This would be amazing to see in the UK.  Cycling is the best form of transport next to walking for your health and that of the planet.  But in the UK, you still have to buy your own bike helmets.

So, we all know that we should be buying energy saving appliances these days to replace the old energy vampire ones that we had before (once they’ve shuffled off their electric coils of course).  But what do with with the old appliances once they’re no longer needed?  You could take them down to your local municipal waste drop-off to be recycled.  On the other hand, you could start a band and use them as the instruments.  Don’t believe me?  Check this out.

[via: greenUPGRADER]

There’s nothing like a rainy long weekend to get me in the mood for crafting, happily indoors with the pitter-patter of rain on the windows.  I’ve been taking a look at CRAFT, who have just won an award in Treehugger’s 1st annual Best of Green Awards for being the Best Crafting Blog.  They’ve got some brilliant recycling and repurposing crafty projects just right for this time of year (i.e. Spring, Easter…)

How-To: Refashion a T-Shirt into a Halter Top

How-To: Recycle Baby Socks Into Bunnies, Chicks and Eggs

Stuffed Bunny Pattern

If you’re not feeling all that crafty, never fear, you can still do your bit for the planet by buying recycled goods.  There are more recycled goods than you could imagine right here at Pricegrabber.  Take a look!

Put some OOO into your Valentine’s Day with the Hedgerow Herbals OOO Gift Set, a gift set made for two.  Make sure you stock up on organic champagne, and enjoy a sensual evening together.  The gift set includes Queen of Sheba bath milk, Ooo for Romance body soap and Ooo for Romance body & massage oil that can also be used in an oil burner.  The only other thing you may want to find is some rose petals and Fairtrade chocolate.  The perfect romantic evening in.  £11.95 from Big Green Smile.

Rhino Eco Friendly Rechargeable /Dynamo/Windup Radio and Flashlight
This would be the perfect thing for camping and gardening. The Rhino radio has AM/FM radio, is wind up & rechargeable. It also has a DC charger. The light is an integrated LED and the unit has an optimum charge indicator.
£24.99 from All Things Green

Neal’s Yard Organic Seaweed and Arnica foaming Bath
I don’t believe in taking baths every day, because they use too much water. But once in a while, after a hard day’s work in the garden or going for a long walk, a bath can be just the thing. This restorative foam bath contains extracts of revitalising mineral-rich seaweed, arnica and comfrey, and essential oils of lavender, juniper, lemon and pine. It’s ideal for after exercise.
£11.70 from John Lewis.

Neal’s Yard Organic Citrus Hand Wash
I love hand soap with a refreshing zing to it. This Citrus hand wash from Neal’s Yard will put me in a good mood every time I wash my hands. It contains essential oils of antiseptic lemon, cleansing orange, grapefruit and ho leaf, with mild vegetable derived detergents and foaming agents.
£6.75 from John Lewis.

Eco Friendly Newspaper Briquette Maker
This looks like such a handy gadget for making our own logs for the fire. Just got to have one. It’s a great way to recycle newspaper and save money. The free fuel you make with one of these is non-toxic and leaves a minimum of ash. The briquette maker is of metal construction, and is easy and safe to use. You just soak the paper, place it into the mould and squeeze.
£14.95 from Amazon.co.uk

Cambodian Recycled Rice Bags
These ethically produced recycled rice bags always get good press on this blog. I just love them. I’ve been wanting a couple of them for ages.
£12.95 from Firebox.com

Bye Bye Standby Energy-Saving Kit
This is the ideal solution to my video machine and set-top box energy saving debarcle. Bye Bye Standby will completely cut power to my video machine, DVD player and set-top box when they’re not in use, thereby saving the power that these devices would otherwise have consumed in Standby Mode. The pack contains one remote control to switch off the lot.
£34.99 from All Things Green

There is something so satisfying about heading off into the woods to collect bits and pieces for your wreath, and then coming home and binding it all together into a festive wreath for the front door.   It’s bringing nature to your front door, and expending some creative energy to boot.  It’s better for the environment than artificial wreaths too.

If you don’t know where to start, check out Creative Decor & Crafts - Flower Arranging: Year-Round Wreaths, a DVD that can give you some pointers.

If you want to make something more urban and contemporary, check out these wreaths from Country Living for ideas.

There are a few more wreaths to see at Country Living.

Make Your Own Holiday Wreath [Country Living]

Christmas has become a time of excess in our consumer society.  And while the consumer society isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon, with the global credit crisis and the planetary crisis that we are facing, it’s worth looking at ways that you can save money and go green.

Here are some alternatives to regular gift wrap that will help you save money, and boost your recycling in the process:

1. Use newspaper as wrapping paper: Use newspaper just as it is, adding some glitz with pretty ribbon or glitter.  Or create art on your newpaper to make it look festive, something like Christmas tree or star potato prints in red, green or gold.

2. Use magazine/catalogue pages as wrapping paper: For smaller gifts, find a magazine page that appeals to you and use that as wrapping.

3. Recycle last year’s wrapping paper: If you had the forethought to save last year’s paper, you can reuse is where possible.

4. Recycle gift bags: Gift bags can be used time and time again.  Never throw them away, they always come in handy.

5. Make the wrapping part of the gift: For re-usable wrapping, take up the Japanese art of Furoshiki.  For centuries, the Japanese have wrapped gifts in cloth, and they have lots of amazing ways to do it.  Find out more here.  Visit your local charity shop to buy scarves to use as wrapping.

And here’s an idea that probably won’t save you money, but it a great eco-friendly option if you want “new” wrapping paper.  Go recycled.  Natural Collection has a nice range of recycled gift wrapping paper and accessories.

Photo credit: c h e e s e roc

For the very first Christmas blog post for this year at Blog Green UK, I have a Christmas money/planet-saving tip for next year.

How about growing your own Christmas tree, which will save money (the kit costs under £3) and will mean that from next year on, you won’t have to drive anywhere to buy a Christmas tree, and you won’t have to dispose of your Christmas tree ever again.  You’ll have a Christmas tree that will grow with you, and your family, and become a tradition in itself.

Get your last-minute tips from Danny Seo, environmental lifestyle expert, in this YouTube video.  Happy Halloween!

If you’re stuck for a last minute Halloween costume, how about making a green monster mask.  It’s not just green in colour, it’s green as in eco-friendly too.  Make your green monster mask from stuff that you would normally throw out, like a cardboard box, and used aluminium foil (here’s hoping you’re already using recycled aluminium foil - so that would make it double recycled, fantastic).

Full instructions for making your green monster mask can be found at Gorilla in the Greenhouse.