Hippyshopper

Garden-in-a-bag gives the gift of fresh herbs

There's nothing like fresh herbs to perk up virtually any foodstuff, and the Garden-in-a-bag makes it easy to give them instead of cut, already-near-death flowers as a gift. It comes in Basil, Italian Parsley, Good Luck, Lavender, Alpine Strawberry and Mini-Tomato, and to get it going, you just mix the seed and bag contents, add water, and place under a window (or even desk lamp). [GT]

Garden-in-a-bag [via CubeMe]

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Herb Chopper and Board

Stylish yet simple, the Herb chopper and board from EcoCentric is nicely concave with non-slip feet, and made from oiled, FSC certified wood, so it's entirely sustainable or recyclable. Fresh herbs are a top way to dress up any meal and this board would make a terrific gift for anyone, any time. £25. [GT]

Herb chopper and board

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Dragonfly votive

Candlelight ain't just for Valentine's Day, you know. Especially when it is this pretty...

This votive casts golden dragonflies around your room. It has a double-layered construction of metal and glass and high sides to protect the candle flame. And it's fair trade, too.

Available in either green or white, it costs £12 from Ethnic Style. Lovely.

Related stories: LED Candle Lantern | Oil-free candles

Bottle Cutter brings recycling home

Why buy recycled glass when you've got glass to recycle right at home? Oh yes, there's the pesky problem of turning it into a form that is more useful to you than the typical nippled missile shape. Solution: the Bottle Cutter from the Green Directory's shop. It cuts the glass off safely so you can turn around and make drinking vessels, ashtrays or vases. £31.50 and you get 35 bonus points. [GT]

Bottle Cutter

More Recycling, Do It Yourself

Recycled fork you, my love: vintage silver jewellery

The Fork Heart Necklace by Jennifer Northup stylishly converts vintage silver into a modern spin on old-school Valentine hearts.  Putting a tippy pendant on a double chain gives a great update on the classic, and at $59 you can feel good about your contribution to recycling and handmade craft.  (Also, the proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders.)    Zanisa tags all products with whether they're recycled, sustainable, fair-trade, handmade, organic or natural, making ethical shopping a graphic process.   [GT]

Fork Heart Necklace [via GreatGreenGoods]

More Fashion & accessories

LightWedge - the energy-efficient reading light

Ooh, I love this idea. The LightWedge is a slim and portable light that sits on your book and illuminates the page. The light is clean and strong to make reading easy, but because it is directed at the book (using a clever tapered lens), it isn't wasteful.

When I get insomnia and like to sit up in bed and read in the middle of the night - I reckon my husband would love me to use one of these, rather than putting on the bedside lamp.

It uses two energy-efficient LEDs, but unfortunately runs off batteries (4 AA size). If I use rechargeables can I still have one? Please?

Related stories: Light Reading Book Lamp | Brilliant glowing brick | Recycled lamp

Valentine's offer at Natural Collection

Natural Collection has picked out a selection of gifts for Valentine's Day - including Rosa Fina Skincare, the Florame organic toiletries range and men's organic cotton rugby shirts - and they are giving you 10% off. Quick though; offer ends on 7th February.

Natural Collection

Related stories: Pocket Garden for your valentine | Rosa Fina skincare | Organics pour homme

Pocket Garden for your Valentine?

Another fresh (fresh - geddit?!) idea for your Valentine this Feb 14th is a Forget Me Not or Wild Strawberry Pocket Garden. Alternatively, give a spicier message with the red chilli variety.

The sealed and leak-proof bags contain specially formulated compost and seeds, and once cut open, just require water and light in to allow them to grow into Wild Strawberries, Forget Me Nots, Clovers or Spicy Chillies.

£4.95 from IWOOT

Related stories: Earthbox | Solar Crystal Ball Garden Lights | Newspaper plant pots

G

Say it with (organic) flowers

If red roses are the only way to your loved one's heart this Valentine's Day, then why not surprise them with a bouquet that doesn't contain pesticides, fertilisers or other nasties?

