Good As Gold: Alkemie Jewelry Transforms An Industry
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, Sustainable Style | 11 Comments
Baubles, bands, and beads have been crafted, bartered, sold, and stolen for thousands of years. The oldest jewelry ever discovered was a collection of mollusk shell beads from South Africa dating back more than 75,000 years. As it turns out, self-adornment is virtually as old as the human race. The word “jewelry” comes from the Latin word jocale, meaning “plaything.” And though we may think of these trinkets as lighthearted and amorous “playthings,” the negative impact from jewelry production has become surprisingly colossal in more recent years.
Jewelry designers Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson were appalled to discover the disastrous effects of open pit mining, a common method of gold extraction. Open pit mining first razes the virgin forest of an area, then systematically strips the land, layer by layer, in search of suspected gold. The mined earth is broken into small pieces, then treated with cyanide and sulphuric acid to separate gold from rock. Like black magic, this process transforms a pristine natural habitat into a barren wasteland of toxic waste dumps and chemical cesspools.
Once they understood the massive impact their work could potentially have, Dara and Ashley were compelled to change their own relationships with the precious metal and gem industry. They launched Alkemie Jewelry in January of this year, transforming bullet casings collected from shooting ranges into positively enchanting art nouveau pieces. Alkemie is already sold in chic boutiques from Fred Segal to ABC Home, to cutting edge e-tailers like eConscious Market and ShopBop. The couple has recently expanded to include sterling, gold, nickel, and copper in their recycled metal blends, and makes most of their collection to order.
Continue reading Good As Gold: Alkemie Jewelry Transforms An Industry…
Posted on July 28, 2008 |
Skate Or Die
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, Sustainable Style | 3 Comments
Did you see Gleaming The Cube in ‘89 and wish it could have been you instead of Christian Slater? Do you still own all your back issues of Thrasher and Transworld? Do you see those kids tic-tacing past you on the sidewalk and think, “if only I knew how to skate, my morning commute would be so much cooler?” Regardless of why you may be interested in skating, if you don’t have a board and always wanted one, there’s no time like the present. With most vehicles releasing about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas used, it’s time to start getting around in a carbon neutral way. In the words of so many skaters before you…skate or die.
Three major eco skateboard companies are out there sourcing sustainable-managed wood, low-impact glues, soy-based resins and more to produce rad boards that rip with the best of ‘em. eCo Times caught up with all three of them: Dan Gesmer of Seismic Skate Systems, Jason Salfi of Comet Skateboards, and Bob Carlson of Arbor.
SEISMIC SKATE SYSTEMS///COMET SKATEBOARDS///ARBOR SKATEBOARDS
Company Founded: 1993///1998///1995
Location of Headquarters: Boulder, CO///Oakland, CA and Ithaca, NY///Venice, CA
Location of Manufacturing: San Diego, Los Angeles, Boulder, CO, and China///Ithaca, NY///San Diego, CA
Product Lines: Wheels, Trucks, Decks and Completes///Skateboards And T-Shirts///Skateboards, Snowboards, and Apparel
Company practices that need improvement: Integrating more green materials in production ///Sourcing raw materials within a 300 mile radius, green commuting by staff, using 100% renewable energy,eliminating scrap instead of just composting it///Using even more eco-friendly glues
What makes your boards eco?
SEISMIC: All of our decks are manufactured using FSC-certified woods. And we’re committed to staying on the cutting edge as green materials and processes become viable for the production of performance-oriented wheels and trucks.
COMET: 100% soy protein based resin, FSC-certified hardwoods, water based paints and inks. They are biodegradable. If you could chew them you could eat them. We compost the scrap.
ARBOR: 100% of the bamboo and wood used in our skates, including the all maple plys, is sustainably sourced and has been since we started making skates 10 years ago. We also use only water-based sealers during production. Further, all risers are made from recycled plastic. Finally, we reclaim and recycle all the wood and bamboo by-product created during construction for use in other Arbor products or by outside companies.
Continue reading Skate Or Die…
Posted on July 21, 2008 |
About Face: Read Your Labels!
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 4 Comments
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as “articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body…for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.” That definition covers a lot more products than just eye shadow and foundation. It includes everything from lipstick and lotion to deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste and mouthwash. Both women and men regularly use products that are defined as “cosmetics.” The average person uses as many as 25 personal care products everyday, coming into contact with as many as 100 chemicals before breakfast.
