There’s nothing like finding a hidden gem in an antique shop, charity shop or thrift fair. The thrill of finding a fashion or furniture piece that hold links to the past and its very own story is quite unlike any other shopping experience. However, with today’s fashion trends embracing and popularising the vintage look, these wonderful one-off pieces are sadly becoming hard to come by without the accompaniment of a sizeable price tag. That is, until Scaramanga…

Established in 2006 by Carl Morenikeji, Scaramanga offers a unique range of all things vintage; from fashion accessories and hand-made notebooks through to vintage and retro household furniture and accessories.

And better still, you can buy with a clear conscience, safe in the knowledge that Scaramanga takes great pride in trading fairly with all suppliers. The majority of suppliers are small-scale family run businesses who specialise in traditional artisan and craft based industries that use traditional materials, methods and skills. Additionally, the Scaramanga team always make regular trips to visit suppliers in order to maintain close, long-term relationships and to make sure ethical standards are being met.

Available both online and in store, you can find the popular range of vintage leather satchels and messenger bags which are made using traditional tanning processes, and the huge selection of restored old wooden chests and boxes. You will also find unique pieces of expertly crafted vintage and antique furniture including: chairs, cupboards, old cabinets and vintage mirrors; as well as vintage cushions, bedspreads, jewellery and the large range of more than 30 different hand-bound leather and silky sari journals, sketchbooks and photo albums.

www.scaramangashop.co.uk

Scaramanga is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Memorable events in Tanzania are celebrated with the printing of a new kanga, One such event was the election of Barack Obama celebrated with great pride in the whole of East Africa.  Moyo, a small business based in Tanzania have creatively used these kangas to produce these funky retro style aprons – we have a few yellow ones left and are waiting on a delivery of a few more orange.

To see the full range of Moyo Adult and kids aprons visit: www.kibibidesigns.co.uk/catagory_Aprons_20.html

Kibibi designs is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The 8th annual edition of The Good Shopping Guide reveals a huge disparity in corporate social responsibility standards in UK consumer goods companies. The research covers everything from banks to butter and uses several ethical criteria including armaments involvement, animal welfare, boycott calls, carbon emissions, child labour, corporate corruption, environmental impact, ethical accreditation, fair and un-fair trade, human rights abuse, nuclear power, political donations, pollution, rainforest timber and third world debt.
 
Headlines from the book are as follows:
The Good Shopping Guide’s top 50 ethical brands:
New Look Group Plc; Natural by Nature Oils; Good Energy Group Plc; Seasalt Ltd; Charity Bank; Brother UK Ltd; People Tree; Caurnie Soap Co; Medivac Healthcare Ltd (vacuum cleaners); Green Energy UK Plc; C Mobile Ltd; Woodex Ltd (Osmo eco paints); House of Goodness (Atmos boilers); Triodos Bank; Ecology BS; Honest Cosmetics; Green People Company (skincare); The Little Pet Food Company (Lily’s Kitchen); Monsoon Plc; Suma Wholefoods; The Village Bakery; Doves Farm; Redwood Wholefood Company (Vegi-Deli); Bio-D Co Ltd; Kingfisher plc (B&Q); Faith Products (Clear Spring); Casio Computer Co Ltd; Ecos Paints; GoinGreen (cars); Bskyb (Amstrad); Clipper Teas; Cafedirect; Essential Care; Aromatherapy Direct; Bodywise UK Ltd (Natracare); Hoover; Organico Realfoods Ltd; Food Brands Group; Equal Exchange (coffee); Cafédirect; Traidcraft Plc (chocolate); Highland Spring Ltd; McBride (Surcare washing up liquid); Premier Foods (Quorn & Cauldron foods); Hain Celestial Group (Linda McCartney); Rainbow Wholefood; Natural Organic Soap; Groupe SEB (kettles); Premier Foods Plc; Ecover.
 
The Good Shopping Guide’s least ethical brands:
Esso; Horlicks, General Electric; Altria Group (Chocolate Orange); Chevron Corporation (Texaco); Capital One Financial Corp; Bayer AG (Aspro Clear pain remedies); Schering-Plough (Coppertone sun protection); Glaxo Smith-Kline (Horlicks, Beechams, Day Nurse, Hedex, Ribena, Aquafresh) Procter & Gamble (Max Factor, Ariel, Bold, Daz, Fairy, Pampers)
 
The research shows the top 50 companies score between 86 and 100 and the worst performing companies between 5 and 28.  Household names such as Ritz and Horlicks score amongst the lowest, whilst cosmetic brands Boots No 7 scores over twice as well as Oil of Olay and Max Factor. Interestingly, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose are ethically more responsible than Budgens, Asda and Tesco, with the latter scoring only 38.  Household brands such as Ribena, Pampers, Tampax and Crest score at the bottom due to Proctor & Gamble’s low score of 29.
 
