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Gift ideas for Christmas
Published 5 December 2020Sometimes the holiday season goes by so fast that if you blink you might miss it. Food, family and gifts – done and dusted. In the UK, things are a little hazier. The holidays seem like a personal choice that work around school holidays, work schedules, the switching on of the lights on Oxford Street […]
This is the Circular Economy: CE Week 2020
Published 29 May 2020Forget business as usual. Right now we’re experiencing a different kind of economy – one that includes clean air and bird song. We’ve been enjoying the simple pleasures of a walk in the park or taking the bike for a spin, baking bread and quality time with the family. When patterns break, it allows a […]
Guest Post: Necessity is the mother of invention
Published 20 April 2020This year’s not really turning out how I expected – and that’s putting it quite mildly. 2019 was a big year for me. I celebrated a big milestone birthday with a blowout party and some lifetime travel adventures. I sailed boats and rode horses. I learnt new skills and gained new qualifications. I decimated my […]
Why a giant soap emporia that does hair and offers facials is a great idea.
Published 5 March 2020I have a long-standing love affair with Lush. Can you blame me? Entering a Lush location is like stepping into a world of colourful, quirkily-named skincare products that look and smell good enough to eat. Plus the brand is well known for being at the forefront of sustainability in regards to packaging, animal testing, sourcing ethically […]
The colour of spring: sustainable home decor, clothing, lifestyle and the outdoors
Published 24 February 2020What colour is spring to you? Some will dive straight into summer with those bright oranges and blazing blues. Others will choose pastels. I prefer my springs to be muted versions of bright favourites. A slow awakening rather than jumping headfirst into the heat of things. Might tell you a lot about me as a […]
The coolest CAT in town: How a visit to the Centre of Alternative Technology turned my climate-apathy around
Published 29 January 2020I admit it. I have been guilty……of climate nihilism. I’ve found myself turning down the volume on the news or sometimes looking the other way. It was all too unbearable, out of my hands and I was less than optimistic about the state of the world. That is, until I went to CAT. Sorry to […]
Let’s talk about eco houses: Insuring a non-standard home in the UK
Published 22 January 2020A few weeks ago there was a news article about a new zero carbon neighbourhood in South Wales getting the green light for construction. Homes in this neighbourhood will be built to generate more energy than they use, replacing energy drawn from the grids during times like cold snaps with clean energy during leaner months. Exciting, […]
Why the ethical fashion sector in the UK struggles to grow
Published 2 January 2020A recently published article in the Guardian celebrates ethical spending in the UK hitting a record high, swelling to reach over £41 billion. Consumables take the largest portion, with energy, home and personal products scooping up significant portions of the rest. The industry that has had the most tussles with ethical issues however, the one […]
We’re totally crackers about these ethical Christmas crackers
Published 21 November 2019We’ve been on the hunt for eco friendly, sustainable Christmas crackers that are made here in the UK. I think that one of the most fun things about a very British Christmas are definitely the crackers. A small gift, a joke, a crown and you can be Queen (or King) for the day, along with […]
Mud to Spud: A spoon full of soil
Published 26 May 2019A gardening journal: No. 2 by Jane Our Blue Patch garden in Dulwich is undergoing a renaissance after years of neglect. The project begun in March (link) with elbow grease, weeding and hard pruning. Then April arrived along with 4 fabulous ex-display Plughole Planters donated by Blue Patch member and award winning green entrepreneur Morgan […]
What we learned from asking our fashion brands about sustainability.
