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!