Clever little Bag From Puma Could Lead To Industry Revolution

Puma has been on a mission to realise its PUMAVision. Creating "puma.safe", "puma.peace" and "puma.creative", Puma has been determined to become greener, more ethical, more environmentally and more people, friendly.

Puma's vision to give back to the Earth has been long-standing, since 1999 it has strived in creating a sustainable and responsible image. An integral part of the Puma Vision has been to reduce its "paw-print". As well as making Puma HQ carbon neutral and sourcing cotton from Africa, Puma has been concentrating on boxes. Following considerable research and exploration as to its packaging, Puma has come up with a very clever idea.

The concept centres around a "Clever little Bag". A bag so clever, in fact, that Puma claims it will "reduce water, energy and diesel consumption on the manufacturing level alone by more than 60% per year". Puma's Clever little Bag was a labour of love, taking twenty one months to develop and test.

Puma worked along side renowned industry designer Yves Behar to make a bag that does away with traditional cardboard shoe boxes and the need for carrier bags. The new bag is designed for both storage and transportation and can then be reused (and ultimately recycled) by the consumer. It is stylish and innovative and sure to shake up this packaging-centric industry. Its eco credentials have turned trainers and their associated packaging into eco gifts!



Of course, bags have always made great eco gifts and there are many fabulous designs from which to choose. Top of the eco gifts list you will find the Onya Shopper Bag. Fashioned from strong parachute material, the Onya Shopper Bag conveniently packs into a keyring sized pouch, thus ensuring that you will always have it with you.

Waste Not, Want Not: Government Set To Tackle £17bn Waste Mountain

Plans are being drawn up by the Government to tackle the estimated £17bn waste mountain that is discarded by Britain each year. Comprising a combination of food, drink and packaging, the impact upon the environment is believed to be substantial. It has been suggested that the Carbon Footprint generated from the 'waste mountain' is the equivalent to more than 12 million cars on the road per annum.

The Government recycling body, Wrap, is determined to reduce the volume of waste being sent to landfill by domestic consumers. In addition, a number of strategies are being drawn up to help manufacturers to do their bit - such as the re-usable fabric softer packaging pilot scheme by Asda.

Consumers can of course help by choosing products that employ less packaging, being more aware of use-by dates on food and generally taking a more eco-conscious approach to shopping.

So, do your bit by choosing products that are made from recycled materials, opting for eco gifts that are environmentally friendly and remember to take those reusable bags you received as eco gifts along with you when you go on a shopping trip!

Recycling Innovations: From Yoghurt Pot and Broken Bottle - To Stylish Kitchen Top

Sarah Lonsdale has recently written in the Telegraph about the virtues of using recycled material to create stylish kitchen worktops. Ms Lonsdale herself was surprised and impressed when presented with an attractive and durable kitchen worktop that was made from 'several thousand yoghurt pots".

Before you start imagining chopping your carrots with Muller Light labels staring up at you, be assured that modern innovative recycling techniques leave you with an outstanding finish that is easy on the eye and incredibly durable. Straight out of a showroom catalogue and good for the environment – are these worktops too good to be true? It would appear not. As the Telegraph writer boldly claims that the bountiful supply of material from which kitchen worktops can be made means that "it should be possible never to have to make another new material worktop ever again".

Yoghurt pots are not the only recycled material that can be used. With four hundred wine bottles you could get yourself a glass worktop, alternatively, reclaimed or recycled wood, other sorts of plastics and reclaimed slate and porcelain tiles can all be used to fabulous effect.

Of course any environmentally conscious shopper will know that all sorts of items can be crafted from recycled materials. Eco gifts are one area which has expanded in recent years, with all manner of interesting, fun and stylish eco gifts available.

Recycled glass can be crafted into wonderful eco gifts, such as wine glasses and goblets (rather aptly!). Understated clear or green goblets will make a fantastic addition to any dinner party, whereas glasses made from beer bottles, such as Grolsch, Corona and Sol, make perfect eco gifts for the fun loving environmentally aware party goer in your life!

Celebrities Recycle Clothing In Aid Of Eco-Conscious Shopping

The 'Mind' charity shop in Brighton has had a fashionable makeover thanks to donations of clothing by celebrities and students from the University of Creative Arts. In order to encourage a wider range of shoppers, the Brighton Mind shop has broadened its appeal to encourage eco-conscious fashionistas to try charity shop shopping.

