H&M: Garment Collection Initiative

I noticed a leaflet next to the till last time I was in H&M, proudly proclaiming their Garment Collection Initiative. Intrigued, I took to the web to find out more - H&M are one of my favourite stores for basics so it's always nice to know that they're working hard to be a ethical, responsible and sustainable company!

Essentially, H&M are aiming to create a better life cycle for fabrics, by recycling and reusing clothes. They're accepting donations from the public and giving old clothes new life :)

 

They've put together this little video, detailing the initiative and it's aims - the most shocking statistic for me was this quote:

"Of the thousands of tonnes of textiles that people throw away every year, as much as 95% could be re-worn or recycled"

95%! That's nuts! Most of my old clothes go to the charity shops, but I must admit I've thrown away damaged or stained items in the past because I didn't think that anyone would take them.

H&M are collecting clothes of any brand, quality and condition, so don't worry if you didn't buy the clothes from H&M, you can still donate them to be reused :)

There are three ways that H&M are proposing to repurpose the unwanted garments:

• Rewear – clothing that can be worn again will be sold as second hand clothes

• Reuse – old clothes and textiles will be turned into other products, such as cleaning cloths

• Recycle – everything else is turned into textile fibres, or for other uses such as insulation.

They're also planning to invest any money they make from this service into social projects, as well as research and innovation projects on how old textiles can be turned into new fibres. Good job, H&M! :)

Give & Make Up

Pst. Sarah here. Come closer. I want to share a secret with you...are you ready?

I sometimes buy make up, toiletries and clothes that I never, ever use or wear. *shock face*

Please tell me I'm not the only one - we've all got them right? The bits and pieces of make-up that we bought but never used, the bubble bath you got in the Secret Santa at work that you don't really like the smell of...unwanted or unloved gifts, cluttering up your house that make you feel guilty whenever you see them.

"Use me!" is what I always hear in my head whenever I open my make-up case and skip over that bright red lip gloss that I have no use for. "Love me!" says the pomegranate shampoo that smelt great in the shop but makes actually me a bit sneezy when I use it. 

I've got to be honest, the guilt of being wasteful stops me from just chucking these things in the bin, because surely there must be a better way? I tried foisting them all on my friends but they weren't so keen, so it's lucky then that I stumbled onto Give & Make Up, via my friend Lou! 

Give & Make Up is a charity, set up by Caroline Hirons, designed to provide everyday essential items to women who have experienced domestic violence.

From their website:

"Each week two women in the United Kingdom are murdered by a partner or ex-partner. 

One woman in four experiences domestic violence in their lifetime. 

Refuge and Womens Aid protect the lives of thousands of women and children every day. 

Give and Makeup is a non-profit initiative whose sole purpose is to get everyday essentials into the hands of these women and children who need them the most."

They have a great list of what they accept, which is pretty all encompassing and I'm pretty sure everyone has at least one of these things in their cupboard! (I know I have...several. Oops).

Everyday Essentials

shampoo

conditioner

bath/shower gel

deodorant

toothbrushes

toothpaste

body lotion

feminine hygiene products

shaving products

at-home hair dye colouring kits

Skincare

cleanser

toner

moisturiser

MakeUp

foundation

concealer

powder

blusher

eyeshadow

eyeliner

mascara

Perfume

Nail Polish 

Tools

makeup brushes

makeup bags

hairdryers

curling tongs

straighteners

Clothing 

bras

underwear (clean and useable!)

pyjamas 

childrens clothing - anything

childrens pyjamas

Baby Products 

all of them!

They can only accept new items of anything with an applicator wand e.g. mascara/lip gloss/concealer. Gift with purchase sizes are fine, as are samples.

Anything that has been lightly used is also fine - if you would happily give it to a friend - they'll take it! 

-

If you're mentally making a list right now of things you could happily get rid of (imagine how much cupboard space you could reclaim!) but aren't sure where to drop it off, then take a look at the donation locations. 

