Now that Christmas is over it means that all the eco shopping sales have started.
Follow the Eco Shopping Sale link to MoreEco to check our who has the best offers.
As a taster Ethical Supertsore are offer discount of upto 75% OFf.
Hip Hip Hooray!!
Christmas Tree Recycling Programs
12/29/2009Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas When You Recycle Your Tree
The National Christmas Tree Association’s website describes how some communities are finding unique ways to recycle Christmas trees. Here are some established programs for discarding Christmas trees in an environmentally friendly manner.
- A pharmaceutical company in Toronto, Ontario, has been working to make a flu vaccine out of the extract from discarded Christmas tree needles.
- The state of Georgia’s Christmas tree recycling program, called “Bring One for the Chipper,” has turned trees into mulch used for playgrounds.
- Following Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, Gulf Shores, Alabama, used recycled Christmas tree to rebuild the dunes that had been wiped out in the storm.
- The state of Louisiana is losing its coastal wetlands, which provide protection against hurricanes and a safe home for fish. To save these wetlands, bundles of recycled Christmas trees are dropped from helicopters into the marshes. The Christmas tree bundles create tree fences that fight erosion and protect the wetlands.
- Cook County, Illinois, has used recycled Christmas trees to build habitats and nesting structures for birds that have been forced out of their natural habitat because of development. These Christmas tree nesting structures provide homes for pairs of great blue herons, great egrets, cormorants and black-crowned night herons.
- Christmas trees in San Diego, California, are turned into compost, mulch, or wood chips that is given away to residents. This project keeps the city landfills from filling up with discarded Christmas trees.
- In New Hampshire, the Fish and Game Department has built fish-friendly habitats using recycled Christmas trees. The trees are dropped into lakes to provide a place for fish to hide.
- Hikers on the trails at Dunbar Cave State Park in Tennessee, walk on mulch from recycled Christmas trees. About 1,000 Christmas trees are mulched after each Christmas season.
- In Tomahawk, Wisconsin, recycled Christmas trees have been converted to fuel. The Packaging Corporation of America has used ground-up Christmas trees to make a fuel that powers the boilers at their pulp and paper mill plant.
- Recycled Christmas trees have been used to create habitats for small fish and animals at Lake Oroville Spillway cove in California. The Boy Scouts collected the trees for this project.
- In Reno, Nevada, Christmas trees have been recycled and chipped into mulch. Throughout the year, the mulch was used in park, river and open space projects to control weeds and soil erosion and to beautify the spaces.
- In Burlington, Vermont, recycled trees have been chipped and burned to generate electricity. Power companies used the electricity to provide power to thousands of homes in the area.
How to Recycle Christmas Trees
Maybe you aren’t aware of any recycling programs for Christmas trees near your home and you’re wondering how to recycle your Christmas tree. Try contacting local trash collection agencies or regional extension agencies; these can be a good starting point to inquire about recycling programs.
The Earth911 or the National Christmas Tree Association websites have information about recycling Christmas trees. These websites also have suggestions on how to set up a Christmas tree recycling program in your area. This holiday season, consider recycling your Christmas tree.
Source: Suite101
Eco Christmas Art in India
12/29/2009
Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik has sculpted 100 Santa Claus figures on a beach in the tourist town of Puri. The exhibition, which was opened by two foreign tourists last week, seeks to spread awareness about global warming.
Mr Patnaik has also sculpted Christmas trees with the message “Save the Earth from Global Warming”, to encourage people to give trees as gifts
Hundreds of tourists and locals have been visiting the beach to see the unique display. About 1,000 tonnes of sand and 36 hours of labour went into the creation of the sculpture. Mr Patnaik was assisted by 20 students of the Golden Institute of Sand Art set up by him on Puri beach.
Top 10 Eco Christmas High Value Eco Gifts
12/14/2009If you are looking to splash some real eco cash this Christmas check out these fantastic gifts below!
