Just-style management briefing: Closing the loop on recycled textiles
By MJ Deschamps
With fast fashion and quick turnover key commercial ingredients of today’s garment and apparel industry, excess textile production is prompting the sector to gravitate towards more recycling and re-use of materials, to conserve energy, increase sustainability and lower raw material costs. (more…)
Sustainable Textiles Possible from Slime, Study Says
News Release
University of Guelph researcher Atsuko Negishi is investigating a novel and unlikely source of natural fibres that may one day lessen our dependence on petroleum: hagfish slime.
The textile industry needs an affordable, sustainable alternative to oil-based polymers, and a recent study shows that hagfish slime protein threads have the potential to be spun and woven into novel biomaterials.
Hagfishes are an ancient group of eel-like, bottom-dwelling animals that have remained relatively unchanged for more than 300 million years. When threatened, hagfishes secrete a gelatinous slime containing mucous and tens of thousands of protein threads. These threads belong to the “intermediate filament” family of proteins, and they have remarkable mechanical properties that rival those of spider silks. (more…)
Behind the scenes at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Article by Marc Gunther at Greenbiz.com: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2012/07/26/behind-scenes-sustainable-apparel-coalition?utm_source=E-News+from+GreenBiz&utm_campaign=21c7056b94-GreenBuzz-2012-27-07&utm_medium=email
The story of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition begins with a letter designed to get the attention of even a busy CEO. At the top: the logos of Walmart and Patagonia. John Fleming, who was then Walmart’s chief merchandising officer, and Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder, signed the letter, which invited chief executives of some of the world’s biggest clothing companies–fierce competitors, ordinarily — to join together to develop an index to measure the environmental impact of their products.
Their pitch, in part, read like this:
Creating a single approach for measuring sustainability in the apparel sector will do much more than accelerate meaningful social and environmental change. Standardization will enable us to maximize sustainability benefits for all buyers without investing in multiple sustainability technologies and certification processes, and ultimately empower consumers to trust claims regarding sustainably sourced apparel.
Finally, as an industry, we will benefit from the unique opportunity to shape policy and create standards for measuring sustainability before government inevitably imposes one.
…The time is right and the need is great for the apparel sector to move forward now, without further delay, in unison, with strong partners like you.
It was a risky proposition. What if it turned out that a competing company had a better sustainability story to tell? Would consumers be given access to the index? NGOs? Regulators? Most big retailers knew that they had very little visibility deep into their supply chains. Did they really want to find out, for example, that a supplier to one of their suppliers, in a factory they had never visited in China or Vietnam, exploited workers or dumped pollution into a nearby river? Any meaningful index would require companies to ask tough questions and, eventually, face demands from others to share what they had learned.
The letter went out on October 1, 2009. Less than three years later, despite those risks, the apparel industry has made major progress towards creating a global sustainability index, the Higg Index, to measure and score products, factories and companies. A first version was released today by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the nonprofit group that developed the index.
Its vision? Nothing less than “an apparel and footwear industry that produces no unnecessary environmental harm and has a positive impact on the people and communities associated with its activities.” The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) hired an executive director, Jason Kibbey, in January, and today it has more than 60 members, representing brands, retailers and suppliers who together account for more than a third of the global apparel and footwear industry.
4 Foods that Prevent Sunburn—from the Inside Out
4 Foods that Prevent Sunburn—from the Inside Out
| Written by Lacy Boggs Renner Organic Authority.com |
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We all know that it’s important to do our best to avoid sunburn altogether, but it seems inevitable: at least once a summer you end up forgetting your sunscreen and… ouch. But, if you bulk up on these foods even before you set foot outside, your body could be better equipped to prevent sunburn (and heal when you do get burned). Green teaStudies have shown that drinking two cups of green tea per day could provide your body with (a little bit of) sunburn-fighting abilities! The catechin compounds in green tea are thought to help protect the body from the sun’s radiation. Bonus: the tannic acid in tea can help fight sunburn pain, so put cool teabags on a sunburn to feel better after the fact. (Click here for more natural sunburn remedies.) PomegranatesThis wonder fruit is packed with ellagic acid, and a study from Texas A&M University found it can help protect skin from cell damage caused by UVA- and UVB-rays. GuavasNothing says summer better than tropical fruit, and this one has up to five times the amount of vitamin C—a skin-healing antioxidant—than your average orange. In fact, working any vitamin C-rich foods into your diet could help add an extra layer of protection. TomatoesThese summer gems are jam-packed with lycopene, which can help protect you from sun damage. In one study, volunteers who ate five tablespoons of tomato paste showed 25 percent more sun resistance! Image by chrisjohnbeckett You can follow Lacy on Twitter @lacylu42 |
Organic Beer and Beyond: 10 Eco-Friendly Breweries
Why not escape this record-setting July heat by taking a tour of your local brewery!? The Daily Green brings us this great slideshow highlighting the top ten eco-friendly breweries!
