Here’s something a little different: a beautiful time-lapse video of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). I’ve not yet had the privilege to see these in person, but this short video by Terje Sorgjerd brings us all closer. There is wonder and inspiration in the natural world, and that’s a reason we should strive for sustainable solutions to preserve it for future generations.
The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.
(Via Fstoppers.com)
A coalition of 30+ companies and environmental organizations has come together to create an industry-wide sustainability assessment tool for the apparel and footwear industries. The sustainability assessment tool will assessment resource use in the supply chain, such as water and energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, labor practices, etc.
Importantly, the coalition members will work together, sharing information to improve sustainability.
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition started when Patagonia and Wal-Mart teamed up to create a sustainability assessment tool for Wal-Mart’s supply chain. Patagonia and Wal-Mart may be strange bedfellows. However, Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia, is pragmatic and moving Wal-Mart on sustainability would have wide-ranging impacts.
(One favorite anecdote I recall is when Ford Motor Company asked to license the Patagonia name to brand its Ford Explorer. Rather than turn them down, Chouinard said yes– if Ford would become a member of 1% for the Planet.)
Patagonia, Adidas, Walmart Team Up on Sustainable Apparel Coalition | Fast Company.
Check out the latest (April) issue of Whole Living Magazine to read about Starre Vartan, Founder and Editor of Eco-Chick. She’s featured in a new section called “My Stylosophy”.
Also, check out the Eco-Chick blog to get some behind-the-scenes pics from the photo shoot. (What fun to go through racks of eco-friendly clothing!)
(Image source: http://eco-chick.com/2011/03/7471/starre-vartan-founder-and-editor-of-eco-chick-featured-in-whole-living-magazine/)
Starre Vartan, Founder and Editor of Eco-Chick, Featured in Whole Living Magazine! · Eco-Chick.
he first in a new feature in Whole Living Magazine called “My Stylosophy” in April. The magazine is on
newsstands now!
PepsiCo, Inc., introduced a new plastic bottle derived from plants. Instead of using petroleum, the PET plastic is made from such plant materials as switch grass, pine bark, and corn husks. Other plant scraps from the food industry, such as orange peels and potato scraps are anticipated to-be used in the future.
Unfortunately, the plant-based PET plastic is not biodegradable, though it is recyclable.
Pepsi bottles: no more plastic – CSMonitor.com.
Autumn officially began last night, so we hope you’ve been able to squeeze in a few more days of summer fun. Soon the temperatures will start to drop, but as long as the weather cooperates, why not enjoy a little more fun in the sun? That will be all too easy with the wonderful gift Green Cotton was given by Ethix Ventures: an eco-friendly frisbee! Before this cool company reached out to us, I had no idea such a thing even existed. But it’s not too good to be true; these frisbees, sure to be adored by kids, adults and pups alike, are made from recycled plastic and are – bonus! – biodegradable. Even better, they’re Union-made in the USA, in a factory that has been recycling for over 40 years. If that’s not enough, these flyers are customizable with the colors and phrasing of your choice.
We want to thank Ethix Ventures for their generous gift! We’ve enjoyed it over the last few weeks and are happy to have learned about such a green-minded business.
As we finish up summer and fall into autumn, we will be reporting on Fashion Week shows and trends. The Greenshows in NYC wrapped up, and there was also a much-hyped all-eco show in London. Be sure to check the Jute & Jackfruit blog for our future fashion coverage. Green Cotton will still be the place to check for green industry news and for guides on fabrics, textiles, fair trade practices and more. We’ve enjoyed covering the ever-evolving eco-fashion industry here at Green Cotton and will continue to enjoy blogging at Jute & Jackfruit! Stay tuned.
Food, fashion and fun were all on the agenda at last week’s Boston GreenFest, held from August 19-21. Featuring eco-minded exhibitors from all over New England, the family-friendly event took over Boston’s City Hall Plaza. Organic food vendors, green design companies, and plenty of local businesses were on hand to both showcase their wares and generate eco-awareness.
