Tag: eco

5 easy steps to make your own bug hotel

September 2023

A bug hotel is a great little way of caring for wildlife and recycling Feel Good toilet roll cores and other bits of scrap material you may have lying around.

This zero-waste idea will brighten up your garden and is super fun to make.

You can build a bug hotel any time of year. However, it might be easier to gather materials such as straw, dry grass and hollow plant stems in autumn. It’s also when a lot of insects will be looking for a place to make their home for the winter.

Bug hotels are really simple to make and have massive benefits to lots of different minibeasts and insects such as ladybirds, bees, spiders, and woodlice. Minibeasts can then use the hotels as a safe space to shelter lay eggs, raise their young, and hide from predators.

Using sustainably sourced materials is important to us at Feel Good (we’re big fans of recycling if you hadn’t realised) You can gather most of the materials for this project from your recycling bin and the garden, but you might also need to dig around the craft box a little bit.

What you’ll need:

Feel Good toilet roll cores
Scissors
Tape/glue
Cardboard
Items like sticks, stones, twigs, dry leaves, pinecones, grass etc.

Here's what we used to make our bug hotel

How to make your bug hotel:

Step 1:

Using the cardboard pieces, build a structure (we made a two-story hotel out of an old cardboard box) and add in the toilet rolls as tunnels on the “ground floor”

Step 2:

Add in the string, arrange however you like, to create a different texture environment on the “first floor”

Step 3:

Add the natural materials in such as sticks, stones, leaves, grass, twigs to fill out the first floor

Step 4:

Start to mix up and layer your materials and build a sort of playground for the bugs in their hotel

Step 5:

To finish off, add some leaves to the top for a little roof and pop it outside for all the bugs, minibeasts, insects, and wildlife in your garden.

Remember – be inventive!

There’s no right or wrong way to make one of these hotels.

Give it a go and share with us your bug hotels – tag us on Instagram and Facebook. If you’re looking for another toilet roll craft for the spring, check out our toilet roll bird feeder tutorial.

4 festival tips make your experience even GREENER

June 2023

Festival season is well underway, with Glastonbury kicking off next week.

Glastonbury has always been a pioneer of sustainability, this year is no different. Climate activist Greta Thunberg will be taking to the main stage to make an impassioned speech about the climate crisis. Everyone who has bought a ticket to the festival has also been asked to sign their ‘Love the Farm, Leave no Trace’ pledge, encouraging festival goers to limit their impact on the site.

Here are a few of our tips to help you have a more sustainable festival…

Eco-glitter

Glitter is a festival staple, but most traditional glitters contain micro-plastics. These plastics will linger around the festival site long after you’ve packed up your tent. Opt for eco glitter instead which is often made from biodegradable plant cellulose and is a lot healthier for the environment!

Bring a bottle

We all know that hydration at festivals is important, ESPECIALLY when you wake up in a boiling hot tent the morning after maybe one too many beverages…

The convenience of bottled water is tempting, but the majority of festivals have plenty of water taps with safe drinking water around the site. All you need is your reusable bottle and you’re good to go!

Pack a mac

UK festivals and rain go hand-in-hand. Be prepared and keep dry by packing a pack-a-mac or light raincoat. You can avoid forking out a fiver on a bright orange single-use rain poncho. And save your style creds in the process.

Recycled toilet paper

If you’ve never been to a camping festival before, here’s a tip: take your own toilet roll. In fact, even if you’re going for a day and not camping – take your own toilet roll. Those festival portaloos are bound to run out so be prepared and keep a single roll in your bag for emergencies. Even better if it’s recycled toilet paper…

For more sustainability tips, make your you check out our other blogs, or head over to our Instagram!

Feel Good approved: ways to reduce your plastic use in 2023

February 2023

We pride ourselves on being eco-friendly, plastic free and easily recyclable. However, we know being eco-friendly and cutting down plastic for the rest of your life isn’t as easy as just picking up a pack of Feel Good.

