I love supporting my local fabric shops but the fabric is not organic or fairtrade. So I decided to split my sustainable budget and buy me some green threads. Actually I wanted them in blue….hahahahha. No, what I wanted was fair trade and organic cotton. Some research later and I came up with several online suppliers.
Here’s a list of shops some of which I have used, others that I like the look of.
Below that you is a brief review of (some of), the products sold. The ones I have come across in my research.
Below that are links to suppliers I haven’t yet looked at.
If you know of any that should be on the list please add their details in the comments box.
Tried & Tested
I have used these companies and can recommend them. You can read the reviews below
Offset Warehouse
Organic Textile Company
Ebay – Maggies Fabric – not fair-trade or organic but some British wool and very reasonably priced
Like The Look Of
Green Fibres
The hemp Shop pure Organic Hemp Strapping and fabric
Raystich Has a nice range of wollen fabrics some of it made in the U.K. and some 100% cotton fleece.
Ian Mankin Lovely organic furnishing fabrics
Drapers Organic are the Hemp Shower Curtain, Hemp Fabric and Hemp Homeware Company.
Mauds Fabric Finds Where I finally find a 100% organic cotton knit in a design I like.
Lancaster & Cornish Ribbons and lace
Well Cultivated www.wellcultivated.co.uk Wool & fleece
Reviews
Offset Warehouse They have a wide range of fabrics including Peace Silk that is silk made without killing the caterpiller, organic jersey and ethnic prints. You can find them all here
Their explanations of the fabrics provenance were clear and detailed. They give the fabric weight and suggestions for its use.
Their products are posted out in cardboard boxes with plastic tape and the invoice in a plastic bag on the outside. You can read a full review here
Organic Textile Company They too had a good range of fabric and they state that ” All our fabrics are good quality inexpensive organic, cotton fairly traded. ” Though they don’t actually have a fair-trade certificate you can see that they are commuted to the cause. There are some nice personal details about the people they work with. I know who made my fabric.
Their products are posted in a plastic bag… you can read a full review here
Maggies Fabrics I bought some Highland wool, pink gingham cotton and some lawn from Maggie, a very nice Ebay trader who is based in Leeds. It came packaged in a plastic bag.
Not used yet – the information is taken from the website
Lancaster & Cornish Ribbons like this…. This bias cut feather weight habotai silk is super soft and drapy. The silk is dyed with natural plant dyes in our Cornwall studio.
And lace like this Manufactured in Europe, this guipure style lace trim is 100% certified organic cotton from seed to finished product. The family run factory have developed an innovative process to manufacture with environmentally friendy, non-toxic production techniques from seed to finished product,
Where I finally find a 100% organic cotton knit in a design I like.
At 200 grams per meter, this interlock knit is soft, stretchy, and sturdy enough for easy sewing
Have a look at our range of organic, natural, fairly traded fabrics by the metres. You will find a comprehensive selection of organic cottons, wools, linens, and silk and hemp and also interesting combinations of these natural fibres. If knitting or crocheting is your passion, you will find organic wool and natural alpaca yarn in vibrant plant-dyed colours or attractive natural shades to suit a variety of uses.
Currently the majority of clothes and design fabrics are made from cotton. The major global fibre crop, it is also the most environmentally harmful, using 25% of the world’s pesticides. The mass introduction of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides has helped keep the price of cotton and other fibre and oilseed crops low. However, as pests have become more resistant to these chemicals, larger quantities are required, poisoning both land and water. Hemp, by comparison, needs little or no insecticides or herbicides and produces three times as much fibre, making it more environmentally friendly.
Raystich
Has a nice range of wollen fabrics some of it made in the U.K.. Plus some pretty organic cottons some printed. And this
ORGANIC COTTON FLEECE – GREY MARL
£11.00 Soft, fluffy-back sweatshirt fleece with a tight weave. Perfect for sweatshirts, baby blankets, cushions… It has an approximate 20% stretch with 97% recovery, and stretches two-way. 100% organic GOTS-certified cotton. 1.8m wide. 330gsm. Made in Turkey.
Price is per HALF metre. Multiple order quantities will be cut in a continuous length..
COTTON SWEATSHIRT RIBBING – STRIPED DARK GREY/GREY
Heavyweight cotton sweatshirt 1×1 ribbing for use as cuffs, neck and hems on both woven and stretch garments. This comes as a tubular knit that you can fold it over in many places depending on your required cuff length to create the cuff piece. Stripes are 2mm in width. Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified.
96% cotton 4% elastane. 84cm wide. 500g/m2.
Price is per QUARTER metre.
Ian Mankin
Ian Mankin is delighted that everyone is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental, ethical and medical advantages of buying organic products and that more manufacturers and retailers are importing wider ranges at more economically acceptable prices into the country or making them up here – but Ian Mankin are leading the way in weaving delightful designer organic furnishing fabrics in our own mill in the UK – high quality, reasonably priced organic fabrics made by a British firm that has lasted six generations and is the first of the few remaining cotton mills to weave organic cottons and linens.
Majestic Textiles ltd
The company stocks fabrics in their natural, boiled off (BO) state. These plain silks are then used as canvasses, upon which unique hand-painted or embroidered designs are created according to the wishes of the individual customer. The company purchased a field in Hertfordshire, UK, in 2011 to grow Mulberry trees. Leaves from these organically grown trees are used to feed the silkworms, which then provide the organic silk cocoons. This process was monitored by the Soil Association, which awarded us the certification for Organic Silk in 2014.
