thegreenguy

Black Gold doesn't even deserve bronze

I belatedly got round to watching Black Gold - that documentary by two Brit brothers on the inequalities of coffee. I really wanted to like it, because it has an ethical awareness message at its heart, but, but... it's just not very good.

Cheers for the wine rack made from old bottles

Now you've got litres of wine swag from Threshers - you did take advantage of its 40 per cent offer, didn't you? - you'll need somewhere to store the plonk. I've seen few better designs than this rack by Jennifer Barratt, which is made from old bottles melted down at 820 degrees over oval kiln moulds. The frosted effect comes from sand-blasting. Price is on application from Jen, whose email is jenbarratt *at* hotmail.com. Incidentally, this is a bit of belated blogging following my visit to the Eco Design Fair - expect more finds later this week as I dig through my notes.

Reviewed: Sheppy's organic cider & instant Cocodirect

Two very different 'ethical' drinks for you this week. First, Cocodirect, the new instant Fairtrade hot choc from the excellent CafeDirect. My tasting notes say 'good by water and sachet standards' (I'm a commited milk and cocoa man) and 'not too sweet like Cadburys and Galaxy, but also enough chocolate to prevent it becoming a malty, Horlicksy drink. Dissolved easy enough too.' Unfortunately, you can't buy this quality instant version in shops yet - it's just for caterers. The cocoa version - which you can buy - is here. Second up, Sheppy's medium organic cider, which is gorgeously rich - I'm not going to pretend I can describe it better than that - and also comes with the Soil Association's stamp of approval. You can buy it online.

Reviewed: Nest eco cleaning stuff

Majestic. That's the only fit word for the design and presentation of Nest's new eco cleaning range (mentioned previously here). Where Ecover is proudly practical and spartan, Nest's products resemble posh toiletries - see for yourself in the pic on the left. Now, because a person should only read so many words on cleaning products in their lifetime, this review's short. I've tested the laundry water and antibacterial surface cleaner.

38 per cent of us want Fairtrade food at work...

...But only 17 per cent of workplaces serve Fairtrade coffees, juices and snacks, according to a YouGov poll out this Monday. Commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation - naturally - the poll also asked British office and factory rats to list the ten things their workplaces could do to be more ethical and green. Fairtrade products came second with 38 per cent of votes, with carbon emission-cutting first at 45 per cent. 32 per cent wished their companies would recycle more and buy more recycled products. The ironic thing is that switching to Fairtrade stuff at work is easy for facility managers because it usually just involves ticking a different box in a catalogue. Still, some are dragging heels, so there's now a new Fairtrade at Work website to help persuade companies that what the Co-Op Bank, BT and KPMG have already done isn't scary. I've forwarded the site on to my employer, Haymarket, and I'm currently waiting to hear back.

My girlfriend's apron (the recycled tomato sauce one)

Aprons rarely make the news, but this one - bought last weekend at the Organic Food Festival by my girlfriend - deserves it. It's crafted from old tomato sauce packets full of non-biodegradable foil and plastic and has made my plain black apron look dull. As well as the recycled kudos and fabulous looks, it's practical - the shiny finish is easier to wipe clean than a formica worktop. They're made near Manila by a womens' co-op for Doy Bags and will set you back a mere £9 + postage. iPod cases, wallets, handbags and all sorts of other bags are also on sale.

10 rising stars of the organic world

Fresh back from the Organic Food Festival yesterday, I've just realised how many upcoming organic food, beauty and clothing brands there are. Forget your Green & Blacks, Yeo Valleys and Howies for one minute - much as I love all three - here are ten new(ish) faces that you should watch out for.

Today's ethical picks: Organic Food Festival tomorrow, recycling your Dell,

Soil Association Organic Food Festival (pictured) - starts tomorrow in Bristol, and I'm headed down to gorge myself on its food and drink delights. I'll have more for you next week on what upcoming organic foodie brands to check out.
Dell's promising free PC recycling - of any Dell computer, printer or gadget. There are no details on how to do it yet, so more details soon hopefully...
Organic tee makers launch... organic pantry! - the husband and wife team who brought the world its brilliantly bold Glo4Life organic cotton t-shirts has opened an organic food shop. It's in wee Ammanford, in Carmarthenshire.

Reviewed: that energy-saving Plunge Filter Kettle

My old kettle packed up the other week - I know, the drama - so I thought I'd splash out this fancy pants water- and energy-saving one. By splash, I mean £64, which is a lot in my book to make a cuppa. The idea is that you fill a resevoir at the top (the bit above the black line) and then you use the plunger to dump the exact amount of water you need into the boiling chamber (the see-through plastic bit at the bottom with the condensation).

The plastic water bottle you can compost

In true British fashion, we're now inexplicably whinging that, actually, it's a little too hot and we wouldn't mind it a few degrees cooler (please). Naturally, we're drinking loads of plastic bottled water and - ouch - chucking the empties in the bin to sit in landfill for aeons. Now imagine if all those bottles were made out of corn, would compost in 12 weeks and the company behind it sourced water locally in Shropshire and gave a portion of its profits to Indian and African water projects? Well - guess what - that's exactly what happens when you buy one of the Belu's brilliant new bottles of water.