If you’re looking for some other easy ways to cut down on ‘greening up your life’ – look no further.

Here are some simple switches to cut down a little bit more on your plastic use…

Switch to bar soap instead of those that come in hard-to-recycle plastic bottles

Next time you’re adding shop to your trolley in your weekly shop, maybe consider your options. Bars of soap have a much lower environmental impact, due to packing being more minimal and paper-based.

This is compared to liquid soap which is packaged in plastic disposable bottles.

Use matches instead of plastic throw-away lighters

If you’re a candle lover, you might have a few plastic lighters hanging around your house. But how about switching to matches instead? It may be a small step to cut down on plastic, but every little helps. And, doesn’t it feel much classier?

Switch to cans or glass instead of plastic drinks bottles

Instead of buying a plastic bottle of water from the supermarket every time you’re thirsty, why not invest in a reusable bottle?

Over 12.7 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean each year. Scientists predict that by 2050 they will contain more plastic by weight than fish. By switching to a reusable bottle, the average Brit can save around 150 single-use plastic bottles from use every year.

Switch to pencils instead of plastic pens

Another small but might tip you might not have thought of. Instead of buying cheap plastic pens that you’ll inevitably lose, or break and spill ink everywhere, go for a pencil instead! That way you can erase all your mistakes, including any relating to plastic use…

Got any more ideas? Let us know on Instagram @feelgood_eco

Summer gift-giving hack that is better for the environment

July 2022

Summer has rolled around quickly. Schools will soon be breaking up for the summer holidays and saying goodbye to teachers and friends.

If you’ve got your end-of-term presents ready but want to gift something personal and get the kids involved – look no further! These gift boxes are easy to make with little ones and will stand out from the crowd as they’re zero waste and are made with a toilet roll core (what else!)

Read on for how we made these:

What you will need:

Feel Good toilet paper core
Scrap paper (if you have any wrapping paper lying around, that would be perfect)
PVA glue
Scissors
Ribbon or string

What to do:

Step 1: Cut the scrap paper long enough to go round the toilet roll three times. Apply a strip of glue on the inside end of the paper. Wrap the paper around the toilet paper core and press the glue strip down so it sticks.

Step 2: Gently press the extra scrap paper inside each end of the loo roll until the paper is nicely tucked in and glued to the cardboard.

Step 3: Gently press the middle of each end of the roll so they fold in towards the centre. They will slightly overlap in the middle. Make the crease nice and sharp so it’s secure.

Step 4: Pop you gift inside and secure the other end. Cut some ribbon/string to go around the tube, wraparound and tie with a bow.

Step 5: ADMIRE!

You can fill your toilet roll gift box with sweets, jewellery, gift vouchers – any small gift you can think of. Why not share your gift box creation with us on Instagram or Facebook.

Check out more craft ideas on our website too, like this pencil pot.

5 ways to be even more eco-friendly in 2022

January 2022

If you’re aiming to be more eco-friendly in 2022, you’re not alone. A survey of over 2,000 UK adults, commissioned by GoCompare, found that being more environmentally friendly was one of this year’s most popular new year’s resolutions. However, data from YouGov found, of those who made resolutions, around a quarter failed to keep any of them (23%).

Being more eco-friendly in 2022 doesn’t have to be a big commitment. It only takes a few small changes to reduce your impact on the environment:

Practice meat-free Monday

The prospect of going vegetarian, or vegan, full time might be a daunting one, but how about meat-free Monday? An easy way to do something for the planet is to have one plant-based day a week.

Reducing your meat consumption one day a week has benefits for the health of our planet and your own health. For example, skipping just one serving of beef one day a week for a year saves the equivalent emissions of driving 348 miles in a car.

For some tasty, veggie and vegan recipes, head over to the meat-free Mondays website.

Invest in a reusable bag

Plastic bags have a lasting effect on the environment. They can take anywhere from 15 years to 1,000 years to decompose and cause harm to wildlife around the country.

