Here are today’s picks for what’s wow in green. Enjoy! …
Pint-sized ‘eco-police’ make parents proud.
America’s hottest green job market.
Here are today’s picks for what’s wow in green. Enjoy! …
Pint-sized ‘eco-police’ make parents proud.
America’s hottest green job market.
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Can you cure cancer by taking a long soak in the tub? Not exactly, but all this month when you buy EO’s Rose & Chamomile bubble bath or shower gel the company will donate a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer research.
Both products are made with pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils and the company’s trademark Coconut Oil Cleansing Complex - a gentle formula that creates frothy foam but contains no irritating sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and EO has pledged 15 percent of its proceeds from these very pink products to the Breast Cancer Fund.
So don’t be a boob. Light a candle, fill the tub (to the 1/2 way point, ideally) and close your eyes. You’ll be doing your part in a very relaxing way.
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Having lunch at the office often starts out with a treasure hunt for a fork. Plastic cutlery is simply the worst (made from petrochemicals, it will end up in a landfill after just a few minutes of actual food service), but keeping track of silverware at work can prove more difficult than it should be.
The To-Go Ware Utensil Kit helps reduce your ecological footprint without forcing you to eat lunch with your fingers, a very unladylike option.
The lovely utensils are made of bamboo, which is highly durable and can be grown and harvested sustainably. In addition, the holder is made of 100% recycled plastic, produced by CONSERVE, a women’s cooperative in New Delhi. By purchasing this utensil set, you will have contributed to their advancement and empowerment. The very cool set comes with a fork, knife, spoon and – jackpot! – a beautiful set of chopsticks, all in a handy cutlery roll that comes in a variety of colors.
All in all, a much more civilized way to eat on the run.
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As a self-trained designer, I get a special thrill out of indulging in an hour of Top Design, even last season when it was painfully bad. This season is actually well produced and addictive enough to thoroughly entertain me whilst I peck away at my keyboard round midnight.
It is tremendously enjoyable to see rooms come together, especially with time constraints, but I am always amazed at how the contestants are oblivious to what is happening in the ecosphere. Tonight was a refreshing exception. Danny Seo was the guest judge for an eco-challenge.
I thought that Danny did an excellent job delineating the eco-R’s “reduce, reuse, recycle, refinish, repair, reupholster, just be resourceful”. I was biting my lip when the very naive Natalie used MDF (medium density fiberboard) to make recycling bins - it is a material that can offgas for 14 years! I wanted to give Danny a big tree hug when he called her on it, though she still looked like a deer caught in headlights. Also I found it disturbing that they commented on how they were cleaning everything up with Windex, couldn’t they have used Method or Green Works?!
They should have given the contestants more furniture and accessory choices to show viewers what is possible, even judge Jonathan Adler has a bunch of eco-accessories to choose from at his store (we recently sprinkled them throughout the West Coast Green showhouse).
All in all, it was great to see mainstream media experiment with sustainable ideas. I hope next season that those ideas (and ideally many more) are incorporated into every challenge!
Here are today’s picks for what’s wow in green. Enjoy!
The Tokyo International Film Festival goes green.
How (and why) to green your textile choices.
Green Home 101: Meet the experts.
The Rainforest Alliance’s green gift giving guide.
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Whether you are the kind of cook who fillets fish or a novice who can barely butter bread, good knives are essential to have on hand in the kitchen.
Keeping knives in a drawer can dull them, not to mention that an errant blade could pose a serious safety hazard, especially with kids in the house. The problem though is that many countertop knife blocks are made of non-sustainable woods, which is quite distasteful for the eco-minded chef.
That is why Crate and Barrel’s bamboo knife block is such a coup for all the cooks without adequate ginsu containment. The kitchen essential has been modernized in a beautiful bamboo, which in addition to being moisture-and scratch-resistant has natural anti-microbial properties that prevent mildew from forming.
