The Green movement means you must forgo your water bottles! They are becoming all the rage, so much so that the SIGG website had to temporarily shut down because they could not keep up with demand! Klean Kanteen is another great alternative to the old plastic H20 bottle. It's made up of 100% recyclable stainless steel, is BPA free and won't leak any toxins or chemicals into your beverage. They come in a whole bevy of sizes and colors. All are under about $20.
Stock your bar with recycled glassware from At West End. Get champagne, wine, beer and cordial glasses... word is that the stemless wine glass holds a massive 18 oz. of wine. That makes me and my gallon of Carlo Rossi a very happy girl.
Ever wonder what commercial printing companies do with all that left over vinyl from signs? No, I never did either.... but I'll just tell you anyway... they makes wallets!!!!! You can get this adorable hummingbird wallet for $15 and prevent unused waterproof vinyl from ending up in a landfill. Who knew?
Ever heard "Made in China" and thought, wow, I really must buy this to support the environment. Hmm.... sounds fishy if you ask me. However, if the product is made by bambu then China a go go! Bambu is a company dedicated to making great designed products from organically grown bamboo harvested from local farmers in China. The company is based in China allowing them to keep an eagle eye on every part of the manufacturing process. They support fair trade practices and ensure that their factories meet and exceed all health and safety regulations. They also are members of 1% for the planet and I LOVE their double wall baskets (starting at $13.95). Go China!
So I was completely drawn to Unison, a design company that produces minimalist bedding, table linens and accessories. They come from Finland... hence my obsession. Robert Segal and Alicia Rosauer spent 4 years in Finland before they came to Chicago to sell their wares here. This honey textured throw, made from organic flannel cotton just beckons me. Um... so does the chair. Where is that chair from? Anyone? The chair?
This lamp is made of glue.... seriously. Wunderwurks Design, founded by the artist Tony Wurman, is a studio out of New York. All of Wurman's products (lamps, vesseks, bowls and clocks) are made from a specific blend of EVA (non-toxic) hotmelt adhesive... aka glue. Absolutely no waste is created during production. Any unused adhesive is 100% recycled. It is either remelted and used for the base of some structures or to seal the packages.
These adorable little birds are actually coin purses with a key ring made entirely from scraps of napa leather. No two are alike and the beauty, besides being only $12, is that they are eco-friendly. K. Autumn, owner of the boutique Relish at Home, makes these little birds. Her online shop isn't up yet but you can still get the birds from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Shop. Sweet! ...or should I say Tweet!
If you wanted to be the ultimate eco-conscious female, you would not need a fancy designer bag to carry your wares, all you would really need is a paper bag. HA! A paper bag you say.... Ta da!!!! This, my friend, is in fact a paper bag. The red and white satchel from Engage Green is made from woven recycled paper with a red cotton lining and brown canvas straps. Truly a paper bag that looks good and is only $45 to boot! Go green!
Hard to believe this gorgeous chair is made entirely from Bamboo. The Isometric Chair from Kalon Studios blends good design with good practice. The chair is made from 100% sustainable materials and is manufactured locally. The oil finish is so green it's even food safe. The chair is sold with or without the delicately carved motif of either a fern, trumpet or honeysuckle. Green is good.... in this case, very good.
We all know Gaiam to be the place for yoga stuff but they also carry a wide range of green and organic products for your home. This organic cotton antique stripe bedding looks like it's right out of the Restoration Hardware catalog but it's even better.... this 250 thread count bedding is made from 100% organic cotton percale and is manufactured in a low eco-impact process.
