Last minute gift ideas

As the last dates for Christmas orders draws nearer (22nd Dec for Express delivery at EcoCentric) it's always good to have a few key staple gifts which don't need to be posted. Here's a couple of gift ideas which are easy and quick to buy, but always well recieved and appreciated.

Gift vouchers - Available from loads of retailers in many different amounts, they may not be very imaginative, but it does mean people can get something they really want, not just what you might think they like. EcoCentric are great for fans of eco design and have lots of stylish products that the recipient to choose from, People Tree gift vouchers are brilliant for ethical fashion and have a good range for women, men and kids and Ethical wares have lovely cruetly-free footwear and accessories for style with a conscience.

Charity Gifts - Rather than give someone something they don't want, give a person in need something they really need on their behalf. For a bargain £18 you can buy a goat with Help the Aged to give older people milk, fertilizer and maybe even more goats. Action Aid will buy books for poor school children in developing countries from just £10, and from £3 a month you can 'adopt' a polar bear with WWF. Just don't expect to be able to put it under the Christmas tree!

Eco home on tonight's Dream Homes

Have you been following Oliver's trip round Britain with Dream Homes? Catch another episode with an eco focus tonight on the Discovery Channel. you can wrap those last minute Chrsitmas gifts whilst getting inspiration for your eco home...

Isle of Skye:
Architect Mary Arnold-Forster has bought one of the most spectacular plots in Scotland for just £25,000. Oliver Heath follows Mary’s progress as she designs and builds a house to withstand storms in winter and midges in the summer, and struggles to get building materials to one of the remotest parts of the British Isles.

Downsize your Christmas carbon footprint

Following on from my tips for eco Christmas decorations, here are a few more good pointers to keep your Christmas carbon footprint from making you a first rate eco-scrooge.

The Meal: Using durable and good quality serving ware instead of disposable stuff keeps your footprint and your spending low. Better still, buying recycled glass plates and glasses means that you are actually reusing resources rather than fuelling the need to process new ones. EcoCentric sell a beautiful range of recycled glass crockery which will make any Christmas table look elegant and stylish. If you can't afford to buy new crockery, then there are often interesting vintage finds at charity shops, or the option of renting it if you're catering for unusually large numbers. If you do want to buy disposable plates and cups, then paper as the best choice as it can be composted along with the rest of the Christmas food waste.

The Wrapping: rubbish mounts up extremely fast over the Christmas period, but there are lots of things we can do to minimise the cost to the environment. Gifts can be wrapped in recycled paper, old maps, comics, newspapers or any colourful paper. Choose gifts that don't need to be wrapped, or make the wrapping part of the gift - a vintage scarf or a snazzy tea towel for example. Gift tags can be made from last years Christmas cards artfully cut out and threaded through with a piece of ribbon. Importantly, make sure to recycle all possible packaging and wrapping. We've found that kids absolutely love the new Ovetto recycling bin - it's made from recycled plastic and has three handy compartments for three types of recycling. Recycling has never been so fun and stylish!

Tips for a healthy and stylish Christmas

Christmas is all about excess and I for one love it. But there are some Christmas essentials which we definately don't want an excess of and toxins is one of those. In our everyday products lie hidden nasties which over time can cause health problems and stress to our bodies.

Candles are one of these products. We don't think twice about hightening the festive atmosphere with delicious smelling candles, but studies have shown that conventional candles emit a range of carcinogenic substances which can seriously effect your health, as detailed in this excellent article in the The Ecologist. To avoid this risk is easy however, as ranges of alternative, clean burning candles are fast emerging. EcoCentric stock two types - the divinely scented Aromatherapy candles, made of natural plant wax and essential oils, and the fun and attractively packaged Aromatherapy solution candles, such as Love Potion, 25/7 and Chill Pill, made of soy wax, which burn for an amazing 50 hours!

Cosmetics are another hidden-toxin worry. Many skin creams, washes and make up contain a cocktail of skin irritants, colouring and fragrances, as documented in this article in the Ecologist. In order to avoid these nasties, a always used natural, organic cosmetics and skincare. EcoCentric have a range of really lovely organic cosmetics such as the fantastic Vitamin E skin cream and gift boxes like the Happy box, the Calm box and the Gentle Baby box.

Eco Christmas Decorating

Tis the season to be jolly, and one of my favourite ways to spread the jollyness is by putting up Christmas decorations! The right decorations really bring out the best out of a home at Christmas and add to the festive atmosphere no end. Decorations can be a drain on your finances and the environment though, which is why I've put together a few pointers to eco-style your Christmas decorations.

