Simple Shoes!

Oh, recycled tires. I marvel at the many attractive things you can become.



These EcoSneaks are made from:
Washed leather and organic cotton canvas uppers
Organic cotton linings
PET laces
PET pedbeds
Yes, that outsole used to be a car tire
Vulcanized rubber sidewall, toecap, and heelcap
100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms

At only $70 bucks, maybe I'll add this to my growing list of purchases to make once the loans have been paid off. Oh, recycled tires! You do pull at my wallet strings so!

Green Clothes Cleaners

So I wondered idly the other day why clothes didn't smell bad when I'd brought them home from the cleaners.



Turns out, Brookwood is an organic cleaner! That's why it's so expensive!

An article from OrganicConsumers.org says that "Regulators say the chief villain is perchloroethylene, the solvent that gives clothes that whiff of synthetic sweetness."

Well, not so on my clothes!

English Retreads

When I pay off all my college loans, I'm going to celebrate by buying myself some trashion from English Retreads.

Yes, California consumerism meets green in this Boulder, CO creation: bags made from old tires.

And maybe they smell like rubber, but they still look cool!

The Environmental Working Group

The Environmental Working Group developed ratings for cosmetics and shampoos (mostly over the counter stuff - not salon stuff). 0-2 products are low hazard, 3-6 products are moderate hazard, and 7-10 products are high hazard.


Aveda products are largely low or moderate hazard, minus a sunscreen or conditioner here or there. That's only slightly less hazardous than the TreSemme giant bottle I'm using, but I guess every little bit of toxicity counts.

Aveda adopted a "Green Ingredient Policy" in 2006, including "soil to bottle" and "cradle to cradle" clauses. Check out more on their website.

Green Face!

Did you know that the average daily makeup wearer absorbs 5 lbs. of cosmetic chemicals into their body each year?


Yikes!


A June article from the Daily Telegraph details the study. "Among chemicals under scrutiny are parabens (para-hydroxybenzoic acids) which are preservatives used in products including soap, shampoo, deodorant and baby lotion. Traces of parabens have been found in breast tumour samples, although its link to the development of the cancer is disputed."

So what do I do with my fresh Wednesday paycheck? I roll on over to Whole Foods, carriers of Dr. Hauschka Cosmetics, and replace my 4 year old stash with something with fewer chemicals. Greenwashing? Maybe, but it's nice to know I'm not using mascara that's a "hothouse for bacteria." I also like the way they separately refer to makeup as "Decorative Cosmetics." That's a much healthier distinction, I think. The colors look better and the cosmetics actually smell good - and I know what things on the ingredient list are! It still weirds me out that I'm putting beeswax on my eyes, but better than cytl-benzoic-laureth-lauryl-sulfatoxin I suppose.

I think Whole Foods is having an October sale on Dr. Hauschka stuff, too.