Cradle To Cradle For Everything?

Jason and I got to talking about Cradle to Cradle, as it’s an interesting topic, and well, they’re already doing everything else, why not take it a step further? Do I hear a protest? You don’t want someone’s underwear recycled into your t-shirt? But it’s for the cause, man… OK, jokes aside, and even if it wasn’t underwear being discussed, but some other form-fitting cotton garment, Jason did the research. Because he cares that much. The thing is, 100% cotton gets baggy and saggy. So it’s more likely to be thrown out soon. If it happens to be owned by someone who’s passionate enough to find a place to deliver their used cotton underwear, it can be recycled. Jason explained that less than 1% of all cotton is currently recycled, and Jeff pointed out that even pure cotton sometimes contains dyes and chemicals that make it impossible to recycle.

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Melanie O’Brien loves fabric, and I’m already loving her new Etsy shop: Modern Organic Fabrics. Let’s take a peek inside!

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The perfect little candle recently made its way across my desk (and on to my vanity) and is the lovely and luxurious scent of fresh island plumeria.    And who is the creator of such a deliciously scented room enhancer?  None other than (straight from the tropics) Malie Organics.  Made from clean-burning soy and kukui oils, it is petroleum-free and burns by way of cotton wick for a nice long 60 hours.  Comes in a simple glass container with nothing but the tasteful, gold Malie symbol on the front.  Chic and elegant.

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Home of modern eco picnic and baby blankets, quilts, toys, kids’ hip bags, toddler dresses & more using all natural, organic and rescued upcycled fibers. We believe it’s possible to create something beautiful while making the world a little better at the same time. Sustainable and original design with great care in craftswomanship.

We were recently sent a kids eco messenger bag.  This bag is made from organic cotton and vintage cotton fabric and is handmade in Ontario Canada. They are playful and delightful and sure to charm any child (and parent).  Each bag is one-of-a-kind.

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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?

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Staying away from the topics of food and transportation, which are probably the biggest daily products you could green, here is a list of products you use everyday.

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Rowan still offers their organic cotton yarn in DK weight that is naturally dyed using plants. New this season is their 4 ply organic cotton yarn, also dyed with natural plant dyes. The shades of this yarn are soft, subtle and sweet, perfect for summer knitting.

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Alright, so by now it’s pretty clear that I am a hemp fan and in love with organic cotton and those lovely hemp/cotton blends. Really, though, can you blame me? There are so many gorgeous options out there, and just when I think I’ve discovered them all, someone sends me a page including a fabric blend that I’d never seen before and prints that knocked my socks off!

Check out these beautiful fabric swatches:

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To help consumers further separate fact from fiction this Earth Day, Cotton Incorporated has created an interactive quiz, “Do You Know Green?” on its two popular websites, www.MysteryFabric.com and www.TheFabricOfOurLives.com. 

There aren’t too many questions annoyingly promoting their brand and it is a great quiz to send “greenie newbies” to educate them a bit further. I even ended up using the quiz as a game to teach my children a few things.

The quiz takes users through a series of true and false statements that challenges them on topics such as:
·         Is it more energy friendly to cool down your car with the air conditioner or by rolling down the         windows?
·         Is it better for the environment to wash dishes in the dishwasher or by hand?
·         Do electronics use energy even when they are turned off?

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Sublime offers soft and soothing colors that seem perfect for this time of year. They come in organic cotton as well as organic merino wool. Organic options enough for everyone.

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Apart from the $1 billion in lost production and sales, what has been the cost of the peanut butter recall?

The environmental impact will take years to unravel.  The first level of harm is the weakened price for peanuts, which hits farmers hard, and the limited outlets that are now available to those who farm them – in Georgia, small farmers in particular are looking at little or no income for the next year, and then at a severely reduced marketplace. Peanuts are used in many more products than peanut butter and Reese’s Cups, but where they have been used as a filler or paste to give structure and mouth appeal to certain foods, alternative products like carnauba are now being used, meaning that a lot of the low-grade peanuts formerly bought by the food processing industry are going begging.

