Shopping: interiors inspiration
Shopping: interiors inspiration
Duvets filled with recycled PET plastic, an eco laundry wash bag to stop synthetic fibres getting into the water system, wooden wall pots for keeping mini cacti on display and beautiful fair trade grass baskets from Senegal...there's much to whet the appetite of the discerning eco-minded shopper this month
Sleep sustainably with machine-washable Eco Duvets from The Fine Bedding Company are filled with micro fibres produced from recycled PET plastic bottles. From £45 for a single 4.5 tog duvet.
Vegans and allergy sufferers are eschewing feather-filled duvets in favour of synthetic microfibre ones. Well, if you want to feel virtuous about your microfibre, choose a product that's filled with fibres made from recycled PET plastic bottles. The Fine Bedding Company offers a new Eco collection and Habitat too has duvets filled with recycled PET fibres. Sustainable sleep or what...
Guppyfriend from BuyMeOnce.com
Microfibres, however, have been shown to shed while being machine washed, with fibres ending up in the sea and in our waterways, adding to plastic pollution which is harming sealife and our drinking water. So we're being urged to wash synthetics in ultra fine mesh bags that catch these tiny fibres, which we can then dispose of in the bin. Guppybag is a new polyamide and generously sized laundry bag - 50x70cm - and it costs £25 from BuyMeOnce.com. A recyclable product itself, it will also extend the life of your synthetic clothes and bedding.
Alex Nolte from Guppyfriend says we have to take plastic waste seriously: 'Tiny plastic pieces from our synthetic clothes are found in the ice of the Arctic and the remotest parts of the deep sea. The Guppyfriend washing bag is a first proven solution to prevent microplastics from entering rivers and oceans. However, it is a stopgap and there's much more industry and consumers need to do to keep harmful microplastics out of nature and our food chain.'
For top-end recyclable flooring, vinyl giant Amtico has launched its DecorMarble range for those who want the look of marble without the cost or problems of upkeep. DecorMarble is still, however, a fairly premium product at £165m2, but if you're doing the floor in a small bathroom or loo it shouldn't break the bank. Amtico vinyl is 100 per cent recyclable.
And for a suitably stylish laundry basket to enhance your beautiful bathroom, look at the Alibabas from Artisanne. This company has really done a lot to modernise the grass basket, working with women weavers in Senegal to produce contemporary designs with subtle colours and patterns. As well as laundry baskets, you'll find baskets suitable for storage everything from clothes, to books, to kids' toys.
June and July are popular months for weddings and if you're hosting any dos you might like to consider Bea Thackeray's very pretty re-useable - and recyclable - cardboard crackers. They're made in the UK and you can fill them with little gifts of your choice. When not in use you just press them flat and store in a drawer. You put in a new 'snap' each time you use them so you always get that satisfying sound. Keep This Cracker packs of three cost £9.75.
And if you love real flowers but hate it when they die, why not invest in some stems or arrangements from The Magic Flower Company? They've found a way to keep flowers looking fresh for up to a year by replacing their natural sap with a glycerine based mixture, while the colour of the petals is enhanced with organic dyes. Stems from around £7.
Gardens, gadgets and machines
If your garden patio is looking less than immaculate thanks to the dreaded black spot - and we're not talking Blind Pugh and Treasure Island here - then you might be interested in a new liquid from The Patio Black Spot Removal Company that claims to kill black spot from natural and synthetic stone (which is caused by lichen spores) using a formulation that is biodegradable, bleach-free and harmless to pets. (We have not yet tested the product but we will be doing so soon.) 4L container £69.60
Tumble dryers are considered bad news because of their gas guzzling ways. However, if you live somewhere where it's nigh on impossible to get clothes dry naturally - you might live in a tower block or on a remote wet island in the north Atlantic - then take note that Hoover has launched an integrated 7kg heat pump tumble dryer with an A+ energy rating and a price tag of £599.