Richard Catty

What could be better than long-lasting, perfect-fitting sustainable swimwear? Bikinis that handle rough waves and calm seas while at the same time protecting them? When it comes to swimwear, it’s about our passion for water and being comfortable in what we wear by the ocean all day, every day.

Before setting off in search of the big ones, you want to be sure you’ve packed all those little, easy-to-forget things. This post focuses on the innovative surf accessories that use wood and bio-based materials for everything from fins, to leashes through to that must-have eco-friendly wax.

For many, the act of chalking up before clambering up a wall or cliff-side is as ritualistic as a morning coffee or brushing one’s teeth before bed. But there are some that are actively challenging the use of powdered chalk in the sport of climbing. At the forefront of the movement are Chalk Rebels.

The Fair Cottage recently teamed up with Clean Climber Foundation, a Dutch organisation looking to bring the sport of climbing in balance with nature. We caught up with founder Gerard van Laar to discuss climbing ethics, slow travel and the drive for sustainability and circularity within the sport.

This 5 point guide to the best and worst disposable coffee cup solutions is written in collaboration with the CRCLR Agency, who support local gastronomy in the Neukölln area of Berlin in finding sustainable solutions. Through this and other projects CRCLR works towards making Berlin more circular.

Most of us wouldn’t engage in an activity that involves risk to our personal health without first making some sort of rudimentary plan. But what about the risks our daily consumption of plastic pose for the health of the environment? Don’t they deserve consideration too?

At TFC's recent clean up of Kreuzberg's Floating University, it took six people as many hours to rid the site of plastic waste. The difference we made was quite remarkable. It just goes to show how accustomed to plastic litter we are, when we only realise its ubiquitousness in the absence of it.

Perhaps the one tangible benefit of fast fashion is the savings for consumers. However, even this idea is undermined when you think how long such low quality clothing tends to last. If you’re ready to go slow, but not sure where to begin, then let my top tips guide point you in the right direction.

Is fast fashion just a buzzword? A trick to make you spend more on clothing than you can afford? Or is there more to it? In this post, The Fair Cottage explores how the way clothing is produced affects everything from workers rights, to the environment through to our own sense of value.

Whether you are buying a snowboard, a sweater or a neoprene wetsuit, you are consuming. If the item is mass produced, most likely resources are exploited and as a consequence, the planet suffers in some way. What is happening in the current concept of consumption? Where is the circular economy we are always hearing about?