Simon Lee Recycled Guitar (Cyclotron Webster)
100% Silk Quilt – Gold & Cream
Recycled Aircraft Tyre Horse Swing
Suki Spa Facial Lift Ultimate Firming Cream
Power Monkey Gorilla – Solar Charger for Lap Tops and much more
Top 10 Eco Board Games
12/08/2009The team here at MoreEco know how hard it can be keeping the kids entertained during the Christmas holidays. So we have found the top 10 eco-games for the whole family to enjoy!
Eco-plunk
Suitable for children age 4 and above.
Featured in Junior and Prima Magazine
A great way to keep the kids entertained, this eco game could be compared to the classic game of Kerplunk, but with a twist!
See how steady your hands really are as you carefully remove the colour coded sticks to eliminate your opponents marbles, making sure you don’t let your own fall through.
Parents weary of plastic toys will appreciate this eco toy: made from bamboo, the world’s fastest replenishable natural resource – bamboo grows wihtout the use of pesticides making it sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Contents: Bamboo frame, 20 bamboo sticks and 16 bamboo balls in four colors
>>> Available from Eco Centric
>>> Price £19.00 + earn £1.33 cash back with MoreEco
‘Play Rethink’ – eco design game
‘Play Rethink’ is a fun eco game which promotes creativity, idea generation and lateral thinking. Perfect for Christmas, schools, or any creative group.
Players are asked to rethink existing, everyday products through the lens of environmentally friendly design. For example, redesign a chair using locally sourced materials or come up with new functions for an old shopping trolley. The goal of the game is environmentally friendly thinking and eco-design creativity. Spin a wheel ingeniously integrated into the box and select a task card based on the wheel result. Players then draw new ideas and apply eco-strategies based around the object on the card. Share, dicuss and debate you ideas. After playing you can upload your inspiring ideas to their website and you can even win a prize!
Made in the UK using recycled paper and card, vegetable inks and environmentally friendly processes
>>> Available from Eco Centric
>>> Price £24.99 + earn £1.75 cash back with MoreEco
Bioviva Mission Antarctic Game
Be the first to recover all the clues left behind by the mythical Jonah explorers’ expedition! Set out across the Antarctic, confronting puzzles, challenges, trials and tribulations as dealt out by the Expedition Cards, and be the first to find the Top Secret Envelope to uncover the crucial clue.
Each game can be played independently, but complete the Biovviva Mission Game Trilogy to discover the ultimate truth. These highly entertaining, family adventure games will give hours of fun for young and old. Printed on recycled, recyclable materials.
For 2-6 players, suitable for ages 7+
>>> Available from Ethical Superstore
>>> Price £14.95 + earn £1.20 cash back with MoreEco
Bioviva Board Game
Winner of all thirteen international competitions it entered, Bioviva has become the world-wide reference for board games about nature. As an adventurer thirsting for knowledge, you travel the world discovering the incredible and fascinating story of the planet Earth. An original, entertaining and instructive game, offering hours of entertainment for both family and friends.
Game Objective:
After drawing a “Destination” card at the beginning of the game, each player rolls the round dice, lands on a square of the planet and tries to answer the corresponding question correctly. For each correct answer, the player earns a “+” card, in the hope of collecting an “Eco Points” card. The winner is the player who manages to collect the necessary points for each of the natural regions listed on his/her “Destination” card. Simple and lots of fun!
>>> Available from Mimi Myne
>>> Price £34.99 + earn £2.10 cash back with MoreEco
Operation Survival
Can you make your way back from the edge?
Operation Survival is a strategy game for budding adventurers as well as experienced explorers. And no matter what happens, you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat, laughing your head off!
Game Objective:
Your plane crashed in a remote land, and now you have to survive in this hostile territory. You and the other survivors from the wreck face extremely harsh conditions, but only one of you will come out of this alive…. It’s the survival of the fittest! Your best allies – courage, toughness and the ability to hit the ground running – will get you through the trials and tribulations Nature has in store… and help you outsmart your unlucky companions!
>>> Available from Mimi Myne
>>> Price £19.99 + earn £1.20 cash back with MoreEco
Green Cards – an eco twist on a timeless game
These beautifully designed eco friendly playing cards feature unique court card characters from original illustrations, and are the first playing cards to be made using only sustainable and recycled materials.
