How cool is this project by Swedish artist Michael Johansson?! Using discarded objects like old washing machines, shelves, cars, computers and anything else he comes across, Johansson creates Tetris-like installations in small urban spaces. This could be the empty space between buildings, under steps and garages.

To create these fun art installations he must work around and with the physical limitations of the space available.

Speaking to PINCH magazine, Johansson said:

"These irregularities, or coincidences, are a great source of inspiration for me. I have also as long as I can remember been fascinated by flea markets. And in specific a fascination by walking around to find doubles of seemingly unique, though often useless objects I have already purchased at another flea market. There is something irresistible in the knowledge that if you don't buy that particular object right away, the opportunity might never come back. I think the same rules compelling me to select things at flea markets are also central to my art practice, that you need to combine something very familiar with something very unique to create an interesting art experience."

We love it. Wonder if he would consider bringing his Tetris art to London?

[via HUH.]

Click below to see more examples of his work:

London-based designer Peter Jensen has teamed up with ethical fashion label People Tree for a capsule collection of graphic prints and contemporary shapes. The Dane's designs can now be found on the brand's website. Choose among dresses and t-shirts featuring quirky cat and soldier prints that start from £45.

We're two weeks away from the festivities of Yuletide and shops are bursting with Christmas songs, wishes of a happy holiday, and displays of all the things you could ever wish to buy.

If you're tired of buying into the materialistic consumer culture that goes hand in hand with Christmas, but still want to bring festive smiles to your friends and families (you can't just not get them a gift if they're getting you one right?), how about giving a gift with a difference?

Britons still have tough years ahead as the global economic crisis doesn't seem to be shifting much any time soon, and with most families having had to cut back over the last year, charitable gifts should be high up on everyone's wish-list this Christmas. Not only will they bring you - and the receiver - joy but you'd also be helping others.

Need some inspiration? Here are our top seven charitable gifts this Christmas.

It's that time of year, when you run around like crazy trying to get everything done in time for Christmas, including picking out a great tree for the family, ensuring your Christmas dinner (sustainably sourced of course) is in the house, and buying those essential ethical presents.

Today we've decided to focus on the little ones of the household - the babies and kids. Here are our favourite picks for a more sustainable future.

We're great fans of cycling here at Hippyshopper; not only is cycling a great way to get around the London traffic (beware of motorists and pedestrians mind!), it keeps us fit!

Most of the time we'll just wear our normal clothes but sometimes that just doesn't seem right. What if we could have some ethically made garments made especially for our bike rides - that doesn't necessarily involve extremely tight fitting and unflattering lycra?

Well Jamie and John, the guys behind VELECO have just the answer! With what they claim to be the world's first fairtrade and eco-friendly cycle wear company (if anyone beg to differ, let us know in the comments below), they hope to change cycle wear across the world by making it more ethical.

Using natural, organic and recycled materials wherever possible, a 15% fairtrade premium is paid on every garment made, which is pushed back into health and welfare projects for VELECO's workers and their families in Pakistan.

The current collection consists of cycling jackets, t-shirts and hoodies as well as a selection of accessories including cycling caps, cotton bags, recycled tyre and tube belts as well as green oil. Plans are in motion to launch more technical wear in 2013, which will include shorts, trousers, more jackets and bags for urban cyclists and commuters!

Take a look at the collection below.

We love our Macs, iPhones and iPads and wouldn't really want to live without them - even if Apple has decided to pull out of green-tech programme EPAT. But our eco minds are always on the look-out to find accessories to our Apple gadgets that are made with sustainability in mind, and not with badly produced plastic things shipped from far, far away. As we await the official announcement of the iPhone 5, here are some of our favourite Apple accessories we've come across lately - and a novel idea of how to upcycle an old iMac...

Whether your dad is an eco-friendly urbanite, a tech devotee or an outdoors kind of guy, there is plenty of choice out there of what to get him this Father's Day to show him how much you appreciate him.

However there are now so many great sustainable and ethical things available, so it isn't always so easy deciding on exactly what he might like - or even knowing if he's already has it!

To help ease your search we've compiled a gallery of five eco gifts we hope will be to his taste.

We love the environment and we think nothing is better than to come across fashion brands that do the same. No doubt we live in a throwaway society of which many fashion labels are guilty of fuelling hungry consumerism in people where we end up looking for the next trend or piece of clothing as soon as we've got one. But then there are brands like Lost Property of London.

The brainchild of Katy Bell, Lost Property of London takes abandoned fabrics and lovingly transforms them into fashionable yet very practical upcycled bags. No surprise that green fashion queen Livia Firth is a fan!

The bags are created using as many eco design principles as possible, making each item from recycled materials and by hand. We're definitely sold and will be putting this on our birthday wish list! Check out the gallery below to see more of these exquisite bags.

Prices start from £120 and are available online from www.lostpropertyoflondon.com.

With this year's Mother's Day just ten days away, we've put together a little gift list for the style concious mum.

So why not show your mum (or wife) that she's truly valued by helping her update her spring wardrobe with these fantastic eco-friendly finds - and the best thing you can buy them all online!

Most women dream of owning a designer handbag, but seeing as most of them cost the equivalent of a month's rent it usually stays just a dream. However, what if I said buying said bag also means that you'd be doing something for a charitable cause...