Majestic Textiles does not use any detergents or bleaches, or feed its silkworms with hormone enhancements, as is common practice amongst many producers. The silkworms are allowed a full life circle, which gives the silk ‘Peace Silk’ status. This is the ethical process of allowing the silkworms to live a complete lifecycle. The silk cocoons are not taken until the metamorphosis is complete and the moth breaks free. The silkworms need 14 days in their cocoon feeding off the silk inside. This means only half as much silk is left at the end of the process, which is the main reason most silk producers bypass the ethics and kill the silkworms as soon as they cocoon. Majestic Textiles’ commitment to its silkworms is the reason we were awarded ‘Peace Silk’ status. Once the moth has broken free, it spends four days mating, before laying its eggs, and dying.
The hemp Shop Hempiness have yet another winner for us with this pure Organic Hemp Strapping. Following on from their Hemp webbing, here’s a different style.Need something that is properly tough? With Hemp’s legendary tensile strength, its breaking strain is the strongest in the entire plant kingdom, you’ll never be let down by this fantastic product. This is the strongest most durable hemp material in the range. Less flexible than the others it is great for products that need a little more power such as bags, belts, chairs and even edging material for rugs.
are the Hemp Shower Curtain, Hemp Fabric and Hemp Homeware Company. We believe you should be able to have style and comfort whilst still enjoying a healthier, more sustainable living environment. We have therefore designed our own elegant range of hemp shower curtains, contemporary hemp fabrics and mix and match hemp tablecloths, napkins, runners, cushion covers & curtains. With our organic cotton sanitary pads, bamboo towels and hemp bags too, we aim to offer a real and affordable alternative for our customers. Thank you for looking.
Eco Earth Fabrics do some organic, fair-trade and hemp fabrics
Well Cultivated www.wellcultivated.co.uk
The finest wool, yarns and raw fleeces produced in the UK and processed in Lincolnshire, the home of Sir Isaac Newton whose family were sheep farmers at Woolsthorpe Manor. We are offering a range of rovings, skeins, wool and raw fleeces from alpaca, angora mohair, Dorset White, Jacob and Hebridean sheep.
More
And there are more fabric shops that I haven’t yet looked at taken from this very useful website
Harlands Organic Furnishings www.organic-furnishings.co.uk
Specialist suppliers of organic fabrics, mainly for soft furnishings
Cloth House 47 and 98 Berwick Street, London.www.clothhouse.com
020 7437 5155Limited range of organic cotton and other fabrics, plus English wool and pure wool felt by the metre
Absolution Saveshttp://www.absolutionsaves.com/
Will print to commission on organic fabrics with non-toxic dyes
M is for Make www.misformake.co.uk
Retail Cloud 9 printed organic cotton made in the US.
Ardalanish Isle of Mull Weavers www.ardalanish.com
Organic wool tweed made in Scotland
British Made Eco www.britishmadeeco.co.uk
Organic and sustainable fabrics
Susie www.sukie.co.uk
Small range of organic cotton printed fabrics
K1 Yarns
www.k1yarns.co.uk
Limited range of organic cotton printed in Scotland
0131 226 7472
Denise Bird Woven Textiles
Ethical and organic textiles
http://www.denisebirdwoventextiles.com/
info@denisebirdwoventextiles.com
The African Fabric Shop
www.africanfabric.co.uk
Not officially fair-trade status but ethically-sourced fabrics
01484 850188
Myriad Online
www.myriadonline.co.uk
100% wool felt including natural-dyed and organic stuffing wool
Handmade Presents
www.handmadepresents.co.uk
Wool and organic wool felt including naturally-dyed
Twisted Thread
www.twistedthread.com
Organisers of Festival of Quilts and Knitting & Stitching Shows where a range of independent fabric suppliers can be found.
The Original Re-enactors Market
www.reenactorsmarket.co.uk/
Market for historical re-enactment. Suppliers of wool and linen fabrics from various sources.
Naturtuche
www.naturtuche.de
German supplier of historical fabrics including some naturally-dyed wool and hemp fabrics
Make Do & Mend
Jen over at the blog of the same name has a good list of resources including this list of suppliers of ethical fabrics, ribbons and lace. I will make that flouncy neglige yet! And pants. An organic make your own pants pack! Coolio!
And a very interesting post on using second hand supplies.
More
For all things fabric try How To Sew Plastic Free
Local fabric shops.
British made Fabric
Regenerated Fibres & fabrics a very basic introduction but beware – bamboo is not as green as you might think!
Kinds Of fabric – my ongoing experiences with natural fabrics.
N.B.
lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
And before you go…
If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or
Flowers Cut
After going to all that trouble to find plastic-free, cut flowers you will want them to last as long as possible. Here are some tips from Edna Thompson. Not entirely plastic-free as cans of soda are plastic lined and asprins are plastic packed but massively plastic reduced and no need to buy any new product.
Tricks to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer
Fresh flowers add flavor, aroma and energy to every home. But they don’t last long. If you want to keep your birthday bouquets fresh longer, you need to know a few things. The first major reason that cut flowers fade is that they do not get the nourishment they need once their stems are cut. As you know, soil is rich in nutrients that keep plants alive for a long time. When flowers are taken away from their habitat, they can no longer get nutrients from soil, and water can only keep them fresh for several hours to a couple of days. The second reason that flowers fade quickly after they are cut is bacteria. Over time your vase contents will attract bacteria. For this reason, what you need to do to enhance the longevity of your cut plants is to provide nutrients and to reduce the growth of bacteria to a minimum.
