The Greenshop offers a range of eco-gifts for all ages
(20/12/2008)

One of the products which the Greenshop is expecting to sell well this year will be the Tuttu Turtle (£6), available in orange, red and green, recommended for 18 month+ children. The Tuttu Turtle is a lovely toy. As you pull him/her along, the feet spin and the shell rolls and makes a satisfying ‘traditional toy’ noise.

Leela, which makes the toys, is a Fairtrade company that has a sound ethical reputation. They market their products in partnership with Maya Organic, India, and the aim is to create prosperity among village workers through helping them achieve independent livelihoods. The Greenshop believes these are among the most environmentally sound toys so far available in the UK: the colours are natural vegetable dyes and an organic natural resin, called lac, gives the toys the safe, non-toxic finish. Please note: be careful when washing the ‘Tuttu Turtle’ – because he/she is natural, they need a little love & care.

Another range which is already doing very well in the Greenshop is the Bamboo Cami Set (£25), sizes 10-14, available in plum or white. Exceptionally soft against the skin, you will be safe in the knowledge that bamboo is a fast-growing, replenishable plant. The cami sets are 70% bamboo, 25% cotton and 5% lycra and bamboo fabric is naturally antibacterial, moisture wicking, highly breathable, UV protective and anti-static. This ethical underwear is a comfort and joy!

Where would we be without socks? For the men (and women) in our lives, Bamboo socks are super-comfortable and made from 78% bamboo, 20% cotton and 2% nylon. They come in sizes 4-7 and 8-11, black only for the moment (£10 for 3-pair pack). Bamboo is grown wild, without pesticides or fertilisers and makes a highly breathable (cool in the heat, warm in the cold) material. Like the cami sets, they are moisture-wicking (three to four times more absorbent than cotton), naturally antibacterial, anti-static, anti-fungal and UV protective.

Shruti notepads are new in to the Greenshop and includes the VW Camper Van Reclaimed Paper Notebook (11” x 6”), £5. Made from reclaimed pages of recycled magazines and other printed material, the notebooks are made in such a way to create ‘new’ paper. Covers are printed and bound by hand using water-based inks. The paper comes from India and is made by recycling waste raw materials such as cotton rags and small amounts of waste paper. Fibres such as jute, straw and banana are added to the primary fibre to create mottled handmade paper – they’re gorgeous!

Also in the range are Hobby Notebooks (5.5” x 8”) which come in the following styles – Travel Notebook (with camera cover); Red Hot Notes (with pepper cover); Book of Notes (with bookends cover); Gardening Notes (with watering can cover); Gardening Notes (with allium flower cover), pictured, and Cute Notes (with dog cover), all £7. All Shruti products are carefully sourced and hand-finished to add detail, interest and texture. The colours are bright and natural, inspired by the colours of nature and the world around us.

For homeware, have a look at the new Bambu range of products, which are beautifully presented and an ethical addition to any kitchen. The range includes: Cantaloupe (pictured), Green Apple and Natural bowls (6”), £12.50 each. They use the traditional coiling craftsmanship of bamboo bowl-making, finished with a natural, food-safe lacquer derived from the cashew nut tree. All Bambu natural utensils – including salad servers (£8-£9) and chopping boards (£15) – are made in China using a manufacturing group organised as a co-operative.

Also in the kitchenware range is a nest of bowls (£10 for set of three) that are woven, 100% organically grown bamboo. They are woven by families in rural villages in Vietnam to help supplement farming income in a cottage industry.

A final product is the Nether Wallop Trading Co Potting Shed Collection. A Christmas set (£19.95) includes an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified oak dibber (usually £3.45), jute garden lines to get the professional row (usually £10.25), a paper potter - a handy device that turns strips of newspaper into biodegradable pots to sow seeds or plant seedlings (usually £9.95), a Dibblet for pricking out seedlings (usually £2.95) and an FSC oak pot Tamper (usually £6.95) for firming the soil.

All products are available online from the Greenshop with delivery at a flat rate of £4.95 (or £2.50 for lightweight items). The Greenshop also stocks one of the largest ranges of books on natural living in the country and the Greenshop is also the largest supplier of natural paints in the UK.