Posts by wendy

Green news we loved: In case you missed them first time around, here’s our September round up of the most talked about, most innovative solutions or simply the most spectacular green news to hit the headlines.

Read the rest of Green News Roundup September 2008 »

As part of our Organic Fortnight Special (6-21 September), Sophie Grigson talks to Ethical Superstore about her solution to cooking organically in times of the credit-crunch, why she loves Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and her long-term devotion to organics.

Ethical Superstore: What first switched you on to organic food?
Sophie Grigson: I’ve always had an interest in organic farming systems but it became more relevant when I had children. You have a huge responsibility to do the best and it made sense to give my children food that was as pure and untainted by chemicals as possible. But as I got to know more, the biggest motivation became protecting our countryside – my children don’t see the diversity of birds and flowers that I saw as a child – and conserving our global environment.

Read the rest of Ethical Superstore meets Sophie Grigson »

To big up this year’s Organic Fortnight (6-21 September), Director of the Soil Association, Patrick Holden, talks to Ethical Superstore about Prince Charles, “the Lidl effect” and whether Britain can go ‘organic only’.

Prince Charles recently spoke out about GMOs – is he a good ambassador for the organic movement?
Patrick Holden: All over the world he is regarded as a global leader for sustainable agriculture. He is deeply committed to do everything he can to support a different approach to the current system – one that uses huge amounts of fossil fuels and quite simply won’t work in 10 or 20 years time. He is aware of that and I think he shows great courage in speaking up about issues such as GMOs, at the risk of controversy and I admire him for that. So yes, I think he is a great ambassador for the movement and long may it remain so.

Read the rest of Organic Fortnight with Patrick Holden »

Ethical Superstore presents this exclusive book extract of the new, and hilarious true tale of one man’s journey from self-confessed planet-killing lad to eco-friendly, green-crusader There’s A Hippo In My Cistern. Caught between his conflicting London life of lads and lager and his developing relationship with a radical eco-babe, Pete May tells here of parties at George Monbiot’s in the embryonic days of the Oxford Green movement, as part of his slow conversion from bad football-crazy lad to good greenie a decade later.

In my new Oxford circles the guru of the Greens is George Monbiot. Everyone speaks about him in awed tones and refers to him as simply ‘George’. He’s a Fellow (is that the academic version of being a lad?) at the university and writes columns for the Guardian.

George is the most intellectual man I’ve ever met. His parents are rumoured to be keen Conservatives, but then so are mine. George is a radical with a great grasp of figures and an incisive mind, dedicated to fighting planetary pollution.

He isn’t exactly a football fan though. He says he went to an England game at Wembley once and it epitomised everything he disliked about xenophobia and nationalism. At one of the regular Green picnics we discuss TV. George says there’s so much he can do without watching TV. He could write a column every day there are so many issues to research. He claims that TV is like a boxed fire in the living room. Humans used to tell stories around the campfire but now that oral tradition has been lost.

Read the rest of Last minute summer eco reads »

Green news we loved: In case you missed it first time around, here’s our August round-up of the most talked about, most innovative solutions or simply the most awesome green news to hit the headlines.

One-third of China’s emissions come from exports
Often dubbed the country to overtake the US in carbon emissions, a new study revealed this month that China’s growing export market is responsible for one-third of their emissions – much of it from manufacturing ‘advanced’ electronics goods for developed countries. With International policy at the moment tending to penalise the country that produces rather than the one that consumes the goods ¬- such as US and Europe – we must ask, is it time for a policy change?

Ikea want cheap green tech
Ikea stated they are to invest in green technology in order to apply their familiar low-cost furniture approach to domestic power generation. They are said to be plummeting nearly £40 billion into technologies such as solar, water conservation, efficiency meters and alternative lighting, and are hoping to get products into stores in two to four years time. Will this be affordable green tech for the global masses? Let’s see. Keep an Allen key at the ready.

Read the rest of Green News Roundup August 2008 »

Ethical Superstore spoke with Garden Organic – the leading authority on organic gardening – to find out just what’s involved in owning your own wormery. If this is something you’ve considered, but not sure whether you want a colony of worms in your life, this expert advice on the fascinating composting critters could jumpstart your love for them.