The Good Shopping Guide enables ethical shoppers to channel their spending power in the most effective way possible. Compiled from researching public records, campaign and government information, The Good Shopping Guide lists those companies that have a progressive attitude towards the environment, human rights and animal welfare, and penalises those that disregard or fail to uphold their social responsibilities. The eighth edition rates over 700 consumer brands in seven product sectors: Home & Office, Energy, Travel, Money, Food & Drink, Health & Beauty, Fashion. Please visit www.ethical-company-organisation.org for a sample PDF.
 
 
William Sankey
Director, The Ethical Company Organisation:
“As the world’s leading ethical shopping reference book, The Good Shopping Guide enables multitudes of consumers, trade buyers, NGOs, investors and government procurers to see clearly which companies and brands to support.”
 
Tony Juniper
“The biggest influence on companies comes from customers. The Good Shopping Guide provides everyone with the information they need to persuade powerful companies to behave more responsibly.”
 
Juliet Davenport
CEO, Good Energy Ltd
“The Good Shopping Guide provides the benchmark for consumers to be able to buy the best products from the best companies.”

Source: Ethical Company Organisation

Although the green agenda is at the forefront of political and social commentary at the moment, that does not necessarily mean that the average person understands how they can help the environment. Advertising, consumerism and capitalism are the basis of our thriving economy and as such, simply deciding that ‘being green’ comes down to halting consumerism is wildly optimistic if not completely unrealistic. Therefore, eco-shopping can be a good introduction to how to be eco-friendly whilst retaining the current mode of lifestyle that many consumers enjoy. 

One of the main problems with the green agenda, as I see it, is how depressing it can be! ‘Eco-warriors’ often put people off with their unrealistic expectations, therefore making it seem impossible that the average person can do anything to make a difference, bar giving up their home and setting up in a mud hut. Instead of looking at the green agenda as something requiring us to give up our way of life, we must try to find ways to incorporate green living into our every day lives. 

People need to believe the small differences can make a positive impact towards change. This feeling is never going to come about through the constant ‘apocalyptic’ language of the scientific and political fields and must be found somewhere else. Whilst it is entirely true that green wash holds problems for eco shopping, many eco retailers do an honest job of combining fairtrade, organic and natural produce that can replace some of the more harmful products that we use on a day to day basis. This is not buying more, it is replacing what we have (when it’s finished) with something more sustainable. Surely even if this is a small step, it is a step towards a better consumer attitude towards purchasing goods? 

One of the primary ways that can motivate people to purchase ‘green’ is by offering a cashback and carbon offset solution. Gaining a certain percentage on their purchases back makes it a reward for making a green decision and can have a positive impact on consumership. It is these small changes that can make a big difference to the way both companies and their clients advertise and sell their products. Rewarding people for shopping in an eco-friendly manner can increase sales (making profit for the green company) and increase awareness of the many great eco-friendly products that are out there. 

It is completely understandable that people are very cynical about green shopping as there has been so much press over ‘green wash’ and companies using global warming and climate change to advertise their products without any green credentials. However, this can be overcome simply with the knowledge of when to buy certain things. Replacing your goods with eco brands is something you should only do when your current product has run out. Replacing disposable plates with biodegradable ones has a positive effect on waste management and replacing your light bulbs with energy efficient ones can be good for the world as well as bringing down your electricity costs. This is why so many green sites combine their product sales with blogs and information on how to be an effective green consumer. If this informal education can give them a little bit of ‘food for thought’ about the impact their purchase is having on the environment then they may end up making consciously positive consumer decisions in the long run.

Consumerism is seeped into every part of our society, it helps our economy run smoothly and provides a large section of money for charity, non-profit and public services (such as the NHS and the Police). We shouldn’t be looking to stop advertising, to chastise people for buying necessities or living in homes without solar panels. We should be looking for ways to introduce positive change to the lives we already lead. We must look to educate and inform the public on their consumer choices and the effect these have on the overall ecology of the world. Eco-shopping is one route with which to introduce the green agenda to people without preaching. It gives people options, rather than criticising their decisions, which could put people off entirely.

MoreEco is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This won’t last forever so don’t hang around; with a massive range of products to choose from and free delivery free on orders over £50, why would you.

Sale ends midnight 23rd January 2010.

Orders placed between 24th December and 3rd January will be processed on the 4th January.

Buy online at www.ambanature.co.uk

amba nature is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Ethicalonestopshop.com was launched in August 2005 with the aim to make it as easy as possible for people to shop ethically. www.ethicalonestopshop.com

By joining this company, you will be  joining many big brand ethical names, including Ecover and Lavera. You can be a part of this business, all for FREE!!!

 NO JOINING FEE!

 NO HOSTING FEE!

NO ADVERTISING FEE!

How it works?

All you have to do it upload the product as a CSV file or you can add new products manually. We will then negotiate the commission together. When customer orders a product from the website, an email will be sent to you, you will then log in to secure the  website for payment and you will dispatch the product to the customer!

 To join follow this link  http://ethicalonestopshop.com/eoss/joinus/d/retailers+join+us/  

 ethicalonestopshop is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more