Eco Undies and The Worlds First Carbon Neutral Bra

Marks and Spencers are just about to launch their first carbon neutral lingerie which is great news for all those who are dedicated to lessening their impact on the environment. Not only does this extend the choice of eco friendly products available to buy but it is also a big step for the high street giant in making all of its clothing more environmentally sustainable.

The lingerie set which will be available online will be made in eco factories in Sri Lanka which have cut their energy usage by a third by using solar power, hydro electricity and low energy light bulbs. Any carbon dioxide that is produced in the manufacture will be planting 6000 trees each year in the community, a quarter of which will be fruit trees and will generate money for the local people.

Not only is the project good as it reduces carbon emissions but the planting of trees will also help to preserve the countries endemic species by creating green corridors between the fragmented forests.

Bamboo Baby Girls Underwear in Coffee and Vanilla

For eco friendly children’s underwear Bamboo Baby have supersoft bamboo underwear sets made from organic cotton and bamboo. Not only are the sustainable and kind to the environment but also very soft and comfortable for children to wear.

Fun Activities For Children In The Easter Holidays

The Easter holidays are a great time for getting out and about but if there are also plenty of indoor activities that you can do with the children to keep them amused.

Easter Egg Hunts

Easter egg hunts are a great way to celebrate Easter and really fun for children. You can do your own hunt in the garden either just by hiding eggs of by giving older children a list of clues. You can also often find organised Easter egg hunts at local parks, garden centres, attractions and stately homes. Cadbury’s and the National Trust are organising trails all over the UK. Further details here.

Lambing

Lambing season is now in full swing and organised visit to local farms is a great way to teach children about animals and farming.  You can find some of the farms that are opening during lambing here.

Easter Crafts

There are plenty of different easter crafts that little ones will love from making Easter bonnets, painting eggs, to collage cards and baskets which come in handy for an Easter Egg hunt. Scrapstore is a charity that promotes creative reuse of waste and is a great place to find materials for all your Easter crafts. You can find your nearest scrapstore here. 

Baking

Children always love making chocolate crispy cakes which can easily be made into easter nests with the addition of a few small chocolate eggs. For older children with a bit more culinary talent, how about some traditional Simnel cake or hot cross buns. There are lots of Easter recipes here.

Whatever you decide to do, we hope that you have a lovely time.

Bamboo Baby Nautical Summer Collection Has Arrived

We are really excited that the Bamboo Baby summer 2011 collection has arrived. Sophie has done it again and created a fabulous collection of fun contemporary baby and children’s clothes that are not only soft and comfortable but also great for the environment.

The summer 2011 collection features bold and bright nautical stripes in a range of primary colours. It has  something for everyone including bodysuits for the babies and dresses for the girls. Many of the pieces are unisex so great for girls and boys including the stripey bamboo and organic cotton pyjamas and cable knit jumpers in red and navy.

The clothes are inspired by the sea and there are even some fun t shirts with nautically inspired motifs including a lifebuoy and anchor for any little wannabe sailors. The classic Breton striped pieces are also great for mixing and matching making getting dressed in the mornings extra easy.

The Bamboo Baby summer collection is available for boys and girls from 0-7 years on the Bamboo Baby website now.

Ethical and Environmental Issues With Cotton

More than two thirds of the worlds cotton is grown in developing countries and the former soviet union. Whilst the world cotton crops are thought to be worth about $30 billion dollars unfortunately there are many environmental and ethical issues associated with the growth of cotton including abusive and unsustainable practices. Here are three reasons why organic cotton offers a more environmentally friendly and ethical alternative.

Child Labour  

Uzbekistan is the worlds  third largest exporter of cotton. Each year the government orders thousands of children as young as seven to work for little or no money to harvest the cotton. There has also been documentation of child labour in the cotton fields of India and child trafficking in West Africa. Either Fairtrade or organic cotton is from a recognised source which has been certified as ethical and will have been sourced through an ethical supply chain.

