All we are saying is give Bees a chance!

Help fight the decline in the bee population with a range of habitats and homes from ecotopia.co.uk

While Albert Einstein did not say "if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left” there is a lot of truth in this comment. Here are Ecotopia we are seriously worried are the decline in the bee population and encouraging people this Christmas to consider that a bee is not just for summer, they are needed for life - Life of the ecosystem.

We are in serious trouble without our friends. Not only are they the only insects that produce food for humans in the form of honey, they pollinate more than 100 crops as well as 90 percent of all flowering plants. We couldn’t begin to duplicate the work accomplished by bees - every bee makes 10 or more flights per day and each flight lasts more than one hour, visiting between 50 to 100 flowers.

So what can we do to help the bee population survive the current climate? It isn't difficult to make your yard, garden or even patio space a haven for beneficial bees. You'll be helping these important insects, as well as bringing more nature to your backdoor.

We are now doing some great deals on bee habitats to encourage customers to support these beautiful creatures. Try our wooden Bumblebee Nester at £19.99 or the ceramic nester at £16.59. These nesters are ideal to attract bees to your garden. Check out our other bee homes like the solitary beehive at £19.53, the insect theatre at £29.31 or pollinating bee log at £14.67.

And don’t forget we have a whole host of Burt’s Bees’ Product for Bee lovers!

great offer on camera system kit

Save £115 on Ecotopia.co.uk's Wildlife and Underwater Camera system kit now just £164.95

Limited stock

http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/product/4/bb0538/wildlife-and-underwater-camera-system---was-27995.html

This is the latest and most comprehensive underwater wildlife watch kit. Being entirely self contained it is excellent for the travelling enthusiast whether on land or underwater in a lake, canal or river.

This amazing product can be taken anywhere, is battery powered and self contained.

Features: Aluminium case with rechargeable screen case for mobile viewing
Waterproof construction colour and black and white infrared wide angle camera unit
Adjustable weight for different camera angle
Can be used above ground for wildlife surveillance
Ideal for frogs, toads, newts, koi, fish and general pond life, also river or lakes and even the sea Aluminium carry case with rechargeable battery unit and integral rechargeable 7inch screen ideal educational use, wildlife, rivers, ponds, sea or lakes
The ultimate underwater investigation tool
Also great for boat owners wanting to check under their boats

Be safe this winter

Our adult and kids jackets are available in five fluorescent colours -pink, yellow, green, red and orange. These jackets are fluorescent for day and near dusk, and reflective for night. They come with the stencil design with just "1 less car".They have an internal pocket. They are machine washable. They are 100% polyester. They have Velcro front fastening and a hanging hook on the collar.They come with a wide EN1150 quality encapsulated colour, microprismatic reflective tape strip. We’ve chosen a size which seems to fit most people.£14.95 - £19.95

And for every jacket sold we give 50p to the Waltham Forest Bike Recycle Centre. They rescue and repair old bikes, so they go back into the community.

Green Xmas Guide

Yes it is nearly November and our thoughts turn our favourite time of the year - Christmas! Organise the perfect green Christmas this year and save money with our green guide, reduce your carbon footprint and have a more eco friendly and sustainable holiday season.

1. Serve local, healthy and seasonal December foods at your events and xmas parties. Choose vegetables that are in season and do not have to be flown in from abroad. Broccoli, cabbage and onions can all be grown without the aid of harsh chemicals so you can spend your organic pounds elsewhere. Buy loose vegetables rather than packaged from a farmers market. Click here for all foods that are in season.*** Ecotopia.co.uk have a great selection of Xmas fayre , food staples and world foods .

2. Decorating your house can be one of the most enjoyable parts of Xmas. Go for ethically made and traded decorations . Kids really enjoy making their own green decorations out of old scraps of material and leftovers. Try popcorn garlands – which are really fun and cheap to make and scour a woodland floor for fallen pinecones and twigs that are great for decorations!

3. E-mail party invites and Christmas cards rather than post them. There are loads of free Xmas themed party invite e-cards around or alternatively make your own out of scrap and recycled products. If you really want to send cards, choose charity ones or check out these really funky recycled ones . After the big day, make sure your Christmas cards don't go to waste – take them to a Woodland Trust recycling point.

4. Christmas heating and lighting bills can be huge! Save cash and protect the environment by using energy saving devices such as standby busters and radiator boosters . Don’t forget to turn off the tree lights or better still try these solar powered ones.

5. Use recycled paper, gift bags or even colorful cloth to wrap the Christmas presents and instead of tape, use colorful ribbon to tie up the gifts.

6. Make a green statement this Xmas! Send a message to the manufacturers of consumer goods by shopping for & buying only natural, non toxic, eco friendly, organic presents this year.7. Which makes a better tree? Artificial or a real tree? Simply real ones are as they are great for the environment and can be replanted after use. If replanting isn’t an option, most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes. Contact yours or go to http://www.letsrecycle.com. If you need to use an artificial one avoid those made in China or Tawian which have transport costs associated with them. They also can be made with nasty chemicals, metals and plastics which can emit into our homes. Adorn with fair trade and ethical traded decorations or again make your own. Ecotopia.co.uk has a selection of seasonal trees in stock which make great gifts.

