How to Build a Quick and Easy Vegetable Trellis

It’s spring in Iowa, and the smell of the moist, black soil calls out to the gardener in all of us. Ever since the first hint of bulbs peeking through the dirt, I’ve been itching to get started planting an organic garden. On Friday, the temperature was 60 degrees Fahrenheit. By Saturday, it was 35 degrees and dropping. The Weather Channel showed a big snowstorm coming in a few hours. I decided I’d better hurry.

We bought two steel-grid fence panels like this one. Photo: J. Wasson

I checked the garage to find wood to cut into stakes and a shovel to turn over the soil. I got out my skill saw, an extension cord, and a hammer. Then a friend and I jumped into my son’s Jeep and headed to the lumberyard.

I purchased two, 15-foot-long by 50-inch-wide, steel-grid fencing sections. These had to be flexible enough that I would be able to bend them into an arch, but sturdy enough not to collapse under the weight of vines and produce I plan to grow on them. The panels cost about $35.00 each, so I was now $70.00 into my experiment, plus gas and time.

“Won’t fit,” the kid at the lumberyard had said, watching my friend and me lift the grids onto the Jeep. He wasn’t prepared for our ingenuity. We tied the panels on the roof, padding it with our coats to protect the paint. (Obviously, we didn’t plan very well. If you decide to do this, bring along some old towels or a blanket for padding between your vehicle and the fencing sections.) This was only possible with plenty of rope, another $4.00.

Have you seen the movie Mad Max? That’s what the Jeep looked like, with the fencing grid curved down over the hood and tied to the front bumper. We would have been well protected should anyone want to throw a cinder block through our windshield. The whole adventure took about an hour — and the lumberyard is 15 minutes away.

Back at my house, we unloaded the sections onto the lawn. I went to work selecting the best location for the new trellis. My wife and I have a small lot — only 40 feet wide — squeezed between very close neighbors. Most of the backyard already has a perimeter of flowerbeds filled with perennials, so we weren’t anxious to disturb them.

Snugging the fencing against the stakes before raising it. Photo: J. Wasson

We keep the remaining lawn small on purpose, because we both hate to mow. We don’t like the pollution of belching fumes, and we hate the noise. We dislike starting a mower and storing a mower and tuning a mower. If I had my way, I’d rather pave my yard than mow it. My theory on saving the environment from the evils of lawn-mowing is to keep adding flowerbeds.

This year, we’ve decided to plant an organic vegetable garden. (It’s a great reason to rip out some more sod.) We’re working to become more sustainable, and gardening is a great step in that direction. It’s green living at an elemental level.

Because neither of us feels like crawling around on our hands and knees to garden, we decided to build a trellis and see how many vegetables we can grow on vines. We’ll try peas, beans, tomatoes, and squash, and any other climbing veggies we can find. (Got a suggestion? We’d love to hear from you.)

Most of our backyard is shady, so we chose to place the trellis in the center, halfway between a neighbor’s large garage on one side and our other neighbor’s large shade trees. I figure the trellis will get about 6 or 7 hours of sun on a good day.

Bending the fencing to create an arch. Photo: J. Wasson

Constructing the trellis was simple and took no more than half an hour from start to finish (not counting our Mad Max adventure). With the skill saw, I cut 8 wooden stakes out of some scrap 1″ x 2″ lumber. I then drove 2 stakes into the ground about 4 feet apart, parallel to our backyard sidewalk. I took one end of the first panel and butted it up against those stakes, then pushed the prongs on that end into the ground. Then I lifted the other end until the whole panel was standing almost vertical.

Pressing the panel down hard against the first two stakes, I then pulled down on the free end until it touched the ground. This left an arch about 6 feet wide and 6 feet high, giving us plenty of room to walk under and pick the produce yet to come. The prongs on the back end of the fencing held it in place in the sod while I secured it by pounding in two more stakes.

Two days later: sunshine and melting snow! Better get ready to dig. Photo: J. Wasson

I repeated all this with the second panel, connecting a second arch to the first one. Ta-da! In less than two hours, from start to finish, I had built a 9-foot long, 6 1/2-foot tall, trellis. It was easy enough to do alone, but having an extra person would make the job even easier.

I was going to go ahead and break the sod, but heavy, wet snow began to fall. It was the 28th of March. That’s Iowa for you.

Watch for the further adventures of Joe the Gardener (not to be confused with Joe the Plumber), right here on BPGL.

Joe Hennager

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Related Posts:

Organic Gardening in Your Own Backyard

My 5: Hector Hernández

BPGL: What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?

HECTOR HERNÁNDEZ:

Hernández is in charge of a gardening program for inner-city San Antonio youth. Photo: Texas AgriLife Extension Service

• Recycle whatever you can in your community: glass, paper, plastic, etc.

• Be more mindful of water usage. Right now, we’re in a drought situation in Texas, so we’re careful when we water the garden plots and make sure we don’t over water.

• Respect nature. Don’t litter. It’s our only home, so we have to take care of it and respect it.

• Reconnect with nature. Most of the kids we work with in San Antonio live in the inner city. They don’t have an opportunity to garden or go into green space. Our project gives them an opportunity to discover their own planet.

• Reuse things. Instead of throwing something away, find another use for it.

Hector Hernández

Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Related Post:

Growing Citizens and Leaders through Organic Gardening

The Green Commute — Bike to Work

It’s a beautiful Spring day. What shall I do to save the planet from self–destruction today? My superhero suit is at the cleaners, so maybe I’ll just ride my bike to work. Hey, let’s bike together!

The Green Commuter, off to save the planet!

What do you mean, “Why bike?”

I can answer that: Bicycling saves gas, reduces my carbon footprint, and doesn’t pollute. The exercise builds muscle and controls weight. (Hey, check out these glutes — you can’t get these sitting in a bucket seat.) It’s even good for my heart. What’s not to like?

Oh, I see. You’re one of those people who has to find something to complain about. Have at it. Nothing you can say will phase me. You’re not talking to just anyone, you know; I’m the Green Commuter!

YOU: But, I’ll stink by the time I get to work. You know, B.O.

ME: Yes, you will raise your body temperature. Your heart rate will increase, and you may become winded. But if you should break a sweat, all you have to do is one simple thing: Slow down. If you’re prone to sweating, try wearing a Lycra shirt or cycling jersey. Polyester will wick away any moisture from your body, but not so for cotton. Try a pace slow enough that you could whistle or talk or sing while you ride. The secret is to breathe steadily — don’t hold your breath. And there’s no need to race against cars; just smile at the drivers and think about how much money you’re NOT spending on gas.

