Bagzontherun is a brand new Brighton-based company specialising in eco-friendly and ethically produced bags.

Browse the site for messenger bags, satchels, wallets, laptop bags and more. The designs are tough and smart-looking, often made from recycled materials such as inner tubing.

All bags in the range are designed and made in Columbia, where workers throughout the supply chain receive above minimum wages. Among Bagzontherun's aims is 'to challenge perceptions of Colombian products and to unite Colombia and the UK through fashion and culture'. Either buy online or visit one of many UK stores already stocking the bags.

After B&Q's surprise decision last week to stop selling patio heaters, Curry's has become the second big UK chain to banish the polluting lamps from its shelves.

I'm kind of intrigued as to why this one particular item has become the target of so many wishing to go (or appear) green all of a sudden. There is no doubt that the heaters consume one hell of a lot of energy (the statistic being quoted today is that using one for two hours will produce the same amount of carbon dioxide as a car will provide in the average day). But patio heaters are not the only un-green product out there. Yet the patio heater is so controversial that the UK's leading DIY and now electrical store have both shrunk away from selling it.

The pressure has, perhaps, come from above: a vote in Brussels today is expected to call for an EU-wide ban on the heaters which have become popular with pub owners since the smoking ban was introduced.

The edging on the pillowcase makes a wonderful hemline for this sweet re-fashioned girls' smock.

It's just one of a wide range of innovative clothing for toddlers, children and adults at Witherine's shop. These adorable garments are hand-made out of vintage napkins and dishcloths, tablecloths, pillowcases and scarves. All items are in pristine condition and unique. A great way to recycle, sold at great prices.

If you're inspired by the pillowcase dress and would like to make your own, there's a great pattern for one at Red Instead.

We can all give ourselves a (small) pat on the back today as research has shown the the UK's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 0.5% in 2007.

It's a modest figure, and not worth getting complacent about, but I like hearing news like this. To me, it's far easier to keep up the hard work when I know it's having an effect, however small, and in a world where everything's getting bigger all the time, I can't help feeling encouraged that there's a downward trend here at all.

And it's all down to us as individuals, not big businesses according to the report, which showed the biggest decrease in C02 emissions had taken place in the residential sector, with a fall of 4% on 2005 levels, along with a decrease of 1.6% in the business sector. Tellingly, other sectors increased, including energy supply (up by 1.5%) and transport (up by 1.3%). So, I'd say that warrants a big pat on the back to UK citizens who've been doing their bit to recycle, switch off appliances, change their energy suppliers and generally make the effort, and a warning to businesses to pull their socks up.

Serve tea in style with this fabulous apple-print tray made from sustainable Scandinavian forest wood, stylishly shaped and big enough for two. I can see myself loading this with goodies for a valentine's breakfast in bed treat, or packing it on picnic trips in the summer.

£15 from The Green Apple store

If you're looking to avoid the carbon cost of flying this year, there are more 'green' holiday destinations than ever, right here in the UK. Conscious of the limitations placed on UK holidaymakers by the weather, many of these are laying on lots of activities to take care of rainy days, and one exciting development is the opening of Bluestone; an eco friendly holiday village set in the ancient woodland of Pembrokeshire Coast.

Due to open in July, Bluestone bills itself as a 'luxurious retreat away from it all' and will comprise of 355 sustainably-built lodges, cottages and studios for self-catering guests. The park is run according to ecologically sound principles, with energy for its attractions coming from an on-site Biomass plant.

At the moment, I have what feels like a jumping bean in my right ear. Whatever it is wants to get out, and is making a lot of noise about it. I'm tempted just to shove a cotton bud up there, but I know there's a law against that, so I won't.

Having talked to a few friends, it seems that there's an epidemic of head colds and excess ear wax at the moment, so I suspect this is the culprit. I could ask the doctor to zap it, but a natural solution to problematic ear wax is Hopi Ear Candles.

I'm loathe to try this method again, as the last time I attempted it, I very nearly set fire to my hair -- I had no idea there'd be such huge flames involved, and found the whole experience rather alarming. But should I pay a professional to do it? If you've had ear candle treatment and found it helpful (or not) please comment below on this time-honoured tradition.