Using an eco-friendly bag made from biodegradable materials is an easy swap that will cut down your plastic waste.

Be more eco-friendly in 2022 with a reusable bottle.

Switch to a reusable water bottle

Instead of buying a plastic bottle of water from the supermarket every time you’re thirsty, why not invest in a reusable bottle?

Our favourite reusable bottle is from Moon Bottles, which also plant five trees for every bottle purchased!

Turn electrical appliances off when they’re not being used

This may seem like an obvious one but, it’s one of the easiest changes to make. Leaving appliances running is a huge waste of energy that can be avoided so easily.

Set reminders on your phone to turn off your plugs when you leave for work in the morning and before you go to bed.

Switch to recycled/reusable products

Maybe the easiest change of all – switching your usual groceries out for eco alternatives! Next time you’re doing your weekly grocery shop, why not see what products you can swap out for a more eco-friendly option?

Waitrose, Booths and Ocado shoppers can make an easy swap with their toilet roll by picking up Feel Good! Unlike other supermarket toilet paper brands, Feel Good is made of 100% recycled materials and comes in an easily recycled paper wrapper!

Got more questions about Feel Good? Take a look at our FAQ page and if you still have questions, why not pop us a message on Instagram?

Thanks for helping us Feel Good in 2021

December 2021

We can’t believe 2022 is just around the corner! Our first year has been a wild one. We want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who supported us throughout 2021. Since launching at the end of April, we’ve featured in multiple magazines and watched our lovely fan base grow on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Award-winning

We couldn’t think of a better way to end the year than with the news that we have been voted best household paper launch of 2021 by The Grocer.

The Grocer is the leading retail trade magazine in the UK, so being recognised by them is a huge honour. The top product lists are decided by the editorial team and independent industry experts. The judges commended Feel Good for its innovation and bringing something new and exciting to the toilet paper sector.

Did you pick up a pack of Feel Good in 2021?

Where you can find us

Feel Good first launched at Waitrose, online and in stores back in May. Since then, Feel Good has also been available to pick up in Morrisons stores and online at Ocado.

We’ve been loving reading all the reviews online and particularly enjoyed, ‘I was expecting crispy paper that would hurt my bottom, however, this is lovely and soft.’ Ocado user @pk196 – we would never hurt your bottom!

2022 is looking even better, and customers in the North will soon be able to find Feel Good in their local Booths store.

Booths pride themselves on working with responsible businesses, so we’ll be in good company surrounded by other eco-friendly products.

In good company

Another recent highlight for Feel Good was being featured in the Good Housekeeping Institute list of ‘best eco household products’. Feel Good was named the ‘best made in the UK’ eco toilet paper and scored 76/100 in GHI trials. Testers praised our good absorbency and affordability – at £4.50 a pack… we don’t blame them!

We were also featured in Women’s Own as one of their ‘eco brands worth backing’, alongside eco-conscious brands such as Jude’s Ice Cream and Teapigs.

We’re feeling social

We’ve been especially busy over on our socials lately, running our advent calendar – 12 days of Feelin’ Good. Featuring sustainable festive tips as well as a fair few competitions!

We teamed up with a few like-minded brands; The Truthbrush, beautiful bamboo toothbrushes, Moon Reusable reusable bottles to help cut down your plastic use and Floragy Skincare, wonderful, plant-based skincare. The team at Feel Good HQ were tempted to keep the prizes for ourselves, but they’re off to Feel Good fans for them to enjoy this Christmas – or to gift if they’re feeling generous.

We love interacting with our Feel Good fans on social media, and can’t wait to build our community over the next year. We can’t wait to work with more brands and create even more competitions for people to get involved in. So if you’re not already following us… head over to our Instagram and Facebook.

What’s next?

We can’t wait for an even bigger and better 2022. We’ve got lots of exciting plans on the horizon. What are they? Well… you’ll have to keep following us to find out! And make sure to keep an eye on our blog pages for even more fun stuff!

