The team responsible for Eco Trend Spotter have three aims. These are to provide MoreEco members with;

• Information and reviews on the latest eco, organic, green products becoming available at MoreEco Shops.


• Eco Shopping Buying Guides


• Latest Eco Fashion tips and ideas

If you have a great eco gadget, organic food, or ethical fashion item you wish the Eco Trend Spotter team to talk about, then please send an e-mail to ecoproductreview@moreeco.com or post the item to;

Eco Trend Spotter c/o Sorven Media Ltd

Farncombe House

Broadway Worcs

WR12 7LJ

All product reviews will have;

• A listing on the Eco Trend Spotter and on www.ecotrendspotter.co.uk


• A listing on MoreEco home page


• A dedicated product landing page created detailing which MoreEco shops sell the item. (example)


• A feature on the MoreEco Newsletter

At The Lucy Rose Organic Beauty Boutique

Vegans can celebrate World Vegan Day on the 1 November 2009 with a free vegan-friendly travel hand cream and an exclusive 10% discount off the beautiful collection of natural and organic cosmetic products at The Lucy Rose Organic Beauty Boutique, http://www.lucyrose.biz/.  The boutique has a new section dedicated to the vegan lifestyle, where you can rest assured that any of the gorgeous ranges and respected brand names on sale have been either accredited by The Vegan Society, or are vegan-friendly and totally natural and organic.

This sophisticated new on-line organic beauty boutique houses a desirable selection of the best organic skincare and cosmetic products so that you can be confident of glowing, healthy skin which is not troubled by any chemical nasties.  At the same time, the vegan section will guarantee that the products, or their ingredients, have not at any stage been tested on animals.  

The new section is growing fast, but you can expect to find:

• THE PUREST SKIN CARE: The Natural Elements rangeis a professional certifiedorganic skin care range which is produced in the UKand is Vegan and Vegetarian Society approved. Thiscollection has unique products specifically fordry, oily or combination skin, as well as anti-ageing solutions and eye care. It is renowned for its effectivenessresulting in beingvoted ‘The World’s Most Natural Effective Skin Care’ by Today’s Therapist. The new 100% botanical range from Dr Wendy’s has been created by a vegan, for vegans, and uses the purest natural and organic ingredients sourced from the land that is 100% in touch with nature – New Zealand.


• FASHION FORWARD MAKEUP: Lavera Trend is a naturalvegan-friendly make uprange for all skin types, even those with sensitive or hyper-allergenic skin, which offers co-ordinated natural colours and an extensive suite of products. Inika mineral make up promises great application and a beautiful finish, and has a loyal following among vegans.


• THE BODY BEAUTIFUL:  Green People has an extensive range of natural and organic treatments for the whole body, which are Vegan Society, Soil Association and Organic Food Federation approved.   Or try the reinvigorating body collection from Essentially Yours which blends essential oils to create bathing and hair products which are set to stimulate all the senses.


• LET YOUR HAIR DOWN: You won’t have to with the extensive vegan-friendly  collection from Essentially Yours.


• NAIL IT: Spoil your hands with SpaRitual hand and nail care, and finish off with a formaldehyde-free polish from Zoya.

Lucy Rose provides an inspiring on-line experience for vegans who genuinely care about good quality natural ingredients, what they put on their bodies, where it comes from and how it has been produced.  Postage and packing is free on all UK orders received, regardless of the size, with most deliveries arriving within 1-2 days. 

To claim your exclusive World Vegan Day discount, use code VEGAN at the http://www.lucyrose.biz/ checkout.  Offer eligible until 30 November 2009.

EVOLVE – We have recently launched a brand new range of Eco Smart beauty products by Evole Beauty which are brand new to market this October and have had an excellent write up in a number of glossy magazines including Vogue.

The price start from £7.99 and products are based on organic superfoods including the goji berry and moringa!

BENTLEY ORGANIC – We have also just launched the long time popular, soil association certified range of baby and bodycare products fromBentley Organics which is already proving a hit.

Prices start from just £2.95!

SPECIAL OFFERS

4 for the price of 3 on Avalon Organics Lavender Skin care range (cheapest item free)

Details of the Avalon Organics 4 for 3 are here

The current 3 for 2 offer across the Organic Surge range is proving a massive hit but must finish next week. 

Details of the Organic Surge 3 for 2 offer are here

Postal Strikes & Shipping

With the impending postal strikes we have reduced our courier/Parcel Force rates to get as many orders shipped by Parcel Force as possible which are unaffected by the strike.

We have also reduced our free shipping threshold to £40 so all orders of £40 will ship free.  This will go back to £50 after the strike and back log is cleared so is a limited offer only. All orders of £40 will automatically ship by Parcel Force so will be unaffected by strike.

We have also increased our returns policy from 30 days to 60 days to maximise peace of mind in the run up to Christmas as people buy gifts.

