But honestly, I’m more excited by this… organic, biodegradable plasticfree elastic!! I haven’t used it yet as I’ve only just found it, but drawstring trousers are a thing of the past. The following is taken from Offset Warehouse website.
What’s so great about this elastic?
Not only is it made using certified organic cotton, it also uses natural instead of synthetic rubber to make it stretch and recover. Both of these materials provide a more stable income for farmers, allowing the local economy to grow. Generally, groves where natural rubber is tapped, is also a protected conservation area. At the end of its life, or at the end of your garment’s life, this elastic can biodegrade unlike its synthetic counterpart. Read more about this elastic, and why we’re so thrilled to be stocking it, over on our shop.
There are a growing number of plasticfree/refill shops in the U.K. Here are the latest finds.
from Twitter
Popped to the fantastically named @weighahead in Dunblane, a new #zerowaste shop near #Stirling. Highlights were finding packaging-free bar soap and stocking up on staples without any single-use plastic. We’ll be back!
Jarfull Ltd
“Our shop all being well will be open sometime in the first couple of weeks of December. We will announce the confirmed date when we have done a little more decorating so please follow our social media pages to keep informed. “From their website
@jarfulluk
2 Bower Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5BQ
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
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
I wear mostly natural fibres but occasionally have problems with elasticine. I thought this referred to elastic. So when the label said 95% cotton 5% elasticine I thought the article of clothing contained elastic. I was kind of confused to find my jeans contained elastic but considered it essential in my knickers. Obviously more research was needed.
What is elasticine? also called Spandex or Lycra
elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It can be stretched up to 7 times it’s own length and snaps back into shape. So yes like elastic in that sense.
BUT rather than a stretchy piece of white stuff threaded through your waistband, it is used in a blend with other fibres. It is often mixed with natural fibres such as cotton to help them keep their shape.
There are two principal methods used in processing elastane. One is to wrap the elastane fibre in a non-elastic thread - either natural or man-made. The resulting yarn has the appearance and feel of the outer fibre used. The second method involves using pure elastane threads, which are worked or woven into fabrics made from other fibres. The added elasticity makes such fabrics more comfortable to wear. Blends with elastane depend on the type of fabric and the end use.
On care labels elastane is often designated as “EL”.
For cotton clothes that need a lot of stretch like socks and knickers it is almost impossible to find them elasticine free.
Why is this a problem?
It is a polyether polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPonts Wikipedia
Basically it is a non biodegradable plastic. The problem with non biodegradable plastic fibres is that they shed when the fabric containing them is washed. They are then swooshed into the drains in the waste water and, too fine to be filtered out, they end up the rivers and sea. Once there, being plastic, they don’t biodegrade. They are now amongst other problems, being eaten by plankton with worrying effects.
And then there is this….”Spandex is made from several chemicals that are known sensitizers. TDI and MDI (Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate; Methylene bisphenyl-4,4-diiisocyanate) are precursors of the polyurethane used to make spandex. TDI, a toxic chemical, has proved carcinogenic and can cause severe dermatitis. MDI is also toxic. Manufacturers of spandex products must use strict quality control procedures to ensure that no residual unreacted MDI or TDI exists in the final product.
Why I boycott….
Seemingly, wherever scientists look, they’re finding plastic fibers contaminating the environment. Often, plastic textile fibers are the dominant source of plastic pollution found in surveys. Plastic fibers have been found in the sediment surrounding beaches, in mangrove groves, and in Arctic ice — even in products we eat and drink. “The average person ingests over 5,800 particles of synthetic debris” a year, a recent paper in PLOSfinds. And most of those particles are plastic fibers.
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
Borax occurs naturally in evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes. The most commercially important deposits are found in Turkey; Boron, California; and Searles Lake, California. Also, borax has been found at many other locations in the Southwestern United States, the Atacama desert in Chile, newly discovered deposits in Bolivia, and in Tibet and Romania. Borax can also be produced synthetically from other boron compounds. WIkkipedia
Proper borax is No longer sold on the shelves in the UK. You have to make do with a borax substitute from Dripak.
“Borax Substitute is sodium sesquicarbonate - a mineral compound, with similar pH to borax, making it ideal for cleaning and laundry. It is gentler than Soda Crystals yet stronger than Bicarbonate of Soda.
Using Borax Substitute around the house
Uses Borax Substitute as a:
Multi-purpose cleaner - Mix it with some water to form a paste. This makes it an excellent scouring agent that offers more cleaning power than Bicarbonate of Soda.
A water softener to help keep your washing machine clear of limescale.
