Plastic Free July

Plastic Free July is a campaign led by the Plastic Free Foundation. Their vision is to see a world without plastic waste. So each year they challenge people around the globe to choose to refuse single-use plastics in July.

This campaign is new to me, so I have been investigating it a bit on their website - www.plasticfreejuly.org It suggested we look at our plastic waste; can any of it be avoided? – Single use plastic bags – could we invest in re-useable bags? Single use plastic water bottles – reusable bottles are available, some will even keep drinks cool for 24 hours – great when the hot weather arrives! Single use takeout coffee cups – reusable coffee cups are available and many coffee shops will give you a discount if you bring your own cup!

2019-07 - FairTrade - AAbove shows one of fair2all’s jute bags and a pair socks made from recycled plastic bottles

So how can fair2all support our customers to have a Plastic Free July? When you purchase anything from us we will offer you wrapping to protect your purchase, but all the bags, boxes, bubble wrap are being re-used - they are the wrapping in which we received products.

Many of the products fair2all sells can help you reduce plastic use – we have a variety of reusable bags and baskets, reusable coffee cups, and of course we can refill your washing up and laundry liquid containers. Just bring your empty containers and they be can refilled from our range of household cleaning products

Many of our products are made from recycled materials. These range from paper made from Elephant Dung to items that would be thrown away such as old keys, used bike chains and off cuts of leather from the furniture industry. The Elephant Dung paper range includes Birthday Cards, Notebooks and Jot Blocks. The recycled bike chain range not only includes photo frames and bookends but also quirky animals – dogs, cats, mice and elephants. The off cuts of leather are used to make Handbags, wallets and purses. Each one is unique as the leather pieces come in a wide range of colours and sizes.

A colourful range of products were originally made from reject crayons –they include bracelets and other jewellery together with coasters, boxes and picture frames.

2019-07 - FairTrade - BOur latest arrival is a range of wooden toys made from rubber wood. These trees for many years produced the latex used to produce natural rubber products, but now in their new life are going to give small people fun and teach the valuable skills.

Currently fair2all has a range of natural farm coloured animals, dinosaurs and knights. We also have puzzles and shape sorters but are happy to order any item from Lanka Kade’s extensive range, see www.lankakade.co.uk And should you want to make your own cardboard home for the animals or castle for your knights, fair2all would be happy to supply you with suitable size cardboard box. It’s great to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or even (in the case of single use plastic) Refuse it, if it helps our planet.

Mandy McIntosh fair2all, 17 Bath Street, Ashby 01530 417286

Open Monday and Tuesday 10 – 2.30 Wednesday – Saturday 10 - 4

Tim Phillips, 01/07/2019