8. How do we give children what they desire but without poisoning our planet? Take electronic toys for instance. There are 900 million batteries used each year in the UK alone and many are in toys. But only 2% of batteries are currently recycled - the rest end up in landfill sites and are poisoning our planet! So what do you do? Choose an eco toy . Green and eco-friendly toys shouldn’t cost the earth so choose from a great selection here that don’t require batteries. Alternatively go for rechargeable batteries which will save you pounds throughout the year.

9. Recycle your unwanted presents. Unfortunately everyone receives at least one unwanted gift at Christmas. Many recycle their unwanted presents to charities. Local hospitals and hospices are often very pleased to receive unwanted smellies to give to patients. Or you could try www.freecycle.org and swap them for other people's unwanted gifts.

10. Don’t go overboard - reduce, reuse and recycle!

*** December Food In SeasonVEGETABLES: Artichoke (Jerusalem) Brussels sprouts Broccoli (purple sprouting) Beetroot Cabbage (red) Celeriac Celery Carrots Cauliflower Chicory Chard Celeriac Cardoons Cabbages Endive Garlic Kale Kohlrabi Lamb’s Lettuce Leeks Onions Parsnips Potatoes Pumpkin Rocket Shallots Spinach Swede Turnips WatercressFRUIT & NUTS: Apples Chestnuts Pears Pomegranate Quince RhubarbMEAT, POULTRY & GAME: Goose Grouse Hare Mallard Partridge Pheasant Rabbit Turkey Venison Woodcock FISH: Bream (black) Herring Mussels Oysters (native) Scallops TurbotCHEESE: Stilton Wensleydale, blue List courtesy of http://www.naturalmatters.net/

gorgeous ethical goodies for xmas

"Believe You Can" designs fun, colourful and exclusive Fair Trade fashion and home accessories. Founder and designer Louise Birchmore feels "passionatley about Fair Trade and believes in creating modern and innovative products" "Believe You Can" products are all handmade, and wooden items are FSC certified. This wonderful ethical and Fair Trade range benefits the Fair Trade producers business and community through "trade not aid", but also offers products perfect for the design conscious and ethically aware.

Have a green Halloween

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Have a green Halloween

Putting together a green Halloween is as easy as a traditional orange and black one – especially for children. Here are Ecotopia’s top 5 tips to get you started:
1. E-mail party invites rather than post them. There are loads of free Halloween themed party invite e-cards around or alternatively make your own out of scrap and recycled products.

2. Serve local, healthy and seasonal October foods at your events. The options are endless. Remember pumpkins are not just decorative items. Make use of all pumpkin parts. After carving a pumpkin, make sure to save the seeds. Bake them and serve them to party guests or feed them to the birds. Pumpkin flesh is great or making pies, soups and even lasagna! Check out www. freerangereview .com to find local food to you! Apples also are at their best this time of year. So make use of the nation’s favourite crunchy fruit. Fill party bowls with several varieties of fresh apples, from granny smiths to pink lady’s. Bake a few apples for healthy, tasty dessert.

3. Use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Paper party goods can be expensive and just add more clutter to our nation's landfills. Check out ecotopia.co.uk’s extensive range of eco tableware !

4. Make your own costume or buy one at a second-hand shop. An old favourite a charity shop cotton sheet still makes a great ghost. Can't find anything suitable in the house? Try freecycle.org for a great selection of second hand clothes, costumes and materials.

5. Autumn is great so experience nature. Visit a local farm. Pick fresh apples. Talk a long walk outside. Look up at the sky. Notice the moon. Remember, it's Halloween and take this great Bat Torch with you.

New Product Launch - Pedal Your Way to Green Power

Pedal your way to green power with the Gazelle Power Generator!
Charge your car battery and other gadgets

The POWERplus® Gazelle is a pedal powered power generator with an AC/DC Powerbank and is now available for just £79.99. You can have power wherever, anywhere and at anytime. Generate your power simply by cycling. It is great exercise (!) and can charge everything from TV's and Laptop computers to mains lighting and refrigerators.
The multifunctional powerbank includes a 12V internal battery and through the integrated inverter you can also select an output of 3V, 4.5V, 6V, 9V and 12V so it can almost always match your mobile devices for charging them. Even an AC inverter is integrated in the powerbank so you can enjoy 220V power at max.100W. The powerbank is equipped with an integrated flashlight, storage space for adapters etc and an integrated handle for easy carrying and transportation

Indication of using time fully charged:5 pcs. LED 85 hours9 pcs. LED 40 hours7W Saving Bulb 10 hours15W CD player 4 hours40W 14" TV 1.5 hours70W Notebook 1 hour