Alternative Materials

Universal Studios, Hollywood

Universal Studios in Hollywood was recently honored with the EMA Environmental Media Association (EMA) Green Seal Award. The award is the first-ever given to a theme park for its commitment and effort in working towards a more environmentally conscious workplace and community.

I recently toured the theme park to witness their ‘greening’ efforts as a casual visitor.... read more

The Blue Economy, 10 years, 100 innovations, 100 million jobs is a phenomenal book I have been reading lately by Gunter Pauli, founder of Ecover, and The Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives organization. The philosophy behind the book is the recognition and emulation of the interconnectedness of the five kingdoms of nature. Pauli presents an alternative economic system where human processes are modeled after natural systems, and work with nature, rather than against her. ... read more

To continue my "ban the bag saga," here is a Company profile on ChicoBag, my personal favorite in the reusable bag sector.

Why its Keen:

ChicoBag has a very inspirational start-up story: "In early 2004, Andy Keller, now ChicoBag™ president, took a trip to his local landfill after spending the day landscaping his backyard. He was horrified by what he saw. Single-use bags were the dominant article at the landfill that day, blanketing the landscape in a thin mix of white and beige plastic. On his way home he began to notice plastic bags everywhere, caught in trees and on fence posts, half drowned in gutter puddles and blowing in the streets like urban tumbleweeds. That day Andy vowed to stop using single-use bags. Inspired, Andy dropped a few bucks on a second hand sewing machine and began sewing what would ultimately become the first ChicoBag™ brand reusable bag."... read more

Why they're Keen: 

Zaum was founded in 2003. Aside from offering interactive and graphic design services, they also sell handmade purses, wallets, laptop bags, and more.

They launched their eco line 3 years ago.  The founders of Zaum began to be more “green” in their daily lives, so it made perfect sense to incorporate it into their work.  They wanted to bring unique, fun, and vibrant products into the green fashion community. 


 

Why they're Green: 

Their eco-friendly products use three different types of materials: printed organic cotton, solid colored organic cotton, and heavy wool felt. Both kinds of cotton are 100% organic and the printed cotton uses non-toxic pigments. ... read more

A few years ago, we did some work on our attic, including insulating it. We did it ourselves and used that awful, toxic, Pink Panther insulation stuff. That brand does use 40% recycled glass, but many studies consider it to be a carcinogen if inhaled, and it can cause breathing and skin irritations I felt paranoid using it, but at the time I wasn't educated on alternatives.

If we were to install any insulation now, I would definitely rethink using fiberglass.

I thought of this today as I took a walk in my neighborhood and saw a sign for home insulation using wool. "What a great idea!" I thought, and then I came home to do a little research.

Some quick facts about wool insulation:

- Wool can absorb moisture, unlike fiberglass insulation.
- Wool doesn't irritate the skin or lungs.
- Sheep can be treated with pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides. Those things leave a residue which comes off once a sheep is sheared, but it can result in toxic byproducts. Find out where your wool comes through and what the sheep have been treated with.
- Wool is naturally flame resistant.
- You don't need to wear protective gear when installing it unless you have a wool allergy. You should have seen what we wore when we insulated our attic...masks, gloves, clothes from head to toe!... read more