Eco Friendly Valentine's Day Top Tips

LOVE THE EARTH AS WELL AS EACH OTHER WITH PLANET-FRIENDLY VALENTINE'S GIFTS IDEAS (HIM &HER), TIPS AND HOLIDAY RETREATS FROM THE TEAM AT SORVEN MEDIA.

Celebrating Valentine's Day can use a huge amount of the earth's resources from trees cut down for cards, carbon emissions for transportation to pesticide laden roses.

Here at Sorven Media, with help from MoreEco and EcoTrendSpotter we have come up with a range of ideas for a Valentine's Day that is all about giving love to the earth as well as each other.

Valentine Eco Gifts

Find the perfect eco gift for your loved one this valentines day! MoreEco has searched the web for the best in eco gifts for her and him.

Valentine's - Eco Romantic Get-Away's

Finding eco romantic holidays can be tough so MoreEco has found the best in UK eco destinations for you to whisk your loved one away to this valentines!

Sorven Media Eco Valentine Tips

• Make your own card or support a local artist who hand makes cards from recycled materials.
• Give your loved one a locally-grown plant! Bouquets in florists' windows have usually been grown on the other side of the world, have been transported thousands of miles and are covered in pesticides. Choose a locally-grown bouquet or plant instead.
• Celebrate with organic wine or champagne.
• For indulgence with a conscience give organic or fair trade chocolates to your loved one.
• If you are splashing out on jewelery how about something fair trade, recycled or vintage?
• Give organic, or hemp lingerie for your lover instead of pesticide-sprayed cotton or non biodegradable polyester.
• Save energy and dine by romantic candlelight. It's more romantic and you'll save energy too! Use natural, beeswax or vegetable based candles that are biodegradable and smoke-free.
• Make a meal at home - source local, organic, seasonal produce and add the ingredient of love to a meal especially created for the man or woman of your dreams.

Top 10 Eco New Year Resolutions

Make next year that year you make being green a habit and countdown to 2010 with the environment in mind. Check out our top ten New Year resolutions to help you conserve the planet and the cash in your wallet this New Year.

1. Cleaning without toxic chemicals is a wonderful way to turn your home into a healthy and healing place to be in the New Year. Unfortunately, over past decades the ever-expanding store of home cleaning products has included a number of dangerous weapons, loaded with strong, artificial colours and fragrances and harsh cleansing agents like bleach, ammonia, alcohol and more.

At MoreEco, they have a great range of eco shops that sell green cleaning products at great prices. There are a great range of green cleaning product ranges such as Ecover, Method and Bio D that are just as effective as the traditional chemical laden products you find on supermarket shelves. And don’t forget multi buy and bulk options to save you even more money.

2. Stop using the refrigerator that is ten years old and get an appliance recommended by the energy saving trust instead. You will drastically cut down your carbon emissions by doing so. Try eco appliances around the home –as well as doing a great clean they will cut your energy bills.

For instance, check out the new Ecolectric PerformAir 1000w Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner for a spotless and healthy carpet. As well as being packaged in recycled and 100% recyclable materials, it has an economical 1000w low energy motor leading to a 50% energy saving, helping to reduce your energy bills but without compromising on performance. It is a great vacuum cleaner! 

3. Every household in Britain produces more than a ton of waste annually, almost 80 per cent of which is buried in landfill sites, polluting ground water and producing gases that contribute to climate change and global warming. You may already recycle the waste you produce, but what about not producing it in the first place? Try and buy in bulk! These retailers sells many products in bulk quantities to save you money and reduce packaging by refilling old containers.

4. Shun at least one non-green product all year. Make it something that you really like, but can live without it but would purchase if it were more eco-friendly. You can always write to the company that manufactures this product and tell them why you now choose not to buy it

5. Not so fantastic plastic! Stop drinking bottled water. Drinking tap water reduces your carbon footprint, landfill rubbish and saves you money. Need water for the gym – buy a reusable bottle!

6. The best resolution to make for the earth is to use the car less or get rid of it altogether. Walk, bike, use public transit or car share. The emissions and money saved will be immense! The World Wildlife Fund advocates going car free one day each week.

Get out of your car and find an alternative way to work one day a week. 1 in every 2 of us drive to work each and every day. Think what would happen if we all left our cars at home just one day a week and walked, rode our bike, or took public transportation instead. We would have cleaner air to breathe, less traffic, and a smaller carbon footprint to boot.

7. Insulate your hot water cylinder. Water heating is the single biggest energy consumer in the average home. Cut your power bill and reduce the energy your household uses by investing in a wrap for your hot water cylinder.

