Tuesday, 16 December 2008

Wipe your bottom on newspaper....



.......and nine other great New Year resolutions

Ok, I am only joking about that one but i 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 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 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

Thursday, 4 December 2008

Give bees a chance!

Help fight the decline in the bee population

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. I am 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.

Ecotopia 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!

Web Poll: In the face of an extended economic recession, companies will: