Show your love with ecotopia

Choose a valentines gift that will pamper your sweetheart without spoiling the planet with a whole range of ideas from www.ecotopia.co.uk. Choose one of these gifts and support an overseas project that helps disadvantaged people live and work sustainably in Asia and Africa.

Soapstone incense pebbles with inscribed words of love, hope and faith - 97p

These beautiful incense holders are hand carved from soapstone in Agra. This project supports 104 workers in 25 groups local to Agra, the traditional centre for soapstone and marble carving. In the shadow of the Taj Mahal each item is hand carved with incredible skill and patience. The project offers all artisans fair wages, a dust free environment in which to work, health insurance and life insurance. If the groups struggle with the cost of the raw materials, the project will give a helping hand, as well as offering design advice to sustain the work of each group. The project is actively involved in addressing the problem of child labour in the region and is a member of IFAT.

Red Apron with Hearts - £12.67

Made by a women's group in Mumbai, training and employing women with little education.100% organic cotton hand screen printed using vegetable inks.

Leather Heart Keyrings - £2.45

These are made from leather in a unit in the countryside near Kolkata. Their artisans are from nearby villages and are able to live at the centre during the week. The group provides them with meals made from organic food. All employees receive a provident fund, pension, medical insurance and a yearly bonus. This allows them to support their families and send their children to school. The group has established a charity, which provides; scholarships for widows and unemployed people living in Kamarhati, donates textbooks to students and has set up a centre for single mothers, widows and troubled wives.


Cotton Leather Notebooks – £4.88

These are made from handmade paper using recycled cotton rags. These are made in a rural place on the outskirts of Delhi. The company is a family firm and for many years was involved in the process of agricultural grain. When there was economic troubles for farming in India and the market for grain fell away, the boss of the unit decided to go to Jaipur and learn the craft of making paper from recycled cotton rags. He then returned to teach each and every one of his workers the new skills. This ensured their continued employment

Heart card holder - £7.78

These are made from iron and powder coated. The product is hand made at every stage. This group is a member of World Fair Trade Organisation; their staff receive health coverage, PPF and insurance. The group has built two schools and is working towards providing a water filter for all of its work units

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For more information please contact Sara Hobbin on 07885975671

Green New Year?

Wipe your bottom on newspaper and nine other great New Year resolutions

Ok, we are only joking about that one but here at http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/ we want to help you become greener in 2009! Check out our top ten New Year resolutions to help you conserve the planet and the cash in your wallet this New Year.
1. Cleaning without toxic chemicals is a wonderful way to turn your home into a healthy and healing place to be in the New Year. Unfortunately, over past decades the ever-expanding store of home cleaning products has included a number of dangerous weapons, loaded with strong, artificial colours and fragrances and harsh cleansing agents like bleach, ammonia, alcohol and more.. There are a great range of green cleaning product ranges such as Ecover, Clearspring and Bio D available from http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/ that are as effective as the traditional chemical laden products you find on supermarket shelves. And don’t forget multi buy and bulk options to save you even more money.
2. Try eco appliances around the home –as well as doing a great clean they can cut your energy bills. For instance, check out the new Ecolectric PerformAir 1000w Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner from http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/ for a spotless and healthy carpet. This bagless upright is light, easy to carry, gets into places you wouldn’t imagine and has a huge 4.2 litre capacity for less frequent emptying. As well as being packaged in recycled and 100% recyclable materials, it has an economical 1000w low energy motor leading to a 50% energy saving, helping to reduce your energy bills but without compromising on performance. It is a great vacuum cleaner!
3. Every household in Britain produces more than a ton of waste annually, almost 80 per cent of which is buried in landfill sites, polluting ground water and producing gases that contribute to climate change and global warming. You may already recycle the waste you produce, but what about not producing it in the first place? Try and buy in bulk! http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/ sells many products in bulk quantities to save you money and reduce packaging by refilling old containers.
4. Shun at least one non-green product all year. Make it something that you really like, but can live without it but would purchase if it were more eco-friendly. You can always write to the company that manufactures this product and tell them why you now choose not to buy it
5. Not so fantastic plastic! Stop drinking bottled water. Drinking tap water reduces your carbon footprint, landfill rubbish and saves you money. Need water for the gym – buy a reusable bottle!
6. The best resolution to make for the earth is to use the car less or get rid of it altogether. Walk, bike, use public transit or car share. The emissions and money saved will be immense!
7. Make one day a week a meat free day! Meat farming produces enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. Sticking to vegetables once a week would have more beneficial effects than reducing car journeys.
8. Grow your own to beat the credit crunch. Make sure the only crunch you feel is the bite of your home-grown vegetables next year with Ecotopia.co.uk’s range of grow your own seeds, tools and accompaniments . As well as tasting great, you could save money, get fit, do your bit for the environment and be super-trendy all at once.
9. To make it easy to switch off chargers and electronic equipment when you’re not using them, get a standby buster to switch off all your machines and equipment. It will help you save electricity and money! Check out ecotopia’s range of energy savers here.
10. Use energy saving lightbulbs