They are produced entirely in the UK so you can buy with the confidence of a low carbon footprint.
A fabulous gift that can be played with over and over again.
>>> Available from Nigel’s Eco Store
>>> Price: £3.99 + earn £0.32 cash back with MoreEco
Puppet Theatre
Made from recycled corrugated cardboard, this fabulous Puppet Theatre is sturdy and environmentally friendly.
Supplied flat packed, it’s a wonderful blank canvas for children to get creative with. Decorate with crayons, paints, stencils, fabrics, whatever you choose.
Easy to store too. Simply fold back down after use.
Supplied in a sturdy corrugated cardboard outer for storage when not in use.
>>> Available from Love Eco
>>> Price £29.99 + earn £2.40 cash back with MoreEco
Rainy Day Box
A box packed full of fun activities and materials to keep you busy on a rainy day.
Great for holidays too!
Awarded the overall winner in the Practical Pre-School Awards 2008, Toys and Games category.
Included in the box are 25 sheets of recycled sugar paper, 5 sheets of recycled card and several sheets of wallpaper. There are activity sheets to make a mobile, make butterflies, make a pom-pom pet and make puppets. There is a box of beeswax crayons, made without the use of chemical wax. There are four paints which are water based, biodegradable, and phalate free. A pot of washable glue, which like the paint, is wheat, gluten and nut oil free (ensuring that children with these allergies can play safely). A paint palette, paint brush and glue spreader is included. There are 3 spoons, 3 pegs and 4 lolly pop sticks. A bag of pom poms, feathers and sparkles. A pair of scissors* and a roll of tape. Some scraps of material and a pot of glitter. A recycled pencil and sheet of star stickers. A window mount to present your finished art work, and a stencil to practice writing letters and words. There are 3 paper doilies and 3 paper plates. A kids apron made by a woman’s cooperative in the Philippines from recycled juice packs is also included, which will protect your clothes and can continue to be used for future art & craft activities.
>>> Available from Ecotopia
>>> Price £29.35 + earn £1.17 cash back with MoreEco
Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit
The Mayan Magic Chocolate Making Kit is a brand new concept that gives you the finest raw ingredients, together with simple instructions to create exceptional chocolate from your own home. Raw Chocolate is made using unprocessed cacao powder that contains more than double the antioxidants of the processed variety.
The kit puts the fun and honesty back into chocolate, with no compromises on quality, flavour or health benefits.
The kit contains:
- Powders mix – Finest raw cacao (Nacional Arriba beans from Ecuador), Lucuma fruit powder, Peruvian carrob powder.
- Butters mix – Cacao butter, coconut butter
- Natural sweetener – Agave nectar (Low G.I. diabetic)
Together this makes 153g of very special chocolate to which you can add your own flavours – create a masterpiece that friends and family will never forget!
>>> Available from Ecotopia
>>> Price £12.95 + earn £0.52 cash back with MoreEco
Giraffe Puppet Kit
Included with this craft kit is everything you could possibly need to make one Giraffe Puppet including brush, glue, brown and yellow paint and full instructions.
Each kit comprises of custom made recycled cardboard & wooden parts. Once all the parts have been glued together and painted, they can easily be threaded together. Multiple colours of paint are also included with the kit so the creative part can be left to the recipient!
The Giraffe Puppet stands 47cm/19 tall when assembled. The Giraffe Puppet Kit was Shortlisted in the 2008 Gift of the Year Awards Eco Friendly Category.
All the cardboard used in these kits (in the tub and the body parts of each puppet) is made from recycled post consumer waste paper and cardboard. These parts can also be easily recycled once finished with!
>>> Available from Eco Outlet
>>> Price £12.00 + earn £0.96 cash back with MoreEco
Top 10 Eco Gadgets
12/08/2009We all know that men love their gadgets. That’s why the MoreEco team have put together a top ten list of the best eco-gadgets you can get for the loved men in your life this Christmas!
H2O Water Powered Maxi Clock
The H2O water powered Maxi clock uses the latest long life H2O technology to power this large display clock.
