Creative Ways To Re-Use Junk Mail

Even if you unsubscribe to junk mail it can still come addressed to The Owner, or Current Resident. Sure, it may go straight into the recycling pile, but there are other creative things that can be done with junk mail (sorry, “direct mail”).

ProQuo has a great article showing 10 creative responses to junk mail. They include sculptures, portraits, mulch, and… well check out ProQuo for the full list.

Ecover Hand Soap Eco Product Review

I’m not sure whether I’ve succumbed to all the news reports about bacteria or I’m becoming a germaphobe, but I’ve started washing my hands more and more. Actually I rarely just go and wash them, more after I’ve been doing something I’ll feel like they need a wash. So it’s good there’s lots of choice when it comes to finding environmentally friendly hand soap, there are plenty of choices.

We reviewed Method’s Foaming Handwash a while ago but I didn’t try that out, so I was more than happy to give Ecover’s Hand Soap a go sent to me by Big Green Smile.

Lavender and aloe vera ‘flavour’, it says it’s for “naturally clean and soft hands” which indeed it does. Well my hands look and feel clean anyway. The first thing I noticed was the strong smell, which is nice if you like lavender obviously. You may think this is obvious, but the soap was very ‘liquidy’. More so than other hand soaps I’ve used. I find that some won’t spread over your hands without water and then when you switch the tap on the soap goes straight down the sink. This hand soap spreads over your hands well without water and then lathers up nicely when you turn the tap on.

Ecover’s Lavender and Aloe Vera Hand Soap costs £2.75 from Big Green Smile.

Wrap Christmas Presents With No Paper or Tape

If you haven’t yet got around to wrapping your presents, an interesting idea was sent to us, using the Japanese art of Furoshiki to wrap presents in fabric. Helps if you have two presents of the same size to give to get the coolest look.

See more details at Recycle Now.

Bulldog Sensitive Shave Gel Eco Product Review

We have previously reviewed Bulldog Shave Gel and I expected the new Sensitive version to be pretty similar. However I was surprised!

Bulldog Sensitive Shave Gel contains aloe vera (helps cool , soothe and soften), jojoba (natural moisturizer), sunflower oil (for “excellent slip”), and shea butter (again for moisturizing). As usual it does NOT contain parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, artificial colors or any synthetic fragrances.

The reason I was surprised is that it was white, and not a clear or semi-transparent gel. In fact it is more like a shave cream than a shave gel, though I doubt it’s technically a cream, it just seems like one. It had that wonderfully natural scent that I love in a lot of the eco products we test, probably the aloe vera.

As I usually use sensitive shave gel anyway (my wife says I’m a delicate little flower….) this worked as well as any other products as I’ve tried and the razor moves smoothly through it, not getting too “gummed” up with gel, like some other products I’ve tried that are too thick. It’s always great to use products that are free of things like parabens and others listed above, especially when using directly on your face.

Go to www.meetthebulldog.com to buy online or find stockists (including Sainsbury). A 175ml bottle costs around £3.49.

Interested in 100% Electric Scooters and Bikes?

We received a press release from a new store called eCo Wheelz which we thought looked interesting.

The store specializes in electric bikes, battery-powered scooters and mopeds. They are 100% electric and the owners say they provide an excellent money-saving alternative to gas-guzzling vehicles. Most (in some cases slightly worryingly!) require no insurance or registration. Good for the money conscious I suppose.

Depending on the battery technology you choose, you can travel up to 30 miles per charge at up to 18 mph with no pedaling (the legal speed limit for electric bicycles is 20mph), but you can go faster if you want to pedal. There have a nice article on the cost of operating electric vs gasoline cycles and an FAQ.

Do you know of any other stores that sell electric cycles? What is your opinion of them? I’m seriously considering getting one myself as my efforts to avoid owning a car are suffering more and more and one day soon I may have to give in!

Avalon Organics Hand & Body Lotion Eco Product Review

Hand and body lotion is something used by millions of people every day so producing a version that’s kind to the environment is an ridiculously obvious idea, it’s strange we haven’t tested one before. So thanks to Big Green Smile for sending one for us to test.

Avalon Organics or Avalon Natural Cosmetics is a Canadian-based company that makes eco-friendly products, not tested on animals and not containing artificial colours or synthetic preservatives, parabens or mineral oil, and are vegetarian and hypo-allergenic. In addition its Hand & Body Lotion contains “a triple dose of rich lipid sources - certified organic sunflower, flaxseed and coconut oils”.

The lotion itself is lovely. Thick and rich, one pump of the bottle actually gives out a little too much for both hands and it does take a little while to rub in, perhaps because it is so thick. But once rubbed in it does leave your hands feeling soft. I’m not sure about the rest of the body though as I wouldn’t think the bottle would last that long, but at 350ml it is pretty big compared to other hand and body lotions out there.

The one point of difference that makes this stand out has to be the product’s smell. It’s truly unique. It’s strong and actually made my nose tingle the first time I used it. I received the rosemary scented version (enriched with bets glucan, whatever that is), and it’s a lovely smell and makes you want to put your hands over your nose and keep smelling it. I’d advise not using it just before you eat as every time you take a mouthful that’s all you smell, which isn’t that bad a thing really. Maybe using less at a time would be a better idea!

Avalon Organics Hand & Body Lotion is available from Big Green Smile for £6.49 and is available in five different scents and an unscented version.

Nvohk Crowd Funded and Eco Conscious T-Shirts Launched

nvohk, the crowd funded (i.e. by members like you and me) eco-friendly t-shirt company that I’ve written about here,and many other places, has finally started selling eco-friendly t-shirts. As I’ve promised to keep you updated I though I would show you the t-shirts that I received a couple of weeks ago.

First, the co-founders who invested in the company voted on several designs to be printed in limited runs. They also voted on a new lovely logo, and have had various discussions regarding pricing and postage rates.

As you can see from the image, a tiny 10″x7″ package arrived containing my order. I was most impressed there was no further padding and this helps reduce waste and also keep the cost down. It contained three t-shirts so I was pretty happy. Of course they were very wrinkly, but that’s what an iron is for.

The photo below shows my order that contained two co-founder t-shirts and an ordered shirt (the tree of change). The co-founder t-shirts have changed a little since I posted a video of my previous shirt, and this time I also got a female version of it for my wife (the little t-shirt on the right obviously!).

The t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton, and are now available for a nice $24.95 from the nvohk shop. I’ve been most impressed with the way Brendon and Sergio have been running things, some interesting discussions have been made, and I feel my views (and everyone’s views of course!) are listened to and acted upon where possible. You can of course, buy the t-shirts, but I also encourage you to join the other 500 or so people and consider becoming a member - this is how it works. Depending on how many t-shirts you want to order, the discounts available to members make joining worth it alone!

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