The Red, White, and Green

I’m a big fan of the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement that’s seen a resurgence since the US economy tanked, and especially, the home arts: sewing, knitting, gardening, cooking, etc. This type of know-how isn’t just financially beneficial, it’s good for the environment: Being able to mend your own pants at the first sight of a tear instead of running out to Target for a new pair, for example, helps reduce consumption. (Reduce — the first of the three R’s of the environment, remember?)

With the risk of sounding pessimistic, these DIY skills — the skills that our grandparents and great-grandparents and every generation before them had — may prove essential if and when the $%#$ hits the fan with regards to climate change. One day, we may not be able to rely on industry to produce an endless stream of food and goods; our individual survival may hinge on our ability to be self-sufficient.

And what could be more self-sufficient and DIY than knitting (and crocheting)? You take a couple balls of yarn, a pair of kneedles, and presto! You have a hat on your head, or a blanket to keep you warm, or a cute outfit for your best friend’s new baby.

You’d think that the innate sustainability of knitting would mean more eco-friendly yarns out there, but I actually have a hard time finding a good selection at local knitting shops, even in Los Angeles. (Admittedly, I also kind of hate the shopping experience at most of them, thanks to the holier-than-thou vibes I usually get from the knitting gurus who work there.)

That’s why I’m so excited that the Green Sheep Shop has finally opened its online store, with beautiful yarns in all manners of eco-friendly: organic, fair-trade, vegan, naturally dyed — even a glistening multicolor one made from recycled Indian saris (not up on their website yet, but available soon).

I got a chance to check out the Green Sheep Shop’s goods in person at the Go Green Expo in January, and all the yarns are absolutely sumptuous — something that’s a bit hard to feel through the website, but the vivid colors and clear photos make the online shopping experience a breeze nonetheless.

To celebrate the opening, the Green Sheep Shop is offering 10 percent off all orders through March 15 (use coupon code GSS10 at checkout). Sharpen those knitting needles!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Want to learn how to knit? Check out the free tutorial videos on KnittingHelp.com.

Related posts:
How to prepare for global warming
Green Halloween: Super scary DIY costume

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I know, I know: It appears we’ve reached a market saturation point with the eco-friendly tote bags. My own hall closet is bursting with them — cotton canvas, mesh, polypropylene, recycled PET — so many that I could probably pack up my whole apartment in them instead of boxes the next time we move.

Here’s the thing, though, about most of the reusable bags I’ve accumulated over the years: They’re fine for tossing in the car or for doing a quick marketing on my morning walk when I’m in my sweats and looking grungy, but they don’t look so cute when I’m out and about on the weekends, shopping with friends at the farmers market or the swap meet. I hate to sound vain, but I like to make green look at least a little bit glam. How can I convince other people to think reusable bags are cool if I’m schlepping a wrinkled and stained Trader Joe’s number?

Enter these adorable jute shopping bags from June Fifteen. I picture a très chic Parisian woman carrying one of these, which is exactly who I’m going to pretend to be when I stuff mine with bread, cheese, and flowers at the Hollywood Farmers Market this weekend.

What’s great about the bags is that they’re flat-bottomed, so it’s super easy to keep your purchases neatly organized. A couple styles come with built-in wine holders, too. What a perfect way to pack up a romantic picnic lunch for you and your sweetie! (I know Valentine’s Day was last weekend, but it never hurts to keep trying.)

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Don’t forget to wash the reusable bags you already own — they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Toss your cotton totes in the wash (just don’t dry them on high, unless you want a mini tote), and soak your plastic-based ones in a bath of soapy water and a quarter cup of white vinegar. June Fifteen’s jute totes have a waterproof lining; use a damp cloth to wipe out the inside.

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Photo via Flickr: h3nro

Of the five wacky going-green tips I offered up on HuffPost last week, none has evoked as much of an “ick” response as #2: Stop using shampoo.

As it turns out, the friend who originally offered up that tip wrote me to say that she has since abandoned her efforts. Evidently, it’s a three-month adjustment period, and she just couldn’t stand looking like a greasy rat anymore. Her compromise, since she didn’t want to have to start buying plastic bottles of shampoo again? The shampoo bar.

I’m intrigued. The thing that’s always bothered me about “eco-friendly” shampoos is that although the formulations themselves are kinder to our bodies and our waterways, there’s no getting around that plastic bottle. Even if the bottle is made from recycled materials and is itself recyclable, there’s still an energy cost associated with both of those processes, and the fact remains that a whopping 73 percent of HDPE bottles are not recycled. (HDPE, also known as #2 plastic, is what’s most commonly used for shampoo bottles.)

It’s one of the reasons I use bar soap instead of body wash, which I think is just plain wasteful (my husband, who adores the scrubbing action of the body wash/mesh puff combo, strongly disagrees). So why not shampoo in bar form? I’m excited to test it out. Here are a few that look tempting:

Burts Bees Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
I’m big a fan of the Burts Bees bottled shampoos, which consistently have super low scores on the EWG’s Cosmetics Database (a low score is what you want; it means the ingredients pose little to no hazard to your health). Did I mention they smell fabulous, too? Rosemary mint sounds like the perfect scalp tingler to wake me up on those ultra-groggy mornings.

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Lush Hard Water Shampoo Bar
Evidently Lush, that chain of handmade soap stores I’ve seen in malls everywhere yet have always been intrigued as to how they stay in business (I’ll admit, I’ve never been in one), has been making solid shampoo since the beginning. There’s an unbelievable variety of shampoo bars on their website, but I really want to try out this version, since my hair has never been the same since moving to hard water Los Angeles.

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J.R. Liggetts Old-Fashioned Bar Shampoo
Designed for chemically and allergy sensitive people, these 100 percent vegetable oil formulation shampoos don’t strip the natural oils from your hair, so supposedly there’s no need for conditioner. And what can I say? I’m a sucker for anything that says “old-fashioned.” Each bar offers the same amount of washes as a 24 oz. bottle of shampoo.

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Stay tuned to hear how my foray into bar shampoo turns out. And if you already have a bar shampoo you use and love, please post about it in the comments below!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: You may not be ready to give up your Pantene Sleek and Shine, but consider switching from bottles of body wash to bar soap. It’s pretty painless, and you’ll help reduce the more than 2 billion tons of HDPE bottles sent to the landfills each year.

Related posts:
Avoiding bottled water at the airport
Product review: Skin Free

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No, I’m not about to write about how to enjoy organic homemade treats on Halloween. This has been my favorite holiday since I was old enough to click together the hand-glittered ruby slippers of my homemade Dorothy costume, and you have my full permission to stuff yourself to the gills with Good & Plentys, candy corn, and mini Mr. Goodbars. Even environmentalists have to take a break once in a while.

If you’d like to green your Halloween just a bit, however, why not save a bunch of rubber masks from a landfill fate and make your own costume? And I don’t mean wearing your leggings with three pairs of scrunched-down socks and saying you’re an aerobics instructor from the ’80s, though feel free to steal that idea if it’s calling to you. I’m talking about a totally terrifying, crypt-robbing, little kid–sobbing, completely fabulous disguise.

[Watch video on YouTube]

Check out the ThreadBanger website for more incredible DIY projects. Happy Halloween!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Sewing is making a big comeback in this tough economy. What’s good for your wallet is good for the environment, too, since knowing how to mend and alter the clothing you already have helps reduce consumption. Click here for how to find sewing classes in your area.

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Looks like heroin chic has been trumped by green geek: Sustainable style powerhouse Greenloop and other eco trendsetters are hosting Project Green Search, the first green modeling competition, with finals to be held during Portland Fashion Week (Oct. 7-11).

The winner will receive a contract with Option Model Management (as well as NYC/LA representation), publicity in print and online magazines, and a bevy of green goodies — including a makeover, an eco-friendly wardrobe, and a natural beauty shopping spree at Future Natural.

There is no age limit for the contest, though you have to be at least 17 to participate. Entries close Sept. 16, so hustle up and practice that conscientious catwalk strut!

Click here to register.

–Jennifer Grayson

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Eco-friendly fashion is very much à la mode for this fall, from established high-end labels like Yves Saint Laurent recently unveiling its “New Vintage” collection that recycles fabrics from past YSL designs, to online clotheshorse destination Shopbop.com featuring an entire “Earth Friendly” category on its site.

And while sustainable manufacturing processes and fabrics are something I’d certainly like to see more of (conventionally grown cotton uses 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticides), my green fashion philosophy stems more toward buying well-crafted items that you can love, wear, and repair for years to come. A beautiful classic handbag that you can hand down to your daughter is a far more sustainable investment than a dozen trendy organic cotton tops that may never make it past this season.

So imagine my thrill when I  stumbled across this fun featurette in the September issue of Glamour:

Added bonus: You’ll have an easier time sticking to that recession budget. And don’t feel bad about “shopping your closet,” as fashion magazine editors like to say; green- and budget-conscious fashionistas have been wearing recycled clothes for years (we just call them “vintage”). 

–Jennifer Grayson

Related posts:
The Red, White, and Green: The careful consumer
The Huffington Post: Why Quality Matters, Even in Tough Times

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If nicotine and hormones can be delivered into your bloodstream via transdermal patch, it stands to reason that whatever you slap on your skin — lotion, deodorant, makeup — also makes its way into your system. Recent studies have shown this; last year, research published in the medical journal Pediatrics found that infants and toddlers exposed to baby lotions, shampoos, and powders carried high levels of phthalates in their bodies, industrial plasticizers that are hormonal disruptors and have been linked to developmental malformations in the male reproductive system.

It’s this concern that regularly sends me to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database, where you can search more than 41,000 personal care products for toxic chemicals and other health hazards. It was here that my mom first stumbled upon the Skin Free natural skin care line.

It’s not easy to find products in the EWG’s database that have an outstanding safety rating without sacrificing performance. Lord knows I’ve gone through months of horrid hair on my never-ending quest to find all-natural shampoo/conditioner that could even come close to replicating my beloved (but phthalate-laden) Pantene. But Skin Free’s products, the majority of which rank an absurdly low 0 out of 10 on the hazard scale (for comparison, consider that even products from Burt’s Bees are rated a 4), are not only an adequate substitute for conventional products — they’re even better. 