You don't have to rush. Take it easy and enjoy the ride.

YOU: If I slow down, I’ll be late.

ME: I hate to tell you you’re wrong, but you’re wrong. It depends on your commute, of course, but think about it: You can easily escape traffic jams, and you’ll never have to park your bike way at the back of that giant company parking lot. You’ll be surprised how fast you can go and not sweat. But make sure you start early enough to enjoy your ride. You’ll see a whole lot more of nature than you could from a car. You might even like it.

YOU: Ah, bikes are too expensive.

ME: And cars aren’t? Car insurance. Gas. Upkeep. Parking. Traffic headaches. Stress. Obesity? What’s the price of your health?

And you thought a bike couldn't carry much!

YOU: I have too much stuff to carry.

ME: Don’t tell me about too much to carry. When I was a little kid, I rode my bike with a violin case laying across the handlebars and my school books in the basket. And you’re complaining about a laptop bag? Sure, for every pound of weight you carry on your bike, you’ll need more energy output. (To some of us, this is a good thing.) There’s a solution to that: Be selective about what work you carry home. Plan ahead. You can always get a bike bag, or even a bike trailer, if you really feel it’s necessary to take your entire desk home at night.

YOU: I can’t listen to my music when I’m on my bike. Gotta have music.

ME: I agree, music is important. But headphones aren’t the smartest thing to wear while biking. If you miss your music too much, buy a bike stereo, for Pete’s sake. Just think about it: You’re a breakable human body balanced on a few pounds of steel and rubber, surrounded by tons of fast-moving steel and rubber driven by highly caffeinated, aggressive, poor planners, who, by the way, are probably late for work. I’d opt for clear ears, clear eyes, and a clear head.

YOU: Oh yeah, you’re making my case for me. Riding a bike isn’t safe.

Your safety depends on how you ride.

ME: You’re right, if you ride like one of those New York messenger cyclists, weaving between cars and through traffic lights, racing against time, eventually, you will go down. The way you ride determines how safe you are.

And, it’s true, you’re unprotected. So wear a good helmet, and always have front and rear lights, day and night. Check their batteries, or buy the kind that recharge with use. If you use the recharger type, remember, they tend to stop when you’re not moving. Or get a light with a small capacitor to hold the charge long enough to stay lit at short stops. It’s worth the investment.

Listen, if you cycle to work, chances are you’ll begin to cycle for pleasure. You know, weekends, evenings. You’ll get the spirit.

The more you bike, the more you’ll learn about the mentality of the road. There are rules: You follow them, you stay alive.There comes an interesting point where your body, your knowledge, and your peace of mind allow you to enjoy the pleasures of nature. You’re not just a piece of mindless flesh behind a steering wheel.

The sign says it all.

You’ll see things you can never see from a car. Beautiful things. You’ll hear things and smell things you didn’t realize were there (good smells, like roses and lilacs). You’ll become a part of nature, not separated from it. And by the time you get to work, your brain and your body will be up for the challenge. Keep pedaling!

Joseph Hennager

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Swishing – A New Green Craze for Frugal Fashionistas

“That’s so cute! Where did you get that?”

We’ve all said it to our friends, admiring a blouse, a skirt, a purse, or a pair of shoes. And they’ve said it to us. But we all get tired of our own clothes after a while. Instead of running out to the store to pick up a new item for yourself, consider swishing — swapping before shopping — as an environmentally friendly way to get those super-adorable clothes your friends own. Swishing is easy to do, and a fun way to enhance your wardrobe without spending a dime.

Potirala checks out the clothes before her swishing party.

THE BASICS

The traditional dictionary definition of swishing is “to rustle, as silk.” But Futerra Sustainability Communications, a group advocating for environmentalism through swishing, has redefined the word to mean “to rustle clothes from friends.” Swishing has become a major trend in London, and swishing parties are making their way across the ocean to the United States.

Swishing parties in the U.S. are most commonly found in New York and other metropolitan areas. These parties are known as Swap-O-Rama-Rama workshops and are defined as “where a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing.” Sound boring? It’s anything but!

Swishing is a great way to prevent older clothes from ending up in the landfill, and it’s really quite simple. If you’re in the UK, you can find times and places of organized swishes on the official Swishing website. If you’re in the US, go to the Swap-O-Rama-Rama website. All you have to do to attend a swishing party is bring at least one piece of fine quality clothing (no rips, holes, or stains allowed), a pair of shoes, or accessories pulled from the corner of the closet you no longer visit. Of course, you are always more than welcome to bring more than one article of clothing. While brand-name garments are great to trade and to receive, it’s not at all a requirement.

Considering a possible swishing find. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

Typically, the host serves drinks and food before the swish. Guests can use this time to check out the items that have been collected. Once the swishing begins, it’s a free-for-all. You can leave with as many items as you can get your hands on, but you are not allowed to claim any items before the swish opens. The more people that attend, the more stuff you’ll get!

Typically, at least one organized swish occurs every month. But you shouldn’t feel limited to large-scale, organized swishing parties, because you are more than welcome to host your own. That way, you can keep all the clothes that no one else claims after the party ends, or donate them to charity if you’d like.

I hosted my own party as a way of encouraging friends and acquaintances to become more environmentally friendly about their used clothes. It’s so easy, anyone can do it.

MY SWISHING PARTY

What about this one? Photo: Sabrina Potirala

Preparing for an evening of swishing is relatively simple and stress free. Since swishing is intended to be a party, I decided to make it feel like one by sending out invitations. Because the success of the party relies on how many people attend, I made sure to specifically include in the invitation that my guests could bring as many people as they wanted.

As a university student, I’m always busy, so I took a simple approach and just made out a general invitation with the date, place, and time. If you are going to host your own party, you can spruce up the invitation in any way you want. Or, to make it a bit easier on yourself, you can download a pre-made invitation from Swishing.org.

Once I had established the date, time, and number of guests, I collected clothes from guests from a few days to a few hours before the party. About three hours before the swish, I began to display the clothes I had collected. Because of tight space, I had to get a bit creative with laying out the clothes. I hung dresses on hangers from nails in the wall, sprawled clothes over couches and tables, and placed shoes in a single line in the hallway. I even hung clothes on the shower curtain rod.

