Under my Brella
Date: November 14, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure
Getting drenched is definitely not fabulous, but having an eco-friendly umbrella handy is.
Most rain devices were conceived to protect you from the rain but little thought was given to protecting the environment. Thankfully, there was a competition a while back that encouraged people to come out from under their PVC umbrellas and invent a better system. The Brelli was the “clear” winner. A more compact and less expensive take on the idea is the Totes Eco ‘brella, made almost entirely of recycled and biodegradable materials (not mixed). The canopy is made of 100 percent recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles; while the frame is made of 70 percent recycled aluminum. The umbrella, which costs $30, sports a bamboo handle and a waxed hemp strap, and features a handy auto-open button. Best of all, it folds up small and will fit in a purse, backpack or even a coat pocket.
And, so that you don’t drown in a sea of black umbrellas, the Eco ’brella comes in four colors and features the universal recycling symbol as a reminder of your dedication to the environment.
Nike Kicks Waste to the Curb
Date: November 7, 2008 | Category: Clothing, Featured, Shoes, Travel & Leisure, ecoMan
If you partake in healthy leisure activities like walking, jogging or hiking, chances are you have at least one pair of worn out kicks lying around the house. Peek under the bed, dig into the back of the closet and prepare for a sneaker reincarnation, thanks to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program.
When your sports shoes have lost their steam, bring them to a Reuse-A-Shoe drop-off location. With about 300 locations around the world, finding one near you shouldn’t be difficult. Each individual can donate up to 10 pairs of shoes at a time - and they don’t have to be Nike’s - so ask your friends and family to hand over their old sneaks and donate them all at once. Or, if you are feeling inspired, start a group shoe drive at your school or office. (more…)
Light of My Life
Date: November 4, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Tech, Travel & Leisure, ecoMan
Whether you love to camp, or just don’t get around to taking out the recycling until well past sundown, having a reliable flashlight on hand is key. Having one that isn’t a battery hog is just plain smart.
The BoGo flashlight is one-of-a-kind, featuring a solar panel which will juice up rechargeable batteries just by letting the flashlight get some exposure to the sun during the day, and super-bright LED bulbs light up the darkest night. The Bogo charges in 8 hours, and provides 4-5 hours of illumination. It also features a night glow strip, which will help you find your torch when you hear rustling outside in the middle of the night.
Plus, when you buy a BoGo flashlight, the company will donate one to someone in need, allowing you to light up your own life and someone else’s for just $39.
Fair Play
Date: November 4, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Toys, Travel & Leisure, ecoMan
The concept of playing fair has just gone far beyond the court. With the Respect basketball you can smoke the competition and look out for the welfare of workers and the world we all live in.
With an eco-certified rubber exterior and interior, this basketball from Fair Trade Sports is the only enviro-ball capable of increasing your street cred. The all-weather, high-grip surface, which retails for $19.99, allows for year-round fair play. Check out the full line of equipment on their site that at times feels like a mystery game. With a small amount of effort you will dribble away with the prize.
A Festival of Green
Date: October 31, 2008 | Category: Events, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure
If you live in or around San Francisco, then you’ve likely been to the Green Festival, a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America.
But the demand for fun, informative festivals has grown and so has the reach of the Green Festival. There will be one at the Washington, DC Convention Center Nov. 8 and 9 and at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center Nov. 14-16. The nation’s longest-running green lifestyle event, features everything from lectures and workshops to yoga classes, music and over 400 exhibits. It is also a great time to buckle down and get some earth-friendly holiday shopping done before the crush at the mall begins.
Both events will feature delicious treats from Fair Trade, organic, and natural food and beverage vendors and lots of samples and giveaways of eco items. The green festivities will also reach Seattle, Denver and Chicago this year. For more information on those events, click here.
As Easy as X,Y,Z….
Date: October 8, 2008 | Category: Events, Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure
Anyone involved in the environmental movement knows it’s important to maintain a united front. Last week the ladies of ecofabulous teamed up with 7X7 Magazine and XYZ in San Francisco’s SOMA district to unleash a double threat debut: our new ecofabulous website and XYZ’s fresh fall ecolicious menu.
