We love smoothies round here, so I was happy to find out that there's a new type, OKÉ, that's made from all fairtrade fruit. What's more, even though the drinks have distinctly exotic flavours (mango, orange and pink guava as well as raspberry, blackberry and banana), none of the ingredients are air-freighted. The drinks are also from a very trustworthy source, as the range was created by AgroFair, pioneers of fairtrade fruit. The drink's launch coincicdes with some good news for fairtrade announced earlier this week...
To many of us, the idea that shaving and preening an animal then forcing it to trot around an obstacle course in front of hundreds of odd people is cruel seems like a bit of a no-brainer. But it was not until this week that two of the UK's leading animal charities publically withdrew their support for Crufts amid growing concern over the ethics of breeding pedigree dogs. The Dogs Trust joined the RSPCA yesterday in condemning techniques that it says do not put dogs' interests first...
[picture source: Getty]
Although the summer is more or less officially over, there are still a few sunny days coming our way over the next few weeks (fingers crossed). That's when you might just need a solar powered phone charger to give your phone the juice it lacks because you've been on it all day or forgot to charge it the night before. You may as well inject some fun and cuteness into it too, by purchasing this disposable Hello Kitty solar charger which, amazingly, is not the first of its kind...
London Fashion Week is now in full swing, and once again, Estethica is here to bring us a taste of what's new in top-end ethical fashion. There are plenty of big names we all know and love, including People Tree. Fifi Bijoux and Ciel. But one of the most interesting newcomers I've seen is Minna, which makes gorgeous pieces out of vintage table cloths, curtains and pillow cases...
Related: Recycled vintage cream pillowcase dress | Recycled pillowcase laptop bag
If you don't already know about the fabulous Green Shoes, the main aim of this cool company is to make sustainable, long-lasting shoes that are the comfiest you'll ever wear. When you order a pair, not only can you send your basic measurements; you can also draw around your own feet and send in the drawing to get the sizing absolutely spot-on. And now, Green Shoes is planning to open up the doors of its workshop so you can have a go at making your own. Follow the jump for details on this fabulous event!
Let this be a lesson to me. Never trust elderly neighbours. When I moved into my new flat a few weeks back, my neighbour was all sweetness and light. She let us into the electricity meter box, so that we could get a reading to tell our supplier. She also revealed that she's the only person in the entire universe with a key to the electricity box. No problem. I won't need to get in there again for a long time.
Or so I thought. The following week, I stroll into work to see a big pile of boxes on the Hippyshopper desk. "What are those?" I ask Abi. "Energy Monitors" she replies, "And we're all testing them". "Cool!" I thought.
Fast forward to that evening. I'm knocking on neighbour's door, wondering whether she'll think I'm some kind of weirdo, connecting machines up to the electricity. No answer. I try again, several times that week. No answer. She seems to have gone on holiday. So to cut an even longer story short, I didn't get to test out my energy monitor - the eco-eye Elite. Instead, I'll talk briefly about the product anyway, and the kind of energy usage I think I have as a big gadget geek.
All-singing, all dancing, all tree-hugging teen sensation Miley Cyrus keeps telling us how much she wants to do good, and here's another reason to believe she's not lying! Miley has launched a cute collection of charity tees for 2 Love; the brand behind many celebrity-endorsed clothes for good causes, which currently includes designs backed by Jessica Alba, Brittany Murphy, Vanessa Hudgens, Molly Sims and more. Miley's charity of choice is a faily crisis centre, and her design is tremendously cheery and fun.
Follow the jump for a close-up view!
[Via Ecorazzi]
For as long as I can remember, Crisis has been synonymous with Christmas. At school, we held an annual comedy revue in support of the charity, which was invariably the most eagerly-awaited days of the year, and when I became a volunteer myself later in life, I got to see first hand what an awesome job the organisation does for the homeless. So what new ideas has it got under wraps for this years festivities?
It's rare to find foot cream that smells so good you don't want to wash your hands. This cream makes that grade with a delightful coconut scent with just a hint of peppermint. When you apply it your feet it sinks in really quickly and has a lovely thick texture. It's a little sticky to begin with, so you might want to use it at night in conjunction with thick socks, for intensive moisturizing. It's saturated with coconut and olive oil to make it deeply hydrating, and there's also Vitamin E to penetrate deep down.
Tearcraft is getting loads of new goodies in for its pre Christmas season. I could happily buy all my friends' presents here, and these cute fridge magnets particularly caught my eye as I was having a browse earlier today.
£5.00 for a set of three, the magnets are made in Sri Lanka on a young people's back-to-work project.
She's not known for her environmental policies, and has in the past declared herself to be 'not one who would attribute [climate change] to being man-made'. But it seems Sarah Palin has softened her views on exactly who or what my be responsible for global warming. That is to say, she has now declared herself to be in agreement with her boss on the subject...
You're never to young to start taking your makeup off (that is if you're wearing any at 8), but it's always good to make sure your skin is cleansed before you go to bed. This new range targets youthful skin with gentle cleansers and creams to keep it in tip top condition. Creator Elizabeth Hallett was inspired after seeing the 'trauma of breakouts' that her daughter experienced. Yeah, it's tough being a teen.
We've talked a lot about saving electricity this week, but what about saving water? If you want to keep an eye on how much you're washing down the plughole, this fun new gadget, the 'eco showerdrop' will be your new best friend. And if you're taking showers to avoid wasting water, the results it gives may just surprise you...
A year ago, Toyota started testing its new electric version of the Prius in France, as part of a collaboration with EDF. Now, it's bringing world's favourite greener car in its petrol-free form to the UK, where 40 charging stations have recently been installed, and more are on their way.
Follow the jump to find out how the scheme will work...
Related: Electric cars given the green light in UK shopping centres
I've raved about Skinny Skinny's bath salts before -- a real treat if you like products so natural you could almost have made them yourself, if you had the time and inclination to do so!
Since then, I've also had the chance to try their soaps, which are also a fantastic, eco-friendly treat for the senses...
From: Ethically produced jewellery by The Hairy Growler Jewellery Co.