Sustainable online shopping - eco conscious sites I love for greener online shopping

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As online shopping has flourished in recent years and is now intertwined in most people’s daily lives, it is more important than ever to be eco conscious about the sites that we spend our money with as we shop from the comfort of our couch.

Shopping at sites that are eco conscious and champion environmentally friendly products and packaging blends sustainability with convenience. 

Take a look below at some of my favourite online shops that are eco conscious and are super sustainable sites.

tentree

Inspired by Nature, Made From Nature - tentree is rooted in the belief that we have a responsibility to protect and preserve the world we live in. With that in mind they are passionate about sustainable products and giving back to nature with their tentree promise. 

tentree makes and sells sustainable clothing and accessories for women, men and kids, that are made with sustainable materials that are kind to the planet and made to last whilst offering comfort and style that conjure the beauty of nature. 

For every product purchased they plant 10 trees. Aiming to drastically reduce climate change, they have a vision to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. So far they have planted over 30 million trees and restored land in over 8 countries. They partner with charitable organizations across the world to plant trees and rehabilitate natural ecosystems.

Their earth first apparel is made from sustainable materials. The environmentally conscious materials are kinder to the planet and feel great to wear. Their products are also ethically manufactured.

Country Mouse

Country Mouse is a quintessential and charming British company that sells luxury wool throws, knitwear and accessories. As seen in Vanity Fair and House Beautiful, Country Mouse specialises in natural fibres. 

With the decision to stock natural fibres at the heart of Country Mouse, their high quality yarn and woollen items are sustainable. Not only are natural fibres sustainable and good for the environment, they look good, wear well and are highly breathable.

Country Mouse works closely with carefully selected mills and factories including  OEKO-TEX® certified factories, Country Mouse knows and understands the story behind their products.

If you are looking for high-quality wool products and knitwear that are lovely, stylish and made to a high standard, whether that’s a wool throw, merino wool throw, alpaca socks or luxury wool socks, look no further than Country Mouse.

Daisy London

Daisy London creates gorgeous jewellery that elevates your everyday style, modern heirlooms that are made to last and that you will love for years. 

Daisy London Jewellery blends meaning, style, quality and sustainably. They ethically craft their jewellery with love and thought, sharing beautiful pieces from their jewellery box to yours.

Without compromising on style or quality, they successfully strive to create sustainably crafted jewellery in 100% recycled sterling silver and 18ct gold plate.

Responsibly sourced and ethically crafted, all of their much-loved Daisy London jewellery is lovingly made in 100% recycled 925 sterling silver. Their beautiful collection of silver jewellery includes bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings. In addition all of their gemstones are ethically sourced.

Their stunning sustainable jewellery is beautifully packaged in eco packaging. Made with FSC certified materials, all of their packaging can be reused, recycled or repurposed and there is an option to choose less packaging at checkout.

Their jewellery is now greener than ever! Not only did Daisy London work hard to become Carbon Neutral, offsetting the same amount of carbon that we generate, but they took things one step further and became certified Carbon Positive in April 2022, meaning they offset three times the amount of carbon that they generate. 

Daisy also invests in projects via a Plannet Zero initiative that focus on biodiversity conservation; helping protect tropical rainforests through Maísa REDD+ Project and aiding the development of wind farms through theWind Farm Project in Karnataka, India.

But that’s not all. Daisy is also a certified 4ocean clean up partner. For every item purchased, Daisy x 4ocean will remove 90g of plastic, equivalent to 10 small plastic bottles, from our planet's oceans.

Satisfyingly Daisy also has The Daisy Chain - a fully traceable supply chain. All of their suppliers have signed their Ethical and Sustainability policy ensuring the welfare of all staff. Their important Daisy Chain sees them proudly working with craftspeople, suppliers and Responsible Jewellery Council certified factories as well as couriers, production and packers; all of whom are valued links in their Daisy Chain.

Copenhagen Candles

The Home of Hygge Scents, The Copenhagen Company is a family run business who specialise in luxury home fragrance since 1999. Inspired by Founder Bo’s Danish roots and passion for fine fragrance, their collection includes an array of room sprays, diffusers and candles in a variety of sizes that embrace scents from around the world. 

They curate, design and manufacture each product in their own factory by people who care and are proud to be vegan and cruelty free, affordable without compromising on quality, ethical and sustainable, and authentic Hygge.

