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shopping and style
Eco-friendly shopping guide
You don't have to be an eco-warrior to do your bit for the environment, just check out The List's introduction to green shopping. Words: Julie Clark
Ethical and environmental concerns are influencing what we buy. Every time we purchase something we make a choice. and what we buy can make a real difference. Statistics show that we want to live a more earth-friendly lifestyle and manufacturers are being forced to adapt.
For eighteen years now the One World Shop has been Scotland‘s leading Fair Trade outlet. Selling everything from soaps to stationery. toys to textiles. it trades with over 50 producers around the world aiming to give some of the world‘s poorest countries a better deal. Fair Trade ensures that these producers get decent wages. good working conditions and fair prices for their goods. Fair Trade also seeks to protect human rights. promotes gender equality and demonstrates concern for the environment. It's currently fully stocked up with cards. decorations and gifts for the coming season. and its Christmas 2000 stock catalogue is now available. One World Shop, St John's Church. Princes Street. Edinburgh. 0131 229 454], lt‘lt'll'.()Ii(’lt'()l'/(/.(‘().llk (Hiirtradr': ii-ii'ii'.gii.upc.orgfliiirrmde).
One World will shortly be opening a sister store in Glasgow's City Centre. jtist as soon as it finds the right premises. While it‘s looking. you can always shop at another of Scotland‘s Fair Trade outlets. namely. the Balmore Coach House.
It sells all manner of goods including rugs. wall-hangings. statues. candles. musical instruments. jewellery. clothing and Fair Trade dried products. You can even try out a cup of Fair Trade coffee or tea with a slice of cake at its tearoom on the premises. Balmore Coach House. Balmore. 'lorram'e. Glasgow, 0/360 620 742.
Cruelty-free. quality. non-leather footwear and jackets from Planet V (www.planetv.co.uk) are now on sale in Edinburgh at ShopECO. ShopECO. a new venture launched in June of this year. is open Fridays and Saturdays ( 10am—5pm) and can be foundjust off the foot of Leith Walk. And vegan shoes aren‘t the only eco-friendly goods on offer: it also stocks earth-friendly shampoos. moisturisers. and deodorants. organic tampons and baby goods such as eco-nappies. ShopECO. 120 Duke Street. Leith. 0/3] 530 9070.
There are increasing numbers of online sources to investigate: from its Welsh base in Lampeter. ethicalWARES supplies cruelty-free shoes and accessories at www.ethicalwares.com: Brighton- based Vegetarian Shoes stocks over 50 styles of synthetic leather and suede footwear including genuine Doc Martens and Birkenstocks at www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk: and also worth a look is Veganline's stylish range of vegan shoes. boots. dress shoes and belts made from hemp at www.animal.nu.
Being eco-friendly means recycling. and Four Winds Inspiration Centre (0131 332 2229) does just that. An environmental education and craft based charity selling wooden crafts. it creates goods made using waste wood from the annual City of Edinburgh Council Dutch Elm Disease Control Programme and other tree management. Meanwhile Peel Reclamation (0141 334 8863) in Glasgow recycles all types of timbers and flooring from old buildings. And Gullivers runs a shoe recycling scheme to help reduce the almost two million pairs of shoes being thrown away in the UK every week. Unwanted shoes can be left in shoe banks in all shops and money raised from the sale of shoes to textile recycling companies is donated to the British Red Cross.
If you want to investigate further. the Ethical Consumer Research Association produces a consumer guide for the ethically and environmentally concerned shopper (a sort of eco-Wliir'li?) at: www.ethicalconsumer.org. and there are several good directories of eco-friendly shops and retailers to be found on-line. Especially recommended are the Green Guide at www.greenguideonline.com and The Cruelty Free Guide to Edinburgh at www.mulvenna.demon.co.uk/cfg.
Pestle and mortar from Tara, India, available from Traidcraft
Shoptalk
Spend, spend, spend . . .
CULT CLOTHING, THE mecca for Edinburgh's younger label appreciators, is set to open a Glasgow branch. Stocking urban streetwear by names such as Bench, Komodo, Groovedigga and Hooch, the Queen Street store aims to open in December.
REVAMP YOUR LOOK with a little help from make-up artist Helen Archer. She'll be visiting Space NK Apothecary on Tue 7 Nov (Princes Sq, Glasgow, 248 7931) and Wed 8 Nov (97 George Street, Edinburgh, 225 6371) to guide you through the latest products and looks
IF YOU HATE the sound of your alarm clock's irritating beep or ring, then you'll be pleased to discover Wakeyoo. The brainchild of 24-year old designer Tim Lawton, the clock lets you record your own wake up call. Pick your own sound or music (please not 'Wake Up 800’) or take inspiration from the website at www.wakeyoo.com you'll find an array of sounds to choose from, be it applause for egomaniacs or the sound of a chainsaw for deep sleepers. Wakeyoo is available now from Cornet, Tesco, Dixons, W. H. Smith and Our Price, rrp
£14.99.
Wake up to whatever sound you like
IT’S GETTING TO that time of year again when ladies find themselves fighting over seguinned, glittery and plain old little black dresses for the party season. Get ahead of the Crowd with Patsy Seddon’s new Christmas collection at Phase Eight. Known for their embrOidery, beading and intricate detail, Seddon’s deSigns should last you for more than one season. Phase Eight is at Princes Square, Glasgow, 0141 204 5130 and 47b George Street, Edinburgh, 0131 226 4009.
IF MOTORING PULLS your chain, head along to new Edinburgh venture, The Motorsport Store. You'll find team merchandise from the likes of Ferrari and BMW Williams, as well as models, books, videos and prints. Online shoppers can visit the website at www.themotorsportstore.co.uk or check out the real thing at 93 Rose Street, Edinburgh, 0131 226 4271.