3 easy ways to have a greener Halloween

October 2021

Between decorations, costumes and individually wrapped sweets Halloween isn’t the most eco-friendly time of the year. Luckily, we’re here for you with some easy tips for having a greener Halloween.

Get crafty

Decorating your home is one of the best parts of Halloween but all those plastic decorations can generate a lot of waste. Instead, get crafty with your Halloween decorations – there are so many things you already have in your home that can be turned into ghoulish decorations.

Old tights can become spider webs, turn milk bottles into spooky ghosts with some lights and papers, and old sheets can easily become skeletons with the help of a marker pen. And of course… you can repurpose your toilet roll cores to create some spooky decorations.

The most classic Halloween decoration is definitely sustainable… the humble pumpkin! We’d recommend buying a pumpkin from a local farm, but they are readily available at most supermarkets. Carve them out to make a classic Jack O’Lantern, keep the seeds and flesh to eat later: you can roast the seeds for a tasty snack, and make pumpkin soup or the classic American Pumpkin pie. You can also compost your pumpkin and plant the seeds to grow your own pumpkins for next year. What a win-win situation!

Switch your Halloween sweets

Typical Halloween sweets we give out to trick or treaters are fun-size chocolate bars and miniature bags of sweets. All of which come wrapped in lots of plastic that will ultimately end up in a landfill.

So why not avoid all those individually-wrapped treats, and make some yourself? Biscuits go down well with kids of all ages. You can get creative with your decorations, making them as ghoulish as you desire. A basic biscuit dough only takes around 20 minutes to make, and you can get creative with flavours and toppings. Then simply pop them into a paper bag for trick or treaters!

If you don’t fancy baking, try giving out vegan sweets, or foil and paper-wrapped sweets to reduce your environmental impact.

Costumes

Cheap and easy ‘fast fashion’ Halloween costumes are one of the largest contributors to waste at Halloween, with Fairyland Trust finding around three quarters of Halloween costumes/clothing from five retailers was made from polyester, estimated to generate 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year.

Instead of throwing money away on a costume you’ll only wear once, why not DIY it? Search through your wardrobe and repurpose those items you haven’t worn in a while.

If you own a black and white striped shirt and have an old black t-shirt knocking around, you can easily dress as a burglar.

If you have an old white t-shirt lying around, you can get creative by cutting out the shape of a ribcage on it and using a black eyeliner to paint your face like a skull.

Sticking with the eyeliner has anyone ever gone wrong with a cat? Simply doodle a nose and some whiskers on your face!

You can also keep it classic with the old bedsheet ghost…

Make sure to tag us on Instagram and Facebook if you have any of your own greener Halloween tips. And for more eco tips, head over to our blog.

Top tips for a more eco-friendly bathroom

Reusable Products To Make Your Bathroom Even More Eco-friendly!

September 2021

By now, we’ve all realised our lives need to be a little greener. Many of us have had an eco-friendly revamp, stocking up on metal straws and cotton bags to help reduce our waste.

However, there are plenty more sustainable, reusable options out there to help us all live a greener lifestyle.

Here are some of our favourite reusable items for your bathroom:

Cut out the disposable razors

Safety razors might seem like a scary and old fashioned method of shaving, but they’re better for both the environment and your skin.

Disposable is in the name, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that two billion plastic razors are thrown away each year. If you also consider the amount of packaging each cartridge razor comes in…that’s a lot of plastic filling up landfills.

Metal safety razors, however, are designed to last, only requiring the metal blades to be replaced every 5-6 shaves. Safety razors are also proven to provide a smoother, less irritating shave than their multi-blade counterparts.

There are many safety razor options available today but the basic idea is the same and they’re mostly made from stainless steel. This Edwin Jagger chrome-plated safety razor is the perfect option for beginners in the world of safety razors.

Need more convincing? Have a read of Refinery 29’s love letter to the safety razor.