Here are a few tricks from Gardeners in Chelsea that will get you the best results. Read on.
Cider Vinegar
The first method to keep your cut flowers fresh as long as possible is to use apple cyder vinegar. Here is what to do. Before you put the flowers into a clean vase, fill it with water and add two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Wait for the substances to dissolve and add the flowers. Now, in order to enhance their longevity, you need to change the water every other day. Don’t forget to add sugar and vinegar every time. The secret to this method is that apple cider vinegar prevents bacterial growth and protects cut flowers from fading too soon after that.
Aspirin
Fill a clean vase with water and add a crushed aspirin. Let is dissolve into the water before you add the flowers. Again, make sure to change the water every other day or every few days to ensure that the flowers are kept fresh and free from bacteria.
Sugar
Another way to go is to use sugar and white vinegar. Before you toss your cut flowers into the vase, be sure to add two tablespoons of white vinegar and three tablespoons of sugar. Add water and then the flowers. The water needs to cover up to four inches of the cut stems (10 centimeters). This mixture proves to be very powerful. While white vinegar prevents the growth of bacteria, sugar helps to nourish the cut flowers.
Vodka
Another clever way of keeping your flower arrangement fresh is to use vodka. Believe it or not, vodka can nourish your cut flowers as it offers antibacterial activity. As a matter of fact, any other clear spirit will work great too. Use one tablespoon of sugar and only a few drops of clear spirit or vodka to provide a bacteria-free environment for your cut flowers. Be sure to change the water every couple of days.
Soda
Here is our final suggestion. Instead of using sugar to keep your cut flowers at their best longer, grab a can of soda and fill a ¼ of cup with it. Then add the liquid to the vase water before you place the flowers. It’s best to use a clear soda, but other alternatives will work too.
Picking Your Own?
Do not cut them on a hot afternoon. Instead pick a cool early morning time to do this. Hope you enjoy your fresh flowers longer.
String
U.K made woolen string
Got me a new favourite string!
“twool® twine is a strong, soft and subtle British wool alternative to imported jute. Wool is one of the oldest naturally occurring fibres around, it’s a practical material – it lasts, we grow it well in this country, it’s renewable, super sustainable and is currently an underused natural resource.”
“A versatile garden twine made from Dartmoor wool. Super sustainable, socially-responsible and environmentally sound twool twine is strong enough for traditional garden use yet soft enough for floristry, crafts and gifts.”
twool® twine is a strong, soft and subtle British wool alternative to imported jute. Wool is one of the oldest naturally occurring fibres around, it’s a practical material – it lasts, we grow it well in this country, it’s renewable, super sustainable and is currently an underused natural resource.
It’s made in the U.K.from British wool and comes in different colours. See the full range and buy from the website
Other String
Getting plastic free string can be hard work. It’s easy enough to get biodegradable plastic free string – go for jute, cotton, hemp, sisal, linen and avoid manmade fibers such as nylon and polyester.
Getting it unwrapped however can be a chore. Most big shops sell it plastic wrapped! As they sell everything plastic wrapped. I find it best to search out small hardware stores and market stalls. Even then it is scarce so whenever I see some I buy it.
NB check the bobbin. Once swooped triumphantly on some jute string only to realise later it had a blue plastic inner. How I missed that I don’t know!
My string collection now includes
white cotton from Marsh Hardware shop, Marsh, Huddersfield
brown jute from Todmorden Market
very nice string from a stationers in France.
Poundland
Think I am OK for now! However if I needed some more string I could go to
Pound land. I have seen these and they are plastic free. You can find a store near you via the website.
Fred Aldous Manchester
multicoloured #plasticfree cotton on cardboard tube form Fred Aldous. Check out their fantastic craft store and website
They also sell Nutscene string. You can buy this jute (?) string in a tin or loose. It comes in a range of vibrant colours.
You can also buy string in a tin from the shop at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It comes plastic free and unpackaged.
If you can’t get to Yorkshire or Manchester, you can get it direct from the manufacturers (lovely website wide range of products), or from Amazon.
I have never bought on line so I don’t know if it comes plastic wrapped. Do check.
Cotton Wool
You can go to wool shop and buy knitting cotton.
Online
Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source.
If you can’t buy local please do check the links above to the suppliers and buy direct from them and support their online businesses.
If you can’t do that then you can buy String from Amazon – see a wide range here.
If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. This is not why we do it.
Regenerated Fibres & Fabrics
Textiles and ultimately clothing start with fibres
Know Your Fibres
Fibres are short fine hairs that can be twisted or spun into longer thread or yarn. This may be woven or knitted into fabric.
Fibres (and then yarns and ultimately fabrics) can be can be natural, synthetic or chemically produced hybrid called regenerated fibres.
Natural fibres Are derived from plants like cotton or animals like wool and silk, Coarse Fibres Are used for rope, string, sacking and industrial uses.Read more HERE
Fibres used for finer fabrics and yarn include cotton, wool and silk. Read more HERE
Synthetic fibres are man-made from chemicals many of which are petroleum derived. Read more HERE
Regenerated Fibres The base material is cellulose that can be obtained from a range of sources. It is then converted through a chemical process into fibres.
Yarns and Fabric
Fibres are then spun into yarns and threads. These often take the name from the fibre in which they are spun.
Threads can now be woven or knitted into fabric.
Fabric made from regenerated yarn often takes the name of the fibre such as bamboo or go under the trade name.
How Are Regenerated Fibres Made?
