A little recycling retail therapy
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I’ve been browsing the internet for recycling solutions and for goods made from recycled materials. The amount of products out there is amazing and choices are growing all the time.
I thought it might be fun to round up a few goodies from some popular online Eco stores. Not mentioning the ‘C’ word or anything, but wouldn’t it be great to either make or buy only presents from recycled materials this year? Maybe I’ll set up a challenge in October time for anyone who is interested.
Natural collection stock a wide variety of great products that are either recycled or will help you with your own recycling at home. Keep checking our site, as we have a great discount lined up with Natural Collection which you’ll be able to use on any products from their current collection in the not too distant future.
For the home office you can get all the stationary you could wish for. From recycled plastic biros, to paper, envelopes and even laptop bags made from 100% post consumer PET water and soda bottles everything you need is there.
You can stock up your kitchen supplies with recycled foil, bin bags, parchment paper and kitchen towel.
There’s recycled clothing too such as fleece garments made from recycled plastic, jewellery made from recycled glass and trainers from recycled t-shirts, ex-military jackets, jeans and rubber. Not to mention the funky recycled fire hose belts!
For the garden you can find heavy duty trugs, clothes pegs made from recycled polypropylene, gorgeous tin lanterns and recycled wool picnic rugs.
For gift wrapping, you can choose from a selection of recycled paper, tags and cards and why not ‘wrap’ your home too, with recycled newspaper loft insulation?
To help you with your own recycling, Natural Collection stock can crushers, food digesters, recycling bins, kitchen composters and wormeries made from recyled plastic.
Nigel’s Eco Store stocks several solutions to all your recycling storage. The Binvention holds 4 carrier bags to sort your rubbish in. You just hook them on Binvention and store your recycleable materials. This is perfect for small spaces.
The Home Recycling Unit is designed to help you separate glass, plastic, cans, paper, used batteries and inkjet cartridges
You can also get a copy of Friends of the Earth’s Don’t Throw It All Away book; a guide to reducing waste and one of my favourites, Reduse, Reuse, Recycle by Nicky Scott – a handy A – Z for all your recycling questions.
How about some recycled tomato juice carton coasters for a talking point when you next serve drinks? You can get a matching apron for all your creative fun in the kitchen.
For people with open fires, you can turn your newspapers into fuel with Nigel’s log maker.
To save money on batteries, why not opt for a water powered clock?
Eco balls save you using any detergent in your washing machine (which in turn, saves on packaging) and wind up torches mean you’ll never have to buy batteries again!
Ecoutlet stock a range of board game and playing cards which are printed on 100% recycled card. They also sell eco-friendly recycled cardboard toys for kids. Rockets, playhouses and teepees all arrive in plain card and can be painted or decorated by your children.
Ecoutlet also stock a great range of kids books. Printed on 100% recycled paper and using vegetable inks, Spud goes green saves the planet no matter what goes wrong! George saves the world by lunchtime by learning all about the 3 Rs. While ‘Why Should I Recycle?’, does exactly what it says on the tin!
One of my favourites is a great gift for your favourite beer drinker! It’s a recycled bottle opener made from second hand spoons. It’s so simple yet effective.
If you’re off on your travels then the Eco Travel and Bathroom Kit comprises of a toothbrush with 3 replacement heads, 1 bodyflik (which I am yet to be convinced about!) and a recycled toiletries bag.
For gardening, you can buy a colourful set of holders for your pot plants and herbs, handmade in the UK from recycled vegetable sacks.
At Ethical superstore they have yet more recycled stationary! Notebooks with plastic carrier bag covers, envelopes made from recycled maps, and a laptop bag made from old tyres.
They sell coasters made from old circuit boards and rather striking ones made from old carrier bags.
They have fair trade, recycled tissues (I’ve never seen recycled tissues before, only toilet roll and kitchen towel) that carry the message, ‘I’m blowing poverty away’
Ethical Superstore sell wash bags, tote bags, handbags and backpacks from various recycled materials in a range of designs. For men they stock recycled rice and fish bag wallets, recycled razors and recycled circuit board cuff links!
They have sets of recycled glass tumblers, along with jugs, bowls and vases and they even sell recycled fibre duvets and pillows.
Their range of Austin White recycling bins look like stainless steel and will bring style to your ‘rubbish’
Finally, for the person who has everything, Ethical Superstore stock the new range of Cyclotron guitars from Simon Lee. Instead of being made from endangered hardwoods, these guitars are made of recycled plastics. One of these will tickle your bank account for £815.00!
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Would you like a bag? When were you last offered a plastic disposable carrier bag?
I love that recycled spoon. I now want one! As for the recycled aluminium foil at the top of the post, I bought one recently whilst wearing my halo. One week later, my three year old got his hands on it and used it to recover his table, make a football and create a whole range of accessories that a little boy could ever want! I suppose at least it was recycled, but I’ve kept my foil under lock and key every since ;-D
Eco balls are fab, but still made from plastic in the first place – for a washing solution that grows on trees, have you tried soap nuts?
They grow on trees, can be used to clean anything (including children!) and then the used up shells go on the compost.
Oh and the spoon/bottle opener would work on those nice juices in glass bottles as well as beer! I think I want one….
Looks like the spoon bottle opener is a hit with you ladies. I must admit I thought it was great. Often the most simple ideas are the best 🙂
Sorry to hear your recycling attempts were foiled by your little one, Mrs A. 😉
The soapnuts are great aren’t they Sarah. I’ve not used them to their full potential, but I need to work with them a bit more and get used to them. I must admit that being lazy has sent me back to my Ecover powder, but I will get onto soapnuts again in the future.
You know the most annoying thing for me about them? It’s undoing the bag / sock at the end to get them out! In my pre zero waste life, I just ended up throwing the entire lot away – bag and all……….
There must be something straight forward that I am completely missing. (or maybe I’m too good at doing up knots)?
Mrs G x
The knots get tight when wet and they kind of set hard. I find it’s easier to open the bag as soon as possible while the cord is wet and the water eases it a bit.
Of curse you could always make the liquid solution and use that instead?
thanks Sarah – I’ll try it when the cord is still wet and see if that helps.
How do I make the liquid solution? Are the instructions on your site?
I’m wondering if that might be better anyway, as our water is very hard…….
Mrs G x
http://ethicstrading.com/soapnutinfo.pdf
Scroll down, it’s on page 2 – Soap Nut Juice.
Or there’s a blog entry too:
http://ethicstrading.com/blog/2008/06/15/soapnut-solution/
Would you like some soap nut shells to play with?
Good luck!
Brilliant – thank you so much, Sarah.
I do have some soap nut shells – do they have a ‘use by’ date on them or do they keep forever?
They’ve been open to the air for about a year now.
I’ll let you know how I get on!
Mrs G x
As far as I know they have no real shelf life – try one in some warm water and see if it gets soapy?
Let me know if you need a few.