The Green Life

What Are You Wearing Under That Hemp Dress?

If you’ve already stocked your closet with organic, eco-friendly clothing, but you’re still wearing the same old boring underwear, we’ve got a novel solution: By Nature has a line of underwear made from trees. The fabric, called Lenpur, is created from cultivated pine tree branches. The creators of Lenpur claim their process coincides with natural pruning and that no deforestation occurs. The line of lingerie, designed by Sophie Young, is supposedly soft, anti-bacterial, biodegradable, and splinter-free!

Source:  Real Business

Eco-Barbie (Really)

Barbie's stylist has gone green. A special collection of the plastic fashionistas will hit Toys ‘R’ Us this month outfitted in fabric scraps that toymaker Mattel (of lead paint fame) would otherwise discard.

Of course, we must ask: "How will she accessorize?” Not to worry. The “Barbie BCause” line will include doll-sized hats, diaries, and yes, hobo purses. Discarded pets not included.

Step Lightly

With recycling all the rage in the footwear industry, it's getting easier to walk the green talk:

Simple has long gone the extra mile for sustainability; last year its parent company was named "Recycler of the Year" by the city of Santa Barbara. The kid's Toeday sneaker (left) boasts organic-cotton uppers and recycled-rubber outsoles.

Flat Tire Footwear will put a bounce in your step with its CrumbTech soles, made from scrap car tires.

El Naturalista incorporates biodegradable rubber and natural dyes in its fashion-forward designs. The Iggdrasil women's clog (right), named after the Tree of Life in Nordic mythology, features an outsole inspired by the texture of bark.

Nike has collected 20 million pairs of sneakers through its reuse-a-shoe program. Its distribution center in Europe runs on wind, and the sportswear giant aims to go carbon neutral by 2015.

Patagonia puts recycled materials into the rubber outsole, cushioning midsole, cork foot bed, and sweat-wicking linings of its Finn hiking shoes (right), which are also made with nontoxic, water-based glues. --Dan Oko

Able Labels

For savvy shoppers, there's a raft of new reasons to look at labels: REI's ecoSensitive tag (right) ID's clothes made of materials like organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, or recycled synthetics. Stickers on all new U.S. vehicles now estimate the annual cost of fueling up. (In New York and California, they'll soon include information on greenhouse-gas emissions too.) U.K. manufacturers are adding carbon-footprint data to food ingredient lists, and a new California law will require the source of bottled water to be disclosed on the label.

Advice for workers, actors, and shoppers

In the January/February 2008 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green opines on the best way for a touring actor to leave no trace, clears up concerns about cotton, and advises on workplace recycling.

Curious, concerned, or just generally confused about environmental issues of all stripes? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

Your Gifts Are On Our List

Finding one of these presents under the tree could turn the most ardent Hummer driver into a tree hugger. What green gift would you be most grateful to receive?

FOR YOUR BROTHER
He'll have style and substance with a fresh renewable-energy T-shirt (pictured; organic and sweatshop free), hipster hoodie (made from organic fleece), rugged wallet (made out of discarded truck-tire inner tubes), geek-chic luggage tags (made of old circuit boards), or recycled messenger bag.

FOR YOUR SISTER
She'll toast your thoughtfulness when she unwraps this recycled-glass necklace (pictured) by artist Kathleen Plate. Or send her out on the town with a pull-tab clutch or shoulder bag and some ecofriendly lipstick to stick in it. Sis the shy and retiring type? Encourage her to express herself in a vintage-record-sleeve journal or one made from elephant poop (no, really).

FOR YOUR FOLKS
Decorative bowls woven from telephone wire (pictured) or vases made from recycled paper will add beauty to their home and benefit craftspeople in South Africa and Vietnam. Foodies or green thumbs will appreciate an herb-garden kit with organic seeds in a biodegradable pot.

FOR YOUR (FURRY) BEST FRIEND
Fido will drool his appreciation for a fabric chew toy made of recycled soda bottles (pictured) and rest easily on an organic, hemp, or recycled doggie bed.

The Look...For Less

After inspiring eco-fashionistas everywhere, Goodwill itself is jumping on the cheap-to-chic bandwagon in an effort to upscale its image, reports the Washington Post. The DC branch of this international nonprofit hosted a virtual runway show and has its own hipster fashion blogger (at left) advising readers on the most stylish ways to wear their thrift-store finds.