The base material is cellulose that can be obtained from a range of sources including wood, paper, cotton fiber, or bamboo. It is then converted through a chemical process into a fiber. One such in bamboo. Most bamboo fabric is made using chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH – also known as caustic soda or lye) and carbon disulfide combined with multi-phase bleaching. Both sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide have been linked to serious health problems. Others are looking extremely promising and are biodegradable. But I don’t really know enough about them and
Regenerated Fibres Include
Rayon
Bamboo Rayon
Viscose
Modal
Tencel
Rayon Notes
Rayon or artificial silk is made from purified cellulose, derived from plants in this case primarily trees.
Because rayon is manufactured from naturally occurring polymers, it is considered a semi-synthetic or regenerated fiber.
The cellulose is harvested and then chemically converted into a soluble compound. The diluted liquid is forced through a spinneret to produce filaments.
These are now chemically solidified, resulting in synthetic fibers of nearly pure cellulose.
While the end products the process is concidered dirty and environmentally suspect. According to wiikipefia
Workers can be seriously harmed by the carbon disulfide used to make most rayon.
However there are many different types of rayon and some are greener than others.
Specific types of rayon include viscose, modal and lyocell, each of which differs in manufacturing process and properties of the finished product.
viscose rayon, which is rayon made using the viscose (cellulose xanthate) process.
Viscose is not a synthetic fiber made from petroleum; but rather it’s a “regenerated cellulosic fiber” made from cellulose – most commonly wood pulp, but many plants can be used, such as bamboo. The cellulose is broken down, and then “regenerated” into a fiber.
One of the major advantages of viscose over synthetics is that it is biodegradable.
Read more HERE
The following is information I am collecting on rayon. It is a highly technical product and quickly gets confusing. It is meant to be an introduction only .
It has been hard to find out wether Rayon is biodegradable or not!
A recent ocean survey found that rayon contributed to 56.9% of the total fibers found in deep ocean areas, the rest being polyester, polyamides, acetate and acrylic.[11]
Bamboo Rayon
Most bamboo fabric that is the current eco-fashion rage is chemically manufactured by “cooking” the bamboo leaves and woody shoots in strong chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH – also known as caustic soda or lye) and carbon disulfide in a process also known as hydrolysis alkalization combined with multi-phase bleaching. Both sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide have been linked to serious health problems. great article here
The big bamboo swindle
“As the Commission charges, even if the rayon used in the companies’ clothing and textile products is manufactured using bamboo as the cellulose source, rayon does not retain any natural antimicrobial properties of the bamboo plant. The rayon manufacturing process, which involves dissolving the plant source in harsh chemicals, eliminates any such natural properties of the bamboo plant. Similarly, the Commission charges that the companies’ clothing and textiles are not made using an environmentally friendly process.
The rayon manufacturing process uses toxic chemicals and results in the emission of hazardous air pollutants. And, despite the claims of Pure Bamboo and Bamboosa, the Commission charges that these rayon products are not biodegradable because they will not break down in a reasonably short time after customary disposal. Most clothing and textiles are disposed of either by recycling or sending to a landfill. Neither method results in quick biodegradation.”
Federal Trade Commission Report
Wether that means they will biodegrade in a compost heap but not in landfill, I cannot say but the production of bamboo fibres isnt very green. Everyone seems to agree on
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance has this to say about other forms of regenerated fibres
To make popular fabrics, including rayon and viscose, forests are cut down to make way for monocrop tree plantations. Trees from both the forest and the plantations are cut down and go through an incredibly toxic process to create what is known as dissolving pulp, a white fluffy material that gets spun into threads and woven into cloth.
This cloth is made into fabrics by some of the world’s most popular brands, including RAN’s Fashion Fifteen: Forest destruction for fabric has to stop. That’s why RAN has launched our Out of Fashion campaign, to demand the fashion industry commit to forest friendly fabric.
“But it still comes as a surprise to many to learn that some of the most common fabrics used by big name fashion brands — viscose, rayon and modal — also originate as trees in Indonesia, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa. Only now has a public conversation finally started about the fact that the forest fabric industry is causing human rights violations and forest destruction in some of the world’s most critical ecosystems.”
Plantation expansion for pulp has also been devastating to indigenous and forest-dependent communities. Just in the area owned and operated by one company, Toba Pulp Lestari, in Northern Sumatra, a nonprofit organization called KSPPM has documented over 20 distinct cases where land traditionally owned by communities has been forcibly seized without the consent of the community and then clear cut for acacia plantations.
Lenzig & Greener, Biodegradable Rayon
Viscose, Modal and Tencel (lyocell), from Austria-based company Lenzing, are made from wood pulp. These high-purity cellulose fibres are obtained from sustainably managed forests, according to a report by the University of Cambridge’s sustainable manufacturing group. Compared with cotton, wood has the advantages of low water consumption, reduced pesticide use and produces up to 10 times the amount of cellulose per hectare, states the report. And these fibres are 100 per cent biodegradable.
Lenzing’s latest accomplishment in environmental fiber technology is known as Edelweiss. Edelweiss-technology is based on oxygen-based chemistry which is more eco-friendly than the conventional one. Thus Lenzing Modal® Edelweiss is the only Modal fiber which satisfies the highest environmental standards and is even CO2-neutral.
More
- Textile Index – more clothes, more links and more information.
- Whats counts as sustainable – read our clothing manifesto
Flowers to collect
Because they are grown locally and packed on site, I bet you could get these UK grown flowers plastic free if you asked! Why would you want to buy UK flowers? Read more…
Organic Blooms If you love cut flowers, and care about where they come from and how they are grown, then a stunning bouquet of British cut flowers from Organic Blooms could be just what you’ve been looking for!