Continue reading About Face: Read Your Labels!…
Posted on July 14, 2008 |
Reware Vs. Voltaic: Battle Of The Solar Messenger Bags
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 3 Comments
It’s a real bummer to have your iPod die mid-anthem in the middle of your morning run. Or your cellphone mid-conference call, or your digital camera mid-mountain climb. Unless of course, you’ve purchased a solar powered messenger bag from either Voltaic or Reware. With one of these cutting edge carriers, you can charge your 12 volt handheld electronic devices (sorry-no laptops yet) without a problem. The only question is, are all solar bags created equal? Reware and Voltaic, the two leading solar bag makers, don’t seem to think so. Continue reading Reware Vs. Voltaic: Battle Of The Solar Messenger Bags…
Posted on July 7, 2008 |
Smokin’ Threads: Hemp Makes Fashion Sense
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | Leave a Comment
Due to numerous stigmas surrounding the herb marijuana, hemp fabric has been a tough sell in the fashion market until just recently. Though “industrial hemp” is legal to use in the US, growing it is not. Hemp fabric is generally imported to the US by China, Hungary, Thailand, Romania and Chile. The farming of hemp requires no pesticides or herbicides, requires little water, and actually helps clear soil of toxins by a process called “phytoremediation,” making it far superior to cotton production. As sustainability struts to the forefront of fashion, designers have started taking note of this fiber, once thought of as the type of material found in flour sacks, not Sak’s Fifth Avenue.
During the California Gold Rush of the 1850’s, this extremely durable fabric was used for the very first pair of jeans by Levi Strauss. Even with all the cultivation challenges, hemp still makes its way into plenty of American closets today. Simple, Adidas, and New Balance are using this strong, biodegradable material for their super fly sneaker styles. Eco fashion lines like Habitude and Mountains Of The Moon have sexy, sophisticated dresses and tops of hemp and silk blends. Recent collections by fashion giants Armani and Dolce & Gabbana have featured fiercely taylored hemp suits. Green bag designers Helen E. Riegle and GreenOne utilize this fabric for their handbags and totes, and emerging brands like Hoodlamb are using uber warm hemp-based fake fur in their urban wear.
Continue reading Smokin’ Threads: Hemp Makes Fashion Sense at In The Loop…
Posted on June 30, 2008 |
Great Green Father’s Day Gifts
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, Sustainable Style | Leave a Comment
Father’s Day 2008 is indeed upon us. Yes, again. Why not get your Dad something this year that’s better for the planet than say, another set of golf tees or that three-dimensional trout plaque that your Mom will make him hang in the garage anyway? (Disclaimer: An eco-friendly Father’s Day gift is a simply a suggestion and absolutely not intended to offend any child who’s purchased that trout plaque for Father’s Day in the past or plans to in the near future.) Anywho, here are the top eco gifts for Dad from eConscious Market… Continue reading Great Green Father’s Day Gifts…
Posted on June 10, 2008 |
The Ultimate Eco Laptop Bag
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | Leave a Comment
This chic recycled wool felt laptop bag by Carga is biodegradable, highly durable, and a slammin’ choice for the meetings that matter. These fairly traded bags are designed by Mauro Bianucci and handmade in his native Argentina. They can be found at various shops around the world or online at Refinery 29. Continue reading The Ultimate Eco Laptop Bag…
Posted on June 8, 2008 |
American Apparel Finally Comes Clean(er)
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style | 2 Comments
American Apparel, a company well known for sexual harassment suits, scandalous barely-legal marketing imagery, and de rigeur retro basics, is quietly known among environmentalists for something different…setting the bar for fair wages in manufacturing and incorporating solid steps towards environmental sustainability. Yes, that American Apparel.
Now clearly, a manufacturing behemoth is going to have a tough time calling itself “sustainable,” but American Apparel doesn’t even try. They do. Since 2006, 20% of their electricity for their factory in downtown LA is produced by solar energy, there’s recycled content in their shopping bags, and a majority of their manufacturing scraps get reclaimed for the making of their smaller items, like thongs and such. They launched their 100% organic Sustainable Edition in 2003 and now they’re trying to get the rest of their line in check. American Apparel recently announced its purchase of 30,000 lbs. of Cleaner Cotton to incorporate into their non-organic line. “Cleaner Cotton” also called B.A.S.I.C., uses approximately one-third the amount of pesticides of conventional cotton. The Cleaner Cotton Campaign was started by Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP), which is a farmer-based, non-profit organization that reeducates farmers on how to reduce their toxic chemical usage without genetically-modified seeds, while maintaining profitability. An ongoing partnership with American Apparel is certainly a great way to do just that. Continue reading American Apparel Finally Comes Clean(er)…
Posted on May 12, 2008 |
Threadheads: LA Hipsters And DIY Stencils
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
What do an exacto knife, a can of spraypaint, and Batboy have to do with transforming your most banal garment into your most prized possession? Find out in this episode of Threadheads, when Corinne Leigh and Rob Czar get a lesson in stenciling and explore the dicey world of the LA hipster. Reduce, reuse, recycle, revamp!
Posted on May 7, 2008 |
Conscious Living TV: Spring 2008 Style File
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Sustainable Style, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
Design-savvy diva Bianca Alexander takes you on a tour of eco-fashion for Spring 2008 with Conscious Living TV. They capture both front and backstage footage from LA Fashion Week, interview Green Girls Productions, and give you a thorough tour of the chiccest eco boutique in Los Angeles, Avita Co-op.
Posted on April 25, 2008 |
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eCo Times reports the latest on sustainable lifestyle choices and the new green economy. This online magazine brings you the best in cutting edge green media, organic and Fair Trade product reviews, and insights into viable planetary solutions.
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