Fairy lights can use a ton of electricity over the course of your Christmas period. For a cheaper - and just as pretty - tree use low energy LED fairy lights, like this lovely colour changing set from EcoCentric. With the touch of a dial you can control the colour and the speed of colour change, and best of all, they're extremely long lasting - the average set can be constantly used for up to 16 years apparently. Best of all they're currently half price at just £19.49 with voucher code 3182! Shinyhippy did this great video review of them last year - check it out on YouTube.

Christmas tree decorations can also be eco-friendly. Using recycled paper to make paper angels, laterns and paper chains keeps our precious forests from the chop and looks great. I always think that home-made decorations look better somehow, and you're more likely to keep them longer if they mean something to you. Belinda Mooney has a few good ideas, as does 'Krafty Kris'.

If you don't have the time to make tree decorations then FSC certified wood ones are a good option as they'll last for years and look great. These pretty ones from WWF also mean your money goes to charity - and what's more Christmasy than that!

East London Design Show

A bit stuck for Christmas pressies for those 'difficult people'? Well this might just help you out...


Bag yourself some beautiful and unique Christmas presents this weekend at the fantastic annual East London Design Show! There will be designers from all over the world exhibiting and a number of products unveiled for the very first time. With clothing, jewellery, home accessories and kids stuff on offer there is bound to be something for everyone. And with a cafe selling delicious food and a special kids area with a 'create space' (sounds intriguing!), it makes a great day out for the whole family.

EcoCentric will be exhibiting, taking a carefully chosen range of products including our cute and phenomenonally popular Knit your own Monkey kits, our stylish Tord Boonje designed Transglass vases and our practical and attractive Bamboo chopping boards.

Other stands on my list to visit include the delightful Cocktail Tops, which makes gorgeously colourful clothes for women, the psychadelically colourful Victoria's World and the fun Creative Charlie, which engages children and adults together in creative play (and it shares my name!)



The show is open from today until Sunday. Opening times are 12 - 8pm today and 10 - 6 on Saturday and Sunday.
Admission is £4 adult and £2 concession - but you can download a 2 for 1 voucher from their website. Accompanied under 16s go free.

Happy shopping!

Dig for Victory

Planting a tree in National Tree Week will boost your health and the health of the planet. We are continually hearing about the benefits of surrounding ourselves with greenery as they release oxygen and absorb the emissions from computers, Mobile phones and other gadgets...

I have a cactus on my desk, does that help?

From today until 7th December the UK will be celebrating National Tree Week, the UK's largest tree celebration annually launching the start of the winter tree planting season.

There are a great number of events going on around the country hosted by the tree council. They also have a wealth of information about how to buy, prepare and plant trees.

How about giving a plant as a gift this Christmas, something that gives back... Here are a few ideas:

Ready to plant: Tree to my door
This company is amazing, and has, it seems, any type of tree you want... and they deliver! Perfect...

For the cook: Chilli pocket garden
Grow this on the mantlepiece, and it produces a multitude of chillis for use in cooking - My brother-in-law had just one of these and now has 5 pots of chilli plants growing around the house! (If you want to re-plant the chilli seeds I have it on good authority that you leave them on the plant until they are dried out)


For the garden: Grow your own wine rack
when grafted to itself, willow will bind together... so graft it in this formation and after 2 years it is a strong wine rack, all in one piece! Whilst it is in the graden it is providing habitat for birds and butterflies and generally cotributing to biodiversity. Definately the most unusual and greenest gift under the tree...

Stocking filler: Grow your own mushrooms
This kit + second hand paperback = a very unique gift.
The recipient can grow a batch of yummy mushrooms (ON A BOOK!) in just a few weeks without even having to go outside. My Dad got 3 batches of his kit last year...loved it!


For the full experience: Plant a silver birch tree
Start this off py planting the seed provided into the soil in the pocket. When it has got to a certain height on your windowsill, then simply plant the compostable bag in to the garden and the tree will continue to grow. A great gift for kids to watch the progress from seed to tree.

People Tree Sample Sale

One of my favourite eco-fashion retailers, People Tree, are having a sample sale this weekend! Along with a host of other cool ethical clothing brands the sale will be held from this Thursday to Sunday just off Brick Lane in East London. Grab yourself a stylish, ethical bargin or get stuck into your Christmas shopping...better be quick though, with up to 80% off I'm guessing it'll be pretty popular!