EcoChic is a business built on ethical values. We are passionate about people and our planet and want to do our bit to eradicate exploitation and enviromental damage in the fashion industry and beyond. We live, breath and sleep sustainability and are eager to spread the word and warmth of ethical business.

We know that business does not have to be ruthless and benefit only the lucky few. We know there are many out there, who like us, prefer a business model that can be successful in creating social change as well as making profit. Yet, we also know there are many ethical business’s who at times, can struggle with the task of creating and promoting their identity.

Don’t get lost in the haystack! Each and everyone of us has such an individual and inspiring story to share and as a small business ourselves, we understand how challenging it can be to get your story to the right audience. That is why we have developed bite-size PR, an exciting new concept dreamed up especially for you. Be enabled; let EcoChic Magazine facilitate the growth and awareness of your brand.

Let us collaborate and achieve greater things together….

We’ll pick up your passion, perseverance and drive, put it in a pot and cook up a tasty feature that tells our readers who you are, what you do and why you do it. Then we’ll pop it in a compostable cup and e-courier it over to our lovely network of press contacts so they can get a flavour of what you’re about too! Or if you’re craving something a little different, how about a carefully crafted competition, an in-depth Q & A or a rundown of your star products?

Just tell us what you want and we will write it, leaving you more precious time to work with your suppliers and partners to develop great ethical products and services!

Each feature includes up to 500 words, two images, a web-link back to your site, at least a week on the EcoChic Magazine homepage and a permanent feature in one Section exclusive on EcoChic Magazine and the option of appearing on Ethical Weddings.com. (If relevant).

Articles will be written by either Katie Fewings, Writer & Director Ethical Weddings.com & Deborah Miarkowska, Editor & Founder of EcoChic Collection & Magazine and Kate Griffiths, EcoChic PR & Communications.

Learn more about the Magazine’s readership figures and current features to see what you could be part of.

This bite-size PR package is of course a bite-size price of just £175.00, so why wait? Let us start using our experience and knowledge to support and develop your communications.

Read more here.

Add your travel tip for the chance to win a signed print from award winning wildlife photographer Andy Rouse

Tourism Western Australia and responsibletravel.com are creating an insider’s guide to Western Australia (WA), including the best sustainable tours and places to stay and travel secrets from locals. As part of this we are searching for the best travel tips and photos from anyone who has travelled in Western Australia to be part of this online guide.

The best tip or photo will win a place in the guide and a signed print of their choice from world renowned wildlife photographer Andy Rouse, who had his first taste of Western Australia earlier this year. His tips on visiting Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef will also be part of the guide. The runner up will win a signed copy of Andy’s Living Landscapes book.

Western Australia might be Australia’s largest state, taking up almost a third of the country, but in many ways it is also the most undiscovered. Geographers are still mapping islands off the northwest coast; scientists are still discovering new species of flora and fauna and traditionally tourists headed east. This means its 12,500km of pearly-white coastline, rugged outback and lush forests teaming with rare wildlife are unspoilt and travellers can often experience the extraordinary scenery all to themselves.

The insider’s guide, which will launch on 9th November, highlights the best natural and cultural experiences in Western Australia, from camping in national parks and swimming with turtles at Ningaloo Reef to learning more about the aboriginal heritage which surrounds the ochre and black stripped domes of the Bungle Bungles. It goes beyond a normal guide with video and podcasts featuring insider tips from locals on where to go and what to do.

All accommodation and tours featured are selected on the basis of a rigourous responsible travel policy and ability to offer a distinctive travel experience that benefits the local community, while sustaining the area’s natural and cultural heritage.

Christie Lord, Tourism Western Australia’s UK Marketing Manager added: “Tourists increasingly want more authentic and locally distinctive holiday experiences. We want to bring together insider knowledge from locals with advice from other travellers to help tourists to discover Western Australia’s best experiences. Whether it’s the best snorkeling spot on Ningaloo Reef or an amazing local restaurant, it’s about having an unforgettable experience which also benefits local communities and supports conservation.”

To enter, got to the competition page on IKnowAGreatPlace.com, add your tips and insider knowledge or upload your favourite snaps. When choosing tags, make sure you include Western Australia competition under ‘Select activities’. If you are not already a member, registering is free and easy. Closing date for competition is midnight on Friday 5th November 2009. Entries will be judged on originality and insight.

http://www.iknowagreatplace.com/ offers:

• Forums – find answers to your questions from travellers and locals


• Tips – swap ideas on great places to visit and great things to see and do


• Photos – upload albums and inspire others with great images of your travels


• Diaries – record your travel tales and stay connected with family and friends whilst on the road


• Travel companions – meet people to travel with on your next adventure

Saturday 31st October, 2.00-3.00pm Levenshulme Library, Cromwell Grove, Levenshulme, Manchester

FANCY A NEW WARDROBE FOR FREE? Update your wardrobe and beat the credit crunch! Bring along three clean, unwanted items of clothing, shoes or accessories and take away as many items as you like from AfSL’s* first Levenshulme Swap Shop, absolutely free. A swap shop is a sustainable event which targets a consumer audience and is a simple way of reusing old clothes, which makes environmental and financial sense.