Water

Many of the worlds cotton fields are irrigated with water which has a huge impact on the environment. It takes 10-17,000 litres of water to produce just one kilogram of lint. The Aral Sea in Uzbekistan has shrunk to 15% of its former size and salinity has risen by 600%. All of the native fish have died and commercial fishing has come to a halt. There is evidence that once cotton fields are transitioned to organic, the need for water is lessened, and organic cotton could become a rain-fed crop in some areas.  

Pesticides

Over $2 billion of chemical pesticides are used for the growth of cotton each year. Almost half of these chemicals are classified as harmful by the world health organisation including Aldicarb a powerful nerve agent and Monocrotophos which has been identified as causing paralysis in children living in cotton growing areas. These hazardous pesticides cause many deaths amongst agricultural workers and pollute rivers around the world including in USA, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Australia, Greece and West Africa. Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides.

These are just some of the reasons why Bamboo Baby choose to make their baby clothes from ethically sourced organic cotton and bamboo.

Further information can be found on the Environmental Justice Foundation Website

Have A Low Impact Mother’s Day

It is Mother’s Day on Sunday. A really important day for Mothers to realise just how much they are loved and appreciated and for children to show their Mothers how important they are. As with any important events, there can be the temptation to get to get involved in the consumerism that seems to go along with any and every occasion. Mothers day is an important time to be with family but doesn’t need to involve buying expensive gifts or elaborate days out. Here are just a few ways that you can have a low impact Mothers Day this year.

• Encourage your children to make you a  card and/or gift and explain to them that it is the thought that counts. A lovely picture that they have drawn or some cakes they have baked will mean so much more than  buying something in the shops.
• Ditch the car for the day. Get out and about in the fresh air either by going for a walk or a family bike ride, you are sure to have lots of fun.
• Visit a conservation area  near where you live, it is a great way to relax and teach children about the environment.
• Have a locally sourced meal. Have a family meal at home (perhaps cooked by Dad and / or the children) using feed from the local farm shop or farmers market.
• If you are finding it difficult to choose a gift for your own mother, how about planting a tree? You can buy a Plant a Tree experience from www.nationalforest.org

Bamboo Could Provide A Livelihood For Forest Dwellers In India

Up until now, most of the worlds bamboo has been produced in China and Taiwan. Rural economies have been transformed by the pioneering use of bamboo as both sustainable building materials and fabrics. But now changes in regulations and the definition of bamboo in India could see bamboo providing a livelihood for millions of poor tribals and forest dwellers across India.

The Hindistan Times has recently reported on how bamboo is being redefined from timber which is exclusively controlled and harvested by the forest department, to a grass which can be harvested by the forest dwellers. Up until now forest department regulations have prevented the wider use in India and a potential livelihood source for millions living around bamboo forests in India’s poorer tribal areas.

Whilst there is some debate over how much of a difference this change will make, we hope that it will help to increase the availability of sustainable bamboo fabric and provide a more sustainable way of life for many in India. We are not sure exactly what this means for the future of bamboo clothing but it is likely to have at least some positive effect.

Organic Essentials For A Newborn Baby

You may have read book and magazines in preparation for the birth of your child and they will suggest a range of different products for your newborn baby to make them more comfortable and your like a little easier. When it comes to clothing and bedding, it often easier to keep it simple.

Bodysuits, baby grows and sleep suits all refer to a one piece suit usually with buttons down the leg for easy changing. Buying a number of baby grows in the same colour will ensure that you have enough to change your baby as often as needed and keep them clean and dry despite the constants leakages and spillages that are bound to occur. Choosing baby clothes in the same colours will make it easier for you to organise your washing without sorting into darks and lights.

If you don’t know the sex of your baby yet, then you will obviously want to choose neutral colours. But even if you do already know that you will having a boy or a girl buying neutral coloured baby clothes means that they can also be reused for a younger sibling.

Depending on the weather, you may also want to get a number of bodysuits without legs which can be layered to keep baby warm and can also be handy to keep the nappy in place. You will also find some booties, mittens and bibs useful in keeping your baby warm, clean and free from scratches from their own nails.

