Eco-Friendly Interiors Ideas.
Only 9% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic ever produced has been recycled. Another 12% has been incinerated and the rest is in landfills or littering the natural environment. The study, published in the journal Science Advances in 2017, was the first global analysis of all the plastics ever made – and their fate. Mass production only started six decades ago and, frighteningly, plastic takes more than 400 years to degrade.
We can all do our bit by buying wisely, reducing the amount of waste we produce, reusing and recycling. Here we share some of the innovative, stylish and eco-friendly interiors products and concepts catching our eye right now.
Reuse & Recycle
So much of what we throw away can be transformed into something new rather than ending up in the local tip. Kitchen worktops, for example, can be made from recycled glass and even plastic yoghurt pots. Have a rummage around salvage yards, granite and wood suppliers, and sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, for preloved ones with plenty of life left in them that can be cut to size.
1.Elvis & Kresse transform rescued raw materials — including old fire hoses — into luxury lifestyle accessories and donate 50% of profits to charity. Its leather cubes, available in three sizes and in black or caramel, are made of interlocking unusable offcuts of reclaimed leather from the best British leathercraft manufacturers. Handmade in England, they’re 100% reclaimed and zero waste. From £60.
2. Salvage specialist Retrouvius was an early champion of the reuse and sustainability movement. Its website is a treasure trove of beautiful things, from vintage ladders and lamps to textiles and tables. Hourglass Illuminated Side Table, £895+VAT, buy here.
3. Claire Gaudion’s recycled plastic bottle rugs are as soft as wool, fade-resistant, washable and work indoors and out. Made in collaboration with Momo Rugs from 100% recycled plastic, each colour has been inspired by nature. There’s a rug visualisation app on the website so you can see how they will look in your home. From £379
Shop Smarter
Staying closer to home over the past year has fuelled a trend for sourcing more local and handmade goods, giving a much-needed boost to British businesses. Responsible interior design considers a product’s environmental impact and that includes the number of air miles it has travelled.
4. Softer + Wild’s Scandi-style designs feature botanical-inspired shapes in seasonal colours. The cotton is unbleached and untreated and woven in their own workshop before heading to their screen-printing studio in Lewes, East Sussex. Hand screen printed tea towel, £12.
5. Furniture maker Sebastian Cox’s ancient woodland in Kent is coppiced for his Products of Silviculture collection. “I still believe that many of the material challenges we face in society can be overcome by combining an ancient approach to materials and design with the amazing technological and scientific advances of today,” he explains. Coppiced birch and English ash coffee table, £825.
6. If you’re after beautiful handmade, sustainable lighting check out Spark & Bell. Produced from its workshop in Sussex, most designs in the online shop are customisable and customers are encouraged to get in touch with ideas and custom requests. There’s also a brand new Spark & Bell collaboration with H&M. Reeded glass pendant, £128:
SECOND NATURE
Inject warmth and texture into rooms with natural products like wood, brick, brass, marble, jute, leather, iron, cork, hemp and bamboo. Consider investing in natural wool or recycled newspaper (cellulose) insulation, if yours needs boosting. Organic cotton uses fewer pollutants and water than conventional production; likewise, look for FSC-certified wood products and steer clear of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints, adhesives, cleaning products, air fresheners, furniture and carpets. A NASA study found filling rooms with house plants – spider plants and peace lilies are good ones – filters common toxins to help purify the air.
7. These soft and natural waffle towels made by The Organic Company are 100% GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton, ensuring both the welfare of workers and the environment. Available in six colours, from £35.10.
8. Graphenstone paints are one of the most eco-certified in the world and are even air-purifying, which is particularly great news for those with breathing difficulties, asthma or allergies. The pots are 100% recycled plastic and a 96-shade colour card of their natural VOC-free paints is free from the website.
9. Alternative Flooring is totally transparent about what’s in its products and uses ethically sourced natural fibres such as wool, sisal, coir, seagrass and jute wherever possible. Barefoot Wool Marble Morward 100% undyed wool handcrafted carpet, £85.85 per m2.
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