Urban Ecoist

And of course, I meant, don’t put that in the recycling bin just yet. Not because I need to water the plants, or lug a gallon of water anywhere (which seems to be all that mine get reused for). I want to make a lamp out of it.

“A lamp, you say? How’s that?”

“Well, I found this really neat kit that I can buy online that will let me turn that milk jug into a festival lamp. Its a Milkit.”

That incredulous look I know so well….

“I’m serious. That’s its name!”

“A lamp?” You look at me skeptically.

“Okay, a party light! We can use it at the luau next month.” I say as I quickly leave the room.

“What luau?”

(No really… I think they are cute.)

Well, maybe you can Jimi me if you want.

I was contacted by Mike O’Neill, Owner/Designer at Mr. Smith Inc. He has graciously offered to send me one of his new Jimi wallets. They are slim-line and 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, which while it isn’t necessarily the greenest option out there, at least it keeps some plastic from hitting the landfills.

I personally, am well acquainted with the minimalistic wallet. I’ve been using a metal cigarette holder for years now. Its been longer lasting than any wallet I’ve ever owned, and it has the added benefit of fitting into even the tightest pair of jeans. I’m looking forward to giving this new product a whirl.

Stay tuned and I’ll let you know what I think. In the mean time, do check them out.

• Made Sweat Shop Free • 100% recycled plastic • 1% of sales invested in the environment •

recycled plastic, wallet, minimalist, jimi, fortheplanent.org

So I was thinking about how much time I’m spent looking for and thinking about recycled bags and purses. It really never occurred to me to think about a much smaller, but more often than not more important component of many bags and purses out there - the wallet. So here is a list of some of the recycled wallets I could find. As always, this is a “list in progress”. Should you find some that I have missed, please let me know.

Manufactured:

• Made of recycled vinyl (albums/records)
• Recycled vinyl (not records/albums)
• Recycled rice and feed bags additional images here
• Recycled innertubes

DIY:

• Made of milk (or OJ) cartons

A couple of weeks ago I posted about CFLs and how I found out that they were the huge mercury risk that I’d read that they were. Since then, I’ve been replacing my burned out incandescents with CFLs. Of course, I’ve been having some difficulties finding the appropriate wattage, but that’s a story for another day. In my kitchen, I’ve got one of those typical box lights housing two florescent bulbs. One of these bulbs has been burned out since we bought the house almost 2 years ago. I’ve not replaced it because: 1) I don’t like that much light, 2) I think the bulbs are expensive, 3) I’m not 100% sure what size and color I need.

I’ve been reading about people who are retrofitting their homes with LED lighting and even a grocery store with all LED lights. But the money I’d spend in trying to replace all my fixtures is a bit more than I’m willing to stomach. I stumbled upon a possible option today. EverLED is now making a tube light replacement that will fit in a typical fluorescent ballast. It uses less energy than atypical fluorescent and doesn’t contain the harmful chemicals. Their lifespan is about 10 years, which is 3-5 years longer than the average CFL. The only draw back is it’s $150 price tag. =(

OK folks. Here it is, my first installment in the DIY category. I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath. =P

So I went to the the local Home Depot this weekend, as is my habit lately. I needed a piece of sheet rock to patch the ceiling where my man fell through it. Of course, I did not bring my own tie-downs, so I grabbed some of the thin tie-down material they had. I believe it’s nothing more than 20 or so fishing line filaments. Either way, when I got home, I was loath to just throw it away. Instead I put it on my Knifty Knitter loom and created a Recycled Tie-down Kitchen Scrubbie. I uploaded it to my personal site, but I think it’s worth mentioning here too.

Okay, so keeping in line with my quest for recycled bags of late, I’ve decided to start putting together a list of all the really cool recycled bags and bag patterns I can find. I’m sure my list will not be exhaustive. But it’s really a place where I can keep track of all the interesting ideas I find in my searches. Maybe you’ll find some use in it too. In no particular order….

Purchasable Bags:

• Passchal - made from truck tire innertubes.
• Alchemy Goods - bicycle innertubes.
• Used Rubber - innertubes.
• Flat Bags - made from dead car seat vinyl and the like.
• Freitag - made from truck tarps, seatbelts, innertube, and airbags.
• Little Earth - license plates.
• Green Guru Gear - (Thanks Davidson) inner tubes, billboards, hemp, climbing ropes.
• Ecologic Designs - (Thanks Davidson) Billboard, blowout, hemp and alternative materials design series.

