Have a Green Halloween
This Halloween think of the planet and have a green halloween. Putting together an eco celebration of all things spooky is as easy as having a traditional orange and black one – especially for children. Here are our top 10 tips to get you started:
1. E-mail party invites rather than using the royal mail. There are loads of free Halloween themed party invite e-cards around or alternatively make your own out of scrap and recycled products.
2. Serve local, healthy and seasonal October foods at your events. The options are endless. Remember pumpkins are not just decorative items. Make use of all pumpkin parts. After carving a pumpkin, make sure to save the seeds. Bake them and serve them to party guests or feed them to the birds. Pumpkin flesh is great or making pies, soups and even lasagna! Check out www. freerangereview .com to find local food to you! Apples also are at their best this time of year. So make use of the nation’s favourite crunchy fruit. Fill party bowls with several varieties of fresh apples, from granny smiths to pink lady’s. Bake a few apples for healthy, tasty dessert.
3. Use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Paper party goods can be expensive and just add more clutter to our nation’s landfills. Check out www.ecotopia.co.uk’s extensive range of eco tableware !
4. Make your own costume or buy one at a second-hand shop. An old favourite a charity shop cotton sheet still makes a great ghost. Can’t find anything suitable in the house? Try www.freecycle.org for a great selection of second hand clothes, costumes and materials.
5. Autumn is great so experience nature. Visit a local farm. Pick fresh apples. Talk a long walk outside. Look up at the sky. Notice the moon. Remember, it’s Halloween and take this great Bat Torch with you.
6. Give kids a reusable bag instead of a plastic or paper one to collect their goodies. Plastic and paper ones are bad for the environment and can tear easily.
7. Give away eco friendly treats such as organic sweets or fairtrade chocolate.
8. Instead of buying materials for decorations, gather supplies, arts and crafts throughout the year. Reuse and Recycle! For instance:
- Turn old tights into spider-webbing
- Paint foam peanuts (packing materials) and turn them into worms
- Turn old cardboard boxes into tombstones
- Reuse your decorations from the previous year
9. Facepainting? Use organic and eco friendly facepaints!
10. Recycle and reuse as much as possible after your party or celebration. Put all costumes, decorations and anything save-able away for next year.
Be safe and have great green halloween.
October 30, 2009
Share this
6 in 1 Solar Toy
The only thing better than a brand new, ‘green’ toy, is one that transforms into six toys! Animated by sunshine, the 6 in 1 Solar Robot Kit is a great introduction to the use of alternative energy, solar power in particular, and the benefits of gadgets being multifunctional.
The 6 in 1 Solar Robot comes with large, easy to read, do-it-yourself instructions, and includes 37 parts that can be transformed into six different robotic toys: a robotic dog, boat, car, windmill and two types of airplanes (moving or desktop).
Start by building the central solar motor, and then follow the instructions for your chosen design. When you’ve mastered one, you can simply deconstruct, and start again for hours of fun.
The 6 in 1 Solar Robot Kit is easy enough for older children to assemble, requiring a limited amount of skill to bring all six versions to life. The best part of the construction process is that it requires no screws.
>> Price £14.95 + earn £1.04 MoreEco cash Back
>> Available from Natural Collection – Earn 8% Cash back with Moreeco
October 1, 2009
Share this
Add Some Fair Trade Designs To Your Kids' Dressing Up Box
Whether it’s for a play date, party or just a bit of fun these fantastic fair trade dressing up outfits will make any toddler happy! All fancy dress outfits are ethically traded so make sure to check out NaturalNursery for even more choices.
These children’s dressing up costumes from The Natural Nursery are manufactured with great attention to detail & quality and are ethically traded – the factories are regularly inspected and the company is committed to the continuous improvement of the ethical performance of their supply chains.
This fun ladybird outfit will have any toddler flying with excitement. 
- The fancy dress has pretty gathered wings, spotty bodice and puff sleeves.
- The red net skirt is full for lots of movement and has a pretty ribbon edging and which sits over the black underskirt.
- The costume has been designed with toddlers in mind, so is easy to pull on and off.
- Machine washable at 40c on a delicate cycle. Available in 2 sizes from 18 months to 3 years.
- The costume will arrive inside a tissue lined box.
This bumble bee outfit will have any toddler buzzing with excitement.
- The fancy dress has pretty gathered wings, striped bodice and puff sleeves.
- The yellow net skirt is full for lots of movement and has a pretty ribbon edging and which sits over the black underskirt.
