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The zero-waste movement is picking up momentum, with more and more households aiming at eliminating their rubbish output entirely. Zero Waste Home and The Zero Garbage Challenge are among many global efforts to achieve a human lifestyle that is in harmony with the planet. But what if you're not ready to go the whole hog, or the demands of the zero-waste lifestyle just aren't practical? What are the easiest and most effective ways to cut down on waste?Today we'll be looking at three key zero-waste strategies, as well as easier yet still effective waste-reducing options, to help you make sure that you're not creating any nasty consequences for the environment.1: Prevention is better than cureWhen it comes to household waste, one of the worst offenders is the grocery shop. Despite increasing … read more

Humanity is nothing if not ingenious. From cars to skyscrapers, music to philosophy, the statue of David to Spaghetti junction, human creations have come to define the world. But, with our creations now threatening the planet, our creative efforts are slowly shifting focus away from dominating our environment and towards a harmonious relationship with nature. Nowhere is this shift felt more than in the world of interior design, where natural forms, structures and materials are at the centre of our efforts to strike a balance between our drive to create and our responsibility to our environment. With this in mind, today we're looking at three ways you can strike this balance yourself, and create a home which exists in harmony with the world around it.1: Be an artistWhile the rest of humanit … read more

How to get rid of mould on walls with natural products, yes it’s possible to be chlorine free! It’s that time of year when it seems to have been raining non stop for weeks, everything is getting soggy and damp outside, and our walls have been permanently soaked through for ages. If we’re not careful we can see black mould spores starting to appear on our internal walls, (or even the white mould spores on walls) in areas that are hard to get to, such in room corners or areas where there is a lack of air flow. Either black mould or white mould buildups release all kinds of spores and nasties in the air which is not a good thing at all for you, or your families health. I know from experience myself that it can be hard to remove mould from the walls of damp properties, or w … read more

    Computers are miraculous things. Where once they were only seen in laboratories and libraries, now they are in our pockets, our cars, and even our fridges. But all this proliferation has also resulted in a whole lot of pollution, from the side effects of manufacture to the problems caused by disposal of obsolete technology. Over the last few years, the green computing movement has really taken root. Computer manufacturers all over the world are competing to discover new, greener ways to manufacture, use and dispose of our computerised goods. Today we'll be looking at two key areas of green IT, and offering you some handy tips on how to choose, use and dispose of your computer equipment. 1: Materials There's no getting around the fact that computers need metal … read more

The zero-waste movement is picking up momentum, with more and more households aiming at eliminating their rubbish output entirely. Zero Waste Home and The Zero Garbage Challenge are among many global efforts to achieve a human lifestyle that is in harmony with the planet. But what if you're not ready to go the whole hog, or the demands of the zero-waste lifestyle just aren't practical? What are the easiest and most effective ways to cut down on waste? Today we'll be looking at three key zero-waste strategies, as well as easier yet still effective waste-reducing options, to help you make sure that you're not creating any nasty consequences for the environment.1: Prevention is better than cure When it comes to household waste, one of the worst offenders is the grocery shop. Despite … read more

Good afternoon people! We have had a great selection of Vegan friendly paint on our site for a number of years now, but I’ve finally created a dedicated section devoted to Vegan Paints. Having had quite a few recent enquiries asking about them, I realised it wasn’t quite as easy to find them as I hoped, so right now I’m going through all the paints we stock and adding the vegan logo to them (work in progress!) Most of the time, people are just looking for a great Vegan wall paint, so of course I’ll recommend the Graphenstone range of natural paints for this, as it’s the best recipe by far and covers so many more surfaces than before. As always, I recommend you order a tester pot first, so you can guarantee adhesion and colour before you buy a proper sized pot. Vegan a … read more

Sustainable interior design has come a long way. From being exclusively the preserve of the counter-culture it has become part of the mainstream, with sustainable practices benefiting from an extra dash of zeitgeist-grabbing cool.But despite the cultural success of the ecological movement, the old ways still persist. Many materials are sourced from unregulated sources which threaten local ecosystems, and many decorating products rely heavily on noxious chemicals which remain in the environment. As well as natural organic paint, there are a whole host of more ecologically sensitive building and decorating products on the market, but what is stopping these from being adopted more widely?Back in 2011, researcher Leigh Bacon published a study suggesting that professional interior design … read more