They work ethically and sustainably across everything they do, from their solar powered factory to using recyclable products wherever possible. They care deeply about the environment and are completely committed to this in the way they design, create and share their  products. As they are passionate about doing good, they pledge to continue to work towards their goal of becoming carbon neutral. For this reason, we pledge to you, our valued customer, that we will continue to work towards our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Their lovely products that take customers on a sensory discovery, such as their fragrant candles are made using natural products including a natural wax blend and cotton wick, which are beautifully packaged in recyclable packaging. 

Oxford distillery

The Oxford Artisan Distillery is Oxford’s first craft distillery and one of the World’s very few true craft distilleries. 

At the very heart of their spirits is the seed they plant. They are the only distillery using diverse populations of ancient heritage grains – rye, wheat and barley that are adapted to their local growing conditions - to produce their full range of spirits including whisky, gin and vodka.

Their ethos is to do small things to make the world a better place. From the ancient heritage grains grown exclusively for them within 50 miles of Oxford to their magnificent handmade custom stills, they care for the world as they proudly make their one-of-a-kind spirits. 

The Oxford Artisan Distillery are the only distiller in the world to use these populations of ancient heritage grains; painstakingly sourced, revived and bulked up over many years and grown sustainably in methods last used in the 1800s by local organic and regenerative farms on over 300 acres of English countryside. As a result their spirits have a flavour that cannot be achieved from commercial grain; a signature maltiness with caramel undertones that wins us our rave reviews. And their ancient farming and heritage grain encourages biodiversity and sustains the agro-ecosystem – from microorganisms in the soil, to an abundance of wildflowers to insects buzzing and birds flying above.

Trade To Aid reusable period pads review

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Trade To Aid are proud to join the reusable pad movement - with their own special twist.

Join the reusable pad movement with Trade To Aid and do good with your period.

Trade To Aid makes reusable period pads that are comfortable, secure and save you money. Made of recycled and reusable materials, their pads are simple to wash and easy to reuse. Reusable pads reduce waste, keep plastic out of landfill and away from the oceans.

Sustainable travel: how to be a more sustainable traveller

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With people all across the globe looking at their individual carbon footprints and changing their lifestyles to be more eco-friendly, many are looking at ways to improve the impact their travelling has on the globe. 

Top Tips to Becoming More Environmentally Friendly

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Have you been living quite a wasteful life and feel it’s time for a change? Becoming more environmentally friendly may feel quite overwhelming because there are so many things you can change, but the trick is to take it one alteration at a time until it all starts to come naturally. Since Covid-19, the economy has started to struggle, so it’s become even more important to start cutting back and saving by living a ‘greener’ lifestyle. 

Reasons to switch to LED lighting

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One home feature that has a big impact on the look and feel of a room is lighting. Similar to how the colours, textures, fixtures, fittings, furniture and accessories in a room can change the style and feel of a room, the amount and types of lighting in a room can drastically change the room.

The lighting fixture that you choose not only provides functionality by lighting up a room but it is also a feature in it’s own right. The style of the lighting fixture helps create the room’s look - a minimalistic fixture can help create a modern, minimalist style or an ornate lamp with stained glass can be a statement piece and work well in a traditional or shabby chic styled room.

The type of light fitting also matters. In fact the lights in a room can impact on the feel of a room. A room with plenty of lights or bright lights can make a room feel bright and fresh or too cold and stark whilst a room with minimal lights can create either a cosy atmosphere or make the room feel dark and dingy. 

When thinking about a room’s lighting one of the decisions you have to make is what type of lighting do you want. There are a number of options available on the market with one popular option being LED lighting.

In recent years, thanks to improved technology and the ban of incandescent bulbs followed by a ban on halogen bulbs the popularity of LED bulbs has increased with plenty of LED suppliers in the UK available to source the perfect LED lighting for your home.

Eco friendly Christmas gift ideas

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Ways to make your office more eco-friendly

Being eco-friendly and kind to the environment is a hot topic and an important issue that people across the globe are championing. 

With the need to be eco-friendly being more important than ever, people are changing their habits in a bid to be more green and help our world. 

It is amazing how even a few small changes can significantly impact on your environmental footprint. Not only is it important that individuals make positive changes to benefit the environment but that companies do too. 

