Green up your spicy summer BBQs with these nifty Cactus Clear tumblers from GreenGlass.com. Made from 100 percent recycled glass, they’re nothing more than a reclaimed beer bottle (Mexico’s traditional “Sol” brand) that’s been morphed into a kitschy tumbler.
After GreenGlass receives bottles from recyclers, they wash and sterilize. Next, they smooth and fire polish the base of the bottle—and voila!—chic, eco-friendly drink ware that makes for great conversation starters.
Short, breezy and brimming with sex appeal, this 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton mini dress will set you apart from the rest of that rollicking beach crowd. Raglan sleeves, understated side slits and an attractive scoop neck.
Minawear is manufactured in California from hemp and organic cotton that’s grown in China, under sweatshop-free conditions. Great care is taken to dye the material safely, and recycled boxes are used for shipping. Minawear, caring for dedicated customers since 1998.
We originally posted about Anya’s infamous I’m Not a Plastic Bag
just as it hit the streets. At the time, it seemed like people everywhere were scrambling all over each other to get their paws on the bag. Anya’s site wasn’t providing essential info, and the UK was jonesin’ for them.
Cut to a couple of days ago. Anya’s bag was re-issued, and the line of people outside Sainsbury’s in West London was incredible. According to schmoo on the run, most folks on line were not even aware of the “eco consequences” of the bag’s manufacturing process. Apparently, most of the re-issues were being purchased to re-sell on ebay. What a debacle on so many levels.
Cut to today. According to schmoo on the run, London’s Evening Standard reveals this morning that Anya’s bags are made from conventionally grown cotton under not Fair Trade conditions in China. Headline reads: “I’m Not an Ethical Bag.” How dismal. And interesting that my initial instincts lead me to believe that this Anya bag just smelled bad, all the way from across the pond.
As with most issues, there are all levels of correctness and this is especially true with the environment. Replacing a plastic or paper bag with a cotton reusable bag is the ground floor of eco correctness.
As a society, we can do much better than that. Now that everyone knows how damaging conventional cotton farming is to both people and planet, it’s time for all of us to be more “consumer conscious” and do the right thing. Fashion shouldn’t trump eco values.
Put our shopping dollars where our values are. Support manufacturers who sell organic cotton goods if you must have cotton. Or, better yet, support sustainable fabric manufacturers — those who produce goods from crops such as jute, hemp, bamboo, ramie and seagrass. When it comes to the dyes on the fabric, make sure that they’re eco-friendly. Link here to screen our under-2-minute video on replacing plastic shopping bags.
Once you have your reusable bag, remember to Bring Your Own to the store and Use It — BYO and UI. We’re creatures of habit, all we have to do is start a new, healthy habit (I can attest to the difficulty of this challenge from personal experience). Now I keep reusable bags in my handbag, car, bicycle, and on my door handle so I don’t forget them on my way outside.
Kick the habit, and start bringing your own! Here’s our video update on why we should bag the plastic, and use re-usable shopping bags. Both you and your home will “feel cleaner” when you don’t have those plastic bags anymore. Kiss paper and plastic shopping bags good-bye.
playing time 1:52
My thanks to all who graciously participated:
Chicago-based Aerotecture International is in the final development stage of its innovative urban wind power product, the Aeroturbine. The turbines are designed for rooftop installation on either commercial or multi-family residences that have access to strong winds. Aerotecture is in the process of finalizing the design, testing and implementation of its commercial prototypes for possible sale and distribution later this year (2007).
An interesting aspect of their design is the creation of both a vertical prototype for multi-directional wind locations, and a horizontal version for locations with a steady primary wind direction. These turbines are designed to operate at slow speeds, with little noise and maintenance. The reflective finish and slow turning speed of their turbines reduce the risk to birds and wildlife. The 510V will produce an estimated 1kW of power in 30 mph winds with the 520H producing an estimated 1.8kW from similar wind speeds. Each turbine is custom fitted to the architecture of the building with a ballpark cost for the 510V of $15,000 and the 520H of $21,000.
Potential installation locations need to be 40 feet above ground, unobstructed by trees or other structures, with wind speeds averaging over 10mph. Initially, distributors will be based in Paterson, NJ, Chicago and San Francisco, and will work within a 400-mile radius of those cities.
For planet-friendly, funky finds visit regeneration in LA or online.
This fun boutique offers a mix of one-of-a-kind, handmade goods by artisans, as well as kicky pieces from the big guys. They carry hip clothes, gifts, accessories, jewelry, and household items that are recycled, organic, sustainable, fairtrade or sweatshop-free. Several items stand out — I love their Chindi Ochre Shoulder Bag made from reclaimed cotton broadcloth, ($25); and the Zipper Necklace with hand-blown glass pendant ($45) looks hot. Their newspaper vase makes an incredible housewarming gift ($32); and the biodegradable bags ($6.50 for 25) and under the sink bin ($12) are perfect for your obsessive recycler/composter lover. All these cool finds @ housewares. The eco chic folks of regeneration donate One Percent for the Planet, so help spread the good karma all around. (sorry — pooch is not for sale)
Sweetly refreshing, with Oriental flavors and a spritz of tang … it’s not the latest martini mix, it’s Lavanila’s sophisticatedly sexy Vanilla Grapefruit fragrance. Created by self-proclaimed product junkies who couldn’t stop sneezing, itching and suffering from killer headaches, these simple scents are skin-friendly and earth-friendly.
Since your skin absorbs up to 60 percent of what’s smoothed or sprayed onto it, Lavanila’s infused with organic ingredients, natural oils and 100 percent active botanicals, pampering your body with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. (No petrochemicals, mineral oils, dyes or parabens!)
An added bonus: the pretty packages are 100 percent recyclable.
Pick up one of three delightful sprays (Vanilla Grapefruit, Pure Vanilla or Vanilla Blossom) for $56 @ sephora.com.
If you'd like to add the above graphic to your site, simply copy the code in the box below, and paste it on your site where you'd like the graphic to appear.
Cut to a couple of days ago
An interesting aspect of their design is the creation of both a vertical prototype for multi-directional wind locations, and a horizontal version for locations with a steady primary wind direction. These turbines are designed to operate at slow speeds, with little noise and maintenance. The reflective finish and slow turning speed of their turbines reduce the risk to birds and wildlife. The 510V will produce an estimated 1kW of power in 30 mph winds with the 520H producing an estimated 1.8kW from similar wind speeds. Each turbine is custom fitted to the architecture of the building with a ballpark cost for the 
RSS
