A Life Guided by Eco-Principles

With our global emphasis on green and sustainable living, many people are actively doing their part to engage in “green acts”. Whether its recycling, toting reusable grocery bags, there are a number of ways to engage yourself in balanced living

Socially Conscious Fashion Goes Mainstream

New York fashionistas are celebrating the arrival of The Andean Collection (The AC)- a fair trade jewelry collection that brings chic, socially conscious fashion to the mainstream.

The newest player in eco fashion, The AC is a fair trade jewelry company that makes its handcrafted product line with eco-friendly materials from the rainforests of South America and ensures a living wage for its artisans.

Designer Amanda Judge founded The AC in September 2008 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The jewelry is sold in high-end boutiques and is available online and in 30 retail outlets in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York.

Bright, colorful and fashion forward, its designers say the jewelry is making great strides to bring eco-friendly, fair trade jewelry into the mainstream through “smart design”. The collection introduces materials rarely seen in the U.S. jewelry market, but used for centuries in traditional Andean jewelry making. These include aÃ

10 Tips for Greening Your Workout

Who doesnt like a great workout to get your adrenaline going and have a burst of energy? But is that burst of energy slowly draining the environment? Eco-expert Kim Carlson is encouraging workout enthusiasts (and those less enthusiastic) to green their routine. Before hitting the gym, check out Kim’s top 10 tips to consider when greening your workout.

From Vending Machine to Closet

T-shirts made from soda bottles? Hoodies woven using leftover cotton scraps? New sustainable fashion brand Playback is leading the fashion pack with innovative ideas that are great for their customers and the planet.

A Vow to be Green

A green wedding can be with as much or as little eco-friendliness as one can muster. For some it means saving resources by having the wedding and reception in the same place so that guests arent driving between venues creating smog and using fuel. Kim Carlson investigates…

Swapping is the New Shopping

Posh-swaps.com is a new site for swapping, buying and selling second hand clothes. It’s also completely free to register, buy or sell.

Clothes swapping has become hugely popular since swishing parties caught on in the United States. Clothes swapping offers a sustainable and eco friendly way for people to refresh their wardrobes and update their style, without stepping foot in a department store.

It helps to combat the growing problem of textile waste in landfill which has heightened thanks to the latest trend for fast fashions. Second hand clothes also help to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacture and distribution of new clothing.

Eco fashion is a growing trend amongst consumers who are becoming more aware of the impact consumer choices have on the environment. Pesticides in cultivation of cotton has been particularly well publicized, with initiatives such as Estethica at London Fashion Week has further increased the public interest in sustainable style.

“We want Posh Swaps to be a free resource where anyone can buy, sell or swap second hand vintage and restyled clothes,” says Ceri Heathcote Director of Heathcote Communication.

“We hope to help create an environmentally and economically sustainable way for people to refresh and update their wardrobes. Swishing parties have become huge and this is just the next step in making the swapping a simple process, with plenty of choice that individuals have complete control over.”

The Posh Swaps blog will help people develop their own individual style instead of following trends as well as fashion on a budget and eco fashion, she added.

How Green is Your Garden?

While many garden furniture brands claim to be “eco-friendly,” “green,” or “sustainably harvested”, unfortunately, few of these products have been rigorously audited to verify such claims. To help consumers make informed choices when purchasing garden furniture, the National Wildlife Federation has released its third annual Garden Furniture Scorecard. The guide catalogs retailers selling Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified garden furniture-the most rigorous system for distinguishing wood products in the market.