Green Products

Eco-Chick’s Sustainable Spring Fashion Party

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Fabulous eco fashion event last Thursday night at Green Spaces in NYC hosted by Starre Vartan from Eco-Chick.com, one of my favorite blogs.

Eco-Chick's Sustainable Spring Fashion Party
Eco-Chick’s Sustainable Spring Fashion Party | Photo by Rose Brook

50+ people came out to support sustainably-made clothing, mostly made right in NY, by designers including Elsa and Me, Feral Childe, Study NY, Sylvia Heisel, Carrie Parry, Auralis and others.

This conscious event included vegan and organic provisions, and generous goody bags filled with organic cotton socks by Pact, all-natural hand soap by Mrs. Meyer’s, and other green schwag.

Great to see so many new designers making beautiful clothing and accessories while keeping the planet in mind.

Eco-friendly Yoga

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Mat by Jade Yoga, block by Gaiam
Organic cotton yoga strap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re practicing yoga, congratulations- you’re doing something great for your body and spirit. But is there a way to make it great for the earth too? Yes! Here are 3 ways to make your practice greener.

  • First, check into your yoga mat and see what it’s made of. It may be made with PVC (polyvynil chloride) plastic. However, the good news is that there are biodegradable mats made with natural latex, which is tapped from rubber trees. See Jadeyoga.com and Manduka.com.
  • Foam yoga blocks are likely made from plastic (often ethylene-vinyl acetate or EVA). Remember that anything plastic will not break down in the environment for hundreds of years. Look for wood blocks, or these cork blocks from greener country.com. (Gaiam also sells recycled plastic foam blocks.)
  • Finally, wear your inner bliss on the outside with organic cotton or bamboo yoga clothing which can be found from numerous retailers. I’ve even found a strap made of organic cotton!

All of these items can be purchased through Gaiam.com.

Skip the Disposable Plastic Produce Baggies!

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Grocery stores provide thin film plastic bags as a convenience for transporting fresh vegetables from store to home. These bags are usually made from LPDE (Low Density Polyethylene) plastic #4, and like large grocery bags, end up in landfills or get incinerated. Like many of us, though I’ve been pretty good about remembering to bring reusable shopping bags (even if they sometimes get forgotten in the car), I had never even thought about a reusable alternative to produce bags. So when I received this one from Environmental Working Group (EWG.org), made by Chico Bag, it was really encouraging. Though it seems to be made from virgin (nonrecycled) nylon, Chico Bag offers to recycle it for you. It’s mesh on one side and lightweight, and I’m hoping it becomes the next big trend! See these links for others like it too!

Chicobag.com

washableproducebags.com

reusablebags.com

Organic Ketchup Packets?

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If you are in charge of a restaurant kitchen, or school or business cafeteria, you probably offer ketchup packets. If so, consider these, which I was pleasantly surprised to find at a local eatery in Syosset, New York called Energy Kitchen: organic ketchup packets! The difference is that the tomatoes used to create this ketchup were grown organically, meaning no synthetic pesticides, no irradiation, and no genetic modification of the plants. Common ketchup packets typically also contain high fructose corn syrup.

How to Have a Green Halloween

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According to the Sept./Oct issue of Green American (GreenAmerica.org), Halloween is a $6 billion/yr industry in the U.S., so by making green choices you support green businesses, a healthy environment, and social justice for workers. How?

  • One way is by supporting organic candy companies that support fair trade. Did you know that Hershey, Cadbury and Nestle all have ties to child labor in the production of their cocoa? This is a sad side of chocolate that can be avoided by purchasing chocolate from companies such as Divine Chocolate, Green & Blacks, or Equal exchange instead. Or give out small “treasures” other than candy.
  • Also, in terms of protecting your own kids, make sure to use nontoxic face paint such as Terra Firma. A 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study found that 10 out of 10 children’s face paints tested contained at least trace levels of lead. (safecosmetics.org)
  • Consider getting rid of those plastic trick or treat baskets—the plastic will be around long after your child wants to use it anymore, so cloth sacks are better.
  • Finally, another way to be green on Halloween is to swap costumes; Sat. October 13, 2012 is National Costume Swap Day!

For more green Halloween ideas and info on costume swaps in your area, see GreenHalloween.org.

Look what I found at the Dollar Store!

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It’s not always easy being green, especially when some eco-friendly products cost more. But thanks to increasing consumer awareness, you don’t need to be rich to do your part. For example, while recently at Dollar King in Farmingdale NY, I discovered these drawstring garbage bags, made from 60% recycled plastic (10% of which is post consumer)! They come in 3 sizes, look and feel like similar garbage bags, and are certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)- and cost $2. I was duly impressed…