Ethical Pulse RSS Feed
We have some beautiful wooden fairtrade childrens toys made in Sri Lanka on special offer. Find them at http://www.ethictrade.com/toys/games-playscenes.html
Ethictrade LLP is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more
Children get an exciting opportunity to learn from a new education game developed to inspire children to work with electronic circuits that could lead to a great new invention. Designed to work alongside the national curriculum Invention Stimulator does exactly what it says on the tin. Teachers love the hands on practical approach and have seen some brilliant projects in ICT, PSHE, science and D&T emerging from children in key stages 1 to 4; 7 to 16 years old.
Invention Stimulator is a practical educational game that uses CD software to allow children to drag and drop components to design electronic circuits. The World Bank award winning Their program is downloaded to the micro control unit provided that is then integrated with the various electronic circuits and actuators. A range of sensors, relays, motors is provided with the game which can be extended by adding additional items sold individually.
The components and control unit are completely reusable allowing the kit to used in multiple designs. The aim is to teach children about electrical circuits and the range of possibilities that this entails. Working with national curriculum it allows teachers to use the equipment as a primary and secondary teaching resource covering science, ICT, PSHE and design and technology lessons. The comprehensive lesson plans and worksheets are just the start. The number of project possibilities range into the 1000’s limited only by the children’s imagination.
Already there have been a few patents registered such as a soap dish dispenser that squirts soap when you put your hands underneath it, and a pet food bowl that ahs a opening a closing lid which opens when the pet approaches it and closes as it moves away. The best recommendation comes from the teachers using Invention Stimulator who have seen their classes engrossed for the duration of the lesson. And with seven levels of projects the versatility of this highly practical teaching resource is enormous.
Keen 2 Learn is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more
Launched five years ago the keen2learn online website offering learning resources and educational games and toys continues to grow. Originally aimed at teachers in early years learning in nurseries and primary school, the range has been extended to include secondary schools up to GCSE. Equally important, the site has become a firm favourite for discerning parents wanting access to the educational games used in school to allow them to give greater support in homework and exam revision to their children at home.
Recognising the interest in learning resources for use at home, Keen2learn have expanded the selection of educational games and toys. Alistair Owens MD at keen2learn explained. “Many manufactures promote their products as “educational” to improve the attraction to parents. But this can be far from the truth. The discerning voice of the teacher is the ideal judge. If the product is used in school it has been thoroughly proven. Parents using the same product at home can then reinforce the lesson and provide a huge potential boost to their child’s achievement back in class.”
Educational games covering early years learning have been extended. Counter Challenge is an example of a new online maths game. Interestingly many of the new products are now sourced from Germany, renown for decades for quality in toy design and manufacture. Alistair Owens explained “Many toys made in the Far East pose huge logistical problems. Delivery times are lengthy at 12 – 16 weeks whereas supply from Germany takes just 2 weeks. The quality and educational function is also far superior, but is it an indictment on our resources that products made the UK are very much in the minority”
To buy securely online using credit, debit card or PayPal – the range can be found at http://www.keen2learn.co.uk
Keen2learn, the well known on-line shop for educational games and teaching resources has expanded its popular range of educational toys. “Education has to be fun to compete for a child’s time” said Alistair Owens managing director at www.keen2learn.co.uk.
Although the market is awash with so called ‘educational toys’ Owens claims many have dubious educational value. “The term has been misapplied by marketing operations wanting to make their products sound more appealing to parents” he added.
The keen2learn team spent some time scouring the market to find a product range that provides practical interest, fun and learning. They found the ideal in the Kiditec construction range. “These toys have real educational merit and meet the keen2learn mission of ‘learning in disguise’ said Owens. Designed and manufactured in Switzerland, quality is a key feature and the range is set to sell well to discerning parents in the UK. The constructor kits are extremely sturdy and the large components make it easy for small children to assembly. The parts interconnect to form a variety of different animals, cars, aeroplanes and cranes depending on which kit is used. The robust design allows children to play safely and even ride on certain finished toys. Although full assembly instructions are provided and Mum and Dad can help, most children quickly learn how the models are assembled and make them into another animal, their imagination is all that is required. The parts are all interchangeable between the other kits, making the range a huge source of practical enjoyment.
Keen 2 Learn is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more
DOING IT FOR THE KIDS
Doing It For The Kids is an
exhibition of sustainable play design. The project explores play types, the
importance of play in child development, how toys help mould our kids’ values
and how they impact on the environment. The exhibition will present examples of
sustainable toys and other play resources that inspire designers, educators and
parents to be more critical and creative.