What's the coolest piece of clothing you've ever picked up in a second-hand store? My favorite is a belted corduroy coat that I wore until the lining wore away... and will wear again once I find someone to fix it!

Fashion Puts Its Best Foot Forward

Green has been ruling the runway recently, with sustainable styles on display from Los Angeles to Paris. Over the weekend, London-based designer Gary Harvey showed off his creative recycled couture (like the dress pictured at right) at the EcoNouveau kickoff for L.A. Fashion Week, while Parisians celebrated the now-annual Ethical Fashion Show. Even Seattle shed its less-than-chic image to put on its first Green Fashion Week earlier this month, with hot designers and some stunning styles (although that seemingly picnic-tablecloth-inspired dress about halfway down the page is a step backward, as far as I'm concerned). Fashionistas, let us know what you think: Whose green designs are hot and whose are not?

Opportunity Knocks

It's easy to tire of kids hawking candy bars and magazines--even for a good cause. Fortunately, there are more-innovative, ecofriendly ways for schools to get their hands on much-needed cash. Students can collect used printer cartridges for recycling and sell fair-trade stationery, natural body-care products, or, in Wisconsin, locally made cheese. Mmm, cheese. Where's my wallet?

Illustration by Christoph Hitz

Trashy Fashion

If you live near Brooklyn and you're into refashioned fashion--and really, who isn't?--you gotta check out tonight's trunk show of "art and apparel from recycled materials" at Etsy Labs, the bricks-and-mortar (does anyone say that anymore?) HQ for the cool crafters selling on Etsy.com. I just read about their "Trashion" show on Treehugger and would be there in a hot minute if I didn't live 2,000 miles away.

What, exactly, is Trashion, you ask? Take this library-card paper-flower necklace (pictured). "This triple flower choker necklace is made from discarded library due date cards," says its creator, Miggi. "They are laminated and cut into flower shapes, and then vintage buttons and sequins are sewn in the center. The chain comes from a broken vintage chain belt. Everything about this necklace is upcycled and reused EXCEPT the toggle clasp, which is new." Call it low-impact design that makes a big impression.

What's Hot (or Not)

When it comes to "chic alternative lifestyles," gay is out and green is in, according to the latest Vanity Fair.

Ties are "out" in Italy, where the government is following Japan's lead and encouraging employers to allow casual dress in the summer to reduce air-conditioning demands. (C'mon, Italy, you're going to have to get ahead of the eco-curve if you want to keep setting the fashion agenda.)

Cheese-wedge houses are out, and good design is in, says Witold Rybczynski, whose architectural commentary accompanies a slideshow of ecofriendly, but aesthetically pleasing buildings on Slate.

A Tip a Day...

...keeps global warming at bay. (And other environmental problems too!)

Want to start living a lower-impact, higher-quality lifestyle? Not sure where to begin? Sign up for our new Green Life newsletter and receive an easy tip every day about a small change that can make a big difference. Simple steps like replacing conventional lightbulbs with more efficient ones, keeping your car tires properly inflated, or adjusting your thermostat a degree or two can save you money, reduce waste, and help save the planet. Don't delay, sign up today!

That's a Wrap

A centuries-old tradition may provide a stylish solution to the modern problem of waste created by single-use plastic and paper bags. Former Japanese environmental minister Yuriko Koike launched a campaign to revive the furoshiki, a type of square wrapping cloth. Originally used to hold clothes at public baths, furoshiki can be folded in many ways--depending on whether you're toting books, groceries, or a bottle of wine--and adorned with patterns as chic as any Prada bag.

Green Gifts for Your Grad

With the school year drawing to an end, high school and college seniors are getting ready to begin the next phase of their life. Celebrate your grad's achievement with a green gift that will ease (or at least honor) the transition:

