Consumers Demanding Eco-Products Globally

Posted on 26/08/2013 by sbonham

Countries Around The World Willing To Pay Extra For Eco-Products – UK Amongst Top!

A recent survey by Nielsen, asked more than 29,000 internet respondents in 58 countries about eco-products and their buying behaviour. Overall, it showed that one in four UK consumers are choosing more environmentally-friendly products despite their higher prices. Also, 3 in 5 consumers in Singapore wait for new products to undergo testing/approval (i.e. to know they are safe/eco-friendly) before purchasing them.

The UK trend reflects a global surge in interest in environmentally friendly products with the proportion of consumers prepared to pay more to protect the natural world more than doubling to 46% last autumn from 22% in spring 2011, according to Nielsen.

Asia-pacific consumers (55%) are the most likely to buy eco-friendly products regardless of price, followed by their counterparts in Middle East/Africa (51%), Latin America (46%), Europe (37%) and, finally, North America (30%). The global average is 46%.

Indian and Vietnamese consumers are the most likely (both 71%) to choose more eco-friendly options, despite the extra cost, followed by Turkey (68%).

Some 60% of Russians say they let environmental concerns determine which products they buy, putting them amongst the most likely Europeans to do so. This is around twice as many as in other key European economies such as Italy (34%), Sweden (32%), Germany (28%), France (25%) and Spain (23%).

Natural Ways To Fight Sugar Cravings

Posted on 25/08/2013 by sbonham

Eco-Savy received quite a lot of mail recently asking us about natural foods to help with sugar cravings. Don’t get us wrong, we looovve our chocolate, but now and again it is important to re-evaluate our “snack foods” and help control our blood sugar levels with great snacks.

Here are some of the great things Eco-Savy recommends:

1. Try sprinkling some cinnamon (1-2 tea spoons) on your toast in the morning or in your yogurt. Cinnamon is great for controlling blood sugar and preventing those intense sugar cravings.

2. Take a cinnamon supplement about 30 minutes before dinner with a BIG glass of water (this really works wonders for me personally). This way, after dinner when all of your carbs are digesting, you won’t get that blood sugar spike and craving for sweets.

3. Dried Mango Slices– These are great because often you have to eat a lot of them to get just consume 150 calories. Also, they have much less sugar than the traditional chocolate bar or other sweet. It terms of nutrients, although not extremely high in minerals, dried mango contains small amounts of iron–2 % of daily value–and calcium–4% Iron is important for oxygen transport in the blood, while calcium helps maintain bone strength and density. Dried mango is also good source of Vitamin A – 20 percent of daily value–which plays a key role in cell metabolism. Unlike regular mango, dried mango does not contain high amounts of Vitamin C–only 2 percent of daily value). High amounts of water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C are lost during the drying process.

4. Rice Cakes – We love rice cakes! Rice cakes definitely fill that void for snacking and making you feel full because your are crunching them for a long time and they aren’t made from refined sugars that would spike your blood sugar (i.e. they aren’t wheat based)

5. If you are a chocoholic like us, we highly recommend switching the “milk chocolate” kind (high in sugar = more addicting) with a dark chocolate. Yes, dark chocolate is a bit bitter, so why not try one that has sweet coconut shavings in it?

Are You A Sugar Addict? Are You In Dire Need of A Sugar Detox? Click Here!

10 Simple Natural Choices To Get Healthy and Slim Down

Posted on 21/08/2013 by sbonham

New Plastic Inspired By Ocean Waste

Posted on 18/08/2013 by sbonham

Plastic, plastic, plastic, what are we going to do with you?!

plastic vortex- eco-savy.com Well, I am sure we have all heard by now that there is a region in the Pacific Ocean where there is a plastic agglomeration twice the size of the state of Texas (aka where the currents collide). As sad as this is, some companies have found inspiration from it! For example, “ocean fresh”, “blue ocean coral” and “sea breeze” are all scents used by recent home care launches. I know, I know, these are just SCENTS, but it is a start!

Eco-Savy is rooting for “Methods” new hand wash and dishwashing soap that is made from recovered ocean plastic. Specifically, they have launched a 2-in-1 dishwashing liquid and hand wash, with plastic packaging made partly from post-consumer recycled plastic found along the ocean shores. The material was developed in partnership with recycle HDPE supplier Envision Plastic.

Where Is This Ocean Plastic Collected?

Surprisingly, the “ocean plastic” is hand collected by Method employees and volunteers from beaches across Hawaii. However, the problem they face is the quantity of plastic…it just isn’t enough! After all, most of the plastic is IN the ocean, rather than on the shorelines. Thus, Method had to resort to combining this “ocean plastic” with post-consumer recycled waste to create a “grey-coloured” bottle. Eco-Savy is extremely impressed by Method’s efforts.

Are There Other Companies Using “Ocean Plastic” In Their Products?

Ecover, the Belium based manufacturer of environmentally friendly cleaning products, is also looking to the sea as a potential material source. Working with plastics manufacturer Logoplaste, its plastic will be collected directly from the sea using special equipment that can be fitted to fishing boats. This is a step in the right direction!

What is Methods Long Term Goal?

Method was clear that their initiative is not to clean up the world’s oceans, but to raise awareness about the issue and to demonstrate novel ways to reuse waste plastic, which is still something! Indeed, the focus in not providing a solution to sea based plastic waste, but rather highlighting the issue of plastic waste in the sea to consumers and the wider public.

Where Can I Buy Method’s “Ocean Plastic”?

Method soap products are sold at Nature’s Emporium in Newmarket Ontario – Canada (great, great store!) and Whole Foods Market. Also, you can purchase the soap and detergent online at methodhome.com.

Plastic waste is a major problem in our world. Many people don’t even think twice when they toss their Starbucks (or Tim Horton’s) cup in the garbage…after all, that lid could have been recycled. So just try and pay a little more attention to the products you bring into your home and how you are disposing them 🙂

All Natural Remedy For Hiccups

Posted on 10/08/2013 by sbonham

Let’s face it, we all get the “hiccups” and doesn’t it seem like everyone has a different solution to make them go away?

What many do not know is that the all-natural herb “cardamom” is actually an anti-spasmodic and can help get rid of hiccups. This also applies to other involuntary muscle spasms, like stomach and intestinal cramps.

So next time you get a dose of the “hiccups,” try this all-natural remedy. Whether you try crushing some cardamom up and putting it in water or other ways, Eco-Savy highly recommends it! Better, yet try this yummy “rose meringue” recipe.