If you think eco is last year’s trend, think again. From recycled fashion making it as far as the Academy Awards red carpet this month to the positive eco legacy of the forthcoming Olympics, there’s no slowing down when it comes to caring about our family’s health, our homes and the environment. Here are our top five highlights expected for 2012...
Plastic fashion!
Trendwatching.com highlights “Eco-cycology” in its list of 12 trends for this year, shortlisted from a bunch of many other green developments. Eco-cycology is when brands use old products to create something else or ensure products are bottled in recycled plastic, giving us no reason not to recycle. Most of the brands on BigGreensmile.com are eco considerate when it comes to packaging.
But when it comes to using garbage for good, there’s never been a more glamorous side. Trailblazer Livia Firth got her husband and their A-list friends to go eco at the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards this year, as part of her Green Carpet Challenge: her husband Colin Firth and Shame star Michael Fassbender donned Armani made from organic wool and recycled PETs at the BAFTAs, while star of The Help Viola Davis wore a breathtakingly sexy salmon pink eco Valentino gown.
Livia herself took on a sexy Paul Smith trouser suit for the BAFTAs and a recycled PET fabric gown from Valentino for the Academy Awards, and even convinced winner Meryl Streep to wear Lanvin’s first ever gown made from eco-certified fabric.
With Livia encouraging her luxury fashion designer friends (Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent’s former creative director Stefano Pilati to name but a few) to make eco moves it’s expected that more eco clothing will trickle down to high street brands. Remember: we are what we wear.
Green gymin’
Ecover, with its squeaky clean green credentials is working with Dancing On Ice professional ice skater Frankie Poultney to encourage us to clench our buttocks and dance around when cleaning the house - what a fabulous way to firm up your figure! There’s an upsurge in healthy lifestyles are more of us live it up in the great outdoors, such as BCTV’s ever popular Green Gyms or tending and bringing nature to your own garden.
Secrets of the stars
Meanwhile, more celebrities are revealing what they have in their make-up bags, and the discovery is that organic beauty products are high on their grocery list! Weleda Skin Food is a firm favourite, loved by Winona Ryder and Helena Christensen, Erin O’Connor and Victoria Beckham. Girl about town Davina McCall chooses Lavera Basis Hair Conditioner for her hair; Gwyneth Paltrow achieves the fresh look with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap; Julianne Moore is a massive fan of Burt’s Bees while KT Tunstall is quite the babe with Balm Bam, especially her fave Rose Geranium Face Balm.
If it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for us! We can also hope that organic hero HRH Prince Charles is giving his new daughter-in-law Kate Middleton some top tips for organic beauty care.
Olympic high
The summer will surely heat up the green agenda, especially as 2012 will reveal the results of Britain’s first carbon budget aimed at reducing emissions.
Despite funding cutbacks and innovation challenges, the Olympic organisers are still aiming to make the event as green as ever, with efforts to reuse and recycle 90 per cent of construction waste, use renewable energy and reduce the overall carbon footprint. What’s more, the capital city will be left with an eco-friendly park!
With such a big event on our doorstep it’s likely more of us will enjoy a staycation. Be sure to wear your natural sunscreen!
Hybrid heroes
Okay so perhaps Segways - those two-wheeler balancing machines - have been an eco miss (have you seen one on your street recently?), but hybrid cars are becoming trendier by the minute. More car manufacturers are following suit to the Toyota Prius.
Before you rush out to buy one though, wise folks say that energy (and money!) saving begins at home so you can get started with our range of handy energy saving gadgets.
Let’s hear it for green! Make your purchases count this year and keep on smiling!