Organic flowers are still quite tricky to find, but ethical store By Nature have teamed up with the recently founded Organic Flower Company to offer a range of organic, fair trade and locally-sourced flowers, just in time for Valentine's. You can pick a bunch like this one for as little as £35 at their website, and to keep romance blooming long after the petals have dropped, every bouquet comes wrapped in paper encrusted with wildflower seeds that can be planted, and attached with a keepsake ladybird peg (aww!)

Related stories: Valentine Green Box from Carbon Neutral,  World's Tallest Organic Roses

Valentine Green Box from Carbon Neutral

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Rather than splashing out on some cut (ie. dead) flowers, how about the Valentine Green Box from Carbon Neutral?

It contains one month of guilt-free carbon-offset driving (325 kg of carbon, based on a 1.6 car travelling 1000 miles), some mini Green and Blacks choccie and a recycled leather heart-shaped keyring.

£12.50 from The Carbon Neutral Company.

Related stories:  Do Carbon-Offset schemes work? | Aviva Insurance goes carbon-neutral | Offset your house

Two Hands World Shop

As we've illustrated with a roundup of winter sales, fair trade doesn't have to be unfair to your wallet. The Two Hands Worldshop has a section of products in the sub £10 range including fabulous beaded cuff bracelets from India for $11 USD, a tea-light holder carved of onyx for £2.50, or a Snuggle Bunny from Guatemala for £6.50. [GT]

Two Hands Worldshop

More Ethical & green gifts

Absolutely Pure Milk glasses

Now that I am no longer A: five years old or B: pregnant, I don't drink milk. If I did, however, I would certainly choose to chug it from one of these lovely glasses.

The 100% recycled glass tumblers are sturdy and dishwasher safe.

A set of six Absolutely Pure Milk glasses costs £18 from Biome.

Related stories: Habitat-thrashing eco homeware | Recycled glass carafe and tumbler | Recycled beer goblets

Junk Mail Gems turns trash into fashion

Taking the Ecoist idea one step further, Junk Mail Gems turns trash into handbags, jewelry, magnet backs, and other adornments. While (as per the name) they work mostly with junk mail, the purse shown here is made from repurposed Capri Sun juice tetra packs. $25 USD. [GT]

Junk Mail Gems [via hugg]

More Fashion & accessories

Silverchilli jewellery - fair trade loveliness

Silverchilli brings you fair trade Mexican silver jewellery at a fair price. Take these delicious chilli earrings for example; they are just £7.50.

The Silverchilli range includes bracelets, necklaces, pendants, cufflinks and even a wedding ring service.

The company also has a commendable environmental policy - read all about it over the cut.

Silverchilli offset their business travel and the cargo flights that bring in their merchandise, use recyled stationery, PDF virtual catalogues, and re-use packaging.

Well, that's just made me feel good writing it down. Now for some retail therapy...

Related stories: Recycled silver jewellery | arc flat earrings | Ethical Lord of the Rings

Solar Night Sunflower - lights up the night

The Solar Night Sunflower charges during the day and then, at night, lights up via fibre optic strands and illuminates your patio or wherever, giving instant kitch kudos to your outside space.

Also available in Red Daisy or Birds of Paradise varieties.

[Via ChipChick]

Related: Sharp's Lumiwall | Solar Crystal Ball garden lights | Solar insect theatre

Winter sale at The Green Directory Shop

By offering just these 70 gram, 65% cocoa solids organic Rococo chocolate bars in lavender, sea salt, Earl Grey, cardamom and more at 18% off (£2.87 instead of £3.50) the Green Directory Shop is pretty much already assured of a successful winter sale, but I'll also mention they've got their wind-up mobile phone charger and torch on for £12 and the Green Directory 2006-2008 on for only £6! [GT]

Green Directory Shop

Related stories: Peopletree January Sale | Love-Eco Winter Sale | Ethical sales and boycotts outstrip beer and fags sales

EPA says Apple is greener than Greenpeace thinks

In a development that should remind everyone that just because an organisation has green aims, we should exercise some critical thinking and not just take their claims as gospel, the US Environmental Protection Agency tells us that Greenpeace have got it all wrong: Apple products are actually amongst the most environmentally-friendly computers out there.