Following the discovery of man made climate change, and the revelation of the many ways humanity has altered the earth's environment, it's easy to feel hopeless. But, flying against this gloomy current, a breath of fresh air has blown through the global technology industry, leading to the development of some potentially future-saving new innovations. Today we'll be looking at three projects which could help win the war on climate change, and ensure a brighter future for the planet. 1: Molten Salt Storage It may sound unlikely, but the solution to one of renewable energy's most persistent problems might lie in the humble grain of table salt, or, to be precise, in table salt heated to melting point. The technology addresses one of the key shortcomings of solar and wind power: … read more

Growing your own food is a key part of living an ecologically sustainable lifestyle, and Britain's allotment societies have never been busier. But if you don't have a garden or access to an allotment, is there anything you can do? Ever since The Good Life gave a generation the self-sufficiency bug, growing your own food has been a key part of the green lifestyle. Producing your own fruit and veg dramatically cuts down on your personal carbon footprint by eliminating the environmental costs of shipping vegetables from abroad, to the supermarket, and home to your fruitbowl. With careful planning and a little hard work, you can enjoy a steady stream of delicious organic produce which, thanks to the way plants store up the carbon in the atmosphere, is not just carbon-neutral but car … read more

After centuries of using the earth's resources as if they were infinite, we are now as a species facing a difficult problem. How do we maintain our technologically-advanced lifestyles without draining the world of its resources? Over the last few years, some surprising new materials have emerged from the lab, and may point to a way for us to spare the earth without giving up our smartphones. Today we're looking at some of the most exciting developments in the field of sustainable materials, and singling out three of the most surprising innovations.1: Crab Shell ClothingThe result of years of research by Swiss company Swicofil, Crabyon® is a soft, easily-dyed fabric that's perfect for all kinds of clothing applications. It's also made of crab shells, which are ground into powder and process … read more

Modern buildings have a bad reputation, and it's easy to see why. From the brutalist concrete shells of the 1960s to the materialist excess of the 1980s, right up to the wave of cheap, featureless housing of the 1990s, humanity seemed to be at odds with the organic environment, and the idea of ecological sensitivity was nowhere to be found. Now, thanks to the generation of architects who have grown up in the midst of the green revolution, modern buildings are embracing a more harmonious approach, and contemporary homes are taking advantage of new technologies to minimise their carbon footprint. Today we'll be looking at some of the most innovative modern green homes, and exploring the ways in which they reconcile the need for environmental sensitivity with the desi … read more

When most of us hear the idea of a house made of straw, the first thing that comes to mind is the tale of the Three Little Pigs. But with straw now being recognised as the low carbon, low impact building material, it looks like it might take more than a huff and a puff to knock down this innovation in eco-friendly home design. The primary reason that straw bales are attracting the attention of today's environmentally-conscious architects is that they are made from plant matter. Not only is plant matter sustainable, but it's also packed full of CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere. Burning or decomposing straw releases this CO2, but building with straw effectively locks in this carbon, sealing it inside the building potentially for centuries. By capturing carbon like … read more

Running an environmentally conscious home means considering every aspect of your lifestyle. From energy usage to food waste, there are myriad ways to cut your family's energy footprint and soften your impact on the environment, and today we're focusing on one often overlooked aspect of the home: your choice of cleaning products.  We have a great range of natural & eco friendly house cleaning solutions - click here to view our range. Most mainstream cleaning products are made without much regard for environmental safety. Bleaches, disinfectants and other potentially harmful products are among the most commonly used cleaning agents, but are these industrial chemicals really necessary in the home? And just how dangerous are they? Sodium Hypochlorite, commonly k … read more

