Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

"One's Trash is Another's Treasure"

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by Starre Vartan · 08/03/06

This flower was made from reams of old tissue paper at the Materials Exchange. This is so much more fun than letting it rot in a dump. You could make giant-size flowers for a party, create a fun kids’ project (create a land of tissue paper!) or use it to wrap gifts.

Are you adding to your home, or do you like fun projects? Are you an artist who is always looking for materials to work with, someone who just likes to scavenge, or an underfunded teacher? Any of the above people would appreciate the Hudson Valley Materials Exchange. It’s kinda like Freecycling (for those who don’t know what that is, read up here!) but in this case, there’s a permanent home for all sorts of unused, unloved, but really interesting stuff. And it’s not exactly free, but it’s really, really cheap. And some of it IS free.

The idea is that commercial lots are taken here instead of the landfill. So when a kitchen gets ripped apart, or a deck taken out, or when stores are cleaning out their inventory, it goes to the Materials Exchange.

There’s lots of building materials (like decking,windows and doors) but there’s also art supplies (like tubes, file cabinets, cardboard boxes, picture frame molding and lots of paint) and random stuff. I found carbonate rings that you can make mobiles out of, or wear as bracelets! You can search to find if there’s one near you; this Exchange is located in the Hudson Valley near Stewart airport- a day trip from NYC, convenient to Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

car, carbon, cardboard, cleaning, Home, kids, NYC, paper, party, spring, Tea, trash

…next to goddessness

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by Starre Vartan · 05/15/06

I’m not going to go into why using chemical- and toxin-laden products to clean your home is an oxymoron, but if you need some background you can find it here. These days even the EPA is pushing alternatives to conventional cleaning products.

Anything that has the number of poison control on the back doesn’t belong in my house. If it kills you in large doses, it’ll kill you slowly is smaller ones. Not to mention the damage it does to the environment after you’ve washed it down the drain.

Even among Eco Chicks, one of the biggest complaints about ecofriendly products is that they don’t work as well as conventional ones. Clean freaks have become addicted to all the goops, unguents, degreasers, sprays and other heavily advertised products and have grown up with them. For some of us, the smell of clean IS the smell of bleach. 

It’s time for a new smell. Here are a few that I’ve found work as well– or better than– conventional products. Your body, which has to clean out all the toxins you throw at it, and the ducks in the pond will thank you for making the change.

Nothing beats baking soda for scrubbing kitchen and bathroom sinks (in fact nothing gets my kitchen sink as shiny). It’s also good for enhancing laundry soap’s cleaning power, deodorizing cat litter boxes and fridges, and for throwing in the trash can when you don’t feel like cleaning the questionable stuff collecting in the bottom.

I use Seventh Generation’s automatic dishwasher liquid because I’ve tried a bunch of them and it works the best. It’s a little more expensive, but it’s worth it to me not to have to pre-rinse. With this detergent, I just throw the dirty dishes in and fire up the dishwasher.

I use Citra-Solv (I buy it super-concentrated) diluted with a bunch of water to clean my floors and cabinets, and throw a bunch in a spray bottle (also very diluted) to use for general cleaning of the stovetop, countertops, etc. It smells citrusy and clean.

ABC Carpet and Home’s spray cleaner smells like fresh grapefruit, and is a splurge at $12 for one bottle, but it’s like aromatherapy, and I will reuse the bottle (it has a very nifty spray device), so I bought it and use it sparingly.

I love Heather’s products, because they really, really work. And their packaging is ridiculously cute. Not pictured here (because I used it all) is a scrubbing powder that works BETTER than Comet– I use it in my bathroom tub. Their window cleaner is as good as (but smells better than) Windex.

Ecover makes the strongest dishwashing soap (not for dishwashers). It cuts grease, and works just like Palmolive does on pots and pans.

Happy (and healthy!) Spring Cleaning!

baking, bath, car, cleaning, cleaning products, ducks, ecofriendly, epa, fruit, health, Home, rape, reuse, soap, soda, spa, spring, Toxins, trash, water

Walmart Going Ga-Ga with Organics

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by Summer Rayne Oakes · 03/24/06

Pretty soon we’ll see a major push from Walmart going organic. Public relations stint or not, this is BIG news given that they have power across borders.

“They have huge potential because it’s not just Walmart we’re talking about, it’s their entire supply chain,” states Jeff Erikson, U.S. director of SustainAbilty Consulting.

What does this mean? That Wal-Mart, as a corporation, can push more on cleaning up the manufacturing side of the table.

What organic products are they offering? Well, the new Dallas Supercenter opened with 400 organic products, ranging from food to baby clothes to home decor. They will be doubling their organic products in the next month and be looking for new items ranging from food to apparel to paper and electronics. This means mountains for supply chains…

Baby, baby clothes, cleaning, clothes, decor, Eco-Chick, electronics, Food, Home, News, Organic, paper

Mapu in Barcelona

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by Jennifer Cross · 01/29/06

Mapu, with its wide-ranging array of organic and biologic products, and focus on mother´s and women, is a must-stop spot for the environmentally minded eco-chick tourist while in Barcelona.

Mapu is tucked away in the maze-like Bari Gotic — the old quarter of Barcelona. If you weren’t looking for it, you most likely wouldn’t find it. It is run by the friendly Puri Gomez and her helpful hijo (son).

The storefront displays everything from eco baby toys to rice milk. The inside is cramped, but all of your organic needs can be met. Organic vegetables, biologic wines, Weleda cosmetics, earth-friendly cleaning products, and a wide assortment of flavored tofu choices line the tight shelves.

Looking for products that may be of interest specifically to women, Puri introduced me to the Moon Cup. It is a reusable menstrual cup that is made from soft silicone rubber. Apparently it is all the rage in Barcelona. Initially only enviro-friendly consumers were asking for it but now girls are coming in by the dozens seeking this alternative to tampons. Along the same lines, she showed me Sea Pearls. These Atlantic sea sponge tampon alternatives are safe, natural and reusable.

Go There: Mapu; Desarrollo Sostenible Magdalenes 7 08002 Barcelona

Call: +34 93 317 55 25

Baby, cleaning, cleaning products, cosmetics, Eco-Chick, Milk, Organic, skin, Wine, women