- The costume has been designed with toddlers in mind, so is easy to pull on and off.
- Machine washable at 40c on a delicate cycle. Available in 2 sizes from 18 months to 3 years.
- The costume will arrive inside a tissue lined box.
Fun toddler boys’ fancy dress costume in the form of a friendly dinosaur
- Made to fair-trade standards.
- It is ideal as a boys’ dressing up costume but will appeal to toddler girls too.
- This not-so-scary dinosaur dressing up costume is made from shades of bright green. The sides are in soft fleece with furry front and back panels.
- The back and tail of the costume are decorated with shiny scales/spines and it is topped with another spine on the head.
- Available in one size to fit approx 18 months to 3 years. As this is a toddler fancy dress costume, it has been designed to be easy to put on and off.
- Machine washable at 40c on a delicate cycle.
- The costume will arrive inside a tissue lined box.
September 7, 2009
Share this
Summer Eco Travel Essentials – Part 3 Eco Beach
So far in Eco Trend Spotter’s Summer Eco Travel Essentials series we have looked at Eco Gadgets and Eco Washbag essentials. Now in Part 3 we are going look at what essential eco products you may need for the beach.
Eco Beach Holiday Essentials
We have selected a few key eco items you need to include in preparation for your eco trip to the Beach. It may be a beach in South of France or Weston-Super-Mare, but we still think that they are essential items.
Fair Trade Wide Brim Crochet Panama Hat
Keep the sun of your face in style this summer with this genuine Panama Fair Trade hat. Easily rolled up to fit in your suitcase without loosing its shape. By purchasing this Fair Trade hat you are helping to improve the livelihoods of hundreds of hat weavers.
This genuine Panama hat is suitable for rolling & springs back into shape very well. Handmade made from crocheted straw by a womens co-operative in Ecuador.
Sarah Smith Large Bath / Beach Towel – Confetti
This premium quality towel is made from 100% Fairtrade certified cotton.
Generously sized and luxuriously soft, the brightly coloured design will look great in your bathroom or on the beach this summer. For added convenience this towel is machine washable.
Sarah Smith produces a bright, colourful, eye-catching range of aprons, bags and tea towels. All of the products made in Britain proudly carry the Fairtrade mark.
£ 15.95 from Natural Collection
Biodegradable Flip Flops – eco friendly, fair trade, 100% FSC, by Ethletic
These eco friendly flip flops are the essential footwear this summer. They’re fairtrade, biodegradable, comfortable, and perfect for holidays, the beach, or for keeping your feet cool in the summer heat (ahem). Made from latex rubber, these flip flops have a strong sole and are 100% FSC-certified (a world first), they also contain no animal glues, PVC or EVA.
Ethletic pay a Fair Trade premium to the rubber producers in Sri Lanka, and the shoes are produced under a Fair Trade arrangement in Pakistan: The Fair Trade premium there helps pay for health insurance for the workers and a micro credit scheme. Every pair has the FSC logo on. Look good, feel good and retain peace of mind.
£14.97 at Nigel’s Eco Store
Fair Trade Beach Volley Ball – play with peace of mind
This Beach Volley Ball is fully compliant and so can be used in pro tournaments. It works just as well with friends down on the beach! With Fairtrade Foundation logo. The natural latex used to make the bladders in these balls is sourced from sustainably and responsibly managed plantations in South India and Sri Lanka.
They do tend to lose a bit of air naturally, so will need pumping up now and again – this is normal, and also happens with the best professional footballs. Ethletic pay a Fair Trade premium to the rubber producers in Sri Lanka, and the balls are produced under a Fair Trade arrangement in Pakistan: The Fair Trade premium there helps pay for health insurance for the workers and a micro credit scheme.
£10.94 (Special 25% off) from Simplyfair
Quick Sit
They say the simplest ideas are the best and the QuickSit is just that. A nifty new product that’ll make your life easier and is eco-friendly too.
Made in the UK from 100% recycled plastic, your QuickSit arrives neatly flat packed and ready for you to assemble in four easy steps. Then before your eyes, a neat, rather trendy and surprisingly sturdy little seat for you to enjoy.
Once you’re done with your QuickSit, simply fold back down for easy storage. The design even incorporates carry handles to make life even easier.
£14.95 from Love Eco
Jimi Wallet
Made from 100% recycled materials, the Jimi™ wallet is a compact, colorful, water resistant innovation in the normally bland world of mens wallets. It’s designed to slip right into your front pocket and has a removable money clip too.
