Announcing our new product range.

The Midnight Feast

The Jacob Marley

This week has seen the launch of the new range of organic Christmas hampers, occasion gifts, new baby gifts, and corporate gifts from Feelgood Organic Hampers. It seems like we have been working on this new collection for ever and it is great to finally see the new products online.

Some of the most exciting additions to our range this year are the products by 'Bambu'. Created on fair trade projects around the world the bowls and servers are made from certified organic, sustainably grown bamboo. Bambu is a stunningly good example of a company founded on corporate social responsibility (CSR), looking through their website it is clear that no stone has been left unturned in creating the guiding principles of the company. The products themselves are beautiful and we are delighted to welcome them to the Feelgood Organic Hampers family.

Another welcome addition to this years hampers are the Natural House certified organic household cleaning products. Produced from fully biodegradable organic ingredients the 'dish spa' and 'surface spa' are guaranteed to have the least environmental impact possible. As well as being certified organic by the Soil Association they are also Vegan Society approved. We have included them in this years 'New Pad' hamper.

We've only been online with the new range for a couple of days and already the Christmas Hampers are selling well. We are once again stocking the ever popular puddings and cakes by Village Bakery and as we speak several cases of the best brandy butter I've ever tasted are on their way to us.  

If you are interested in ordering a gift, be it for Christmas or any occasion have a look at our website. I'd be happy to talk to any of you about your gift requirements. 

Remember to order your Christmas gifts early to avoid disappointment.

Bamboo Clothing - The Pro's and Con's

Fashion has taken a seriously green turn this year, with London Fashion Week kicking off the trend back in February and in April we in Ireland hosted our first ever Ethical Fashion Week. 

Bamboo clothing is being heralded as the newest eco-fabric and at a recent trade show I was excited to finally see and feel this new cloth. It is beautiful, I was struck by how shiny it was, it's appearance and feel is closer to that of satin than it's eco-competitor organic cotton. It was also really light, a cloth nappy seemed to loose all it's bulkiness when made from bamboo.  The lady at the stand told me that because of it's natural deodorising properties you could wear the socks for a week without washing them... although I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to test that yet!

The advantages of bamboo seem endless, it's naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, it's durable, it grows quickly without the use of pesticides and it is completely sustainable. It would seem to be a miracle fabric, but as with all things there is a disadvantage. I had noticed that although bamboo is grown organically that none of the garments seemed to be labeled organic. Looking into this further I discovered that hazardous chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide are used during the processing of the plant. These chemicals are extremely toxic and can cause severe health problems to the people working with them. For example carbon disulfide is known to:

 '...affect the normal functions of the brain, liver, and heart'  *

and sodium hydroxide when inhaled can cause:

 '...swelling or spasms of the upper airway leading to obstruction and loss of measurable pulse; inflammation of the lungs and accumulation of fluid in the lungs may also occur'*

Even with all these health effects bamboo is still more environmentally friendly than many other materials. For example non organic cotton uses approximately 150g of pesticide per pound of raw cotton - enough to produce just one T shirt.

The good news is that there is an eco-friendly and organic way of producing bamboo cloth which allows natural the natural enzymes in the plant to break down the pulp. Although it is eco-friendly it is very labour intensive and as a result costly. New technologies are also being developed to help make the mass processing methods greener.

 

* Source: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Further Reading:  

Environmental News Network

Los Angeles Times Blog

Organic Clothing