Go to the following link or click on the image below to “develop (yet another) iron-clad excuse to drink a cool beer… ‘I’m not just drinking, I’m saving the Earth!’” http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/latest/organic-brewery-0625?click=main_sr
Green power: The fine folks of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. allow anyone visiting their Website to see their on-site power consumption whenever they like. Over 10,000 solar panels and four co-generation fuel cells allow Sierra Nevada to power nearly their entire facility in an eco-friendly way. So feel no guilt, Mr. Thoughtful Drinker—your beverage of choice was made with the awesome power of the sun.
Impact of California’s GMO Label Law
7 Ways California’s GMO Label Law Could Change the World
The California Right to Know Campaign that would require labeling of genetically modified foods was successful in collecting nearly a million signatures from California voters who want the right to know what’s in their food. So, what happens then if Californians opt for GMO labeling in November and the measure passes? How will it affect the rest of the country, and the world?
Read on here! http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1sy56R/www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/california-gmo-label-law.html
MantraMeds Insider Goes to Panama for Medical Mission
One of our MantraMeds Insiders took our sustainable medical scrubs to Panama on a medical mission. His team performed routine dentistry for people in need while there. He wrote us:
The scrubs were great thanks so much. I was in Penonome, Panama for 2 weeks doing dental work in poor communities. I appreciate you getting me the scrubs so quickly and exchanging sizes, ya’ll made it really easy. They were the best looking scrubs in Panama.
Find out more about the MantraMeds Insider Program here: http://mantrameds.wordpress.com/insider-program/
Sign up to become an Insider here: http://www.mantrameds.com/insider-signup
Own What’s Good
“From fair trade coffee to organic designer fashions, Ethical Ocean will help you find the products that make the world a better place.” Join the movement w/ their Facebook App
Repreve fiber used in exercise leggings!
Repreve Recycled Fiber that we use in MantraMeds Scrubs sells their eco-friendly materials to tons of cool companies! Check out this one – American Flora - Founded by a veteran dancer, American Flora is a line of dance and yoga wear that emphasizes a woman’s true femininity, athleticism and beauty. They create boutique high-performance garments inspired by our passion for dance and the beauty of our natural world. Smart design and extensive use of eco-friendly Repreve® fabric ensures each piece in our collection provides the ultimate combination of luxury, comfort and performance. American Flora is made in the United States from 100% US sourced material.
Teaching Children about Textiles
Check out TCMU on Facebook!
On Earth Day, we met a representative for The Children’s Museum of the Upstate. Earthspun Apparel & MantraMeds are working out plans to do a lesson at TCMU on the sustainable fabrics we use in our clothes!
About
The organic farming debate is about more than just yields
The organic farming debate is about more than just yields
Yields from organic farming may not match those produced by farmers who use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but there are other good reasons to buy and support organic — its health benefits, the good that it does for farm workers, even its animal-welfare rules.
So, at least, say executives of the Organic Trade Association, a Washington-based group that represents about 6,500 organic farmers, producers, retailers and suppliers.
“Yield is only one window into organic farming,” says Laura Batcha, executive vice president of the trade group. Organic farming is “good for the environment. It’s good for local economies. It’s good for the farmer incomes.” A 2008 USDA survey of organic production found that organic farms had average annual sales of $217,675, compared to the $134,807 average for U.S. farms overall. Overall, the U.S. organic industry, including fiber as well as food, generated about $31 billion in 2011, up from just $1 billion in 1990. Despite the U.S.’s sluggish economy, organic food and farming remain growth businesses.