Any really good ones that you know of that I have missed? Let me know!!!

Okay, so I’ve got what appears to be a cat litter dilemma. I have 3 cats and have been using clumping clay litters for years. I’ve been aware of the potential issues with using clay litters. There’s Silicosis. Silica dust is mined from the earth and used to make products that absorb moisture. The silica dust is most noticeable when the cat covers waste in the litter box or when the product is poured into the litter pan. The inhalation of these silica particles has been linked to lung cancer, bronchitis and tuberculosis. Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust containing extremely fine particles of crystalline silica. Silicosis only develops after prolonged exposure to crystalline silica. The odds of developing the disease from exposure to clay cat litter are therefore highly unlikely. But there are concerns about possibilities of clay being ingested through daily cleaning, as well as the possibility of issues to my dogs if, on the off chance, they happen to eat the litter (yes, I know it’s gross, but they *are* dogs.)

So in some of my research (which I’m having difficulties finding now) I had read how benonite clay and clumping litters are bad for the environment. There are several alternatives out there that seem reasonable enough to try: SwheatScoop Wheat Litter,World’s Best Cat Litter and Pura. Unfortunately, some don’t seem to be available in the US: Ami Sand, Tact and Catolet are brands I’ve never seen around here. Franny over at About.com gives a breakdown of some of the most popular with pros and cons.

So, here’s the question… have any of you tried these litters? Does anyone out there know why the clay (when mined from the earth) would be harmful when put back? Let me know your thoughts.

Of course, most people know about the dangers of typical commercially produced nail polish. Well the folks over at SpaRitual have created a nail lacquer that is phthalate free. DBP, or dibutyl phthalate, is a plasticizing ingredient that has recently been banned for use in cosmetic products in the European Union. DBP is a potential developmental and reproductive toxin that may cause a broad range of birth defects.

Maybe my nails won’t have to be naked forever.

phthalates, nail polish, fingernails, nail lacquer

Just a couple of days ago Greenline Industries announced the commissioning of their latest 3 million gallon a year biodiesel production facility in Harlingen, Texas. The facility will provide ASTM quality biodiesel created from locally grown cottonseeds and vegetable oils. Their waterless process also means that water treatment facilities won’t be need downstream from the facility to clean up the mess!

Source: Greenline Industries

Texas, biodiesel, cottonseed, Greenline Industries, Valco Bioenergy

I know a couple of weeks back I talked about the cosmetics industry and all the destructive chemicals we are putting on our bodies. As an addendum to that I wanted to take a moment to put the spotlight on, an Irish company, Nadur Organics. Founded by Carol O’Hanlon, she seeks to provide Irish products that are 100% natural and organic.

Currently, her product line includes only two baths salts and a handful of candles, but keep checking back as she plans to launch new products every few months.

And just FYI, he has a really good page on safe cosmetics. I’m sure you’ve read it all before, but…

cosmetics, natural, organic, irish

I found this really neat site today. RecycleYourJeans.com. Published by Softwalker Ltd, one of a very small handful of shoemaking companies still manufacturing in the UK, it’s a shoe company that takes your own personal bluejeans and recycles them into the uppers for some really nifty shoes. Currently, they are only making womens shoes (sorry guys!) but they are promising to have mens versions shortly.

Not entirely green, the Kalahari sandal consist of polyurethane for the soles, metal buckles, sewing thread and woven labels. Additionally, for those of us in the US, having a pair shipped would being increasing our carbon footprint… so let’s cross our fingers for a US distributor.

Of course, I have a question about all of this… I’m not a super skinny supermodel or anything. I’m a real woman and I wear real sized clothes. What happens to the extra/left over material? If I’m already using my jeans and recycling them for … or even …. . Can I send in only the amount they need? Maybe the left over material goes into the bin for their ‘off the rack’ pairs? Maybe I’ll ask.

recycling, blue jeans, shoes

Did you know??
40 million plastic bottles are trashed or became litter every day.

How can you help?
Use a reusable (and oh-so-fashionable) SIGG Bottle to carry your water.

What is a SIGG bottle, you ask? They are one piece aluminum construction bottles that you reuse over and over to hold your water or other liquid. They come in several sizes (Flask, 0.6 L, 1.0 L and even 1.5 L). They don’t leach like other plastic bottles do. They don’t contribute to the solid waste problem, and should you decide you don’t want it anymore, they are 100% recyclable. (Whee!)

