What do Jude Law, Colin Firth, Jo Wood & Emma Thompson have in common?

...They are all supporting World Fair Trade Day which is tomorrow - 9th May. Not only that but they have signed a limited edition butterfly top for People Tree in support of Fairtrade, as modelled by Jo Wood (left) - how many people can say they have Jude Law's signature across their chest?!

World Fair Trade Day is an international event when the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO, formerly IFAT) and its members promote global awareness of fair trade. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the 100% fair trade organisations and companies, and the gorgeous fashions and delicious and great quality foods that are available.

There are 100% Fairtrade breakfasts being held all over the UK aswell as in France, Norway, Poland and the United States.

Why not hold your own Fairtrade breakfast tomorrow - invite some friends round for fresh Fairtrade fruit shakes & hot-cross buns with dried fruit, and a cafetiere of delicious fairtrade coffee. Or if it is too late to organise, then just add a handful of Fairtrade dried fruit to your porridge or muesli.
Click here for some amazing recipe ideas from Tropical Wholefoods.

You could also use this as an opportunity to encourage your local European Parliamentary candidates to sign the Faritrade Foundation's pledge for fair trade, in advance of the European Elections on 4 June.

There is a great range of fair trade products at EcoCentric, from photo frames & albums to bedlinen - currently with 20% off.

Do you have a Green Office?

This week has been Green Office week, hoping to empower employees to be able to make a positive impact on the environment while in the office, and to unite offices up and down the UK in an effort to change the way we work.

Click here to see Oliver's top tips for an eco and stylish office.

Whilst it is an incentive to know the way we are working is not having a negative impact on the environment, I mostly am affected by the way a greener workplace is a happier one.

I love having plants around the place - makes it look nicer and plants in enclosed spaces can help absorb the nasty emissions from computers, moblie phones etc. The cactus next to my pen pot also is a deterrant to anyone who may be thinking about 'borrowing' a pen from my desk... You can get some great ones that can be grown in pockets - fresh strawberry anyone?

I cycle to work, meaning I arrive in a more positive frame of mind (no pushing and shoving on the tube!), am healthier and have already had some great exercise by 9am. You can get a bike tax free through the government initiative set up to encourage cycling - check it out here. Also, think about all the savings on tube/bus fares...


I once worked somewhere for 2 weeks (a temp thing) and in that short time I had revolutionised their non-existent recycling system... I'd like to do that 'one year on' thing where tv cameras go back to the room that was made-over to see if they kept any of it...

Perhaps the Ovetto recycling bin would have been good for them - a stylish visual reminder to recycle.

If you have any ideas for a green office, or leave us a comment...

Win tickets to the Eco Chic Wedding & Home Show plus a pampering session

With just under a week to go until the first ever Eco Chic Wedding & Home Show this Sunday 8 March the organisers have 25 pairs of free tickets to give away plus 3 free pamper treatments to be enjoyed on the day. Even if you don't win you can get 2 for 1 tickets by quoting ECWHS-EW09 when you book online or by phone.

To win the tickets visit the ethical weddings blog

Eco and ethical considerations are growing amongst couples getting married, but finding trusted suppliers of services and products for the big day is relatively difficult. I know when I got married in 2006 I spent a vast amount of time researching on the web and trying to make informed decisions - as if the planning wasn't stressful enough already! But it was important to us that our wedding, and setting up our new home, was as ethical and environmentally sound as possible.

We had our wedding list with EcoCentric, as well as with a few other eco companies. when we have guest round they love our dinner set and cant believe it's recycled glass!

The Eco Chic Wedding & Home Show takes place this Sunday (8 March) from 11am - 4pm at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This exclusive wedding and home event offers ideas for couples for green & ethical weddings and living. It will be the perfect opportunity to see, touch, taste and try before you buy all the essentials for your Big Day - check out dresses, occasionwear, accessories, photography, flowers, gifts, honeymoon destinations, venues, cakes and much much more.

Lighten up!

You may have seen in the news over the last few weeks that the standard lightbulb as we knew it is no longer being stocked in stores in the UK. Some people are in uproar that they are having to change to low-energy bulbs - as if they dont want to save money on their energy bills...

Oliver has a good point: "I've just changed all my bulbs to CFLs [compact fluorescent lamps] and saved around four-fifths on my electricity bill. It really is quite staggering that so many people are still using Edison's light bulb which was invented in 1879. It's 130 years later and people are still using the same technology – that just doesn't happen in other areas of our home and lives." Can you imagine still keeping a horse and trap when all your freinds are driving the Prius?

When designers were trying to persuade people to the benifits of the low-energy bulbs they came up with stylish and innovative shades that are specifically designed for use with these bulbs. Here are a few examples:

Felt
Made from 100% wool, felt is naturally fire retardent, so an ideal material for lighting design. It is moulded into shape when wet and bound together. It can be moulded into some interesting shaps, and can be cut into as it doesn't fray. The delight shade is a great example of this. However, intense heat can mean the shade loses its shape and can get scorched, so is designed to be used with the low-energy lightbulbs that give off a minimal amout of heat. Most of the energy of the edison bulb goes into heat it gives off - not hugely efficient...

Recycled plastic
Polyproplene is a great material, can be made from 100% recycled plastic and also be recycled at the end of its life - a closed loop system. It is also bendy so can be shaped into great forms for unusual shades. Again, intense heat can affect the shape and performance of the plastic so needs to be used with low energy bulbs.

Paper

Previously a faux-pas because of the fire risk, you can get gorgeous printed shades in recycled paper and card that work perfectly with the low-energy bulbs.

The bulbs themselves have come on in leaps and bounds since they were first developed and now come in stylish shapes to complement your lighting design as well as being available in warmer shades rather than the previous cool white. Try them and see...

And I haven't even touched on the possibiliies of LED lighting...more on that soon...

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!

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.

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

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

Our two-pence worth

The world of eco chic seems to be growing fast, as more designers and companies are adopting eco-friendly practices, and not just in the name of green washing.

A few of us from EcoCentric will be keeping you up to date with what's new and what's catching our eye in the eco world, from high design products to ideas you can try for yourself to enhance your eco chic home.

Obviously we can't tell you everything as we need some time to run the company, but we will get you the best bits to keep you positive and inspired.

Anything you think we've missed? let us know! Something you want us to offer on the website - ditto!

We hope you enjoy it...