Green Options » rubber

Yoga: The Union of You and the Planet

Simran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:09:34 +0000

Sarah Smarsh and Simran Sethi are writing a series on the impacts of everyday things. They will be posting previews on Green Options before launching the posts on Huffington Post.

Who doesn’t feel better after a yoga class? Yoga is the union of the body, mind and spirit.It stabilizes the nervous system, decreases blood pressure, increases flexibility and endurance, and opens you up in ways that you may not have imagined.

Simran used to be a yoga teacher. She loves the practice even though she hasn’t spent much time on her mat lately. (“Yoga on the inside, baby!”) Sarah gets her yoga on every week and knows it does her body good.

But, as any student knows, the real practice starts when you walk out the door. That’s also where the rubber hits the road and your practice takes its toll on the environment.

Oh brother, that again? Yes, my dear yogin, that.

Safe Sex with Amazon Rainforest Condoms

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:28:39 +0000

Last month, the Brazilian government began producing condoms using rubber from trees in the Amazon in an effort to preserve the world’s largest rainforest and cut dependence on imported contraceptives to fight AIDS. Brazil’s first government-run condom factory will produce 100 million condoms a year from latex harvested in the Chico Mendes Reserve, named after a conservationist and rubber tapper killed by ranchers.

Image: The Guardian

Recycled Jewelry: Where Has Your Jewelry Been?

Juliet Ames — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:29:03 +0000

At the heart of the green crafting movement are artists using bizarre materials to make their crafts. I absolutely love making and wearing jewelry made out of unexpected materials. When has a gold heart necklace from the mall ever sparked a conversation in the way that a necklace made out of used car parts or broken plates has? You are sure to start some interesting dialog when wearing something from these three artists.

This ring is hand carved from a used number 11 pool ball…yes, a pool ball! How cool! Eleanor Salazar of PoolBallRings is an artist from Maine who can hand carve any color or number ball you like, in your size, and have it to you in two weeks. She even makes earrings. What a great gift for the pool shark in your life!

The 2ReVert shop asks, “Where has your Jewelry Been?” Being that these earring are made from used skateboards, one never knows what kind of trouble they got into in their last life. That is the best part about jewelry made from repurposed objects, the back-story (or perceived back-story) adds so much interest and personality to a piece.

Weekend Review: Natural Fitness Rubber Yoga Mat

Victoria Everman — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 12:44:41 +0000

You'd be hard pressed to pick up a magazine on the newsstand that doesn't mention yoga within its pages. With 6,000 years of dedicated followers, there is no denying the power or pleasure of a yogic transformation. Whether you are sweating it out with Bikram or concentrating in Iyengar, you need something to practice on - a yoga mat, to be specific. Unfortunately, your "average" mat is made from PVC, a type of rubber-like plastic that is toxic for both humans and the environment. Natural Fitness, Chicago manufacturer and seller of eco-friendly yoga and fitness products, offers a green (biodegradable) alternative to this dangerous compound: natural rubber from, you guessed it, rubber trees.

After owning two very different yoga mats myself, I was eager to try what NF had to offer. The first mat I owned was made from natural rubber as well, but the traction on it was terrible: in less than 10 minutes, I was slipping and sliding all over! My second acquisition was also made of natural rubber, but was much better at helping me stay stable in my poses. The downside? It was quite heavy to tote around. When presented with the chance to test out the Natural Fitness Professional Yoga Mat, I accepted with excitement.

My new mat arrived speedily, packed in recycled newspaper. The label holding the mat together is made of strong, recycled materials (feels like flexible cardboard), and features info on NF's Zero Impact Program. An inch longer than standard mats, the smell of the natural rubber was immediately noticeable. As an individual who has a fondness for rubber, this didn't bother me, but for others, you might want to wipe down and air out the mat before you use it. Though it may seem small, the reversible factor of the mat was most pleasing, allowing me to choose which earth-toned color suits my mood for that particular day.

Wanting to give my new mat a tough time, I practiced three times in a row, in heavy cotton and with the windows closed (read: sweaty!). Despite the pseudo-pummeling, the mat's traction was fantastic - I didn't slip once. Having weak knees, I also made sure to do more than a fair share of kneeling poses, none of which caused me more than noticeable amount of discomfort. You'd be amazed how much an uncomfortable, unsupportive yoga mat can make you avoid practicing as often as you know you should. With a Natural Fitness mat, I look forward to my practice every day, along with that nice smell from the rubber trees. The rest of NF's products are more than worth exploring, all made from either natural rubber, bamboo, or hemp. After such a pleasant experience with my new mat, I'm bound to make another purchase from their website soon.

Note: As obvious as this may be, if you are allergic to rubber, then I wouldn't recommend using this mat.