Online ethical gifts retailer Green Tulip has a constant finger on the environmentally friendly, sustainable pulse. And they’ve noticed yet another a distinct year-on-year increase in the popularity of ethical goods. As such 2012 is looking bright for ethical retail, with responsible gifts these days “covering almost every aspect of life”. It’s good news for the planet, great news for the people who design and make ethical gifts and excellent news for those of us who like to buy with a little more care for our beautiful blue planet.

Kemp Aromatherapy products, for example, make bath time more of a pleasure than ever for people who adore wallowing in a deliciously fragrant bath. There’s a growing trend for saving water, which also saves energy and money, so for many of us a bath is a luxury. Showers are for every day, baths are for treats! Kemp’s Kat bath and body products are simply delightful. Their Rose Bathmelt, for instance, looks beautiful and smells gorgeous, made from a heady mix of moisturising cocoa butter blended with fragrant rose geranium and palma rose essential oils for a relaxing, calming and soothing experience. Created by a qualified aromatherapist and hand made in Gloucestershire, they’re free from man-made chemicals and 100% vegetable-derived.

Then there’s UK based Spinning Hat, dedicated to making funky vinyl products like bowls and coasters from genuine recycled vinyl, presented in cool recycled card packaging. They’re made from unplayable records so no music has been harmed in the process! Spinning Hat simply remoulds old vinyl discs and seals the finished result with a protective coating. You can even choose your own record title from a selection in stock.

I Love My Planet soft toys are enormously cute and cuddly, completely safe for little kids and made from sustainable materials. Take their Floppy Puppy, a lovely nursery toy created using organic cotton with a super-soft recycled filling made from… recycled bottles! It’s washable and perfect for little ones of three months plus. I Love My Planet’s fabulous toys are made by the respected Sri Lankan manufacturer DSL Lanka, a pioneering member of the ‘Garments Without Guilt’ initiative. The cotton used is certified organic and the dyes used are certified non-toxic.

The moral of the story? If you need it, there’s probably an environmentally friendly, sustainable, responsible manufacturer out there making it. So carry out a spot of judicious online research before each and every purchase and maximise your chances of staying ethical for 2012!