Splitcha - making online shopping abroad easy

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The saying the ‘world is your oyster’ is very apt for our modern world as we can achieve anything we want to. In particular, if we want the whole world is ours to see and experience. Travelling the globe or venturing abroad to settle down is now the norm with the world a multicultural melting pot of people from all warps of life.

As travelling the world is now so easy it is common place that most people have to keep in touch with loved ones from across the ocean. Whether it is keeping in touch with loved ones who are travelling different countries or those who have emigrated to a new country, there can be many miles, countries and oceans separating us from friends and family.

Wonderful ways to help wildlife this summer season

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As you become more aware of the world around you, it seems saddening that our planet is under threat. If we don’t do our part to take care of the beautiful world around us, it won’t be here for our great great grandchildren to enjoy. You may have created the perfect family home, but we are having a huge impact on animal’s homes without even realizing. Helping wildlife is something everyone can do with a minimal amount of effort. Whether you’re feeding the birds or reducing the amount of household waste you produce, you can start doing your part this summer season.

How your garden can help tackle air pollution

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Rising air pollution is a big problem. Air pollution can cause both short term and long term effects on health. In fact 40,000 deaths each year in the UK are linked to toxic air levels. The severity of this invisible killer is highlighted in the fact that one girl's tragic death could mark the first death certificate to have 'toxic air' cited as the primary cause of death.

With toxic air impacting on our health it is no surprise that people are considering what they can do to tackle air pollution.

Looking at our carbon footprint and making positive changes to lower our carbon footprint can help fight against rising air pollution.

Another way to change toxin levels in the air is to look at things that will clean the air – PLANTS! Thankfully there are a number of plants that can be grown in your garden and community areas that are ideal for fighting air pollution as they help purify and clean the air. Let's venture outdoors and look at the best plants to help purify, filter and clean the air.

Go loco for cocoa and save a rainforest

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It’s not often that your guilty pleasures can help protect a rainforest – but the RSPB’s first chocolate bar does just that!

How to Encourage Eco-Friendly Practices in Your Home

As people we are becoming more and more aware of how important it is to take good care of this world around us. This means looking at our everyday lives and seeing if there are things that we could to better to protect the environment, use less resources and just generally be much more eco-friendly.

One great place to start on your eco-aware journey is at home. Whilst you may think that this only has a small impact, if everyone made this small impact, then it would come together to make a pretty big, pretty impressive result.

The future is electric - reasons to switch to an electric car

The world we live in is forever changing. New products and ways of life are continually being unveiled,changes that promise to overhaul and improve our lives. Old products and lifestyles are improved or scrapped in the hope of a better life. As we see great changes with the lifestyle of today being worlds apart from the lifestyle 50 years ago, heck even a decade ago, we have to adjust to our dynamic and developing world that is continually changing.

One industry that has had big changes in the past few decades and presently has ever-changing developments that will change our future is the automotive industry. Changes we have seen in the past years include leaded petrol being phased out, safety measures such as increased amount of airbags and anti-lock braking system and new technology such as smart keys, rear view cameras and car sensors. One of the biggest changes in the automotive industry in the past few years is the development and introduction of electric cars. As electric cars are becoming more prominent, so much so that NewMotion charging stations are popping up all across the UK, it seems as if the future of the automotive industry is electric.

So what are the benefits of an electric car? Why switch to electric?

Stroller wish list.

Whilst I love babywearing and adore carrying Jelly Bean on a daily basis, there are times when it would be lovely to have a stroller available as an alternative option. Windy and rainy days doing the school run, shopping trips with heavy bags, or when others are helping to look after Jelly Bean, are times when the lack of a stroller is apparent and subtly missed.

Even though we do have a travel system it is so big, bulky, ugly, tatty and super heavy that I have banished it and neglect using it. Thanks to the steps outside of our house and the fact that it takes up the whole of our boot in the car, using it for quick trips to school or taking in the car to use on days out are more hassle than what it is worth.

With that in mind I have been thinking about the fact that it would be a good idea to welcome a stroller I actually like and that suits our lifestyle better into our home.

For days when I want to go shopping or when my mum who cannot babywear due to health reasons (but would love to if she could and would rock at it!) is helping look after Jelly Bean I want a stylish, lightweight and compact stroller.

Looking at strollers I have narrowed down our options to the following –

Win an eco2life cleaning box.

