A hat made from 100% post-consumer recycled water bottles = Good Green Hat by renowned green-designer Susan Todd.

Just in time for winter and the holidays, a very nice and soft fleece hat that not only will keep your head warm, but also give planet earth a hug. Plus, it’s only $14.95, making it an affordable gift. The waterproof hat also fits all head sizes.

Amazingly, it only takes two recycled PET bottles to make one of these hats. With 100,000 hats, 200,000 bottles were recycled to a better life instead of sitting in landfills. Visit GoodGreenThings.com to snag your own. And keep reading to learn more about how this amazing hat is helping the earth.

Profits from Good Green Hat go toward educating kids about the rainforest and conservation through the Earth’s Birthday Project.

Since 1989, the Earth’s Birthday Project has raised $6.25 million to purchase and protect more than 400,000 acres of rainforest and other ecosystems.

Buying a Good Green hat means you’re empowering student conservationists to help protect critically endangered South American rainforests.

By helping to protect the rainforests from activities like mining and timber harvesting, you also help prevent the release of millions of tons of carbon pollution. Every cent from the sale of each Good Green Hat goes toward a sustainable planet, through either recycling, education or fair wages. Plus, each hat is sewn in the US by women receiving fair wages and education for a better life through the Southwest Creations Collaborative.

Are you going to give your favorite treehugger a Good Green Hat?

(Image via GoodGreenThings.com)

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Remake it Home: The Essential Guide to Resourceful Living by Henrietta Thompson includes 20 step-by-step projects revealing how to make things like a freezer from terra cotta pots or a layered cupcake stand from plates and cups.

At 272 pages, the emphasis isn’t really on the step-by-step projects. The book serves as more of a visual and inspirational showcase of products remade from items that have served their purpose — junk. The guide is supposed to get you motivated, and make you think of additional ways items may be reclaimed in your world. Or it could serve as a sort of shopping or interior design guide.

Examples of items featured in the book include the Coat Hanger Fruit Bowl by Amplifier, the Maarten de Ceulaer Iron Bookends, (pictured) or the Dominic Wilcox War Bowl (using toy plastic soldiers). Many of the items are available for sale by the designers. Featured designs cover anything you’d want for the home — furniture, appliances, accessories, lighting, tools and more.

If you’ve spent much time on blogs that focus on reuse projects (like my former blog Junk Creation), then you’ve likely seen a few of the designs before. Yet, you’ve probably not seen them all. Remake it Home lists for $29.95, but can be found online for about $20.

Is it worth it?

• Remake it Home is printed on 100% recycled stock, using only post-consumer waste.
• The book itself is stylishly presented with great pains taken to include a large variety of items made from “junk.” Several handy reuse tips are included, but if you’re looking for a book packed with instructions on reuse projects, this isn’t it.
• Remake it Home would make a nice gift for the green and imaginative DIYer, crafter or design student. For others, it may just be a source of curiosity or another coffee table book. While the book is certainly interesting and beautifully designed, calling it an “essential guide” is a bit of a stretch.

Have you read Remake it Home?

(Image Credit: (c) Remake it Home, by Henrietta Thompson, Universe, 2009)

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

The Love Bottle is a reusable glass water bottle made with partially recycled glass and a ceramic swing top lid that creates a water-tight seal, although you can get a non-toxic silicone lid as well. Basics about the bottle include:

• The bottles have a cute shape and fun designs BUT they’re not too flashy, which I like.
• You can dress it up with stickers or write and draw on printed areas of the bottle.
• The bottle comes in 500 ml and 1000 ml sizes. It’s noted that the smaller size fits most car water holders.
• They offer a nice reusable non-toxic silicone funnel, which is a great idea for limiting water waste.
• Made in China (not great) but the company claims that they’re made responsibly, although I don’t think they’re a member of a Fair Trade group. They also state that their current goal is to move production to the U.S.
• You can design your own.

Obviously there are huge eco-benefits to glass water bottles. They won’t leech anything into your water, they won’t taint the taste, and they’re recyclable. Downsides – glass is heavy, breakable, sweats, and not a good natural insulator like stainless steel water bottles.

To keep your water cold, Love Bottle offers neoprene bottle carriers in pink or black for both sizes with drawstring closure and adjustable strap. BUT keep in mind that neoprene is not an eco-friendly product. I’d skip this water bottle carrier and go with a greener option like…

• NeoGreene Insulated Bottle Tote
• Hemp water bottle sling
• Earthlust Insulated Hemp Water Bottle Holder

Overall, this is one nice alternative if you’re looking for a glass water bottle. What do you think? Would you use a glass water bottle instead of plastic or stainless steel?

Visit Love Bottle to learn more.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Julie’s daughter is autistic and she created the site because as she notes, “Too many people stare when kids on the spectrum act up, but the kids can’t help their actions. So, I thought…there are kids and adults that act ‘bad’ and /can/ help it, why is that ok and why should they think they’re better than the ASD kids? We taught our daughter to say the logo last year.”