The sale is at Dray Walk Gallery, Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery (Off 91 Brick Lane), London E1 6QL.

Thursday 27th November 6 pm - 9 pm
Friday 28th 10 am - 8 pm
Saturday 29th 11 am - 7 pm
Sunday 30th 11 am - 5 pm

Sprig Discover Rig Video

Thought I'd put on this cool video which shows the Sprig Discover Rig, which I mentioned in my last post, in action.



It really is a great eco toy. Powered only by the child playing with it, it lights up and plays sound, music and a narrative, telling exciting stories to the child. It's also made entirely of innovative new Sprigwood - a recycled and recyclable material - in Canada, doesn't need batteries and can keep kids entertained for hours. I just wish I was 20 years younger so I could get one for Christmas!

Eco Toys for Christmas Lists

Christmas means many things to many people, but for most kids it means loads of chocolate, food and, of course, presents! But what to buy the children at Christmas without ending up with excessive amounts of plastic, batteries and gimmicky, soon-to-be-bored of 'stuff'? Luckily, there are an increasing number of cool, interesting and sustainable eco-toys on the market that will thrill kids and minimise use of resources. Here are a few key features to look out for.



Recycled: The fantastic new range of Sprig toys at EcoCentric are made of an innovative new material called Sprigwood, made of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. The Discover Rig harnesses the kinetic energy of the child playing with it to play music, sounds and tell a great little tale.




Organic: Using natural processes and organic fertilisers, organically grown cotton avoids the environmental destruction caused by conventional production, resulting in cleaner, kinder and greener products. And when the finished result looks as cute as this soft organic cotton bear, going organic has never been easier!

Fairtrade: Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. The Fairtrade Foundation has licensed over 3,000 Fairtrade certified products for sale through retail and catering outlets in the UK, and a few of those, are toys! I think this Fairtrade wooden train with six animals is a really beautiful toy, and since it is hand made by a fairtrade accredited workshop in India from sustainable sheesham wood using low energy practices, it is also good for the environment.

Win £100 voucher for ecocentric

EcoCentric are offering an early Christmas gift - a £100 voucher to spend at www.ecocentric.co.uk

All you need to do is click here and fill in the form to be in with a chance to win.

There are loads of great eco Christmas gifts to choose from, or you could treat yourself to some interiors accessories to give your home a pre-Christmas lift...

One-stop shop for eco Christmas shopping

I do a lot of my shopping on the web, mostly because there isnt a lot of eco choice out there on the high street and I try to be as ethical as I can with my gift giving and fashion sense.

For those of you who are london based and love the browsing in stores and boutiques - listen up...

From now until Christmas there is a one-stop shop for all your eco gift buying on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill. Amongst all the trendy boutiques and vintage stores you'll find number 303 - Our Eco Shop, a collaboration of eco designers, stores and lables to provide the perfect eco shopping experience.

With UK designers-makers and small green companies represented, the pop-up shop has a great selection of fair trade, ethical, organic, and eco-friendly products.

Get yourself over there tonight for the launch party, and check out the goodies before anyone else!

Enjoy!

Our Eco Shop Opening details:
18th November until 24th December
Mon - Sat 10am - 5.30pm, Sun 12pm - 5pm

The ultimate green Christmas 'how-to'

I'm one of those people who (usually) refuses to think about Christmas until the first door of the (divine chocolate) advent calendar has been well and truly opened.

But I also know there are members of my family (Kate) who finished their Christmas shopping in September.

If you are somewhere in between you may be interested in the ultimate guide to having a green Chritsmas put together by the folks down at the Guardian.

Not just their top 10, but a whole alphabet full of ideas. Here are a few of the best:

A is for artificial trees - There is a whole debate about real or plastic trees...maybe even worth it's own blog post/debate...

C is for Candles - Paraffin candles are made from petroleum residue and are no good for your health or for the environment. Candles made from soy, beeswax or natural vegetable-based wax are more eco-friendly because they biodegrade and are smoke-free.

F is for food shopping - Buy local or buy less. Produce bought locally means you will be supporting small suppliers and the local community, while minimising your carbon footprint. Shop at a local farmers' market, or try growing some of your own vegetables where possible (a little bit late this year - though I attempting to grow lettuce on my window sill).

Remeber to take your own reusable bags and buy fruit & veg loose if possible to avoid excessive plastic usage.