With the world's largest countries continuing to rely on burning hydrocarbon fuels, cutting carbon emissions has never been more important. So what can you do to contribute to the global effort? Today we're looking at ways to shrink your footprint and create a low carbon home, giving you the power to make a real difference. Following news last year that  the UK government has scrapped targets which would ensure that all new homes in Britain are carbon-neutral, it's never been more important for the rest of us to do our bit. The targets would have ensured that all new homes built from 2016 onwards would have to generate as much energy as they used, offsetting heating, hot water and lighting with renewable energy micro-generation using solar panels or small … read more

Choosing Sustainable Woods for the Home Why is Deforestation an Issue? Forests are useful to life on earth, including humans, in a number of ways. Perhaps the most important of these is in the way in which they absorb carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis, producing oxygen as a natural waste product. What is a waste product to the trees is a source of life for us and the millions of other species that occupy the planet with us. As well as acting as the ‘lungs of the planet’ forests also sustain an incredible variety of species and help control and regulate weather systems in many parts of the world, especially South America. Deforestation has also displaced thousands of species (tragically, causing many to become extinct before we’ve even ever dis … read more

The great philosopher Immanuel Kant once said that “the hand is the window onto the mind”, when praising the uniqueness of human craftsmanship. The ability to fashion beautiful objects by hand, whether they be utilitarian, religious or aesthetic in their nature, has long differentiated us from all other animals on earth. Since the industrial revolution though, there has been a divergence from handmade craftsmanship towards mass production, separating the roles of designer and craftsman. This trend is a mark of our modern technological world, from the mass produced cars we drive to the shiny iPads and computers we work on. When it comes to furnishing our homes we need only look as far as Ikea. But has our desire for handmade objects ever really gone away? For some years now there … read more

What do triangles and kitchens have in common? This might seem like a somewhat obscure question but it actually underlies the basis of kitchen design and ergonomics. Despite how much quality granite or marble you use to bring beauty and style to your kitchen, it still remains one of the most functional and used rooms in the house. For this reason it’s imperative that their design incorporates the busy, hectic and often disorganised places that they often become when food is being prepared by being as ergonomic and efficient a space as possible. And for this you need to think in triangles.THREE POINTS OF A TRIANGLE A kitchen work triangle is a way of breaking a kitchen into three distinct areas that any cook will occupy and move between repeatedly (and often rapidly).THESE ARE BROKEN DO … read more

Do you want to save money and energy? Are you concerned about environmental protection and the efficient energy management of your home? If you are thinking how to provide comfort to your family while saving you money, there are some simple steps you can take to make your home more efficient and lower your energy bills. According to data, space heating (45%) and cooling (9%) combined with water heating (18%) account for 72% of residential energy consumption. So you have to consider how much money we are throwing away when we waste energy through leaky windows or ducts, old appliances, or inefficient heating and cooling systems. Therefore, the first thing you should do is to conduct a simple home energy assessment, by yourself or hiring an energy auditor. If you have the time and you … read more

They do not contain chlorinated hydrocarbons or other toxic non-degradable substances. They don’t release hazardous artificial solvents or formaldehyde They do not release harmful gases after drying. Direct contact with organisms is harmless. They have a positive effect on the atmospheric conditions of the area. They maintain the ideal natural moisture balance in your home. They are manufactured only from renewable raw materials. They don’t pollute the environment both during their production and their use. Their residues during the production and use can be composted and used as natural fertilisers. They contain ingredients that are familiar to humans since ancient times. NATURAL PAINTS VS THE BIG BRANDS So your new house is almost ready and you have to decide which … read more

What is a straw bale construction? If you are looking for alternative, energy efficient ways to build your home that may also be cheaper than traditional housing, a straw bale construction is the answer. Most straw goes to waste as it is no longer used in traditional livestock breeding. It is plowed back into the fields or even burnt. However, people can take advantage of its natural qualities and use it to build highly insulated and highly fire proof buildings. Straw bale hasn’t gone under any manufacturing process; it is natural and can serve as an effective insulation AND building material. It is also unique, because even though it is an insulating material, it can carry the weight of a whole house. The two basic types of straw bale construction are load bearing (or Nebr … read more