I went to see Laura and Christine Bushway, who is CEO of the organic trade group, at their offices on Capitol Hill to talk about several issues, including the push to require labels on food containing genetically modified organisms, the Farm Bill and food safety, including a recent incident of mad cow disease in California. But we talked a lot about yields because it’s in the news: A recent survey of 66 research studies published in Nature, which found that organic yields lag those of conventional farming, has stirred up a bit of a brouhaha. [See my blog post Organic food is not as green as you think, and the comments.]
Green Lessons Our Moms Taught Us
Green Lessons Our Moms Taught Us
Read full article on Earth911: http://earth911.com/news/2012/05/08/green-lessons-our-moms-taught-us/
Photo: Shutterstock
Moms teach their children a variety of lessons as they grow up – from how to tie their shoes to the importance of spending quality time with loved ones. As we get ready to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, Earth911 couldn’t help but realize that many of the values our moms imparted are actually very eco-friendly – whether Mom was an enthusiastic eco-advocate or not. From finding new uses for scraps others might have thrown away to encouraging us to stand up for our beliefs, here are five green lessons our moms taught us.
1. Family and friends are more important than material possessions
You know your mom would like nothing more than to spend some quality time with her kids this Mother’s Day – and would prefer this gift of time over flowers, jewelry and other store-bought presents.
This is just one of the values mothers pass down to their children that happen to be very green: Spending time with your loved ones is more important than buying the hottest new car, latest designer outfit or just-released electronic gadget.
Of course, prioritizing your friends and family and living green doesn’t mean quitting your job and avoiding new purchases altogether. But what’s better for the Earth – and your family – is to buy only items you need and think carefully about each purchase, opting for high-quality goods that will last for a long time. Remember, the first “R” of the famous “three R’s” is to reduce: When you reduce your unnecessary purchases, you end up consuming fewer resources and disposing of less waste.
In fact, this philosophy of buying only the necessities and abstaining from impulse shopping has freed up time for two eco-moms, Béa Johnson whose family strives to lead a zero-waste lifestyle and Meg Hourihanwho is spending the year trying to avoid new purchases.
“Now that we’re not burdened by stuff, we have more time do things we truly enjoy. I have more time to play with my kids,” Johnson told Earth911 last year.
Ask Yourself: Could You Go A Year Without New Stuff?
2. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal
No matter how old you are or how many Michelin-rated restaurants you’ve eaten in, there’s nothing quite like the comfort and warmth of your mom’s best homemade meal.
And while Mom may have whipped up home-cooked meals to save the family money or to promote better health, it turns out that home cooking is a great way to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
By steering clear of takeout lunches and frozen dinners, you’re cutting down on food packaging, including many materials which cannot be easily recycled through local collection programs – such as polystyrene foam clamshell containers or frozen food packaged in plastic bags. You can further reduce your waste when cooking for yourself by buying in bulk to avoid packaging or choosing products packaged in materials that are recycled in your community.
Cooking from scratch also gives you more control over the meal’s ingredients, so you can pick organic, free-range and local choices to reduce your environmental impact.
Get Cooking: 5 Kitchen Staples You Can Make Yourself
3. Stand up for what you believe in
Mothers don’t just impart important values to their children; they also remind their kids to actively pursue their principles and defend their beliefs when they are challenged.
If sustainability is your passion, there are plenty of things you can do in your local community, school or workplace to make a difference and make your mama proud.
To prevent usable items from ending up in the landfill, organize a citywide garage sale or bicycle repair and recycling program in your community. You can also start a food scraps composting program at your school or a recycling program at your office or apartment complex. Or volunteer your time weeding and tending plants at your local community garden or picking up litter at a local beach cleanup event.
Get Inspired: How One Man Started A Recycling Program
Read full article on Earth911: http://earth911.com/news/2012/05/08/green-lessons-our-moms-taught-us/
How to Distinguish the Green from the Greenwash
Pepper – the Eco Friendly Dog
By Gia Machlin
This is Part I of a two-part post on how consumers can use Eco Labels to distinguish the green from the greenwash.