• For the gadget-loving grad: A sleek and sturdy Solio solar charger, will juice up their ubiquitous cell phone, MP3 player, or portable game player on the go. Its fan-blade design collects a lot of energy, but folds up nice and compactly.
• For the grad on-the-go: A solar backpack or messenger bag from Reware, Voltaic Systems, or Clear Blue Hawaii will charge the same kinds of small accessories as the Solio, and hold lots of gear too. The fabric on some of the Reware bags is even made out of reclaimed soda bottles.
• For the cyclist grad: A CD rack or picture frame made from old bike parts.
• For the grad that likes to wear their passions on their sleeve: A special accessory. Tarma's recycled stainless-steel wristbands and pendants are great for sporty types (both male and female), while aspiring writers might cherish cufflinks or earrings made out of old typewriter keys.
• For the not-so-neat grad: A basket of green cleaning supplies.
• For the urban grad: A year’s membership in a local car-sharing service, or a green city guide (e.g. the Greenopia guide for San Francisco or Los Angeles, The Big Green Apple for New York).
• For the grad who’s moving far away: A train ticket for a visit home or some recycled stationery  so they’ll write more often (maybe).
• For the grad who might otherwise live at McDonald’s: A set of bamboo cookware (durable and easy to clean) and a good cookbook for cheap and healthy food.
• For the grad on a budget (and aren't they all): A green coupon book with discounts and free offers at environmentally friendly businesses in their new home (e.g. Green Zebra in SF, Chinook Book in the Pacific Northwest, Blue Sky Guide in the Twin Cities).

Carnival of Creativity

The tech-savvy and the thrifty, the crafty and the curious will descend on the San Mateo Fairgrounds in northern California this weekend for the Maker Faire, an annual event that organizers are calling "Woodstock for inventors and tinkerers."

A spin-off project of Make and Craft magazines, the Maker Faire celebrates DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit, which often involves the ingenious--and environmentally friendly--reuse and reimagining of ordinary materials. Our friends over at ReadyMade will be there, hosting a timed MacGyver challenge competition and showing off some of their latest projects, while the good folks at Swap-O-Rama-Rama will be hosting a refashioned fashion show. All this, and fighting robots too.

Fashion Forward

The days of the dowdy environmentalist are très passé: It's easier than ever to do good while looking good too. Here's how:

Opt for organic
Make a fashion statement by supporting designers and manufacturers that care about the planet and are making everything from beach wear to little black dresses out of pesticide-free cotton and wool. Check out Blue Canoe and Patagonia for stylish outdoor and workout clothes; Wildlife Works, No Enemy, and Mission Playground for trendy tees; and Under the Canopy, Of the Earth, and Stewart & Brown for dressier duds. If you can find local options, all the better.

Go alternative
Hemp isn't just for Rasta gear anymore; while it still can't be grown in the United States, imported hemp is making its way into lots of clothes, providing a durable, pesticide-free option for many outfits. Fast-growing bamboo makes lightweight, quick-drying fabrics, while plastic soda bottles are being recycled into fleece.

Pop Corner

With its scantily clad models luxuriating on a beach in front of a half-submerged Mt. Rushmore, it was hard to tell how seriously clothing maker Diesel took its global-warming-themed ad campaign. But the March Sports Illustrated cover photo of Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis knee-deep in a flooded base-ball stadium bore an unambiguous message: "Time to pay attention." After describing how climate change is affecting sports--including shorter ski seasons, fewer fishing opportunities, and summer days too hot for football practice--author Alexander Wolff writes, "We don't have the luxury of looking on from the sidelines. We must become players too."

Mom's the Word

Fresh out of green gift ideas for Mom? HGTV picked this cute countertop compost pail as its Mother's Day selection for the "eco-friendly mom." Our suggestions:

• For the foodie mom: Treat her to brunch, lunch, or dinner at a restaurant specializing in seasonal, regional cuisine. Or reciprocate for all those home-cooked meals by whipping up a fresh organic feast yourself.
• For the literary mom: A purse handcrafted from an old book or made out of recycled newspaper.
• For the quirky mom: A bracelet made out of recycled flatware, earrings refashioned from old tin cans, or a necklace with a china-shard charm.
• For the socially-conscious mom: A beautiful bowl, scarf, or picture frame made by artisans in a developing country.
• For the traditional mom: Organic or VerifFlora-certified flowers, of course.
• For the fashionable mom: Elegant fair-trade jewelry that supports women's rights.
• For the meditative mom: Organic-cotton yoga pants or a hemp journal.
• For the outdoorsy mom: Recycled-steel earrings reflecting her favorite active pursuit or sportswear that incorporates recycled fabrics.
• For the indulgent mom: Organic or fair-trade chocolate. (You know she'll share!)

Read All About It

A roundup of news worth noting from the past month or so:

ART
* Jo Hanson, the founder of San Francisco's trendsetting "art at the dump" program, passed away.