It is worth thinking carefully about fabrics before you buy baby clothes. Natural and organic baby clothes are the kind to a babies delicate skin and also you can be sure that they do not contain any chemical residues that could be potentially damaging to their undeveloped systems. bamboo baby clothing is particularly soft and hypo allergenic making it ideal for newborn babies.

The Bamboo Baby Natural Collection contains a range of organic cotton baby clothes in neutral cream colours that are ideal for a newborn baby.

Fairtrade Fortnight - Show Off Your Label

Fairtrade Fortnight officially starts today and is a great way to get involved in spreading the word about Fairtrade. This year the Fairtrade Foundation is asking everyone to ‘Show Off Your Label’. By this they mean telling everyone about Fairtrade and how you are supporting this initiative giving producers in the third world space the opportunity to make it through these tough times.

At Bamboo Baby we think this is a great idea and have a few of our own ideas on how you can ‘Show off your label’.

Chocolate cakes- what better way to celebrate Fairtrade week than with a chocolate cake? made of course using Fairtrade chocolate.

Coffee with friends- an amazing excuse to catch up with friends that you haven’t seen for a week. Why not have a coffee morning and serve delicious Fairtrade coffee.

Take the children shopping- let the children go on a Fairtrade hunt around your local supermarket to find out about the Fairtrade products available, the prize could be anything you like, as long as its Fairtrade.

You can find out more about Fairtade and event happening in Fairtrade fortnight on The Fairtrade Foundation’s website. The Fairtrade Foundation works towards a a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential. They work to transform trading structures so that they work in favor of the poor and disadvantaged.

EJF Designer Low Carbon T Shirts For Climate Week

Climate week is only just over a  month away and the Environmental Justice Foundation have unveiled a great new t shirt to celebrate the event. The t shirt is an  exclusive Limited Edition design by Eley Kishimoto and is ethically made from organic cotton using wind and solar power. The T Shirt features an on trend geometric print featuring the ‘tree of life’ nature and reminds us to look towards a positive future. It is a concept that exists across many cultures of the world.

The T shirt has been modelled by a whole host of celebrities from the fashion and music industry including Lily Cole, KT Tunstall, Jade Parfitt, Gemma Arterton, Gillian Anderson, EJF Patron Emilia Fox, Eliza Doolittle and many others.

You can find out more about Climate Week and all of the challenges going on on The Climate Week website. The EJF climate Week T shirt is available from  Tesco stores and Tesco online for just £10. We think it would look amazing with some organic jeans for a casual outfit for spring. It is also a great way to share such an important message.

The EJF also advises shoppers to wash their t shirts at a low temperature and hanging to dry to ensure that its carbon footprint stays low.

The EJF or Environmental Justice Organisation is a  registered charity established in 2000 to empower people who suffer most from environmental abuses to find peaceful ways of preventing them. Its no place like home campaign is just one of its projects. It aims to identify and protect climate change refugees.

An Eco Friendly Valentines Day

Valentines day is the perfect opportunity to show just how much you love someone but it also has an environmental impact with cards causing waste and contributing to deforestation. The flower and cocoa industries are also amongst the biggest users of pesticides.

Here are just a few ways that you can have a romantic and eco friendly Valentines day:

• An ecard is a great alternative to a traditional valentines card and a great way to show that you love someone. If this seems a little inpersonal, why not send your own valentines poem of photograph of something or somewhere beautiful to your loved one.
• Montezumasmake the most delicious organic and Fairtrade chocolates using cocoa beans that are grown without the use of pesticides. We love their lime and chillia chocolate.
• By Nature sell some great local and organic flower bouquets. Locally grown seasonal flowers are also a good choice as they are more likely to be ethically produced.
• For jewellery, there are plenty of places to buy Fairtrade. You can now also buy Fair trade gold.
• Finally a romantic dinner for two is the perfect way to celebrate valentines day. Why not cook a meal using organic and locally produced food or checkout the Sustainable Restaurant Association for details of  local sustainable restaurants.

Happy Valentines Day!

Image- white chocolate teddy from Montezumas