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I have written about Norwood before, they are one of the lions in our industry in terms of size, product line and experience. In 2009 Norwood is continuing to expand their line of promotional items with green and eco-friendly credentials, including several new organic cotton totes.

Finding the right tote is always a bit of a hassle for marketing teams, and with convention season and indeed Earth Day right around the corner, many Ecopreneurists want to make sure their bags stand out in the crowds.

Well, Norwood’s new Organic Wide Handle Tote is a great example of a fashionable yet practical tote bag that does stand out, and that most Ecopreneurist would be proud to brand with their company or organization name.

Made from 7 oz. 100% certified organic cotton duck the bag boasts a modern, streamlined design, spacious main compartment and extra large imprint area. Norwood even offers a 24hr turn on this bag, so it is available for last minute projects.

According to Norwood, the majority of the organic cotton fabric they use comes from Indian growers with the fabric being produced by certified raw material suppliers in that country. The cotton is certified organic under the scheme of GOTS and the Organic Exchange by the Control Union (formerly known as SKAL) which is internationally accepted. All organic cotton used by Norwood is certified by the Control Union, regardless of the source of the material.

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Did you know that 2009 has been declared the International Year of Natural Fibers by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization?

Why is natural fiber so important?

The natural fiber organizations help the income and the food security of poor farmers such as those working with jute in Bangladesh, cotton in some West African countries and sisal (shown above) making a comeback in Tanzania.

“The main goal of the International Year of Natural Fibers is to raise the profile of these fibers and to emphasize their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers. ” states the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

30 million tons or more are produced each year and natural fibers form an important component of clothing, upholstery and many textiles. Some also have industrial applications such as “packaging, papermaking and in composite materials with many uses, including as parts in automobiles.”

Some features for 2009 will include:

• The promotion of the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fiber industries.
• The encouragement of appropriate policy responses from governments to the problems faced by natural fiber industries.
• Large international conferences will be held.
• Fostering an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fiber industries.
• Displays and fashion shows and many other events in many countries, run by a variety of different national organizations.

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I’m totally smitten with these gorgeous vintage kimono fabrics from Shibori! She stocks all sorts of weights, from delicate silk to cotton and wool.

Owner Juliet and her husband Richard are ordained Zen Buddhist priests. She says she’s struck by, “the sense of history and culture when you handle Japanese kimono silk.” I have to say, I can totally see where she’s coming from. On top of being absolutely beautiful, the patterns on her kimono fabrics make you think of a different place and time. Since they’re all vintage, that means they’re eco-friendly to boot!

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Not only is this bad for me and my legs, but also for the computer. It can’t cool itself down sitting on my legs. That’s where this pretty nifty laptop pillow from IF comes in.

The Log laptop pillow is a series of log shaped pillows that when placed just so, make a comfortable pillow for your laptop and legs. Held together by snaps, the logs are made with hemp canvas and organic cotton twill or a hemp and lycra twill blend. The insides are stuffed with buckwheat hulls. The hulls provide for padding and insulation. The arrangement of the logs provide cushion for your legs and allows air to flow and cool the laptop.

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Still on a plant fiber kick, this week I’ve come back to cotton. It isn’t recycled this time but an honest to goodness 100% organic cotton. This lovely yarn from Estelle Yarns is certified organic and comes in wide range of sturdy colors.

Cloud Cotton is available in dyed and undyed. The dyed cotton ranges from bright spring greens to soothing blues. The undyed cotton is natural looking browns and neutrals.

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No trumpets or bugles, just a lonely blogger trying to give her readers more earth friendly yarn options.

This recycled cotton is made from t-shirt clippings and sorted by like color. It is then blended with acrylic and “other fiber,” so the actual amount of recycled content is just shy of 75%.

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I recently needed to make such a journey and found myself staring down the yarn isle at A.C. Moore. In amongst all the horrid, scratchy, acrylic yarns, I found a new addition to what big box stores have to offer in ways of eco-friendly yarn.

Redheart yarn has joined the ranks and now have an Eco-Cotton yarn. This yarn is about 75% recycled cotton and 25% acrylic. It isn’t the most environmentally friendly yarn, but it is encouraging to see reuse in a big brand name like Redhart.

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