The event kicked off on Thursday morning with a green business breakfast and green jobs forum (featuring former Governor Michael Dukakis). Other highlights included 50/50 raffle (wherein the winner received half the winnings while the other half went to the Foundation for a Green Future, Inc.) and continuous performances held on the City Hall Plaza’s main stage. The concerts, dance performances, stunt work, fashion shows, yoga and workout bootcamp dominated the stage all weekend long. Thursday also featured the One Gallon Challenge, a “race” to see how far the latest fuel-efficient, eco-friendly cars could travel with one gallon of gas… from 110 miles away in Northampton, MA.
Friday’s highlights included the Eco-Runway, featuring Nancy’s Gone Green! Eco Boutique of Framingham, MA. Festival goers could also enjoy another night of performances and shop in the Eco Bazaar. They could also sample organic “world cuisine” in the Eco Cafe, including North Indian dishes from Mela Restaurant, Korean cuisine from Choi Food, Mexican treats from Cha-Cha-Cha, and coffee from Dean’s Bean, a fair-trade, organic company and a Green Cotton favorite! Saturday saw still more exhibitors, concerts and another staging of the Eco-Runway.
New Englanders are fortunate to be able to enjoy large green festivals like this, and the Boston GreenFest is sandwiched between two other major eco-conscious events: April’s Down2Earth and October’s Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. Plenty of healthy, organic food, along with fashion designers and green companies, will descend on VegFest next month, so if you missed GreenFest, be sure to check it out!
Green Cotton was happy to receive a gift from a local eco-friendly vendor that will be reviewed (and raved over!) here on this blog… stay tuned later this week to find out what it is!
Images from: http://www.bostongreenfest.org/index1.html
http://www.bostongreenfest.org/onegalchal.html
http://www.bostongreenfest.org/fashiontent.html
Welcome!
Green Cotton is returning after a summer-long hiatus. We have missed reporting on the eco-apparel industry and sharing our ideas and insights with you. We hope you will welcome us back to the blogging world and check back regularly for all-new content. As always, we will be reporting on the latest initiatives when it comes to all things green, taking a particular interest in eco-friendly, organic and sustainable fabrics and products. Over the next few weeks, we will also take a look back at some of our past posts (we’ve covered everything from cotton, tencel, bamboo, hemp, soy and jute to Fashion Week runway reports) as we look ahead to the exciting future of eco-fashion.
As you well may know, the world of eco-fashion has come a long way since Green Cotton started up three years ago. Now, eco-items are becoming much more commonplace. The phrase “green fashion” is no longer used as an oxymoron. Big box stores carry “organic” clothing lines (or so they say; we’ve expressed our doubts over this occurrence before, on account of the actual cost of authentic, certified organic fabrics– see our examination of Loomstate for Target). More and more independent designers are opting to use organic or recycled fabrics (Kelly Lane, whose on-trend pieces sell at Jute & Jackfruit, is one favorite example). Mainstream fashion magazines are featuring more “eco” items (see People Style Watch’s monthly “Easy Eco” column). And you no longer have to search far and wide for the perfect pair of eco-friendly and/or organic, recycled, vegan and, yes, trendy pair of shoes– one glimpse of eco-chic brands Mohop and NeuAura, and you will never again think that “green” footwear equals “crunchy,” “hippie” or “Woodstock” (unless, you know, that’s what you’re going for).
Here at Green Cotton, we’re thrilled to note all of the major advances in this growing industry and any positive changes taking place in mainstream fashion. As we transition from summer to fall, expect to see some major fashion coverage (especially with Fashion Week coming up!). As we’ve done in the past, we will be reporting on emerging trends with an “eco eye,” presenting you with earth-conscious alternatives to what you see on the runway and on clothing racks. We love to showcase green products and companies that are doing wonderful work, giving back to the planet and its people.
That said, Green Cotton plans to attend this weekend’s GreenFest in Boston. We hope to see you there!
Check back soon for new articles. We’ll be “greening” over some big fall trends and also highlighting a different fabric each week, discussing what makes it eco (or not). You can also keep up with the goings on at Jute & Jackfruit at the JJF Blog and follow us on Twitter!
Thanks for stopping by!
Image from http://www.organic-cotton.us/organic-cotton1.jpg