We're very lucky in Cardiff, as Give and Make Up are working with Welsh Women's Aid (WWA) and Escentual, so you can drop stuff in straight to the store. Just send your items to Escentual by post (63-67 Wellfield Rd, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF24 3PA) or you can drop them off at 'Central Pharmacy', Wellfield Road. 

Being ethical and eco friendly doesn't always mean buying items that have been ethically created - it's also about reducing the amount of waste you create and finding a good home for the things you no longer want, need or use :) 

I don't know what you guys are going to get up to this week, but I'm going to give my cupboards a good sort through and see what I can find to donate - freeing up space and doing something good in one fell swoop, hurrah! :)

Love

Sarah

Wedding Wednesday // Sustainable style - Invites and Decor

Evening lovelies, it's Wednesday again! Time for some Wedding style inspiration... We've been majorly busy pinning the last few days trying to find some fab ideas and style tips to keep your wedding eco friendly and sustainable!

With the 'Rustic Wedding' in such demand for this summer - there's no easier time than to keep your wedding sustainable. The rustic look is all about the recycling and the vintage quirkiness and of course some DIY (time to rope in those creative bridesmaids!)

With some good research - you can literally make EVERY part of your wedding ethical, from stationery to THE dress, decor to rings and all the lovely bits in between. Here's our favorite ethical Stationery and decor ideas for your day...

The Invitation...

These super cool plantable invites are available Forever Fiances and you can choose from a selection of plantable papers on which to have your invites printed. All are printed with natural soy inks onto 100% recycled paper embedded with wildflower seeds! Our favorite is this cute mason jar invite!

The Decor...

Burlap is a great fabric and fits in so nicely with the rustic wedding look. Burlap is woven from a mix of vegetable fibers, namely Jute. Jute only needs rainwater to grow and grows in a short period of time making it an easy renewable source. Jute can also be recycled and is 100% bio degradable!

You can use Burlap for a lot of things in your wedding, but we just LOVE these chair sashes!

We're also a bit of a sucker for odds and ends here at E&W. Bottles being our top favourite.

You can pick bottles up from a lot of places, charity shops, flea markets, car boots and once you have a collection - they look wonderful together (and are a lot cheaper than most decor items!)

Mix them up and plant with wild flowers to add some color to your day!

(Read more about this ethical styled shoot on Green Wedding Shoes)

For more Ethical Wedding inspiration visit our Pinterest board and we will post part 2 soon ♥

xoxo

Our Top 5 Ethical Christmas Gifts

Evening lovelies! After spending a good few hours on the old world wide web the last week or so scouring for some presents for my besties, I decided to go all out ethical this year!

I love supporting local businesses and finding some unique handmade gifts and I know its a winner because I always love receiving them too! Finding that special present is such a thoughtful thing, regardless of price.

Here's my top 5 last minute ethical gifts for every budget!

#1 Bicycle Cushion

From the wonderful sight Daisy Daisy, this cushion is an embroidered fair trade beauty perfect for any home at £35

#2 Embroidered Scarf

For the not so budget conscience buyer! This beautiful yellow and black embroidered scarf from People Tree for the fashion lover at £95

#3 Raw Quartz necklace

Natural quartz dipped in gold to adorn your neck at £12.99. Handmade by kissthefuture for Etsy. Jewellery is a safe option for Christmas - so make sure it's a special piece! 

#4 Gift of Reading

For the bookworm - a vintage book is always a thoughtful present. Last Christmas my mum bought me a 19th century edition of Alice in Wonderland and it's one of the best presents I've ever received. This 1950's edition of Pride&Prejudice is for sale by Eager for Word on Etsy at £12.50

#5 DIY present - Free!

Budget conscience? Everyone loves a DIY present. It's not always about the money you spend, the thought is really what counts. If you don't have a lot to spend, you can make these amazing 'Tub Teas' for the bath! Find out how on the Martha Stewart site!

xoxo

♥