FASHION
* A tote bag with an environmental message became a fashion must-have.

FOOD AND DRINK
* A group of locavores tried to eat local on a budget.
* Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announced a new green direction for his restaurants, including serving more organic and local produce, seafood from sustainable fisheries, and more humanely raised meat.
* London eco-eatery the Acorn House was named "Best Newcomer" in the annual Observer Food Monthly Awards.
* British researchers showed that organic food is better for you.
* Organic and natural pet foods got a boost from the big recall of tainted chow.

MEDIA LOUNGE
* Big Picture TV, a free web-based video channel focused on environmental issues, launched with commentary from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jane Goodall, Eric Schlosser, and Wangari Maathai.

OUTDOORS
* New York City broke ground on a lofty park that will span the High Line, 1.5 miles of abandoned freight-train track on the West Side of Manhattan.

TRANSPORTATION
* A green taxi service--operating only hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles--started up in San Francisco.

Cheap to Chic

Fashionistas are turning from Gucci to Goodwill. Nearly 20 cities have hosted massive clothing swaps with workshops and sewing stations for attendees to refashion their "new" finds. In central New York State, students at Cazenovia College have created a clothing line (above) out of thrift-store donations by embellishing out-of-date denim, piecing together new shirts from ripped polos, and snipping "old man sweaters" into stylish shrugs. And author Megan Nicolay has taken her book on "108 ways to transform a T-shirt" (below) to both Martha Stewart's TV audience and the Bonnaroo music-festival crowd. Clearly, the bargain bin is "in."

(Photograph at top right by Laura Pirkl; Diagram above by Megan Nicolay; Photograph above by Andrew McLeod)

Steeled for the Trail

Adventurous types can wear their passion on their sleeve--or ears or neck--with stylish, outdoor-themed wristbands, earrings, and pendants by Tarma Designs. Made of recycled stainless steel, the line of men's and women's jewelry features designs based on natural shapes and active pursuits, from climbing to kayaking. Repurposing the metal is a sensible and sustainable choice, says cofounder Stephanie George. "It's lightweight, durable, and you can sweat in it!"

The Dirt on Dry Cleaning

Get this: dry cleaning isn’t really dry. Nope, we’re not pulling your (dry-clean-only trouser) leg. Although no water is involved in the process (hence the name), liquid solvents are, and the main one, perchloroethylene, is nasty stuff. Better known as perc, it’s a likely carcinogen linked to a host of other health problems that also contaminates our soil and water.

Greener alternatives include wet cleaning (a kind of high-tech version of hand-washing) and liquid-CO2 dry cleaning.

Of course, the simplest (and probably cheapest) solution is to avoid clothes that require dry cleaning in the first place. These days, there are even machine-washable suits (look for ones that haven't been treated with wrinkle- or stain-repellents, which often use formaldehyde). And many cotton, linen, and silk clothes can be safely hand-washed in cold water even if they say "dry-clean-only."

Beauty You Don’t Have to Work At

The latest beauty trend is environmentally fashionable too: using fewer cosmetics. The New York Times reported last month on a "back-to-basics movement among dermatologists," exemplified by Dr. Fran E. Cook-Bolden in Manhattan, who advised, "Just two products, a gentle cleanser and a good sunscreen, are enough daily skin care for most people, and you can buy those at a drugstore or a grocery store."

This "skin-care minimalism" is good for the environment as well as consumers' health, since the ingredients in cosmetic products often include potentially toxic substances like mercury, lead acetate, formaldehyde, coal tar, and phthalates. It saves money too: why invest in exfoliation beads or a microdermabrasion system when, as Dr. Cook-Bolden recommends, you can clean up dead skin cells just as well with a washcloth?

Cheap, healthy, and mild on the planet: now that's a regime that’s easy to find beautiful.

For more on the environmental impacts of personal-care products, check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and "Skin Deep," an Environmental Working Group report on popular brands.

The Buzz

"Our research shows that consumers are getting very concerned about environmental issues... It's a trend that we know won't go away after a season, like a poncho."

--Mike Barry, head of corporate social responsibility at British retailer Marks & Spencer, quoted in "Can Polyester Save the World?" by Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times, January 25, 2007.

