Washing up isn’t much fun at the best of times but it’s even worse when you’ve just had a manicure. Even worse, the only way to stop freshly applied polish peeling off is to make use of marigolds, which are made from rubber sourced from plantations – one of the leading causes of deforestation in the Amazon. Luckily Green Tips have come to the rescue with their uniquely eco-friendly version of the marigold, which are made from Fairtrade natural latex harvested and manufactured in Sri Lanka and lined with organic cotton.
Available in bright grass green, the gloves are biodegradable and produced to meet Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC) standards. This means that the rubber is tapped from trees in responsibly managed plantations, which don’t endanger the local rainforest. Although natural rubber isn’t yet certified by the Fairtrade Foundation; the Fair Deal Trading company behind Green Tip gloves ensures that the rubber tappers receive a fair wage, work in good conditions and get a 50 euro cents premium per kilogram of dry rubber. The extra money is invested by the cooperative into projects such as improving the local water supplies.
Green Tips cost £2.75 per pair and are available from Whole Foods and Shared Earth
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