Non Toxic Vision

A Green Depot on the Bowery

It has finally opened it's doors in Manhattan, NY: the Green Depot. (located right on the Bowery)

Green Depot - a leading supplier of environmentally friendly and sustainable building products, services, and home solutions. Their goal is to facilitate green living and building in communities so that it is easy, affordable and gratifying. A especially developed "Green Filter" screen every single product. The result is then shown in form of various different icons, such as: Air Quality, Conservation, Local, Energy and Responsibility.

Shop on www.greendepot.com - you'll be amazed how many products you can choose from.

THANK YOU Green Depot for coming to NYC!!

Green BBQ

Summer officially starts tomorrow and with it comes a season of long awaited for BBQs.
I found some great alternatives to bringing your own plates and utensils to the BBQ-place (in case you chose to gather away from home): Products made out of Sugarcane, Corn, Potato and Bamboo - and in case you forget them on the site you do not need to feel bad about it.

Sugarcane:
Plates, bowles and cups made of sugarcane pulp are sturdier than most paper ones. Go to: www.clearcreekcomp.com and www.branchhome.com

Corn:
Made from cornstarch and enzymes, corn-based knives, forks and spoons usually break down within two months in the compost. www.biodegradablestore.com

Potato:
Molded out of potato starch, sleek smooth-handled utensils biodegrade within 180 days. www.worldcentric.org

Bamboo:
Salad servers and trays are handmade from organic bamboo, the fastest growing plant. www.bambuhome.com

New great reclaimed jewelry

The whimsy™ interchangeable bead rings are made entirely of reclaimed sterling silver, 14-karat gold and gemstones. Because mining is one of the dirtiest industries in the world, this is a very thoughtful way of stopping the mining madness (for more information and stats on the incredible environmental devastation wrought by mining, visit www.NoDirtyGold.org)

It is important to note that the sterling silver, 14-karat gold and stones that are used in the production of these rings is not post-industrial waste (used in various manufacturing processes and then sold by large companies) but is actually what is considered “dormant” material. That simply means that the metals/stones have already been mined and are dormant somewhere (think about broken chains or earrings without mates that are sold for scrap). This is an important distinction, because the use of dormant materials does not involve further mining. Also, the use of the glass beads, while a manufactured process, is less invasive than gem mining. So substituting the glass bead for a mined gem is a much more ecologically sound choice.
For more information go to: www.whimseyworldwide.com

My fav skincare product: mod.skin

Now that the weather is slowly changing I would like to remind you on your skin needs. As mentioned in an earlier entry I am very very fond of mod.skin, a skin care company based in Connecticut. I know there are lots of them out there - however they caught my attention. Yes - I know the design is great, but also after using their samples I just loved loved loved them. I swear my skin feels soooo great (FYI: I have been using Dr. Hauschka, which I also love). So here is the skinny:
NO parabens, NO phthalates, NO superfluos packaging, NO synthetic detergents, dyes, or fragrances andalways animal cruelty free.
Check out www.modskinlabs.com - there is also a store locator (I found my product at Whole Foods on 7th Ave in NYC).

more green shopping @ reusablegoods.com

Bimi posted a comment on one of my entries and pointed out there is another great  shopping site online: www.reusablegoods.com. Thank you for suggesting the site. This site is also a great resource site and offers anything one might need. Again Bimi Thank you. I really like it when I receive comments with more suggestions. After all my site is really about spreading the word. If you have suggestions and ideas please let me know I am always willing to learn more about new developments, trends, design, travel ideas etc. I also started a group on Facebook called "NonToxicVision" - so if you are a facebook member it would be great if you could help me spread the word there as well.

Biodegradeable dog poop bag

Dogowners out there: I just found a great new product, which will also eliminate the use of plastic bags:

FlushDoggy, is a fully biodegradable, flushable (water soluble) dog poop bag that is very eco-friendly. Dog poops can be flushed down the toilet and degrade naturally, like your our own. When using the Dog Poop Bag you just scoop up your dog's poop with this new biodegradable bag and flush it down your toilet. This way you contribute keeping the earth cleaner. Be a responsible owner and go green for our pets.

"I flush my dog's poops down the toilet with a flushable dog poop bag. Most eco-friendly way to get rid of poops", says Michael Yang, spokesperson for FlushDoggy.
 
For a FREE SAMPLE go to www.flushdoggy.com

How about some designer water --- for U$ 13.95

"Evian® dresses in Christian Lacroix! Christian Lacroix's Prêt-à-Porter bottle comes decorated with glittering snowy crystals that charmingly symbolize the purity of this natural spring water. The coppiced lace pattern provides the bottle with a classic frosted feel and is reminiscent of the flora that can be found at the French Alps. Distinguished, understated and so very Lacroix, it will add that final touch of chic and elegance to every festive table."
This statement was taken from the Evian website.
Sorry guys....but this is seriously sick. Are there really people out there spending U$ 13.95 for 750ml of water? Shouldn't we be more worried about getting clean water to the population of 3rd world countries? Rather than spending money foolishly on a designer bottle that contains water? And what about the environmental impact the transport has? I am sorry guys whoever came up with this product should be fired. Don't get me wrong: I like design - I don't think there is anything wrong with good and clever designed products. But this is a product one uses once - namely to drink from it and then discard it.

Tuna or no Tuna....

The recent edition of UTNE Reader includes an article called "Fish or Foul" - I recommend this one for all fish lovers out there. Yes, we all know it is the healthy choice - or is it?
According to the article buying fish is not so easy. For example:
Tuna: is a confusing term for many kinds of fish. The larger, longer lived species, among them albacore, bigeye, and yellowfin, tend to be dangerously high in mercury. A single six-ounce can of albacore or white tuna, can exeed the EPA's mercury limit by 30 %. Canned "light"tuna is a better choice. If you can be certain that the bigeye or yellowfin is caught by troller or hook and line, eat it in good conscience. Here is a great website to calculate your mercury intake: www.gotmercury.org

Here is a list of fish that are OK to eat:
Anchovies, Arctic char, Halibut pacific, Herring, Jellyfish, Mackerel, Mullet, Mussels, Oysters, Pollock, Sablefish, Sardines, Trout

Fish you should never ever eat:
Bluefin tuna, Chilenean sea bass, Cod atlantic, Dogfish, Grouper, Halibut atlantic, Monkfish, Orange roughy, Sharks, Skates, Sole atlantic, Tilefish

more plastic bag facts

A few weeks ago I was writing about the Life of a Plastic bag.... In case you are still not convinced here is more data for you:

- Number of plastic bags used by a family of 4 each year: 1,000
- Number of plastic bags thrown away by Americans each year: 100 billion
- Number of plastic bags recycled by Americans each year: 0.6 %
- Number of years it takes a plastic bag to decompose: 1,000

Environmental Impact

- Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food

- Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade - breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food chain, when animals accidentally eat it.

                            BRING YOUR OWN SHOPPING BAG

Preserve products

Founded in 1996 in Massachusetts manufactures Preserve products (one of those is my favorite toothbrush design), everyday household products that offer style and performance at reasonable prices - and are green at the core. Big resellers, such as Target, TraderJoe's, WholeFoods, Wal-Mart are carrying the Preserve Toothbrush. However throughout the country about 7,000 retailers are carrying their products. Just go online to find the one closest to you. So what makes them so great? Well, the products are made from 100 % recycled plastic, they are completely recyclable, dishwasher safe, Made in the USA (which lessens the carbon footprint), and not tested on animals. preserveproducts.com