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How we collect our wax The Western Ghats, a coastal mountain range in India, are one of the world's biodiversity hot spots. Situated in the most eastern part at an elevation of 2000m is the town of Kodaikanal. Visitors taking the winding road into the mountains will enjoy the occasional look back over the plains shimmering in the heat, marvel at the tall trees that mark the jungle's edge and enjoy the air getting cooler with every hairpin curve. But it takes trained eyes to spot the hornet-sized rock bees (A. dorsata) combs from a moving vehicle. Measure up to...

The story behind our wax wraps As the name indicates, the two-story building in which the south Indian women's cooperative Hoopoe on a Hill produces their wax wraps is situated on a hill from which one has a splendid view across terrace vegetable fields, fruit orchards to the town of Kodaikanal on the other side of the valley. Sheila is one of the eight Hoopoe women, oblivious to the scenic view. She does not lift her eyes from the workspace underneath the window as she carefully irons the pieces of cotton cloth her colleagues have cut to the required size....

Natural Rubber - a fantastic product, with great versatility!   Here at Plastic Free Gardening, we’re proud members of the Fair Rubber Association and often get asked why we use rubber as our principal material for our products. We thought we’d compile this blog post as a kind of Rubber FAQ to help answer all of your questions.   What is rubber? So, what is rubber? Rubber is a natural product produced by plants and is present in many goods used in our daily lives. Rubber has had an essential role in human history throughout the development of human civilizations....

Here at Plastic Free Gardening (PFG), we source rubber from natural FSC certified small suppliers whose rubber plantations have not replaced natural forests. As the Fair Rubber Association members, PFG also pay a premium Fair Trade price – currently 40% over world market prices. Thus ensuring the continued improvement of the producers' working and living conditions and keeping the production as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. But what is Fairly Traded rubber? Fairly Traded rubber is the responsibility of the Fair Rubber Association. They aim to expand and apply the concept of Fair Trade for products made from natural...