Not only has the clothing range been overhauled, but the shop's interior has had a style makeover too, thanks to student designers from the University of Creative Arts. The design students have also created a range of clothing for the shop that have all been made using recycled materials.

Those hoping to purchase the celebrity threads as eco gifts for themselves or for their nearest and dearest, can enter a private bidding system. Celebrities who have donated items of clothing include Fern Britton, Norman Cook and Daisy Low.

Those eco-conscious shoppers who are not luck enough to live near the Mind shop in Brighton can get their hands on some fabulous eco gifts online. For example, the Naveh Milo bag range – a stylish collection of different sized bags, each one of which is constructed from natural and recycled materials.

A Dung-Ho Approach to Cutting Carbon Emissions

The Guardian reports that Paignton Zoo in Devon is planning on using elephant dung as part of its 10:10 campaign. Paignton, along with Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, has already started to cut carbon emissions by growing food on-site for animals and using a voltage optimisation unit to radically cut down on wasted electricity.

The government campaign to cut 10 per cent of the UK emissions during 2010 is in full swing and all around the country people, businesses and schools are joining in with initiatives to make this possible. Paignton Zoo plans to do its bit – and hopefully cut down on its energy bills – with the help of 'biogas' made from elephant dung and animal waste.

This is just one of the many environmentally sound uses for elephant dung. Not only can it be used to create energy by turning it into biogas but perhaps surprisingly, elephant dung can be used to create some pretty beautiful eco gifts.



Eco gifts that can be made from elephant dung include Elephant Dung Photo Albums, Elephant Dung Address Books, Elephant Dung Notecubes, Elephant Dung Photo Frames and even Elephant Dung Greeting Cards!

Supermarket Recycles Fabric For Fashion

The Guardian has reported that Tesco is to collaborate with From Somewhere, the environmentally ethically forward fashion label, to make six pieces for the Florence & Fred (F&F) line. Rather than send old Tesco stock to the landfill, the material from these 'end of line' pieces has been recycled to make six fashionable outfits, which will hit Tesco stores under the F&F brand.

Sir Terry Leahy's speech regarding Tesco's pledge towards reducing its carbon footprint by 50% by 2020 was sure to be at the forefront of Tesco's managerial minds as they embarked upon their new venture into the world of eco fashion. With prices for the Tesco recycled fashion pieces starting off at the low figure of sixteen pounds, consumers are sure to take a liking to this new direction too!

The pieces being produced for Tesco are very much influenced with 'From Somewhere's' own individual style and will appeal to the teenage to late twenties market. Orsola de Castro from 'From Somewhere' is pioneering in her 'up-cycling' stance and has been pushing her environmental ethos - succeeding in forcing not just supermarket giants but also London Fashion Week to take notice.

It is always good to see a big company taking a step in the right (eco) direction and where Tesco leads, others are sure to follow. Being eco friendly, stocking eco friendly goods, eco gifts and Fair Trade products are all steps towards reducing the harmful impact consumerism can have on the environment.

This latest move by Tesco further proves that fashionable products can look as good as you can feel about them. Take our range of eco gifts such as Naveh Milo handbags and purses for example: these eco gifts are produced to the highest standard, completely gorgeous and completely Fairtrade!

It Is Fairtrade Fortnight!

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 runs from 22nd February until 7th March 2010. Metro was amongst the many news providers reminding the public as to how they too can do their bit to support this Fairtrade event.

During Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Organisation is asking consumers to swap one item from their regular shopping list for an equivalent Fairtrade product. The idea behind this promotional fortnight is of course to draw attention to the plight of workers from developing countries.

Fairtrade Fortnight sees both national brands and local shops brimming with offers on Fairtrade products and eco gifts. Amongst the many Fairtrade products that you can swap are chocolate, coffee, tea (look out for the 'Swap Your Cuppa' Campaign'), cotton, nuts and cosmetics. You will find big guns such as Cadbury's, Boots and Tesco selling Fairtrade products in amongst their own lines.

As well as everyday items, you can also find a wide range of Fairtrade eco gifts which are suitable for all the family. Choose children's toys such as Fairy Magic Wishing Wands from Fairtrade producers in India, or Fairtrade Wooden Construction Trucks from Thailand. Other Fairtrade eco gifts include handmade Recycled Small Purses from Cambodia and Fairtrade Beaded Pens from Rajasthan.