Since reviewing eco2life our home has been sparkling clean.  Thanks to eco2life’s eco-friendly cleaning products that are made in the UK using naturally derived ingredients I have embraced green cleaning, keeping our home squeaky clean using their innovative eco cleaning system.

“eco2life is a 21st century product with a 21st century eco-conscience…a range of eco green products designed to pioneer new standards in environmental cleaning.  eco2life's environmentally friendly cleaning products include a refillable glass cleaner, a refillable bath cleaner, a refillable floor cleaner and a refillable multi surface cleaner.  Four green household cleaning products each specially formulated from naturally derived, eco-friendly ingredients to deliver high class cleaning performance…but with a smaller carbon footprint”. 

eco2life consists of 4 green household cleaning products; a multi-surface cleaner, bath and shower cleaner, glass cleaner and floor cleaner.  eco2life’s green cleaning products contain naturally derived biodegradable ingredients and are free from nasty chemicals –

*  No Phosphates

*  No Silicate or Caustics

*  No Petroleum Solvents

*  No Paragons

*  Chlorine Free

eco2life’s “brilliantly simple refill system” consists of small wonders which “are little bottles of cleaning solution which you dilute at home with ordinary tap water…to make a full bottle of ready-to-use eco2life eco cleaning product”.

Having embraced green cleaning myself I am delighted that eco2life have kindly offered an eco2life Cleaning Box as a giveaway prize so that one lucky winner can do some green cleaning of their own. 

eco2life cleaning products review.

I have always endeavoured to use eco-friendly products and since becoming a parent I think a lot more about the products I use.   In particular, now that I have a little one and cleaning has become even more paramount than before I think twice about what cleaning products I use.  As I now strive to use products that are eco-friendly and contain as little chemicals as possible for the inevitable chore of cleaning, I was delighted when I was given the opportunity to review some eco-friendly cleaning products from eco2life.

eco2life produce a range of eco-friendly cleaning products that are inspired by an Australian idea that became prominent over 15 years ago.  With an aim to keep true to the original idea “to create an environmentally sustainable cleaning system using ingredients derived from corn, sugar cane, coconut, vegetables and citric acids” eco2life have created a range of cleaning products with ingredients that are naturally derived.

“eco2life is a 21st century product with a 21st century eco-conscience…a range of eco green products designed to pioneer new standards in environmental cleaning.  eco2life's environmentally friendly cleaning products include a refillable glass cleaner, a refillable bath cleaner, a refillable floor cleaner and a refillable multi surface cleaner.  Four green household cleaning products each specially formulated from naturally derived, eco-friendly ingredients to deliver high class cleaning performance…but with a smaller carbon footprint”.

I love the sound of eco2life’s eco green cleaning products and I particularly love their ethos of creating cleaning products that are eco-friendly in more ways that simply consisting of eco-friendly ingredients.

“So…how do we go beyond the eco-friendly ingredients to create an entire eco-friendly cleaning system that ticks all the green clean boxes?

Easy.  We start by leaving out one of the world's most precious resources…water.  Many green cleaning products are mostly water.  Water is heavy…and it's bulky. It requires lots of packaging and makes major demands on transport and distribution.  Instead, our eco cleaning system uses 'Small Wonders'.

'Small Wonders' are little bottles of cleaning solution which you dilute at home with ordinary tap water…to make a full bottle of ready-to-use eco2life eco cleaning product.

Next comes the bottle that we provide for the ready-to-use solution.  It's made of a plastic which means it can be used 10 times…and has a trigger that's been tested for up to 10,000 sprays.  That's long life performance.  But we're not resting on our laurels.  We're always researching…always developing…in the search for even greener bottles to use.

And, last but not least, comes other essential packaging.  The philosophy is simple.  If it's not needed, we don't use it.  But, however hard we try, some outer packaging is inevitable.  Even then, we make sure that whatever card or paper we are forced to use is fully FsC and PEFC accredited and widely recyclable.

In fact, every aspect of the product and the packaging is carefully sourced with the environment and ethical consumers in mind.  So eco2life is the perfect way to keep your home spotlessly clean without leaving your mark on the planet!”

eco2life’s philosophy is green, clean and simple.

With an ethos I whole heartily admire I was excited about seeing whether the ec02life eco-friendly, green cleaning products had a cleaning power to match their powerful eco-friendly attitude.  I received eco2life’s 4 green household cleaning products; a multi-surface cleaner, bath and shower cleaner, glass cleaner and floor cleaner.  In the set I was sent I had 4 empty 500ml reusable spray bottles and 4 50ml ‘small wonders’ refill bottles.

