I try to keep my advertising on here to a minimum, but
every so often a company catches my attention with its fantastic eco ethos. This
past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the trade show Top Drawer London as
research for my work over on MissElaineous and came across not one but two such
products.
The first is Weaver Green, a company that weaves rugs, blankets,
and handbags out of plastic bottles. This is a great way to recycle
waste, and the designs they’ve developed are stylish and stunning. Not only is the material recycled, the
company also keeps an eye on their carbon footprint and will soon be switching to
vegan leather for their handbags. If the
provenance of your homewares is important to you, this company is certainly
worth checking out.
The other product is more whimsical in nature, asking the
question “What if socks could change the world?” The appropriately named Stand4 Socks creates
fun sock designs, each of which supports a United Nations Global Goal. These include topics like education, gender
equality, planting trees and supporting vaccines. If you’re like my brother-in-law (hi, Ben!)
and have developed an addiction to socks in funky colours and designs, these
are for you.
When it comes to purchases and products, everyone knows
the 3 Rs—Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle—and I would argue that there’s another that
should be included: Rethink. Do you even
need it? Is it hard wearing and of decent quality—or will it
need to be replaced soon? Can it be
repaired if it breaks? The battle to
reduce waste shouldn’t be about depriving ourselves, but rather reconsidering
how we go about our lives and making choices that help us live a little more
lightly on the planet.