Simply add water to the body of the clock to activate it, and enjoy free energy to tell the date and time. Add water when required, typically every 6 to 12 months.
Features:
- Large high contrast LCD display
- Date and time
- Stylish and transparent sphere design
- No batteries required
>>> Available from Big Green Smile
>>> Price £9.99 + earn £0.80 cash back with MoreEco
Powerplus Gazelle – Pedal Powered Powerbank Generator
Now you can enjoy the freedom of mobile energy everywhere!
The POWERplus® Gazelle is a pedal powered power generator with an AC/DC Powerbank. Now you have everywhere at any time power available by simply power generating by cycling by yourselves. During cycling you charge the multifunction powerbank easily , so exercising and power generating at the same time!
Even an AC inverter is integrated in the powerbank so you can enjoy 220V power at max.100W. To complete the powerbank is equiped with an integrated flashlight, storage space or adapters etc and an integrated handle for easy carrying and transportation. The Powerplus Gazelle is a heavyweight addition to the PowerPlus range, offering a truly versatile portable Eco Power solution. The Gazelle is pedal powered, or can be charged by optional car adapter or the included mains adapter.
>>> Available from Big Green Smile
>>> Price £99.99 + earn £8.00 cash back with MoreEco
Freeloader Pico Solar Charger
The Freeloader Pico is designed to power virtually any portable device for free! Using advanced solar cell and li-ion battery technologies Pico will deliver power in all daylight conditions. Simply connect Pico using one of the tips provided or using the USB sync / charge cable originally supplied with your device for instant power.
Performance:
Charge up time from sun = 10 hours
Charge up time from USB = 3 hours
Time to deliver power from Pico to a device = 30 minutes
>>> Available from Eco Hamster
>>> Price £16.99 + earn £1.19 cash back with MoreEco
Powerplus Cheetah Wind-Up and Solar Powered Radio
Enjoy the freedom of music and information anywhere, anytime No more dead batteries with the POWERplus® Cheetah.
The Cheetah is an AM/FM radio with multiple charging possibilities:
- by solar energy
- by wind-up
- by USB-port of computer
- by mains socket (optional)
Now you can listen to high quality radio at any time without the risk of running out of battery power. The Cheetah is a small, lightweight, practical radio, which is easy to carry, and very practical for outside, gardening, boating, camping etc.
>>> Available from Ethical Superstore
>>> Price £19.95 + earn £1.60 cash back with MoreEco
Wattson Home Energy Meter
The Wattson – Voted Number 8 in Stuff Magazine’s Top 10 Gadgets 2007
This ingenious little white box displays the amount of electricity you are using at any given time, through a clever system of colours and numbers. Simply clip the wireless sensor onto your electricity meter (no electrician required!), and stick the Wattson somewhere you can see it (trust us, you’ll want to see it), and watch as it tallies up the power you are using in real time, and tells you the associated cost. Wander round your house switching stuff off, and you’ll see the power (and cost) savings in real time.
>>> Available from Ethical Superstore
>>> Price £99.95 + earn £7.99 cash back with MoreEco
Solar Powered Electric Shaver 
Ideal for travelling, makes a great eco gift
Being away from mains power is no reason to compromise on the way you look. This eco friendly and solar powered electric travel razor means you can be clean-shaven wherever you are. It’d make a great gift for the man in your life!
Slim and compact, its power comes from the integrated solar panel, remember to leave it in the sun to charge first!
>>> Available from Nigel’s Eco Store
>>> Price £15.00 + earn £1.20 cash back with MoreEco
Solar Car Battery Charger 2.6W
The Sunsei 170 solar battery charger is a 2.6W solar powered car battery maintainer that will trickle charge a 12V car battery. It’s ideal for cars, small boats, tractors and other vehicles.
It never overcharges, and connects in seconds via the cigarette lighter socket or crocodile clips.
Easily mounted on the inside of a car window using suction cups, and comes with 4ft cigarette lighter adaptor cable, 10ft battery clamp cable and 4 suction cups, so you can stick it to the inside of your windscreen.
