London Fashion Week...

... has some really dedicated people! There was a whole section dedicated to eco-friendliness and sustainable living.

I'm going to review them this week, so watch this space!

Car pooling

Everyone likes to travel by car; it's quick, it's easy and you can listen to whatever music you want. But people forget that driving a car is one of the main contributions to CO2 emissions in the UK.

But I don't want to ask you stop driving to get to work or go shopping; I don't want to stop. Instead, I think we should take up car pooling.

So what is car pooling? Here's a definition from wikipedia, but I usually think of car pooling as getting a lift; asking a friend for a 'lift' to the local shopping centre or to work. Most people do this anyway, but just don't do it all the time.

So what are the benefits?

• Less noise pollution
• Reducing traffic, thus reducing journey times
• Reduce CO2 emissions
• Spending more time with friends or colleauges
• Reducing demand for car parking

So if you're interested in car pooling, how can you get involved?

• Get together with a group of friends and arrange car sharing
• Research car pooling services on the internet
• Put an advertisment in the newspaper or in a shop window

As for me, I'll do my bit for the environment and keep on getting lifts with my friends.

The plastic bag

Recently there has been so much talk on the plastic bag. Usually it's all about how they damage the environment.

It's been known for a long time that plastic bags can harm and even kill animals, because they can suffocate them. They are also a danger to young children for the same reason.

According to this article by The Daily Mail, plastic bags are affecting animals every where. When they swallow the bags, it ends up making them starve and they die a slow and painful death. Because of these deaths, many people are calling for a ban of plastic bags in the UK.

A village in South Devon has become the first to ban plastic bags completely. They have their own limited edition Modbury bag, which is now a collectors item. So if a little village can switch over to re-usable bags, can the rest of us?

To be honest, I don't think it matters if we can or not. I'm just so surprised that they haven't tried to find a way of recycling plastic bags. I always keep some plastic bags in my room for my little bin and I think it's a great way of re-using them, but I can't keep every single one given to me in my room; I'd end up with nothing else in it.

Conserve India have thought up a good way to use plastic bags. They use creativity to make them into fashion bags and accessories. What's more, they're even trying to help people in poor communities.

Let me know what you think about this. Could you be bothered to pay for a re-usable plastic bag? Can you re-use the free plastic bags? Do you think it's worth switching?

Would you have an eco-friendly wedding?

I was browsing the Internet for some eco-events, when I came across this idea about having an eco-friendly wedding. There are a lot of websites dedicated to these eco-friendly weddings, but I'm just wondering if this is the right idea for someone like me.


So how do we create an eco-friendly wedding?


There are a number of things that the bride and groom can do before the big day to make sure their eco-friendly wedding is as eco-friendly as possible. Here are a few tips:


* Grow your own wedding flowers
* Choose local food and drink suppliers
* Ask for eco-friendly wedding gifts
* Use eco-friendly stationery to write your invitations and thank you cards


The list just goes on and it covers the simplest things; things a non-married woman like me doesn't think about. But, here's my question: how do you make your eco-friendly wedding dress eco-friendly?


According to this website, the eco-friendliest way is to buy or borrow second-hand. In my opinion, I would never want to buy a second-hand dress from anywhere; who knows what's happened in it.


They also suggest buying your wedding dress in a vintage shop. Well, it's a good idea, but not everyone finds something they like in a vintage shop; it's called vintage for a reason.


Oxfam is also used as a suggestion for buying eco-friendly wedding dresses; I'm all for helping people out who are less fortunate than myself, but... no!


A better suggestion is to find a designer who knows how to buy eco-friendly materials and get your eco-friendly dress made. I would consider having my dress made, because it's exactly what a wedding dress is all about; it's all about originality, being yourself and making yourself look gorgeous.


Maybe an eco-friendly wedding can work, but I think you've got to be pretty laid back about it, as so many things could go wrong. But then again, what wedding doesn't have its ups and downs?

You don't need Vanish anymore!

Does it take you three washes to get those stubborn stains out? Are you fed up with wasting water? Then you need Ecover stain remover!

I know, I sound like a commercial. But I know how annoying it is to get a stain on your favourite white skirt and it takes a million washes to get it out. It took my mum about two washes at least to get every blue stain out of it; my blue hair cream exploded in my suitcase when I went to Poland, if you were wondering...