I love the fact that eco2life green cleaning products contain naturally derived biodegradable ingredients and are free from nasty chemicals –

*No Phosphates

*No Silicate or Caustics

*No Petroleum Solvents

*No Paragons

*Chlorine Free

As well as appreciating the fact that the cleaning products do not contain nasty chemicals and that their bottles are 100% recyclable I love the fact that the eco2life cleaning products are safe to use around children, pregnant women and animals.

“The combination of low volatile organic compounds/no fumes, a neutral pH level, no known Carcinogens or health effects mean these products are a safe choice for use in the home”.

I love eco2life’s simple refill and reuse system, in 3 easy steps the green clean products are ready to use –

1.  Fill the 500ml reusable spray bottle with water until it is ½ full.

2.  Pour the 50ml ‘small wonders’ solution into the spray bottle and fill it up to the top with water.

3.  Secure the top on the bottle, shake well and start cleaning.

Multi-surface cleaner.

As the name suggests this cleaner can be used all over the house on different surfaces and for different cleaning jobs.  I like using multi-surface cleaners as they are so versatile and the eco2life multi-surface cleaner is brilliant at cleaning a variety of different messes and surfaces.  No cleaning job has been too big for the multi-surface cleaner and it leaves surfaces smelling fresh and clean with a fragrant hint of a lemon and ginger.  The eco2life multi-surface cleaner is made using naturally blended coconut, corn and vegetable derivatives with a lemon and ginger fragrance.

Glass cleaner.

I struggle to find a glass cleaner that I like with many either containing chemicals that irritate my skin or leave glass streaky so I was keen to see whether the eco2life glass cleaner would be kind to my skin and make everything sparkle with no streaks in sight. 

Made with ingredients derived from coconut and vegetables the glass cleaner has a lovely lemon and ginger fragrance.  Thanks to the naturally derived ingredients the glass cleaner has not irritated my skin and I am pleased to say it has left my mirrors and windows sparkling.

Floor cleaner.

I like that compared to other floor cleaners the eco2life floor cleaner does not contain traditional chemicals; containing instead ingredients derived from nature.  The floor cleaner is made using ingredients derived from corn, coconut and vegetables with a lemon and ginger fragrance that leaves floors smelling clean with a delicate lemon and ginger aroma.

I found it a bit weird at first to be using a floor cleaner that uses a spray trigger system as I am used to using floor cleaners that you tip into a bucket of water but I can see the benefit of using a spray trigger system is that you will reduce the amount of water you normally use to clean your floors.  I am learning to love this new way of cleaning my floors and I find it particularly useful if I need to clean up spills or small messes as it saves having to waste a bucket full of water and floor cleaner for a small job.  Spraying the floor cleaner directly onto the worst soiled areas of the floor is great for making it easy to remove grime and dirt when cleaning floors, giving a flawlessly clean floor every time.

Bath and shower cleaner.

I hate cleaning the bathroom as all bathroom cleaners I have used are harsh on my skin and have a strong chemical smell that I hate.  As Eco2Life’s Bath and Shower cleaner is specially formulated with naturally derived ingredients I was hoping to have finally found a bathroom cleaner that would leave my bathroom sparkling clean without the need for harsh chemicals and abrasives that would affect my skin and leave a pungent chemical smell.

Thankfully for my skin the Eco2Life Bath and Shower cleaner does not irritate my skin and is a welcome change to the harsh bathroom cleaners I have previously tried.  The cleaner is also kind to my nose and rather than a chemical smell often associated with bathroom cleaners it has instead a pleasant lemon and ginger fragrance.

Even though it is fantastic that the bathroom cleaner is kind to my skin and nose it is also important that the cleaner made using ingredients derived from coconut, sugar cane, vegetables and citric acid is also effective at cleaning, which thankfully it is.  I am very impressed with the cleaning power that the Eco2Life Bath and Shower cleaner has especially considering it is made using naturally derived ingredients.  It removes dirt and grime easily and effectively, leaving our bathroom sparkling clean with a fresh clean scent and a subtle hint of lemon and ginger.

