Solar powered coasters make your party fun
If you want to light up your New Year’s Eve Party, why not try these solar powered coasters? These fun coasters are silver but change colour when you place your drink or bottle on them, going through a series of colours thanks to its integral solar panel which uses energy-efficient LED lights. These solar powered coasters come with replaceable, rechargeable batteries so cost nothing to run and don’t need any wiring, so you can use them anywhere. The coasters are available in packs of two, so why not stock up for the party season – they make a great talking point for any table! When fully charged they give you up to six hours light, so long enough to see you well into the New Year! The coasters are produced by Smart Solar, a company which specialises in using the power of solar energy to create innovative products. These include lights and water decorations for the home and garden, all of which you can enjoy without using energy – so you can drink with a clear conscience – so if being green is one of your New Year’s resolutions, here is a great way to start. Just make sure you are drinking organic champagne or wine so that you know your celebrations are completely environmentally friendly – that way the planet gets a happy New Year too!
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?
As sales of organic food have risen over the last decade, it has become apparent we are increasingly concerned about the level of chemicals we are putting in our body. But what about the chemicals we put on our body? Most women wear make-up every day, and yet until now it has been difficult to find organic cosmetics that are both stylish and eco-friendly. This is where Nvey Eco comes in. There has long been a flourishing trade in organic and paraben-free toiletries, as we seek to reduce the use of petrochemicals, and the impact of our beauty regimes on the environment and, potentially, our health. Now you can also buy organic, paraben-free make-up that doesn’t compromise on the high standards today’s women expect from their beauty products. Nvey Eco is a range of luxury cosmetics that are not only organic and paraben-free, they also steer clear of petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances, instead using natural plant and mineral ingredients to deliver beautiful and professional looking results. The combination of six years’ research and over 40 years’ experience in the cosmetics industry, this make-up is also cruelty-free, coming with a ‘not tested on animals’ guarantee. Gentle on your skin, gentle on the environment, Nvey Eco allows you to feel as good as you look – and with this stunning range of products, you will be looking very good indeed!
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.
The Drive to Reverse Flagging Organic Food Sales
Most consumers are aware that organic produce represents a greener alternative to everyday foodstuffs. Unfortunately, the true benefits of organic produce appear to be lost on the vast majority of shoppers. Indeed, organic foods imply sustainability and safety in so far as they are neither genetically modified nor treated with pesticides. In turn, this promotes the growth of natural ecosystems that are required in order to successfully produce organic food. Clearly, the benefit of eating natural produce that has not been chemically treated ought to appeal to consumers ‘en masse’. Organic food sales, however, have fallen some £34.1m in the year up to September 2009.
The most obvious and simple explanation for such a drop is that this period coincided with the recession, in which many shoppers were forced to tighten their belts. Indeed, as it costs more money to bring organic food items to supermarket shelves, it is necessary that they must be sold for a higher figure than their chemically treated cousins. In this respect, it would appear that many consumers have elected price over value.
Nevertheless, rather than throw in the towel and concede that organic produce has no future in the mass market, a number of leading organic food companies, such as Green & Blacks and Yeo Valley, have decided to push their offerings more aggressively. Indeed, the Organic Trade Board wants to boost sales by some £1bn, which would require reaching out to customers caught between price and value. However, it is argued that the success of such a campaign would hinge as much on reduced organic food prices as it would educating consumers. On-line retailers such as The Ethical Superstore and Natural Collection are addressing this issue by offering a range of promotions, including multi-buys and seasonal offers, (the Ethical Superstore’s Organic Fortnight ends next week), which make the organic option more affordable. It remains to see whether, in the midst of a recession, such efforts pay off.