To make your own bath salts, simply add some perfume or essential oils and a drop of food colouring to some Borax Substitute.”
You can use real borax for the above and
Can be used to make a fire retardant spray
To deter moths
More
Borax, washing soda, bicarbonate or all three. What should you use for your cleaning needs? A comparison HERE
See all out #plasticfree cleaning aids HERE
The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone other than me. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully.
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.
If you want a better informed opinion I suggest you head on over to the Aromantics website. They will sell you everything you need to make sun tan lotion including recipes you can download as a PDF. They have been in this game for years and are far more qualified then I am. The following is an account of my own experiences which may help you in your own research.
It is so easy to make your own creams and lotion that once you start you will never look back. The advantages are huge; you get to control what goes on your skin, be way more eco-friendly and save a whole load of cash. You can make almost anything the cosmetic companies sell but without the palm oil, dodgy chemicals and weird colours. Though you can have all those too if you want.
Lotion and cream is basically a mix of oills,waxes or butters with water combined using an emulsifier. Lotions are thinner, cream more solid.
Do you really need to make a cream? Many times you can use an oil or butter neat. But sometimes they are just too oily.
Many commercial creams including E45 use mineral oil. That’s derived from the same gloopy black oil we use to make petrol.
ingredients
To make cream or lotion you will need
Oil, butters & waxes. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. Generally speaking the richer the oil the heavier the cream, the more water you put in the lighter the lotion. There are hundreds of vegetable oils. Different skins like different oils and you will have to experiment to find what is best for you. See my guide to oils here.
Water There is much talk of using distilled water but I use tap.
Cooking thermometer VERY useful .
Emulsifiers: Water and fat do not naturally mix, you need to use an emulsifier.You have to add other ingredients to turn what is basically salad dressing into lovely thick cream. So in addition to oils and water you will need an emulsifier.
Notes On Emulsifiers
The most complex ingredient in cream is the emulsifier. The water and oils are simple enough but this is what makes them bind together.
There are a few completely natural emulsifiers but they do not give consistent results. Most commercially used emulsifiers are manufactured. They are most often derived from coconut oil and palm oil. More recently, rapeseed has been used. But some are produced from pig fats. Check what you buy. I have tried a few with varied success BUT A combination of VE Emulsifier, MF Emulsifier and Cetearyl Alcohol works every time and can be used to make a wide range of products from thick creams to thin lotions.
VE Emulsifier or Glyceryl Stearate is a vegetable-based emulsifier Cetearyl Alcohol is a vegetable based emulsifying wax MF Emulsifier or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate can be fermented from lactose (milk sugar)but more commonly comes from nondairy sources such as cornstarch, potatoes and molasses.
Palm Oil Please note that all the above also may be derived from or include palm oil. Be sure to buy from a good practice supplier. For example there should be something this note on Aromantics VE emulsifier “The Palm oil that is used in both in MF/VE emulsifiers comes from suppliers that are either members of the Round Table of Sustainable Palm Oil or a subsidiary company or who are members of FEDIOL which supports sustainability. FEDIOL is a European industry federation based in Brussels”. You can read more about palm oil here.
Preservatives
Optional?
Oil on its own does not go off - there is no water for bacterial to feed on. Once you have added water to oil then it can. Now your creams are vulnerable to bacteria. Preservatives will help “keep” your cream. I don’t use it as it can cause skin irritations. And I find cream without I less itchy on my skin. I have had a few pots of cream go mouldy but we are talking maybe 5 in the years I have been making my own creams. You can read up and buy preservatives here Aromantics
However there is a growing movement on the internet that insist the bacteria that could grow in your creams could be harmful if spread on the skin. Obviously bacteria can grow in your cream which is why preservatives are added. Without preservatives your cream might have a shorter shelf lie. As to wether it is harmful I cant find any actual research linking cream to infection but i suggest you research more.
For me being able to use moisturiser that doesn’t make my skin flare up is a worthwhile risk. However I do store it in the fridge and use a clean spoon each time to scoop some out.
Pots to put your cream in.
Process
Heat the Fat Stage ingredients in a double boiler (or a metal pot on hot water) until above 75°C. Use a thermometer to check.
Boil the water add the MF emulsifier and other Water Stage ingredients to 75°C.
Take off heat. Now pour the Fat Stage into the Water Stage in a slow steady stream before they drop below 75°C.
Mix well - I use a hand blender.
Allow to cool. Whisk occasionally to achieve a nice creamy consistency. As the mixture cools it becomes thicker and more creamy. It will reach its thickest consistency when it has cooled down to room temperature.