After years of making fun of dog owners in the city, I became one myself: a city dweller with a canine friend. Meet Pepper. Of course now I think having a dog in the city is the best thing since sliced bread, but I still feel somewhat ridiculous picking up after Pepper does her business on the sidewalk. Luckily we have those tidy little poop bags to help us out and keep the mess to a minimum. I realize that using an old newspaper is probably more eco friendly, and I may just switch to that, but as I was getting used to this dog walking concept, using the bags just seemed much less disgusting.
So I walked into the pet store and asked for biodegradable poop bags, and the clerk pointed me to some bags hanging in a display case. On the packaging, there was a picture of the earth with some recycling arrows around it and the words “earth friendly.” If I didn’t happen to be in the sustainability field, I might have taken this information at face value and bought the bags. But I didn’t recognize the symbol as representing a reputable eco-label and I looked further. Nowhere on the packaging did the product claim to be biodegradable, compostable, or made of renewable materials. In fact, the bags were, as far as I could tell, no different than any other plastic poop bag. But I’m sure the manufacturer fooled a few customers into believing their product was “greener” than the next. How is this possible?
It’s possible, because there is very little regulation around what companies can claim as “green,” “eco friendly,” or “earth friendly.” Not that there isn’t any regulation – in 1992 the Federal Trade Commission came out with the Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims also known as the “Green Guide“. This regulation has been updated several times, and in October 2010 the FTC proposed major updates to this section of the Federal Register (the proposed updates have yet to be finalized). So this is all good, and the FTC has started to enforce these rules, but the rules are new, and in some cases unclear, and the door is still open for all the “greenwashers” and their claims for now.
So, as a consumer, knowing that the door is still open for marketers to make all kinds of green claims, how do you know what’s green? Well the first thing to know is that nothing is truly “green.” Everything we buy has some kind of environmental footprint. A product’s footprint is calculated using many factors: the material used to make it, the energy used to manufacture it, the gasoline used to transport it, the electricity needed to operate it, and the waste created when ultimatelydisposing of it. But a product can be “greener” than another. (The most environmentally friendly option is not to buy anything new at all and reuse what’s already out there!) So how do we know what’s “greener?” Currently, we at EcoPlum believe the best option is to buy products that have are made of recycled materials, have been certified green by independent organizations or that have earned a reputable eco-label.
Now, how do you know which Eco-Label is reputable? That’s the topic of Part II of this post. But, for now, here is a list of eco-labels we have found be run by independent non-profit or government third parties that appear to have no vested interest in the products or companies they certify.
[Note: the EcoPlum Online Boutique carries only eco friendly products that have been certified green, have a third party eco-label, or are made of recycled/upcycled materials.]
Gia is the President and CEO of EcoPlum, Where it Pays to Buy Green®. EcoPlum is the green shopping rewards site with eco friendly products and green living ideas that makes it fun, easy and rewarding to go green. Under its loyalty program, buying green at EcoPlum online earns EcoChipz rewards points, good for coupons in its shop or donations to environmental causes.
Health Care Professionals Return From CleanMed Ready to Green Health Care
May 08, 2012 11:06 ET
Health Care Professionals Return From CleanMed Ready to Green Health Care
Conference Provided Education, Tools, Motivation to Speed Health Care Sustainability
Check out CleanMed on Facebook!
WASHINGTON, DC–(Marketwire – May 8, 2012) – Health care professionals from across the country are returning to work today with renewed energy and tools for engaging in sustainable health care after attending CleanMed, the nation’s most important conference on health care sustainability. With information on new products, procedures and tools to help hospitals green their operations, including a new free program developed by the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, plus a strong business case, hospitals now have every incentive to begin reducing their environmental footprint.
“At CleanMed, we provided more than 50 multidisciplinary educational sessions that made the business case for health care sustainability as well as highlighted the health concerns of climate change and environmental impacts,” said Laura Wenger, executive director ofPractice Greenhealth, one of the host sponsors of CleanMed. “We are also providing tools, education, practice guidelines and other assistance to hospitals to help them engage in sustainable operations, and we hope they will take advantage of these programs.”
The Healthier Hospitals Initiative, started by Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harmand The Center for Health Design, along with eleven major hospital systems, provides free “How-To” guides and technical assistance for hospitals to engage in sustainability in six areas of hospital operations. Hospitals can enroll for free and proceed at their own pace. The goal of HHI is to speed the engagement in sustainability across the health care sector. A presentation on each of the six areas or “Challenges,” was made at CleanMed for attendees to become more familiar with the program.