The Jimi Wallet intentionally doesn’t hold as much stuff as a traditional wallet. It’s slimmer than a regular wallet and unfolds to reveal two compartments, one with a money clip, the other to hold credit cards. It’ll hold five cards and three notes so is the perfect urban accessory, and great in the great outdoors. Already a hit with the cycling and snow sport community, Jimi’s water resistant shell makes it ideal for a huge swathe of outdoor activities.
£13.00 from Love Eco
Remember if you join MoreEco today we will give 500 start up bonus points plus you can earn from 8 points for every pounds spend with our Merchants.
June 19, 2009
Share this
Nokshi Kantha Fair Trade Bed Cover
Beautiful cotton throw hand embroidered with traditional Bangladeshi Nokshi kantha stitch. Unbleached cotton with Bangladesh folk designs in black.
Handwoven and handstitched in Bangladesh.
You buy this from People Tree. Priced at £85 you will earn 443 moreeco points and offset 44kg’s of carbon for free.
March 14, 2009
Share this
H Racer Hydrogen Car
The big boys in the Eco Trend Spotter play zone love big eco toys. The H Racer Hydrogen Car is a perfect example of what eco toys we like.
The H-racer is a futuristic toy car that contains one of the most exciting and advanced technologies of the 21st century. This car operates on 100% clean fuel produced by a miniature solar-powered hydrogen refueling station that converts water to hydrogen using energy captured from the sun.
The H-racer is the working miniature version of what is being developed in real-size cars of the future. This palm-size fuel cell car contains an onboard hydrogen storage tank, a fuel cell system connected to the carÆs electric motor, and a hydrogen refueling system linking the carÆs storage tank to an external hydrogen refueling station.
Given its small size, the H-racer is also very safe as only tiny quantities of hydrogen are sufficient to power the car.
Stockist: The Go Green Company & Ecotopia
Price: £74.99
MoreEco Points: 446
November 23, 2008
Share this
Paper Pod Plane
This is a great new product from Paperpod, the clever designers who have made recycled cardboard the last word in kiddie furniture and toys. Play in it, paint it, decorate it – it’s perfect for kids who want something a little bit different.
Made in the UK from recycled cardboard
Stockist: Mimi Myne
Price: £17.95
MoreEco points: 91
November 20, 2008
Share this
Biome Christmas Tree Fair Trade Advent Calendar
As part of your eco, organic fair trade christmas planning make sure that your kids start the countdown with the Biome Christmas Tree Fair Trade Advent Calendar. Therefore replace the paper, plastic and chocolate advent calendar from the supermarket with this soft felt Christmas tree.
Each pocket contains a decoration to slowly build up the tree until completion on Christmas Eve and space for your own Christmas goodies, fair trade sweets, chocolates or home baked cookies.
Made by a small collective of Wonderful women in a small backstreet of Kathmandu. They hand produce their own chemical free felt from just hand soap and hot water. And then hand sew each decoration together and place it on a string ready for you to discover in December.
The social enterprise was established in 2003 in order to help many poor, vulnerable and socially excluded women through building their skills and providing opportunity to enhance their economic status and independence. The workers are provided with fair wages and work in a friendly, healthy, clean and safe environment.
The small co-operative has provided economic opportunities to 78 women and aim to develop and support further socially marginalised women.
These retail at £16.00 and can be found at Biomelifestyle.
October 30, 2008
Share this
I Recycle My Tantrums Baby Short Sleeved T-Shirt
Those of with young children know that this statement is true. I have three and they continuously recycle their tantrums. However is the first time tantrums have been eco-friendly! This whimsical purple t-shirt from Little Green Radicals promotes the recycling message, with a splash of humour thrown in.
Made using top quality organic cotton, guaranteeing the best for your little ones. And as Little Green Radicals clothes are fully Fairtrade certified, you can be sure that all of the producers they use are getting a good deal too.
Available in sizes 0-6 months and 6-12 months at Ethical Superstore from £10.00
October 22, 2008
Share this
Follow ETS
-
ETS Guide’s
Get It Rated
Latest Offers- UKAware 2010 Discounted Tickets March 12, 2010
- Sea Salt Mothers Day Offers! March 9, 2010
- Free Delivery Code from SoOrganic March 8, 2010
- Free Delivery from Green People! March 8, 2010
- Make the SWAP to Fairtrade! March 3, 2010
- 25% Discount at Gossypium for Fairtrade Fortnight March 2, 2010
Who We Support
