So you've switched to organic for all the right reasons.

The question is how do get rid of all the old products without continuing to hurt the environment?

Be it beauty, baby, homewares or cleaning there is the potential to do more harm than good by emptying old chemical-laden lotions down the sink or throwing polyester sheets in the dust bin.

There's one of three things you can do to tackle the task of ridding yourself of those old items that not longer fit on your organic shelf:

1. Recycle it. Find the local waste management information source in your area and ask them if you items are toxic, recyclable or can be collected. Some agencies have an annual household hazardous collection day and some collect cosmetics.



2. Reuse it. Give it to someone who wants it. Search the net for people looking for what you have. First, accept that not everyone is on the same eco wave as you. You could let them know why you're getting rid of it - you never know it may have an effect? They also might have an alternative purpose for your old lipsticks and bright eye shadows - a makeup painting perhaps?

3. Use it up. If you've been wearing your favourite perfume for 20 years it might be a little hard to throw (or even give away) despite the amount synthetic chemical you've just realised you've been spraying on your neck every day. Keep it and use it on special occasions or nights out to dinner only. If you've exhausted all possibilities then throw it out. Old products are best sent to landfill rather than down the sink through and into our water system. But throw it away knowing you did the best you could and get on with being the organic-ite you want to be. It's inevitable we'll produce some waste and the best thing we can do to reduce our output is by decreasing our input. Something to be mindful of when you peruse that dainty little organic chocolate shop (well, you can't be virtuous allll the time!)

So Organic is a small but growing company, run by a friendly team of people who all feel passionate about the environment and natural products.
We love the sense of community we feel when talking to our customers and sharing our knowledge and you tell us that you love it too.
So we've been working on a new extension to our website and called it our "Community Pages". We'll be updating regularly with hints and tips on green living and advice from our panel of organic experts.
We’d love your input too, so please email us with questions, suggestions and your own hints and tips, an ddo check back regularly for the latest news. 
Visit our community pages now.

“It is the peoples of this world who can create peace.” Ahmad Fawzi In 1999 film maker Jeremy Gilley started Peace One Day with the mission to ‘establish the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence with a fixed calendar date’. And guess what? He succeeded with 192 member nations of the UN unanimously voting in September 21 as Peace Day. Peace Day is not just about creating peace between nations but also within homes, schools and communities. Every person on the planet is relevant and necessary if there is to be on true day of peace on earth a year. Through film (Jeremy’s latest documentary is called The Day After Peace,) education, football and other live events (last year there was a concert at the Royal Albert Hall that hosted by Jude Law featuring musicians like Annie Lennox, Lenny Kravitz and John Legend) the message is getting out there.

“If there is a cessation for a day, then it gives us an opportunity to move supplies safely through places that are otherwise difficult.” Marcus Thompson, South Asia Programme Advisor, Oxfam To help spread awareness (the aim is to have 3 billion people aware by 2012) about the day a local Greenwich musician, Kareem Khodeir, wrote the song Peace One Day (see the link below). Kareem’s now working with a team on a project to invite musicians from across the work to reproduce the song with the same lyrics and melody, though in their own language and music style to help reach mainstream consciousness about the day on a global level.

For more information on how you can get involved visit Peaceoneday.org and watch the film and song above.

The things you learn in a hotel lobby can be quite educational – a mix of people from all over the world are collectively sure to have a wealth of information to share, particularly about eco issues in these eco conscious days. I’ve recently met a few such people interested in all things environmentally friendly, one being eco activist Pat from Canada. Pat started an electric bicycle company called Pedaless and also works with the Electrical Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO). Pat was telling me how there have been studies done that prove electric bikes are more beneficial for the environment than your regular push bike when you look at the energy used of each. When you measure the amount of food fuel you require for a 1 hour ride (think of the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you) compared to the amount of electricity, which can be gained from renewable sources the electric bicycle comes out on top. Some of the other advantages of an electric bike include not needing to buy petrol any longer, you do not require a license or insurance to ride one, you can beat the traffic and those hefty parking fees, it produces zero emissions, it’s legal to ride one on the street and the bike path, and it´s much easier to ride up those steep hills (think of what a joy riding through Greenwich or Hampstead Health parks would be!). It’s also very cheap to run at about CAD$0.15/100Km. Pat also told me that he helped the EVCO push through a policy to allow electric bicycles to be ridden on the roads. Unfortunately the same has not been granted for home built electric cars yet but they are working on it. If you´re interested in finding out more information about the electric bicycle or want some inspiration to build your own visit www.pedaless.ca or the EVCO visit www.euco.ca. Personally I prefer the sweaty exercise … and if I want to keep it as eco friendly as possible perhaps I should just not eat that piece of chocolate cake afterwards!

You´ll need a big eco heart to run this race… a 100km ultra-marathon set on the volcanic island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. This new running event is organized by eco warrior Josue Stephens to promote the eco-tourism projects on the island. With so many forest regions in this part of the world that have been taken advantage of by foreign investors building infrastructure to meet the demands of travellers wanting to experience a piece of untainted wild, places like Ometepe are being tainted beyond repair. But Stephens is having none of it – he´s making clear it´s all about prevention through education. The aim of the race (other than to exhaust the fearless runners who dare to attempt this great feat) is to raise awareness about how to ‘maintain trail, keep people from cutting too many trails, and prevent erosion’ says Stephens. They’re also planning to demonstrate proper waste management to the island’s municipalities. As far as the community of Omeltepe is concerned the locals will provide the resourced needed for the race including aid stations, safety guides, food, medical care and lodging. Traverse Trail Running, which Stephens co-founded, will be fundraising for the race to help buy running shoes for the local children who want to compete in the min version of the race – the Calzado para Ometepe 5km and 10km. For mid-range runners there’s also a 25km and 50km option and a 2-3 runners relay for the 100km. If you´re a runner of any level the race of Ometepe is a treat to experience. Set in the dense jungle forests of Nicaragua the challenge of climbing two volcanoes by foot is sure to be nothing short of spectacular. Stephens says that if it rains runners face trudging through mud and water up to their knees. They battle temperatures that range between 65-95 degrees F, bugs, roots and steep, single track accents and descents. It’s no wonder Stephens and locals want to keep this beautiful place safe. The race will also raise awareness about illegal poaching in the two volcanic national parks that the event is being held in. For more information visit www.fuegoyagua.org