When the temperature is below 40°C you can add active ingredients perfumes or essential oils and other magical things to make you look years younger.
You can also add specialist ingredients to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Put the Cream into jars and label.
Take Care
That everything you use is clean, very clean. Make sure you have enough pots to store your cream in. That you label it – and date it. Believe me you will forget!
Recipes & Kits
Here are some sample recipes.
Supermarket Cream (My recipe)
You can buy all these ingredient from the supermarket. I cut the olive oil with the lighter almond oil because I find it rather heavy. Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!
Fat Stage
20g Cetyl Alcohol
70ml Almond Oil Tesco’s or Asian Shop
30ml Olive Oil
20g coconut oil Tescos or Asian Shop
Water Stage
800ml water
40g MF emulsifier
Fancy Aromatics RecipeTo be honest I think this recipe has way to many ingredients but I like this company, I have used their products many times and think that this will probably make a nice cream. It is also useful to have a recipe that lists by percentages.You can experiment and use different oils, or even less oils. Just make sure the percentages stay the same. For example you can cut the thistle oil and use 10% Apricot Kernal Oil.
Much easier far fewer ingredients. I cut the olive oil with Almond because I find it rather heavy. Makes One liter of cream – have a big pot ready!
Fat Stage
25 g VE Emulsifier
20g Cetyl Alcohol
70ml Almond Oil
30ml Coconut Oil
20g Shea butter
10g Cocoa butter
Water Stage
800ml water
40g MF emulsifier
Design Your Own You can adapt the mix of oils for the above recipes based on your personal preference. If you want to design you own cream from scratch, follow these guidelines… style=”font-size: medium;”>Emulsifiers 5-8%
Oils 12-20%
Water, Additives, and Botanicals to 100 %.
Trouble Shoot Cream too thick? You cannot add more water once the mixture has cooled. This ruins the cream - it will not rub in. You will need to make a thinner lotion and mix your creams to achieve the desired consistency. You can add more oil and mix well. This of course makes your cream more oily.
Lotions
If you want a thinner cream add more water at the water stage.
Kits
If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.
Anti Aging, Sun Tan Lotion & Fake Bake You can add specialist ingredients to your base to make for example sun tan lotion or self tan.
Buy
Aromantics is a good and ethical supplier of ingredients but expensive. I buy a lot of stuff in bulk from other suppliers. Ebay is a good source. Prices vary so do shop around.
Most plastic base ingredients come in plastic bags but I get huge amounts cream out of one small bag of ingredients so I consider it a worthwhile compromise.
Making Personal Care Products
Its quicker then trying to choose between a hundred different shampoos and it’s really simple, fun to do, so much cheaper and I get to control what goes on my body, where it comes from and what environmental impact it has.
Kits If this is your first time making lotions I can also recommend the Aromantics cream making starter pack from www.aromantic.co.uk It comes with everything you need including, sadly, 30 little plastic pots to put it in. All the ingredients were wrapped in plastic bags as well. Hmmm. On the plus side, the cream is really easy to make and they send you several different recipes.
Which wrap should you choose? Well we prefer reusables over all else so here are some wraps you can use over and over again…
Reusable Wraps
Wrap your presents in cloth and tie with string
Or just use cloth and the ancient Japanese method of knotting. Called furoshiki. YOu can find more info here .
Make or buy reusable crackle paper made from recycled tents.
Make or buy a fabric gift bag
Try this stretch wrap from Wragwrap
fabric bottle bag from Wragwrap
Crackle Paper
I have to admit to using synthetic tents. I feel this is one instance where plastic really is the best product for the job, (remembers sleeping under canvas and shudders #plasticweuse). But what to do when your trusty old tent is no longer up to the job. Well you could re- use it to make crinkly sounding wrapping paper. Or if you don’t camp, or sew, you could buy some recycled Glastonbury tent wraps form these guys…. FESTIWRAP
FestiWraps are made from tents, discarded at UK music festivals such as Lattitude and Glastonbury, and then collected by us. Tents that cannot be recovered by charities and would normally be sent to landfill, are collected, cleaned and used to create fabulous reusable gift wrap. The wrap itself is made from two outer layers of tent fabric sandwiched around a piece of ground sheet. This creates a crinkly sound like paper folding and un-folding, bringing the emotional sounds and experience of a wrapped gift to life. The fastening cord, which makes the FestiWrap so quick and easy to use, is made from the recovered tent guy ropes. You can buy here.
