Browsing: Product news

Take a tropical island paradise, a flourishing cocoa producer and a group of people determined to improve the lives of others and you get Cafédirect’s empowering story of its involvement with the people of Saõ Tomé & Principe.

Read the rest of Saõ Tomé’s Story »

Winter weather causing you grief?  Do you have chapped hands and face from harsh winds and plummeting temperatures?

Fear not, natural and organic skincare company, Herbfarmacy will come to the rescue – with their luscious range of herb-based products, all homegrown here in the UK!

Read the rest of Herbfarmacy to the Rescue for Dry Winter Skin »

Now on 5 Cafédirect products!

Maybe it’s the essential cog in your morning routine. Or it’s that impromptu heart to heart forged from that timeless ice-breaker – “Anyone for tea?”. Or perhaps you just enjoy grinding your own beans at home on a sunday afternoon. Whatever the reason, everyone appreciates the perfect time for a good cuppa.

Read the rest of Five Stars for Cafédirect! »

However much we want to limit our electricity and water usage, an unavoidable household chore munches up both is doing the laundry. There’s not a great deal you can do to reduce this, especially if you live in a busy household!

Read the rest of Ecoballs – Eco-Friendly Laundry Explained »

The Dyson Air Multiplier

We are thrilled to introduce our latest gadget – the Dyson Air Multiplier!  Using cutting edge technology, the air-flow experts at Dyson have produced yet another iconic and innovative appliance, the fan without blades.  Set to trump all others in the desktop cooling field, the Air Multiplier creates a smooth, powerful airflow without the buffeting of conventional fans.

Read the rest of Introducing: The Dyson Air Multiplier »

We’re happy to announce…Our New Venture, the 365 Days Project!

Read the rest of The EthicalSuperstore 365 Project »

It hasn’t passed our notice here at EthicalSuperstore  that two of our most popular blog topics have been regarding the poignant question of ethical beauty products – skincare, hair care, make up and make up removers that don’t cost the earth are right up there at the top of many peoples’ priority lists.

Whether it’s a guilty secret or one of your greatest pleasures, everyone loves to pamper themselves every now and again. This might involve a quiet moment with a book or an indulgence in your favourite sweet treat rather than a face-mask or a luxury body scrub, but for myself personally, I enjoy nothing better after a hard day than enjoying a nice hot bubble bath, beautifully scented and wonderfully relaxing.

With so many different beauty and skincare products on the market it’s often hard to know which way to turn. We all know by now that we ought to avoid phalates, sodium lauryl sulphates and other nasties (worryingly still found in many mainstream brands of skincare and cosmetics), however where do you go from there? Do you buy natural products, or only opt for those with certifiably organic ingredients? Do you stick to vegan-friendly pampering, or is it more an issue of avoiding animal cruelty that is at the top of your list?

But there has been one glaring omission in the market which has puzzled me on several occasions. One type of pamper product that has been conspicuously absent from both specialist and supermarket shelves is Fairtrade Labelled skin treats – up until now.

We are delighted to be able to unleash Fairtrade Labelled Bubble & Balm onto our shelves today – this delightful new ethical skincare range has been developed in conjunction with the Fairtrade Foundation, and is set to transform my own pampering sessions, as well as do great things leading the march in the world of cosmetics.

Bubble & Balm looks great in its stylish silver pots and bottles, and each potion and lotion smells fabulous too. But much, much more than this, the message given by the Fairtrade Mark is that the producers working alongside Bubble & Balm are getting a great deal, which says a lot both about the company, and about the people who buy these products and support this Fairtrade cosmetic pioneering first.

Whether it’s Fairtrade Shea Butter sourced from a producer co-operative in Burkino Faso, or Fairtrade Cocoa Butter from a small-scale farmer co-operative in the Dominican Republic which tempts you first, these products give you the best of both worlds – these moisturisers, body oils and bath salts are naturally produced, using natural ingredients, and come with the world’s leading Fairtrade Certification too.

We’d love to know how you find Bubble & Balm, and what your take is on expanding the Fairtrade Labelling system to cover an ever-growing range of products. Will Fairtrade Labelling for skincare and pampering products change your priorities when you’re making your own purchases? I know it’s certainly something which will change my habits.

So next time you have a ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall…’ moment, take a moment to think about it…who IS the fairest of the all???

hip to be square

Huey Lewis is perhaps more famous for his contribution to the ‘Back to the Future’ soundtrack than as environmental spokesman. Even if his green activity is only the result of the way my brain links song titles and causes.  I’ll attempt to explain.

I’m regularly surprised by people’s appetite for avoiding personal responsibility. If that sounds harsh I apologise.  Please keep the emphasis on ‘surprise’.  Perhaps we all fall victim to the very seductive logic that any change we might make to our routine and consumption habits is so small that it can’t make a difference.  But today I’m feeling inspired.  Inspiration came in the form of laundry liquid.  Now I’m not usually in the habit of letting laundry products shape my thinking.  Nor was I transported to a higher mental plane by the feel of soft fabric on my skin or the inhalation of that fresh,just washed smell.  It was actually the new packaging which was responsible.

Usually I’m pretty sceptical about the whole packaging thing. (I still shudder thinking about the ‘turbo’ claims emblazoned on the box of the last vacuum cleaner I bought.)  But Ecover’s new packaging really got me thinking.

Read the rest of It’s hip to be square »

Sometime in late March 1999 Waitrose received its first delivery of Geobars and my favourite snackbar was born. Of course, I’m a little bit biased as I was part of the launch team that created the product while I was working for Traidcraft. It was also bit tricky to see it on the shelf as Traidcraft was in Gateshead and the nearest Waitrose back then was in Newark – 160 miles away.

The team at Traidcraft – myself, Joe Osman (now a director at Traidcraft) and Stuart Palmer (now managing a hospital in Malawi) – were given just 10 weeks to create a product, design and produce packaging and get it manufactured and delivered to Waitrose. The original favourite name was going to be “Zanzibar” – taking the best fair trade ingredients from Africa and making a classic snackbar product. However, the fairtrade honey from Tanzania had dried up at the time and so Chilean honey was used instead. Zanzibar no longer seemed appropriate and so the Geobar was born.

Apparently 90% of all product launches fail – so the fact it still graces the shelves of supermarkets up and down the land is testament to the great ingredients and tasty recipe. As well as being the first snackbar to carry the Fairtrade Mark, it was also the first Traidcraft product to carry the mark. Until that point

Read the rest of Traidcraft Geobar is 10 years old »

The latest line of products to enter our ever-expanding warehouse here at EthicalSuperstore is the great new Spring ‘09 range from the outdoor clothing and technical apparel manufacturer, Patagonia.

We’re excited to bring you this new product range, including hiking boots, men’s and women’s walking and outdoor equipment, and some fashion pieces.

Patagonia started life as a one-man mission to make and sell affordable and reliable climbing gear to like-minded people. Now, after over 30 years in business the folk at Patagonia still hold the same values dear; simplicity, utility, respect for nature, and a minimalist approach to life and work.

The range is not only functional and stylish though, it also boasts top-notch environmental credentials; Patagonia use recycled polyester in many of its clothes and only use organic cotton. You’ll find more information on individual garments’ materials and make-up on their product page.

Read the rest of Patagonia Hits The Shelves Of EthicalSuperstore.com »