L is for lights - Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough CO2 to inflate 12 balloons, so turn them off when they are not needed, and use low-energy LED fairy lights - you can get great half-price colour-changing ones here

Need more ideas? Read the rest of the article here
The guardian gift guide for 2008 will be out soon, so we'll post a link when it's up. In the mean time, check out these eco gift ideas

RE:fashion award winners announced at glitzy celeb filled occasion

Last night saw the ultimate event in ethical fashion with the RE:fashion awards held at Shoreditch town hall (just round the corner from our HQ, where Elton had his 60th) where all the hot ethical designers mixed with celebs such as Daisy Lowe, Pixie Geldof and Leah Wood.

Established designers Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes & Katharine Hamnett showed their support for the awards with their outfits, created exclusively for the event, being modelled on the RE:design catwalk.

RE: Fashion Designer of the Year was awarded to From Somewhere, (right) beating off fierce competition from Safia Minney of People Tree, and Oliver's favourites Junky Styling.

Izzy Lane, who rears her own sheep for her very British collections (shown below), walked away with New RE:Designer of the Year Award.

Other awards and winners included:
Fashion retailer Adili - RE: Retailer of the Year
Pioneering jewellery label Made - RE: Africa award
From Somewhere - RE:Use Award

It was the first event of its kind, though trends would suggest there will be more to come, following the Estethica area at London fashion week for the past 5 seasons which has been growing in size and quality every time.

For the full report check out glam Sarah from Greenmystyle who was right in there with the action.

EcoCentric has just launched a new affiliate programme, offering you an excellent 10% commission – one of the best rates in the field of eco retail.

As you may know, EcoCentric is the online eco home style boutique, offering the best in eco gifts and home accessories. Including eco toys & gifts, organic cosmetics, recycled glassware and fair trade homewares, the collection has been selected by designer Oliver Heath for its style and eco credentials.

It is free to sign up. You simply choose one of our pre-designed banners for your website or blog, and earn an amazing 10% commission on each sale generated from your site.

If you dont have a blog or website, then you can just put a text link on the bottom of your email or on your facebook (or similar) page and the same principle applies - just start spreading the word and earning a little extra for your Christmas.

Now is the time to sign up to take advantage of the high traffic coming up to Christmas.

Read here for more information. Click here to join.

Green Gods - but where's Oliver?

On their blog this week the Daisy Green girls announced their Top 10 green gods ("The men making ethics sexy")! I thought their choices were pretty interesting - although some of the top ten may well rightly deserve their place, the 'God' factor did seem to be a bit more 'Hollywood' than 'green'. It's great that celebrities can use their media draw to publicise environmental destruction and ways we can be more eco-friendly, but we should also celebrate the hard-working heroes on our doorsteps.

So I would like to nominate Oliver Heath as the 11th Green God. He's played a crucial part in bringing sustainable design into the mainstream through his TV work, has acted as a media spokesperson for both the Waste and Resources Action Programme and the Energy Saving Trust, and has written for the Observer and Friends of the Earth, Earth Matters magazine. By putting environmental thought into his design and architecture work he has helped emerging eco-friendly businesses, and even co-founded one of his own - EcoCentric!

An inspiration to us all, and in my opinion, well deserving of a place on the list.

Who would you nominate?

Happy birthday Smart Car!

Smart car is now 10 years old (born at the same time as Divine! - see below) and to celebrate they have launched a designer version.

Hermès on Thursday unveiled the tiny Smart car it designed, available in 10 colors including gold, indigo and the luxury house’s signature orange. Each is fitted with Hermès leather-covered steering wheels and gear levers, with colors including fuchsia and lime, along with the brand’s original canvas toile H.

The cars, starting at 38,000 euros, went on sale last week - just think about all the savings on petrol!

A divine experience

This year Divine will be 10 years old and they are celebrating with a free exhibition telling their unique story, at the OXO tower gallery, starting tomorrow and running until Sunday.

In 1998 a new chocolate company was launched to try and prove the chocolate industry doesn’t have to be this way. A cooperative of cocoa farmers in Ghana decided to take matters into their own hands and set up their own chocolate business in the UK…….

The exhibition is an opportunity to see a collection of striking images by leading photojournalists giving an insight into the lives of Kuapa Kokoo farmers, and follow the enterprising journey that took Divine from being “a great idea – that could never happen” to an award-winning example of a more equitable trading relationship with smallholder farmers in Africa.

Divine has since partnered with Comic relief, launching the dubble bar, raising the issue of Fairtrade with young people.

