Monday, November 28th, 2011
Still have some room left in your Christmas stocking? Well we hope so, because the Queensland Fair Trade Collective Christmas Markets are on in Brisbane this weekend. With a great range of ethically-produced homewares, toys, clothing, jewellery and food, this will be your one-stop last-minute-xmas-shop. Drop in on the 3rd and 4th of December at St Aidan’s School in Corinda and make sure that stocking is overflowing!
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
There are still quite a few sleeps left until Christmas, but here at Peppermint we like giving presents away early. This is the best present of all, something you can share with a friend! We have one double pass to give away to the Fair@Square VIP Ethical Fashion Show on December 2 at BMW Edge in Federation Square, Melbourne. The show is part of the Fair@Square Festival, which is a weekend full of fair trade, sustainable and ethical activities, talks and entertainment (more info here). Of course all the labels in the show have our green seal of approval – in fact you’ve probably seen quite a few of them on our pages. Now is your chance to see them come to life on the catwalk!
If you’d like to be part of the fair festivities, leave a comment below. The winner will be drawn next Tuesday 22nd Nov!
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
Nicole Golland, former chef and mother of three, found she was sending envelope after envelope to school filled with notes and money and wanted a more sustainable solution. So what’s an enterprising mum to do? Start her own business of course, making reusable envelopes from organic cotton produced through a fair trade organisation in India. After sending her children to school with the new product, the requests for more starting flooding in, and Lopees Envelopes took off. (more…)
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
If you’ve read our latest issue, you might have noticed that Peppermint is a proud sponsor of Oxfam’s 3things campaign: a movement encouraging people to make small, positive changes in their lives towards a goal of global goodness. We think the whole thing is pretty grand, especially the exclusive 3things poster Lauren Carney sketched up for us which you can download, print and share from the link below. So, to continue our support, we in the Peppermint office will this week be pledging and posting each of our own personal 3things goals on our Facebook page. Once you’ve seen how easy it is (and you don’t even have to write yours on a blackboard or pose awkwardly for a photo!), head to the 3things website and add your own goals to the ever-growing list. Feel free to share them here too – we love hearing your ideas!
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
For the last 12 months, the lovely Nina O’Brien from Brisbane eco label Kindling has been working at the Blue Sphere ethical clothing workshop in Hanoi Vietnam, helping with garment design, pattern-making and training staff. Nina has had a fabulous time working with this great team, however her time with Blue Sphere is nearing its end, and so they are looking for a replacement for the next 12 months. Could it be you? You can apply for this position now (in the ‘Governance’ section), and if successful you will be fully trained and prepared for your assignment, as well as having travel, living and accommodation allowances when you’re there. Placing young Australians (18-30) on short-term assignment in developing countries around the world, the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) covers a diverse range of sectors, including Education, Environment, Health and Rural Development. It’s an awesome opportunity to get some work experience in the fashion industry, help support fair trade, join a fantastic team and share your skills at the same time. Applications close May 27 so don’t dilly dally!
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
If you believe that one individual changing one action can have an impact on the global good, then imagine what multiplying that action by three can do? Well, those clever people at Oxfam have done exactly that, and are this week kicking off their 3things campaign: encouraging a more ethical, sustainable and generous society by asking all of us to commit to three things that we can change in our lives for the better. These aren’t turn-your-world-upside-down kind of changes, but the results – collectively – just might be. So if you’re ready to nominate your own 3things, head to the 3things website and pledge now. As a little sweetener, Oxfam has also given us a tasty bounty of Oxfam Fair goodies to give away, including coffee and (possibly the world’s best) chocolate. All you need to do is pledge your 3things online and comment back here telling us what they are. Easy!
Thursday, May 12th, 2011
In the spirit of Fair Trade Fortnight, The QLD Fair Trade Collective has teamed up with QUT’s new sustainable fashion hub, The Stitchery, to bring us a colourful evening of Ethical Fashion next Friday, May 20. Featuring canapés, drinks and some very special speakers – including Paula Rogers, co-founder or Fairer Traders Australia, artisan Cecilia Granadino, sustainable designer Alice Jones and Millie and Nicole from Melbourne’s The Social Studio – the event will provide great insight for anyone interested in the ins and outs of contemporary, ethical fashion. Tickets are only $15 (include canapés and two drink tickets – now that’s a cheap night out!), and can be pre-puchased online here. But as a special bonus for Peppermint readers, we’ve also got two double passes to give away. Simply comment below before 5pm, Monday May 16th with why you would like to attend the event. See you there!
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Fair Trade Fortnight is upon us, and here in the Peppermint office we’re coming up with different ways to get involved. Thankfully, there are hundreds of ideas at Fair Trade Fortnight’s website to give us all a little nudge in the right direction. Swapping to Fair Trade can make huge and real difference to farmers, workers and families around the world. If you’re interested in finding out more, why not show off your fair trade way of life by attending one of the events that are being held across the country for Fair Trade Fortnight. An added benefit to showing off your swap is the chance to win some awesome prizes. Fancy a 10kg block of fair trade-certified milk chocolate? Um, yes please…
Monday, April 18th, 2011
Easter’s already pretty sweet, but there’s a way to make it sweeter. Instead of the usual yearly gorge on whatever’s displayed at the supermarket (leaving us all, days later, passed out in an unsightly sugar coma beneath a small mountain of packaging), why don’t we do Easter the smart way: with Oxfam? We won’t ruin your week with the more unsavoury realities behind the commercial chocolate industry, but we will say that you won’t need to worry about any of that with a visit to Oxfam, as all of their products are 100% Fair Trade (and don’t worry, ethical still tastes damn delicious). But if more chocolate’s not for you, then you can also choose from their even sweeter selection of Easter goodies like a Bunny Egg Box, Papier Mache Painted Eggs or an Easter Puzzle for the kiddies. Excitingly, the Fair Trade ethos is catching on, with Chocolatier and Cadbury also offering some ethical goodness this year too. Just look out for the Fair Trade logo and enjoy!
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Being the middle of January, there are probably very few people who are thinking about what they’ll be doing in December. But after the success of last month’s Fair@Square festival, which took place in Melbourne’s Federation Square on December 11 and 12, you should probably start making some space in your diaries for this year’s event. With workshops, performances, activities and a market all focused on fair trade, sustainable and recycled products and services, it’s a one stop shop for all things ethical, showcasing the best local and international designers and thinkers. One of the highlights of the festival was the Fair Fashion show, presented by blogger (and Peppermint Issue 4 cover girl) Lady Melbourne. Here are just some of the gorgeous outfits on the day, snapped by the amazing Chealse Vo. (more…)