It looks more like a hobbies shop catering to quilters, stampers and card makers. But dont be put off by the decoupage, it has recently upped its fabric game. I remember the range as rather limited and extremely synthetic - think dance fabrics. Now it has some really nice stuff; funky prints, subtle colours and a lot of natural fibres.
More plastic free
They sell paper patterns and cotton bias binding by the meter. They have some hessian and cotton ribbens that look natural.
Plasticless
They do 100% cotton thread but it comes on plastic reels. You can get cotton on wooden reels online (link below), but you to be well organised and plan ahead, skills I have yet to master.
The Button Box stocks metal zips in what looks like a polyester fabric.
General
They have all the other stuff you need to sew with but it comes plastic packed (for plasticfree sewing supplies see the link below).
They have a great range of ribbons and laces which look to be mostly synthetic.
Find
The Huddersfield store is located at the entrance of Queensgate Covered Market.
Samuel Taylor’s Button Box
4-5 Queensgate Market Arcade
Princess Alexandra Walk
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire HD1 2UJView on map
01484 435 235
About
Samuel Taylors is a family business that has a number of Yorkshire-based, fabric retail stores and an online shop. You can find them here…
Essential oils have gone from being an obscure aspect of botany to an all round marketing ‘good thing’. Almost every product you buy from washing powder to shampoo trumpets that they contain essential oils. So much better, so much greener. As such they have been embraced by the environmental movement as the fragrance for your home made products, a staple in your medicine chest and the relaxant in your bath.
I have been using them for years thinkin that they are a so eco friendly. But are they really? And are they even oils?
What Are Essential Oils?
They are not actually oils because they do not contain fatty acids.
They are in fact terpenes
Terpenes organic compounds produced by plants (and occasionally insects).
Terpenes are made up of isoprene units, each consisting of five carbon atoms attached to eight hydrogen atoms (C5H8)
They are often strong-smelling.
So essential oils are the strong smelling terepenes found in plants and insects.
Terpenes
Terepenes (along with phenolics nitrogen-containing compounds ) are called secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are chemicals produced by plants for which no role has yet been found in growth, photosynthesis, reproduction, or other “primary” functions. These chemicals are extremely diverse; many thousands have been identified in several major classes. Each plant family, genus, and species produces a characteristic mix of these chemicals, and they can sometimes be used as taxonomic characters in classifying plants. Humans use some of these compounds as medicines, flavorings, or recreational drugs.
Just so you know - search for terepenes and you get a lot of information about marijuana
They are often characteristic of particular species, are sometimes only produced under particular environmental conditions and for different reasons. The lemon tree for examples produces a pungent oil to repel insects while the rose creates pungent oil to attract them.
N.B. Fragrance oil and essential oil are NOT the same thing. Fragrance” or “fragrance oil” or “perfume” often refers to synthetic scents.
Medical Qualities
Some essential oils appear to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Others may help speed up healing. However while many claims are made about the potency of essentail oils there is not enough scientific evidence to back them up. Generally it seems to be accepted that they do some limited good though should not be relied on to cure any serious complaints or used to swab down an operating theatre.
While they might not be hugely effective they dont do much harm either. Secondary metabolites are broken down relatively easily so are unlikely to accumulate in large quantities in the environment.
Growing the Oil
Though figures vary you can safely say it takes a lot of plants to produce a small amount of oil..
For one pound of essential oil you will need
50-60 pounds of eucalyptus
200 -250 lbs of lavender Sources include Bulgaria, England, France, USSR, Yugoslavia, Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, Tanzania, Italy and Spain2 2,000 lbs of cypress
5,000 to 10,000 pounds of rose blossoms to produce one pound of essential oil. Primary cultivation sites for one company include: France, Tasmania, Spain, Italy, England, and China.
Extracting the Oil
Terpenes are usually extracted from plants by steam distillation or chemical extraction.
Environmental Concerns
No matter how they are grown essential oils take up a lot of agricultural land
Growing single species for harvest results in a monoculture style of farming.
Plus all the other demands of farming, - water, fuel, fertilisers organic or not.
It is a lot of input for a very small harvest of what is basically a luxury product.
Add to that the fuel needed to extract the oils “If steam distillation is used temperatures above two hundred degrees applied anywhere from 2-24 hours to extract various oils. ”
If chemical solvents are used which are more effective and so require less plant material, but in turn pose issues of toxicity for people and the environment.
