In case you hadn’t noticed, Lets Get Energized are giving away another fab Ecotopia shop voucher worth £30 in our monthly prize draw here, and I couldn’t help noticing that they have lots of fab new products available this year, which I’ve got my eye on myself! So… here is my Christmas wishlist for some top eco gifts…
(Do check out our team’s wishlist from last year too here – Booja Booja chocolate truffles and Lush Comforter Bath Bombs are still on my list this year too – can never have enough of those!!!)
These supercool Human Being Not in danger of extinction tees are produced under the Global Organic Textile Standards (G.O.T.S) from 100% organic cotton using only renewable energy from wind & solar power and approved by the Carbon Trust (UK) for reductions in CO2 emissions.The Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) has audited the entire production chain for correct ethical labour practices.
Love the look of this box of natural bath melts. Apparently each will leave your skin moisturised and the aroma is described as simply divine! All made with essential oils and natural cocoa and shea butters each one is hand molded and decorated with flower petals or pressed flowers. I’m not the most girly of girls but most of us like a little pampering now and again!
Our butterflies need all the help they can come the Summer and I love seeing them in our garden (Peacock butterflies are my fave)! This little ‘bom’ contains a wildflower mix loved by brilliant butterflies and other pollinating insects. You trigger your seedbom by placing it in water until soaked. Then you throw the seedbom into abandoned and derelict ground and then it grows March til May. Seedboms are made with an expolsive mix of peat free organic compost, coir and a selection of flower seeds embedded in a recycled paper shell. They are handmade in the UK from recycled, organic, eco-friendly and biodegradable materials. The packaging is produced from 95% pre and post consumer recycled waste, is printed using vegetable based inks and is glue free.
More cool tees! The idea here is that alone we are little fish but together we will have our day! Another 100% Organic Cotton t-shirt, produced under the Global Organic Textile Standards (G.O.T.S) from 100% organic cotton using only renewable energy from wind & solar power and approved by the Carbon Trust (UK) for reductions in CO2 emissions.The Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) has audited the entire production chain for correct ethical labour practices.
Bats are in need of habitat as many of their roosting places have been lost over recent years. We have bats that fly around outside our house so they may even be living in our loft, otherwise the big lime trees along our road, but I would still love to help them out with a special cosy home! This high capacity bat box offers two chambers and a valuable high capacity roost for a variety of species. It will fit into any garden, woodland, or a house wall site. Made from solid, high quality, durable FSC timber it provides longevity and excellent insulation. The narrow entrance slot and strong timber help to discourage predators. A swing panel at the base allows for cleaning, if required.
Bring the fun of skittles to your home! This looks like one game our small garden may actually allow us to enjoy! The aim of this traditional bowling game is to knock all the skittles down with as few attempts as possible. It can also be played indoors.
Rowan Bird Oilcloth Washbag By Susie Faulks
This vegan-friendly oilcloth washbag in an original Rowan Bird design is fully lined with a good quality waterproof lining and top zip fastening. Perfect for potions, lotions and make-up which is what I would use it for (for my animal-friendly make-up of course)!
Bamboo Charcoal Water Filters 8 Piece
Not the most exciting looking of the items on my wishlist, but I’d really like to try this! Bamboo charcoal is a refreshingly simple and natural way of filtering tap water. Just leave it in a jug filled with tap water and it will slowly filter out impurities such as chlorine and chloramines make your water tastier and free from typical tap water odour. Bamboo charcoal’s incredible filtering ability comes from its super porous structure – some may find it hard to believe but 1g of high quality bamboo charcoal has a surface area equivalent of up to 3 tennis courts. It works like a sponge and absorbs impurities into its pores. Other woods can be used to make charcoal for filtering water but the larger number of porous cavities in bamboo charcoal is considered to give it better filtering abilities – 3 times greater per gramme than wood charcoal. As a fast growing plant, supply is abundant and sustainable.
I love feeding the birds in my garden and get very worried about them in cold Winter weather when they need extra help. The Me & My Birds refill is a pack of replacement feed and magic mix for the Me & My Birds Wild Bird Kit and has everything you need to make the bird food for your kit. Each refill will make about 12 cup cakes and also several log refills. If you fancy reading my blog for The Compassion Collective about Feeding the Birds this Winter do check it out on this link.
Last but not least, this is the world’s first shower radio powered by the pressure of the water alone! It never needs batteries, and costs nothing to run. The radio automatically starts when the shower is turned on, and is powered by an ingenious small hydro turbine. This coupled with a built-in rechargeable battery, allows energy to be stored as well as playing the radio, so it will to continue to play after the shower is turned off and the last station and volume level are automatically stored after use ready for your next shower. It’s incredibly easy to fit. Simply fit between the existing shower hose and tap – no tools required, just unscrew the existing fixings! Sounds good to me!
There’s lots more eco Christmas gift ideas at the Ecotopia shop here: www.ecotopia.co.uk/promotions/feature-pages/christmas-gift-ideas
Make sure you order by midday 19th December though to get your delivery in time for Christmas!
Bon Noel : )
Bah Humbug – not really!
As we approach Christmas again I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. What do I say about the sort of Eco-friendly stocking fillers featured elsewhere in the blog? On the one hand I do like to give and receive gifts and there are some nifty things around with varying degrees of eco-friendliness. However should we advertise them? By labelling things as “must haves” etc we buy into the concept of consumerism, especially Christmas as a consumer fest, that is a major part of the problem we face today with an ever expanding economy in a world of finite resources. It is very hard to tell people that you don’t need to spend thousands on expensive gifts in huge numbers, many of which are really just a bit of fun and may not even be wanted by the recipient and then say that you really should be buying these fair trade, sustainably farmed, plant extract body washes etc. We saw the very worst of the Christmas consumerism in the Black Friday coverage. If you are happy in your relationships then lots of extravagant gifts might just get in the way of a good Christmas. How many parents are tired and irritable with their kids on Christmas Day because they dashed out of work early on Christmas Eve and spent half the evening fighting for that last special gift? If you are not happy in your relationships then trying to buy your way to happiness with gifts is very unlikely to succeed. In fact, as many relationships founder due to money worries, it is a vicious circle.
More and more these days I am giving donations to charities as Christmas and Birthday gifts. The charities usually send you a card and a certificate you can wrap up and put under the tree and you know that the money donated will be used well by the charity of your choice. Encouraged by my better half I have also got over my previous embarrassment not to say snobbery over buying gifts in Charity shops thereby combining a triple whammy of virtue by getting a relatively cheap present that has been recycled and supporting another of my favourite causes.
Have a merry, relaxed and low impact Christmas!