Be A Real Life Barbie And Live in A (Recycled) Plastic House

The BBC news website has reported on a Swansea company called Affresol that is building homes from recycled plastic. Affresol, uses a patented low energy 'cold' process to combine minerals and recycled plastic to construct the houses which it estimates should have a life span of at least sixty years. The recycled plastic and minerals are used to construct Thermo Poly Rock (TPR) panels, which provide the basis for the houses. These TPR panels form a load bearing structure for the houses and, ever eco friendly, the TPR panels can even be recycled themselves!

The innovative recycled eco-friendly homes and portable buildings made by Affresol have been developed and backed by money from the Welsh Assembly Government. Leuan Wyn Jones, the Economy Minister has commented that the TPR's "new sustainable process" had exciting potential for green jobs and construction growth. A pilot project is in the pipelines and Ian McPherson, managing director of Affresol has stated that he has high hopes for TPR products in boosting the Welsh economy as well as having a global impact on the development of eco homes.

Whilst we all may have to wait a few more years to be real life Barbies and live in eco friendly plastic houses, there are several recycled plastic eco gifts around which can help us do our bit for the environment in the meantime. Eco gifts, such as beautiful and stylish Zipped Tote Bags which are made from recycled plastic and Woven Juice Carton bags are both environmentally friendly and also help contribute towards economic sustainability. The Woven Juice carton bags are a great example of eco gifts with a conscience. These eco gifts are made in the Philippines from juice cartons collected locally from schools and hospitals and the whole processes helps to create jobs for local people.

A Saving Worth Writing Home About

A journalist in the Telegraph has recently explained how she saved £528 on her energy bills simply by making her household more energy efficient. Kara Gammell used a variety of methods to cut her energy consumption and made significant financial savings as a result. Using money saving websites the Telegraph journalist was able to switch to cheaper energy providers – and even managed to get herself some freebies along the way!

She also made use of solar powered appliances and concentrated on draft proofing the rooms and windows throughout her house. Amongst the energy management equipment Kara Gammell used to save over five hundred pounds was one of our favourite eco gifts gadgets - The Ecobutton. The Ecobutton is one of the coolest eco gifts around – not only is it made from recycled plastic, but it can help you to reduce your carbon footprint and save money in the process.

Attach one of these eco gifts to your PC and press the Ecobutton to put your computer into energy saving mode – even if you are only on the phone or popping out for a tea break. You can instantly reactivate your computer by pressing any button and be immediately returned to whatever you were doing.

Take 'Note' – The Humble Notebook Is Back In Fashion

If you are old enough to remember the Filofax craze of the eighties, you might just look upon the new trend for notebooks with some fondness. Although the Filofax has been pretty much superseded by hand-held electronic devices, there is still a need to take notes, write reminders, shopping lists and even keep a diary (amazingly not everyone Tweets or blogs).

Cat Davison from the Guardian, recently ran an article entitled "How to make Notebook" - which of course was environmental in nature and would make for fabulous eco gifts. The article included saving bits of old paper and - with the use of a crash course in book binding - knocking up your very own hand made recycled note book. Now, whilst it is extremely admirable that people have the resources, time and skill to produce such a beautiful thing as a hand made note book, this will not be everybody's cup of tea. Bookbinding is called a skill for a reason and not everyone can, or wants to, sew.

So, what are the alternatives if you would just love to get your hands on a eco friendly notebook, but would rather pay for one that do it yourself? Well, there are some simply charming eco friendly notebooks knocking about that are made from all sorts of recycled material. Items that would make perfect eco gifts – either for yourself or a loved one or friend – include Recycled Plastic Bag Notebooks, Leather Notepads with cotton paper and Sari Journals. Tech lovers and men are also catered for with these stylish eco gifts in the guise of Recycled Circuit Board Notebooks – which make highly unusual but 'stand out from the crowd' eco gifts.

Elephant Dung Artist To Make A Million Pounds.

This Is London was amongst the first to break the news that artist Chris Ofili is close to selling some of his work for more than a million pounds. The Turner Prize winning artist, whose work is currently on show at Tate Britain, has already sold a piece at auction for £802,250. An expert from Sotherbys has confirmed that work by Chris Ofili will soon be fetching over one million pounds a piece as demand for his work grows.

Chris Ofili, who became renowned in the Nineties for his artistic creations which used glitter and elephant dung, has always courted controversy and sparked heated discussions surrounding his work.