House & Home -Bulk Buying -Eco Cleaning --Laundry --General cleaning --Toilet & Bathroom cleaning --Dishwashing --Floors & Carpets --Cloths & Brushes --Professional Cleaning -Household Wares --Bags, Sacks & Bins --Accessories --Tissues & Towels --Kitchenware --Furniture --Recycled Glass --Air Freshners, Incense & Candles --Eco Tableware --Water Saving, Jugs & Filters -Books & Entertainment -Eco Gadgets --Torches --Chargers & Batteries --Toys & Gadgets --Clocks --Appliances --Radios & Media Players --Energy Saving -Clothing & Accessories --Bags & Accessories --Jewellery --Sports Equipment --Musical Instruments -Eco Office --Rulers, Pens & Pencils --Notepads, Paper & Organisers --Eco Computing --Eco Stationery --Envelopes & Packaging -Lighting --Decorative Lighting --Low Energy Bulbs -Eco Paint --Gloss Paint --Primer and Undercoat --Interior Wood Finish - Water --Woodstain & Exterior --Interior Wood Finish - Oil --Cleaning and Wax Care --Interior Wall Paint --Preparation and Tools Gardens & Wildlife -Wildlife Camera Systems -Composting -Outdoor Accessories & Kits -Trees, Plants & Seeds -Houses Nests & Habitats -Feeders & Tables -Tools -Outdoor Lighting -Rainwater Harvesting --Water Butt Kits --Water Butt Accessories --Water Butts Parent & Child -Nappies & Accessories -Eco Toys & Games --Other Toys --Eco Wooden Toys --Creative Toys -Child & Baby Clothes -Wipes, Creams & Soaps -Maternity Bodycare -Cloths & Brushes -Soaps & Shower Gel -Skin Care --Sun Care & Tanning --Moisturisers --Lip Care --Wipes, Scrubs & Lotions --Eye Care --Foot Care --Hand Care -Cotton Wool & Tissues -Hair Care -Dental Care -Feminine Care -Wellbeing -Fragrances & Deodorants -Cosmetics -Shaving Natural Food & Drink -Snacks & Confectionery --Chocolate --Biscuits --Crackers & Crispbread --Crisps --Snack Bars --Sweets -Groceries --Baby & Infant Foods --Beans & Pulses (Cans) --Beans & Pulses (Dry) --Breads --Vegetarian Roasts & Mixes --Vegetables (Cans, Jars, Dried) --Breakfast Cereals --Desserts --Flours & Bread Mixes --Fruit (Cans, Jars, Dried) --Fruit Spreads & Jams --Grains --Sauces, Pestos & Stock --Herbs & Spices --Honey --Condiments --Nuts & Seeds --Oils & Vinegars --Olives --Pasta --Ready Meals --Savoury Spreads --Soups --Sugars & Syrups -World Foods --Chinese Food --Indian Food --Japanese Food --Mexican Food --Thai Food -Non-alcoholic Drinks --Coffee --Coffee Substitutes --Fruit & Vegetable Juices --Fruit Juice Concs & Cordials --Herb & Fruit Teas --Fizzy Soft Drinks --Non Dairy Milk --Teas --Cocoa Eco Gift Guide -For Him -For Her -For Kids -For Little People -For Gardeners