>>> Available from Nigel’s Eco Store
>>> Price £39.99 + earn £3.20 cash back with MoreEco
Verio Wind Up Mp3 Player 
For music on the move, no batteries required
The Verio by PowerPlus is a wind up and rechargeable MP3 player with integrated flashlight and mobile phone charger. No more dead batteries while playing your favorite songs; just wind up the Verio for 1 minute to listen to your songs for 15-20 minutes – all for less than £40!
The Verio comes with 1 GB internal memory to ensure that you always have a huge music library available on this compact and rugged MP3 player.
>>> Available from Nigel’s Eco Store
>>> Price £39.99 + earn £3.20 cash back with MoreEco
Tefal Quick Cup
Save time and energy with the Tefal Quick Cup. Provides hot or cold water at the touch of a button. This versatile and stylish machine would compliment any office or kitchen and is perfect for tea, instant coffee or instant snacks.
- 1.5L water tank
- Heats or cools water in 3 seconds
- Uses 65% less energy than a standard kettle
- Automatic or manual pouring
- Tefal patented Optiquick heating system
- Claris anti-scale filter cartridge
- Flow Stop system for a programmable cup size
- Stainless Steel control panel
- Removable water tank
- Easy filling and dishwasher safe
- Cartridge replacement indicator
- Comes complete with Claris water filter cartridge
>>> Available from The Go Green Company
>>> Price £59.99 + earn £2.99 cash back with MoreEco
Santa Claus Hand Squeeze Torch
If you’re just looking for a cute stocking filler then we have found the perfect eco-gadget gift!
Whether for reading under the covers or making fun shapes on the wall every child should have a torch, and this Santa Claus Torch is a great eco-friendly gadget for the job this Christmas.
With no batteries needed, instead the torch is hand-squeeze operated so part of the fun of this great little gizmo is bringing it to life. Whilst educating children about the importance of renewable energy, the best thing about it is that it will never run out of juice, so there’ll never be any panic searching for extra batteries.
As well as normal flashlight operation, the Santa Claus torch can stand in an upright position, in order to act as a nightlight.
>>> Available from Natural Collection
>>> Price £4.95 + earn £0.40 cash back with MoreEco
Ascension – Top 10 Eco Gifts
12/03/2009Ascension are currently offering amazing deals on their Christmas gifts. You get free delivery for any orders over £50 and there’s even a 3 for 2 offer running from now until the 22nd of December! In honour of this the MoreEco team have scoured their site for what we believe are the best eco-gifts for your loved ones this Christmas. Check out our favourites below:
Over £50
Floral Garden Drop Earrings
Fifi Bijoux
Inspired by the bounty and beauty of our English garden. These inticate & daninty drop earrings are a representation of Luxury, Ethical Jewellery at it’s best.
Delicate drop style
- Ethically mined 9ct gold
- Sustainable packaging
- Made in the UK
- No cyanide, mercury or arsenic is used.
- Gold is only purchase from small scale, artisanal mines.
Fifi Bijoux is a British company. All products are made in the UK & hallmarked in Edinburgh.
Floral detail measures approximately L 1.3cm x W 1cm.
>>> Price £200.00 + earn £16.00 cash back with MoreEco
Annabel Ruched Cami
Enamore
A pretty camisole made from organic silk with ruched bust with a candy pink satin bow & trimmed with delicate lace. A perfect gift for someone special.
- Organic & alternative fibres
- Made in the UK
- Adjustable straps
- Matching bottoms available
- Made from 92% organic silk & 8% silk elastane.
- A slight stretch for comfort.
Small fitting. Adjustable straps & adjustable ruching.
Hand wash ideally with biodegradable soap & hang to dry
>>> Price £64.00 + earn £5.12 cash back with MoreEco
Amka Organic Gift Set
Jo Wood Organics
A small taste of the Amka range containing healing properties of otto rose with reviving Jasmine and neroli and Bergamot for their bright, uplifting effect.
- Organic ingredients
- Reviving and uplifting
- Perfect gift
- Made in the UK
Includes: bath oil, body lotion, body oil & body dew.