Ethical Superstore: I’m thinking of getting a wormery – will worms recycle all my waste?
Garden Organic: Having your own wormery is perfect for composting kitchen waste, thereby reducing methane from landfill and simultaneously providing you with a rich compost – but don’t expect it to handle vast quantities of garden waste.

ES: How do the worms do it?
GO: Basically, they eat your organic waste, breaking it down in their stomach and produce worm casts – a very nutrient-rich compost. But you need a special species of worm, not any old garden worm can do this.

ES: How much kitchen waste can they eat?
GO: They can eat an incredible half a kilo of waste every 3 to 4 days in the summer.

Read the rest of Worms, eat my waste! »

As a nation we are getting better at recycling, but how do you feel about your waste going half way around the world to China or Hong Kong after you have done your bit? Do you consider this an environmental paradox or simply better than it ending up in landfill here in the UK? Ethical Superstore tracks the seemingly crazy global movement of our trash.

First, we pop out our rubbish for recycling. Over a third of UK waste is now recycled and when you consider it was a shockingly low 14 per cent two years ago, this is a big leap for a previously apathetic nation.

Then, it gets sorted. After collection it is taken to what is known as a Materials Recycling Facility and sorted either by hand or machine before being taken to manufactures who make it into shiny new products.

Most of our recycling stays within the UK. 82% of our glass waste currently stays here – the majority of it to make new glass bottles and jars – and 75% of aluminium is reprocessed here. 100% of our wood and all of our green waste, unsurprisingly perhaps, stays here too*.

But, some of it gets exported. Paper and plastic currently have the biggest demand for overseas export. Only 51 per cent of paper and 36 per cent of plastic was reprocessed in the UK in 2006*.

Read the rest of Where does all the recycling go? »

Holidays are here and it is time to kick back and start loving your work-free zone. Let us do the hard work before you go and sort out the hottest ethical buys to take along to make your holiday, well, a holiday. From ethical flip-flops to the new solar powered shaver – Ethical Superstore have everything under the sun. Summer is not complete without. . .

1 Beach fun: For the ultimate in cool, slip on these flip-flops made from recycled tyres (£22). With 48 million tyres being disposed of each year in the UK, new use for old rubber is the way to go. Or try a pair of FSC certified flip-flops (£22) made with rubber tapped from sustainable forest sources.

2 Game on: Jumpstart your beach holiday with a Fairtrade certified volley ball (£11.50) or football (£19.90). Over 150 million kids are involved in child labour worldwide – these balls raise the bar being 100% child labour-free.

3 Don’t burn: Skin experts recommend at least SPF15 – which blocks out 90% of UVB rays. If you want to avoid the harmful ingredients found in synthetic sun lotions and potions, try a product that contains titanium dioxide, such as Green People’s Edelweiss lotion with tan accelerator (SPF15, £15.99) or for fairer skins ‘No Scent’ lotion (SPF22, £15.99). For the children, antioxidant-rich lavender sun lotion (SPF25, £13.50) is hard to beat.

Read the rest of Top 10 Ethical Essentials for your Summer Holiday Escape »

Camping is cool again.

Whether you’re seeking simple pleasures in a farm field or wallowing under the splendour of a luxurious yurt, there is no doubt that camping offers some of the best low-impact and rewarding holiday experiences possible.

Here are our top 10 tips to make your camping as ethical as possible; from choosing your kit to deciding where to go:

1. The tent: It is possible to find an ethical tent amidst all the cheap throwaway polyester offerings. Cotton – making a revival – hemp and recycled polyester are eco favourites to pitch and available from eco tent specialist Green. Check out the Pyramid 4 tent, which comes with the option of bamboo poles and pegs (£189).

2. Sleep soundly: Cosy up snug under the stars in a bag made using the latest recycling technology. With insulation made from waste materials and the outer made from recycled plastic bottles, the EcoPro 40 is the only way to sleep (from £90).

3. Essential toolkit: Bag the basics before you go: must haves for any successful trip should include a wind up torch (from £4.95), an ambient wind up lantern (£24.99) and don’t leave home without your Storm Kettle allowing you to boil water virtually anywhere (£45.95).

4. Farm fun: Foodies will be happy pitching up on the farm as it comes with the added benefit of the farm shop. For some of the organic farms welcoming campers try Huntstile in Somerset, Trerieve in Cornwall – with fabulous sea views – or why not explore Bodmin Moor from South Penquite farm.  