As ardent advocates of natural, toxin-free (depends if you consider organic alcohol a toxin) lifestyles, we’re always on the hunt for great new spots to dine out without having to sacrifice our ethics or the planet.
With an eco-chic cocktail hour Monday through Friday from 5:30-7:30, the new menu makes for a perfect after-work stop and alternative to the ubiquitous pizza slice. Sip on organic beers, biodynamic wines, or choose from a long list of glam cocktails, then move downstairs to the W Cafe for a taste of something local, sustainable and seasonal.
Whoever thinks that environmentalists are uptight, unapproachable or downright dowdy obviously wasn’t at the W with us. Eco-party on!
An Encore for Equipment
Date: October 8, 2008 | Category: Kids, Stores & Resources, Toys, Travel & Leisure
Most kids need lots of sports equipment but unfortunately they quickly either outgrow the gear or lose interest in activities quicker than most of us can run a lap. If your hall closet is anything like most Americans, there is a pile of gently used rackets, clubs, bats and mitts in your closet or garage that are in perfectly good condition.
Since most discarded sporting goods will wind up in a landfill if they are thrown away, a better solution is to get them into the hands of children who will rack hours of play time to your family’s otherwise useless stuff.
In the spirit of reusing and recycling, here are two eco-friendly options: Play It Again Sports, is a company that buys and sells gently used sports and fitness equipment for adults and children. You can send in your child’s unneeded lacrosse stick and get a hockey stick. Or replace your too tight ice skates with some that actually fit.
Alternatively, if you are feeling philanthropic, you can donate your items to SportsGift.org, an organization that will redistribute your child’s used equipment to needy kids around the world who otherwise would not be able to afford the equipment they need to play sports.
Either of these options seem like a win-win, both for your hall closet and for the environment.
Born in the BambUSA
Date: October 7, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure
If Guitar Hero just isn’t doing the trick anymore but your bad eco-self isn’t thrilled about the prospect of plunking down your hard-earned green for a less-than-green guitar, this post may be music to your ears.
First Act’s new Bambusa guitar is the first bamboo guitar on the market and it is undeniably cool. The body and neck are constructed entirely of bamboo, one of the fastest growing plants in the world, and an uncommonly renewable resource.
And while rock star-style guitar smashing isn’t recommended, we feel compelled to note that in its processed state, bamboo is harder than maple and creates a sound similar to high quality tonewoods. The guitar, which retails for about $400, is also constructed using a water-based natural matte finish, and food safe glue - don’t get any ideas!
So maybe it is time that eco replace evo as a musical genre?
Go Green in a Snap
Date: October 3, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Tech, Travel & Leisure
Digital cameras have not only made it easier to dispose of the evidence of bad hair days (and those bathing suit shots taken at unfortunate angles), but by creating the ability to capture memories without wasting paper and resources, digital shots have taken photography to a greener plane.
In case you missed it, now Nikon has taken the concept of eco-friendly photography a step further with the special-edition release of its 9-megapixel Coolpix S52 ultracompact camera. A couple of us at ecofabulous have this sleek coolpix and love it. Sold exclusively at Ritz Camera, the “Eco-Green” S52 has all of the features of the camera - 9-megapixel resolution and lead- and arsenic-free opital glass – but it also has a cool green finish, and a cooler environmental contribution.
With the purchase of each camera, Ritz will buy a 1.91-ton carbon offset from Carbonfund.org. Carbon offsets are activities, such as reforestation, that reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated amount, in order to counterbalance the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through fossil fuel use. Carbonfund.org estimates that 1.91 tons are equal to the average American’s monthly carbon “footprint,” the amount of carbon dioxide generated through energy consumption.
So snap away, bad hair days be damned!
A Buzz of Eco-Activity
Date: September 30, 2008 | Category: Featured, Lifestyle, Tech, Travel & Leisure
If you have ever made a New Year’s resolution, you have probably broken one at some point. It isn’t that we are weak people; it’s just hard to make changes in life without support. If one of your current resolutions is to lead a more aware, more eco-conscious life, we may just be throwing you a lifeline right now.
Edenbee is an online community of people who believe a little innovation can make a big difference to combat climate change. Think of it as social network for green people (except that you don’t actually have to socialize.) (more…)