CONFIRMED EXHIBITION DATES
FINAL CALL FOR ENTRIES
We are currently seeking
entries from designers and toy companies with sustainable toy and play products
in development, about to be launched or already being marketed.
REQUIREMENTS
Please supply an image of the
design and up to 300 words on why it is sustainable, along with background on
the designer/company behind the product/idea (website/portfolio/brochure/
DEADLINE
Entries should be sent to [re]design
by 10 AUGUST 2009. Attachments must be under 10mb.
SELECTION CRITERIA
A diverse range of projects
will be selected to build a rich picture of the possibilities of positive,
greener play. We are looking for examples demonstrating relevance, good design,
positive play values, green materials, eco packaging, and lifecycle
consideration.
Appearing
this month on the shelves in WH Smith and Borders nationwide, new eco-living
directory BOOK OF GREEN is the most comprehensive guide for everybody to
genuinely and easily green their lifestyles.
With
the general public currently becoming more receptive to living a more
eco-friendly life, this completely free guide points the consumer in the right
direction – it includes hundreds of approved ethical providers in a wide range
of sectors including business services, health and beauty, home and garden,
green energy, travel, parenting and food & drink. All the companies
in the directory are in some way mostly or completely environmentally friendly,
sustainable, fair trade, organic, ethical and socially responsible.
Book
of Green is intended to show everybody how to easily reduce their carbon
footprint, live a healthy lifestyle and make a personal positive
impact on the environment by integrating truly ethical products and services
into their daily home and family lives.
With
an initial print run of 30,000, the guide comes in a handy A5 format and is
printed in vegetable inks on 100% recycled paper. An online flip magazine
version is also available at www.bookofgreen.com
Book of Green will be available in WH Smiths this July, attached to the
front of Permaculture Magazine as well as distributed across the UK in high
street eco stores, online eco stores, and at events during the summer as well
as at the Eden Project and the Kent Eco Village, the Kent Show by The
Ecologist, July 17-19.
Book
of Green is co-founded by Sue Jueno (founder of Allthingseco) and Katie Keegan
(founder of One Green Earth),
whose combined experience of 6 years in the eco/ethical business arena
has given them the experience, knowledge and contacts to create a guide for
green living which everybody can trust.
“Being
green is more than reducing the threat of climate change, it’s also about
ethical trading and personal health. The companies found within Book of
Green provide solutions across all sectors through their products &
services to help build a positive foundation for your family’s future
generations,” says Katie Keegan.
“With
credit crunch in mind and a passion for promoting green shoot businesses we
have made Book of Green extremely affordable to advertisers and free to the
public to show off exceptional companies that are solving environmental
problems and that will be leading us into the future,” says Sue Jueno.
We all
want and need to make changes to help protect our health and environment, but with
an ever increasing minefield of green and ethical claims out there, it can be
hard to know which brands we can really trust and those which will really make
a difference. Independent and respected awards and accreditations give an easy
way to weed out the true green brands.
The
organic and natural feminine hygiene brand, Natracare, has once again been
recognized for its ethical and environmental credentials having been given an
award from the Ethical Company Organisation, a fully independent endorsement
which outlines the ‘premier league’ of genuine corporate social
responsibility and ethical companies. During the analysis Natracare achieved an outstanding Ethical Accreditation
Index score, which places it at the top of the table for the Sanitary
Protection sector.
The
Natracare brand philosophy has always been to provide products that never
compromise health or the environment. Many brands of sanitary protection contain crude oil
plastics, synthetics, harsh chemicals and even dioxin residues, which can cause
intimate irritation for women and thousands of years of pollution for our
global environment. All Natracare tampons, pads, liners and wipes are 100%
chlorine-free, plastic-free and crude oil derivatives-free. In addition to the
new Ethical Award and a Women in Ethical Business award, Natracare is the first
feminine hygiene brand to have obtained an International Environmental Product Declaration (EPD[1]) a
scientifically validated, independently-assessed life cycle analysis which
determines the carbon footprint of the products as well as a Green
accreditation officiated by the Nordic
Ecolabel organisation. The
entire range has been awarded the LOHAS award
for its environmental and sustainable criteria. The comprehensive
Natracare range is designed so that certified organic 100% cotton is next to
your skin. The range includes Soil Association certified Organic 100% Cotton
tampons with and without applicators, organic and natural Ultra pads and Panty
Liners, Organic Cotton Intimate Wipes, Organic Cotton Baby Wipes, Nursing pads,
Maxi pads and Dry & Light Pads for sensitive bladders.