I am very impressed with all of the cleaners and would highly recommend them.  All of the cleaners smell the same to me which is surprising as they are for different cleaning chores but even though I would expect a different fragrance I like the fresh clean smell with a subtle hint of lemon and ginger that they all leave.  I love the fact that the cleaners are kind to my skin and that they are effective cleaning products that are safe to have around the house.  I am very happy with the cleaning results with all of the products cleaning effectively and leaving a clean sparkle.  I also appreciate the fact that the cleaners are made using naturally derived ingredients and are made in the UK.

Most of all I love eco2Life’s eco-friendly ethos and their unique refill and reuse system which is not only easy to use but also dramatically reduces land fill and requires less packaging.  You can purchase eco2life's cleaners on the eco2life website with starter packs costing £3.50 for a 5oml refill and a 500ml reusable spray bottle which I think is great value for money, additional refills cost £2.50.  Currently on the eco2life website you can purchase a special offer cleaning box which contains one 500ml reusable spray bottle per cleaner, 2 of each 50ml refills and 4 different coloured high quality micro fibre clothes that are worth £5.99 for the fantastic price of £9.99 (plus £5.00 delivery).

Planet Earth eco2life ‘The brilliantly simple refill system’!  

More information about eco2life.  

* We were sent these eco2life cleaners to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review that contains my own words and opinions  *

Go green in your household.

There are a number of benefits available to homeowners who are considering making the switch to a greener lifestyle.  One is that they can feel a little better about the impact they are having on the environment and secondly – and perhaps more importantly to some – it can reduce their level of expenditure. Here are a few simple changes that could go a long way.

Ensure your boiler is functioning correctly.

A faulty boiler can prove dangerous and release emissions into the air, so ahead of any problems arising why not make sure you have boiler cover in place so any issues can be rectified quickly and easily?  Ensure any worked carried out is done by an engineer that is Gas Safe Register approved.  A properly functioning boiler can lower both your carbon emissions and bills.

Reduce your water usage.

Saving water around the home could be an easier task than you think.  Simple lifestyle changes such as only using as much water as you need when filling the kettle, opting for a shower instead of a bath, using a bowl while washing up and turning off the tap while cleaning your teeth can all make huge difference in the long term.  It is also worth tightening up any leaky taps and ensuring that water pipes are in the best possible condition to avoid potentially damaging leaks.

Ecover - Message In Our Bottle Campaign.

Cleaning the seas, one bottle at a time. Visit The-Splash for more information and to read our pledge.

EcoForce Household Products Review

As I am a fan of products that are eco-friendly, when I was asked by EcoForce if I would like to review some of their products I was keen to try them because as the brand name suggests they have an eco-element. According to their website EcoForce “manufactures and supplies eco products that work”, as such I was enthusiastic to see if their products really do work and are a combination of useful, high quality products that are according to EcoForce “ ‘greener’, ‘more sustainable’, ‘more environmentally friendly’ than the alternatives currently available made from virgin materials”.

“Launched to make a difference” EcoForce’s products are more ethical, sustainable purchases compared to products on the market which are not eco-friendly. I admire EcoForce’s strong ethos and think it is fantastic that they believe it is their responsibility as manufactures to provide consumers with products that are “greener”. EcoForce say –

“We have always specialised in the design, manufacture, and distribution of household products. Everything that we manufacture is created to make life easier and we pride ourselves on our innovation, our environmental integrity and fact that what we make works and works well.”

“We are dedicated to bringing a range of affordable, useable everyday items manufactured from recycled materials to the general public. It seems ludicrous to me that so many products are manufactured from virgin materials, at great cost to our environment, when in so many instances it is entirely unnecessary.”

Daniel Neumann, EcoForce

We were sent a selection of EcoForce products, all of which are made from recycled materials and have been made as the greener and affordable alternative to other household products, providing people with an ethical option when buying household products.

Clothes Pegs.

EcoForce’s pegs are British designed and British made from 93% recycled plastic and have been created using a clever one piece design. The pegs’ unique one piece design and ingenious spring system was achieved following years of innovative and inventive design and the unique spring system used in the pegs has even won an award, winning the Design Council Millennium Products Awards. EcoForce say that when designing the pegs “an important part of the design of the eco peg was to have everything made from a single piece of plastic, making our pegs stronger, safer and more energy efficient to produce”.