Fair Treat

Fair-trade parties give the Tupperware model a sustainable twist by offering edible, wearable, and decorative products that support workers and environmental initiatives in developing countries. While some organizations will provide hosts with goods to sell, you can do it yourself by supplying educational pamphlets, a few donated samples, catalogs to order from, and fair-trade coffee and sweets to entice guests. sierraclub.org/trade/fair_trade

(Illustration by Mark Matcho)

Many Shades of Green

The three-day Green Festival in San Francisco was packed to the gills this weekend, with some 30,000 attendees jostling to look at the hundreds of exhibitors' booths (especially if they were dishing out free samples of organic chocolate, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, or, really, anything else to eat).

It was great to see so much excitement about ecofriendly living, and great to see stylish clothing and homewares, clever techie gadgets, and regular Joes and Janes outnumbering the flowing tunics, aura handbooks, and members of the tie-dye set. Not that I don't love the hippie die-hards, but green solutions have to look, feel, and work great before more people will adopt them. As one of the hip vendors I spoke to described her company's internal motto, "Frumpy is not an option."

Pop Corner

Holiday film releases will include The Blood Diamond, a political thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio and set in Sierra Leone, where control of diamond exports fueled a bloody civil war in the 1990s. Though the industry has taken steps to keep "conflict diamonds" off the market, some companies are trying to address human-rights and environmental issues in other ways, such as by using diamonds from more strictly regulated Canadian mines (brilliantearth.com, cred.tv) or creating gem-quality synthetics (greenkarat.com).

Fast Fact

Daily use of beauty products exposes U.S. women to up to 200 chemicals. Only 10 percent of cosmetic ingredients have been screened for safety. safecosmetics.org

In the Bag

Fashion is a funny thing: Trendsetters are revered, but if too many people follow their lead, their style becomes decidedly untrendy. Avoid catching the wave too late by opting for something truly unique--say, a dumpster-chic purse. Messenger bags made of old vinyl billboards (vyandelle.com), handbags woven out of candy wrappers (ecoist.com) or formed from old books (rebound-designs.com), plastic-bag purses (ecochicinc.com), and duct-tape totes (mimimarie-sf.com) are just a few of the handcrafted creations available. Want to get a jump on the next trend? Place an order now for a solar handbag (solarjo.com) that can recharge your cell phone.

(Top photograph and below, from left, second, third, and fourth photos by Lori Eanes; below, first photo, courtesy of Ecoist)

From Ozone Man to Fashion Icon

A style bulletin from, of all places, The Nation: Designer Marc Jacobs is selling Al Gore T-shirts, tote bags, and trucker hats; all proceeds go to Gore’s Climate Project.

The Shirt-Sleeve Solution

Casual Friday can help save the planet, says Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. Japan's "Cool Biz" campaign urges businesses to combat global warming by using less air-conditioning during the summer and letting employees doff their ties and suit jackets. (In winter, "Warm Biz" encourages workers to layer up and turn the heat down.) Last year's efforts reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 460,000 tons.

Advice for Campers, Car Buyers, and Clotheshorses

In the March/April 2006 issue of Sierra, Mr. Green weighs in on cremating cans and dry-cleaning clothes, debates the merits of biodiesel, and revisits organic eating, air conditioning, and sweating "the small stuff."

Should we all be making our fuel from french fries? Should environmentalists be cheering or jeering the development of hybrid SUVs? Send your thoughts and questions directly to Mr. Green, or weigh in in the comments section.

Feel-Good Fashion

This handcrafted choker (left) does more than make you look chic: It helps support 160 Ugandan families with a living wage. Their crafty co-op turns old magazine pages into colorful beads (right) for necklaces, anklets, and bracelets—including some sporty guy-friendly wristbands. beadforlife.com

(Photographs by Charles Steinberg, MD)

Welcome!

"The Green Life" was launched in the November/December 2005 issue of Sierra magazine as a place to showcase trendsetting people, cool products, and empowering ideas. Quickly we saw that there was too much happening, too fast, to limit our coverage to a few bimonthly pages, and thus this blog was born.

When we devoted our January/February 2005 issue to the burgeoning green-lifestyle movement, we saw there was a huge interest in earth-friendly options for living well. What we wear, where we live, how we get around, and how we spend our money affects not only our own quality of life, but the quality of our environment. Fortunately, style and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand, reaffirming our belief that the best things in life truly are green.

What's your favorite green product? What ideas have made your life a little easier and the Earth a little happier? Share your rants, raves, tips, and questions with other readers and us.

--Jennifer Hattam, editor