The Lazy Environmentalist

This site was conceived in 2005 and borne out of sheer frustration; out of a recognition that there was so little out there to support and promote environmentally friendly products. Whilst I recognise that consumerism per se is unsustainable, I believe there is a place for sustainable well made products of quality that are created with care by individuals who are doing their best to reduce the eco-footprint of their wares. In my travels I found various like minded individuals, whom I wanted to support – hence, the birth of The Lazy Environmentalist eco-boutique.

It’s a small online store, but one created with much thought and care, with it’s primary aim to promote high quality evironmentally friendly gifts and homeware. When I first launched the site, such an idea was still considered radical, yet much has changed and progressed in such a small amount of time. Now the very term ‘eco-lifestyle’ is well recognised and features regularly in magazines and the media. A community of like-minded businesses and enterprises are building daily. Indeed, over the past year or so the eco-consumer and the eco-entrepreneur are now becoming increasingly mainstream. I hope that the day will come that it will be considered the norm, rather than the niche product.

It is my belief that we hold this land on trust for future generations, and that we each need to reduce our environmental impact so that our children and our children’s children can enjoy this land as much as we do. For me that means making informed decisions as to what I use and buy and how I conduct my business as well as my private life, so that the long-term environmental impact is reduced as much as possible. Our land is greatly polluted and it is now time to reduce, and even reverse our detrimental impact.

Where to start? Well, I believe there is much that can be done to limit our eco-footprint on an individual basis; at home, at work, at play. What of that we choose to buy for our home? How can we be assured that what we buy is not part of an intensively damaging production process, one that pollutes the air we breathe, the water we drink and the earth we walk on? Sometimes there is accreditation, sometimes not. But what does it all mean? Sometimes it is all too confusing. Often it is simply too time consuming to consider – let alone research – the where, why and how.

This is where The Lazy Environmentalist seeks to help:

Where I find producers, suppliers and designers that limit their impact on the environment, I tell you how they do so. I am committed to asking questions about the life cycle of our products, from production to shop delivery, to ensure the overall energy requirement is minimised and steps are taken to protect the environment. That means I ask about the raw materials, the production processes, the packaging, the transport – right through to the disposal at the end of a product’s life. I let you know what it is made of, where it is made and how it got here. The eco-footprint of each item sets out its limited environmental impact, so that it is easier for you to make an informed choice – and if you would like to know more, there is an Eco-glossary of terms and eco-labelling to explore and help unravel the complexities.

Here are some of the issues we at The Lazy Environmentalist care about:

The Environment

We recognise that we should do all we can to minimise polluting our environment, which means we examine all aspects of our business and our products that we bring to you to ensure that they – and we – subscribe to as light as possible eco-footprint. Like us, all our suppliers are committed to reducing their impact and using sustainable, rather than polluting, methods of production.

Fair Trade

We will not work with suppliers that support oppressive regimes or promote irresponsible marketing. Where we have products from developing countries, we try to ensure that our suppliers adhere to fair trade principles and workers rights, prohibit child labour and that all workers receive a fair wage.

Product Miles

Where we can we try to source as locally as possible without compromising on quality. Inevitably a fair amount of our goods come from further afield, and when they do we tell you.

Freight

Air freight is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, amounting to over 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the world’s major greenhouse gas, per year. Moreover, aircraft emissions have twice the effect on global warming than they have near ground level. For this reason, we avoid using air freight, and ensure alternative forms of transport are put in place. Usually this means by truck, but if goods are coming from further afield we always try to arrange ship freight where possible. At times this can result in delay of delivery, but we feel that this is a small price to pay and we think you will agree.

Textile Production

Over the past 40 years the use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides in textile production have become the accepted norm, with little regard to the huge toxic damage they can cause. Use of chemicals and man-made pesticides are often justified on the basis of economics, but at great cost to you and the environment. We seek out beautiful textiles that are non-sprayed, plant-dyed, non-chemically bleached or recycled. Please refer to our Eco-glossary: Textiles & Production page for further details.

Genetically Modified Organisms

We are unequivocally against GMOs and endeavour to ensure that all our products are GMO-free. There is a potential human health impact by the spread of allergens and the transfer of antibiotic resistance markers. There is also the environmental impact; of the unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, the unknown effects on other organisms, and the potential loss of or interference with flora and fauna biodiversity.

Body and Skin Care

More than half of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our body. Likewise, the synthetic chemicals in many skincare preparations soak into the skin and they can accumulate in the tissues or cause an allergic skin reaction. Certain chemicals are suspected of disrupting body chemistry and being carcinogenic. We choose natural body care products free of Sodium Laurel (Laureth) Sulphate, parabens, parfum, synthetic derivatives and chemical preservatives. This should not only ensure compatibility with the most sensitive skin, but also help to decrease the toxic load on your body. Please refer to our Eco-glossary: Chemicals & Cosmetics page for further details of dangerous substances.

