Looking for an alternative to leather? Green Shoes uses Lorica which they claim is durable, soft, lightweight, and water-repellent. It looks and breathes like natural leather and comes in a wide range of colours; red, purple, navy blue, dark green, brown and black. Nor is it just the vegan leather that is 100 per cent animal-free; the glues, soles and threads are too.
They even offer a vegan alternative for kids' shoes. Vegan Lorisuede, a soft vegan suede, is available on most of the footwear and a few of the accessories. These are what the Sweetpea baby booties are made of.
All products are handmade and boots, shoes and sandals come in a range of leg and foot width fittings and are even available in half sizes. Children's shoes too can be customised with a range colourful appliqués. Prices range from £20 for the kids' booties to over £200 for some of the women's boots.
Unfortunately it's too late to order shoes for Xmas now, but there is still time to post out accessories providing you get your order in by December 21st (they have some nice Vegan satchel and shoulder bags)
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE SOME OF THE LATEST SHOES FROM GREENSHOES
How do you convert your car to run on mushed-up seaweed? It's not something your average man in the street is wondering, but fortunately some intrepid American fuel-pioneers are, writes ShinyShiny's Anna Leach.
Fed up with the oil industry and pollutant effects of burning petrol, Josh Tickell had been experimenting with biofuels and successfully converted a car to run on waste cooking oil. After concerns that using plant oil created food shortages, they turned their attention to algae. And they reckon that biodiesel created by algae is the answer to the fuel crisis. Well that'd be nice.
In a mini documentary on ViceTV, America's alternative fuel guy shows how you can convert your car to run on alternative fuel. Adding a battery-pack in the boot seems to be the first step, though getting hold of algae gasoline seems to be trickier. Though a group called Solazyme are growing giant vats of algae in the Midwestern desert with an eye to creating biofuel, it's not exactly widely available. Apparently you can condense the oil-making process from 150million years to 3 days. Excellent.
Until some of that seaweedy power liquid ends up in your local fill-up station, it's going to be hard to embrace the algae lifestyle, but it's really interesting. Check out the ViceTV doc below:
Driving the eco-bandwagon into the mobile phone market, Sony Ericsson has just gone and launched a pair of green phones today, the Sony Ericsson Elm and the Hazel, writes ShinyShiny's Anna Leach.
Elm and Hazel like the trees - the nice green trees.
"The Sony Ericsson Elm and the Sony Ericsson Hazel phones offer consumers a green choice without compromising on features or fun" say the company in a press release.
So, names aside, what's so green about these handsets?
1. Less energy and raw materials are used in their manufacture and packing:
- Made out of recycled plastics
- Free from hazardous chemicals
- The instructions booklet is not printed on paper but is an e-manual in phone
- Packaging has been minimised
2. The Greenheart phones are designed to be more energy-efficient
- Low power consumption charger (EP300 GreenHeart(TM))
- Clearer voice technology should mean lower volume is required
- A Widget Manager application, which allows users access to their social networking page via the stand-by screen and quickly switch between different social networks, reduces the battery-wasting waiting time.
3. They come with apps for helping you cut down on CO2 and energy use in other areas of your life..
- Walk Mate eco application
- Green calculator
Want a moisturiser that hasn't been tested on animals? Bulldog has become the UK's first cruelty-free male grooming brand to be recognised and approved by BUAV (British Union for Abolition of Vivisection) under their Humane Cosmetics Standard.
Born out of frustration that there were no options available for switched-on men who wanted to reduce the number of man-made chemicals in their bathrooms, Bulldog's products also don't contain controversial man-made chemicals such as parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, artificial colours, or synthetic fragrances.
Bulldog Co-Founder, Simon Duffy, said: "I'm delighted that Bulldog is the first male grooming brand to be recognised by the BUAV. Consumers deserve to know that the products that they use are cruelty free." Bulldog is now calling on other brands such as L'Oreal Men Expert, Nivea For Men and Gillette to follow its example and make their own positions clear. Via Brandish.tv
It's cold and miserable outside and the nights are still drawing in. What could be better than a lovely hamper from Cafédirect to cheer you up. A warming treat for the hot drink fanatic, the hamper - which would normally set you back £25 - includes a fantastic array of finest tea and hot chocolate; Gold Tea, English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey Tea and award-winning San Cristobal Drinking Chocolate.
All this can be enjoyed in the classic Cafédirect mugs and comes complete with a rustic fair trade hamper basket, great for storage around the home. Alos, if you are looking for Christmas presents there are several gift ideas from http://www.cafedirect.co.uk/shop. Order now and you'll enjoy free delivery until the end of December!
TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THE HAMPER SIMPLY ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION. WHERE ARE THE CLIMATE TALKS TAKING PLACE THIS WEEK:
A) COPENHAGEN
B) OSLO
C) STOCKHOLM
Now email your answer to info@shinymedia.com. Closing date for the competition is December 21st. For terms and conditions click here.
Stuck for Christmas gift ideas for your environmentally conscious friends? Vegan and eco-friendly fashion and accessories boutique Alternative Outfitters has a range of innovative gifts for women and men, from faux wool coats to faux suede boots. They also ship to the UK. Here's a sneak preview of what they have to choose for the festive season.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT GALLERY
Last week we featured Jo Wood's splendid Mrs Paisley's Lashings, a 'pop up restaurant' project which encourages people to eat in a more eco-conscious way . This time we're highlighting another environmental project she's involved with in conjunction with her daughter Leah (pictured right) called Global Cool.
Together they have shot a video to raise awareness of the benefits of turning your central heating down to 18 degrees - including saving money, saving your skin and also helping to save the environment.
Apparently heating within the home accounts for 30 per cent of the average Brit's carbon footprint, which is even more than cars produce at 26.1 per cent. Figures show that for every one degree you turn your heating down, you could save up to £40 a year and go from burning 20 calories an hour to 80 calories an hour - all while you're sleeping.
Other celebrities who have shot video include EastEnders' Adam Crossdale and models Laura Bailey and Stella Tennant. You can see their videos here:
Global Cool's Facebook fans can also win a new winter wardrobe in association with ASOS.com - simply upload a picture of yourself wearing your most stylish winter knits, get your friends to vote for you, and you could win £500 worth of vouchers! Go to www.facebook.com/globalcool
See below for video of Jo and Leah Wood, highlighting Global Cool campaign:
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