Organic Blooms is a Social Enterprise based just outside of Bristol. CLICK AND COLLECT Bouquets Available now
Champernhayes Flowers & Foliage is based in rural West Dorset where I grow and sell cut flowers and foliage. I love to forage from local hedgerows. I arrange flowers for weddings and events, as well as selling wholesale and to local businesses. My speciality is in scented woody ornamentals and foliage stems. I have an established perennial cutting garden and a newly fenced field which will be planted up in the autumn of 2014.
Or
These don’t have web pages but are up on twitter.
Yorkshire Petals @Yorkshirepetals
Glorious home grown English country flowers offering varieties of bunches that are not available in most florists or supermarkets.
Elaine Parkinson @FelicityFarm
Growing and designing beautiful seasonal blooms for weddings, events and gift bouquets on our farm in Chorley
Ribbons & Ties
Of course one way to get the most out of your wrapping paper is to reuse it. In which case you done want it torn off. Walk away from the sticky tape and tie your brown paper packages up with string which can also be reused.
Or real silk ribbons hand hand died in Scotland using natural dies made from plants grown in the garden WANT SOME!!!!!! Not bought any myself but I bet you could get them in plastic free packaging if you asked. They seems a very nice business.
A bit from the website
I have started to produce hand dyed ribbon using the plants and flowers grown at Mill Pond Flower Farm. We are very fortunate in having a wide variety of mostly native trees and plants with the addition of flowers grown for sale. This gives a great store of material that can be used in dying fabrics and can give a range of colours. The effect of using natural dyes is to give a softness and depth of colour that changes with the light, blending effortlessly with other fabrics and hues.
More Ties
Other kinds of decorative, non synthetic, ties can be found on Amazon. Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before I did it. Heres why I went ahead…..
Mothers Day
Flowers and chocolates are a traditional choice for such days and always welcome. Especially when you choose a few plastic free, more eco options.
Sweets
- Sweets or chocolate in a paper bag
- Home made truffles
Flowers
Gifts
What mum doesn’t love a garden? Or Monty Don? Or Waitrose? Then check this… while looking for some plastic free secateurs I came across these from Japan. At 80.00 they are outside my price range but they look lovely, are recommended by Monty Don, come in a box (less plastic packaging) and are sold by Waitrose.
“Rated one of the best performing secateurs by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, with a score of 17/20 (January 2015).These slim-handled secateurs, forged from a single piece of high carbon steel, are a popular choice for female gardeners as they fit smaller hands perfectly.”
What can I say!
If you cant afford that there are some other (cheaper) options here, recommended by me.
And a lot more garden related gifts here.
But what if …
I am stereotyping your mum? what if she hates the gardening, has hands the size of shovel, wants to wipe the grin off that smug buggers face and only shops in Lidles? You could try these plastic free delights that can double as gifts.
Argh last minute Valentine day fixes….
Read More
Body Butter
Read More
Wrappings & Cards
Gift got you need to wrap it. You can find plastic free gift wrapping options and cards here.
Mosquito Repellent
It’s that time of night when sitting on the balcony becomes a feat of endurance rather than a pleasure and it’s down to those vile biting mosquitos. Time to take action… but what kind. I could of course slather myself in DEET…
DEET Was developed by the American Army and remains the most effective form of bug repellent known to man. It is a great weapon in the fight against malaria. But it can irritate my skin and has had other negative press. Plus it comes in plastic.
So what of the alternativee? Needless to say the internet offer everything from wristbands to essential oils. Lots of testing has been done which conclude that these range from considerably less effective to completely useless. “Two devices in particular came under harsh criticism from the scientists: bracelets containing herbal extracts and sonic mosquito repellers, which claim to use high-frequency sound to drive away mosquitoes.” And dont bother with citronella candles. You can read the rest here.
That said there is some evidence that certain essential oils (including citronella) might work.SO let’s discuss the options.
Why DEET
Just to reiterate N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) DEET is the most effective insect repellent ever.
Then (2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-piperidinecarboxylic acid 1-methyl ester (icaridin), p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD), and ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate (IR3535)-based repellents also provide protection against biting arthropods,
Malaria & Other Nasty Deseases
Malaria is extremely dangerous and kills masses of people each year. DEET Will protect you from mosquitoes and many other disease bearing blood suckers. If you are in a malarial prone area then it is an essential means of protection and I advise you consider it. Medical plastic is exempt from the boycott. To quote DEET must be the “first choice for those visiting areas where malaria or other arthropod-borne diseases are endemic remains formulations with higher concentrations (20–50%) of deet.
Higher concentration icaridin and PMD preparations are the most useful alternatives to deet where they are available”
Read more here
How Strong?
What do these concentrations mean? A higher concentration of DEET means it will last longer. 20% DEET offers up to 6 hours of protection. 50% DEET which offers 12 hours of protection. If you sweat heavily you’ll need to re-apply it more often, obvs.
According to the British Medical Journal anything with over a concentration of 50% DEET will not be any more effective. Read this very good write up that discusses all the issues and gives clear advice on how DEET should be used. Access it here.
Bad DEET
But if you are not at risk from malaria you might want to limit your exposure to DEET. While DEET is generally thought to be safe there are reports of possible reactions. On a personal level I find it irritates my skin but then again so do most perfumes and some soaps. However it is not just me. Reactions to DEET have been documented. And they can include Hives or mild skin redness and irritation. The more you use the worse it gets. People using products containing a large amount of DEET over a long period of time may have more severe skin reactions that include blistering, burning, and permanent scars of the skin.