8. Grow your own to beat the credit crunch. Make sure the only crunch you feel is the bite of your home-grown vegetables next year with a great range of grow your own seeds, tools and accompaniments . As well as tasting great, you could save money, get fit, do your bit for the environment and be super-trendy all at once.

9. To make it easy to switch off chargers and electronic equipment when you’re not using them, get a standby buster to switch off all your machines and equipment. It will help you save electricity and money! Check out our range of energy savers here.

10. Don't make Earth Hour a once a year event - commit to switching off your appliances at the wall and turning out any unnecessary lights. Use energy saving light bulbs in every light 

Eco Travel Essentials Holiday & Winter Guide

Over the last few weeks the MoreEco team have been gathering information on Winter eco-getaways … we've scoured the web so you don't have to!

Whether you're trying to find a romantic holiday, a family trip, or just some eco bits and pieces for your suitcase, the MoreEco team have everything to make your winter holiday eco-perfect!

• Eco Winter Holidays: For Couples
• Eco Winter Holidays: For Families
• Eco Winter Products: For Your WashBag
• Eco Winter Products: To Keep You Warm
• Eco Winter Products: Holiday Gadgets

Top 10 - Eco, Green and Fun Websites for Kids

I love kids so much so that I have three, all boys. The problem I have is what eco web sites should I let them look at. They see me working on the computer and talking about the internet, so now they want a go, have a look and play. After some searching I found this list of kid eco sites on the BBCGreen web site compiled by Lily Barclay. Hopefully these sites will keep your kids amused for a while and also educate them on some important eco and green issues.

1. Recyclezone

The Recyclezone is sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and is a great source of green information for school children. It’s bright, interactive and easy to use with a wide range of brain teasers, jokes and ideas – don’t miss Recycler the Rapping Robot’s musical debut.

For more information visit: Recycle Zone

2. The Greens

Meet the Greens is a website about an environmentally conscious family who are trying to do their bit for the planet. This US-based site features short animated adventures, which all carry an eco-message. ‘Tons of trash’, ‘birds need trees’ and ‘food rescue’ are just a few of the episodes on the site.

There’s also an interactive blog where children can discuss how they feel about the programmes they’ve watched. For more information visit: Meet The Greens

3. CBeebies Green Balloon Club

The Green Balloon Club stars four eco-warrior children and a dog, who live in a virtual green club house. The site is full of songs, videos, print and colour activities – and there’s a green star club where you can print out a chart and collect reward stickers for good green behaviour.

For more information visit: Green Balloon Club

4. Environment Agency – Fun and Games

The Environment Agency’s dedicated children’s section is home to a wealth of games, information and animated news bulletins. There are lots of surprising facts and figures to get your little ones thinking, as well as a tool to calculate your family’s eco footprint and tips on how to reduce it.

For more information visit: Environment Agency

5. National Geographic Kids

The National Geographic children’s site is a great resource, which focuses on topics like animal migration, the environment and how it affects the wildlife around us. There are plenty of quizzes, videos, games, stories and tips to bring your children closer to the nature around them. Check out the step-by-step guide to planting your own garden.

For more information visit: National Geographic

6. WaterBusters!

This interactive game has been created by the Saving Water Partnership, Seattle, USA. Your mission is to help Phil Dumpster and his friend Bert the Salmon (who is on hand with green advice) to find the areas around the house where they can save water, money and the environment before they are washed away!

For more information visit: Waterbusters

7. Nature Challenge for Kids

Meet David Suzuki - he’ll challenge your children to follow a ten-step action plan covering topics such as food, travel, and the home. The idea is for children to gain better eco-awareness and apply it to their everyday lives. You’ll also find fun role play ideas and activities to encourage kids to express their views on nature and the environment.

For more information visit:Nature Challenge for Kids

8. Scholastic Explorers - Earthwatch Partnership

This educational site is a great tool for inspiring children to expand their learning skills, as well as their knowledge of wildlife and the environment. Find tips on discovering the eco systems in your garden as well as the chance to watch a wildlife video and submit a report on what you see.

For more information visit: Teacher Scholastic

9. Charlie and Lola - Look After Your Planet

This popular game is a fun way of familiarising your children with the process of recycling. The task is to navigate one of the Charlie and Lola characters to collect falling rubbish in the correct recycling bins. The fun graphics and illustrations make this a pleasure to play, and you can progress through the site to bigger challenges depending on your level of skill.

