Reviews & Articles

August is inevitably a time when we rest, recover and then begin to look ahead. Whether September means you’ll be heading back to school or not, something in the promise of a new academic year resonates with us humans well beyond graduation.

In just a few short weeks, summer holidays will end and the prep for school will begin again. Alongside buying new shoes, hemming trousers and stocking up on pens that will inevitably disappear, the never-ending cycle of what to pack for lunch will also be at your doorstep.

Fair Repair bills, legislation that champions a citizen’s right to repair their own gadgetry, have recently stalled in several states in the USA. This is not good news. Encouragingly, the fight against planned obsolescence continues through the noble work of the right to repair movement who believe that real, positive change in the electronics industry is necessary.

Since we were kids, we’ve constantly been told to share. Home-sharing – and to a degree, Airbnb – is the ultimate form of sharing and home-swapping is the purest type of sharing out there. They’re both wonderful ways to involve yourself in the sharing economy.

Good news Monday! Europe continues its fight against planned obsolescence by approving a resolution to make the EU Commission, member states and producers take action toward improving product repairability. A recent press release revealed that MEPs voted 662 to 32 to promote longer product lifespans “by tackling programmed obsolescence for tangible goods and for software.”

Hop in the shower, hop out again. Cleanse, tone, moisturise. Grab your makeup kit, put your war paint on. But wait. Have you stopped to think about what you’re actually using putting on your face and body? What do these lotions and potions contain? How were these products made and what’s their long-term impact?

The UK’s second-largest supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s, have shocked the ethically conscious community after pulling support for the Fairtrade Foundation. The groceries giant is the largest retailer of Fairtrade, the world’s most prominent ethical stamp that sets standards to the benefit of over 1.65 million farmers across 74 countries.

Choosing an engagement ring is a much more emotional rather than practical decision. The rings we wear symbolize so much and are the ultimate BuyMeOnce purchase since many of us wear our engagement and wedding rings our entire lives.

Initially, I struggled with how to make my bedroom zero waste. So I sat on my bed and asked the question: “What in here could have a toll on the environment?” The more I looked around, the more I saw. Everything we own will eventually become waste.

A children’s birthday party is potentially one of the most consumerist events in the annual calendar, so what steps could we take to try and create an event with less ecological impact?

Our lives revolve around convenience and cheap products wrapped in plastic, but at what cost? In this article series, I’ll aim to show that if each of us make small changes in our everyday life, we can make a huge impact on our waste production. 

There’s something poetic about giving a wedding gift that could last the couple the rest of their lives - and beyond. Just as a marriage is a bond for life, so should be the perfect wedding present. This is a list of our top ten wedding gifts that could last the happy couple forever.