Interested In Volunteering?

But struggle to find the time to volunteer? With Sparked.com then anyone can find a challenge for them that will fit their lifestyle and expertise. Sparked.com is simply genius and it feels great to be able to help from your own home.

As we say at Wikaniko “We are making a change one step at a time!”. And this is all they ask for at Sparked too! Great minds think alike eh!

How To Get Started With Sparked.com

Simply sign up using one of your social networking sites, fill in your passions and skills then look for a challenge to get stuck into! Don’t forget to fill in your profile so it is 100% complete. Click here to see my Sparked.com profile.  Some challenges only take a minute to do and others are more long term.

So you have no excuses now. If you have a skill in design, marketing, fundraising, web development, research, translation, social media, brainstorming, blogging, IT or similar.

and…

Have a passion for environment, education, youth, community support, health, global poverty, poverty, human rights, arts, internet, women’s issues, food, social entrepreneurship, animals, religion or similar?…. then you should also be micro volunteering!

Christmas Trees- Real vs. Fake

Tis the season to be jolly! Tra la la la laaa la la la laaaaa! Ho ho ho and a bottle of rum! Or maybe just a glass

But seriously, is the whole Christmas Tree thing eco friendly? It would be a shame to think that all of those thousands of green Christmas trees that get cut down each November are damaging to the environment.

Well if the farms that grow the trees are considering themselves green then they might use organic pesticides and herbicides. And they should plant one or two trees to replace the Christmas Tree. So this can help us keep peace of mind when putting a dead tree in your living room just to throw it away after Christmas.

The transportation of Christmas Trees is surely damaging to the environment. Loads of trees that are sold in the UK are grown in Denmark, Norway or even Ireland. So with all of those thousands of miles that must be consumed to get your tree to you must have a huge effect on the environment.

Buy Locally Grown Christmas Trees! Or Else!

To cut down the pollution caused by the transportation of Christmas Trees each year why not get your tree from a local grower? OK you may still have to get in your car to go to your local Christmas Tree supplier but hey we can’t be hobbits for the rest of our lives! You could even choose a tree that is still in the ground so it can be cut for you! You can’t get much fresher than that!

How Do You Get Rid Of Your Cut Christmas Tree?

Leave it the back garden and hope that it vanishes? Maybe not, you can recycle your Christmas Tree so it gets turned in to a mulch for your garden. Don’t just try and shove it in a bin bag!

Or…. Try A Living Christmas Tree

Go for a pot grown Christmas Tree, not potted because they are just like cut trees that have been shoved into a pot with soil and have no chance of survival after Christmas. If you get a good pot grown tree with roots then you can keep it in the garden for the rest of the year ready for next Christmas (as long as it is not too big for your living room).

Is Plastic Fantastic?

The other option is to go for the plastic fake Christmas Trees which resemble a toilet brush. No matter how much it looks like a real Christmas Tree, it’s really not the same is it? But they last for years and years without the mess.

So which is the greener option? Real or Fake Christmas Trees?

What kind if Christmas Tree do you get?

Know Your Christmas Trees

Norway Spruce- The old traditional type of Christmas Tree. Cheap and cheerful but a bit prickly. And don’t sneeze near them at risk of all of their needles falling on the carpet.

Nordman Fir- Bushy and glossy looking and nicer to touch. And won’t leave a load of needles on your carpet being low needle drop.

Feeling festive yet? Well it is December, it will creep up on us before we know it. But what type of Christmas Tree are you going to get? And is it an Eco Friendly Christmas Tree?

“Take Your Canvas Bags To The Supermarket” by Tim Minchin

 I saw this hilarious video the other day and thought that I had to share it with you! The funny Tim Minchin is on the same page as us at Going Green Friendly. Funny and inspiring at the same time! Nicely following on from a previous post of mine called “How Eco-Friendly Is Your Local Supermarket?”.

Watch the video to see why I wanted to share it with you. Or visit the Tim Minchin Youtube Channel to see more hilarious videos.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvnYIxv_364[/youtube]

As always, I love to hear your comments on my blog, so let me know if you are taking YOUR canvas bag to the supermarket!

Lets Go Shopping! Eco Shopping!

How eco friendly is your supermarket? Do you think they are actually making an effort to become more eco friendly?

If you didn’t see any of The Peoples Supermarket on TV last year then be inspired and see what is possible when a group of people get together to provide better shopping ethics. Visit www.ThePeoplesSupermarket.org

It is clear that the big names want to be perceived as more eco friendly but what are they actually doing? When I use my local supermarket I do my best to remember to bring my own bags. When I forget and reach the check out then I can sometimes receive a stern but polite reminder to bring my own yet other times when I forget I am being offered more plastic bags than I know what to do with! Why would I want a plastic bag when I have only bought one item?

But I have to ask myself…..

“We certainly can and should do our part but what are the supermarkets doing to help the problem!?”

Think about all of the packaging that the suppliers use! Did I really need all of that plastic and card with that new toothbrush? Just to throw it in the recycling when I get home?

Every little counts!