Swishing expands your wardrobe without costing a dime. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

To make the swish a bit more organized, I separated clothes based on function: formal and casual clothes, dresses, and shoes all ended up in different locations. Nothing about how you place the clothes has to be professional, though, because in a few hours people will be rummaging through things like mad.

I started my swishing party with drinks and snacks that were easy to prepare ahead of time. Although many people who host swishing parties prefer to serve wine, I took the cheaper route and decided to share Kool-Aid and fruit punch with my guests. It might seem silly, but these drinks are far from bland. I spruced mine up by playfully serving them in real wine glasses and by mixing flavors to create something that tasted “exotic.”

Because I didn’t want to worry about baking treats prior to the party, I bought chips, popcorn, and other simple snacks. To play up the store-bought goodies, I put jelly beans and individually wrapped chocolates in larger glasses, so each guest could have their own. It doesn’t really matter what you serve for snacks — or what you serve them in. Use whatever you have. Make it easy on yourself and have some fun.

Cool shoes! And they're hardly worn. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

When my guests arrived at 7 p.m., I allotted 30 minutes for conversation and snacking. This was also the time when people could sift through the clothes to pick out things they wanted to go for ahead of time. About five minutes before officially opening the swish, I gave a warning so everyone could prepare themselves, followed by a five-second countdown when the time for browsing was over.

This dress still has the price tag on. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

When the swish opened, people were running around all over the place to get what they wanted. But because we were more of an intimate group than larger, organized swishes tend to be, it wasn’t terribly hectic, and nobody needed to worry about getting trampled over a cute pair of shoes. At the end of the swish, everyone had claimed something new that they loved, and some even walked away with brand-new outfits. It’s certainly an experience won’t soon forget, and because I had so much fun, I plan to host another in the future.

BE GREEN AND SAVE GREEN

Buying new clothing is overrated. The cost of sweaters, purses, shoes, and jeans can add up quickly. Too often, we end up not liking some of those items we “just had to buy.” Before they’re barely worn — or with price tags still on — they get tossed in the trash or neglected in the back of a closet. Swishing is a great way to give clothes and accessories away and get free items in return. Hey, there’s nothing better than free stuff! So get out there and throw a swishing party of your own

.

Sabrina Potirala

Contributing Writer

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

My 5: Elias Simpson, Contributing Writer

BPGL: What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?

ELIAS SIMPSON:

1. Eat local (or eat vegan). From a strictly environmental standpoint, eating local is the most sustainable practice. You support people in your community who (probably) know, love, and conserve their land. You can even visit to see the wheat that makes your bread, or the cows (if you choose to pass on the vegan option) that make your steak.

2. Ride a bike. It doesn’t need to be your bike, so long as it fits. You’ll get exercise, eliminate the need for a car (which takes a lot of resources — imagine if there were a park in place of every gas station), and eliminate transportation pollution, the number three source of greenhouse gases (first is supposedly methane from animals, see “1”; second, construction, see “3”).

3. Share a bed. I don’t mean a one night stand, rather, sharing a bed can be a sign that you share everything else — a kitchen, toilet, a broom, rugs, a bike — and that reduces consumptive demands by half.

4. Vote for hemp. I don’t mean marijuana, although that would help balance everyone’s budget (everyone’s except the drug lords’). Hemp was grown during World War Two, but has since been outlawed. It is a versatile, renewable crop that can be used for clothes, paper, and food. Aligning your political views to reverse legislation that bans hemp in favor of destructive agribusiness could make a positive impact on the environment.

5. Garden. This was also popular during World War Two. It’s funny how the current economic depression is bringing back the best in us (the U.S.). Your fruits and vegetables are freshest when picked by the hands that feed on them. It’s the most sustainable way to cultivate, and it can be profoundly rewarding and satisfying.

Elias Simpson

Contributing Writer

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

My 5: Earle Canfield, Founder, ANSWER

BPGL: What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?

Earle Canfield, founder of American-Nepali Student and Women

EARLE CANFIELD:

• Total disarmament. Dismantle all war industries and limit armies to simply police forces. This is one of the most wasteful uses of our time, money, and effort.

• Global education about the importance of observing the natural cycles.

• Reforestation and strict laws and zoning to maintain the forests.

• Conversion to renewable and carbon-free energy generation (until nuclear wastes are neither recyclable nor non-war related; e.g., breeder reactors are not acceptable alternatives for the latter reason).
  • As a corollary, this can best be achieved on a home-by-home construct: fuel cells and windmills in every yard or on every roof.
  • As a second corollary, this includes energy of all forms of transportation.

• Learning mutual respect through our common humanity and “spiritual” connection… That’s the hardest.

Earle Canfield, Founder

American-Nepali Student & Women’s Educational Relief (ANSWER)

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Related Posts:

Part I: ANSWER – A Sustainable Future for Low-Caste Children

Part 2: ANSWER - Ending Caste in Nepal with Education and Jobs

Green Living — A Beginner’s Guide

If you’re just beginning your green journey, it may seem like there’s so much to catch up on: organic food, holistic medicine, natural fibers, hybrid vehicles, and so much more. In general, green living is about making changes to reduce the amounts of natural resources we humans use (and, more importantly, waste), and to becoming a caretaker of our remaining natural resources. It’s about working toward sustainability for our society and our planet.

Individual Americans use 100 to 176 gallons of water at home each day.

Historically, industrialized societies have acted as if resources and land were infinite — and burned through them with that mindset. We Americans use a relatively large amount of resources — much more than our fair share. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “The average African family uses about 5 gallons of water each day, while the average American individual uses 100 to 176 gallons of water at home each day.”

The following statistics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and James Madison University provide a startling picture of Americans’ waste habits and the powerful effects of recycling:

• The average American family produces 100 pounds of trash per week, that’s 3 pounds of waste per person per day.
• More than 1 billion trees are used each year to make disposable diapers.
• Americans throw away about 10% of the food we buy at the supermarket. This results in dumping the equivalent of more than 21 million shopping bags full of food into landfills every year.
• In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times their adult weight in garbage. This means that a 150-pound adult will leave a legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash for their children.
• The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries estimates that more than 200 million trees are saved each year due to current recycling efforts.