If you haven't tried Divine chocolate then I thoroughly recommend it - the most delicious chocolate! My favourites are the dark chocolate, and the new champagne truffles...mmm!

Details:
The 'Decade of Divine' exhibition is at the.gallery@oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London, SE1 9PH. Gallery open to public 6th-9th November 2008. Opening times 11.00am-6.00pm. Admission Free
Immerse yourself in a delicious world of chocolate and find out how Divine is building a brand for the 21st century.

Credit Crunch Eco Chic

In these somewhat trying economic times thrift is fast becoming an essential way of life for many of us. It might not sound much like fun, but in an article in the Sunday Times Style magazine this week, entitled 'Credit Crunch Chic: How to save pots of money', India Knight showed that, far from being a bore, thrift can awaken your creativity and give you a great sense of personal satisfaction.

Making your own has always been a staple of a thrifty lifestyle. Giving someone a present that you have crafted from your own hands speaks volumes about how much you value them, and the objects created have a personal originality which money simply cannot buy. This might all seem a bit daunting, but if you need a little helping hand to start crafting, Ecocentric have some great kits, like the 'stitch you own donkey' and the 'make your own owl bag'.

The article also talked about 'doing your bit'. By cutting down on needless consumption you can reduce your emissions and help the environment, even in just a small way. Energy saving lightbulbs are a great way to lower your carbon footprint and achieve big savings in your energy bills. Shopping locally or online is also recommended - keep it local to reduce transportation costs, and shop online to curb thoughtless impulse buys.

Above all, thrift is about living a lifestyle which is more at one with yourself and the world. It's about appreciating what you have now, not lusting after something you want in the future. By focussing on the smaller things around us and the quality of the interaction we have with those close by we can hopefully all gain a deeper satisfaction from life and ultimately be happier and more fulfilled.

Have a happy Halloween - eco style

Halloween can be great fun for kids and adults alike, but with all the sweets, costmumes, pumpkins and lights being used the environmental impact can soon add up. Luckily, there are a few things we can all do to make our Halloween celebrations a little better for the planet.

Reusing old costumes (for example by swapping them between friends and families) can be a great way to get something new for nothing. If old costumes aren't your thing, then costumes can easily be created by recycling any old rubbish found lying around the home - I think a newspaper monster could be a pretty scary costume!

Buying fairtrade sweets and chocolate, like the selection of Divine chocolate at Ecocentric, means that the producers are getting a fair deal - always good for your conscience. Organic pumkins are also a great way to cut down on your negative environmental imprint, and instead of throwing away the seeds, why not wash, then gently toast and salt them for a tasty snack?

Eco-friendly decorations for your Halloween party are also easy and fun to make. You can use of a whole range of used packaging, like washed crisp packets and chocolate wrappers, to make shiny bunting, and old tin cans with holes poked in them make nice little lanterns with a candle in them. For a safer version, Ecocentric's Candela lights give out a lovely warm glow, but are cool to the touch and rechargeable.

However you celebrate Halloween, I hope you have a ghoulish - and green - day!

Eco-home focus on Dream Homes tonight

Just a quick heads up for tonight's episode of Dream Homes:

On the site of an old signal box in Wisbech, newlyweds Russell and Delia Swann are building a brand new house - with their bare hands. Using the latest sustainable methods, including recycled yogurt pots in the kitchen, this is going to be one of the greenest houses in the country. But all that’s in the future. The reality is that, just three months after their wedding, Oliver Heath finds Russell and Delia living in a caravan at the start of one of the coldest winters on record.

Catch it at 9pm tonight on the Discovery Channel (repeated tomorrow at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm)

Win free personal design advice from Oliver Heath PLUS a copy of his award winning new book 'Urban Eco Chic'

We're giving you the chance to get your home interior decorating question answered by Oliver Heath, and to win a copy of his new book.

Oliver is an award winning TV designer and architect, and founder of online eco homewares and eco gift store ecocentric.

In this special competition Oliver will be personally answering 5 of your best design questions by email. This is a fantastic chance to get a fresh, professional eye on your home design challenges and inject a bit of eco chic style into your life, all for free!

AND if that isn't enough, you also have a great chance to WIN a copy of Oliver's new book - 'Urban Eco Chic' - with a personal dedication from Oliver to you.

Although only 5 people will get the exclusive chance to get their questions answered by Oliver, we will be addressing the other issues raised by your questions here in our blog over the next month. Make sure to keep coming back to check if your question topic has come up!