Wikipedia are even more worrying and report that
In the DEET Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) in 1998, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported 14 to 46 cases of potential DEET-associated seizures, including 4 deaths. The EPA states: “… it does appear that some cases are likely related to DEET toxicity,” which may underreport the risk as physicians may fail to check for history of DEET use or fail to report cases of seizure subsequent to DEET use.[21]
The Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University states that “Everglades National Park employees having extensive DEET exposure were more likely to have insomnia, mood disturbances and impaired cognitive function than were lesser exposed co-workers”.[22].
Read it here
Which Alternatives Work
So for those munchy twilight hours when the biting, but non-malarial carrying beasts are out DEET seems rather a chemical sledge hammer. In these cases I have been using Cintronella essential oil mixed with Rice Bran oil as a mosquito repellent. Based on nothing more than a quick skim of alternative bug sprays on the internet and the fact I have some Citronella oil. The internets claims all kinds of wonderful qualities for Citronella but I tend not to believe them. So consequently I didnt know if my homemade repellent really worked i.e.if it actually repels Mosquitos. But I felt it did and it certainly seems to soothe bites and reduce irritation. So I decided it was time to do some research.
Citronella
Citronella is obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of Cymbopogon grasses. And it might just work. This is a quote from some research that seems reputable. “From the available literature and information, we can conclude that the complete protection time for citronella-based repellents is less than 2 hours”
Read more here
But 2 hours is all I need. I can live with the occasional bite at other times it’s the twilight feeding frenzy I object to.
Using Essential OIls
Essential oils are concentrated and so should be used with some care.
Do not apply neat to the skin.
It is good practice to do an allergy test
Do some further research into the oil you plan to use
Disclaimer
Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
a) doesn’t have any training in this field,
b) most of what they know comes from Google,
That’s me I mean.
Making Mosquito Repellent
You should never use essential oils neat so the Citronella has to be blended with a base oil. And there is very little data avaialable on what kind of percentages to use for the oil to be effective against biting beasts.
Generally Most essential oil/ aromatherapy sites say that mixes of essential oil to base oil should not exceed 5%.
A good rule of thumb when seeking to make a 2% dilution is to add 12 drops of essential oil to each fl. ounce (30 ml) of cold pressed carrier oil, lotion, vegetable butter or other natural lipid/moisturizer.
There is a useful dilutions chart here
And then there is this:
For adults:
Sensitive skin: .5 to 1 percent dilution = 3 to 6 drops per ounce
Normal, healthy skin: 1 to 2.5 percent dilution = 6 to 15 drops per ounce
There is lots of useful information here
My Mosquito Oil
So I added Citronella to a base oil at a 5% ration. I have used coconut oil, rice bran oil and rapeseed oil as bases. All work well.
I spread this on all exposed flesh when the sun begins to set. I only apply it once.
Obviously we are not talking about huge percentage of active ingredient here. Certainly not the 30% of DEET creams. How effective this oil is I have no way of knowing. I can only say it seems to work for a limited period of time.
AND PLEASE NOTE
These blends have not been tested for skin reactions or allergies. It is worth remembering that DEET lotions have been used for years and have been well tested.
I am telling you of my own experiences for your information only. You should do a lot more research before proceeding. And proceed with caution.
None of the above have been tested on anyone other than me. All I can say Is that I have used essential oils for a long time with no ill effects…..
Also
Essential oils are resource hungry, have a large environmental footprint and should only be used on special occasions. You can read more about essentials oils, what they are and how they are obtained here.
Buy
Plastic Alert
Vegetatable oil will nearly always have a plastic element unless you are lucky enough to find a refill service. Even if you buy in glass the lid will be plastic lined. But even so this represents a huge reduction in you plastic consumption. Read more and links on where to buy, here.
Same goes for essential oils.
More
There is an interesting breakdown of mosquito myths here. Plus some useful advice on how to avoid them.
And this is an interesting article on using plants to deter insects
And I am looking into this.
“PMD: Lemon Eucalyptus (Corymbia citriodora) Extract
The principal repellent component of lemon eucalyptus extract is PMD, which is the main by-product of lemon eucalyptus hydrodistillation.
The active component is prepared through acid modified extraction of leaves or a synthetic version of PMD is used in the majority of commercially available preparations.”
Read about it here.
Argh last minute Valentine day fixes….
Forgot !?! Quick, go get this free down load and print out the coupon book. Serve with a deep soulful look and “Experiences mean so much more than things, baby”.
I just saved your ass!
Candles
Nothing sets the mood quite as well as candles but it is hard to find plastic free candles. Most come in a protective plastic wrap or bag. However we tracked down a few.
Which Candle?
Parrafin, soy or beeswax.
In the olden days candles were made from a by-product of beef-fat rendering(tallow) which stank and smoked or beeswax which didn’t smell or smoke but was very expensive.Then in the 1820s, French chemist Michel Eugene Chevreul discovered how to extract stearic acid from animal fatty acids. This could be used to make a wax that was harder and burnt far more cleanly.
However the most luxurious and brightest of all candles were made from crystallized spermaceti an oil obtained from the sperm whale. Like beeswax, spermaceti wax had a pleasing odour but also produced a far brighter light. Again it was a harder was so didn’t soften when the atmosphere got hot. Lucky for the sperm whale who was being hunted into extinction for his light shedding wax, rock oil and its many by-products burst onto the scene. One such by-product was paraffin which could be used to make super-hard, super-bright and, best of all, cheap candles.