British fashion model Erin O'Connor is leading the celebrity support of Save the Children's Christmas 'Bag to Save a Life' appeal when it launches tomorrow, Friday 25th November 2011. Erin is joined by other well-known names such as Sienna Miller, Tilda Swinton, Florence Welch, Gemma Arterton, Georgia May Jagger, Annie Lennox and the UK's Prime Minister's wife and Save the Children Ambassador, Samantha Cameron to raise funds for the charity's lifesaving work in the poorest countries.

If you fancy snapping up a bag by the likes of Christian Louboutin, Mulberry, Jimmy Choo, Miu Miu, Prada and many more - donated or designed by the lovely celeb ladies previously mentioned - make sure you join in on the online auction from tomorrow on www.savethechildren.org.uk/bagtosave.

Samantha Cameron has donated her Jimmy Choo bag, Sienna Miller a Miu Miu, Tilda Swinton has donated a bag from Chanel AND a bag from Victor & Rolf, while Gemma Arterton has donated a leather patent Prada bag.

Save the Children ambassador Samantha Cameron said: "I am delighted to donate one of my handbags to Save the Children's Bag to Save a Life auction. It a great cause and the proceeds will help provide more health workers around the world who in turn will stop the needless deaths of children. Please get involved and do your bit to help save a child's life."

Tilda Swinton said: "Bid high! Bid so much higher than you think you will or can! Think of a dicey number and double it. And then double that. No fancy bag can ever carry what your generosity will mean to the children it will help to live. Make this beautiful object truly valuable by investing real money in real life - and carry the evidence with pride. Don't count the cost. Think of it as paying something back for all there is to be grateful for in your days."

If you want to take part in the auction, the starting price will be at around a quarter of the bags' recommended retail price. You can also donate any unwanted bags you might have laying around at any of the Save the Children stores around the UK to be included into the auction.

The online auction will be live from Friday 25th November to Sunday 4th December 2011.

Getting Christmas presents for girls can be easy, just head to the nearest beauty section and you'll be safe. But if you're looking to get something a bit more unique - and not to mention - eco-friendly, then you've come to the right place. I've waded through the froth to find some of the more desirable and sustainable presents for her out there. If organic knitwear, limited handmade pieces and fairtrade scarves are her things, look no further!

I love the playfulness and British eccentricity of Lu Flux's designs. A myriad of colours and a couple of pineapples, the A Lu Ha Spring Summer 2012 collection has definitely been inspired by the island of Hawaii (the name gives it away really...)

Lu Flux debuted at London Fashion Week as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout's 'Ones to Watch' show in 2009, and has after exhibiting under the Estethica initiative at Somerset House for two seasons been awarded the Innovation Award which celebrates her inventive and exciting designs in the world of sustainable fashion.

Check out the Lu Flux website for stockists details.

We've previously written about 'reverse graffiti' and 'living billboards', and we're familiar with 'guerilla gardening' and 'knit graffiti' but have you heard of moss graffiti? The latest in street art projects aiming to enrich derelict urban spaces is cleverly named Mossenger and is the brainchild of London-based artist Anna Garforth.

Anna's project uses biodegradable ingredients to attach moss letters to walls to spell out poems. How wonderful isn't that? The poem you can see on these pictures are by Eleanor Stevens and will be featured in four parts - each sentence is to be displayed somewhere in London.

Have you spotted any other green street art projects where you live?
If you see Anna's work when you're out and about in London tweet us @Hippyshopper as we'd love to see more!

(via Environmental Graffiti)

With predictions of Arctic winter conditions looming, Britons will not be happy with the news that energy costs won't get slashed just yet - and may continue to increase in the future.

Prices are set to continue to rise because of the rising cost of gas on the international market, and now Prime Minister David Cameron has admitted the Government need to work "harder and faster" to bring down energy bills ahead of a summit being held at Downing Street today, Monday 17th October 2011, to discuss the hostile energy market in Britain.

Following the latest Ofgem report, David Cameron has in a joint article with Energy Secretary Chris Huhne on moneysavingexpert.com outlined what the Government are looking to do: "Energy bills have increased by more than £100 for most people since this summer (the cost of gas and electricity has risen by up to 18% in the past few weeks). These price rises couldn't come at a worse time for consumers who are already feeling the pinch from rising petrol prices and the cost of the weekly shop."

Regulator Ofgem published plans last Friday in which it said suppliers will be forced to have no-frills tariffs - one standing charge plus a unit charge for energy used - to make it easier for consumers to figure out which supplier is best for them. But unfortunately this won't be put into motion until 2012 and while big energy providers like British Gas and Npower expected to pledge not to raise prices again this year, it can't be avoided that people will see their bills increase this winter.

But there are some things you can do to cut your energy bills, here are four tips:

Don't you dare to dust away those cobwebs - Halloween is almost here! At the end of the month it's time for trick-or-treating, scary costumes and sweets, lots and lots of sweets. A big business in America, this 'holiday' is catching on over here in England too but unfortunately can be one of the most wasteful times of the year. Just thinking about all those individually wrapped sweeties that get given out and the plastic decorations bought at the local pound shop only to be thrown out afterwards makes us feel bad. That said, we're not saying you shouldn't enjoy the festivities, so here are some tricks to have a greener Halloween.