Clothes drop off 2.00-2.30pm, swapping begins 2.30-3.00pm, FREE if you have three items of clothing and £1 if you don’t. Donations also welcome.

This project aims to reach people in the Levenshulme area, through events which local residents can become involved in and through providing information on sustainable issues. This includes understanding sustainability and how to make it workable for the individual and the community. For sustainability to be appealing to all, it needs to be accessible. The aim is to provide this link so everyone in the area can join in the fun.  

The Swap Shop is a collaboration between Action for Sustainable Living and Manchester City Council, with funding from The Learning, Skills and Employment Network (LSEN).  

Action for Sustainable Living supports individuals and their communities to make a difference. We believe that small steps lead to big changes.

“New clothes are now so cheap that there’s a real culture of disposable fashion.  By swapping our unwanted items, we’re helping to keep fashion sustainable, and as individuals we can look after our environment by reducing the amount of unwanted clothes going to landfill”, says Wendy Allport, Local Project Manager for Levenshulme, AfSL.

We’ve just launched some new features on the Life² website, including ‘Good stuff’ – a free library of videos, downloads, links and other resources to help you live a happier, wiser and more fulfilled life!  Check it out now at www.lifesquared.org.uk.

We’ve also got a new FREE guide available for you to download.  ‘Where am I?’ explores our place in history to give us some much-needed perspective on our lives in the modern world.  Download it from www.lifesquared.org.uk.

INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN - A two-day course

These courses introduce the basics of Permaculture and show how this approach can be applied. These courses are run regularly.
12-13th December 2009 – NOW TAKING BOOKINGS

Habitat Aid is delighted to announce the launch of their historical herb collections:

• Plague Garden: The antidote to Christmas! A good start to a Physic Garden.


• Yeoman’s Garden: No peasant should be without one.


• Roman Garden: Beautiful bee friendly plants as recommended by Pliny and Virgil


• Maid Marian’s Garden: Delightful and unfashionable plants for the woodland edge.


• Dyer’s Garden: A traditional collection as attractive as it is efficacious.

Our suppliers, Arne Herbs, are leading experts in Medieval and early Renaissance gardens, and have advised on the plant selection of our lightly themed collections.

The collections’ historical context allows us to promote some unusual and half-forgotten herbs and native plants, and true species rather than less useful and less wildlife friendly modern cultivars.

The collections all include excellent nectar plants for bees and half of our profit on their sales goes either to the Apiculture Laboratory at Sussex University or the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The plants come in 1 litre pots and the collections are available in 10 and 20 plant sizes, retailing at £70 and £110 including VAT (where applicable), delivery by overnight courier and packing.

The final list of Greener Festival Award winners has been announced for 2009 with another twenty festivals picking up the prestigious gong, adding to the seventeen which were announced in July, midway through the Festival season in the UK.

The new awards go to festivals including Bestival, The City of London Festival, the Cambridge Folk Festival and The Croissant Neuf Summer Party. These Festivals join festivals such as Glastonbury, T-in-the-Park and The Isle of Wight festival who had already picked up the coveted award. The organisers of the Award, campaign and advice group AGreenerFestival.com said that they were particularly pleased with the number of outstanding festivals in 2009 with twelve festivals being awarded very high marks. The Award is based on a 56 part questionnaire which covers office management, greenhouse gas emissions, supporting green initiatives, travel and transport, waste and recycling, water management, environmental protection and noise reduction and almost all the festivals will receive a visit from an independent auditor to assess their green efforts.

All winning Festivals will receive a special trophy designed by competition winner Sade Goddard from Keswick School in Cumbria whose winning design features a Red Kite motif and is made from recycled plastic bottles, crushed CDs and remoulded Wellington boots.

The winner of the overall Greener Festival Award 2009 will be announced at the UK Festival Awards which will be held at the O2 Arena in London on November 19^th 2009.

AGreenerFestival co-founder Ben Challis said “We were worried that in a year when the recession bit hard we might see Festivals shying away from their ongoing commitment to green issues, but we have been generally pleased with the efforts of festivals around the world to keep sustainability high on their own agenda and to promote environmental awareness to fans. We had more ‘outstanding’ winners in 2009 and a 20% rise in applications from 2008, with more international applications than ever with fine winners from Australia, four from the USA and four from mainland Europe. But much remains to be done and in the UK, and a car centric society means that audience travel, and indeed leisure travel in general is a massive problem, clearly not helped by an obvious lack of coherent public transport policies.

The Greener Festival Awards are supported by Robertson Taylor, insurance brokers.