Calico Moon are a small family run company and started out in 2005 with a little shop at a garden centre and a web site, things have moved on greatly over the last few years with lots more publicity about organic farming and fair trade products, the choice has also grown at an amazing rate. Competition has grown at an alarming rate but what we have always aimed to sell are beautiful fairly traded eco-friendly products at down to earth prices that everyone can afford to buy not just the rich and famous, to us it should be a way of life for everybody not just the lucky few who consider Green the new Black just like some sort of fashion accessory. We don't belive you need to change your whole wardrobe every season, but sometimes it's nice to have a treat, or something that will refresh and compliment your existing clothing.
In a nut shell Calico Moon provide Planet Friendly Shopping That Doesn't Cost The Earth! With a beautiful range of clothing, toys, gifts and accessories, all our suppliers share the same objective of living and working in a Fairer, Cleaner and Greener world, it doesn't matter if an item comes from India or the UK, it just has to be made with Love & Trust for fellow humankind and the world that we live in.
Cathie x
Director of Calico Moon
What does buying ethically mean?
Buying ethically is about making the right choices, and in doing so providing a better working environment for people to work in and a cleaner, greener planet to live on. Simple Really!
Why should I buy Fair Trade?
Fair Trade Suppliers:-
Do Not use child labour
Pay a fair price to producers which reflect the true cost of production
Support producer organisations in their social and environmental projects
Promote gender equality in pay and working conditions
Advise on product development to increase access to markets
Commit to long term relationships to provide stability and security
Campaign to highlight the unequal system of world trade which places profit above human rights and threatens our environment.
It also keeps traditional skills alive and can enable mums to work from home, this is very important in remote areas such as the Himalaya’s where walking to a town is just not an option. Beside which many companies provide many extra benefits such as free health and dental care, uniforms, crèche facilities and build schools and help with other community projects. Maybe most importantly it gives people back their dignity, they don’t want Aid they want Trade.
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?
Organic farming works with the environment, not against it producing a clean environmentally friendly product, Organic cotton is kinder to your skin and the planets! Use an eco brand of washing liquid/power such as Ecover so you don’t introduce nasty chemicals to it in the wash
What is Organic Cotton?
Organic cotton is grown naturally without the use of artificial pesticides It 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. Don’t forget to use an eco-friendly washing liquid/powder to keep those nasty chemicals from getting at it.
This is bad for the ecosystem, producers and consumers, causing.
Soil Pollution and Erosion
Water and Air Pollution
Death of Beneficial Insects
Health Problems such as cancer, sterility, acute and chronic poisoning, nerological problems, allergies and weakened immune system
Conventional Cotton
Conventional cotton crops occupy 3 % of the worlds cultivated area. It uses 25 % of the pesticides and 10 % of insecticides bought in the world. One field of cotton can be treated up to 25 times before harvest.
Why should I buy recycled goods?
It’s all about saving resources, just because you throw something in the bin doesn’t mean it’s not your problem, land fill sites are filling up at an alarming rate, we need to re-educate ourselves and our children, make do and mend, think about the long term effect of what we are buying, do we really need it?, will it go on the compost heap when I’ve finished with it or spend 100’s of years at the local land fill site or where it could get stuck inside some poor animal or bird leading to an agonising and prolonged death.
You’ll find some great recycled products on our website from table mats made from recycled juice cartons (washed first of course) to heart strings made with the off cuts of fabric being used for clothing or bags.
Some clothing items are made from recycled sari’s and old cotton rags can be recycled and made into cotton paper. Denim jeans can be made into hard wearing rugs and metal in to quirky gifts. Some wooden products are even made with sawdust, this means, the list goes on and on! And items are ever changing.
Calico Moon recycle as much as possible including our paper and packaging materials here at and at home. We use FSC recycled carrier bags in our shop and large internet orders will probably arrive in a recycled cardboard box. We print out order details on recycled paper and even provide a refill service for Ecover laundry and washing up liquid in our shop, so our customers can reuse their bottles again and again.
What are eco-friendly goods
Eco friendly goods don't have an adverse effect on the planet, they work with what mother nature supplies with minimal manufacturing or wastage, items such as paper made in traditional ways using fast growing plants and dyed with natural plant dyes.
Items made of fast growing plants such as hemp jute and bamboo that don’t need lots of water and no pesticides. Wood objects made of fast growing mango or shesham wood or from offcuts from the forest floor. Many of these items are made by hand using traditional skills handed down from generation to generation which keeps traditional skills alive and gives us some fantastic items for you to purchase.
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