For more information visit: Charlie and Lola

10. Kidsrgreen

This hands-on site offers plenty of advice to children who want to go green - both in and out of school time. You can hop on a spaceship for a round-the-world tour or go on a mission with ‘Trip the Drip’ to discover the importance of water to the planet.

For more information visit: Kidsgreen

Cutting 10% of Emissions in 2010

Sorven Media Ltd has signed up to 10:10 - an ambitious project to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea: that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010.

By signing up to 10:10 you commit to support the national drive to reduce Britain’s emissions steeply in 2010. That means urging your staff, suppliers and customers to sign up to cut their own emissions by 10%, helping to distribute our tags, and doing everything you can to reduce your own operational emissions

HOW CAN THE UK CUT 10%?

1 Fly less, holiday more -  Have a more responsible holiday and swap plane for train, holiday nearer to home and take fewer but longer trips – same tanning time, dramatically less climate change emissions. Never fly or only one return flight a year?

2 Save 10% on heating - Turn down your thermostat, turn off radiators in hallways and more jumpers all round. Then apply for a grant to insulate your loft & walls. Use your bill to see whether you cut 10% in 2010 and tick if you succeeded. Don’t use gas or oil?

3 Save 10% on electricity - Save energy and big cash by changing lightbulbs, replacing old fridges & freezers and always turning stuff off. Use your bill to compare 2009 usage to 2010. Produce your own electricity from solar or wind?

4 Drive less - Leave your car at home one day a week. Walk, cycle or take public transport. Join a car-club rather than owning your own and share your ride to work with a colleague or two. No car?

5 Eat better - Local, in-season fruit & veg produce the least emissions – and the less processed the better. Have one meat-free day per week – but don’t replace with just-as-bad cheese. Don’t eat meat or dairy?

6 Buy good stuff - Less stuff made = less emissions = less climate damage. So buy high-quality things that last, repair broken stuff rather than chucking, buy & sell second-hand and borrow your neighbour’s mower. Never buy new? Really?

7 Dump less - Avoid excess packaging and buying pointless stuff that goes straight in the bin, recycle everything possible and compost your food waste. No garden or scared of worms? Let you off the composting.

8 Don’t waste food… - The average British family throws away £50 worth of food every month. So don’t buy or cook more than you need and eat up those tasty leftovers. With a smile on your face. Never ever waste a drop or morsel?

9 … or water - Your tap water uses lots of energy – and then heating it in your home uses loads more – so take showers rather than baths, be careful when watering plants and only run full dishwashers & washing machines. Don’t use water? What, you’re an alien?

10 Feel happier - It’s Dec 2010… you’re healthier for walking & cycling, you’ve made new friends from swapping stuff & car-pooling, you’ve saved a big chunk of cash… and you know that you’re part of the global effort to prevent castastrophic climate change.

20 Simple Eco Living Tips

The team at Sorven Media thought that they should share some of their tips on living a more eco life. Eco Shopping is just one thing we can do but there are some simple steps we can make that actually do make a difference. So here there are:-

 General household

• 1. Switch your electricity to a renewable energy supplier.
• 2. Turn lights off and radiators down in rooms which are not being used.
• 3. Turn your thermostat down when you go out for the evening, or away for a weekend. 
• 4. Buy a smart meter to measure your energy in your home so you can work out how to be more energy efficient.
• 5. Insulate your home (especially your loft) and check for draughts to avoid needing to heat your home.
• 6. Turn off your electrical appliances instead of keeping them on standby. There are devices that can automatically do this for you.
• 7. Close your curtains in the evenings to keep the heat in.
• 8. Buy recycled and recyclable goods.

 Kitchen & Utility

•  9. Cut down on cooking time by using lids on your pans.
• 10. Don’t overfill the kettle when making a cuppa.
• 11. Avoid packaging. Buy loose fruit and vegetables locally or sign up to a local organic vegetable delivery service.
• 12. Recycle your rubbish and reuse what you can.
• 13. Choose energy efficient ‘A’ rated appliances when replacing your fridge, washing machine, TV or even a light bulb. There is a large variety of products nowadays to suit all types of fittings and styles.
• 14. Fill up! Only wash full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. 
• 15. Low Set your washing machine at 30 instead of 40 degrees.

Bathroom 

• 16. Install a hippo in your toilet or use an Eco Showerdrop to reduce water consumption.
• 17. Reduce your water by turning off the tap when you brush your teeth.

The home & office 

• 18. Change your car insurance and bank to a company with good green policies and credentials.
• 19. Reduce the amount of printing you do.
• 20. Walk or cycle or take public transport instead of the car.