As many of us start to turn our thoughts to the end of winter and that inevitable spring clean we thought it was time to give you a blooming great offer to help put a spring into your spring clean so we teamed up with Ecover to offer you a 3 for 2 on their great value 5L sizes – a cleaner clean has never been such great value.

Choose any three of the below products and you can get the cheapest absolutely free.

• Ecover 5L Shower Gel
• Ecover Non-Bio Laundry Liquid 5L
• Ecover Original Washing Powder 10kg
• Ecover Toilet Cleaner 5L
• Ecover Washing Up Liquid 5L
• Ecover All Purpose Cleaner 5L
• Ecover Delicate Laundry Liquid 5L
• Ecover Fabric Softener 5L
• Ecover Floor Cleaner 5L
• Ecover Hand Soap 5L

Click here to see details of the Ecover 3 for 2 offer

You can also until stocks last get 10% off Ecover Laundry Tablets

Offer ends on the 26^th March 2010.

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Ecovillage would like to help support fellow EJ members to promote their baby products at our Ecovillage at The Kent County Show, Maidstone, Kent from 16th-18th July 2010.

This year we will be expanding our baby changing & fed facility within the show and wanted to offer the opportunity for baby product supplies to showcase their products through samples available for mums and dads at the baby change & fed area.

The show runs over 3 days and based on last years figures expects to see around 90,000 visitors many of which are families with children.

If you are interested in providing free samples please email us at info@theecovillage.co.uk alternaltively send us any proposals, literature, queries etc to:

The EcoVillage, PO Box 293, Whitstable, Kent CT5 9AN.

For further information on The EcoVillage please visit www.theecovillage.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks.

The EcoVillage is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Eco Ezee have won the Gold Award for Best Decorative Product at the Totally Tools/DIY/Secure show.

Up against the likes of Dulux and LG Harris, Eco Ezee’s painters range which includes the Ezee Tray( biodegradable paint tray which saves time with no washing out) and professional paint brushes made from bamboo and recycled material won the Gold Award. The team of judges all specialising from different areas of the trades said the range, in particular the tray was “simple but effective”.

Please go to www.ecoezee.com to find out more about us and www.ecoezeeshop.com to purchase products.

Eco Ezee Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

By Hand, a fair trade store specialising in jewellery and eco-friendly bags from the island of Bali, has recently become a member of Ethical Junction.

The By Hand collection includes stunning sterling silver jewellery, earrings adorned with garnet, onyx, peridot, amethyst and moonstone gemstones, as well as a range of eco-friendly bags made from fast-growing, sustainable materials such as rattan, raffia and agel leaves.

As a company founded to prove that business can be ethical, By Hand is committed to fair trade and sustainable business practices. Furthermore, the By Hand customer service is second to none, with items packaged in beautiful presentation boxes and jute bags, and a full returns policy available on purchases from the store.

The By Hand January Sale means that you get a fantastic Flower Bracelet absolutely FREE when you buy one of four pairs of sterling silver earrings. Visit www.by-hand.co.uk today to make the most of this offer.

More information about By Hand can be found on the Ethical Junction website.

Make next year that year you make being green a habit and countdown to 2010 with the environment in mind. Check out our top ten New Year resolutions to help you conserve the planet and the cash in your wallet this New Year.

1. Cleaning without toxic chemicals is a wonderful way to turn your home into a healthy and healing place to be in the New Year. Unfortunately, over past decades the ever-expanding store of home cleaning products has included a number of dangerous weapons, loaded with strong, artificial colours and fragrances and harsh cleansing agents like bleach, ammonia, alcohol and more.

At MoreEco, they have a great range of eco shops that sell green cleaning products at great prices. There are a great range of green cleaning product ranges such as Ecover, Method and Bio D that are just as effective as the traditional chemical laden products you find on supermarket shelves. And don’t forget multi buy and bulk options to save you even more money.

2. Stop using the refrigerator that is ten years old and get an appliance recommended by the energy saving trust instead. You will drastically cut down your carbon emissions by doing so. Try eco appliances around the home –as well as doing a great clean they will cut your energy bills.