1 ton of paper made from 100% recycled stock saves:

• 7,000 gallons of water (recycled paper uses 35% less water)
• 60 lbs. of air pollution effluent (recycled paper creates 74% less pollution)
• 4,000 kWh of energy
• 17 trees
• 3 cubic yards of landfill space
• $35 per ton of waste disposal fees

Avoid the Hype

As businesses realize there’s money to be saved by “going green,” they also realize there’s much money to be made by selling the green movement in a consumerist fashion. For example, I witnessed earlier this year many businesses giving away or selling so-called reusable shopping bags to customers. These polypropylene bags were hardly thicker than a plastic shopping bag and lasted about as long. That’s not helping anything but a company image. We have to get real — and that means distinguishing what’s really helping from what’s hype, and then making real changes.

Let’s keep this process focused on what it’s about: love for the Earth, respect for Earth’s resources, and keeping ecosystems functioning and abundant for Earth’s creatures and the generations to come.

Plant a Tree

Planting trees is one of the most impactful actions we can take to help restore balance to the Earth. Trees are incredible — sucking up carbon gases like gigantic sponges, creating habitats for innumerable creatures, purifying the air and water, building soil by the ton, feeding us with fruits and nuts, sheltering us from wind and sun, creating rainfall through transpiration, giving us timber and fiber to build our homes, heat them and make other products. They hold the soil together with mazes of roots, preventing it from washing away in rains. Our very lives and the life of the planet depend on trees.

Here are some tips to get you started with tree planting:

• Go Native. Native trees have evolved for millennia to be perfectly adapted to your area — withstanding bugs, drought, storms, and snow with ease. Trees also fit into the ecosystem with other native creatures, giving them shelter and food. I’ve noticed after large storms that nonnative trees are damaged much more severely than native varieties. Depending on your location, the native trees vary widely. In much of the US, oak trees, maples, birch, elm, hemlock, redwoods, red bud, poplars, walnuts, and chestnuts are all fine choices. A bit of quick research will tell you which trees are native to your area.

• Consider Fruit Trees. You can grow the best fruit you’ve ever tasted in your own backyard. Get trees from a local, reputable nursery that specializes in fruit trees. In temperate regions, such as the Midwest, you can grow native varieties of apples, plums, cherry, peaches, paw paw, pears, grapes, persimmon, walnuts, or mulberry. In warmer climates, go for avocado, citrus, carob, olive, pomegranate, almonds, pecans and dates. In tropical regions, choose coconut, cherimoya, guava, mango, soursop, bananas, rambutan, lychee, breadfruit and macadamia. Dwarf trees are genetically very small and can fit in nearly any back yard to produce bountiful fruit. Get healthy, medium-sized trees and follow growing directions found online or at the nursery. Nut trees are an excellent choice too, grow very big, and produce prodigious crops.

Buy Local Food

With peak oil looming around the corner, and the multinational corporation-based food system in serious question, supporting local farmers and food systems is critically important. Most supermarket fare is trucked in from across the US or around the globe, traveling thousands of miles in refrigerated trucks, to the great expense of petroleum and food quality. Without new technologies, it is an unsustainable system. And because food shipped long distances must be picked before it’s fully ripe, it often lacks the full flavor of its locally harvested counterparts. Fresh food tastes wonderful, and local food is thousands of miles fresher than food that travels long distances.

So what counts as local? Some definitions of “local” recommend staying within a hundred mile radius, and this is sensible.

Support local farmers by shopping at farmers' markets.

You can support hardworking local farmers in many ways. Farmers’ markets are a great option. They’re now popular throughout the US, and some are open throughout the year. Many health food stores sell delicious local produce. Online, you can find sources for local u-pick farms, specialty foods, meat and dairy products, honey, and other items. Every time I go food shopping, I buy local food. It’s the first step to reweaving the local food web. If the farmers stay farming, we stay fed. Try it — you’ll love the fresher, tastier, more distinct, and much more nutritious food.

Reduce Waste

Reducing waste isn’t just about recycling more and throwing away less. It’s also about the amount of disposable things you buy and use. This includes items such as shopping bags, plastic bottles, disposable razors, diapers, and cheap goods that will likely break soon.

Buy or make a sturdy, long-lasting shopping bag, or use a backpack when you go shopping. Obtain a quality metal or glass water bottle, and fill it with filtered tap water, instead of using imported, bottled water. Choose organic-cotton, cloth diapers to use at least part of the time, to help reduce waste from disposables. Always buy the best-quality goods that you can afford, and avoid flimsy, plastic goods that will soon be in the trash. In the long run, you’ll save money, while providing a better quality of life for yourself and your family.

Recycle

Recycling reduces the waste sent to landiflls.

Recycling is an absolute necessity. We all produce trash, and most of it is recyclable and valuable when reincarnated into a myriad of other items. If you don’t already recycle, it’s a very important step toward green living. If your local trash company does not provide recycling services, request them. Recycling is easy and fun, and brings about a sense of responsibility and accountability for what we use and where it ends up.

Compost

Hundreds of tons of biodegradable kitchen waste get lost in landfills every year. Consider starting a compost pile in your yard. Then you’ll have plenty of excellent fertilizer for the fruit tree you just planted. There are many resources online and in your local library on how to start a healthy, productive compost pile.

Make a Commitment

Going green is a process and a commitment. It’s a commitment to living healthier and more in harmony with our Mother Earth. But don’t expect to achieve a green lifestyle overnight. As philosopher Lao-Tzu wrote in the sixth century B.C.E., “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So take one step at a time, if that’s all you can do. But begin your journey to green living today. It’s not that hard to do, and every bit you do makes a difference. So what are you waiting for?

Blake Cothron

Contributing Writer

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Sneeze Guilt-Free with Greenpeace Tissue Guide

“Did you know? Americans could save more than 400,000 trees if each family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper — just once.” — Greenpeace Tissue Guide

Joe is sitting in our office, coughing and blowing into a tissue (Kleenex). He’s got a mound of them in the wastebasket on the floor next to him. One after another, he blows and performs the other functions that go with a bad upper respiratory illness. Without the tissues, we’d need a dresserful of handkerchiefs, hot water, and detergent — to say nothing of the tolerance required for washing cloths filled with virus-borne nasal fluids. I’m grateful (as he is) for the ready convenience of facial tissues.

Cold and flu season shouldn't destroy ancient trees. Photo: J Wasson

Last night, we used paper napkins at dinner (Green Forest). I pulled a single paper towel (Bounty) off the roll to clean up a spill from the floor. And, like the rest of the developed world privileged to have the conveniences of modern hygiene, we’ve also used our share of toilet tissue (Charmin) in the past 24 hours. What we haven’t done — till now — is to look carefully at the environmental costs of the particular tissues we’re using. If you could see my face, you’d know I’m embarrassed at the enormous impact the two of us are having on the ancient forests of this planet.

