Welcome back to enki’s Eco Edit: July 2024, which brings you sustainable lifestyle news every month. Our round-up includes our curated selection of eco-friendly brands, shopping ideas, and places to visit.
This month we explore the new additions to Recork’s Una collection that promote a healthy living environment within the home, a new cabin from Unplugged in the heart of the Somerset countryside, an edible coffee cup alternative and more.
1. Unplugged unveils a new cabin in the Somerset countryside
Residing in the quaint village of Mells in Somerset, Winston is the latest addition to Unplugged’s family of cabin boltholes across the UK. Now open for bookings, Winston invites you to take a breather from busy days and indulge in a digital detox.
Like all of Unplugged’s cabins, upon arrival guests lock their phone away for three days (the time it takes to really feel the well-being benefits of no screen time). Then you’re left with no choice but to plunge into a state of relaxation, and of course the outdoor wood-fired Scandinavian bath with views as far as the eye can see. But fear not, you’ll be supplied with an old school Nokia brick mobile phone just in case of emergencies!
With nature at the heart of Unplugged, every cabin is powered by solar energy and built with low carbon impact materials. Stocked with all sustainable supplies on the inside, you’ll have all the essentials you need to pack light.
Winston has plenty of opportunity for exploration on its doorstep, and it’s only a one-hour train ride from Bristol and half an hour from Bath. Unplugged 3-day digital detox stays start from £390 per cabin.
2. LSA International’s Canopy collection created in partnership with the Eden Project
Focusing on the concept of hydration and propagation, Canopy is a collection of sustainable glass creations made in collaboration with the Eden Project.
Inspired by the idea that we all have a collective responsibility of living under one canopy, each piece is crafted from 100% recycled glass. From self-watering planters and closed gardens inspired by the Eden Project’s biospheres, to vases and dining accessories, a Canopy piece is a perfect addition to any modern space.
The glass is made from locally-sourced clear glass jars and bottles which are sorted, crushed and heated in the furnace until molten. Then, a skilled glass-blower gathers, shapes and blows the molten glass into a mould to form the design.
You can find out more about LSA International’s Canopy collection here.
3. Rethinking the way we travel with Author Liz Schaffer’s new book Slow Travel Britain
Author Liz Schaffer has written a new travel book urging us to travel slowly through the weird and wonderful places of England, Scotland and Wales, uncovering hidden gems along the way.
“I hope this inspires you to set off on a new adventure”, she says as she guides us through Britain’s beautiful and quirky locales. And to help you in planning your escapade, the author also includes useful directories for each place she visits, offering advice on where to stay, what to eat and what to do.
Lists include hidden bike tours in Pembrokeshire, dipping into Addyman Books in Hay-on-Wye, taking a seaweed bath in a reclaimed whisky barrel on Anglesea, and so much more. As we leaf through the pages and are whisked off to different corners of the country, it opens our eyes to the diversity of adventures on our doorstep, whilst avoiding the busy airport lounges.
You can read more about Liz Schaffer’s book Slow Travel Britain, 22 mindful journeys across England, Scotland and Wales in the Summer Special issue of enki. Click here to order your copy today!
4. Recork adds new colours to its Una collection of cork flooring
Joining Recork’s Una collection, simple agglomerated cork planks made using waste cork from bottle stopper production, are four new colours for 2024; Field Maple, Weathered Oak, Natural White and Lunar Gray.
Sustainable and hard-wearing, Recork’s plank offerings will bring an abundance of positive qualities to your home. The cork material emits very low levels of volatile organic compounds (chemicals that can evaporate into the air in indoor conditions), so they’ll actually benefit your health by providing cleaner air. The flooring is also antimicrobial, hypoallergenic and free of biocides.
And the benefits just keep coming… Cork also has unique insulating properties because of its honeycomb structure, making the floors feel warm (and very comfortable!) to walk on.
The Una collection starts from £51.90 per m2, recork.co.uk
5. An edible coffee cup alternative from B Corp brand, Twiice
It was a hot summer’s day in 2017 when Twiice founders Jamie, Simone, Stephen and Theresa thought of the idea to create “an edible coffee cup, but not one that tastes like seaweed or rice – a really tasty edible coffee cup.”
Fast forward to now, they’re paving the way for innovative packaging. Twiice’s cups are made in New Zealand with natural ingredients using plant-based recipes for each flavour, so your coffee doubles up as a delicious snack. And yes, the cups are leakproof, holding their satisfying crunch for at least a few hours.
Twiice offers wholesale options for businesses who have also had enough of seeing single-use cups headed straight for landfill. All Twiice packaging is 100% home compostable and biodegradable.
We hope you enjoyed Enki’s Eco Edit: July 2024. For more stories of the sustainable kind, head to our sustainability news pages.