For instance, check out the new Ecolectric PerformAir 1000w Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner for a spotless and healthy carpet. As well as being packaged in recycled and 100% recyclable materials, it has an economical 1000w low energy motor leading to a 50% energy saving, helping to reduce your energy bills but without compromising on performance. It is a great vacuum cleaner! 

3. Every household in Britain produces more than a ton of waste annually, almost 80 per cent of which is buried in landfill sites, polluting ground water and producing gases that contribute to climate change and global warming. You may already recycle the waste you produce, but what about not producing it in the first place? Try and buy in bulk! These retailers sells many products in bulk quantities to save you money and reduce packaging by refilling old containers.

4. Shun at least one non-green product all year. Make it something that you really like, but can live without it but would purchase if it were more eco-friendly. You can always write to the company that manufactures this product and tell them why you now choose not to buy it

5. Not so fantastic plastic! Stop drinking bottled water. Drinking tap water reduces your carbon footprint, landfill rubbish and saves you money. Need water for the gym – buy a reusable bottle!

6. The best resolution to make for the earth is to use the car less or get rid of it altogether. Walk, bike, use public transit or car share. The emissions and money saved will be immense! The World Wildlife Fund advocates going car free one day each week.

Get out of your car and find an alternative way to work one day a week. 1 in every 2 of us drive to work each and every day. Think what would happen if we all left our cars at home just one day a week and walked, rode our bike, or took public transportation instead. We would have cleaner air to breathe, less traffic, and a smaller carbon footprint to boot.

7. Insulate your hot water cylinder. Water heating is the single biggest energy consumer in the average home. Cut your power bill and reduce the energy your household uses by investing in a wrap for your hot water cylinder.

8. Grow your own to beat the credit crunch. Make sure the only crunch you feel is the bite of your home-grown vegetables next year with a great range of grow your own seeds, tools and accompaniments . As well as tasting great, you could save money, get fit, do your bit for the environment and be super-trendy all at once.

9. To make it easy to switch off chargers and electronic equipment when you’re not using them, get a standby buster to switch off all your machines and equipment. It will help you save electricity and money! Check out our range of energy savers here.

10. Don’t make Earth Hour a once a year event – commit to switching off your appliances at the wall and turning out any unnecessary lights. Use energy saving light bulbs in every light 

MoreEco is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

We have teamed up with with those fighters against dirty at Method to offer 5 of their super speciality cleaning products for the price of 4.  

The perfect way to get the house spick and span again after all the festive mess.  Choose from Method Granite & Marble, Stainless Steel, Wood, Glass and Leather speciality products so get your home truly detoxed!

For details of the Method 5 for 4 special offer click here.

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

In the words of a grumpy old gent: “I do not believe it”.

Before I hit the streets fervently spreading the Wikaniko word in the new year, I felt I should be using (and hopefully loving) a fair few of the products.

One of the easiest eco-friendly products to “test” was the Wikaniko Deodorant Stone.  Also, one of the hardest.  To be honest, it took a wild leap of faith to go without my trusted anti-perspirant spray.

Here goes, human guinea pig, hubby scoffing quietly that it must be some kind of witchcraft (again).

Slightly surreal, rubbing a scentless stone in your arm pits.  (Yes, unlike the gentle ladies responsible for most of the anti-perspirant advertising on TV, I am happy to say “arm pits” rather than the relatively-newly-invented and somewhat feeble-sounding “under arms”).

The pure natural rock crystal eliminates odour-causing bacteria allowing perspiration without body odour.  It does not block pores. Its ‘active’ ingredients are simply natural mineral salts. There is no Aluminium Chlorohydrate which has been causally linked to breast cancer, it contains no parabens and has not been tested on animals.

And all that to one side, it works.  It. Works. A. Treat.

I’d be lying to say I wasn’t a little nervous leaving the house to do a mornings-worth of chores and a strenuous and energetic dog walk.  I resisted the urge to put the anti-perspirant in my bag in case I started to whiff.