5. Fancy a yurt: Luxurious yurts are available in some glorious settings. The Lake District has Mongolian splendour at Full Circle (£250 for a week). Or get yourself an acre of private meadow in Andalucia at the Hoopoe Yurt Hotel (from £95 for two), while Canvas Chic offers luxury above the Ardeche gorge in France from £255 for three nights.

6. Little luxuries: Those added extras can make the difference between feeling fresh or feeling frazzled. The solar powered shower is sure to revive (£8.99). Pack some baby wipes for those sticky moments (£2.75) and for those cooler evenings how about a little organic Scotch whisky (£18.99) to warm.

7. Camp cook: Simple pleasures of outdoor cooking are made more enjoyable with the right ingredients: organic cous cous (£1.49) is a camping winner – simply add boiling water. For a quick snack pack your Geobars (45p) and you can’t beat a late night nibble of chocolate after a day of fresh air.

8. Leave no trace: Stock up with biodegradable tent pegs (£1.99), compostable plates (£2.99) and eat with biodegradable cutlery (£3.99) to leave your camp as you found it. 

9. Get there: Whether a short hop around the UK or a longer trip around Europe, visit the www.seat61.com for hints and tips to help get you to your destination by train. There's a new book from The Man in Seat 61 out now, and available to buy from Ethical Superstore (£12.95).

10. Can’t live without them: If you need to stay in touch and can’t leave home without your gadgets, a wind up radio or media player will keep you entertained, and stay fully charged with a solar powered charger.

We spoke to this year’s winner of the Ethical Women in Business award and founder of Natracare, Susie Hewson, to answer all those questions you’ve always wanted to know about tampons but were too afraid to ask.

ES: Should we be concerned about wearing ‘normal’ tampons?
Susie Hewson: Conventional tampons are made from a blend of ingredients including bleached materials and synthetics like rayon and polypropylene. Some brands use lubricants and fragrances, which may contain parabens – linked to health problems – to preserve them.

ES: So rayon may be used in conventional tampons – what’s the problem?
SH: Rayon is so effective at absorbing it can absorb protective mucous from the vagina in addition to menstrual blood. Its fibres can get left inside the body and although manufacturers have tried to reduce this problem it involves applying a polypropylene over wrap – a synthetic material derived from crude oil. Independent research has been conducted into the issues of rayon and Toxic Shock Syndrome and findings indicate that 100% cotton tampons are a better option*.

ES: Surely, Toxic Shock Syndrome is a thing of the 1980s?
SH: The incidence is the same today as the 1980s according to the USA Centre for Disease Control where such cases are recorded. The difference is that women and medics are more aware of the symptoms today and recognise them earlier.

ES: And what about the bleaching process, is this hazardous?
SH: The chlorine bleaching of wood pulp – which is the raw material for rayon production (as well as sanitary pads, nappies and toilet paper) – releases dioxin which can remain in the tampon. Dioxin is a carcinogen that may accumulate and stay in the body.

ES: And the cotton itself – if it isn't organic will it contain harmful chemicals?
SH: Conventional cotton is the most heavily sprayed crop in the world and many of the pesticides are linked with health problems, including cancer and reproductive problems. There is a potential for pesticide and chemical residual to remain in tampons which it is better to avoid.

ES: If we want to buy organic, how can we be sure they are?
SH: Look for the logo of an accredited organic certification body, such as the Soil Association, then you can be sure that they are from 100% organic cotton.

ES: And the applicators we so often see washed up on the beach – is it possible to find biodegradable ones?
SH: Natracare applicators are made from totally chlorine free card, so they biodegrade. Plastic applicators pollute during manufacture and will stay in the environment unchanged forever. Every pack of conventional sanitary pads uses the equivalent crude oil plastic of four carrier bags. Natracare pads and liners are plastic free because we use plant starch barriers – they cost us more, but the earth a lot less.

* Dr. Phillip Tierno at New York University Medical School.

All of Natracare's tampons are 100% organic (certified by the Soil Association), with no bleaches, chemicals, pesticides, or other additives.

View the full range of Natracare Organic Tampons »

Are you concerned about conventional tampons? Want to share any experiences – good or bad – with fellow Ethical Superstore customers?

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