To enter the competition, just fill in your name, email and your question for Oliver in the online form.

Full terms and conditions are available here

Hurry! The competition closes at midnight on 12th November...

childrens bedrooms

Good news – my wife Katie just had a little baby girl! Added to that over the last month we have moved house – believe me these are two major life changes that shouldn’t happen anywhere near each other!

However it has got me thinking ever more about designing eco children’s bedrooms.

As there wont be too much energy use, your main concerns will be the creation of a happy and healthy space for your precious child to live, sleep (and occasionally scream!) in. Remember that childrens immune systems are in development and so more susceptible to the effect of toxins.

The main things to think about are:
- Reducing toxins found in furniture, paints, and toys
- Reducing dust levels – cutting down on unhealthy dust mite.
- Good natural ventilation- cutting out the build up of damp and potential mould
- Safe Low energy lighting


Floors
Natural wood floors are great for interior design, they will also help to cut down on surfaces that trap dust (such as carpets. But if you do want some soft surfaces, try rugs or whip stitched sections of natural carpets made of wool with natural backings.

Walls
Paint walls in natural paints that don’t contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) which can off gas toxins onto the floor or surfaces below. VOCs are found at their highest levels in conventional eggshell or gloss paints

Furniture such as beds, wardrobes and chairs
Choose solid wood furniture that wont contain formaldehyde resin glues (found in MDF, chipboard and plywood) which can off gas. Vintage furniture can look great when given a lick of paint or even a little wall paper.

Beds
Mattresses can trap high levels of dust which leads to dust mites, these can be vacuumed clear. Alternatively you could use a closed cell structure natural latex mattress or use organic fibre mattresses which wont have been exposed to toxins in the production of the materials.

Toys
Buy solid wooden toys and avoid plastic toys particularly those made of PVC (like rubber bath ducks) which contain phthalates- which have been shown to cause a wide array of health issues affecting the liver, kidney, lung and blood pressure, but most importantly is their reported effect on the reproductive tract of boys.

Lighting
It goes without saying that you should use low energy bulbs but I advise using the bulbs that have the curly filament encased within a conventional bulb shaped cover. Low energy bulbs contain small quantities of mercury which can be released if broken. Alternatively use a tough lamp shade such as polypropylene, which can be recycled at the end of its useful life.

Heating and ventilation– thermostatic valves
Bedrooms need to be both heated and properly ventilated – this will keep the rooms living conditions healthy and comfortable. Children’s bedrooms should be kept at between 64.5 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, this can be achieved by using a thermostatic radiator valve to regulate room temperature.
Use trickle vents in the windows to maintain regular air changes, this will reduce the build up of damp and mould.

Oliver's book wins green award

Oliver launched his new book 'Urban Eco Chic' last month and it has already picked up an award. The ultimate onlne luxury lifestyle magazine Hot Brands Cool Places gave the book its Green Award.

Urban Eco Chic is a design-led guide to eco-decorating, helping interior designers, green builders, and homeowners make eco-friendly choices that transform the home into a sanctuary of sustainable style. The book is filled with loads of inspiring colour photographs and presents the visionary eco-style of green designer Oliver Heath, who believes in balancing the elements of nature, vintage, and technology.
Urban Eco Chic is also about achieving a balance between function and style, teamed with a conscious effort to reduce one's environmental impact. Urban Eco Chic combines the use of pioneering technologies powered by the least energy possible, sustainable natural materials that leave the lightest footprint and recycled or recyclable products such as vintage furniture and accessories.

Oliver is giving sneak previews of elements of the book on his style column on the ecocentric website.
Read the Hot Brands Cool Places review of the book here

Oliver will personally sign all copies of the book bought from ecocentric, and you can also request he add a special dedication - an ideal Christmas gift!

Recycling is high design

Want a sneaky peak round Oliver's home?

In this video he made for Recycle Now Oliver shows how the glass and plastic that we faithfully put out for the council to take away each week becomes beautifully designed products that can be incorporated into the design of your home.

Oliver really believes in sustainable design and in this tour round his home he shows you exactly how he has practiced what he preaches - and gives some great advice along the way.

To pick up some great recycled home accessories and other recycled and eco gifts, check out ecocentric

Congratulations to the Peoples Award winners

Congratulations go to the Zon hearing aid who won the Peoples Choice Award from Cooper Hewitt Design Awards

It was a hot contest, in which our Ovetto recycled recycling bin held its own. It was great to see over one fifth of the nominees were green or sustainable designs, showing that this sector can compete against the big boys in the design world - a trend that I'm sure will only increase over the years.