Whether you’re already a smart eco-consumer or as clueless as we have been on this step in the journey to leaving a tiny footprint, you will find the new Greenpeace Tissue Guide to be an invaluable shopping companion. Greenpeace has rated many of the most popular paper products on grocery store shelves. They evaluated four types of paper products based on three criteria:

• 100% recycled content
• ≥ 50% post-consumer recycled content
• No toxic chlorine compounds used to bleach the paper

Rankings are based on how many of the criteria each product meets:

• 3 of 3: Recommended
• 2 of 3: Can do better
• 0 or 1 of 3: To be avoided

Joe and I were chagrined to see (but probably shouldn’t have been surprised) that most of the products we use are among the big offenders, according to the Greenpeace list. The one exception is our napkins, which were manufactured by Green Forest. They’re made from 100% recycled material, 90% of which is post-consumer waste. The bleaching process is PCF (processed chlorine-free), which uses none of the toxic chemicals known to cause cancer. So we can feel okay about our paper napkins. Better yet, we could use cloth napkins on a daily basis, and just toss them in with the rest of the laundry.

Cloth or paper? It's not just a question about diapers. Photo: J Wasson

My lone paper towel last night had 0% recycled content, 0% post-consumer content, and had been bleached using an elemental chlorine-free (ECF) process, which is better than the old chlorine method, but not, according to Greenpeace, as good as Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) or Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF). Most of the time, I use small rags or dishcloths to clean up our kitchen messes. So I can either switch to using cloth for every spill, or buy paper towels that score high on the Greenpeace list. An easy choice for me.

[Please bear with me while I take a little side trip here, because in researching ECF on the web, I found a site that claims ECF is "the clear environmental and economic winner" (the Alliance for the Responsible Use of Chlorine Chemistry, whose participants include Dow Corning, the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the Chemistry Council, and Kimberly-Clark — the makers of Kleenex). In fact, there are so many sites claiming how wonderful ECF is that I'm hard-pressed to find info to the contrary. So, I have to rely temporarily (while I continue my research) on the adage, "Consider the source." Hmmm... in matters of the environment, do I trust Greenpeace or Kimberly-Clark? Another easy choice.]

It turns out that Charmin toilet tissue is made from O% post-consumer content. In fact, it includes NO recycled content at all. And, to make it even worse, our chosen TP is bleached using ECF (chlorine compounds). Secretly, I cry, “But I like Charmin! It’s soft and absorbent. I don’t want to give it up.” Yet, that’s a sacrifice I’ve got to be willing to make. With every flush, my family now sends a small part of our virgin, ancient forests to the sewer. That’s not a fitting end for a grand and dignified old-growth tree.

And what about those boxes of tissues Joe’s been using up faster than a kid can eat a bag of M&Ms? Kleenex is a definite loser on the Greenpeace Tissue Guide scale: 0% recycled content; 0% post-consumer content; and ECF used for bleaching. We haven’t tried the Green Forest alternative or any of the other eco-friendly options. But now that we’ve been publicly shamed into doing so, we’ll be loading our shopping cart with better choices for the planet. Will they be soft on Joe’s oft-rubbed nose? Probably not as soft as what he’s used to. If he’s still on the frequent-nose-blower program by the time we run out of tissues, he may even opt for handkerchiefs rather than rough tissues. But the truth is, we don’t even know if the more eco-friendly tissues are rough, because we haven’t tried them. That’s about to change.

When we switch to more environmentally friendly tissues and a more sustainable lifestyle, we may not find them as soft as what we’ve gotten used to. But we’ll both feel better knowing we’re making wiser choices. It’s a question of honoring our values, which isn’t a question at all, come to think of it. You could call it a no-brainer. We were just slow to catch on. How about you?

Julia Wasson

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Uptown Eco-Wellness Bazaar, March 21, 2009 in Dallas, TX

It is no secret that change is the only option for a healthier way of living. But in a timid economy, even the most dedicated consumers begin to ask, “How?” Several Dallas-area artists, designers, and retailers will assemble on March 21st with an answer to that question: The Uptown Eco-Wellness Bazaar. The event offers an abundance of organic, handmade, fair trade selections and services from local small business.

Uptown Eco-Wellness Bazaar, March 21, 2009, Dallas, Texas

Trendsetting consumers are now more aware of the economic and environmental impact of their purchases, and they have a genuine desire to live more responsibly. Specialty retailers have the power to offer eco-friendly choices that reflect a sustainable way of life in modern society.

“The economy needs spenders while the environment needs savers,” says Crystal Carroll, owner of Hadley and Harriet. “Our shoppers are asking us to find more artistic, organic products. They want to spend money on re-purposed goods, but they don’t want boring designs.” The serendipitous relationship between these consumers and retailers produces positive change, and everyone involved is instinctively doing their part, which is naturally better for the community.

The Uptown Eco-Wellness Bazaar will highlight local designers, crafters, and small businesses boasting a unique mix of eco-friendly fashion, accessories, beauty, health, home, and wellness. Holly Price of New Harmony Boutique confirms, “This event is sure to breathe fresh air into the community.”

Experience a burst of organic selections at Uptown Wellness Bazaar The Uptown Wellness Bazaar is an organic shopping haven, showcasing a mosaic of products from new players in the green scene. Mark your calendar and cure your “need for green” with a unique mix of fashion, accessories, beauty, and home. Take a little step toward conscious living.

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2009

Time: 10 AM to 6 PM

Location: Hadley and Harriet, 3922 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75219

Phone: 1-214-559-4440

The Uptown Eco-Wellness Bazaar will benefit the nonprofit group La Reunion TX — a future green arts residency in Oak Cliff, Texas. The event is sponsored by Smart Water.

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Our 5: Jon Levey and Steve Sherman, GreenChoice Bank

BPGL: What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?

JON LEVEY and STEVE SHERMAN, Co-Founders, GreenChoice Bank and LEED APs:

Jon Levey, Co-Founder and Chief Lending Officer, GreenChoice Bank

• Ask questions and start a dialogue. The first step is simply getting the dialogue going on what people and businesses are doing to “green” themselves. Learning from others and deciding to take the first small step will lead you to further responsible choices. As a green community bank, we are not here to pass judgment on whether a person or business is “green enough.” But we will ask questions to see what they are doing and to start the dialogue. And, we will reward those who embrace sustainability by offering advantaged loan and deposit products at GreenChoice Bank. In asking questions, we might learn something new that we can share with others or use in our own personal or professional lives. And, often, the simple act of asking the questions causes someone to realize that a small change (e.g., replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs) can make a big impact on the environment without negatively impacting their quality of life. It all starts with questions and open dialogue.