Published 25 April 2019The 24th of April marked the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, and the subsequent push towards greater transparency and sustainability in the fashion industry. This week, marked as Fashion Revolution Week encourages consumers to take action by asking brands #whomademyclothes? Blue Patch works with brands who make and manufacture in the UK, […]
Beyond Fashion Revolution week: Practical actions for sustainable consumers and brands
Published 27 April 2018This week, the eyes of the ethical and sustainable world have been fixed on Fashion Revolution Week, a campaign and a movement created in order to promote greater transparency within the fashion industry. It brings awareness about the appalling conditions that fast fashion is made in, the poor compensation that is paid to workers and […]
It might as well be Spring
Published 1 April 2018Now that Easter’s been and gone, it might as well be spring. This weekend has been so very springlike. A bit of sun, a bit of rain. Has anyone seen any Daffodils yet? Those are my favourite sign of spring. Last year we wrote this blog about garden products. To add to that list, and in honour […]
Fairtrade and You
Published 26 February 2018Feb 26th to March 11th is Fairtrade Fortnight, a campaign geared towards increasing awareness about the provenance of Fairtrade items (primarily food) and the plight of millions of people who do not receive fair compensation for food grown. During this two week period, there are several ways you can gain awareness about Fairtrade. 1. Read […]
Something old, something new: A guest blog by Jan Knibbs
Published 13 February 2018Did anyone get engaged recently? Whether you are frantically planning your wedding, or simply keeping an eye out for ideas, here are a few ways in which you can incorporate some of your family history into your wedding dress. Intrigued? Read on. We live in an age of mass production, surrounded by a throw-away society. […]
An abundance of love for the planet
Published 6 February 2018This Valentine’s we’ve decided that with the help of our Friends of Blue Patch we’ll be sharing an abundance of love for the planet by investing in renewable energy! This is super exciting for us because it’s a big part of our mission and vision. You see, Blue Patch is a social enterprise, funded by our member’s […]
Guest Post: Interiors trends for 2018
Published 5 February 2018Got the itch to redecorate? Take a look at Zoe Murphy’s interior predictions for 2018 to keep on top of trends for the home. Whilst the fast moving world of fashion can sweep away what went before, in interiors we tend to build on existing trends. Partly this is practical. Who wants to repaint their walls […]
Guest Blog: Ethical Business in a Post-Brexit World
Published 9 January 2018One of the conversations we have had multiple times in the last year is the effect of Brexit on small businesses. It’s a complex issue with many facets to consider, and with many unintended consequences stemming from it. Today we’re featuring a guest blog by What Daisy Did who shed a light on the effect of Brexit on their business, […]
A touch of June to your Jan
Published 6 January 2018Did you know that January is named after Janus, the god of gateways and that Janus could look in both directions, back at the old year and forward towards the new year at the same time? Hindsight and foresight both 20/20 for this guy, right? However, as far as we’re concerned, December is as cold as January, […]
Better latte than never: The need for circular economy solutions
Published 6 January 2018There’s no worse place to throw your coffee cup than into a general waste bin. Why? There is a very, very small percentage of those cups that actually get recycled. In the past day, there has been a lot of discussion around the subject of the proposed 25p charge on disposable cups. What do you think? Good? […]
Go on then, try something new
Published 13 December 2017Collect memories, not things. In recent years, the market for experiential gifts has grown, as people seek to move away from gifting things that may not be wanted or needed. It seems to be a particularly millennial trend with an astounding amount of money being spent each month on live experiences. Perhaps one of the reasons […]
Guest Post: Ethical investments as gifts
Published 6 December 2017In our last blog post, we wrote about 4 tips for a greener Christmas. One of our suggestions was to ‘collect memories, not things’ by requesting cash as an alternative to a gift that you might not want with ideas for things to do with the money if you didn’t have any burning plans for it. Today we’re […]
4 tips for a greener Christmas
Published 28 November 2017It’s beginning to look a lot like….. The lights are starting to get switched on. The nights are getting longer, the weather colder, and hot chocolate suddenly sounds like a REALLY good idea. While you’re preparing for the holidays, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind to green up the holiday season. […]
Is Veganism here to stay?
Published 8 November 2017The rise in animal-free diets and products is ever increasing, with consumers becoming more concerned about sustainability and clean eating. Small businesses across the British Isles are rising up to the demand and proving that veganism is not a fad. In fact, data released by Google News shows that there has been an increase of […]
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