Embarrassing how the UK throws away billions of plastic bags a year yet Germany are leading the way with their no plastic bag policy! hmmmmm….

And what about other shops we go to? Some are really making an effort to reduce packaging and do as much recycling as possible. Can you think of somewhere you go to regularly that would be considered Green? What about your local garden centre? These guys should be the role models when it comes to being green but sadly some of them are more interested in selling cheesy gifts than doing any recycling. They could be great distributors for domestic solar panels and wind turbines! I wonder if they ever will venture into being green? How eco friendly is your local garden centre?

How eco-friendly are your local shops? As always I love to hear all of your comments so please feel free to comment below!

Please help us to spread the word and share this post with your friends on your social media sites. Thanks!

We Are Aiming To Plant Ten Thousand Trees In Africa

And we are almost at our first thousand trees milestone! 910 at the time of writing this blog post! Well done team!  Together, WiKanDoIt…….

How To Donate To The Ten Thousand Tree Campaign

Visit our online Wikaniko shop and place your order from the “Trees” category.

In order to ensure that we pass this target, Wikaniko will match your efforts. The company will donate a tree for every tree that is ordered before 31st May!

“Doing less harm to our environment is not enough. We must also do some good”

If you wish to help us, it need not cost you any money – simply join Wikaniko as a customer and purchase everyday items through our shop to help the planet. Or, work with us as a distributor, and make an income for your family whilst doing something really worthwhile.

Let’s all learn to work with nature. This video may open some peoples eyes to the shocking truth about what we are doing to the planet. Wikaniko helps people to take one step at a time towards a greener way of life, at the end of this video you can see how such small steps can make such a massive change to how damaging we can be to the planet.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpu7IZcdzXE[/youtube]

What is SLS? 

SLS is a chemical named Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), it is a detergent found in many personal care products and even some household cleaners (soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving cream, mascara, skin cleanser, moisturiser, bubble-bath, washing-up liquid, laundry detergent, carpet cleaner, degreasing car engines etc).

Why is SLS in our products?

SLS is a popular ingredient in shampoos and the other products mentioned above for two main reasons, the first is it’s low cost to produce, this makes it ideal for low cost brands. Secondly, it is a very effective foaming agent, which makes it highly effective in the removal of oily stains and residues.

What effects does using SLS have?

With regular, prolonged use of shampoos containing SLS, scalp irritation and tangled, split hair can often occur. It has also been reported to have other undesirable effects on skin and the environment. In severe cases, these effects can include swelling of the hands, face and arms.

If being applied directly to the skin through a body wash or moisturiser the SLS within the product acts as it does when degreasing a car engine- it dissolves the essential oils in the skin, these oils are vital in keeping skin supple and moisturised. It has been well documented that SLS dries out the proteins in the skins cells, causing irritation in the form of rashes and itching as well as opening up the lower, more sensitive layers of skin to other environmental contaminants.

Even more alarmingly, when SLS has been used in highly concentrated quantities applied to the skin the health implications become more serious. Studies have been carried out discovering SLS can mimic the activity of the hormone oestrogen. For men and women this should be a concern as it could cause bad PMS, menopausal symptoms, an increased risk to female cancers, such as breast cancer and can cause a significant drop in male fertility.

Why is using SLS-free shampoo and natural products better for you and the environment?

Aside from the obvious health benefits to using a non SLS based product the benefits to your skin and hair would become apparent. Using products with natural, organic or eco friendly ingredients allows skin to remain naturally moisturised for longer and hair’s natural texture would come alive, as natural ingredients will gently cleanse without drying out natural or curly hair textures, meaning less frizz.

By reducing your personal use of SLS mass production of the chemical would become less, in turn, causing less harmful toxins to be released into the atmosphere created during the production process. When using SLS and washing it away down the drain, some of the chemical enters the rivers and oceans before it has been treated. SLS is lethal to fish at 7ppm and does not break down well in the environment.

Have a look on the back of your shampoo bottle! Click here for a full health report on SLS!

There really is no reason not to switch to non-SLS based natural beauty products.

Click On The Banner Bellow To Find Out More About Our Natural SLS Free Wikaniko Products

It’s Easy To Grow Your Own Fruit And Veg When You Know How!

Do you know how to grow your own food? All you need to do is get a few large pots or containers (or even an old wooden box, an old tyre or even an old pair of jeans or boots!), fill them with good compost and Bob’s your uncle and Fanny’s your aunt!

It is starting to warm up which means that it is time to start thinking about what you are going to grow to eat. Think about your favorite vegetable and how cool it would be to grow your own. To grow your own veg can be very rewarding, eco-friendly and cheaper than buying from the shops. And you can put your kitchen waste to good use by turning it into compost to nourish your crops.

What To Grow?

As a guide line for beginners, the easiest vegetables to grow for yourself are potatoes, onions, lettuce, beans, peas, pumpkins, beetroot, carrot and cauliflower. Most of these can be grown in any decent size container, but the beans and peas will need some sort of structure to climb up. Click here to check out the Wikaniko Veg Companion Plant Guide article!