• Support local businesses. Supporting the local economy and its small businesses is not just the sustainable thing to do, it’s what can help pull the economy out of the recession. It’s the local small businesses that create the innovations and jobs that jump-start the economy and lead to increased productivity and economic security.

• Build green. If you’re not building green, you’re building obsolete. Energy efficiency, improving indoor air quality, and reducing construction waste are just good business principles. It may cost a little more up front, but in the long run, you’re also saving a ton of money on operating costs, and you’re doing the right thing for the planet. Everybody wins!
  

  Steve Sherman, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, GreenChoice Bank

• Don’t print as much from your computer. We all receive tons of emails, newsletters, articles, legal documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc. It takes some getting used to, but just read the document on your monitor, and if you find that you must print, print selectively, choosing to only print those particular pages you actually need. Why waste the trees and ink for something you will only read once? If you absolutely have to print that email with all the signatures and legal disclaimers at the bottom, take the extra moment to selectively print just the first page that has the stuff you need.

• Bank with a green bank. In fact, move your banking relationship to OUR green bank — GreenChoice Bank! Or at least put some deposits in a local community bank that reinvests and supports your local economy. And choose online banking without paper statements. All these little things add up. (Did we mention that you should move your banking to GreenChoice Bank?)

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Related Post:

GreenChoice Bank: Green Services You Can Bank On

My 5: Nell Newman, Co-Founder, Newman’s Own Organics

BPGL: What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?

Nell Newman, co-owner of Newman's Own Organics

NELL NEWMAN, Co-Founder, Newman’s Own Organics

• Being self sufficient

• Being a mindful consumer and conscientious about what you buy and consume, and how you deal with the waste products you produce.

That’s about all we need to worry about at this point, because it covers everything. It covers your cars, your house. It’s just very important to be mindful in your existence on the planet.

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Related Posts:

Part 1: Fishing with Nell

Part 2: “Late Bloomer” to Organic Ecopreneur

Saving the Planet with a Laptop and a Hammer

I believe I swing a pretty mean hammer. Just talking with author James Glave about his book, Almost Green: How I saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet, inspired me to go out to the tool shed and polish up my 20 oz., curved-claw Estwing. I missed it, and I missed the smell of pine sawdust. Glave made me realize something else I had missed through all my years of construction: Everything I had built for the last 20 years, I had built wrong; I had not considered my planet.

Building the Eco-Shed. Photo: James Glave

For Glave, moving to Bowen Island, British Columbia, raised ethical issues about his family’s carbon footprint. Commuting — and shipping in supplies — from Vancouver to Bowen requires a ferry ride, which by itself substantially increases each resident’s impact on the environment.

So when Glave wanted to build a small office/guest house next to his home, he decided to do it with the least-possible carbon footprint. He chronicled the building of the “Eco-Shed” and its impact on both his family and the Bowen community in his book. I talked with Glave from his home on Bowen Island, to find out more about the man and the impact of his work on his community.

BPGL: This endeavor you’ve taken to bring yourself up to speed on the environment, when did that all start?

GLAVE: It’s hard for me to pinpoint a day. We moved up here in ’05–’06, and in early ’06, I realized that my writing career and the work that I’d been doing wasn’t really what I wanted to be doing. I had this conversation with my wife, where I said, “This isn’t going where I want it to.” And she said, “Figure out what you’re really passionate about and excited about, and do that.”

Author James Glave.

That’s really when I started to dig in and sink my teeth into this whole area that I’ve always been curious about. And then everything I’d heard about climate change was just doom. It’s so easy to just turn the page and find something else to look at or read or what have you.

The more I started looking into it, the more I realized that this was something that I needed to become a part of, and I needed to start taking personal responsibility on some level for what’s happening out there. And so in mid ’06, I began to deepen and deepen my involvement in it, until eventually I decided to take on the project that’s in the book. The [environment] is a complete passion of mine, and I intend to build and build on it.

BPGL: You wrote in your book about your struggles and adventures building what you’ve called your Eco-Shed. Tell us about the Eco-Shed now that it’s finished.

GLAVE: It’s a long story, and it continues. I work in there in the week. It’s my office, my sort of escape place. It’s very, very quiet, from all the insulation in the walls. It’s sort of like a cocoon when I really need to focus on some work. So I’m very grateful to have that.

The way that it’s built, the windows face the south. It’s so well insulated that any sunlight that comes in heats the place up. It works out very well. I have to close the blinds to turn the heat down when it’s blindingly cold outside.

BPGL: I understand you’re renting it out, too.

GLAVE: On the weekends, when people want to come over here, we rent it out as a guest house. We include the full educational component to it, where I give people the mini tour about how it works and what kind of technologies and strategies we put in place in there. There’s a Facebook page that’s sort of a virtual guest book.

We get a wonderful selection of people in there. We just had a couple in this past weekend. He works for a petroleum company. He’s a very quiet force. He’s the only guy who rides his bike to work. He identifies with some of the struggles that I’ve been through, just in terms of reconciling your day-to-day life with your aspirations.

A lot of [our guests] are up from the States. A couple drove up from San Francisco to spend a weekend there. We’ve had folks from Phoenix, Seattle, basically all over California. It’s been a really positive and wonderful experience.

BPGL: For people who want to do the Eco-Shed experience, what other things should they see on Bowen Island that are environmental in nature?

GLAVE: In the summer, as part of the OneDayBowen project that is mentioned in the book, my wife and I do a farmers’ market that we organize and host. We’ve just done one weekend a year so far. This summer we’re hoping to expand to a series, but that’s yet to be determined.

Glave's wife, Elle (r), working at the Bowen farmers' market. Photo: James Glave

We actually have a small and important agricultural community here. Helping the farmers as much as we can is a sideline passion of ours. So we would direct guests to visit any of the organic small-scale farms here on the island. We’d show them where they are and give an introduction if necessary.

There are also a few other folks who are starting to experiment with other green building forms, and I’m sure they’d be happy to show folks around who came over to stay with us. There are a couple of straw-bale homes. And there’s a fellow, who’s mentioned in the book, who built a rammed-earth home. His house is just about complete now, and I’m sure he’d be happy to show it off.

