I’ve just discovered Freeset bags (& journals) and just love what they are all about… Freedom for the women who have no choice but to roam Calcutta’s streets as prostitutes, and for their daughters.

My pick of the bags are these dragonfly print jute shoulder bags with cotton lining (the handles are lined too to be comfortable on bare shoulders) with a cell phone pocket.

“Each Freeset Bag tells a story of one woman’s journey to freedom. She used to stand with 6,000 other prostitutes in a small but well known area of North Calcutta. She didn’t choose her profession; it chose her. Poverty does that. It robs people of their dignity and children of their innocence.

She still lives in the same area, but instead of selling her body she makes Freeset Bags. Now she has choices, the choice to work decent hours for decent pay, to re-establish her dignity in her community and to learn to read and write. Now her daughter won’t have to stand in the street selling her body like her mother used to. Freedom has been passed on to the next generation.” – from the Freeset website.

Also check out these wood-free Kantha journals. They are handbound, with a kantha- stitch multilayered cover, a screen-printed pencil and white wool paper. Each journal is unique. They are made by the daughters of sex workers. Freeset’s goal is to bring wholeness and restoration to their lives. Many tragic stories are told by the girls. By giving these girls a dignified job, Freeset have given them a step up, to gain respect by society. The cycle of shame is broken!

Freeset products are available in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.

Popularity: 1% [?]

No need for soaring energy use when you decide you need your first cup of hot chocolate this autumn.

Here’s all you need for a green cup of hot chocolate:

Step 1: Make sure you only boil as much water as you need for that hot chocolate. It’s easy to do with an Eco-Kettle or Tefal Quick Cup. At £29.50 you can’t go wrong with the Eco-Kettle. As an Eco-Kettle user myself, I heartily recommend them. The Tefal Quick Cup has had mixed reviews, and costs twice as much at £59.99. Design-wise it’s a more attractive thing to have on your kitchen counter, but looks aren’t everything. And there’s also the all new Morphy Richards Ecolectric kettle that has an 85′C setting for coffee and hot chocolate. Not a bad price at £34.99.

Step 2: Get your mug out. If it’s a global warming mug to remind you of why you’re making the effort to live green, all the better!

Step 3: Spoon some lovely Cocodirect Fairtrade Drinking Chocolate powder into your mug. It’s rich, creamy and velvety, and guaranteed to contain only Fairtrade cocoa beans and cane sugar from Latin America. At no less than 40% cocoa solids, it has almost twice as much as ordinary drinking chocolate. If you’re going to indulge, you do it properly!

Step 4: Pour the water over the hot chocolate, add a little organic milk if you like, and enjoy!

Best drunk outside watching the autumn leaves falling, wearing a pair of soft fleece eco-gloves (made of 94% recycled PET bottles) and a Fairtrade woollen beanie from People Tree.

Popularity: 2% [?]

There’s nothing quite like free P&P to make buying online really worthwhile. So, for Organic Fortnight (6 – 21 September 2008, Ethical Superstore are giving us just that, free P&P for all orders of £15 or more.

Love your planet, buy organic.

Popularity: 1% [?]