My poor old washing machine is constantly on the go and I always have piles of clothes and cloth nappies galore to dry, as I try to be kind to the environment and our bank balance I only use our tumble dryer in cases of emergencies and I need something dried ASAP. Instead of using the tumble dryer I dry the washing using an indoor washing line and a clothes horse by the fire or on the very odd occasion in-between the days and days and days of rain and bad weather we seem to always have, when we do have nice weather I hang the washing outside to dry on the line, where they dry brilliantly thanks to the wind and sunshine. As I try to dry the piles of washing in an eco-friendly way I use lots of pegs to hang them on the washing lines but hate it when the pegs get grubby and the metal parts get rusty which leaves marks on the washing.

I was more than happy to try EcoForce’s pegs as I can never have enough pegs for the piles of never-ending washing I have to dry. Since getting EcoForce’s pegs I have used them every day and I absolutely love them! You might be thinking ‘they are just pegs, why would you rave about pegs??’ but as I use pegs every day and get annoyed when I buy new pegs and they break, rust quickly, leave marks and stains on my washing or are not able to withstand gripping heavier items of clothing and nappies in place on the line; so when I find pegs that are high quality and work perfectly for my needs I do get a little giddy with enthusiasm (sad I know but what can I say I am easily pleased and drying cloth nappies, seeing beautiful fluff hanging from the washing line is part of my cloth nappy love and pegs go hand in hand with this).

I think the clever design of the pegs is great and I have been very impressed with how well they grip clothes on the line; they are very strong and easily hold heavier items of clothing such as jeans and towels without breaking, also I have used them a few times outside when it has not been raining and they hold clothes in place even on very windy days. As well as boasting a “hurricane proof grip” the pegs are also frost proof. The clever spring system is very strong and robust, even when I have put a lot of pressure on the pegs they have not broken. I think that due to the design and quality craftsmanship they are very tough and resilient and I would be very surprised if they broke and I think these pegs will outlive all of my other pegs.

As well as being very practical and a great design the pegs also look good and I like the fresh yellow and green colours which are colours that I associate with eco-friendliness. As the pegs do not have metal springs they will not rust leaving stains on clothes and broken springs will not be a problem, also because they are made with plastic rather than wood I do not have to worry about unsightly wood stains.

The pegs can cost £1.25 for a bag of 24 pegs which I think is amazing value for money for practical, strong pegs that are eco-friendly. EcoForce also make a peg basket which like the pegs are also made from 93% recycled plastic. The basket looks great and I like the fact that a basket can hold up to 72 pegs and has a unique stackable packaging design. The basket with 24 pegs can be bought for an impressive bargain price of £2.6o; I am definitely going to have to find a local shop to get a basket and some more of these brilliant pegs.

Clothes line.

We were also sent a clothes line which has been made from 89% recycled plastic. The washing line is 20 meters in length which I think is ample for most households. Its break strength is an impressive 30kg which again I think is strong enough for most households’ clothes washing needs.

The line is strong and has easily withstood a lot of washing. I love the bright green colour of the clothes line; it looks fresh and like the pegs the colours reminds me of the environment. I love the fact that the line is recycled and would not be able to tell from looking at it that it is made from such a large percentage of recycled plastic compared to lines that are made from unused, new plastic. The clothes line costs £1.55.

Bag grips.

Made from 93% recycled plastic EcoForce’s bag grips are a one piece design. The pegs are dishwasher proof and can be used safely in the freezer as they are frost proof.

I am very impressed with these plastic bag grips; they have a very strong grip and are easy to use. They are so useful and I have found them very handy for bagging up left over food and for securing a variety of bags and items. As well as being eco-friendly due to the fact that they are made with recycled plastic the bag grips also help you reduce food waste as food can be bagged up for future use rather than chucked into the bin.

As the bag grips are freezer safe they are great for closing vegetable bags in the freezer saving vegetables from escaping the bags. They are perfect for securing items together, keeping things enclosed and for keeping food fresh and sealed. The bag grips are large enough that a secure grip can be achieved but they are not too big to get in the way or stick out so that they are knocked. 

The bag grips are £1.25 for 12 which I think is fantastic value for money for a well-made, practical item that is eco-friendly.

Sponges and scourers.