If Mr Ofili's use of elephant dung inspires you, then you may be interested in some eco gifts that are creative, environmentally friendly and even support sick and disabled elephants. As far as eco gifts go, Elephant Dung Photo Frames are pretty unique. Thankfully, as these are commissioned by the Sri Lankan elephant charity, Maximus Conservation Trust and not Mr Ofili, they will not break the bank!

With a starting price of just £5.99 Elephant Dung Photos Frames prove that eco gifts can be both environmentally and budget friendly!

The Met Office Has A Chilly Prediction For February Half Term

The Met Office has today issued cold weather and snow warnings just in time for the February Half Term school holidays next week. It has been estimated that some regions of the UK could experience up to six inches of snow and a return to freezing temperatures. If the thought of being stuck inside with the kids for a week sends a chill down your spine – then it is time to come up with a crafty plan!

Why not take a fierce approach to the frosty weather and buy your children some eco gifts that will provide them with something to keep them occupied for a few hours – and more importantly ensure you get to keep your sanity over the next week (or at least until they are tucked up in bed and you can relax with a nice warming drink).

Eco gifts such as HappyMais – a versatile environmentally friendly toy formed from Mater-Bi, a natural GM-free corn starch material, that is brightly coloured and can stick to itself using just water to create crafty sensations; or Puppet Kits, which come in a variety of designs that will appeal to children - young and old – and get their creative juices flowing! Choose from ballerinas, award winning dinosaurs, groovy spacemen or fabulous fairy princesses! The Puppet Kit eco gifts are made from recycled materials – and can even be recycled again once the kids have finished with them.

If you don't believe that puppets or maize will appeal to your children, then perhaps eco gifts such as a Jewellery Making Kit or Wooden Construction Truck may be more suitable? Either way, your offspring should at least be coaxed away from the television and games console for a little while.

The Chilling Truth – Highest Ever Winter Energy Bills

Price comparison site, moneysupermarket.com, has just released new research that indicates that Brits are about to face their heftiest ever energy bills. We all know that the cost of gas and electricity went up and down quite a bit last year. The end result? Consumers are going to end up paying through the nose.

The startling research shows that average winter energy bills are expected to have almost doubled since 2003. Moneysupermarket.com explains that average bills have risen from just over £200 to in excess of £600. However, there are many things you can do to try to cut down on your bill. First, you should make sure you are on the best tariff your energy supplier has to offer - a quick telephone call or visit to their website is usually all it takes, whilst changing to a new tariff is often as simple as clicking a button.

Other ways in which you can help to cut down your bills include turning your thermostat down, changing to energy efficient light bulbs, draft proofing your house and taking showers instead of baths, with a range of eco gifts now available to aid in each of these areas.

A still smarter approach is to keep track of your energy consumption – and possibly shave 20% off your bill - is with the latest in eco gifts, the Efergy Elite Meter. This fabulous invention is portable, so you can monitor energy consumption in different rooms using this cleverest of eco gifts. It utilises sensor and transmitter technology, making it possible and track the information on the display screen from any room in the house.

The 'real time' energy reading you get allows you to monitor where your energy is being drained in your home. So, by using the latest in eco gifts this means that your next energy bill should be a whole lot lighter!

Putting Some Magic into Valentines Day With Eco Gifts

When not in her Hogwarts uniform, the magical Emma Watson (Hermione from Harry Potter) is usually seen looking glam and sophisticated wearing top-to-toe Chanel. However, this week it has been announced that Emma Watson has collaborated on, designed and modelled, a range of Fairtrade clothing.

Dubbed as "on trend with a conscience", the clothing range represented by Ms Watson is aimed at luring the "Primark generation" of teenagers towards a more ethical way of dressing.

Where celebrities lead – we all shall follow! Valentines day is the perfect time to purchase eco gifts that are fashion forward. Whilst the love of your life may not be the target market for "Hermione's" products, there are plenty of alternatives around.

Eco gifts such as Naveh Milo's gorgeous range of natural and part recycled bags and purses are the ideal purchase for a fashionable and environmentally conscious Valentines day gift.

If you are looking for eco gifts that are trendy and cool for the man in your life, then consider a recycled shower/wash bag. Funky and fashionable, you can celebrate Valentines day with a clear conscience – and perhaps a tidier bathroom!