This year why not spoil your mum with a special ethical gift she won’t find on the high street. We have handpicked a selection of our top Mother’s Day gifts, all have a unique and interesting story.
For something sentimental…
For the house proud mum…
For a mum in need of pampering…
I love Ascension (previously Adili). However I very sadly read yesterday that the ethical clothing e-tailer was sold, for a mere £1!!
The store reports that sales were growing at 20% but sadly this was not inline with the growth of mounting bills… In February, Ascension was forced to suspend trading in its shares, “pending clarification of its financial position”.
The good news is the fantastic store has been bought by the successful entrepreneur Luke Heron, who I do hope will now take the company from strength to strength.
I thought their website was stylish, easy to use and they always had something lovely to choose from their ethical clothing range. I even just visited their great new store on St. Christopher’s Place in London. Although I did restrain from buying, I was very tempted to buy MORE than a few items…
I digress…
So what does this mean for ethical clothing? The Guardian states that the sale displays “the challenges facing the ethical clothing industry”. However, succesful and established designers such as Stella McCartney and Katherine Hamnett appear to counteract this statement. Both designers are often at the forefront of fashion, yet their ethical stance continues to be at the forefront of their business too. Perhaps then, it is the smaller, lesser known ethical brands which will struggle in the forthcoming years due to the recession and lack of experience and funding behind them (pre-recession). I certainly do hope that isn’t the case.
Being a small ethical business ourselves, I always grow nervous when I read about ‘bigger boys’ such as Ascension being forced to sell… However, we have made it this far through the recession and aim to grow again this year too so I think the saying has to be “keep calm and carry on”!
I am surprised to read a recent report claiming that eco ‘ biofuels have been found to be more harmful to the planet than fossil fuel. The Department of Transport aims to increase the level of biofuel in fuel sold across Britain however, a new Government study states this will result in millions of acres of forest being burned down and turned into plantations. This of course will have a drastic impact on the environment and will worryingly destroy acres of natural habitat.
The findings of the study showed that using palm oil instead of fossil fuel increase emissions by 31 per cent, failing to meet the European Commission standard of each litre of biofuel reducing emissions by 35 per cent. It is shocking to think that burning down a rainforest to build a biofuel plantation released carbon, stored in trees and earth, which can then take up to 840 years for a palm oil plantation to soak up!
A subject which is close to my heart is the destruction of rainforest in Sumatra , which has very sadly lead to the near extinction of the orang-utan in the area. After seeing many orang-utans in the wild in Borneo, it is distressing to think that this beautiful animal could be at even further risk. It was stated in the Daily Mail that “There is now four times as much land used for palm oil plantations as there is containing natural orang-utan rainforest habitat.” Around 127 million litres of palm oil (then added to fuel) was sold to British motorists just last year. If the Department of Transport continues to pursue aims for an increase in biofuel, it will be interesting to see how they react to these recent findings…
One of Biome Lifestyle’s most popular products is our lovely recycled wire heart and butterfly
photo holders.
The holders are made by hand by the artisans of Noah’s Ark in Moradabad, India. Noah’s Ark was founded in 1986 and was based on the principle of encouraging traditional crafts whilst also establishing honest relationships with artisans. Artisans would also be paid a fair wage for their work. Noah’s Ark is an excellent example of the ways in which fair trade can make a difference in the lives of individual artisans and their communities.
Noah’s Ark now exports all over the world and has gone from strength to strength since 1986. In 2000 Noah’s Handicrafts & Welfare Society was formed with the association of artisans to look into Artisan Welfare, Capacity Building, Children’s education, community and social work.
The growth of Noah’s Ark is thanks to the fantastic artisans who use their well-established skills to create beautiful and good quality products. The strong ethical ethos of Noah’s Ark also means that their artisans and surrounding community benefit from every order, which is why here at Biome Lifestyle we love re-ordering their goods time after time!
Enter this month’s prize draw to win a lovely handmade boat cushion.
The winner will be picked from a hat on March 1st, when the competition closes. All you need to do to enter is post your comment below in answer to the following question:
“What is at the top of your homeware shopping list for Spring 2010 and why?”
We have selected our favourite eco celebrities of the moment – those A-list stars who go the extra ‘eco mile’ to be more environmentally considerate. Here is our list below… Feel free to add your favourite eco celeb in the comments below!
- Cate Blanchett Cat
e really can do no wrong! Not only is she a beautiful and talented actress but she’s also an avid eco-campaigner. She has ‘greenovated’ her house with solar panels and tainwareter tanks in Sydney and also actively campaigns to raise climate change and global poverty awareness. She’s also heavily involved in the Australian Conservation Foundation’s (ACF) Who on Earth Cares campaign, in which she urges her home country to follow an eco-friendly lifestyle. ‘I believe we’re ready as a generation to seize this opportunity to make profound environmental changes for the better,’ she says.
-Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo is also one of Hollywood’s greenest actors. He established his own found
ation in 1998 (leonardodicaprio.org) to promote eco awareness, and was a key-player in the recent environmental documentary, The 11th Hour. DiCaprio continues to be a determined and vocal leader in social activism ‘Every time you put money down to pay for something, you’re advocating the way that company does business. If they have a terrible environmental practice, you’re then contributing to that in some way.’
- Stella McCartney
Being green runs in the McCartney family. Her mother, Linda, was a vocal environmental and animal rights campaigner from the early 1960’s, so social and eco activism is in her blood. She says: ‘I recycle, I use as many organic products as possible, and I drive a Lexus hybrid car and wash it the natural way – I wait until it rains!’. About her work fpr the fantastic self-named label she says: ‘I like to think I show alternatives – everything you see in my store is cruelty free. What we do influences people and, hopefully, that will lead to positive change. We try as much as we can. All UK operations are powered by Ecotricity, Stella McCartney Ltd is carbon neutral and, of course, we recycle. We also developed 100 per cent biodegradable bags, which are made of corn. Our new 20-piece organic capsule collection not only uses all organic fabrics, but is also ethical and sustainable. Trims and recycled fabrics from past seasons are used, and a low-impact process dyes garmets our classic colours – ecru, indigo, bark and berry.’
- Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah divides her time between California and Colorado, and in both places she lives “off the grid”, with her own sources of water and power. Her homes are powered by solar panels, her toilets are compost, her cars run on leftover grease from fast-food restaurants. She grows her own food and brings what she can’t eat to a farmers’ market; she keeps bees and makes honey, she knits, she sells teepees on her website. She gets excited about battery storage and new designs for low-profile wind turbines (”I’m a little bit of a nerd,” she admits). She wears recycled necklaces made of boiled-down shotgun casings. She has more than 20 animals – horses, alpacas, chickens, dogs, cows – all of which are rescues. Hannah, we salute you!
- Orlando Bloom
Early last year, Orlando Bloom travelled to Antarctica to see for himself the effects of global warming. ‘The icebergs are so majestic, but they felt like dinosaurs to me,’ he says, ‘like a dying breed.’ Bloom is also a founding member of Global Green (globalgreen.org), an organisation dedicated to tackling climate change, was so moved by his trip he decided to make his London home ‘all green’, including eco technology and solar panels. However, Bloom is aware that not everyone has the ability, like him, to make such a commitment and (a bit like Biome’s philosophy!) understands that some change is better than no change. He says: ‘If you can afford to drive an SUV, then maybe you can afford to make a donation to a wind farm or plant some trees. It’s all about balance.’
You’ll either love it or hate it… but the one thing you can say is it’s original!
This light has been made from paint cards which are brought out every season by manufacturers displaying the choice of paint colours. Architects and designers store them in bundles, but now thanks to the innovative Emocja Studio in Poland, this waste is now being put to good use!
Held together by plastic rivets, the light can be moulded into almost any shape you want, making it extremely unique and versatile.
I have to say, I am pretty fond of it and the love the fact it is so malleable. I wonder what other original eco designs there will be in 2010…
It’s our last day in the office today and I think we are now all in need of a break and a rest! We have had an extremely busy December; I don’t think our feet have touched the ground over the past few weeks!
I would like to say a huge thank you to all our loyal customers – we hope you and your recipients love your gifts!
Also a big thank you to the team at Biome - Hilary, Diane, Natasha, Debbie, Barry and of course Coco (!). You have all worked so hard which I am extremely grateful for. It really wouldn’t have been possible without you so I hope you have a lovely long break!
Wishing you all a peaceful, relaxing and very merry Christmas!
Alexandra x
We are delighted to announce the winner of our Ethical Tip is Gill Sutch!
We loved her tip below:
Give friends and family a unique gift, one that encompasses the true spirit of Christmas – the ‘gift of time’. You could even start a new Christmas tradition within your family, as this is something you can encourage others to join in with. Think of something you could do that involves sacrificing a little of your own time to help out a friend or family or as a way of spending more time with someone. Once you’ve thought of a suitable gesture, and it shouldn’t be anything lavish, expensive or hard to commit to – that’s not the point – write out your ‘gift of time’ (or pledge) on a card and give it as one of your gifts to that person. It needn’t be a weekly effort either, once a month is achievable. Whether it’s washing your dad’s car, babysitting for your auntie or playing a game of scrabble with your Gran, the important thing is, it’s from you and you’re gifting someone your own time. I really can’t think of a nicer Christmas present to give or receive!
Well done Gill. Your two stockings will be arriving today.
Merry Christmas!
For the countdown to Christmas find below 24 ethical tips and eco ideas to ensure you ‘offset’ your increase in consumption and do your bit during the festive season… please feel free to add your own ideas and tips in the comments below – we’ll offer a prize for the most eyecatching and relevant tip that we receive… The winner will receive two of our lovely Christmas Stockings!
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