The Skin Free line is, like its name suggests, free from almost everything you wouldn’t want to put in your body — harmful chemicals, perfumes, petroleum products, and colorants — and is particularly great for people with extremely dry skin as well as fragrance or skin allergies. (And don’t forget babies!)

My mom, who looks a good 10 years younger than her driver’s license would belie, swears by the Whipped Tamanu Body Butter for keeping wrinkles at bay, and slathers it from head to toe. Made from organic extra virgin olive oil, shea butter, and tamanu oil, which has been used for centuries by the Polynesians to heal everything from sunburns to major skin infections, the body butter is wonderful used as a daily moisturizer or to help heal eczema and sun-damaged skin.

I’m partial to the Super Moisture Body Balm, which has been responsible for the transformation of my scaly chicken legs into red carpet-worthy gleaming gams. I’ve never come across anything with the same luxurious texture; like a super creamy body oil, it melts right into your skin yet somehow lasts all day.

Another fave, the Naiouli Butter Stick, has been a godsend for my severely dry knuckles, which have become rather unsightly since moving to arrid Southern California. It comes in a handy Push Pop-esque container, and is small enough to throw in my purse or take with me on a plane for serious protection against single-digit humidity levels in the cabin.

For more wonderful products visit the Skin Free website, since I’ve only just scratched the surface here (but not my skin; thanks, Skin Free!).

–Jennifer Grayson

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Last week, Washington, DC, joined the ranks of cities across the US that have proposed a ban or tax on single-use shopping bags, with the DC Council voting unanimously to assess a 5-cent tax on paper and plastic bags. The proposition, which would allow businesses to keep a penny for each bag sold and designate the other four cents to a fund to clean up the Anacostia River, is up for a vote later this month. So far, San Francisco is the only major city in the US to successfully ban plastic bags in grocery stores, though similar measures are being considered in Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, and — thanks to Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Jim Moran (D-VA) — the US House of Representatives. 

With plastic (and paper) bag ban initiatives gaining momentum across the country and this morning the call from a top UN official for a worldwide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, it seems like the perfect time to get a head start in the reusable tote department. After all, one of the best ways to stop a bad habit is to substitute a new, improved one.

Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a collection of reusable bags constructed from a rainbow of eco-friendly materials — canvas, expandable cotton mesh, woven polypropylene made from recycled soda bottles, even one fashioned from recycled rice bags. But my favorite one to date is from Los Angeles-based start-up The Inconvenient Bag.

The bags cost a bit more than your run-of-the-mill Trader Joe’s canvas tote — prices start at $17.99 if you order from the website — but if you’re lucky enough to catch owner Marc Sahara at an LA-area farmers market or festival (where I first came across his bags), you can snag one for about half that price. I own the cute natural-colored number shown here, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked where I bought it — most recently by the checkout lady at Target as I stuffed it to the gills with my purchases, for my two-mile walk home (did I mention how sturdy this tote is?).

And, unlike my Trader Joe’s canvas sacks, which are made in China, The Inconvenient Bag manufactures its bags in the LA area, so you’ll be helping the environment and the local economy at the same time.

–Jennifer Grayson

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The June issue of Vogue, featuring "Queen of Green" Cameron Diaz and a shroud of plastic shrink-wrap

Dear Vogue,

If you really care about the two buzzwords Ms. Wintour highlights in this month’s Letter from the Editor — conscious and conscience — then something has to be done about the plastic shrink wrap packaging that my Vogue subscription now arrives in. I applaud your efforts to bring environmental awareness to the fashion community, but splashing “GREEN” on your cover in big green letters and featuring Stella McCartney organic cotton bikinis do not an eco issue make. With a subscription base of nearly 800,000, I find it incredible that Vogue would willingly send over three-quarters of a million plastic sleeves to the landfill each month — over 9.5 million each year — all for the sake of a couple of advertising inserts. (Or maybe you would; economic times are tough. But surely those advertising dollars could be secured by placing those ads inside the magazine — or maybe even by attracting green advertisers!)

Other fashion magazines — especially ones that feature green issues — have recently recognized this hypocrisy and abandoned the shrink wrap for the tried-and-true delivery method: a mailing label affixed to the bottom of the cover. Vogue should, too.

Sincerely,

The Red, White, and Green

–Jennifer Grayson

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Drew Barrymore on the May 2009 cover of Elle's "Blue Issue," photographed by Alexei Hay

The new “blue” issue of Elle arrived in my mailbox yesterday, thankfully minus the unnecessary shrink wrap that seems to accompany so many subscription mailings these days. So, is blue the new green? Elle chose to take this twist on its annual green issue, says Editor-In-Chief Roberta Meyers in her editor’s letter this month, “because all environmental problems eventually flow back to water — the one element so integral to everybody and everything on this planet — which is wasted and polluted so profligately.”

Blue, green, whatever you want to call it; that nearly every magazine, fashion and otherwise, has published an environmentally focused issue this year shows that eco hasn’t just hit the mainstream — it is the hot topic.

–Jennifer Grayson

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