Greenpeace has been doing a bit of publicity-grabbing recently by slagging Apple off for not being very green, getting themselves ejected from Mac Expo for invading other exhibitors' stands and other unreasonable behaviour, and other stunts designed to try to get their message exposed in the reflected light of Apple's media-friendly halo.  If that seems like an overly-harsh assessment, let's consider that Apple, whilst not being whiter-than-iPod-white, is not nearly as bad as companies like HP and Dell which haven't been targeted by Greenpeace.

I won't bore you with the details of the EPA's test, because if you're that interested you can read the arstechnica article.  Suffice to say that whilst no computer got the gold standard award during the EPA tests, "Apple has the most eco-friendly notebooks, the 4th most eco-friendly desktop, and monitors that [rate better than HP and Dell]."  I'm writing this on a MacBook Pro hooked up to an Apple Cinema Display so I'm pleased I'm not as bad as Greenpeace says.  (Not that I'd ever be persuaded to switch to a windows PC.)

Related stories: Greenpeace sez: Apple sucks, Nokia rules | How to Throw Away that Broken iPod | Apple Patents Hybrid Low Power Computer Mouse

EPA information should make GreenPeace red-faced over Apple targeting [via The Unofficial Apple Weblog]

Beat the January blues with Little Errol

What I need during these dark, rainy days, is a constant, friendly and, above all, cuddly companion. Yes, I know I've got two kids, two cats and a husband, but I feel I need to make an addition to the family... I want a Little Errol.

Although I'm not entirely certain why. Perhaps it is because he is hand-crafted from reclaimed blankets, or perhaps it is his vacant, but somehow ultimately reassuring expression. I think, however, it might be because the current owners (ecocentric) urge me to: "Personalise him, accessorise him and repair him when he wears thin to create a loyal, lifelong companion."

Related: miYim organic cuddly toys | Organic veggies you can cuddle

Malpaso Grande Collection - beautiful fair trade glassware

The Malpaso Grande Collection of glassware is handblown in small workshops in El Triangulo, Guadalajara, providing employment at a fair price.

Each object is mouth blown and hand formed and a set of six wine glasses in plum (pictured) is priced £65.

Available from Ethnic Style, which also has a winter sale on at the moment. I loved their silk quilt before, I love it even more in the sale...

Related: Eden Project's ultra green wine glasses | Habitat-thrashing eco homeware

Natural Collection's blazingly green post-hols sale

Now's your chance to snag your very own bit of elephant poo at a big fat discount: Natural Collection has A5 Elephant Dung Journals on for only £3.45 (while supplies last, which isn't likely to be that long).  Their Illuminating Ecological Calendar is also, what with the new year having started already, marked down from £11 to only £4.50.  There's also "up to" (yes, we all hate that phrase as much as we end up digging around for the best bits) 75% off other stuff in the stock clearance (including a £1 or less section and a £5 or less section.  [GT]

Natural Collection stock clearance

Related stories: Tree House toy from Natural Collection | Natural Collection at the Telegraph | Natural Collection is top ethical retailer

Ecobabes 2007 calendar

The ecobabes are on a mission to save the world - and they look damn fine while doing it.

Don't believe me? Head over here and purchase a copy of the ecobabes 2007 calendar to see "passionate, driven women pursuing a vision of sustainability." 

Related: Advent calendars: Fair trade style | Making the most of the moon with a lunar calendar

Recycled glass carafe and tumbler

Dishwasher safe, this lovely carafe of recycled glass, with matching tumbler is decorated with leafy patterns of red, orange and lilac.  21.5cm tall and 13cm diameter, it's just the thing for keeping water on one's desk in something other than a plastic bottle.  At £10.50 it's an absolute steal, from Natural Collection.  [GT]

Curvy Carafe and Glass [via GreatGreenGoods]

Related stories: 'Green' and gorgeous recycled glass | Brilliant recycled beer goblets | Dazzling recycled worktops