Bath oil – 30ml, body lotion – 50ml, body oil – 50ml, body dew – 25ml.
>>> Price £59.00 + earn £4.72 cash back with MoreEco
Knickers Gift Set
Enamore
This gorgeous gift set comprises of a pair of 100% stretch organic silk knickers, with bow trim detail & a chocolate fix treat in a box! An Eco-fabulous gift!
- 100% silk knickers
- Organic milk chocolate treat
- Beautifully gift boxed
- Made in the UK
Black Lashes Knicker 100% silk; hand wash, hang to dry.
Boxed mini Coco organic milk chocolate & raspberry star, 25g.
The perfect sensual gift for someone special.
>>> Price £50.00 + earn £4.00 cash back with MoreEco
£25 – £50
Ikat Clutch
Dialog
If cocktail hour is beckoning, then this is the cutest clutch bag to accompany you! The woven finsih makes each piece unique.
- Synthetic & recycled fabric
- Snap clasp diamante fastening
- Fully lined; butterfly detail
- Farily traded from Asia
World Butik, featuring artisan textiles, weaving songs of the world.
H16 x L33cm; oversized snap close clasp; small internal pouch.
>>> Price £49.00 + earn £3.92 cash back with MoreEco
Senses Gift Set
Enamore
The perfect sensual gift! This 4 piece set is packaged in a striped, recycled card gift box, lined with tissue paper & tied with a brown satin bow.
- 4 piece set
- N.B-Body bar contains nut oil
- Beautifully gift boxed
- Made in the UK
Black Lashes Sleep Mask 100% silk/English lace; one size; hand wash, hang to dry.
1xmini organic milk chocolate & raspberry star, 25g; 1xorganic Rose & Ylang Ylang body bar 95g;
1×100% plant wax handmade votive candle in a glass jar, Lavender
>>> Price £45.00 + earn £3.60 cash back with MoreEco
Malachite Stone Necklace
People Tree
A striking handmade necklace, that is so representative of African style. Made from brass plated metal with malachite stones.
- Gift boxed
- Length: necklace 70cm
- Fairly traded
- Made in Kenya
Bombolulu run sheltered workshops in jewellery, leatherwork, carving & textiles production.
The group now works with 150 men & women providing them with a regular income & medical benefits
Comes in a beautiful handmade paper gift box.
>>> Price £35.00 + earn £2.80 cash back with MoreEco
Under £25
Kiba Elephant
Nkuku
This adorable little fellow is so cute we couldn’t resist including him in our range. Purely a decorative piece, he will bring personality to any room!
- Makes an ideal door-stop
- Oversized decorative piece
- Handmade from recycled fabric
- Each elephant is unique
Handmade from recycled pieces of materials otherwise left to go to waste.
Please note each ‘Kiba’ varies in colour & design owing to the avalibility of fabrics.
Approximate measurements H36 x W38cm. Weight – 2.2 kilos
>>> Price £24.95 + earn £1.99 cash back with MoreEco
Recycled Sari Journal
Nkuku
This beautiful journal has been handmade from recycled traditional ‘heavy’ saris, some up to 25 years old. Made from luxurious silk threads, each one is unique!
- Handmade from recycled saris
- Presented in a recycled box
- Leather tie
- Colours & sari designs vary
Paper pages are made from pieces of recycled cotton; a technique dating back to the 16th century
A6
>>> Price £16.95 + earn £1.36 cash back with MoreEco
Raw Silk Scarf
Manumit
Their Best selling scarf to date is back for this season. In a range of new & inspiring colours to compliment you & your wardrobe, perfect for anytime or place!
- 50% silk, 50% cotton
- L 68″ x W 15″
- Great gift idea!
- Made in Vietnam
Helping to fight poverty & prevent trade injustice.
L 68″ x W 15″, with tassel edge finish.
Hand wash cold, dry flat.
