Foraging for Christmas Decorations We all love to festoon our houses with festive decorations to get ourselves in the Christmas spirit, but the truth is that much of what is available in shops is not very eco-friendly. So why not consider foraging for Christmas decorations? Not only is it a more sustainable option, but it will also save you money at an already expensive time of year. To help you forage for your festive decorations this year, Burleigh Pottery is here to share the best natural materials to look out for, and explain what we can make with them too. The best seasonal materials and ..read more

Anti is a sustainable, cruelty-free, design firm in Kent that’s transforming discarded waste products into beautiful new things. It’s just released its first product line of lamps made from old umbrellas Anti is a waste transformation business in Kent that uses products that would typically end up in landfill as building blocks for beautiful new things. It’s shining a light on all things sustainability. Ever wondered what happens to all those cheap umbrellas sold for a fiver that barely see you through a sudden storm? It’s estimated that over one billion umbrellas are made each year, but mos ..read more

Sustainable fashion steals the show at Taipei Fashion Week with the launch of the debut Taipei Sustainable Collections event Sustainable fashion is the star of the show at the latest Taipei Fashion Week. Taipei Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2021 saw the launch of Taipei Sustainable Collections — Asia’s first one-day joint show centred on sustainability. The debut event — which took place in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park on March 11 —  highlighted Taiwan’s innovation in eco-friendly and sustainable textile and fabric development. New chapter The island country is already a pione ..read more

Jake Stones uncovers the hidden plastics in our everyday items There’s been a great change in the relationship between humans and plastic. We’ve realised it’s toxic, and we’ve made the conscious decision that we don’t want it in our lives any more. However, as with every break-up, it’s a process – we need to remove its impact and presence from our lives, piece by piece. I need to tell you something which may come as a shock – plastic has been hiding in a lot of unexpected, day-to-day items, unbeknownst to many of us. However, there are eye-opening and interesting alternatives to all of th ..read more

New eco-conscious online store, Janisa, is changing the way we shop Online eco-concept store Janisa (ja-nisa.com) wants to change the way we shop — for good. It brings together eco-responsible and ethical designer brands so that whatever you buy, whenever you buy, you’ll be supporting good companies, good causes and good people every step of the way. At the heart of it all is an underlying belief in our planet and its people. Through our everyday purchasing decisions, Janisa’s belief is that we can not only show our support for the environment, but also in improving the lives of the billion ..read more

Not sure whether you should be recycling certain items? Tara Bloom tells us why wish-cycling may be doing more harm than good Wish-cycling is a well-intentioned but harmful behaviour, which involves throwing questionable items into a recycling bin in the hope that they will be recycled. You may have wish-cycled if you’ve looked at an item and thought ‘This should be recyclable’ or ‘I’m not sure about this, but I don’t want it to go to landfill,’ and put it in the recycling bin with no further thought. However, wish-cycling can have a significant impact on our fragile recycling systems, and is ..read more

Saving money on food: Laura Gaga on making friends with your freezer I spent the night before my mum’s birthday hanging around the bakery aisle of a supermarket waiting for the final reductions to be brought out. When I’d entered the store, I’d seen that there was a large birthday cake reduced from £10 to £4.14 and two smaller ones which had come down from £6 to £4. All three were on their best before dates and one of the store assistants told me that they would be reduced further in around 20 minutes – I was not leaving that store until I had a birthday cake for my old dear. I went off to the ..read more

Sustainable Interiors: we find out why it's time to slow down with our furniture consumption. We're all familiar with sustainable fashion - the movement of buying ethically produced garments for their quality and longevity. And now this same ideology, that favours quality over quantity, has made its way into our homes. Sustainable interiors, as the name suggests, is a way of decorating your home with items that will last, whilst creating minimal impact on the planet. It opposes trend-led pieces that have been dubbed 'fast furnishings'. Elinor Pitt, interior designer and co-founder of Stitched ..read more

Sleep with a clear conscience – an eco-friendly bedroom isn’t too hard to achieve The bedroom is a comforting haven that many of us enjoy retreating to after a long, hard day. Keep yours both soothing and sustainable with these pieces of furniture, decor and bedding. Light up Scents have a fantastic ability to create a calming and warming atmosphere in the home, and your bedroom is no exception. However, instead of using aerosol room sprays which can emit toxic formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), opt for vegan-friendly candles as these will help you relax without any chem ..read more

Save energy when you work from home. Evelyn James presents seven easy eco-friendly tips for all you home workers out there Eco-Friendly Work from Home tips More and more people are ditching office life in favour of remote work. Working from home offers plenty of advantages, including greater freedom over your work schedule and no commuting costs. That said, it also means you are likely to use more energy, which is bad for the environment and your wallet! Luckily, there are plenty of ways to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your utility bills. Here are seven eco-friendly work fro ..read more