Also, there’s a couple of renewable energy installations. There’s one fellow who lives on a tiny, sort of knob of rock just off the northern tip of the island. He’s completely off the grid, and every so often he opens his home up.

So there’s a lot of stuff going on. It’s not obvious on the surface. You probably would need to have me as a guide or an introduction to show you around. There’s a lot of energy, excitement, and activity, and I’m happy to be a small part of it.

BPGL: When you say that one fellow is off the grid, that makes me wonder, is there a municipal power station on Bowen?

GLAVE: We get our power from the mainland. We’re fortunate as well because in British Columbia, 90 percent of our power is from hydroelectric sources, so there is very, very little coal in the mix. That really helped me guide decisions on my studio — with that electric-fired, on-demand, hot water unit, for example, and the electrically heated, in-floor heat. I tried, and I succeeded in the end — I don’t burn any fossil fuels to run the building.

If anybody wants to come up and see the Eco-Shed and talk with me about it, I’m right here. And certainly, my book is a smash success here on the island, so that’s got to be inspiring a few people.

A lot of people say the real strength of the book is that it peels back the layers to get beyond the baby steps conversation and into the nuts and bolts of how things come together and how they can be built better, and how they can be built to be taken apart better and so forth.

BPGL: Could you swing a hammer before you started all this?

Glave's home (gray roof) and the Eco-Shed (green roof) sit high on the side of Bowen Island. Photo: James Glave

GLAVE: Oh, yeah. We lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I pretty much did everything to that place. I plumbed and wired, pulled Romex and all that stuff. So I had some basic skills. For a lot of it, I worked with a carpenter, who was a finish carpenter. There were a lot things that were beyond my comfort level.

And I’m basically a stay-at-home dad, so while I’m writing the book and running a construction project in the yard and helping out when I can, I’ve got my two kids around. So I couldn’t really kind of chuck out and just go out there and hammer all day.

BPGL: Are your children developing into young ecopreneurs?

GLAVE: I would say that they’re certainly on their way. They’re still pretty little. Duncan’s five, and Sabrina’s going to be seven in a couple of months. But I talk with them about this stuff all the time. They pop up in the book all over the place, about them making these connections in their heads. We talk about all kinds of things. We figured out a way to do a litter-free lunch, without using [plastic] containers — which I’m not wild about — we have very little garbage after eating their lunch at school.

BPGL: How do you do that?

"Easter Walk in Crippen Park" on Bowen Island. Photo: Chris Corrigan

GLAVE: There’s a product out of India called a tiffin. It’s a stainless steel set of trays that lock together, and each of them has a lid. So you could do a bagel in the bottom one, and some carrot sticks and a piece of cheese in the next one, and in the top you could have a little something else — some pretzels or whatever. So you get away from that whole six-Ziploc-bags-a-day kind of thing.

There’s a bunch of companies on the Web that cater to people that don’t want to have Tupperware in their lunchbox anymore.

So my kids use tiffins, and they have a little stainless steel bottle of water that they take with them. It’s a pretty small thing. But it’s the sort of thing that you hope the kids will spread, once the other kids see them and want them.

BPGL: I saw a couple of videos of you promoting your book — including one with you in a gorilla suit.

GLAVE: Yeah. I produced a couple of video trailers for the book that your readers might enjoy. You can see them on YouTube. One of them is about my fumbling efforts to do community engagement work by asking people lining up in the ferry line to turn off their idling engines, and the reactions I get. It’s all staged, but not everybody understands that right away.

BPGL: You’re not just a writer, James; you’re a pretty good comedian.

GLAVE: [Laughs.]

End of Part 1 of a two-part series.

Part 1: Saving the Planet with a Laptop and a Hammer (Top of Page)

Joe Hennager

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)

Related Post:

Almost Green: How I saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet

Eco-Friendly Fabrics Make Green Fashion Statement

As consumers become increasingly concerned about the environment, the marketplace responds with new technology to fit the demands of a greener lifestyle: CFLs now provide a more energy-efficient alternative than the fluorescent light bulbs of a few years ago. Hybrid cars use less gas and emit fewer fumes than their gas-only counterparts. Solar installations and wind turbines create off-the-grid energy to power homes and businesses. Even clothing is becoming more eco-friendly.

Eco-fashion, also known as green fashion, features clothes made with respect for the environment. Environmentally friendly fabrics are woven from organic fibers that were grown without pesticides or artificial herbicides. In addition, organic fabrics, such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and soy silk are not treated with harmful chemical dyes or bleaches.

Scarf made from 100 percent soy silk Infinity fabric by SOYSILK. Photo: SWTC Inc.

Green fashion and organic materials are gaining popularity. Several high-fashion clothing designers, including Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, and Versace include designs made from earth-friendly materials in their lines.

Vogue magazine recently compiled tips on how to help save the world — and still turn heads — by wearing eco-friendly textiles. Even popular stores such as TopShop and H&M are promoting organic fashion by featuring eco-friendly clothing.

Components that determine the environmental friendliness of textiles include sustainable farming practices, transportation of both raw materials and finished clothing, fabric biodegradability and, most significantly, the growth and manufacture of fabric fibers.

IMPACT ON THE PLANET

Most consumers recognize the role of transportation in the overall carbon footprint of manufactured goods. But the role of fabric manufacturing is less well-known, though extremely important to keep in mind. Here are a few ways that the fabric production adds to pollution:

• Conventionally grown cotton uses more insecticides than any other crop. Every year, cotton growers around the world use approximately $2.6 billion worth of pesticides, equivalent to more than 10% of the world’s total pesticides. Cotton growing also uses nearly 25% of the world’s insecticides, according to Pesticide Action Network North America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that, in the United States, 1.2 pounds of insecticides and 2.1 pounds of herbicides are applied to each acre of cotton. These synthetic chemicals not only endanger the environment, they also put at risk the health of people and animals living near these fields.

• Sock manufacturers treat socks with nanosilver and ionic silver in order to kill foot odor. As an ongoing study by the University of California Davis shows, once the silver is washed out of socks, it may kill beneficial microbes in soil, groundwater, or streams.

• According to a January 2008 report by Textiles Intelligence, man-made fibers, such as nylon, accounted for 58 percent of fiber demand in 2006. These fibers are made of petrochemicals, and their production requires the use of declining oil and gas reserves. Synthetic fibers are non-renewable, do not biodegrade, and are not easy to recycle. Of even more concern, if these fibers are thermally broken down by being melted in a dryer or very hot water, they may emit a complex mixture of compounds including — but not limited to — carbon monoxide, ammonia, aliphatic amines, ketones, nitriles, and hydrogen cyanide.