Recently, a huge surge in the popularity of candles has led to new waxes being developed including soy bean wax.
Soy candles are made from a processed form of soybean oil called soy wax. It is very soft so most candles are made in tins or containers. However additives including beeswax, paraffin, or palm wax can be used to make it harder. Additives include: stearic acid, Vybar (a trademarked polymer), mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin wax, ultraviolet absorbers, and bht crystals.
Most candles today are made from one of the following
- paraffin (a product of petroleum refining);
- stearin (now produced almost exclusively from palm waxes though initially manufactured from animal fats);
beeswax - Gel Candles produced from gelled mineral oils or synthetic hydrocarbons. They are made in containers.though some are rigid enough to keep their own shape.
- some plant waxes (generally palm, carnauba, bayberry, or soybean wax);
The size of the flame rate at which the candle burns is determined mostly by the size of the candle wick.
You can find out more about candles here and here.
Candle Types
Taper, Dinner or household candles. The traditional round candles that have to be set in candlesticks or empty wine bottles. Used for dinner parties and power cuts.
Pillar Candles are the modern version. Big and chunky, they are solid and self standing in a variety of sizes.
Floating Candles are designed to float on water.
Tealights are low round candles in a metal container. Much loved by the Ikea crowd. They are used in food warmers or tealight holders
Container or Filled Candles are non-flammable, heat resistant containers which are filled with wax and wick. They come in heat-resistant glass jars, tins and less often, pottery.
Votive Candles are come heat-resistant containers often with religious imagery.
Specialty or Novelty Candles come in a wide array of shapes either molded or sculpted by hand.
Scented candles – can be used to create a pleasant ambience or mask other odours such as cooking or cigarette smoke. They can also be used to keep insects at bay though personally I don’t think they are very effective.
BUY
Basic white unscented candles
Parafin Candles
Prices do a practical range of plain white unscented candles both household & tealight. Last time I looked, so did Bolsius. I have bought both of the above packaged in cardboard from a number of local shops. If you can’t buy them locally you can of course get them on line.
I found some pillar candles on Amazon which look to be plastic free – please check
BULK PACK of 14 – Ivory Church Candles (60m…
Vegetable Wax
If you don’t fancy paraffin candles,these organic, vegetable wax candles look plastic free. they are available from Nigels Ecostore www.nigelsecostore.com and Amazon. 
Grehom Organic Dinner Candles (Set of 4) – … from Amazon also look to be plastic free!
NB be aware they contain palm oil but sustainably sourced Scented Candles
Paraffin Based
Prices do a wide range scented tealights and candles in a tins and glass jars with fragrances to suit all moods and occasions. They also do some odour eaters great for eliminating or rather masking odours which work pretty well. These come as tealights, in tins or glass jars and include
- HOUSEKEEPER~ Contains extracts of Beeswax, Mandarin & Lemon
- CHEF’S CANDLE~ Contains extracts of Basil, Patchouli & Geranium
- OPEN WINDOW~ Contains Lily, Violet & Orange Flower
I have bought all the above packaged in cardboard. Please be aware that tins ike this are almost always epoxy resin lined which is (yes you guessed), a plastic.
They can be bought pretty much everywhere.
Soy Candles
You could try Foundry Candles from Oldham Manchester
“The scents of these delightful hand poured soy candles have been captured perfectly in a tin. Aprox 40 hours burning time. All natural ingredients. Check out all the amazing scents!”
Please be aware that tins are almost always epoxy resin lined which is a plastic.
There are plenty more up on Etsy but they are eye wateringly pricey. You might be better off making your own. How hard can it be?
You can get soy flakes in a reusable cotton bag
- Only supplied in the re-usable cotton storage sack if purchased from Amazon or Aura
- Container blend – NO soot or smoke.
- Achieves a longer burn than paraffin Wax.
- Easy to clean up any spills with soap and water.
- Finest quality American SOY WAX flakes.
Aura’s Eco Soy Wax Flakes. A greener way to make quality candles…. These flakes are the finest quality Eco Soy flakes imported from the United States. Superior to paraffin Wax, candles made with Eco Soy will burn longer and be free of soot & smoke……. BASIC DIRECTIONS: Melt like chocolate. Gradually add your chosen fragrance. Add your colour a little at a time. Secure your wick into the desired container. Pour the melted Eco Soy into your container & leave to harden…..Once set – Enjoy your candle!!
Beeswax
Try these from Etsy, they are made in London and you should be able to discuss packaging with them.
Buy
One of the real joys of buying #plasticfree is sourcing the stuff in local shops. The excitement when you see milk in glass bottle in the newsagents is beyond words.
However sometime you have to buy on line. If so please see if there are links to sellers direct in the post above.
If you can’t do that then I have put together and Amazon catalogue. Yes I know.
If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. This is not why we do it.