2006 roundup #13: Top eco-shop: EcoCentric

There's no doubt that Hippyshopper's favourite new shop in 2006 was Oliver Heath's EcoCentric.  Announced in April, EcoCentric carries products ranging from the Solar Powered Alien Robot Kit or Cue n' 8 Salt and Pepper to the more conventional Bamboo Towels or Swing bags.  Offering sleek eco-style at reasonable prices, EcoCentric is sure to be a green staple for years to come.  [GT]

Original stories: EcoCentric urban eco chic | Green light for Ecocentric | Solar Powered Alien Robot Kit | Cue n' 8 Salt and Pepper | Bamboo Towels from Ecocentric | Swing bags at Oliver Heath's EcoCentric store

After X-mas Sales at up to 50% off

Indie Fixx has collated a really great list of post-Christmas crafty sales with secret discounts of up to 50% off. Grab next year's stocking up front from Crafty Robot, at half-off existing stock. But if you want something a little less seasonal, get 40% off at Lucky Accessories by entering 40%OFFEVERYTHING in the checkout code box. Get an EcoT from OlovesM for only $10 USD plus shipping while supplies last, or free worldwide shipping from Modamuse until 31 January. For more deals, visit Indie Fixx. [GT]

Related stories: Etsy handmade arts and crafts | Indie Craft Documentary | Affordable art at design*sponge

Florame Provençal wooden diffusers

Air fresheners in a can damage the air, and don't so much freshen it as give it a chemical stink that, at best, screws up your ability to enjoy real scents by making your nose confused, and at worst, gives headaches, skin rashes, and more serious disorders to increasing numbers of people who're sensitive to artificial fragrances. However, you don't have to give up the convenience or the aesthetics of perfuming your abode, just the method. Place a Provencal wooden diffuser into a bottle of essential oil in your closet, and the scent will wick up through the wood and diffuse through the ball on top, wafting about the natural aroma. Works especially well in enclosed spots like closets or cars. Use cedar essential oil to ward off moths, mint-lemon to ward off car sickness, or Scots pine as a disinfectant. £7.35 for 10ml of essential oil plus the wooden diffuser. [GT]

Provencal wooden diffusers [via Popgadget]

Related stories: Reviewed: Alfresco Beauty without Bites | Truth in organic beauty | Organic love spells

The Rumor Mill's Christmas on Clinton St.

Even now that it's Boxing Day, and Christmas technically over, Winter Wonderland continues to plague us, making mock of the green slopes ringing our cities.  To illustrate this, The Rumor Mill's Christmas on Clinton St. renders a suite of Christmas carols with a global-warming twist (and a fight-global-warming profit).  They've released a stop-motion Frosty the Snowman animation that you can check out here via YouTube, and all emissions for the album were offset via Native Energy.  [GT]

The Rumor Mill's Christmas on Clinton St. [via Cool Hunting]

Related stories: Pet sounds | Live8 Unplugged | iPod nano (PRODUCT) Red now in 8 gig

The Stupid Gifts Hall of Shame

After Christmas, when the wrapping paper settles, there is often a sense of deflation and regret that, once again, and despite our best intentions, we have spent too much money on too many things that we didn't really need - or want.

Cellophane-wrapped gift sets go into the cupboard for the next time there is a door-to-door charity collection and we vow to make next Christmas different.

There are, however, worse excesses than the smellies-set for Auntie Mabel. Take a look at The Stupid Gifts Hall of Shame if you don't believe me.

The creators of The Hall of Shame point out that too many people waste money on ridiculous gifts, when they could be making the world a better place instead. They are aiming to change the world - one present at a time.

If you've any last-minute shopping left to do, perhaps you'd like to help them?