I like when people create goods that help people express differences in a more positive way, or in this case, at least a more sort of in your face, I’m ok with myself sort of way. These green goods are are well priced too.

Green goodies:

Women’s, men’s, and kid’s organic t-shirts in 100% organic ring-spun jersey or cotton. Both fitted organic women’s tee and basic organic tees are available.

Sigg reusable water bottle.

Visit Autopia to check out the goods.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

I showed him all the choices, and he looked them up and down, and sideways, and made me read him the stats about them. He’s eight, and he’s saying, “So what does that bag measure?” For pete’s sake. Anyhow, his decision…

You won’t believe it:

He says, “I think I’ll just stick with the Bamboo Bag.” WHAT! Just to clarify, a week ago when his lunch bag broke, all we had around was that Bamboo Lunch Sack I recently reviewed, so I had to pack his lunch in that. Here’s Cedar a week ago:

• “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Don’t make me take it to camp! It’s not coooooooooooooooooooooool!“
• “I don’t like Bamboo – even if it is a tree!” I know it’s not a tree, but he’s 8, so…
• “Why is it so green!? I want a blue lunch bag.“

But all of a sudden last night he’s on the Bamboo Lunch Sack train? Huh? I say, “You said you hated it, you said, find me a better one, what the flip is up?” To which he replies, “I’ve decided I like Bamboo. It’s soft and you can’t have it back.” Well then!

I don’t know why I bother sometimes. In any case, I don’t have to buy a new bag right away, although, as previously mentioned, this bag is not ice pack friendly so I likely will buy the non-toxic ice pak and sweat free cover I mentioned yesterday.

Kids right?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

In any case, Cedar my son is super picky about stuff. Clothes, toys, books, and so on, so I knew choosing a lunch pack wouldn’t be easy, but it’s actually been harder then I thought. He’s snubbed some eco-lunch kits as not cool enough already and our options are wavering. Of course I want eco-friendly, so I decided to post on it. I’ll choose some that I think Cedar will like and after let him choose. Along the way maybe you’ll see something you like for your kid. NOTE: Cedar is very boy – so all these will be ‘boy’ type kits. Later maybe I’ll post a girl friendly bunch…

Laptop Lunch System in Periwinkle: Cedar already gave this kit a color thumbs up, but he doesn’t like the water bottle. I told him fine, use your Kleen Kanteen. This kit comes with the Laptop Lunch insulated carrying case, water bottle, the Laptop Lunch Bento Box with all inner containers and utensils, and one copy of The Laptop Lunch User’s Guide. All Laptop Lunch products are phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and lead free. If he gets this lunch set, I’ll probably also pick up an extra set of interior containers.

Waste Free Lunch Kit: I like this kit, but I’m guessing that Cedar won’t like the bag color. He might though. Who knows. Because this bag is cloth, if he picks it, I’ll have to also get the non-toxic ice pak and sweat free cover (shown above as well) – a non-toxic green ice pack in a Squiggle cover made from plastic bottles. All Kid Konserve products are made from safe, non-leaching, bisphenol-A free (BPA) lead free and phthalate free materials.

The bag I think Cedar will like best so far is the ACME Bags – Recycled PET Medium Thermal “6 Pack” Lunch Bag – it’s boring but basic, which he’ll like. Perks include…

• 90% post-consumer recycled content
• Made from recycled plastic bottles & containers
• 100% lead-free materials
• Zipper closure and exterior slip pocket
• Thermal insulation keeps contents colder longer
• Made with Fair Labor/Fair Wage

Fleurville Lunch Pak in silver digital camo. Can be worn as a back pack or carried with handle.

• Closed-cell insulation throughout the entire body of the bag works as an insulator.
• Easy to clean lining.
• Hidden name tag.
• Heat reflective, easy to clean lining.
• Project pocket.
• Exceeds CA Prop 65 standards for lead and other toxins
• PVC-free/Teflon®-free

These are the most Cedar + earth friendly I found. I’ll let him take a look then I’ll be back later to let you know which pack wins the cool factor for this picky kid. My vote is with the laptop lunch kit, but I’m still guessing he’ll pick the ACME bag. We’ll see.

Which bag would your child like best do you think?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Product: Environmentally-Friendly 100% Bamboo Lunch Bag from New Wave Enviro Products

Basics: 100% Bamboo Lunch Bag; reusable, good for kids or adults.

Cost: $17.79

Eco-perks:

Waste-Free Lunches notes on average one school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That’s about 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. Reusable lunch sacks cut down on this incredible waste.

Bamboo is one of the more sustainable fabrics available. Bamboo Fabric Store notes, “Bamboo (unlike cotton) takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases 35% more oxygen. It needs no replanting, pesticides or fertilizers, and its roots retain water in the watershed, sustaining riverbanks and reducing water pollution.”

Bamboo is naturally anti-microbial. According to research by Japan Textile Inspection Association, after factoring in processing and fifty washes, bamboo fabrics still retain their anti-fungal, anti-bacterial nature.

