Blogs & Ecology

Photo credit: Timbuk2

Timbuk2 and Howie's are longstanding TreeHugger faves, so we nearly wet ourselves when we heard that the iconic bag maker and the U.K.-based clothing company joined forces to create a limited-edition messenger bag.

There are quite a collection of cloth bags hanging in my kitchen closet - some washed so many times in the last half-dozen years the different advertising images are faded and barely legible. So perhaps it's not surprising that the bins full of designy shopping bags (mostly from Envirosax) at the Dansk Design Center store were a lot like colorful candy to me on the day I visited.

Reusable bags - how much would you pay?

Factory Green, a new online eco-store, run by pre-med college students Jack Short and Daniel Lyons at the University of Missouri in their “free time.” The store is full of men’s and women’s tees designed by fellow college students and geared for college students. Thanks to tipster Adam, and a recent Sprig article for passing along this fashion tidbit....

Dad: We love him, but this guy sure is hard to shop for.

He's a good sport no matter what we deliver -- gamely wearing that outlandish tie for years to come. Yet -- wouldn't it be nice to gift something easy on the earth that actually makes his eyes light up? With Father's Day around the corner (June 15!), we complied a little green inspiration for those eco dads out there.

Folding Strida Bike

There really is a problem in the way we dispose of garbage. Unfortunately, we are all used to plastic bags for their strength, resistance to odors, and their ability to fit into all sorts of garbage cans. For the last few years, I have been using garbage bags made out of recycled plastic and they work just as well as virgin plastic. I thought it was time to try out some new technology.

Fashionable, Flexible, and Socially Responsible

Designed in New Jersey, sourced and manufactured in New Orleans; these reusable shopping bags support Americans as well as a green lifestyle, with emphasis on style. "What'S ur Bag" was dreamed up by Susan Princiotto (designer, founder and CEO) and Joan Elmore-Nutting (Business Development and Marketing specialist) because they could not find a reusable bag that met their expectations.

With the demise of Nau, many commentators have been suggesting the trouble was that the company was ahead of its time. We respectfully disagree. Firstly, if ever there was a time for businesses to flourish, who are environmentally and socially responsible, surely that time has to be right now. Secondly, others paved the way for Nau. A path that has been beaten for well over a decade.

Let’s look back at a few of those pioneers. In future posts we’ll also visit the likes of Deja Shoe and Esprit Ecollection, but we begin with Terrapax. ...

From April 8 to 13, Buenos Aires had its biggest annual design fair, Puro Diseno. And as we announced last week, we were glad to see a lot more green design expressions than last year.

Even though not all of them were interesting or seemed really worried about raising awareness, we did find some cool items in the accessories, house and jewelry segments. Jump to the extended for the first part of the coverage....

Noon Solar gave us a sneak peek of its upcoming spring collection, available online and in stores in April. In addition to the popular Logan satchel (pictured above), which will be making a return in olive-and-brown leather, the solar-bag company will also be releasing two new styles: the Sawyer, a unisex messenger bag in mustard and chocolate, as well as the Oakley, a maroon tote.

It's hard to believe that this looker of a satchel is made from recycled PET bottles, and vegan-friendly, to boot. At $38.75, this 9.75x14.5x4.5-inch bag's a steal, as well. You get a front zippered compartment, an inner zippered pocket, along with an organizer division.

Designed by award-winning Brooklyn-based artist Leonor Mendoza, whose work is part of the Art Museum of the Americas permanent collection in Washington D.C., this bag is perfect for a day trip or as an overnighter. ::Delight.com...

We are so excited to announce our second product line: a collection of hand made, fairly traded hand bags from Peru! After a few months of hard work, the bags are now available , so visit us and shop today!

They won't be available in stores until mid-March, but we managed to get a sneak peek at Envirosax's new line for kids at the New York International Gift Fair last week. The goal: To get the wee generation into the habit of bringing their own. (Cue Whitney Houston crooning, "I believe that children are our future, teach them well and LET THEM lead the way." You sing it like it is, girl.)

Here's a stylish and ergonomically friendlier way of toting your groceries home, sans plastic bags and perhaps even sans car: Reisenthel's new CarryCruiser. It comes with shock-absorbing wheels, as well as a foldaway telescopic rod with a T-grip handle, to withstand curbs and bumps in the road.

These beautiful sandals from recovered tires are produced by Brazilian brand Gooc. Even though we've seen lots of designs with recovered tires, these ones are special not only because they're great looking, but also for the story behind them.

Gooc was founded by Thai Quang Nghia, a native from Vietnam who was rescued from a small boat at high sea near South-East Asia by a Petrobras ship (Brazil's largest petrol company). With only 21 years old, the Vietnamese was taken to Brazil without speaking a word of Portuguese and soon found a home and a way to make a living.

Keep reading and find many more pics in the extended......