There has been a significant amount of excitement reverberating around the office today, as this brand new Morphy Richards Ecolectric Toaster burst onto Ethicalsuperstore.com.

So it looks good, but what exactly is so ethical about this particular eco-friendly toaster?

Well, this little toasting device is truly cunning in the extreme; whilst being aesthically pleasing for those who like to have a trendy kitchen, more importantly the rather snazzy design incorporates a smoothly sliding fully closing lid which keeps the heat in and cooks your toast extra-fast. When monitored with the assistance of a handy Ecosavers Energy Monitor , second for second it does use around the same amount of electricity as the average conventional toaster, but the significant fact is that our new favourite domestic appliance cooks a fantastic slice of breakfast perfection in less than half the time. Ergo – less energy consumption, top notch eco-friendly energy-saving credentials, and great for people such as myself who are rather impatient for their hot and crunchy snacks…

And we should know - a significant proportion of this morning was dedicated to ‘crucial product testing’ and ‘vital experimentation’, involving a rather large loaf of bread which was quickly browned and subsequently demolished.

The results of our rigorous research were conclusive - this new energy-efficient Ecolectric Two Slice Toaster is a must.

And to add to all of this toastalicious excitement, here are our top ten toasty facts for you to consider:

• 1 -  Toast cannot be faxed
• 2 -  Toast can never be eaten raw
• 3 -  Toast is biodegradable
• 4 -  Toast will not stick to sellotape
• 5 -  Toast could be made into a hat
• 6 -  Toast is not USB compatible
• 7 -  Toast could be Mr. T’s surname
• 8 -  Toast is not to blame for the weather, blame it on the boogie
• 9 -  Toast can be used as a frisbee
• 10 - Toast is its own plural

For these and more insightful toast related facts check out toastfacts.co.uk. And get munching!

Well now, the second of these Armchair Activist posts is brought to you to inspire you to green up your day job or your workplace. According to an article on longer working hours in Britain on the BBC website, the average working week for Brits is approx 37 hours a week. Therefore, even if you are the most socially responsible and eco-friendly individual outside of work, those 148 hours a month spent in the office or on company business could be severely denting your green credentials.

So here are a few tips on how to claw back those ethical points and encourage your colleagues and bosses to do the same!

1. Office supplies: There is a plethora of green alternatives to your average staplers, pens, paper, pads etc on the  market these days. You can now purchase stapleless staplers, FSC certified pens, recycled paper and a great range of recycled and reused pads. So, don’t add to the deforestation plight or landfill-overflow; go for sustainable stationary today!

2. Go paperless: Another alternative to office stationary is to make your office a paper free zone. Replace that mountain of Post-It notes you’re buried under with an organised reminder system on your computer. Email instead of passing notes on, back up data on DVD’s, USB sticks and other digital media rather than printing out and filing endless reams of paper! If all else fails, at least recycle the paper you have to use.

Find out more tips here . . .

» read more

Here’s a neat site that helps you share the message about switching to low energy compact fluorescent light bulbs.

www.asimpleswitch.com

Which reminds me, I need to buy a new bulb. The last old skool bulb in my house has now blown.

It’s handy for me that EthicalSuperstore.com stock a whole range of energy efficient bulbs for lots of different applications!

www.ethicalsuperstore.com/tags/bulbs