Oliver's quick tips for saving energy

These simple tips are great for those who don't have the cash to splash. In fact, rather than spending money on being a bit greener, these low-cost eco tips will actually save you money.

• Clean your windows regularly. Dirty ones are depressing, while clean ones let in more light.
• Position white or reflective surfaces, mirrors or light coloured tables near windows to bounce light around. It is amazingly effective.
• When boiling the kettle, only fill it with as much water as you need.
• Use a good quality washing powder and wash at a lower temperature such as 30°C; over a year it will save you an amazing amount of energy.
• Air dry your washing outside to cut out the use of your tumble drier.
• Switch to a green energy supplier who provides power from renewable sources. Simply request to change and they do the rest.
• Cook with the lids on pans.
• Thick blinds or curtains insulate the windows and stop heat loss; look for vintage ones at secondhand shops, markets or online.
• Fit silver foil covered boards (make or buy them) and fit them behind your radiators, they are amazingly effective at kicking heat forward.
• Only use the dishwasher or washing machine when it is full, or use an economy programme. However, modern A-rated appliances are now more efficient than cleaning by hand.
  

London is the fairest city of them all!

Today London will become the world's largest Fairtrade City. Almost 1,000 retailers and 600 catering outlets have signed up to stock fairtrade certified goods.

London is the 400th place in Britain to be awarded the status by the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Metro was happy to report that Boris Johnson said it was 'super news'.

It is great to know that people are sticking to their values despite talk of recession in the news. Sales of Fairtrade increased by 55% over the summer - word is obviously spreading about the message and the benefits these certifications offer to producers worldwide - and, of course, that it is often the highest quality product...

Having been a supporter of Fairtrade for years it is really exciting to see them becoming more the norm in households across the UK.

Dream Homes is back!

Oliver Heath's TV show Dream Homes is back by popular demand, and will be showing on the Discovery Channel.
Join Oliver as he travels across Britain meeting the people who are fulfilling their dream of building their own home.

Each week Oliver joins someone either building or renovating their own dream home, and inspires them with his design advice and by taking them to visit award winning architectural buildings or interior settings to encourage them in the dreams.

You can catch the show on Thursdays (9:00pm) on the Discovery Channel with repeats on Friday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 7:00pm.

Tonight's show:
Oliver meets Geoff and Sarah McCormack who are building their dream home in Maida Vale. Or, at least, Geoff’s dream home - Sarah is not so sure that she wants to sell their existing luxury flat. Recruiting architect Nicolas Boyarsky, they opt for a steel and glass house in contrast to the Victorian street alongside. But their new home is not to everyone’s taste.

Top spots for eco chic shopping

This week Oliver has been chatting to Kate Watson Smyth from the Independent, tipping her off to the best places to visit for renovating and decorating an eco chic home.

Retrouvius
"Lots of people already know this site, but it really is one of my favourites. You can find unique pieces, and buying old furniture really is green. It's good for a browse and for getting ideas."

Junkystyling
"I buy very little from clothes shops. Instead, I will pick up something from the market and take it to this place in the East End of London for alterations - they adapt it to fit with bits of other material or some tailoring. It combines recycling, vintage and style all in one."

Brighton Sunday Market
"I love going to markets to look for furniture. Get to know the markets where the dealers go, as that is probably where the good stuff is."
Brighton Station Car Park, Trafalgar Street

Earthborn Paints
"I feel very strongly about paints: most are full of toxins, and give off fumes. My range for Earthborn are breathable. They soak up the moisture from the air as well as having no toxins"

Squint
"Save all those little bits of material that aren't good for anything else and use them in patchwork to cover a sofa or chair. It encourages us to become less precious about our belongings."

Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project
"I live in Brighton and come here all the time. The great thing about it being local is that the chances are someone will have thrown away something similar to what you are looking for, so there is a good chance you will find a door from the right period, say, or a floorboard the same width as what you need to replace. It's also a bit like a museum – you can see what people think is junk."

Charnwood
"A lot of wood-burning stove designs are rather Victorian in style, but this English company has great contemporary designs. I can pick up wood to burn from the reclaimed yard, and it's much more energy efficient. With a conventional fire, about 80 per cent of the heat goes up the chimney; with the wood-burning stove that 80 per cent is pumped into the room. It also adds character and focus to a room."

