Home & Garden
Here is "The UK's greenest refuse sack", despite it being...err....black. However, The Green Sack is made from 100% recycled materials, which is where the green bit comes in, so I suppose we'll let them off for the potentially misleading name. The sacks are made in the UK from recycled UK farm waste plastics which are otherwise used for absolutely nothing at all, and I can testify that they're strong enough to hold a week's worth of student waste produced by the six messiest people you have ever met.
Don't judge these black bags by their cover, they are definitely green.
Find out more about The Green Sack here
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Home & Garden
Call me prejudiced but I don't usually associate footballers with green issues. And with all respect to Gary, who I've heard is a lovely bloke, he is one of the least likely Premiership footballers I would have thought would be so environmentally friendly. Aren't they all supposed to be driving around in Ferraris when they are not getting in their 4x4s to escape to the country?
So it was something of a shock - albeit a pleasant one - to discover in the paper this morning that not only does Gary drive to the training ground in a hybrid Toyota Prius (yes honestly) he's also submitted plans to Bolton Council for an eco-home in the grounds of his £8 million estate.
Not only that, but the eco-home is a radical 'underground bunker' design that has been likened by critics to the Teletubbies home. Personally I think it looks fantastic with its petal structure. Certainly it is very discreet unlike some footballers' homes I can think of.
Apparently the structure is so advanced the government wants to use the scheme as a benchmark for all future zero-carbon developments. What's more, the Man United captain has already impressed planning chiefs with in-depth knowledge of issues and sustainable technology. Good on you Gary. Whatever next? David Beckham buys all of his clothes at Oxfam or Wayne Rooney to open a nature reserve.
Home & Garden
As a kid, one of my favourite ways to wind up my Dad was throwing his ornamental pine cones on to our open fire in the winter. Not to be mean: I just couldn't resist it. I loved the way the (carefully collected and long-cherished) giant cones lit up so quickly and burnt with a brilliant blue flame, created by the salt in the sea air they'd absorbed as they grew.
So I was filled with childish, pyro glee when I found that you could now buy pine cones specially made and prepared for burning, along with other naturally fire-attracting and fragrant forms such as bay leaves, dried lemons and chillis. Designed to be used on barbeques and bonfires, natural herb barbeque lighters are a charming alternative to chemically laden fire-lighters and are scented with herbs and thyme oil. These are a damn site better for the environment and smell delicious too. Hand-made in Dorset, they're £14.50 for a pack of 12 at the Green Rewards Shop.
Related: How to have a more eco-friendly barbeque | Help butterflies as you barbeque with UK charcoal | Veggie and vegan barbeque ideas
competitions
Method make some of Hippyshopper's favourite things, from the revolutionary O-Mop to the cleaning wipes that smell of yum.
If you're as much of Method junkie as I am - or haven't yet found out for yourself what all the fuss is about - then you might want to enter our latest competition, in association with Big Green Smile. You could win all the products shown here, which are enough to 'detox' your home from strong chemicals and bleaches while keeping it squeaky clean.
Read on after the jump for prize details and how to enter!
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Home & Garden
Paul Ridden writes: The doorbell rings. You answer and it's a bunch of your friends come for an unannounced visit. You show them to the front room but there aren't enough seats for everyone. The kitchen is way too small and as for the bedroom - they're just not those kind of friends! The sun is shining for a change so you could take the party into the garden but there is even less opportunity for bums on seats there. You can't risk losing your 'party host of the year' title by having people sit on the floor or standing around. What to do, what to do?!?
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Food & drink
A humble cup of coffee is usually transformed into a stylish and sophisticated cappuccino by adding frothed milk, which has been whipped up using an electric 'steamer'. But if you don't want a bulky and energy-guzzling device taking up space in your kitchen, a cool alternative is on offer at Ethical Superstore, which now stocks the 'Presso' non-electric espresso and cappuccino coffee maker. It has handles, a bit like a bottle opener, to create the necessary pressure to make these speciality coffees and more.
Still confused? So was I. Follow the jump to see a video of the Presso in action!
£88.95 at Ethical Superstore
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Home & Garden
I wouldn't normally get this excited about a cleaning product, but Method's natural stainless steel wipes have proven to be my number one ally in my spring cleaning efforts this year, and I've been raving about them to anyone unfortunate enough to come in and find me in my rubber gloves.
The thing about them is, they just smell fantastic. The natural fragrances and cleaning agents mean that there's no harshness to their scent, and somehow they also seem to make everything they touch very shiny. Pick up a pack for £3 at Goodness Direct
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