Choose a different kind of cotton pad

Cotton requires huge amounts of energy and resources to produce, so it’s not an ideal material for single-use products.

According to WWF, the amount of water needed to produce enough cotton for a basic white t-shirt is the same amount of water one person would drink over three years. We keep t-shirts for a LOT longer than a cotton pad, so doesn’t it make sense to stop using single-use pads?

Luckily, there are now plenty of options available that means soon you could be throwing away your cotton pad for the last time.

These bamboo and cotton pads from Bambaw are extra soft, making your skincare routine feel super luxurious. They also come with ‘scrub terry pads’ to remove stubborn makeup and lightly exfoliate your skin – what a bonus!

Once you’ve used your pad, simply throw it in with your regular washing and voila! It’s as good as new.

Switch up your cotton buds

Another single-use cotton product that’s easy to replace – the cotton bud! A bathroom essential and relatively easy to find eco-friendly alternatives.

This reusable cotton bud from LastObject is made of recycled ocean waste plastic and lasts up to 1000 uses. That’s 1000 fewer pieces of plastic waste you’ll be contributing to the world.

A sleeker option

Looking for ways to make your bathroom more stylish AND eco-friendly? Refillable shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles really are a win-win.

Fiils are a relatively new face on the sustainable scene. With a range of refillable metal bottles and refill pouches, it’s the easiest way to cut down on single-use plastic bottles.

Let us know if you have any more reusable product tips. We’re on Facebook at @FeelGoodEco and Instagram at @FeelGood_eco.

For tips on how to reuse your Feel Good loo roll, head over to our blog.

Make the most of your garden this National Allotment Week

August 2021

This week is National Allotment Week (9^th-15^th August) and it’s got Feel Good HQ thinking about how to make your garden sustainable.

Organised by The National Allotment Society (NAS), the theme for this year’s National Allotment Week is Plotting for the Future.

This means celebrating the contribution that allotments make towards a sustainable future – and we’re big fans of sustainability here at Feel Good.

To celebrate (and for those of us who don’t have an allotment), we’ve put together some of our favourite top tips for making your garden more sustainable.

Calling all green thumb owners and wildlife enthusiasts; this one’s for you!

Keeping the bees busy

In a recent blog, we talked about how to make your garden more attractive for bees.

It’s still our #1 tip for the garden, as research has found 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost.

Most bees are active between March and September, but some come out of hibernation early during milder winters.

Buff-tailed bee queens start to nest in the autumn to prepare a ‘winter colony’ so it’s good to have a couple of pollen or nectar-rich plants like honeysuckle or winter clematis.

You can also let your garden grow or designate an area especially for the bees, which will help provide nesting space.

Did you know the colour purple is the most vivid colour for bees? That’s why plants such as lavender, alliums, buddleja and catmint are perfect for attracting them.

You can grow your own way

Considering starting your own veggie patch?

For most veggies you’ll need plenty of sunlight with at least eight hours of direct sun each day.

Healthy soil is the key to growing a successful crop, so be sure to do a soil test to check the soil fertility and pH.

If you’re just starting out with your veggie garden, stick to a small plot so you’re not giving yourself too much work.

You can also make things easier by only choosing to grow four or five types of veg – and looking after them well. We know you might be tempted to grow anything and everything but take baby steps!

Introduce blooms that attract bees, butterflies, and ladybirds as this can boost crop pollination. Insect-friendly plants such as sweet alyssum, cosmos and sunflowers also help.

Newly seeded beds will need plenty of watering but established beds only need one or two inches of water per week. When it comes to feeding, only long-term veggies like tomatoes, squash or aubergine will thank you for a few doses of water-soluble organic food.

This will also encourage a bigger harvest. Fast growing cops like radishes and lettuce are low maintenance and tick along just fine if they have fertile soil.

Imagine how exciting it’ll be to serve up dinner with veggies from the garden!

Watch the birds roll up

Encourage birds to visit your garden with a bird feeder.

