Green Shopping

Bamboo Clothes- the Future of Green Fashion

Bamboo clothes?  You might imagine spear-like skirts and tops; no one would dare wear the ensemble unless it's a costume party.  When referring to bamboo clothes, it's about the bamboo pulp content in the cloth. The Green in Green Fashion Green fashion is fast making a statement, thanks to an imperiled environment.  But as green is green is, there is a violent reaction to bamboo clothes.  True, the bamboo plant is not difficult to grow.  It is a natural pesticide and does not need too much water.  It can replicate fast and grow up to several feet.  The descriptions sounds good, but wait until you know what goes into processing the bamboo pulp to create bamboo fabric. In truth bamboo is a cheap and safer alternative to expensive textiles and chemically treated fabrics.  But the processing can send shivers down your spine if you know what goes on when treating bamboo pulp to create bamboo fabric.  Manufacturing cost is also high and as a consequence, those passed off as bamboo fabric feel like rayon to the touch.  Rayon is not an entirely synthetic fiber; it is derived from plant cellulose but mixed with chemicals to soften it and color it. Clothes passed off as ...

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Greenwashing: A Practical Guide to Spending Responsibly

Whether you have been living a green lifestyle for years or are a newcomer to living green, you likely know the importance of purchasing green products.  In today’s marketplace, there’s no shortage of consumer products that promise to help the environment and reduce their impact.  However, determining which of these products and companies are really providing a concrete benefit to the environment and which are simply using it as a marketing ploy can be difficult.  Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers to believe that a product is better for the environment than it actually is.  In order to make the best use of your spending power and choose products that are actually making a difference, you will need to learn to identify greenwashing companies and avoid them whenever possible.  Here are some simple things you can do immediately to help you spend responsibly. Read the Fine Print on the Label: Whatever a product’s advertising claims are, the label doesn’t lie.  Look for indicators that the product is made with recycled materials and read the ingredients list, if applicable.  Often, claims will be made that a product doesn’t contain a certain chemical and is therefore better for the environment.  Check labels on ...

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Go Green and Avoid Using Plastic Bags When Shopping

If saving the planet is important to you, then one of the ways that you can go green is to stop using those plastic bags when you go shopping.  Of course, you may be tired of using those plain old bags at the market, which is why designer canvas totes and market bags have become so popular.  Now you are able to look good while you work on saving the environment. More than Going Green These reusable bags are about a lot more than going green these days.  In fact, you simply need to talk to a French woman and you'll find out that these bags aren't just a necessity for saving the environment, but they are now considered fashion accessories as well.  With the green crowd, these market bags and tots are a really hot option.  There are more and more people who are starting to take bags of their own when they go shopping, and most major stores now have their own "green bags" available for sale to customers. Of course, today the crafters out there are getting out there in to the market for market totes and bags.  They are a hot item and many crafters are taking canvas tote ...

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Eco-Home: Organic Decorating Ideas

You can furnish and decorate your house the eco-friendly way easier than you think.  You need not remodel your house to achieve the green effect as inexpensive ways are often just lying around the corner, waiting to be discovered.  Here are a few of these eco-friendly ideas. Choose Recycled and Reused Décor and Furnishings This is probably the easiest idea of all.  You can visit thrift stores, garage sales and online auction sites for secondhand things that are still in good condition as well as ask family and friends for their junk just sitting in the attic and basement.  You can then turn them into vintage things that will serve your needs for many more years to come and, hence, lessen their impact on the landfills. Of course, you have to make sure that these secondhand items are good for your health, too.  Keep in mind that furniture can contain harmful varnishes, finishes and components, which you may have to remove first before making them a permanent part of the house.  In some instances, you can always paint over the harmful finishes with white paint. Did you know that by using recycled and reused home décor, you are also lessening your consumption of the ...

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How to Stop Impulse Buying and Start Helping the Environment

Impulse buying is a major issue for many people.  Seeing something that seems so great and becoming a victim to clever marketing is at the heart of impulse buying.  Impulse buying, though, has a very negative effect on the environment as many of these impulse buys end up laying in landfills because we never really needed or wanted them in the first place.  Not to mention, buying such things only encourage the manufacturer to make more of them, thus producing more environmental damage.  To do your part, you have to get impulse buying under control. Curbing the Impulse One of the only ways to stop yourself from buying something that you do not need is to think through every purchase you make.  Instead of simply tossing items in your shopping cart, think about each item first.  Ask yourself if you really need the item. You also need to consider what you need versus what you want.  Most often we buy things because we want them, not because we need them.  This is just a waste of money and is the true example of an impulse purchase.  You should be buying things that you ...

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