The two-piece rounded block has slots for seven knives, a sharpening steel, and six steak knives. The steak knife holder pulls away from the main block for transport to the table or buffet (smart). The block, which is currently on sale for $39.95, is available online and in stores.
Maybe this will inspire you to make some Pumpkin pie for the holidays…or you can just buy one and have a place to put the knife after you cut a slice.
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By now you have probably figured out that it is far easier to do the right thing from the beginning than it is to undo the wrong thing.
Take paint for example: Did you know the EPA estimates that 64 million gallons of paint are diverted away from landfills and incinerators thanks to responsible disposal and recycling? The only problem is that the EPA also estimates it could cost close to $500 million to keep a handle on all that incoming paint.
Yikes!
A better alternative for safeguarding Mother Earth from toxic oil-based paints is to start out on the right foot from stroke one.
California Paints has recently unveiled its new Elements Zero VOC interior paint line and its Envirotech Zero VOC commercial-grade paint line. Both product lines are GreenWise certified and LEED Compliant, and - as the name suggests - are free of nasty VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which have long been used in paints to help ward off pesky microbes, like mold and mildew, but which play a significant role in contributing to the planet’s greenhouse gases. These two eco-friendly paint lines, boast Microban technology, also known for keeping paint (even in the bathroom) free of mold and other stains.
That’s that kind of news that can brighten your day, not to mention your walls.
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With winter on its way - though you’d never know it in California - now is the time we start cozying up to the idea of flannel sheets to ward off the impending chill in the air.
From the cotton seed to the deliciously velvety finished product, Coyuchi flannel bedding is certified organic. Each fiber is produced in accordance with IFOAM’s (International Foundation for Organic Agriculture Movements) growing and processing standards as well as SKAL’s, a trusted Netherlands-based organic certifier.
We used the insanely comfy sheets on the kid’s bed in the showhouse at WCG where we had to keep an eye on all of the adult visitors tempted to snuggle up on the enveloped mattress.
This is an investment that will have an excellent ROI, both in the money you will save on energy bills (you can turn the thermostat down) and in pure pleasure. Downside? You may be tempted to call in sick so you can spend the day in bed watching movies… maybe I’m projecting.
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Let’s face it, reupholstering sustainable furniture with sustainable fabrics has been challenging. There have been some dreamy eco-choices for shears but covering couches and chairs and such has been either eco or fabulous, but combining gorgeous with green was quite impossible. Enter O Ecotextiles.
From Chinook, a stunning, almost translucent line of hemp fabrics, to the 100 percent bamboo Northern Lights, which mimics the drape and hand of velvet, everyone seems to be awestruck by how they have raised the bar. O Ecotextiles’ pretty face is just the topping on this supremely virtuous cake.
Down to their very fibers, all of O Ecotextiles’ fabrics are responsible and ethical. The company uses only materials made using clean processing practices and under fair trade conditions. Plus, O Ecotextiles is committed to giving the customer the full story: from how the fibers are grown, harvested, softened and dyed to how the finished product is processed. All pertinent information is thoroughly documented on their website so that consumers can be assured that the fabrics they are selecting meet the very highest enviro-standards.
Anyone involved in the environmental movement knows it’s important to maintain a united front. Last week the ladies of ecofabulous teamed up with 7X7 Magazine and XYZ in San Francisco’s SOMA district to unleash a double threat debut: our new ecofabulous website and XYZ’s fresh fall ecolicious menu.
As ardent advocates of natural, toxin-free (depends if you consider organic alcohol a toxin) lifestyles, we’re always on the hunt for great new spots to dine out without having to sacrifice our ethics or the planet.
With an eco-chic cocktail hour Monday through Friday from 5:30-7:30, the new menu makes for a perfect after-work stop and alternative to the ubiquitous pizza slice. Sip on organic beers, biodynamic wines, or choose from a long list of glam cocktails, then move downstairs to the W Cafe for a taste of something local, sustainable and seasonal.
Whoever thinks that environmentalists are uptight, unapproachable or downright dowdy obviously wasn’t at the W with us. Eco-party on!