>>> Price £15.00 + earn £1.20 cash back with MoreEco
>>> All these gifts are available from Ascension
>>> Earn 8% cash back when you shop through MoreEco
A-Z of tips for a green Christmas
12/03/2009Christmas doesn’t have to be a time of excess if you follow a few simple steps, writes Jessica Aldred from the Guardian.
A is for artificial trees These are not necessarily greener – although they last for longer, they are made from plastic, not recycleable or from a renewable source and have probably been shipped great distances. There are also question marks over where they are made and the labour used. Real trees also help to remove carbon from the atmosphere while they are growing (more on real trees below under C).
B is for batteries New gifts at Christmas often mean that households go through a lot of batteries. Batteries contain toxic chemicals, do not biodegrade and are difficult to recycle. As an alternative use rechargeable batteries or trying the new AA size USB rechargeable batteries. By opening the cap and plugging into a USB connector, you can recharge them pretty much anywhere.
C is for …
Candles Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residue and are no good for your health or for the environment. Candles made from soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based wax are more eco-friendly because they biodegrade and are smoke-free.
Cards Recyclenow.com has teamed up with the Woodland Trust card recycling scheme which will allow people to recycle their cards throughout January at participating retailers. With an average of 17 cards in the UK for every man, woman and child, that’s a lot of trees saved. Can you send an e-card instead? Purchase recycled or charity cards or cut up last year’s and re-use them?
Compost Compost all your food peelings or get a wormery to help break down the vegetable food waste into rich soil nutrition.
Clothes Over 80,000 tonnes of old clothes will be thrown away this Christmas. so if you do get a new wardrobe, make sure you donate your old clothes to a local charity shop.
Christmas trees Real trees are the more eco-friendly choice, as long as you consider where and how they have been grown.
Make sure you get one from a sustainable source. There are over 400 Christmas tree growers across the UK registered with the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association, where trees are grown according to strict guidelines governing everything from sustainable seeds and cultivation to protecting local wildlife.
The Soil Association also certifies some trees as organic, which means that no pesticides will have been used during growing.
You could also choose a tree with roots so that it can be replanted.
D is for …
Decorations Use recycled decorations
Defrost your freezer before Christmas It will work more efficiently and create more space to store leftover food, so that it doesn’t go to waste.
E is for eco-bags Use a cotton shopper bag instead of all that plastic. Bags of Change recently won two gongs at the Green England awards and offer organic hemp-cotton bags.
F is for food shopping For some horrifying statistics on how much food we throw away, read this story.
By the time the ingredients that make up the average British Christmas dinner arrive on our plates, they have travelled a combined distance of 49,000 miles. Turkeys from Europe, vegetables from Africa, wine from the southern hemisphere, cranberries from America – the turkey and trimmings add up to the equivalent of 6,000 car trips around the world, new research from the University of Manchester has found. Try this food foodprint calculator to check some of your ingredients.
Buy an organic turkey. Ten million turkeys are eaten every Christmas, so try to make sure it has been reared in humane conditions.
Buy local or buy less. Produce bought locally means you will be supporting small suppliers and the local community, while minimising your carbon footprint. Shop at a local farmers’ market, or try growing some of your own vegetables where possible.
Buy your fruit and vegetables loose and ditch all that wasteful plastic packaging. Make sure the goods that are packaged are made from recycled materials.
Buy drinks in bigger bottles rather than small ones. One large bottle generates less waste than several smaller ones.
Try to avoid serving people with paper or plastic plates and cups if you are entertaining.
Pack all your goods into a re-usable shopping bag or re-use old plastic bags.
Don’t forget to put the vegetable peelings from your Christmas dinner in your home compost bin.
K is for keeping your curtains closed. This keeps heat in and saves energy and money. And with all those guests to entertain, more heat is going to be generated anyway.
L is for lights Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough CO2 to inflate 12 balloons, so turn them off when they are not needed (you can join our green community, Tread lightly, by pledging to turn off your lights for longer here – you must sign in).
If you want to be more environmentally friendly, try switching to either LED lights, choosing lights that are powered by solar power or rechargeable batteries, or installing an energy-saving bulb to offset the energy usage.
If you haven’t already – make it a new year’s resolution to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs (sign up for this Tread lightly pledge here).
