illuminations as they can be left outside whatever the weather. As they give a warm rather than harsh glow, they are also ideal energy efficient and safe nightlights for children. Suck UK Design produce the Sun Jars in a range of colours including pink and blue (the Moon Jar) so you can combine them to beautiful effect. For anyone who likes a more high-tech looking lighting solution, though, Suck UK Design also produces Glow Bricks, which use the same technology placed in an actual lightbulb, encased in an acrylic brick. Available in green and blue, these sharp designs give a contemporary look to your lighting, as well as saving you energy and money.
Eternaled and PIR: eco-friendly floodlights
Unfortunately, gone are the days when doors could be left unlocked at night without the fear of burglary. Sadly, gone too are the days when doors can be left unlocked during the day – even open windows are a risk in this age of social and moral decadence. Nevertheless, despite the oft-reported mobs of ASBO-crazed teenagers and recession-hit scoundrels who bring horror to communities up and down the country, the present day and age is also no time to be leaving the lights on. In fact, one of the few remaining social crimes happens to be relatively new: environmental inefficiency.Indeed, whilst the aforementioned unruly delinquents are served up meaningless anti-social behaviour orders and thieves are handed fines or suspended prison terms, anybody seen doing harm to the planet is likely to face a public hanging, at least metaphorically speaking. Thus, installing old style security floodlights may seem like a great idea to those who do not fancy having their properties ransacked, but to others they may appear to be an incredible waste of energy. Fortunately, the Eternaleds Floodlight Bulbs are on hand to make home security an environmentally friendly pursuit. Available in 9W and 18W varieties, the LED floodlights from Eternaleds offer energy savings of around 80% over their incandescent cousins. Furthermore, the bulbs feature a shatter-proof plastic casing with passive cooling technology, which basically means the bulbs are kept cool enough to be handled. Also of value to the environment, these superb floodlights contain no hazardous or toxic materials, such as mercury, which can cause harm to the local environment on disposal. Indeed, the Eternaleds bulbs provide basic home security in an entirely eco–friendly manner.
Another eco-friendly solution is the solar powered PIR Light Stake. Retailing at under £30, this can be wall mounted or freestanding and is ideal for driveways and gardens. Operated by a motion sensor, it is a perfect green choice for security lighting.
