Most of us try to avoid packaging as much as possible: just stuffing a carrier bag in our handbag means we usually can refuse the plastic bags offered in shops. But sometimes, there is no getting away from it: the other day, my boyfriend bought some work shirts. Each of them came in 1 plastic bag, with 8 plastic pins, 1 large piece of cardboard and the collar was held with 1 stip of cardboard and 1 strip of plastic. I possibly might have forgiven all that waste if the shirts came already ironed, but no! Good luck if you took a shirt out, tried it on, find out you have to return it and had to fold it all again.

So at The Really Eco Baby Shop, we keep all the boxes/large envelopes we receive and use them again. Don't worry, your order will be packed very carefully but it means we do not overcharge our customers for expensive packaging we had to buy. Our delivery fee stays low and we throw away less.

On this note, a little tip for Christmas: wrap your presents in nice magazines: choose pages related to the recipients: perfume ads for mum, toys ads for kids,... they will look really pretty!

It is so easy to buy cheap plastic toys. We do it too for our own children so no smug claims on ethical perfection here. However, we do try and avoid them as much as possible and we certainly take great care when choosing the toys we stock here on Really Eco Baby. 

On Sunday in the Observer was a telling reminder of how we need to be much more discriminating about what we buy. Read the full article here. Here at Really Eco Baby we stock toys from Russimco and Kenana. Russimco will always check their suppliers carefully to make sure workers are treated and paid fairly. Their values can be found here. And Kenana was set up in Kenya to support women and communities there. Read all about Kenana here.

So treat someone this Christmas with a clear conscience. And not only are the companies' ethical credentials sound: Russimco toys do not need batteries and are environmentally packaged; and Kenana wool is naturally dyed and you will be contributing to a wonderful cooperative project. 

NapNap and The Really Eco Baby Shop are very proud to offer to its customers a range of Gossypium products. Back in 1998, Abi & Thomas Petit - its co-founders - pioneered the introduction of ethical textiles into the UK.

Two ideologists, they went in search of cotton that wouldn't harm the environment or exploit Indian farmers.  As textile technologists, they were appropriately qualified to pursue their vision & together with Agrocel - a farmers' service centre - they developed a formula for growing & trading in cotton. They made sure they never lost sight of the Indian farmers' needs in creating a solution that would ensure their economic stability & also protect the environment.

Gossypium effectively cut the middle men and trade only with known farmers, offering them a fair price for it. They also have the clients very much in their mind. All Gossypium products are designed in-house, are ethical, and are of the highest quality.

The sleepsuits and pyjamas need to be seen to be appreciated. The lilies, bugs and animals' designs are intricate, the organic & fairtrade cotton is soft and thick and it feels obvious when you touch them that they are clothes that can be washed again and again then passed down to other lucky babies and children.

We are sure the Gossypium range will be a great success here at The Really Eco Baby Shop. 

The last couple of weeks have been very busy for The Really Eco Baby Shop.

First we started to get a jiggling in our taste buds when we received our Rawr Raw Christmas chocolate bars: festively spiced organic orange with cinnamon and nutmeg raw chocolate. It is full of anti-oxydant, exactly what you need during the winter months. Perfect for vegans and vegetarians and everyone else as even though there is no added sugar, it is still delicious and not bitter at all (believe me, I have a sweet tooth).

Then, we are offering 3 new playsuits: our Ella & Otto animal print one is original and beautiful while our Little Green Radicals' numbers are more colourful. Stripy or plain, make your choice.

Of course, they are all organic and The Little Green Radicals' ones are even fairtrade. They make perfect eco baby presents for all babies as they are all unisex. Even better, because they don't have feet, they can be worn for longer! 

But to make a truly original and useful baby shower present, birthday or Christmas, do not forget to add our unique nappy voucher: The NapNap Voucher. It can be used in lots of different online shops and allow parents to choose the cloth nappy of their choice. Be it lots of highly reliable plain nappies or a custom made one, they will always find one that suit them among our retailers.

For lots of information on how, why, where to use a NapNap Voucher, visit our sister store www.napnaphq.com