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| Bolsius Pack of 6 Household Candles £3.98 |
PRICE’S HOUSEHOLD CANDLES 5PK – 5 CANDLES £2.44 4 |
Sentinel Nightlights X6 £3.40 |
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| BULK PACK of 14 – Ivory Church Candles (60m… £29.99 These look like they might be unwrapped. Please double check before you buy – then tell me! |
Grehom Organic Dinner Candles (Set of 4) – …look to be plastic free! | Heaven Scent 24 Organic Unscented Tea Lights £5.81 |
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| Candles Naturally Plant Wax Unfragranced Te… | Heaven Scent Natural Organic Jumbo Tea Ligh… | Prices Pack of 10 Tealights £5.24 |
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| WASIWAX Handcrafted Wedding Carved Candles … £34.90 As these are made in Britain you might be able to ask about plastic-free packaging |
Magical Floating Candles – 50 Reusable Floa… £20.50 |
Clever & Unique Magical Floating Water … £20.50 |
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| 2.5 KILO Eco Soya / Eco Soy Container Candl… £19.99 |
5metre Wedo LX8 (50mm) Candle Making Wick +… £3.09 |
5 Metres Wedo ECO Candle Making Wick. High … £2.50 |
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| ECO 8 Pre-tabbed Candle Wick – pack of 20 £3.99 |
20 Pre Waxed Wicks For Candle Making Teacup… £2.60 |
Jute Ribbon Brown 7/8 Inch by 10 Yard Roll … £3.59 |
Easter
Easter Sunday falls on April 9, 2023 so time to start planning.
Absolutely disappointed that one of my favourites the M&S Cheese Eggs, with Barber’s Farmhouse Cheddar as whites and a vintage 18-month matured Red Leicester yolk hand-dipped in a duck egg blue wax ‘shell’, does not appear to be the stores. please correct me if I am wrong.
They are doing other plastic free eggs though.
You can find plastic free easter finds over here on Facebook tagged #plasticfreeeaster2023 Please do add and tag your own finds.
Eggs
Easter egg makers are far more environmentally aware than they used to be and it is now easily possible to buy plastic free eggs if you look for them.
If you cant find anything on your local shops these people supply plastic free food on line. Bet they have something…
Online Plasticfree food
This is an interesting option that allows you to buy basic foods on line plastic free. You can even use your own produce bags. Read more HERE
Refillable Eggs
An even greener option is to have a reusable, refillable egg. For example…
You can buy papier-mâché eggs like these… online from here
If your decorating skills leave something to be desired you could try these Beatrix Potter tins can be bought here
There are lots more on eBay and Amazon
Obviously the packaging might be plasticky but contact the supplier and see what they can do. If nothing then console yourself with the thought of all the future plastic you will be saving by going for a reusable.
Then you fill them with sweets and chocolates….
Sweets & Chocolate
You can still buy sweets loose in shops and even some supermarkets. I have seen those pastel chocolate eggs available which are of course ideal.
you can find loose sweets and ethical chocolate here
Or if you are feeling ambitious you try your hand at #plasticfree truffles – egg shaped of course. Find the recipe here.
Don’t Like Sweets?
But one of my favourites has to be the M&S Cheese Eggs! yes. M&S has launched a pack of six wax-covered Mini Cheesy Eggs, with Barber’s Farmhouse Cheddar as whites and a vintage 18-month matured Red Leicester yolk hand-dipped in a duck egg blue wax ‘shell’ and sold in what looks like a cardboard box. For obvious reasons I can’t get out to check.
Don’t like Cheese? Gasp! Flowers are always nice….
Flowers are always a lovely way to celebrate Easter for older or less chocolate orientated people. But gettting them plastic free can be tricky…..
More Special Days, Gifting & Parties
More Special Days, Gifting & Parties
How to special celebrations like Halloween and Christmas. Also those general chocolates/ flowers kind of days.
Plus gifting plastic free. Tips on cards, wrapping, sticky tape and others.
And of course how to party plastic free. The booze, the cocktail shaker the disposable cutlery. Then, when everyone goes home – finally, how to wash up.
See all our posts HERE
N.B.
lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
Wrapping paper
For a one off this might work but if you have a lot of presents to wrap, at Christmas for example, this is not an option. Unless you are filthy rich!
A cheaper, greener alternative much touted on the internet is to recycle newspaper as a wrap. The examples up on Pinterest look lovely and I have no problem with the idea. It’s the content that worries me. I cannot give a present wrapped in the turgid prose of the Stodgeville Gazette.
Which is why (in the days before the bulk tissue purchase), I used to use foreign news papers. Especially Chinese which I thought looked great. For sure they might be lamenting some dreadful triple murder and suicide but who’s to know! Unless you are Chinese obvs!
But how green is it to recycle a chinese newspaper that you cannot read? And I gave up the Stodgeville Gazette years ago.Which is why I ended up buying tissue paper in bulk.
Here are three alternative wrapping paper options:
Wrapping Tissue: This rather grainy, super-cheap tissue paper is used for wrapping breakables.of the cheaper packaging papers on the bulk buy market. I bought it wholesale in a polythene bag and that one purchase seems to be lasting a life time.
Brown Paper:Then there is the kraft paper used for the old school brown paper parcels. You can get huge rolls of this paper which again last forever. This option is very chic in the green, present-wrapping circles!
Newspaper Offcuts. This unmarked white paper is, as it sounds, a waste product of the newspaper industry.
Purchase
You can usually find all the above in shops selling packaging. If you go to a real shop you may be able to get some plastic free. Buy on line and in bulk and it will almost certainly come pre plastic-packed. You have to content yourself with the plastic offset and the knowledge that this plastic is already in your waste stream however you buy.
Read about our thoughts on bulk-buy, plastic-wrapped wholesale here.
Paper available on Amazon
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| White Tissue Paper – 450x700mm. Pack of 500… £16.00 |
PPD 500 Sheets Of White Packing Paper – New… £14.99 |
500mm x 10m Kraft Paper Roll 88gsm £3.55 |
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| 750mm x 20M Heavy Duty Brown Kraft Wrapping… £5.24 |
