Green Options

Since yurt kits are typically shipped to the building site without a floor, anything other than a local resource requires orchestration. That’s because the floor is ideally finished before the yurt is erected.

Alterego in Maryland can discuss the feasibility of FSC certified hardwood, cork, bamboo, linoleum, or rubber floor materials for your yurt structure. The company is owned by architects who offer sustainable products with modern designs.

We talked last year about the pros and cons of bamboo. Like hemp, growing bamboo is easier on the environment than conventional fibers such as cotton. Bamboo is technically a weed, which means it grows fast and requires no pesticides and very little water.

One downside to bamboo comes during the production process. Since the plant itself isn’t fibrous, it’s mashed down into sort of a chemical slurry and then pressed into fabric. The process is similar to making rayon. It’s toxic for workers, and it strips the bamboo of its beneficial antimicrobial properties.

There’s also the trouble that comes with anything that gets popular. Despite its speedy growth, there is still a threat of overharvesting bamboo. According to the U.N., around 600 varieties of bamboo are extinct or threatened.

Wait…that doesn’t sound fab at all! Well, Greenyarn, a new Boston-based company, has a new approach to producing bamboo fabric that’s worth a look!

The Bamboo Bike Project is a project by Scientists and Engineers at The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and aims to examine the feasibility of implementing cargo bikes made of bamboo as a sustainable form of transportation in Africa.

What? American Craft Council Salon Series: Craft’s Contribution to a Sustainable World - Bamboo Bicycles

Where? American Craft Council Library (6th Floor) 72 Spring Street, New York, New York

When? This upcoming Wednesday, August 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

How? $10; $5 for students with current ID. To rsvp, contact Kate at intern@craftcouncil.org or call (212) 274–0630 x272.

What Else? “Join us in the Council’s library for this summer’s Salons exploring Craft’s Contribution to a Sustainable World. This Bamboo Bike Project is creating a new model for social entrepreneurship and development, using craft, DIY techniques, and natural resources.”

Specific speakers include Marty Odlin (of Bamboo Bikes) & Justin Aguinaldo (biking expert). Marty Odlin is co-founder and engineer of the Bamboo Bike Studio and assistant director of the Education Center for Sustainable Engineering at Columbia University, and he will discuss the history of this project, as well as its implications in other fields. Marty will be joined by Justin Aguinaldo, a New York bike messenger who brings his expertise of bike mechanics to the project.

Pacesetter Awards caught our attention at the Proforma 2009 Convention in Denver with their range of award plaques made from eco-friendly materials. Not only is Pacesetter Awards working with some new materials; the actual finishes, plus the multiple sizes and shapes of their products seem to place them ahead of their peers.

Fairfield, the makes of Poly-fil have gone green adding a whole new line of eco-friendly products to help green your fiber arts and crafts.

You can now quilt green, stuffyour little critters in an eco-friendly way and have bamboo pillows.

Nature-Fil batting, fiberfill and pillow forms now come in bamboo options and natural fiberfill is made out of both bamboo and PLA corn materials.

When Eric Wilson launched Artevist last autumn, he knew the t-shirt market was saturated.  “But on closer inspection”, he explains, “you soon realize that the vast majority are in the business of churning out the cheapest, often sweatshop, products possible.”

But Artevist is a community of artists, not just another graphic tee company. There are no mass-produced designs, sweatshop garments, pesticide-laden cottons, or plastic inks here.  Artevist shirts are made in America from sustainably grown organic bamboo and cotton fabrics, and are printed without using pthalates or PVCs. Each unique limited-edition design is created by an eco-conscious artist, not a corporation.

How does the Artevist model work?

So you’ve decided to try babywearing — perhaps you’ve read the Babywearing 101 series, or Baby Essentials That Aren’t, here at Eco Child’s Play.  As a green-minded parent, you may now be wondering what options exist for slings and carriers made of organic and eco-friendly fabrics.

You might be pleasantly surprised.  From small-business WAHM handmade slings, to big-name brands, there is a wide selection of organic baby carriers out there to choose from.  Whatever style of carrier you prefer, organic options in natural colour-grown fabrics and vivid naturally-dyed colours abound.

Here is just a partial list, to help get your search started.

My kids keep outgrowing EVERYTHING.  I hear this is normal, but sheesh… would someone slow them down so my wallet can keep up with their clothing needs?  With five children (16G, 9B, 9G, 7G, 4G) to dress, it becomes even more important that I choose clothing which will last and is cost effective.  My Fall clothing budget is around $100-$150 per child (with the older ones taking a larger chunk of the overall spending because the younger girls get lots of hand-downs).  When nine pair of undies can run $20.00 (or more!), I have to be very careful with our funds.  I also want to purchase items which will hold up well to kid wear and tear so that it can be saved for the next child (or passed on to a friend).  If you are looking for a new backpack, check out Wenona’s post. Here’s how we do it.

A short video from Pro Towels Etc from the 2009 Proforma Convention in Denver. This is their new bamboo fiber golf towel, which they say is the first bamboo fiber golf towel introduced to the promotional items market.

In this short video Craig from Independent Printing shows off their new bamboo blend print stock.

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

On April 21, 2009 Drinking With Benefits held their latest open house event at the State and Allen Lounge in downtown Dallas.

The goal of Drinking With Benefits is to “develop an awareness and call to action for local communities through businesses that implement the ideals of an eco-friendly community, thereby creating an active ‘go green’ network of lounges, bar and nightclubs”. Part of their education and advocacy outreach is recognition by Drinking With Benefits of those businesses who recycle their waste—in particular glass, which has the most connection to the patrons of these businesses.

As part of their program Drinking With Benefits needs to get their message out by identifying the bars that are members of their organization. Enter the Dakota Burl plaque from Norwood. This plaque is made entirely of sunflower husks and when laser etched really looks very elegant. Each new member of Drinking With Benefits is now presented with a Dakota Burl plaque to place in their establishment to show their participation in the program and to help promote it. That was part of the reason for the April 21st event.