Related stories: Dreaming of a Green Christmas | A Year of Living Generously

Leaf Tea Travel Kit

Don't subject yourself to uncertainty about whether you'll get good tea over the hols: get your own Limited edition leaf tea travel kit. The grey bag, made of natural wool, linen and cotton, is devised by parisian designers Les Petites Emplettes and only 500 will be done. You can choose from blue oolong, Earl Grey, green, rose scented black, Nepal black, osmanthus scented green, lychee scented black, Everyday black, white or Darjeeling, all organic, and each kit holds six one-or-two-cup tins of loose leaf. If you like surprises, ask them and they'll select the tea for you. The kit also contains mini paper filters (rather than bags) and stir sticks. When not in use, the entire thing wraps up into a neat little grey packet that's easily tucked away. £35. [GT]

Limited edition leaf tea travel kit [via NOTCOT]

Related stories: Thunderbolt first flush fair trade darjeeling tea | Mighty Leaf Tea tastes mighty fine | Clipper sets sail with organic white tea

Friends of the Earth UK Book Store

Another Christmas gift option if you do-the-hustle over: Friends of the Earth has an online bookstore starting at £5 for the little green book of big green ideas through cookbooks (a great way to gently send someone over to the green side) all the way up to campaign how-tos. This way you get what you want, support FOE, and don't give anything to the box book stores. Triple word score! [GT]

Publications, Friends of the Earth Shop [via Treehugger]

Related stories: Book STEPS - the Irish holistic mail order book service | MyBookYourBook UK book cooperative | What to do with crap Xmas books: swap 'em

Global Warming Mug

There's mild irony in that you're not supposed to soak the Global Warming Mug for long periods of time, or put it in the dishwasher at all. However, given John and I were discussing where we want to live based on the idea that in 30 years there may be no polar ice caps left this might be just the thing to contemplate over breakfast every morning. £7 (and unsurprisingly sold out until after Christmas). [GT]

Global Warming Mug

Related stories: If you want to see the polar ice caps, go before 2040 | CO2FX: global warming game | Black Gold: Fast Food Nation for coffee

Solar powered Mars Explorer Kit

While this is not the Luna City nor the jetpack I've been asking Santa to deliver this Christmas, the Solar powered Mars explorer kit gives the illusion of being involved with space travel while actually teaching about how to make the planet we've got work a bit better (since it involves installing a solar panel on top).  Given it has over 100 small pieces, Christmas morning amid the debris of (hopefully recycled or otherwise repurposed) wrapping paper may not be the best place to assemble it, but a couple of cups of coffee (with) later you should be up for some quality eco-time (unless you choose to sneak it off to your office and use it to deliver surreptitious notes about your boss's need to control his own gas emissions).  A very reasonable £29.  [GT]

Solar powered Mars explorer kit

Related stories: Solar Powered Alien Robot Kit | Solar aircraft construction kit | Spaceframe Sculpture Kit for your kids, yeah, that's it

Insect Lab Clockwork Insects

"Insect Lab," - and do pardon me, but I can't improve on the artist's statement - "is an artist operated studio that customizes real insects with antique watch parts and electronic components."  So they take preserved insects and annotate them with clockwork cogs and gears until they resemble clanks from Girl Genius.  Prices are in the £125 range, with each being, obviously, unique.  [GT]

Insect Lab Studio [via Gizmodo]

Related stories: Solar insect theater | Fleece Dog lets you clone a taxidermied version of your pet

Christmas Gifts From A Lot of Organics

If you're still trying to find the perfect pressie for someone, you'll welcome any help you can get, especially the Christmas gift ideas pages from ALotofOrganics. Whether you're looking for stocking stuffers or actual gifts (for a child or adult) it'll have you off in an ethical direction in a twinkling. Prices are quite good too; stocking stuffers starting at £1 and full-fledged gifts at £14.50. [GT]

Christmas gift ideas pages from ALotofOrganics.

Related stories: The Great Ethical Toy Guide | Oxfam Ireland Online Fair Trade Shop | 2006 Ecorazzi Green Celebrity Gift List

Xeko Eco-Plush Hairy Eared Dwarf Lemur - soytastic!