The following quote taken from the SIGG website:

“The EPA strictly regulates the quality of tap water and according to the NRDC, bottled water is neither purer nor safer than tap water in most communities. In fact, many of the leading bottled water brands (Aquafina, Dasani, etc.) are sourced from municipal tap water. Assuming you drink 1 liter per day, you’d spend $500-$1,000 in bottled water a year. Many SIGG bottles are still being used 10-20 years after they are purchased – so you get good bang for your buck!”

Also, of note, today is the last day to enter the SIGG “What’s your Eco-Style” Bottle Design Contest. If you win, your design will be featured on a SIGG bottle, and you’ll receive 100 of your very own to give away to friends and family.

I own two personally. I really like them. I even made my own carrying case/holder for them. I’m planning on creating some in the proper colors to match the bottles.

And as a follow-up to yesterday’s post….
From Treehugger…. Personal Rainwater Harvesting

recycle, reuse, plastic bottles, SIGG, bottled water, rainwater

Here in the DFW area, we’re having one of the wettest Springs we’ve had in years. Seems like we’ve only gone a day or two without rain this year. I’ve got plants drowning in the yard. It’s so wet that the mushrooms are rotting where they are growing. But here in a couple of months ( or even weeks ) it’s going to be dry and blazing hot again and when the water restrictions are in place, we’re going to wish we had all this rain back.

Which brings me to the point. All of this rain water washes into the gutters and storm drains and then into the nearest stream or river, mixes with all the other pollutants and contaminants and eventually down to Gulf - where it is virtually unusable.

I keep thinking how great it would be to be able to capture that rain and use it at a later time. Internet research time!!!!

Believe it or not, for every inch of rain that falls on a catchment area of 1,000 square feet, you can expect to collect approximately 600 gallons (!!!!) of rainwater. Here are some of the creative ways that people are capturing and reusing rain water. One of the most common ways people capture rain water is in rain barrels. There are numerous brands and types of barrels out there. Typically they come in 60 gallon to 80 gallon models. Say you have a 2,000 sf home, and decided on the 80 gallon barrels. If it rained only 1 inch, you’d need at least 15 barrels. Unfortunately, at $80 to $150 a piece (IMHO) they are still a bit too expensive for the average homeowner.

RainSaver also has a 80 gallon system, but it sells for $299 (and is way out of my budgeting league).

Of course, if you’re a cheap skate, you could try using 55 gallon garbage cans or perhaps even a stock tank. Another idea would be to check with a soda pop distributor… Supposedly they have 55 gallon food-grade drums, perhaps they could be gotten cheaply… perhaps even FREE!!

For more information (stats and statistics) please see the Rain Barrel Guide.

rain, barrel, conservation, water

For a lot of people, a computer is the main tool they use at work. Optimizing the energy settings for computers and other devices can be more than a modest energy saver. With this in mind, here are a few applications/tools/widgets to help you.

So I received an email from Snap today. I use their product on my other blog ‘Hand Cramp Crochet‘. In this email was a link to CO2 Saver. It’s a small, Windows based program that help you manage the amount of energy you are using. The less electricity produced, the fewer harmful emissions and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) are released into the atmosphere. (And that’s a good thing!)

Another interesting little tool/widget I found is the EcoWidget. It looks like a nifty little tool. Right now, it’s availability is a little skimpy, and really only available to Yahoo! widget user… however it will provide you with up-to-date Green News, daily tips and tricks to help you become more green. Also included is a local search functionality. You can input your zip code and find out where the local coops, and such, are located.

CO2, Yahoo, Snap, greenhouse, emissions. widget, green

Internet surfing again.

I found this interesting, albeit seemingly not so useful, recycled wallet made out of cassette tapes at DesignBloom. I think they are cute, but have some concerns about the durability. Additionally, they are most-likely assembled using some sort of glue. Is it safe? Additionally, what about the innards? The miles and miles of cassette tape? Is she recycling that? Making it into something useful? Or has it ended up strewn on the highway somewhere?

No offense intended towards Marcella Foschi. I’m sure she has acted responsibly in the manufacturing of her wallets (which are all but sold out!) BTW, I looked for a website for her… if you happen to find one, please let me know. =)

recycle, green, upcycle, DesignBloom, cassette, tapes