Ethical Information

Here at Fair and Fabulous, we like to keep things simple yet informative! We don’t want to bombard you with too much politics or science (after all shopping is supposed to be fun!). However, we do feel that everyone should be able to make an informed choice about what they are buying and understand why shopping ethically benefits everyone!

What does buying ethically mean?

Buying ethically simply means making informed choices about what, where and how the things we all buy come from. This may be different for all of us depending on what your own thoughts and opinions are but buying ethically generally means that you have decided to purchase goods that are kind to the environment and kind to mankind.

This can be anything from buying organic fruit and vegetables, a garment made from fairly traded cotton, to buying a bag made from recycled materials. It’s all about making socially aware choices that however small can make the difference to our own health and well being, the environment we live in and the lives of others we share this world with. If we can… we should!

Why should I buy recycled goods?

Without boring you with too many statistics, the world’s population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. In the year 2000 it reached over 6 billion people and is estimated that by 2050 the population will rise to over 9 billion! With the worlds natural resources already stretched it is easy to see how these resources will be depleted. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must start to think about our efforts to preserve it.

Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved by recycling.

Some examples of how recycling can help:

You can run a television for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling just one aluminium can!

For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following resources are saved: 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil and enough electricity to power an average house for six months!

Recycled doesn’t have to mean old or used, infact some of the most fashionable, funky and fabulous items are made from recycled materials.

You’ll find some great recycled products on our website and we recycle all our paper and packaging materials at Fair and Fabulous, including sourcing as much recycled packaging as we can, to send your order to you safely and responsibly. Furthermore, all the stationary we use is recycled where possible.

Why should I buy Fair Trade?

Fair trade is a term becoming more commonly used in all areas of consumerism. You will no doubt be familiar with the availability of Fairtrade products in the supermarkets such as bananas, tea and coffee among other food items, but did you realize that you can buy many other goods that have been fairly traded such as clothing, accessories and even soaps.

In simple terms fair trade is about ensuring better wages, decent working conditions and local sustainability for farmers and workers in the developing world. By working to fair trade principles many producers provide a regular and fair income for individuals and communities who are then able to elevate themselves from extreme poverty and provide for their families. In many cases, they are able to pay for health care and schooling and even receive extra money for investing in their businesses and local community. Buying fair trade is a way to help the world’s poorest every time you shop.

It is easy to be enticed in to buying goods that are the cheapest available, particularly clothing where the demand for the latest fashion means shops manufacture billions of dollars worth of garments every year in third world countries where labour costs are lowest. This industry is notorious for “sweatshops” defined as such for their appalling working conditions with low wages, forced overtime, unsanitary and unsafe environments and in particular it’s use of child labour. When you understand how some of this clothing reaches the shelves on the high street it is hard to imagine feeling good wearing it!

If we have a choice to by fairly produced goods (and in the last few years the availability to do so has grown) then wherever possible, we should.

What is the difference between Fairtrade certified goods and Fairly Traded?

The FAIRTRADE mark that we see on many goods these days is an independent consumer label that appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have given their producers a better deal. The symbol is awarded by the Fairtrade Foundation, a registered charity that works closely with the international Fairtrade Labelling Organisations (FLO). The Foundations main focus initially was on certifying agricultural commodities such as tea and coffee which had the most widespread impact on livelihoods of small producers in the developing world. However in recent years the Fairtrade mark has been awarded to other areas such as rice, seed cotton and even sports balls.

It takes a significant amount of time and money to develop the criteria and to assess whether new products should hold the Fairtrade mark and whether it will benefit producers. Therefore, although new products are being looked at all the time and more and more items are showing the mark, many products do not yet carry the symbol but should not be disregarded.

Why should I buy Organic?

Most of us are now aware of the health and environmental benefits of organic farming and many of us now choose to purchase organically produced fruit, vegetables, dairy produce and meat to name but a few. The principle behind organic farming is “working with, not against” nature, grown without the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals.

What is Organic Cotton?

Cotton provides almost 50% of the worlds fibre needs. However, did you know that whilst many would believe it to be the most natural material available, nearly 25% of all insecticides used in agriculture are used on cotton crops alone!

Organic cotton on the other hand is totally natural and relies only on organic farming methods. It is a far superior material which feels softer, thicker and warmer simply because the cotton fibres are not broken down by the usual chemicals used in farming conventional cotton. It is also less likely to cause or trigger allergies due to the absence of nasty chemicals, so it is particularly good for tiny babies and children with delicate skin. Finally, you will probably notice that it also smells cleaner because it is not finished with formaldehyde, something conventional cotton is coated in to aid its appearance. Sounds lovely hey!

All in all if you had a choice, wouldn’t you rather wear organic cotton!

Product Guide

Fair and Fabulous have a simple guide to assist you in making choices whilst shopping with us. Please refer to our product guide for more information.