Holiday · Eco-Chick

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Eco-Wrapping

by Ann Benoit · 11/20/06

presents

Although the Holiday season hasn’t officially hit (I know its not even Thanksgiving), its never too early too start thinking about environmental ways to approach the season. It is estimated that almost 25 million tons more waste is created during the holidays than over a typical ten-week period. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week!

If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.

So enough of statistics! Here are some tips to be more environmentally conscious when wrapping presents:

Instead of using wrapping paper, get in the habit of wrapping your family presents in cool fabric and ribbons that you reuse every year. If you’re super crafty, make cloth sacks out of fun fabric and ribbon closures or knit one. Thrift stores often have great options for inexpensive fabrics. Get creative!

If you do use wrapping paper, try to buy only recycled options. Fortunately attractive options exist! One of my favorite companies, paporganics, “sustainable stationary and gift wrap” sells beautiful gift wrap and all the trimmings (hemp wrap, gift enclosure cards, natural ribbons and gift tissue). savitris makers of handmade recycled paper products also sells gorgeous gift wrap that i would drool to get a present wrapped in. BuyGiftPaper.com sells inexpensive recycled wrapping paper in solid colors ($12.95 for a 24″x100′roll) and KidBean sells recycled hemp wrap.

Use recycled craft paper to create your own recycled wrap with interesting stamps or sponge painting

Make sure to recycle all wrapping paper when possible, but check first with your local recycling program to make sure they accept conventional wrapping paper. Most conventional wrapping paper contains a high content of metal and is therefore not accepted by most programs. When not using recycled wrap, try not to buy the metallic wrap because of this reason.

Make your own wrapping paper by recycling ordinary items from your house. Colorful magazine pages, the comics, wacky personals pages, phone book listings all make interesting and unique wrapping materials. Make a collage and use that. Why buy paper when you can just reuse something cool you already have?

book, car, Christmas, Crafts, fabric, fabrics, garbage, giving, Handmade, hemp, holiday, Holidays, kids, local, magazine, Organic, paper, recycle, recycled, Recycling, reuse, sustainable, Tea, waste

Ode to Autumn

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by Starre Vartan · 10/05/06

This is my favorite season, a time of apple-picking, knit scarves and hats, pumpkin carving, colorful leaves and cool, sunny days. It’s my favorite shopping season, the best time to climb a mountain, and if you’re a little tough, you can still swim too (the water stays warmer longer than you’d think!) I feel transformed and reborn every fall, because it’s when I feel fresh again, renewed, and ready to face the ice and snow to come, the holidays, and in the darkest days, the passing of another year.

It’s autumn’s allure that means I will probably never live anywhere without defined seasons; it would break my heart to only have two when I could have four, especially one that rains leaves the color of a bonfire.

I am so happy that I live in New England where I can enjoy the beauty of watching the Earth prepare for her winter slumber.

autumn, Beauty, car, epa, fall, holiday, Holidays, scarves, Shopping, water

five and a half. handmade, recollected

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by Ann Benoit · 10/02/06

store

five and half‘s recycled handmade journals are by far my favorite journals. Made of interesting, recollected papers, the journals are a really great and inspiring twist on the traditional journal/sketchbook while also being environmentally friendly. five and a half was started by eco-chick, Judy in Brooklyn and has since taken off, with her journals selling online at her store and at various stores in New York City, Chicago and Berkeley. The journals come in 2 sizes— “pocket” and “large” (I personally love the large) and the prices are really reasonable ($16 and $22) for a handmade journal. Although the store will be closed until November 15th, they reopen just in time for the Holidays to buy journals/sketchbooks for your favorite eco-chick!

book, books, Eco-Chick, Handmade, holiday, Holidays, Home, New York City, paper, recycle, recycled

More Mainstreaming of Green

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by Danelle Brown · 07/05/06

Magazines

While sitting around waiting for my transfer flights this holiday weekend, I came across two magazines that have taken the initiative to incorporate more “Green” into their July Issues. In the June Issue of Yoga Journal, the magazine highlights top Yogis and their passion for the environment. All of these amazing people are wearing their favorite eco-fashions. In the July Issue of Good House Keeping, With Sarah Jessica-Parker gracing the cover, the GH editors highlights 50 simple ways readers can “green” their lifestyle.

It is great to see that more and more main stream magazines are tapping into the environment.

Fashion, holiday, magazine, magazines, mainstream, style, yoga

Ignite Your Creative Fire Works This Weekend

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by Danelle Brown · 06/29/06

Well for any of you who are lucky and are getting a few extra days off for the 4th fourth of July holiday weekend, then you still have a few days to put the finishing touches or create your submission for the Global Green Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans. The submission deadline is July 6th, 2006.

It is the hope of this urban design competition to encourage the consumption of renewable resources and break away from the dependence of fossil fuels and the fuels’ by products. The Global Green Organization and the handsome new Dad, Brad Pitt, think that this development will put New Orleans on the forefront of sustainable development, innovation, and leadership. Its really is a great competition and a chance to help make a huge difference.

brad pitt, consumption, design, holiday, New Orleans, resources, style, sustainable, urban