What I think:

Product pros…

This lunch sack is sooooooo super soft. It’s really lightweight but large enough to hold plenty of food in containers and even a small water bottle. I like the eco-perks obviously as well. There’s a heavy-weight snap that keeps the lunch sack closed and the handles are perfectly sized for kids. The bag seems well made and can be hand washed with mild soap. I also like that the bottom of the bag opens square and flat, not rounded like a bag.

Product cons…

The handles are too short for adult shoulder wear, but I still think this bag works well for adults, you just need to carry it by the handles. There’s only one color choice (green – shown above). I’m not sure how this bamboo is processed which does make a difference when it comes to sustainability. I’m also unsure if this bamboo is organically grown. Although New Wave Enviro Products notes that this bamboo is grown without chemicals or pesticides, the bag is not certified by Oeko-Tex, Soil Association, SKAL, or KRAV (the best way to know if your bamboo is sustainable). If it is certified it’s not noted anywhere at the website or on the product itself.

I also don’t think that the packaging is made with recycled materials. It comes in a simple cardboard package that is recyclable, yet the packaging notes this nowhere (they should), and they could use recycled content cardboard too.

Overall score:

Three out of five trees. If this bamboo was certified and if the packaging was more eco-friendly I’d have given this bag five trees because it’s handy, large enough for lunch, and anti-bacterial bamboo. However, it looses two points for the above mentioned issues. Still, I’d recommend it as a decent option for a waste-free lunch bag.

UPDATE!!!: After further use, I’m taking off another half point. This lunch sack is not ice pack friendly which seriously limits the food items you can pack. Because it’s cloth, the ice packs get all leaky in here.

Learn more at New Wave Enviro Products or buy it at Atlantis Natural.

See more eco-lunch options…

• Green Your Child’s Lunch
• Earth friendly lunch boxes
• Simple Organic Cotton Lunch Bags
• Waste-Free School Lunches
• Metal Lunch Boxes
• Avoid Vinyl Lunch Boxes

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

This piece notes that the footprint may be smaller if a big business (think restaurant) uses paper. They’ve got calculations to back it up. While they do err on the side of cloth still being better for home use, they got their calculations by factoring in typical cotton napkins not organics or other fabrics (although they do mention other fabric choices).

I like the piece but in my opinion they did not comment enough about the huge long life span of cloth napkins in the home. Treehugger factored in a year of washing for cloth napkins in the home, but something to consider is that cloth napkins last a lot longer than one year. So when factoring in the energy and materials used to make cloth napkins you also need to note that they’ll last for many years around the house.

You should also factor in alternative fabrics. You can buy organic cotton, flax, hemp, and other napkins vs. conventional cotton. As for the use factor, all of the cloth napkins I’ve ever owned last for about 4-5 years – although by year 4 they are getting a little blah. Once a napkin is too icky to use as a napkin, I switch it over to a cleaning cloth, where I’ll use it until it dies. This means you get super life out of a napkin and get to use cloth not paper towels to clean with which saves even more resources.

Overall they are saying that cloth is best in the home though, and obviously I agree. Read more about cloth napkins here:

• How cloth napkins save you money
• Benefits of cloth napkins
• Make Easy, No-Sew Cloth Napkins in Five Minutes

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Here are some ideas:

1. Pants that are too short: Cut the middle seams and make a cute little skirt for a girl.
2. Too small kiddie pool: Use as a drink holder (fill with ice) at family reunions, make a sand box, punch holes in it and use for a big ol’ round planter.
3. Dried out markers: Dip in water to revive them long enough to use an impromptu paint brushes.
4. Old rain boots: Use for a cute little herb garden planter.
5. Single socks: Make puppets and other stuffed pals.
6. Old board games: Make a collage game table.
7. Cloth diapers: Cleaning rags! Great for car washing too – nice and soft.
8. Stuffed toys: Use them at the office – no, really!
9. Broken crayons: Make cool solar crayons in nifty shapes.
10. Old chunky Legos: Someone here says, “Build a doghouse” – you’d have to have lots, and some waterproof adhesive, but I like the idea.

What are your ideas?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

1. Donate – many schools, community centers, homeless shelters, and other organizations would be happy to take your magazines. Don’t forget about your pals and family members too.
2. Make a nice full color cookbook on the cheap.
3. Help your kiddos to make a super cool DIY dollhouse.
4. Make some amazing coasters or bowls for your own home or to give as holiday gifts.
5. Grab a piece of recycled plywood, the pile of mags and make a chair or make a cool table.
6. Save them up and during the holidays choose festive pages to wrap gifts with.
7. Make homemade stickers for the kids.
8. Make beautiful homemade jewelry – it looks great I promise.
9. Save them, shred them, and use as packing material for a move or holiday gift sending – the benefit over newspaper is no stains on items. You can also simply crumple the pages for packing material.
10. Make the coolest garbage can you’ve ever seen – ironic because you’re keeping mags out of the trash by making it!

What other ideas do you have for old magazines? Really the possibilities are endless. I’ve got a lot of other ideas in my head right now – tell me yours…

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family