Vaillant
"Having a 1960s house is great as there are cavity walls which we can insulate – harder with a Victorian property. We are putting in a new heating system and this company has a really good range of products, such as ground-source heat pumps and solar-heating systems: high quality, efficient and reliable."


You can visit Oliver's own online store offering eco homewares & gifts - http://www.ecocentric.co.uk/

Read the full article here

More energy saving ideas

Ok, so I promised you some more energy saving ideas following on from the tips from the Energy Saving Trust.

There are lots of simple ways to do save energy which don’t require such a big change or cash injection as a wind turbine or photo voltaics on the roof. Small changes around your home can make dramatic savings on your electricity bill, and help you to do your bit for the environment.


Installing an energy saving monitor will help you see where the biggest waste in your home is. It is really easy to put in and most have a seperate real time monitor so you can simply turn appliances on and off and immediately see the savings or wastage for each. There are a few out there, so have a look into which is best for you.



Did you know…when plugged in overnight, a charger keeps pumping your phone with energy, even when it is fully charged? Even when your phone isn’t attached, if it is plugged in, your charger uses electricity, increasing your bill prices by the minute!

The answer? Solar powered chargers. They use the power of the sun to charge your phone, saving you money off your electricity bills, and dont need bright sunshine, so work at any time of year. And you dont need to be near a plug to top up that battery. Which to get?

The Solio: James Bond gadget of the eco-world. This cool and brilliant solar powered charger uses three solar panels to harness the sun's natural energy. So versatile, the Solio universal charger can be used to power your i-pod, phone, digital camera, blackberry or other PDA's.


The Freeloader: A more compact version also comes with a wide range of phone and gadget tips, and at just £29.95 will make the ideas eco Christmas gift. The experts at SmartPlanet rated this top in their reviews of all the different solar chargers on the market.



We know to turn off lights as we leave a room, and to replace our standard bulbs with energy savers… but we can also go that step further, and reduce our carbon footprint even more by using LED lighting; with a lifespan over 50 times longer, using a fraction of the power of its energy hungry alternative, Light Emitting Diodes last up to 50,000 hours. This versatile technology can be used in all types of lighting from fairy lights to desk lamps.

Energy Saving Week

As if the incentive of saving money wasnt enough to have made us take notice before, the Energy Saving Trust have designated this week Energy Saving Week to encourage us to save energy for the health of the planet, and our wallets.

The aim of Energy Saving Week is simple: to help consumers learn how they can reduce their carbon footprint and show how significant savings can be made in money, energy and time by making a difference. The Energy Saving Trust understand that time and money is something most of us do not have an abundance of.

From 20th - 26th October there will be loads of events and information out there to remind us how easy it is to take small steps to massive effect - just think, if we all took just one of these small step, this would be multiplied thousands of times over to create a massive impact.

Energy Saving Week is the perfect opportunity to discover your Green/Life Balance. We're urging people to take time to make time to change their households' habits to help fight climate change. It doesn't take long to get things started...

Here are lots of things you can do in just ten minutes:

• Start eco-driving sometimes known as smarter driving: check your tyre pressure - under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.


• Call to your local water company to request a cistern displacement device, such as a 'hippo' water saver. Alternatively, fill a plastic bottle with water.


• Contact your bank to tell them you'd like to receive your statements online. Other service providers, such as BT, also offer paper-less billing schemes.


• Mend that dripping tap washer, it could stop up to 5,500 litres of water wastage and, if you're on a water meter, it could save you over £18 a year.


• If you're looking to replace a household gadget or appliance, compare thousands of products and find the best Energy Saving Recommended option.


• Do a free home energy check to see how much money you can save on your annual fuel bill it could be up to £270 a year.

Enough to be getting on with?
We'll pop back with some more ideas later on in the week incase you are sat twiddling your thumbs...

Design classic up for an award

We are very excited that Ovetto, our recycled recycling bin, is one of this year's contendors in this year's Cooper Hewitt Design Awards.

The competition gives people the chance to vote for their favourite example of good design.

We think Ovetto is not only a good design product. It's green, recycled, educational fun and practical.

At the same height as a 4 year old, it is the ideal little friend for a child with colourful doors and slots that beg to be pushed, pulled and played with.

So if you think the Ovetto is the best thing since Eero Saarinen (think Tulip chair) or Verner Panton, then go ahead and vote

It'll be a tight contest - check out who Ovetto is up against!

We'll let you know what happens when the results come out next Friday...