But not just any bird feeder!

You can make a sustainable feeder using your Feel Good toilet paper core.

If you’re looking for creative ways to keep the kids entertained during the summer holidays, this could be the activity for you.

What you’ll need

• Peanut butter, lard or suet

• Two long sticks or branches

• Bird seed

• Feel Good toilet paper core (the cardboard tube inside! But be sure not to waste your loo roll)

• String

• A plate or board to assemble your feeder

Method

1. Make two holes in one end of the paper core. They must be large enough for your sticks but make sure they’re secure.

2. Be sure to make the holes parallel so you can thread the sticks through easily.

3. Make two small holes opposite each other in the other end of the core and then cover the roll in peanut butter, lard or suet.

4. Once you’ve done that, roll (no pun intended) your Feel Good core in the birdseed so it sticks to the roll.

5. Thread the sticks through two of the holes, ensuring the roll is as central to the sticks as possible and use a piece of string for the other holes et voila! Your upcycled feeder is ready for the birds to enjoy!

Host a garden party

No, we don’t mean get the BBQ and Pimms out, we’re thinking more about a wildlife garden party!

If you opt for a garden fence that has gaps at the bottom, this allows for hedgehogs, frogs and other wildlife to go on a “garden crawl” and move from garden to garden.

As areas become more urbanised, it’s important to give the local wildlife a chance to explore and further support different habitats linking together.

If you’ve got any dog or cat food at home, you can leave some out for any visiting hedgehogs or even a shallow dish of water. You can even buy special food that’s tailored to hedgehogs.

If a hog visits your garden, you can log it on the Big Hedgehog Map and see where there have been other sightings.

Feel like doing some more DIY? You can create a mini frog pond, by upcycling an old washing up bowl. Frogs everywhere will be turning up to your garden for a pool party!

What you’ll need

• Washing up bowl

• Logs or bark

• Gravel or loose stones

• Spade (for digging!)

Method

1. Dig a small hole in your chosen area of the garden and bury your washing up bowl so the top of it is level with the ground.

2. Place some logs or bark around the edges so it blends into your chosen spot.

3. Fill up the base with gravel

4. Place a small rock or an old tile in the bowl to provide an easy exit.

5. Fill up the bowl with rainwater and add pondweed.

6. Watch the frog hop on over!

Have you got any Feel Good tips for making your garden more sustainable?

Drop us a comment on Instagram or Facebook. You can also email us at feelgood@rumpuspr.com.

Feel Good eco toilet paper – now available in Waitrose

June 2021

What a whirlwind month we’ve had at Feel Good HQ!

From launching our website to kicking off our social media, seeing Feel Good in the press, and the first packs being picked up by Waitrose shoppers, we’ve loved seeing the feedback for our brand new eco loo roll.

A social success

Some of you have already started to spread the word about Feel Good on social media.

One shopper had this to say about our rolls…

We love your enthusiasm for Feel Good, and we’re also proud to be sat alongside other recycled and eco-friendly products; giving you more options to do your bit for the planet.

We also gave our fans and followers the chance to bag a free pack of toilet roll with our first competition. We chose six lucky people who – along with a friend – will receive a free pack in the post. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for more giveaways coming soon.

We’ve also had a few lovely emails from Waitrose customers, keen to know more about Feel Good.

We are always happy to answer your questions, so please do get in touch on our social pages mentioned above, or pop us an email over to hello@feelgood.eco.

Making a splash

It’s also been wonderful seeing our cheeky mascot make their print debut!

As news of our launch took off, we saw our little heart splashed across the media, in print and online.

Where will they show up next? We’ll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, you can get to know our mascot, and more about Feel Good, by checking out our brand video.

We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Feel Good.

Thinking of giving us a try but want to know more? Head over to our FAQs to find out what we’re all about.

We’ll also have more news on where you can buy Feel Good very soon, so look out for updates and get chatting to us on our social channels.