EcoForce have a range of sponges and scourers that are made using recycled material. As EcoForce aim to produce everyday items that are made from recycled materials they thought it would be a good idea to create a product that is used in daily life, the ordinary kitchen sponge, using recycled materials. They set out to make an ethically produced practical product that would absorb spills and remove difficult stains, using unused clean foam that would have gone to landfill from companies who manufacture foam products. EcoForce break up the foam that would have been discarded by other companies, they then compress the bits of foam together to create the EcoForce sponge.

We were sent a pack of heavy duty sponge scourers. The sponges are super absorbent, are very useful and are easy to handle because they are shaped. The heavy duty scourer is great for removing baked on food and the sponge is great for cleaning surfaces and dishes. I think the sponges look rather funky where you can see the multiple bits of foam that have been compressed together to create a recycled sponge.

In addition to the heavy duty sponge scourer you can also purchase a non-scratch sponge scourer and a non-scratch bathroom sponge scourer. The sponge scourers cost £1.25 for a pack of 2.

The scourers are made from at least 90% recycled fibre and are available in heavy duty or non-scratch. The heavy duty scourers are great for cleaning oven shelves and bake on food. The non-scratch scourers are as effective as the heavy duty ones but are gentler and are ideal for cleaning pots, pans and baking tins; getting them clean without causing any scratches. I like that both of the scourers are contoured for easy grip. Even though they are made using recycled materials the scourers are just as effective as scourers made with virgin materials. Both the heavy duty and the non-scratch scourers cost £1.25 for a pack of 3 which I think is great value for money and similar to non-eco-friendly scourers on the market.

Multipurpose cloths.

EcoForce’s multipurpose cloths are made using recycled material which is good for the environment as it helps reduce landfill, allows crop land to be used for food production and saves energy. The cloths are quilted and Z stitched for strength. As the cloths are multipurpose they are suitable for use on any surface, can be used wet or dry and are machine washable.

I really like these cloths; they are great for cleaning so many things such , they are a great size and its useful that they can be used wet or dry. I have used them in so many different ways including mopping up spilt drinks, wiping up little man’s mess from eating, dusting surfaces and cleaning worktops to name just a few ways these cloths have come in handy. The cloths are super absorbent and I love that the super soft quilted material traps dirt and mess rather than spread it around, leaving surfaces and items sparklingly clean. As I am a fan of reusable wipes I love the fact that as EcoForce’s multipurpose cloths are machine washable they can be washed and reused again and again which saves money in the long run as instead of having to throw away cloths and buy more you can reuse these more than once.

The multipurpose cloths cost £1.25 for a pack of 2 cloths which I think is good value for money especially when you consider they are eco-friendly due to being made from recycled material and that they can be washed and reuse.

Dusters.

EcoForce’s dusters are made from recycled materials and can be used for polishing and dusting a variety of items and surfaces, being safe for use on glass, mirrors, wood, furniture, car interiors and shoes. The dusters can be used both wet and dry.

The dusters are super soft and are brilliant for polishing and dusting. I like that the dusters pick up and remove dust rather than simply smearing dust. I have used the dusters for cleaning numerous surfaces and they have left furniture, the TV, glass and ornaments dust free and sparkling. I am not sure if these dusters can be machine washed, I think it would be beneficial if they could be so that they can be reused. The dusters are a great size, they are thinner than dusters I normally use however this does not affect their effectiveness.

The EcoForce dusters can be purchased for £1.25 for a pack of 10.

I like the fact that EcoForce is a family business and that the majority of their products are made in the UK in their factory in Wellingborough. I admire EcoForce’s strong ethos and aim to provide people with eco-friendly household products and I think it is a breath of fresh air to see ethically made everyday household products available on the market. I also like that on their website EcoForce have a number of interesting ‘Green Facts’ which highlights the need to be a little greener.

I am impressed with the range of EcoForce products, they are practical and effective and I love that as they are made from recycled materials they are a “greener” alternative to the products I had been using previously. I like the fact that thanks to EcoForce I can now use eco-friendly household products, all without a big price tag. The extensive range of EcoForce products are all high quality and each product if functional and practical, which helps make household chores less of a chore. Due to the fact that the products are great and are all eco-friendly I will definitely be purchasing more of the products, with the recycled peg basket being top on my list.

EcoForce products can be purchased at leading supermarkets, independent retailers and online; there is a list of stockists on the EcoForce website. The range of EcoForce products is available in the UK and overseas.

More information about EcoForce.

* EcoForce kindly sent us these products to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review that contains my own words and opinions unless stated *