A lovely organic lip balm cardamom lavender, available from Living Naturally. I really like this – and the packaging! The lip balm is smooth, light and (most importantly) soothed and repaired my dry, cracked lips this winter!
World Bamboo Day is celebrated every year on 18th September to raise global awareness of bamboo and highlight its vital role as one of the world’s most sustainable natural resources. In regions where bamboo grows naturally, it has been used for centuries in everyday life — from building materials and tools to household items, textiles, and food.
However, bamboo has not always been utilised sustainably. Over‑exploitation and poor management have caused environmental and social issues in some areas. As technology advances and greener innovations emerge, bamboo is now being reintroduced to global markets in a far more responsible and forward‑thinking way.
Today, bamboo products are more widely available than ever before, gaining acceptance across households, industries, and architectural design. From eco‑friendly toothbrushes and cutlery to construction materials and fabrics, bamboo is actively changing how we build, consume, and live within our environment.
If you’re trying to reduce waste at home, your daily cup of tea is a surprisingly powerful place to start. In this post, we look at loose leaf tea vs teabags — from flavour and freshness to hidden plastics, cost, and environmental impact. This will help you decide which is the better zero-waste choice.
I never gave tea-types much thought, until I lived in Hamburg, Germany (2000-2007). Tea was something that automatically came in teabags – I popped it in a teapot or cup, added hot water and let it brew. For me, varieties of tea (up to the year 2000) consisted of Tetleys, PG Tips and herbal (mostly chamomile). These ALWAYS came in a bag!
When I moved to Germany, a whole new world opened: Tea shops are common in towns and cities. In fact, Hamburg, being the largest port in Germany, had more than its fair share. A quick search on google showed me well over 100! There were more tea varieties than I had ever seen before in my life! And very few in bags! Rows and rows of large jars adorn these shops. You can ask about the origin or flavours of any of them – and/or have a sniff! Every time I return, I come back with kilos of it! From whole leaf Lemon Verbena, to mixes of loose teas with roses…. It is part of my life and routine now. Although I admit, I am more of a coffee drinker!