Once you're done goo-gooing at Xeko, the Eco-Plush Hairy Eared Dwarf Lemur you'll be ready for his dark secret: he's made from soy. Based on the Madagascar Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur, which is only the size of a walnut in real life, Hairy is about twelve cm long with a 20 cm tail, and he's spun out of Soy Silk, which is made from a byproduct of tofu. When they say 'silk' they're not kidding; it's considered to have a similar drape, sheen and general beauty - but at only $16.50 you can find out for yourself. [GT]

Xeko Eco-Plush Hairy Eared Dwarf Lemur [via Treehugger]

Related stories: Soy silk | Unitika's Corn Based Fashion | Silkwing: pure, exciting and naturally glamorous

The Great Ethical Toy Guide

The Independent reports that the Ethical Consumer Research Association publishes their guide to ethical toys this month, in time for Christmas. The guide"marks toy manufacturers on factors as diverse as animal testing, workers' rights, supply chain policy, responsible marketing, product sustainability and contribution to pollution and toxins."

According to the article, a report coming out later this week reckons 25 per cent of shoppers will take into account ethical issues in buying gifts. Of course, there's a leap from considering ethical matters and actually acting upon those considerations but it's a start.

The top five ethical toys as rated by the guide are:

Lanka Kade Toys: Brown girl doll (£9)
Green Board Games: Alpha Animals Family Board Game (£20)
Holz Wooden Toys: Wooden Pirates (£39.50)
Jumping Frog: Zoetrope Moving Image set (£5.11)
George Luck Puzzles: Farm and Field Puzzle (£10.85)

Although it's not on the list, I'd also recommend the miYim organic toy I posted about last week (Annabelle Lamb pictured above).

You can see more details on the guide in the Independent article or you could always subscribe to Ethical Consumer magazine and read that instead.  Ethiscore.org also has more comprehensive details online.

Related stories: miYim Organic Toys | Litegreen - Green Shopping Directory | Oxfam Ireland Online Fair Trade Shop | Tree Shop, for the person who has everything | 2006 Ecorazzi Green Celebrity Gift List | Pandaboo - A Bamboo Game

Workers exploited in Bangladesh to make cheap clothes for UK

A report by War on Want  published today states that cheap clothes sold by Primark, Tesco and Asda may be made by Bangladeshi workers paid as little as 5p for each of the 80 hours they work each week.

That equates to £16 per month, whereas the generally accepted monthly living wage in Bangladesh, according to War on Want, is £22. The starting wages in some factories was found to be as low as £8 per month by War on Want's researchers.

The retailers involved have made public commitments to paying a fair living wage to suppliers, who also must not be required to work more than an average 48 hours per week. They've countered the findings in the report by denying the allegations and pointing out their low prices were a result of an efficient supply chain, while pointing out the role of factory audits to maintain standards.

War on Want's report is available in full in pdf format from their website.

Related stories: Organic Tesco cotton for junior | Waitrose,  Sainsburys and Marks are great (boo hiss: Asda, Tesco, Morrisons) | Greening Supermarkets revisited: not so green |

Photo credit: 'Dhaka, Bangladesh' taken from babasteve's Flickr photostream under the Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Reusable Holiday Gift Bags from UM, Retread, etc

We're big fans of Inhabitat over here, and are plum-pudding delighted by their listing of sustainable gift bags. Why use disposable wrappings when the container can be part of the present? The Inhabitat bags are a bit on the pricy side to use just as, er, gift holders, but you could just tuck it in a festively-coloured and sure-to-please Onya bag, available direct from Onya at £32.50 for 5. [GT]

Sustainable gift bags [via Inhabitat

Or check out some other Hippyshopper reusable bags: BYOB reusable shopping bag | Hemingway's handsome eco bag | Cheap organic bags (and a whole lot more)

2006 Ecorazzi Green Celebrity Gift List

The first-ever Ecorazzi green celebrity gift list is now up, flashing ideas in the fashion and babies, books, movies and music and gifts for the home, and donations categories. Get gifts with the nod from celebs ranging from George Clooney to Colin Firth (and some sexy women too, err, probably). Hippyshopper pick: the Adopt a Minefield Peace Wreath endorsed by Daryl Hannah. [GT]

Ecorazzi green celebrity gift list

Related stories: Daryl Hannah on green architecture | GreenAndEasy.co.uk invites you to a greener Christmas | Send a cow for Christmas