How does it work?

Put fabric in water to moisten it. When you spread the solution onto the stain, use the built-in brush to work it in. Then just put it in with your normal load of washing.

So what is so great about this Ecover stain remover?

• Most of it's ingredients are plant based
• It's not tested on animals
• The packaging is a 100% recyclable
• Has a minimal impact on aquatic life

But how does it benefit my washing?

• Suitable for white and colourfast laundry
• Effective in removing those stubborn stains, such as grass, mud, blood and grease
• Perfect for shirts collars and cuffs

The only disadvantage about this product is that it's not suitable for silk and delicate fabrics, which in my opinion is what stubborn stains ruin if the stain isn't washed off.

Christmas presents?

A friend of mine who specialises in textiles mailed me some sites about eco-textiles. I browsed the sites and I took to a site called LoooLo. I seriously believe that my prayers have been answered; Christmas is saved this year!

You're probably asking what eco-textiles has to do with Christmas, right? Well I'll tell you.

I (my mum) always buy my grandparents scarfs and they usually return the favour. LoooLo actually sell scarves, cushions and blankets made from certified organic materials, which is great for the environment.

The other great thing about these eco-products is if you really don't want them, you can throw them onto your compost heap and they will biodegrade within the year. Great way to hide those unwanted gifts and perfect for all you garden lovers.

Go put the kettle on!

Did you know that in Britain we drink 229 million cups of tea and coffee everyday? It's no surprise that they've made an eco-kettle!

How does the eco-kettle work?

The eco-kettle has two chambers; a central chamber and a outer boiling chamber. By pressing the button on the lid, the water dispenced into the boiling chamber from the central chamber, which can be filled right to the top. At the push of a button you can set the exact amount of water you need; the kettle only boils up to eight cups at a time.

How does the eco-kettle save energy?

• reduces the boiling time by 90 seconds
• uses less electricity
• reduces your carbon emissions

And if that isn't enough to convince you! The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reckons that if every kettle user in the UK switched to the eco-kettle then we'd save 1,270,000,000 kWh of electricity every year.

So get an eco-kettle and make everyone a cuppa!

Under the sea...

Is it possible for humans to live under the sea? Can you imagine looking out of your window everyday and seeing miles of ocean? This guy can!


Shaun Waterford is attempting to live under water for three months to try and break a world record. But is that the only reason for his adventure? In his interview with Joanne from Rocketboom, Shaun emphasises that he is living in the dome, because he wants promote awareness of the effects global warming has on the oceans.

So what do I think of this guy and his under water attempt? I like it and I agree with everything he says. When you talk about global warming, you're usually talking about the rain forests. Is this because we can see the effects?

On Shaun's Myspace, it says that scuba and the ocean are a part of his interests, which could mean he's seen the effects of global warming on the seas. And his knowledge about his project and the ocean is amazing. He explains how his dome will become similar to a coral reef, because of fish and other sea life creatures living on it.

So, if you wanna part of this amazing dome, then get bidding for it on eBay!

In conclusion, I think that this idea is great! If anyone thinks this guy is crazy then just think; if the sea level keeps rising, then we're all going to be living under the sea.

Facebook's getting involved...

Facebook have a new free gift; a save energy logo. The logo promotes changing old light bulbs for new CFL bulbs.

Fed up with washing machine tablets?

Most tablets available in supermarkets will only last for about 24 washes, which could cost you a fortune if you go for the environmental friendly brand. So what can you do to reduce your water bill and help the environment?

Eco-balls are the new way to wash your clothes, without damaging the environment. They last up to 1000 washes and are chemical free. Also, they will save you around 85% on your washing bill, compared to buying leading washing up powder.

Using eco-balls also can benefit other aspects of your life:

• They are great for people who have eczema, sensitive skin or babies/children as they are hypoallergenic.
• There's no need for fabric softener even in hard water areas, which will add savings to your water bill.
  
• You can use them in low temperatures, which will help the environment even more.
  
• The balls don't fade colours in your clothes and don't damage fibres.

But do these balls actually work? Justin Rowlatt did an experiment in 2006 on the eco-balls and this is what he found.

And if that doesn't convince you, then ecoballsdirect will let you try a 30 day trial.