But it didn’t actually cross my mind again until the following morning post-bath when I remembered that I was using it!

For those of enquiring mind (and occassional sloppy hygiene) like myself, it works (for me) for about 48 hours… OK, so I’m the only one prepared to admit to skipping my morning ablutions and spending a day doing housework in my PJs?  Never mind.

After 48 hours of no washing and no reapplication of said super environmentally friendly, skin friendly wonder stone, (and that’s 48 hours of running about and chasing a toddler and dog and doing endless tidying up etc) I still didn’t stink, I was just mildly aware of being slightly-less-than-fresh: my long-suffering Dad confirmed he couldn’t “smell me” when I wafted around under his nose (sorry Dad).  So no worse than skipping washing and conventional anti-persirant for a day or so.

And again, flying in the face of those doubters who say it costs the earth to save the earth, the Wikaniko Deodorant Stone costs rather a lot less than my previously-loved aerosol can of anti-perspirant and apparently lasts for months… kicking myself that my scepticism held me back for so long!

Thin people, stop reading now, the final paragraph will only distress you.

Post script for fat people: for those of us who have various crevices and creases around other parts of our bodies that could possibly also get a little hot and sticky, this product is an absolute must.  A quick whizz over with the natural deodorant stone and you’ll be confident that you are super-fresh wherever and whenever… you know what I mean, I shan’t spell it out.  All the skinny people will have read on, regardless of the warning, and are now feeling shocked and faint.

EcoLike.Me is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Gecco Interiors, a new online environmentally friendly interiors company has launched with a full collection of products for the home. In addition to being beautifully designed in mind, each of the products sold by Gecco also helps preserve the planet.

Founders Angie and James Kraft pride themselves on sourcing products
that are genuinely stylish but also environmentally friendly.
Passionate about green issues and sustainability in design, they have
sourced a range of home interiors products that all have green
credentials.

Each item sold online has been created by
entrepreneurs who have had the courage and vision to look at their
industry and to try to do things differently. This may come in the form
of taking timbers from derelict factories in India and turning them
into beautiful pieces of furniture, a four year long research project
into the use of stinging nettles in upholstery fabric, or it may even
be the massive financial investment in a purpose built factory in
Stoke-on-Trent, where broken ceramic pottery is crushed and turned into
new ceramic bathroom tiles.The team at Gecco Interiors sources only the
best products designed to appeal to stylish eco-conscious consumers.

The site is easily navigated and broken down into seven sections:

1. Furniture – beautifully handcrafted and made from reclaimed timber
2. Curtains and blinds – made to order and hand finished with exclusive soft organic bamboo lining
3. Floor coverings – made from recycled materials
4. Fabric – using leading edge, organic and sustainable textiles
5. Lighting – elegant collection of the most up-to-date energy efficient lighting
6. Wall coverings – FSC certified wallpapers with natural dyes and non-toxic paints
7. Accessories – perfect for adding the finishing touches to an eco-friendly design scheme

www.geccointeriors.co.uk

Birmingham City University
has received national recognition for going green.

The University has been
awarded the Bronze EcoCampus Award for its commitment to addressing
key issues of environmental sustainability.

EcoCampus is an Environmental
Management System specially designed for the Higher Education sector.
The University has implemented the system to enable
better management of environmental impacts and improving environmental
performance. There are four stages to the EcoCampus award: Bronze, Silver,
Gold and Platinum and the University will be striving to maintain commitment
from staff to achieve the silver award in 2010.

Rebecca Barnett, who
is the University’s newly-appointed Environmental Officer, said: “We are really pleased
to have been awarded the Bronze EcoCampus Award but we are now aiming
to achieve the Silver award. To do this we will be identifying our key
environmental impacts and setting challenging environmental objectives
and targets for the University. 

In a separate initiative,
the University has already signed up to the WRAP (Waste & Resources
Action Programme) Halving Waste to Landfill voluntary agreement in relation
to the construction of its new City Centre Campus. The WRAP agreement
commits the University to set targets to reduce the amount of construction,
demolition and excavation waste sent to landfill by 2012.