Organic Fortnight at the Ethical Superstore
The Soil Association’s Organic Fortnight finishes this weekend, but there is still time to scoop up a bargain at the Ethical Superstore. This eco-retailer is holding an Organic Fortnight promotion, offering up to 20% off selected groceries. Many of these are also available in good value multi-buy offers also – and there’s free delivery on all orders over £60. The Soil Association is keen to show that not only is buying organic better for the planet, it doesn’t have to be expensive – with smart shopping, you can still bag a bargain, and the Ethical Superstore’s range starts from under £1! But organic isn’t only about food – cotton production is one of the most chemical intensive processes in the world, so buying organic cotton can make a huge difference. From bedlinen to dresses, underwear, t-shirts and children’s clothes, there’s now a huge range of organic products available – you can even now buy organic cotton mattresses! And don’t forget beauty products – the humble cotton wool pad or baby wipe – as buying organic versions of these will also help reduce the amount of chemicals that are used. And it’s not just specialist eco-retailers like Ethical Superstore who are promoting organic goods – big high street names like Marks and Spencer are getting in on the act. They now sell a range of organic clothing and household goods (including curtains). Plus, you can buy a stylish organic shopper to carry it all home in…
Green Education the Old School Way
In an age caught up in the drive for greener, more environmentally friendly ways to move humanity forward, many people have overlooked the possibility that earlier generations had the right idea. Of course, much of the damage caused to the Earth’s ozone layer, which essentially helps to protect organisms from the harmful effects of exposure to solar rays, arose from industrial practices and technological advances of previous generations. Indeed, whilst it is clear that the current level of carbon emissions is unacceptably high, efforts are at least being made to reverse the negative trend. However, not all such efforts need to be innovative.
In fact, various old school practices can be adopted into modern living to reduce an individual’s impact on the environment, which is given greater force when a large proportion of the population follow suit. First, there is usually little need to buy the majority of cleaning products available on the market that contain harmful chemicals and so-called greenhouse gases.
Cleaning stainless steel sinks and plugs can be achieved to great effect with white vinegar, which is excellent at removing limescale, whilst bicarbonate of soda can remove stubborn stains, paint and even acts as a chemical-free deodorant for shoes and trainers when applied dry. As an added plus, most of these household remedies are far cheaper than the commercial alternatives – so you are saving money as well as being eco-friendly.
Likewise, fresh mint leaves can deter flies, which negates the need for harmful and ultimately ineffective sprays, whilst ants can be apparently kept at bay using chalk boundary markers – they presumably dislike the chalk. (You can maixmise your eco-friendliness by buying organic mint to grow yourself). In conclusion, the presiding point remains some of the best eco-friendly products available are those already found in the home. If you’re not sure how best to use natural products to have a greener home, there are plenty of household guides to help you – from the easy and straightforward to fun, slightly tongue-in-cheek reissues of old home manuals. So it really has never been easier to be greener around the house.
Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint: Grow Your Own Tree
There is nothing new about growing fruit, vegetables, plants or flowers in the garden, which are seen as effective ways in which organic produce can be cultivated at home to save money the green way. Furthermore, people are now more conscious of their individual impact on the environment, which is commonly expressed in terms of the so-called carbon footprint. Much like a normal footprint, the carbon variety refers to the impression left on the environment by a particular individual or household in the context of harmful CO2 emissions.
Every person leaves a carbon footprint behind them and, in this increasingly eco-conscious community, each is accountable for it. As such, many homeowners have sought to reduce their carbon footprint by adopting renewable energy sources, such as installing solar panels, insulating lofts and cavity walls, upgrading boilers and installing underfloor heating, which typically uses less energy than conventional radiator systems. However, there is a greener way in which carbon footprints can be offset somewhat. Indeed, if every home that has a garden or access to public grounds planted a tree, the world would literally become a much greener place to live.
Trees are beneficial to the environment not least because they support eco-systems in a general sense but also because their leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Thus, the Grow Your Own Tree kit from Canova, which comprises a compostable grow bag into which the included silver birch tree seed is sowed and eventually planted into the ground, provides a convenient way to grow trees, which will considerably offset carbon footprints. And if you don’t have access to a garden? There are a range of kitchen friendly options, from organic herbs in a bag to instant kitchen boxes or instant compact herb gardens.
