Our Earth Allies featured here are not all affiliated with us in a formal manner - some of them don't even know we are singing their praises, while others are active members of our community. But they are all companies who are providing the world with real ways in which we can reduce the negative impact we have on the Earth, our selves and humanity as a whole. So get involved!
Operation Future Hope (UK)
Re-Wilding & Education
Charities and non-profits are tricky things and it is often hard to feel sure where your donation is going, or just how much good is really being done. That is why I am always very picky about what organisations I support, and this one is at the top of my list.
Founded by the unstoppable Lesley Malpas, OFH is a Not-for-Profit company that is really and truly putting its money where its mouth is. Starting with independent and state schools for all ages in the UK, Lesley is targeting the educational system to guide the next generations in the importance of healthy eco-systems and balanced diversity in nature. This is a mission that could truly transform the future of our impact on the planet, and Lambay is backing it all the way.
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Calm.com (Global)
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Let's start with these cool dudes, who are bringing mindfulness and meditation into the "acceptable" realm of Western society in a big way. Co-founder Michael Acton-Smith is a Founding member and Super Patron of the Lambay Club and as kind, intelligent and imaginative as you'd hope a meditation app co-creator to be.
Calm's ethos intertwines perfectly with that of the Lambay Club; mental space and connectivity are crucial if humans want to take care of the planet and those around them - it all starts with the self!
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Clean Living International (UK & Ireland)
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
NOW we're cookin' with (bio-)gas! Our Founding Club Patron, Mark Robinson started this awesome company in 2018 to provide domestic households with cleaning products that ACTUALLY WORK and are eco-friendly, 100% biodegradable and massively reduce plastic waste by providing undiluted sachets of product (just add water) and reusable metal dispensers. Stop buying your usual planet-destroying products and get behind these guys NOW!
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UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere
Protecting and promoting the unique natural habitats in and around Dublin Bay
The Lambay Club is delighted to be a proud supporter and member of the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere. Lambay is a designated Natura 2000 site for its nesting seabirds and breeding seals. More recently we have been engaging guests who are interested in the bee, butterfly and insect profile of the island, which appears to be more prolific and varied than many neighbouring areas on the mainland. We wonder if this might be thanks to the lack of roads, light and noise pollution.
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Earth Percent % (UK)
The Music Industry teams up with Earth
COMING SOON: Set up by a very good friend of mine and his rockstar pals in the music industry (and I mean real rockstars from back when Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones were top of the charts), this is an awesome new initiative.
These guys are hell bent on helping the climate crisis by raising money to combat it through the music industry - be it a percentage of record sales, concerts, fundraisers or merch. They aim to get as many people in the industry onboard, to pledge a percentage of their revenue to saving the future of our species and our planet. You guys ROCK (literally).
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Tropic Natural Skincare (UK)
Carbon-Neutral, Natural & Cruelty Free Skin Products
This is an interesting company: because they refuse to use preservative chemicals, their products only have a shelf life of around one year instead of two, which means they are not allowed to sell them in shops, where a minimum shelf life of 2 years is legally required.
Therefore all their sales are achieved through brand ambassadors who market and arrange delivery of the Tropics product range. Eventually, I would like to find a local Irish producer of products like this for Lambay, but for now we are happy to use Tropic for our guest hand wash, hand cream, bubble bath and sun cream and it's lovely to know they are both good for our skin and for the environment!
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Napiers the Herbalist (Scotland)
Herbal Medicine & Natural Remedies
Of course there are lots of questions around the efficacy of herbal medicine, and it is greatly shunned by Western medicine... but many people swear by it and there is no denying that Nature offers up excellent remedies for many afflictions.
This local company, established in 1880 and based in Edinburgh, is owned by our very own Club Facilitator, Monica Wilde - an exceptionally talented ethnobotanist and research herbalist whose encyclopaedic knowledge of the natural world is quite breathtaking. If you take supplements, vitamins or prefer a more natural approach to rebalancing the body, you can order online from Napiers - they have a staggering range and always the best quality.
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Earth Mother (Ireland)
Household & Childcare Products
This company is so lovely, they offer a really bespoke and personal service - every time I put an order in for Lambay I get a lovely little hand written note on the receipt, and everything is really carefully packed in reused materials so as to avoid any damage or leakages during shipping.
Excellent source for good value, eco-friendly cleaning and house products, and also great for childcare products for those with little ones.
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Bulb Energy (UK)
Renewable Gas & Electric for Homes
There are a few of these knocking about, but this is the one I use in London (on Lambay we are off-grid and use our own wind turbine and solar panels) and it's great to know our gas and electric bills are being put towards energy sourced from renewables.
They make it incredibly easy to switch from your existing suppliers and you get decent rewards if you refer other people. Email me for a referral and we will both get £50 credit on our accounts!
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Eco Vibe (UK)
Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Plastic Products
A really cool site with a variety of eco-friendly alternatives for everyday home products. From personal hygiene to household cleaning to BBQ implements... a great one-stop shop for many of your essentials.
I really like these guys and their (eco) vibe! One of my favourite products is the wooden dish brush for the kitchen - I use these at home in London and on Lambay and they are great and long-lasting. And you can replace the heads when they get worn out. Awesome to finally get rid of those horrible (and ugly) plastic ones we got used to using!
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Bamwoo (UK)
Sustainable Bamboo Toothbrushes
Another quick-win at home: ditch your cheap plastic toothbrushes and opt instead for a lovely bamboo, bio-degradable and sustainably sourced toothbrush from these guys! What's more, every time you buy a brush, they plant a tree... it couldn't really be easier to do good, and it's the little gestures that add up to making a big difference.
We keep a few of these to hand on the island for the occasional guest who forgets their toothbrush in a moment of overzealous packing.
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Evergreen (Ireland)
Online Health Food Store
A great place to get your healthy food supplements. This is where I buy all our organic tea and coffee supplies for Lambay - they offer good value and variety, and an excellent and speedy delivery service.
Not many people know this but many non-organic teabags are bleached to make them white, so you are literally drinking bleach (Trump would be proud). And if you are into decaf, the process uses some really hefty chemicals unless you go organic... so if you are health-conscious enough to go without caffeine, make sure you aren't replacing it with something worse!
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Manly Stuff (Ireland)
Grooming, Tailoring & Lifestyle Products for Men
These guys are cool. They do exactly what it says on the tin: provide useful manly products with a focus on quality, sustainability and eco-friendly items. We need to return to the days when things were more expensive, but built to last.
We have been sucked into believing it's better to buy cheap things, and replace them more often... but that is a LIE made up by the consumerist market, and it actually works out much more expensive in the long-run. What's more, just think about how bad for the environment that kind of cycle is! I say: save up for the good stuff and then look after it. Life is richer when you take care of your possessions.
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Mossy Earth (Global - Choose Your Locale)
Tree Planting & Re-Wilding to Offset Carbon Footprints
These guys are very cool and authentic - they make it super easy for you to calculate how many trees you would need to plant to off-set your carbon footprint, be that for a single journey or plane trip, or your daily energy use in terms of food, diet, local transport, school runs, etc.
I'm also delighted to see they have started an initiative in Ireland among the many places around the world where they are working hard to rejuvenate and reforest large areas of land with their native species. Check out their website and remember - every little helps! Even if you are just off-setting your next journey to Lambay. We have big plans to partner with them in 2021.
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