It’s always great to see art rise up out of our consumer debris. French artist Junior Fritz Jaquet creates the figures (above) from pieces of recycled cardboard.  The masks at right are created from upcycled toilet paper rolls.

via: recyclart

Vaska’s Herbatergent, a “revolutionary botanical laundry detergent,”  was a product that sounded intriguing to me.  So with a 48-ounce product jug, provided by Vaska, we put it to the test.

Six loads of laundry later, I’m happy to say this stuff is truly amazing, and their claims are spot on. The darks weren’t faded, the whites were bright, everything was exceptionally clean and soft — but the best part was how the fabrics actually felt. As crazy as it sounds, as I touched the jeans and tees, I said to myself, “it’s almost as if they’ve been treated to some extra love — after having been put through the wringer, they seem to have come out of the process unharmed.” I have to say, I’ve never felt this sensitive about laundry before. (more…)

• Dinosaurs do still walk the earth…Duran Duran to Record New Global Warming Song with Celebs – ecorazzi
• The new definition of ‘criminal’…Italy Finds Wreck of Toxic Waste Ship Sunk by Mafia – reuters
• Switchgrass-to-Biofuel Test Now in 2nd Year – msnbc
• Four Hollywood studios are now working on this…Hybrid Man-Eating Pythons? Florida is on Alert – cs monitor
• Do you want a face, full of bacteria? Taking Showers ‘Can Make You ILL’ – bbc
• Talk is cheap…California Feud Breaks out on Clean Energy Plan – reuters
• Could this be a dynamic new weight-loss program? Do Our Brains Shrink as we Age? – livescience

For many homeowners this Flowtron leaf eater review may arrive just in time to help deal with the hours of leaf raking and piles of leaves the fall season inevitably brings.  Flowtron offers 2 different models, each leaf muncher provides a convenient and easy way to recycle yard waste, as each one purportedly reduces 8 bags of leaves to 1 bag.

These leaf munchers are electric, (no gasoline or oil involved) and can expedite your backyard composting, or save on yard bags and the fees associated with Waste Management stickers and having more than your quota of garbage at the curb on pick up day.  The idea is to “munch” the leaves into smaller pieces to expedite decomposition in the composter, and to make them easier to use as mulch.

By using good old household power, their size adjuster feature mulches leaves into custom-sized particles.  The LE-900 version of this product will actually mulch pine needles, grass clippings and paper, too. Both the LE-800 and the LE-900 models are less than 20 pounds, making them (more…)

Though probably out of most folks’ price range, this 3,000 square foot home does show where luxury green building can take us.  The Swede Hill home, to be designed and built by Aquidneck Properties, looks like it packs a design punch worthy of its beautiful Block Island, RI location. The project is scheduled to break ground in the spring and will be ambitiously seeking LEED H Gold certification.

Some of the home’s sustainable green features:
Passive solar – overhangs for shading and protection
Excellent day-lighting and cross ventilation
Local & regional reclaimed lumber and stone (more…)

We came up with this catchy little acronym a while back – we think it has some legs.

C – conserve – waste less water, energy, time and materials.

U – unplug – go off-grid: walk, bike, hike and get out in nature.

R – reuse – bags, food containers, clothes, paper. You get the idea.

B – believe – all the small changes made by individuals can make a giant difference.

Based in a tiny village in France, eco lingerie maker, g=9.8 manufactures these sexy thigh highs for slipping under our fall skirts.  Created from recycled white pine tree pruning (ahh, the white pine, my favorite), you’ll be amazed by how silky soft this fiber feels, and how well it wears.  Biodegradable and anti-bacterial, to boot.  Get yours, in black or blackcurrant, (£15.95) @ pretty by nature

Related:  previously on altCon – (4.14.09) eco bikinis by g=9.8

Do you hate being away from your computer?  Now you can take a chunk of it with you, by sporting one of these unique rings made from recycled keyboard keys.  The ‘edit’ key is affixed to an aluminum ring by Italian designer Cecilia Felli. (may also act as a reminder to perhaps edit your thoughts before speaking….)

$30 @ supermarkethq.com

These handmade, low-top, Wooly Baby slippers, (note lamb on bottom), feature leather heels, toes, and non-skid soles.  The slippers are created from a recycled, felted, 100% merino wool sweater and recycled leather. These munchkin booties have a layer of (more…)