Accreditation

Accreditation is an assurance of best practice and of the highest environmental and social standards. By the setting of such stringent benchmarks, you can then be reassured that the maker is using accountable and responsible methods of production. Where there is accreditation for newly created textiles, wood and body products we explain what it means. Please refer to our Eco-glossary: Accreditation page for further details.

Packaging

We love beautiful packaging. But it has to be sustainable – and we have set out to prove that it can be. Our aim is for all our packaging to come from sustainable sources. If there is a better alternative, we seek to find it. Likewise we encourage our suppliers to reduce their unnecessary and non-biodegradable packaging. We go to great lengths to minimise the use of plastic for packaging of any goods we receive and of any goods that we send.

Plastic Bags

17.5 billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets in the UK each year. That’s 140,000 tonnes of plastic, which equates to 290 bags for every person in the UK. The majority of these plastic bags end up in land fill rubbish dump, where it takes around 500 years for each plastic bag to break down.

Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade. This means they break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food chain when fish and animals accidentally ingest.

Plastic bag pollution is a threat to our ecosystems, locally, nationally and internationally. Worse, there are no adequate facilities to recycle most of the plastic that is generated on a daily basis by most households. In 2003 Ireland introduced the Plastic Bag Tax, which reduced their consumption by over 90%.

Maybe it’s time we did the same.

Carbon Neutral Premises

Our electricity is supplied by Good Energy, the only suppliers of 100% renewable energy in the UK (see Electricity Info). Our commitment is to install onsite microgeneration to the premises as soon as the UK introduces preferential feed-in tariffs to support microgeneration for homes and businesses.

Trees

At the end of the day, it’s all about the trees. Trees are our life givers, the sentinels of our planet. Trees provide us with wood for us to build with, paper to write on as well as a source to burn for heat. They protect us and the soil from the sun and the rain. They cool the air in hot dry weather by the transpiration of water vapour into the atmosphere. Their roots take water and nutrients from the soil and help bind the soil together on the hill and mountain-slopes. Most importantly, they act as carbon sinks and manufacture oxygen: counterbalancing global warming. Even when they die they enrich the soil. Without trees there would be but a barren world.

The Future

It makes sense that as we grow and become a more successful business, so we should also support sustainable and environmental projects, not just at local level, but also internationally. As part of that commitment, each year we will plant trees in support of our re-forestration programme.

Of course there is still much more for us to learn and understand. As we look closer, we find ever more problems that are yet to be solved and so we encourage our suppliers, producers and designers to seek for ever better ways of tackling environmental damage.

This is our attempt to make the world a better place, and we think that you care too. Our eco-footprint gives you the information so that you are better informed, so that you can make better choices to improve the quality of life and environment in your world, for the life of those around you, for the lives of those in other communities and for the planet as a whole.

Whatever choices you make, we hope we bring you products which you will cherish and enjoy.

environmentally friendly
sustainable
accountable

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

About Polly Higgins

The Lazy Environmentalist was founded by Polly Higgins, whose appreciation of environmental issues stems from her studies in the late 80s of sustainable design and theory. Polly then moved from Scotland to London, where she trained and practised as a barrister. In 2005, she decided to stop fighting other peoples fights, and instead fight for what she believes in – for the protection of the environment. The Lazy Environmentalist eco-boutique was born from Polly’s growing concern for how we unwittingly support damaging production processes, and her recognition that most of us are in fact lazy environmentalists:

“I believe that people do care about the issues of global warming and environmental damage but have little time to do something about it. I hope The Lazy Environmentalist will go some way to help inform and inspire you to take more positive action whilst providing beautiful, well made and original products.”

Polly’s concern about the environment has taken her wide and far. She now works full time supporting and promoting environmental and energy issues, including working with TREC-UK, an awareness raising organisation for the neccessary shift to Concentrating Solar Power, a solar energy solution which creates clean energy from the sun concentrated on mirrors in the desert, to replace our environmentally damaging use of fossil fuels. She writes and is a regular speaker on climate change issues, presenting to school children, universities,
businesses, specialist environmental groups, clean-tech investors, NGO’s and governmental organisations on a wide range of environmental issues, ranging from eco-lifestyle to clean energy solutions.

You can read more about Concentrating Solar Power and her travels on her blog:

Concentrating Solar Power
TREC-UK
The Lazy Environmentalist Blog

For speaking engagements, see:
Climate Speaker Network
Talk Action – Social Environmental Event and Education Specialists

Contact details:
Polly Higgins

The Lazy Environmentalist Ltd.
16 Granville Square
London WC1X 9PF

0845 337 2105