• Manufacturing a ton of textiles requires ten times more energy than manufacturing a ton of glass, according to Recycle for Essex.

Yet, not every fabric is harmful to the environment. Incorporating fibers made from organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, or soy into clothing will minimize the impact of cloth manufacturing on the environment.

ORGANIC COTTON

Organic cotton fleece available at Clothworks in Iowa City, IA. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

By definition, organic farming doesn’t use pesticides or artificial fertilizers. An important benefit of growing cotton organically is that the lack of chemical pesticides promotes a healthier workplace. According to the World Health Organization, 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from traditional cotton farming.

Members of the Sustainable Cotton Project are dedicated to assisting farmers meet the demand for organic cotton by helping manufacturers become greener through The Cleaner Cotton™ Campaign. The SCP’s tactic for creating cleaner cotton focuses on replacing synthetic fertilizers, using innovative weeding strategies instead of herbicides, controlling insect pests with traps rather than pesticides, and finding alternatives to toxic defoliants in order to prepare plants for harvest.

Lynda Grose, marketing Consultant for the Cleaner Cotton™ Campaign, told this reporter that, because of high costs, growing organic cotton has had limited success in developed countries. The Cleaner Cotton Campaign has helped fund organic cotton as a micro niche for farmers in California, in order to give the market a boost in the United States.

Organic cotton cloth woven in a herringbone design, available at Clothworks in Iowa City, IA. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

Like its traditionally grown counterpart, organic cotton is used to make more than just clothing. Organic cotton can also be used in the manufacture of cotton puffs, ear swabs, sanitary products, make-up removal pads, towels, bathrobes, sheets, blankets, toys, diapers, and bedding. Although not yet at the level of traditionally grown cotton, demand for organic cotton is increasing. In 2008, organic cotton acreage in the United States grew from 6,786 acres to 7,669 acres, according to the Organic Trade Association.

HEMP

Because hemp requires no pesticides and needs little water, this plant has high potential to create eco-friendly textiles. Hemp grows quickly and densely, eliminating the need for synthetic herbicides or artificial fertilizers. Hemp has naturally long, sturdy fibers, making it long-lasting and durable. Clothing produced from hemp is also warmer, softer, more absorbent, and extremely breathable compared to other textiles. According to Lotus Organics, hemp does not contribute to the greenhouse effect; during the growing process, the plants absorb as much CO2 as what will later be released if the stalks are burned for fuel.

Organic hemp plants to be harvested for fabric. Photo: Votehemp.com

Adam Eidinger, Communications Director at the Hemp Industries Association, said substituting hemp for other materials is another way to reduce potential ground water pollution, because herbicides and pesticides are not used in the growing process. Eidinger also said that hemp is beneficial to the environment because “shifting away from fossil-fuel-based products is another way to conserve [natural] resources while introducing less toxic stuff into the lives of people everywhere.”

Harvested organic hemp stalks. Photo: Votehemp.com

The future of hemp in the United States is uncertain, because growing hemp has been prohibited here since the 1950s, when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classified all C. sativa (hemp) varieties as “marijuana.” Eidinger said hemp will remain a blended fiber with organic cotton until the U.S. certifies industrial hemp.

China, England, France, Holland, Hungary, Russia, and Canada do not have the same restrictions. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States indicates that world production of hemp fiber grew from 50,000 tons in 2000 to almost 90,000 tons in 2005. Hemp currently accounts for less than 0.5 percent of total world production of vegetable fibers.

In Eidinger’s opinion, U.S. farmers will only grow hemp once they receive government assurance that they will not face prosecution.

BAMBOO

Like hemp, bamboo is an extremely rapid grower that doesn’t require pesticides and herbicides. Bamboo plantations require minimal energy because the plant requires very little water and can survive both drought and flooding conditions, according to the Environmental Bamboo Foundation. Because these forests are so dense, the stands release 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees. Some bamboo sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per hectare.

Organic bamboo cloth is colored with natural dyes. The fabric is 100 percent biodegradable, so it is safe for municipal disposal programs. Bamboo is naturally softer than cotton, is allergy-reduced, and has a natural anti-microbial agent that prevents bacteria from forming on it.

Bamboo is unique, said Adrienne Makita, manager of the Bamboo Fabric Store, because “it’s more luxurious than cotton, more breathable than synthetics, and more delicate than hemp.”

Mittens and hat made from 70/30 organic bamboo/ organic cotton fleece, available from www.bamboofabricstore.com. Photo: Sabrina Potirala

Several different processes can be used to transform bamboo into a fabric. The most environmentally friendly is to mechanically crush the woody parts of the bamboo, then use natural enzymes to turn the bamboo walls into a pulp. The natural fibers are then combed out and spun into yarn.

Bamboo can also be turned into a fabric using chemicals. This chemical process is not as green as the mechanical process. Michael Lackman, a reporter for Organic Consumers Association, wrote “it is important to consider that these chemicals when compared to the pesticides and defoliants used in conventional cotton are much safer on both the environment and arguably, more importantly, the farmers.” Lackman advises consumers to look for the Oeko-Tek certification when buying bamboo clothing, because the certification ensures that the textiles are free of any processing chemicals.

SOY SILK

A lesser-known, eco-friendly fiber is soy silk, which is made from tofu-manufacturing waste. Soy protein is liquefied and then extruded into long, continuous fibers that are cut and processed like any other spinning fiber. Because soy has high protein content, the fabric is much more receptive to natural dyes — eliminating the need for synthetic dyes. Soy silk is 100% biodegradable.

The model

In 1941, automobile pioneer Henry Ford, a strong proponent of soybeans, wore the first “soy suit” made of 25 percent soy fibers and 75 percent wool fibers. Today, the South West Trading Company, Inc. (SWTC) features SOYSILK®, a soy fiber and yarn used for spinning, knitting, crotchet, and weaving. Jonelle Raffino, President of SWTC, Inc., said the fabric is “as soft as cashmere.” Soy silk also wicks away moisture and has a soft, gentle drape.

DRIVING DEMAND

The future of our planet is heavily influenced by the decisions we make today. By insisting on clothing made from eco-friendly fabrics, consumers will drive more demand for environmentally responsible clothing. The benefits to the planet are undeniable. Besides, what could be better than looking good and protecting the environment at the same time?

Sabrina Potirala

Contributing Writer

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)