When the weather turns warmer, it often turns wetter. A waterproof, breathable shell can keep you dry inside and out. The days of sweaty rubber rain gear are gone, as new technologies allow fabrics to release heat, by allowing moist air to pass through the material, but only moving inside to out. So body moisture escapes, and rain water beads and rolls off the shell. This way, you stay comfortable and dry, on the inside, and outside of the jacket. Technology has also allowed manufacturers to make rain gear more environmentally friendly with less toxic water repellent coatings, and fabrics made from recycled materials. These versatile and green hard shells work great as backpacking companions, lightweight ski jackets, or everyday wear. Keep reading →

In the words of Dr. Seuss, whose birthday happens to be today, “It is fun to have fun, But you have to know how.” What great advice! And even better, what great logic to apply to one’s shopping habits. Personally I like fun stuff, simple as that, but what I really, really enjoy is fun, sustainable stuff! So in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and his rather thought provoking writings, I’ve put together a little list of fun, bold and sustainable make-up for you to check out. Keep reading →

Many green options cost more than their replaced product – but the SodaStream Soda Maker offers a wealth of eco and health benefits for cheaper than buying sparkling water and soft drinks the old fashioned way.  So you’ll be improving your health, keeping tons of plastic out of landfills and saving money instead of lugging heavy bottles of future trash home from the market.

Some SodaStream Background

As a fan of all things that bubble, from champagne to sparkling water to soda (does beer count?), I’ve found it increasingly difficult to enjoy these great things due the myriad of challenges the conscious consumer faces when looking at purchasing these products.  These range from the health impact on you and your family (hey, only 33 grams of fructose corn syrup in most major single serving soda cans!), to the environmental impact that millions of plastic bottles of mineral water and the impact of transporting mineral water from some remote part of the globe to your favorite posh restaurant table. Keep reading →

While snowboarding may not be the most eco-friendly sport out there – especially the lift-served, made-snow variety – there are some snowboard companies going all out to make a difference. Companies are raising awareness of the threat that climate change is posing to our winter wonderlands, helping riders find the resorts that are putting some green towards being green, and working to make their products as sustainable as possible.  After all, it’s in their interest to keep the snow falling!

In 2007, professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, formed Protect our Winters (POW); an organization aimed at bringing the winter sports community together to focus on initiatives that will have a direct impact on the climate change that has become such a threat to our mountains and glaciers. In other words, to prevent the official rise of grassboarding as a sport. Our options are becoming more limited, as smaller resorts that rely on only natural snow are being forced to close. Beyond the future of the sport, in many places snow pack is a natural storage system for water used to irrigate agricultural lands, come snow melt in spring. As glaciers recede, and snow accumulations lessen, many people who depend on them for food and water are threatened. Keep reading →

Down East Doormats are brightly colored, durable and bring a little bit of summer to every doorstep. They actually float as well!  These door mats are produced by the Maine Float-Rope Company from floating ropes that are turned in by lobstermen due to changing regulations.

Lobstermen formerly used floating rope between lobster pots but it has been found that floating rope can cause North Atlantic Right Whales (a critically endangered species) to become entangled in the lobster gear when they surface during feeding. New regulations require sinking rope and all of that old rope would otherwise end up in landfills.

These mats are a great addition to any home and will last for years to come as they are advertised as indestructable. It is rare to get the opportunity to buy a locally-made, upcycled product from a company that donates a portion of its proceeds to protect its local environment.

Enjoy!

Mountainsmith is pulling off the gloves and proving that materials, otherwise headed for the trash pile, can be recycled to make durable, high-performance products.  Mountainsmith is truly setting the example for the industry, and has put in the extra umph to close the loop.  Instead of providing only goods that are recyclable, Mountainsmith’s products are actually made with other recycled materials.  Each Mountainsmith pack reduces green house gas emissions by 40% when compared to a pack of a similar size, made with run-of-the-mill materials and processes.

As an innovative outdoor pack, camera bag, and luggage manufacturer based in Golden, CO, Mountainsmith is no newbie to environmental responsibility.  In 2006 they were the first company to bring recycled fabric technology to high-perfomance outdoor packs. Then in 2008, their Phoenix pack won the coveted Backpacker Magazine Editor’s Choice Green Award. This year Mountainsmith will release 11 new bags that will bring 35% of their product line under the “made of recycled materials” tag. Keep reading →

Ecoist is a company that creates and sells eco-friendly items primarily made from discarded product labels which are then recycled and turned into fashionable, functional and fun products that create conversation and look pretty neat too. Unlike some eco-friendly fashion companies, Ecoist doesn’t want people to buy their items just because they’re eco-friendly, they want them to buy them because they follow trends you’d see on celebrities or on the runways, AND they have the added bonus of minimal environmental impact. Wouldn’t you like to pick up a purse and be able to say, “it’s just like Victoria Beckham’s, but mine didn’t require a mortgage or take away a piece of my soul and morality because of it’s environmental impact”? Keep reading →

Fashion lovers with money to spend may search far and wide for the for the trendiest sweater designs that are made from what is said to be one of the softest and most luxurious products on earth. But let’s face it, many of those with money to spend on fashion, discard their clothing picks with the seasons without even thinking about those poor sheep that took all the effort to grow their undercoat, and the factory workers that spent hours upon hours to spool the pricey wool.

TeddyLux is an eco-friendly company that doesn’t let the hard work of the sheep and the factory workers’ hard work go to waste by letting the cashmere sweaters end up in the cashmere graveyard. Instead, they recycle the discarded fashion items and turn them into some of the most luxurious and soft and cuddly toys available for children; and the knowledge that they’re eco-friendly through their use of recycled materials doesn’t hurt either. Keep reading →

Any musician knows just how wasteful a hobby it can be when it comes to guitar strings – they can break in a session, they can break in a week, or if you’re lucky, you might get through a month or two if you play regularly and like to experiment with your riffs. Guitar strings from electric or acoustic guitars don’t last forever, and while the average person might discard them without a second thought, there are millions of people out there that would like to get their hands on used guitar strings once plucked by artists like Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan or Avril Lavigne. Keep reading →

During the summer months, there’s nothing better than sitting out on an Adirondack chair with a glass of wine or a nice frosty beer to take in the sights and sounds of the season. However, since this type of outdoor furniture is typically manufactured from wood, wood and more wood, it may bring a nice summer, cottagey feeling to your home in the city or the county; but it comes at the cost of the environment.

Loll Designs offers a solution with their line of outdoor furniture that is made from 100% post consumer recycled HDPE, a high-density polyethylene which is a plastic resin that is used in products and packaging such as milk jugs, detergent bottles, margarine tubs, and garbage containers. Loll Designs Adirondack chairs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and will look fantastic on any deck or front porch of a home or summer cottage. Plus, to get them there, the eco-friendly company uses carbon offset shipping through a partnership with Carbon Fund and packages the sustainable outdoor furniture in completely recycled and recyclable packaging. It doesn’t stop there either, they also produce their furniture locally in the United States, donate 1% of the proceed of their sales to a variety of environmental organizations, and they plant a tree for every harvesting day of the year! Keep reading →