And herbs are also easy to grow as many of them keep coming back year after year, try thyme, mint, sage, chives and oregano. Generally speaking, the herbs prefer full sun and they tolerate less water because of the oils in the leaves. Click here to check out the Wikaniko Herb Companion Plant Guide article!

You can even grow many cool vegetables and herbs quite easily in the kitchen (preferably near a south facing window). If you are anything like me then you will love being able to pick off a couple fresh chillies to throw in a curry fresh from the plant!

Rhubarb is also easy to grow (and hard to get rid of!). And things like apple trees and cherry trees can be very rewarding. Even if you have just a small garden you can still get fruit trees on a dwarfing rootstock so they do not grow too big and you can keep them in containers. They will need a bit of maintenance and care throughout  the year but definitely worth the grafting.

Now You Know How To Grow Your Own Food! Hungry For More?

For more tips on how to grow your own veg click here to see the brilliant site from the BBC!

And if you are really getting into the whole “Grow Your Own” scene then check out this smart way to plan your garden!

As always, I would love to hear your comments below (or if they are not there then click on the comments link at the top of this post to view them). Let me know about what you are growing. Now do you know how to grow your own food?

New Wikaniko Stand Launched In FIT

Local friends and now business partners have teamed up to stock quality eco-friendly toiletries alongside FIT’s extensive range of branded clothing.

This is just one of many ways to share the Wikaniko products!

“We thought it would be a great idea to stock the eco-friendly toiletries to compliment our ever increasing portfolio of brands including men’s and women’s Diesel and G Star which have just arrived” said Luke. “This lent itself to our ethos, as we pride ourselves on being an eco-friendly business.” Luke continued to say.

Eco-friendly entrepreneur Aidan Gibson, has been an independent distributor for Wikaniko (We-can-eco) for five months. Wikaniko uses co-operative marketing via distributors to help spread the gentle revolution of green living. Aidan has branded these products with his own logo for his blog at www.GoingGreenFriendly.com where he shares general tips on being green.

Aidan says “It is very important to take into consideration the environment with everyday items. It would make a huge difference if everyone just took a few extra steps towards a greener way of life. Our products contain less harmful chemicals than normal high street brands, we also use bio-degradable plastic in our packaging, eco-friendly ink on the labels and we use an eco-friendly delivery company”.

Why not pop into FIT in the heart of Hereford and test the products for yourself, the white chocolate and coconut soap is out of this world!

For more details about how to get involved visit Wikaniko.com or contact Aidan at aidangibson@wikaniko.co.uk or 07894867667

Join Wikaniko and become part of the gentle revolution!!!

CLICK THE BANNER BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE!

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We all love our planet but what can we do to help us preserve it?

Global warming is a much more important subject than most of us think. I believe that the majority of humans will only see the importance of global warming when they are actually getting hurt by the process. We all need to be aware of the amount of co2 emissions that we are producing and what the effects are. Our planet is our life! Our future is our children!

So what can we do to help the future generations before its too late? Start looking for a new planet? Or… Just take some simple steps in order to reduce the global warming phenomenon. Which is easier said than done for some people but if we all participate then I am sure we can save the world!

Energy saving around the home. Do not leave appliances on standby. Almost half of the power used to supply the average tv is used when it is on standby! You can save more than 70% of the energy lost just by fitting double glazing! Use energy saving light bulbs! Simple! Be more aware on what your thermostat is getting up to. You could save a nice little sum of money if install a programmable thermostat. Also, move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer. This could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. Take a shower instead of a bath. Simple!

Its not rocket science guys!

Energy saving on the road. You can reduce CO2 emissions by changing how you drive. Click here for tips on eco-driving!

Why not…. Plant a tree. Or save a forest! Support renewable energy projects. Get your school or business to be more green. Eat fresh, organic and locally grown food. Or become a vegetarian!

What? Become a vegetarian!?

Yeah, why not? Because you love a nice and succulent medium/rare steak? Become a vegetarian. This is arguably the best way to reduce global warming in our lifetimes (please do not be too rude in your comments on this article). Albert Einstein said it himself ‘Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.’ I could go on with some more quotes about vegetarianism by well respected leaders (contact me if you want to hear them), but for now lets get on with some facts.

Methane is 21 times more powerful than the greenhouse gas CO2. Animal agriculture produces more than 100 million tons of methane a year. This methane is produced in the digestive processes of livestock, it may be a small amount of methane from each cow but this planet does have a lot of cows! And because cows eat a huge amount of grass and they have multiple stomachs this causes them to produce a large amount of methane, which they exhale with every breath.

If we eliminate our consumption of animal products by becoming vegetarian then we could eliminate the main producer of methane. I am not suggesting that we kill all of the cows! But once we all participate in being a veggie then we need not produce as many cows, which will result in lower amounts of global warming. Easy!

Top 10 Tips On How To Practice Eco-Driving

Feel free to comment below if you have any more tips that you would like to share with the readers. Do you have an eco-friendly car? Do you already practice eco-driving? We love to hear from you!