Some oils are harvested from the wild from threatened species. Cropwatch, a non-profit that keeps tabs on the natural aromatics industry, maintains a list of wild species threatened including rosewood, sandalwood, amyris, thyme, cedarwood, jatamansi, gentian, wormwood and cinnamon,
Should You Use Them…
Personally all of which makes me wary of using essentail oils. I do love the smell but I don’t like the idea that so many resources go into making one tiny bottle of luxury scent.
If you are going to use essentail oils please use them sparingly and buy from a company that is clear about how they grow and harvest their oils.
Buying plastic-free, sustainable clothes is no easy matter so I have taken up sewing. Which means I now have to source a whole load of plastic free sewing aids. Hardest of all is needles and pins which often come plastic packed. Well not on this blog they don’t. Look at these pins in a cardboard box and needles in a wooden case.
They are sold by Merchant & Mill from their shop
14A Tower Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7AT. open from 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday..
Too far away? They have a mail order service and here is there reply to my enquiries about packaging
Yes, our products are packed in card board and we use newsprint paper rather than bubble wrap to wrap them with. We can send them out in brown paper for you rather than a padded envelope.
Want a halloween costume that doesn’t involve a lot of plastic?
The skull T was found over on Pinterest along with lots more very clever cut out ideas - some with instructions. The rest you might have to work out for yourself. Eek!
Martha Stewart can show you how to make cut out skeleton teeshirts. Which strikes me as rather strange. I didn’t think that was her thing.
If you are not so crafty, you might like to go as a head on a box!? Or 50 shades of grey…
Halloween can be truly a time of plastic madness what with the masks, fake blood and sweets. I beg you to consider just how evil all that plastic is. So here are some plastic free ideas…
Pumpkin Lanterns
Each year finds me busy carving my own biodegradable lantern. It’s easy ; buy your self a vegetable, hollow it out cut out a face (or message) and stick a candle in. You can then make soup out of the innards.
I used to be too tight to buy a pumpkin so used swede instead. I have to admit that swede soup is not as nice. Also pumpkins are easier to carve - its hard work hollowing out swedes.
More plastic free fun…
Get (or make) some fabric trick or treat bags to take out with you - not to my house obvs.
Buy plastic free sweets for when the ghouls come calling.
Want a halloween costume that doesn't involve a lot of plastic? The skull T was found over on Pinterest along with lots more very clever cut out ideas - ... Read More
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 ... Read More
Organising a big bash? Nipping off out to buy some paper plates? WAIT!!! Given the choice between washing up and disposable partyware, the answer may seem obvious. Or maybe ... Read More
Print and stick these creepy labels onto a wine bottles to make a suitably themed halloween gift - but don't use avery labels as some suggest! Print onto ... Read More
The day of the dead skull and more nice stuff is over at cool moms. These are more kid focused. You print them out, colour them in. And then ... Read More
Follow the instructions to make a cunning canvas reusable hat. On this extremely crafty blog... Find more fantastic Halloween party ideas here. How To Boycott Plastic Find plastic-free ... Read More
I know you family types need to plan ahead so, lets get ready for,...ooooooooo.......halloween.... Well my nasty little ghouls and ghosties you will be getting no plastic wrapped ... Read More
I don't care if the lady loves milk tray, she's not getting a box of chocks from me. Not with that plastic wrapping, plastic cover sheet and plastic sweet ... Read More
Buying plastic free cotton is hard. In my experience a lot of the cheaper cottons come plastic wrapped. If you buy unwrapped, cotton cotton (if you know what I mean), the reel is plastic! Buy cheaper “cotton” often on a cardboard reel and the thread is not cotton but synthetic! Polyester or some such which is of course non biodegradable and plastic! But then I found this….on a wooden reel - from Intermarche. Yes I know that’s in France. I bought loads to sew with at home.
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 review here
Organic Biz do what look to be the sameand say this about them …. the cotton is “made from organically grown long staple cotton which gives a silky strong thread. Cost is £2.99 natural or coloured and are 300yds (275m) which compared to Gutterman 100 metre spools of thread (around £1.50).
They come on heavy wooden spools, really nice to handle”
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.
The hemp Shop pure Organic Hemp Strapping and fabric
RaystichHas a nice range of wollen fabrics some of it made in the U.K. and some 100% cotton fleece. Ian MankinLovely organic furnishing fabrics Drapers Organic are the Hemp Shower Curtain, Hemp Fabric and Hemp Homeware Company. Mauds Fabric FindsWhere 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.
Maggies Fabrics I bought some Highland wool, pink gingham cotton and some lawn from Maggie, a very nice Ebay traderwho 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.
Simple, subtle plusses on a gray ground make up this sophisticated fabric. 100% organic cotton knit.
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.
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.
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
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!
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
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