P is for …
Plastic-free More than 17bn plastic bags are handed out by supermarkets a year – that’s 300 for every man, woman and child – causing nearly 60,000 tonnes of plastic to go to landfill sites (more on why plastic bags are so bad here).
Now and after Christmas, use a cotton eco-shopper (if you sign up and complete 12 Tread lightly pledges we will give you one for free) or take old plastic bags and reuse them.
Presents Buy local or buy less. Each Christmas, 4,000 tonnes of products arrive from China. Presents bought locally means you will be supporting small suppliers and the local community, while minimising your carbon footprint.
Check out some of our ethical gift ideas here.
Buy durable gifts and avoid buying or requesting presents that rely on disposable parts like batteries. Try to look for alternatives, for example, goods that are solar or wind-up powered.
Do you have to buy gifts? Could you buy an “experience” instead? Try cinema tickets, club memberships, gift tokens. Sponsor an animal, buy them some rainforest to protect – but don’t give them another unwanted gift which they will simply throw away.
R is for recycle According to Recyclenow.com, English households will throw out an additional 3m tonnes – that’s five sacks of rubbish per family – over the festive period. Much of this will be waste that could have been recycled.
If you’re not doing it already, it’s getting harder to have an excuse not to recycle, with nine out of 10 homes in Britain now having a doorstep recycling service which will take paper, card, glass and metal cans.
If you don’t have a doorstep service, take your drinks bottles and paper to the recycling bank when you next go to the supermarket, or find out whether your area has a local recycling depot here.
T is for …
Turning off your appliances Turning your appliances off at the mains, rather than leaving them on standby. This saves huge amounts of carbon – find out how much by signing up for the Tread lightly pledge here.
Turning down the thermostat by 1C. Not only does this save carbon and money, it’s a good excuse to resurrect the themed Christmas jumper. You can sign up for this Tread lightly pledge here.
U is for using the right-sized pan Use the right-sized pan for the vegetables you cook, and only boil the kettle with the amount of water you need.
W is for wrapping. This constitutes one of the biggest Christmas wastes – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates that last year’s wasted paper would be enough to wrap up the Channel island of Guernsey. If we all recycled just half of of the 8,000 tonnes produced we’d save 25,000 trees.
The Christmas Eco Fair
12/02/2009
Christmas Shopping with a clear conscience
The 2009 Eco Fair at the Royal Geographical Society 4/5/6 December
FREE ENTRY
Come along and browse! Lots of gorgeous and interesting stalls across the whole ground floor of the Royal Georgraphical Society at The Christmas Eco Fair. Bustle free!
The first ever Christmas Eco Fair at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) will offer a great opportunity to buy Christmas presents with an ethical edge. Expect to see a wide range of contemporary, eco-friendly and quirky products from all over the world ranging from designer luxury to pocket money purchases…
Be sure to include a beaded pin from the PIN Project on your stocking filler list – for only £2.50 you can help to support the future of one of the many children orphaned by HIV in Southern Africa. Eco goodies include palm leaf tableware and organic cosmetics, clothing includes luxury beautifully designed alpaca woollens and scarves knitted by British knitters as well as a wide range of jewellery which includes fair-trade and many products which are recycled.
With free entry this is also the ideal excuse to take a peek inside the Royal Geographical Society’s beautiful building including the historic map room, as well as the opportunity to discover some fantastic and ethical goodies. The RGS main entrance is on Exhibition Road, Kensington – at the Kensington Gore end.
The Christmas Eco Fair. is free to visit and open to all from Saturday 5 December 9.30am– 5pm and Sunday 6 December 10am – 4pm and refreshments will be available. The Friday night preview is open to members only.
The Eco Fair will also feature a FREE children’s eco puppet theatre at 2pm on Sat 5 December when Theatre Rotto, one of the UK’s most inspiring puppet companies, will perform their show FOREST OF FABLES. An unravelling of ancient tales from Aesop brought to life with puppets, music and the imagination – the show has an underlying green thread and all the puppets are created from recycled materials / no booking required.
