This is a great value added idea, which helps the environment and benefits charities. Elvis & Kresse based in Poole, Dorset in the south of England collects scrap fire hose from across the UK and, cleverly, turns it into very fashionable handbags, purses, belts and other fashion accessories. What also [...]]]>

Fire Hose To High Fashion

This is a great value added idea, which helps the environment and benefits charities. Elvis & Kresse based in Poole, Dorset in the south of England collects scrap fire hose from across the UK and, cleverly, turns it into very fashionable handbags, purses, belts and other fashion accessories. What also sets Elvise & Kresse apart is that they give 50% of their profit to the UK Fire Fighters Charity.

The company has been recycling materials besides condemned fire-hose, including

• Waste coffee sacks
• Scrap sail cloth
• Used Air Traffic Control flight strips
• Repurposed sunglasses and optician’s boxes
• Reclaimed pewter for our belt buckles
• Parachute silk
• Decommissioned office furniture textiles.

From these they create belts, guitar straps, wallets (billfolds), iPhone cases, card holders, cufflinks, key rings, candle stick holders, table sets, bowling bags, clutch bags, messenger bags and kit bags.

In addition to supporting the Fire Fighters Charity Elvis & Kresse,because of their use of coffee sacks, provide support to two separate coffee grower initiatives in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Their high fashion products are available both online and from select retailers (see their site) in the UK, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Australia.

Green Wine From Waitrose

The wines, instead of being bottled in Chile and then exported to the UK, [...]]]> In order to help Britain’s wine tipplers reduce their carbon footprint and thereby do their bit to minimise global warming Waitrose has introduced its new range of Chilean Virtue wines originating in the Central Valley wine growing area.

Green Wine From Waitrose

The wines, instead of being bottled in Chile and then exported to the UK, bottle and all, is transported in lightweight, 24,000 litre flexitanks and then bottled in the UK before being distributed locally. One flexitank holds the equivalent of 32,000 bottles (75cl) or 16 tons of glass.

Besides reducing production costs by up to 40%, which Waitrose claim they are passing on to their customers at £3.99 a bottle, this production, shipping and distribution method reduces carbon emmissions by up to 47 tons a year, or the equivalent of removing fourteen cars from Britain’s roads. Ultimately Waitrose plans to use bottles containing a minimum of 67% recycled glass.

The tast of the wine is unaffected by the eco-containers. Currently Waitrose offers a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon/Chardonnay from Chile. Later this year they will be joined by two Californian wines and Waitrose is looking to further expand the method to other countries.

Waitrose has signed up to the Courtald Commitment which is a voluntary agreement between WRAP and major UK grocery organisations that supports less packaging and food waste ending up in household bins.  In 2008 the commitment led to zero growth in packaging despite increases in sales and population.

This is one of those ideas that is so obvious but no-one, except Waitrose, has had the bottle to do it.

One more thing, knock yourself out trying to find this wine on the Waitrose website.