Green Cotton

DC Green Festivals came and went, and I must say that it held true to its reputation this year—of being a remarkably exciting and fun-filled weekend. With nearly 30,000 people in attendance the 2-day event was jam pac’d with organic and sustainable vendors, speakers, exhibits, food and more.

On the eco-fashion scene, I was duly impressed by the number of exhibitors at the event. Both new and old designers, I found the quality and range of products to be a significantly greater than last year—a positive indication that demand for organic clothing is one the rise (which is in line with Organic Exchange data as well).

A pleasant surprise for me over the weekend however, was how well Green Festivals managed their event recycling.

For any of you who have been to a large conference, you know how much waste is generated on an hourly basis. It can be rather disturbing. How does one get rid of all of it? Being the Green Fest, one can only imagine the pressure on the organizing committee to do an immaculate job at recycling. And guess what? They came through.

I have been to other supposedly “green” events and the recycling program was a disaster (not hard to do). So what did they do?

First, in several strategic areas of the conference hall they placed 4 clearly labeled bins with the following:
•    Compost (for food and biodegradable waste)
•    Paper products
•    Plastics & Glass
•    Landfill (items not recyclable)

Not only was each bin was labeled properly, but there were two workers standing nearby to answer any questions in each area!!  In addition, they had a water station for free water fill up (no need to buy a water bottle!). In fact I did not see any water bottles while there—I am sure there were some, but I did not see any.

Have you ever been to an event when recycling is SUPPOSEDLY in place, BUT the containers are not labeled and there is no one sanding nearby to guide what goes where—so what results is everyone throwing trash wherever they want…ending in total chaos? Well, I am sure a lot of us have, so it is really refreshing when someone finally gets it right—especially when it is for a really large crowd.

Recycling at events like these I believe is so important not only because the volume of waste generated is SO great (and DC Convention Center for example hosts large events every week), but also because it sets a precedent. By modeling behavior in this way, it encourages those of us who might not always recycle to think twice about it. The next time we go to an unlabeled bin we might even ask whoever is standing near: what goes where?

Three cheers for Green Fest (Coop America and Global Exchange) for putting on another extraordinary event.

Green Festivals hosted 5 times a year by Coop America and Global Exchange is one of the biggest eco events in America. Taking place in 5 select cities, the DC Fest will be this Saturday and Sunday at the Convention Center. Tens of thousands are expected to fill the venue, plus hundreds of exhibitors.

If you have never been, I highly recommend attending. It is a HUGE marketplace, community gathering and all around fun time. Featuring new and old companies (including at least 20 in eco-fashion alone), inspirational speakers, musical acts, innovative products, informative exhibits and DELICIOUS food (organic and vegetarian), including tons of samples, you will not be bored.

Last year I attended as my first Green Fest (as an attendee) and had a blast. Staying several more hours than expected, I ended up doing ALL my holiday shopping in one swoop- it was THAT good. Friends and family loved the gifts. What was great too is that I prevented the usual last minute rushes to the mall and other stores by getting it done early - and all gifts were eco-friendly.

TIME:
Saturday November 8th 10am- 7PM
Sunday November 9th 11am – 6pm

PLACE: DC Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC 20001

The Festival provides ample opportunity to mix, mingle and sample. You will undoubtedly walk away with new knowledge, new connections and new ideas. Entry fee is $15 per person for all day, including both days if you want.

DC speakers this year include Barbara Ehrenreich, William McDonough, Lester Brown , Herve Kempf as well as Madeline  Kunin among dozens of others.

We are excited to see what is new and hot in the eco-fashion world on behalf of Green Cotton at this event and will report back next week on the details. Stay tuned!

For more information on the Washington DC Green Festivals, visit www.greenfestivals.org/washington-dc-2008/

For information on purchasing tickets click here. Entry fee is $15 per person for all day, both days if desired.

The SF Green Festivals (Nov 9, 10, 11) promises an amazingly packed weekend with hundreds of green companies gathering for the expo, plus an array of inspiring guest speakers such as Deepak Chopra, Sharif Abdullah and a number of prominent green authors. It should be a remarkable event. I am heading to San Francisco tomorrow and I won’t be writing again until Monday so have a great weekend and stay tuned for some news on the Festival next week. Results from this week’s quiz will also be revealed on Monday– stay tuned!

clipped from www.greenfestivals.org Welcome to the San Francisco Green Festival

If you are a chocolate lover keen on organic blends, the DC Green festivals was the place to be last weekend. While I thought I was a relatively savvy organic chocolate consumer, the Festival proved me wrong with a handful of new brands in the category:

• Alter Ego (http://www.altereco-usa.com/main.php) offers coffee, tea, chocolate, rice, quinoa, sugar, hearts of palm). This company is very cool – with an all around eco-friendly and ethically conscious approach. While I had not seen or sampled their product before the festivals I can honestly say they have a very a very solid range of basic products: from rice, to sugar and coffee and tea, all available at a fair price, organically produced and fair trade certified. They had 4 varietals of chocolate on demo, each of which were produced in different corners of the world: Ghana, Bolivia, and elsewhere in Latin America. I believe they are available in Whole Foods as well, so check them out! (On a side note: Apparently, it is easiest to produce fair trade chocolate in Latin America since the facilities are all set up, and there are several cooperatives with experience in this area, and greater enforcements for quality control, but if anyone knows of other companies that are producing fair trade organic chocolate in Africa, please do share).

• Kallari Rainfamily (Roberto’s Recipe) Amazing new company*. From their business model to their exquisite cocoa complex notes, this company is incredible. Relatively new, yet not sold in Whole Foods or Trader Joes, or any other big retailer for that matter, Kallari Rainfamily is a family-owned cooperative located in the rainforest of Ecuador. The company not only supports the growing the cacao bean, but also transforms it into some of the most delectable chocolate I have ever tasted. If I am not mistaken, I believe the vendor mentioned they have already received requests from Swiss chocolate manufactures to receive some of their chocolate.

• Travel Chocolate. This is an innovative chocolate company, born out of an avid traveler-chocolate lover who has merged the two passions into one interesting product. With different travel destinations on each chocolate bar, the brand is well suited for airports, travel destinations and really anywhere - that transports the interested consumer into a virtual ‘chocolate destination’ with peace of mind that all ingredients are organically derived and ethically produced. Check it out!

As for older, more established companies, Dagoba http://www.dagobachocolate.com/) stood out as well with their panoply of flavors, recipes and aromas. Like many other chocolatiers at the festival, Dagoba is clearly dedicated to the art and science of cacao alchemy: transforming cacao beans into exquisite chocolate types and flavors. Dagoba embraces a philosophy and methodology known as Full Circle Sustainability™: blending equity, quality, ecology and community.

My favorite for the day however was Kallari’s vintage 75% cacao with fruity notes and floral aroma, much like a complex, aged wine. I highly recommend sampling this bar if you have the opportunity. I am not sure where they are sold yet in the US, but will post as soon as I discover!

The eco-fashion front at the Festival was equally as exciting and thriving as the chocolate. Stay tuned for my next post which will review some of the hottest and most interesting vendors in my view as well as point out some areas for improvement, and what’s new on the fabric scene. Stay tuned!

*I believe that this company is actually a non-profit. Stay on the look-out for this brand. While not inexpensive, it is truly delicious, and also makes you feel good that you are helping the local Ecuadorian economy and supporting organic agriculture.

Photo: From Flickr by MonkeyBites