Want to do it yourself? Biosan Ear Candles cost £5.29 from Something for the Wickend

It may be cold, but wildlife is thriving in our gardens at this time of year. Many birds could do with a helping hand on the food front, though, so why not spoil them with some luxury birdseed from eco-home expert Baileys?

The decorative tins, which would work equally nicely for your favourite organic biscuits, cost just £4.25 for 500 grams. Keep it close to the window and leave seeds out in the morning for a guaranteed nature show in your garden. At this time of year, you can expect to see blue tits, nuthatches and the particularly beautiful goldcrest. Browse Baileys' Bird section for more attractive and sustainably made features to attract the birds to your garden.

Supermarkets are now 'struggling' to keep up with the demand for free range chicken following Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's expose of the poultry industry earlier this month.

Sainsbury’s has reported a 60% surge in demand for free range – and a 55% increase in demand for organic), while Waitrose saw demand for organic chicken rise by 31% in the second week of January while sales of free-range meat went up by 24%. Other supermarkets, however, have been oddly quiet on the issue...

Kuyichi has proven itself to be very much back on trend for 2008, with a bigger-than-ever range of stylish jeans and casual items for spring and summer. All garments in the range are organic and produced under fairtrade principles.

As well as an expanded denim range that covers all the hottest trends from skinny to flared, there's a new line in slogan tees and vests. A great comeback from an eco label to watch.

Available in stores throughout the UK and Europe, you can find your nearest stockist here.

Figleaves is still a month away from opening its exciting new eco-friendly section, but there are already some great finds on the site, with several brands using greener fabrics that are kind to your skin.

My personal favourite is this underwired bamboo bra by Swiss label Hanro. Ideal to add to your arsenal of comfy, supportive underwear, it's stretchy, soft and cool to touch with the bonus of bamboo's legendary antibacterial properties. It costs £32 and comes either in black or white.

Related: Bamboo boxers: green underwear for men | Get active in a pair of bamboo leggings

Enjoy camping but prefer to hang on to a few home comforts on your travels? Here's some good news: caravanning is green! Or at least it can be, if you take care to keep your emissions as low as possible. I found a great site called Green Caravanning, which helps you plan your trip for maximum energy-efficiency.

The site lets you enter your size of car and caravan and journey details to calculate an approximation of your C02 emissions, then offers advice on how to make the trip greener. There's also a handy comparison tool, which you can use to work out if going by plane or train would be a greener option for the trip you're planning, and a quick play with the tool shows that touring caravan journeys appear to be relatively green in many instances. Let's hear it for the caravan!

If you're lucky enough to have a super-green Macbook Air coming your way any time soon, you'll be wanting somewhere safe to keep it. Unfortunately, as Treehugger point out, most of the custom designed cases for the laptop are mass-produced made using decidedly un-green materials like vinyl and plastic. So I've been on the lookout for some alternatives.

There's a cute handmade bag here that will fit the Macbook Air perfectly, made from padded cotton. Another option for the seriously hip is having one custom-made out of vintage fabric by iSockit who are taking commissions for the Macbook Air now; if you'd like to see some of the seriously cool stuff they've made for the Macbook already, check out their gallery.

Treat your feet to some TLC with these wool and organic cotton patterned socks.

Snug and soft, each pair is carefully hand-stitched for a great quality fit by a company based in the Black Forest. Made with super soft, extra fine organic cotton and wool, the socks are virtually seam free, calf-length and suitable for sports, long walks or just curling up at home by the fire. The socks are currently on offer in Natural Collection's winder sale for £4,75.

Minton spring water has been taking on board criticisms leveled at the bottled water industry recently, and has taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint.

The answer it found came in the shape of easily recyclable, extra light bottles, which have cut down the weight on delivery trucks by a third (one lorry-load of glass bottles weighs three times that of the PET-certified plastic sort). The water, which is collected at protected moor lands on Dartmoor, is only sold on home soil, meaning that no extra C02 costs are incurred through flying. So if bottled water's your tipple, you could do a lot worse than to check out Minton's range of still, sparkling and flavoured waters,