With the amount of garbage we produce significantly increasing over Christmas thanks to the scourge of buying unwanted gifts than often end up in the bin, we’re being encouraged to take a more conscious approach to our Christmas shopping.
Ethical shopping expert Judith Treanor wants us to think more carefully before making the purchase and ask yourself if the purchase will make a difference to the recipient or are you just buying for the sake of it?
“We live in such a wasteful society that this year I really want to make sure my shopping doesn’t add to this waste,” said Mrs Treanor.
“There are amazing products made from re-cycled items with powerful stories behind them especially from social enterprises in South East Asia,” she said.
“Proving that products made from re-cycled goods can be beautiful and unique while also enabling us to do our bit for the environment.”
“To many people Christmas has always been about excess.’
“But our society has become more conscious about the environment and about where things come from.”
“We all re-cycle our household waste and most of us would prefer not to add to the mountains of rubbish we see in landfills.”
“So I think this should extend to the gifts we buy for Christmas.”
“Recycling doesn’t just have to be about what we put in our rubbish bins, it can also be the source of some wonderful handmade, unique products.”
Mrs Treanor said there are lots of beautiful items made from recycled products or sustainable materials including the following:
- Jewellery made from bullets from Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge– From horror comes beauty. Ankor Bullet Jewellery is made from recycled bomb casings from the days of war.
- Bags made from old fishing nets and recycled plastic bags- Italian designed and made by women displaced by the increasing urbanisation that has taken place in Phnom Penn, Smateria bags are made from materials that already exist or have been designed for another purpose.
- Jewellery made by women rescued or at risk from human slavery in Cambodia– Senhoa’s motto is to employ, empower and emancipate. Women rescued from a dark place make this beautiful jewellery.
- Basket Bags made in Vietnam- these bags are made by artisan women living in rural areas in the Mekong Delta. They make the bags from water hyacinth, generally considered an invasive species in wet areas.
Judith Treanor owns an online store with a difference and helps women in South East Asia have better lives, decent pay and working conditions.
TemplesandMarkets.com specialises in ethical products from Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand with a story behind every product.
Ms Treanor has been supporting social enterprise in South East Asia for nearly two years and she believes that people would prefer to buy items with a story behind them.
“I know that more and more people want to do the right thing and shop ethically,” said Mrs Treanor.
“But sometimes they just don’t know where to look,”
“I set up TemplesandMarkets to show consumers that you can buy beautiful, unique gifts made by unique people from unique cultures.”
“This Christmas I’m calling on everyone to think twice before they buy their presents and think how they can help the environment and help others,” said Mrs Treanor.
You can find much more information on living a holistic lifestyle in these free magazines and on our YouTube channel.
About Judith Treanor and Temples and Markets
Judith Treanor is originally from the UK and moved to Sydney in 1997, travelling around South East Asia on her way. This is where she fell in love with South East Asia and all the creativity of its local people. She set up Markets and Temples in January 2015 to bring some of that creativity to Australia and the world. Further information can be found at www.templesandmarkets.com