Tabitha Potts, a local home business owner, from London has entered The Remote Worker Awards, in association with BT Business, and hopes to achieve national recognition if she wins so she can inspire Mums to run their own business from home.
When Tabitha came across the Awards, she couldn’t resist the opportunity to win the fantastic line up of business support prizes for her home business, which sells eco-friendly children’s clothes, toys and furniture.
Tabitha and Mimimyne (Me Me Mine Ltd) now join the other entrants in a national search in The BT Home Business Award to find the most innovative business that demonstrates how remote working and home working has made a beneficial impact on their business and home life.
The BT Home Business Award appealed to Tabitha because it is
supported by so many sponsors and has been organized by a company
(Remote Employment) dealing specifically with home or remote workers.
Tabitha feels that the Awards will help to raise her profile to attract
potential customers as well as upgrade her small home office space to
work more efficiently.
Tabitha said: “I would also love to be
recognised as a Mum who runs an eco-friendly business from home because
I hope it will inspire other women like myself who are hoping to make a
living working from home, start a successful business and raise their
children without compromising their family life.”
Tabitha’s Home
Business considers the environment at every step and implements green
business practices wherever possible. She supports a local charity, the
Spitalfields City Farm, and run a community playgroup, Paintbox in
Stepney, which has recently been given a grant to build an organic
garden for inner city children to learn about planting and growing
vegetables.
Everything she sells is either made from renewable
resources (FSC certified paper, for example), recycled, certified
organic (all the cotton garments sold are organic and many use organic
printing inks and are printed in the UK), hand-made in the UK or Fair
Trade.
Tabitha seeks out independent UK designers, particularly
the vibrant creative community of the East End, who work in sustainable
ways to create exciting, modern and funky designs for children.
Examples are Sam Morgan of Spinifex, whose recycled cardboard Splat
chair (incorporating postal tubes) is going to be exhibited at the
V&A Museum of Childhood, and Kerri Sellens of Creative Charlie,
whose eco friendly kids craft kits are made in the UK of either
recycled or reusable materials.
Along with a trophy to honour
the home worker of the year, Tabitha stands the chance to win an array
of prizes to improve her ‘home business’ as well as the wonderful eco
garden office in the Vivid Green Award.
The big attraction for
Tabitha is the range of fantastic business support prizes on offer and
she can’t wait to get her hands on what she calls a ‘perfect package’
of IT, HR, PR, Legal and marketing advice.
Paula Wynne, founder
of Remote Employment, an online job site specialising in remote and
home working, and organise of The Remote Worker Awards, said, “We are
looking forward to changing lives when we give someone their own home
based franchise worth £15k, five others a business kit and three others
a brand new career with the Open University Skills Award! The Awards
comes at a time when the British public need uplifting. We want to
celebrate the inventive pioneers who champion home working and show the
UK why more enterprises should give it a go!”
There are other categories including The Remote Worker Award and The Remote Employer Award.
For your chance to win one of these fantastic awards, enter at www.remoteworkerawards.
We at Eco Print would like to introduce ourselves as new members of
Ethical Junction. We are a 100% environmentally friendly alternative to
traditional printing methods using only recycled paper and card. Our
energy efficient digital printer uses ink derived from organic, as
opposed to chemical polymers, and at the end of its use will be broken
down and recycled. Our litho printer uses a plate-making process that
is totally chemical free.
The Eco Print shop opened in October 2007 and was fitted out using wood from locally-managed woodland or woodland approved by the FSC! We believe ourselves to be truly friendly to the environment, ensuring that the phone company we use is the ‘greenest’ we can find, one that produces its own electricity and offsets its carbon footprint. We also bank ethically with the Co-Operative Bank.
As well as our quality ‘white’ recycled papers we offer an exciting range of recycled specialist papers and cards, including ones made from Rhino Poo, Elephant Poo, sourced from UK Safari Parks, Beer Barrel Dregs, Marshland, Straw, Hay, Grass, Shredded Banknotes, Coffee, Bananas and even Wild Seed Paper that when planted grows Wild Flowers or Lavender! We think these are great examples of how to use resources that are often just thrown away.
Our Eco Policy is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and this should not mean compromising on quality, or for that matter costing the earth! Eco Print handles all jobs, digital and litho, specializing in short and medium size print runs. We even have an experienced graphic designer on board if extra help is needed.
Like our printing process, every member of the Eco Print team is free from artificial colours and preservatives and happy to offer friendly helpful advice. We are an approachable, locally based company, big enough to cope but small enough to care.
For more info check out our stunning website - www.ecoprintUK.com – or call us on 01722 340350
Up To 50% Off