“CleanMed has an undeniable re-energizing component to it,” said Gary Cohen, President and Founder of Health Care Without Harm. “Attendees are inspired by each other. As attendees see what can be done, they bring back new ideas and information that they need to push their programs forward. And of course, the main reason health care is engaged in this effort is to improve public health, which touches the mission of every hospital and speaks to health professionals, most of which entered their field with this goal in mind.”
The nation’s epidemic of chronic illnesses, much of which can be attributed to environmental factors, is behind the push for accelerating sustainable health care. Heart and lung disease, obesity, cancer, asthma and other chronic illnesses all have environmental components. Treating chronic illness consumes 75 percent of today’s health care expenses.
During CleanMed, Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm announced its annual award winners. Jackie Hunt Christensen has been named the recipient of the 2012 Environmental Health Hero Award, the highest award bestowed by HCWH. Presented annually, the Environmental Health Hero Award recognizes an individual whose professional accomplishments have significantly contributed to advances in environmental health science or policy. Ms. Christensen is a founder of HCWH and served as one of three co-coordinators who ran the organization following its formation.
“At Health Care Without Harm, with Gary [Cohen] and Charlotte [Brody], I learned to think — and work — both inside and outside ‘The Box.’ I think that strategy has been the key to the campaign’s many successes,” said Christensen.
Health Care Without Harm’s Nurses Work Group, along with The Luminary Project, has named Dr. Stephanie Chalupka, EdD, APRN, PHCNS-BC, FAAOHN, as the 2012 Recipient of the Charlotte Brody Award. Dr. Chalupka is Professor of Public Health Nursing and Chair of the Dr. Lillian R. Goodman Department of Nursing at Worcester State University and also holds an appointment as a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program at the Harvard School of Public Health. The award recognizes a nurse’s endeavors towards “brilliantly lighting the way to a healthier environment and inspiring other nurses to do the same.” Other awards were presented by HCWH honoring nursing students, as well as achievements in waste management.
More than 280 hospitals and supporting businesses received awards from Practice Greenhealth, including six inductees to the Environmental Leadership Circle, Practice Greenhealth’s highest award, which honors facilities that exemplify environmental excellence and are setting the highest standards for environmental practices in health care. Those hospitals are Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Madigan Healthcare System, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, MetroWest Medical Center/Framingham Union Hospital and MetroWest Medical Center/Leonard Morse Hospital.
CleanMed’s companion conference, CleanMed Europe, will take place in Malmo, Sweden, on September 26-28, 2012. CleanMed’s next US conference will be held on April 24-26, 2013 in Boston, Mass.
Plastics Make it Possible
As you may know, MantraMeds scrubs are cut from a blend of Texas Organic Cotton & Repreve Recycled Polyester, which comes from recycled post-consumer plastics! Found a great website that can serve as an awesome resource for information and trends in recycling plastics. Check it out!
http://plasticsmakeitpossible.com/
Recycle Your Everyday Plastics … Every Day
Many community recycling programs are accepting more and more plastics*—and you may be surprised to learn how many types of plastic packaging can be recycled into new, useful products!
- Beverage bottles made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic are collected in most curbside programs. This plastic is often melted, stretched into a fine thread, and then woven into soft, durable fabrics used to make things such as clothing, upholstery, and carpeting. (Tip: it’s okay to leave the caps on the bottles; they’ll be removed and processed separately at the recycling facility.)
- Detergent and cleaning product bottles are usually made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a strong, corrosion-resistant plastic. It is often recycled into outdoor furniture and other durable products such as plastic lumber, park benches, roadside curbs, truck cargo liners, trash receptacles—and new bottles. (Tip: rinse your bottles with water before tossing them in the recycling bin to remove remnants of the detergent or cleaning product.)
- Plastic bags are often made with HDPE or low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic. These bags are collected at many chain grocery stores and large retailers, including Target, Walmart and Lowe’s. Plastic bags generally are recycled into plastic lumber for decks, fences and furniture – and into new plastic bags. (Tip: before recycling bags, be sure they are free of food remnants, and remove any zipper closures. Plastic wraps from drycleaners, newspapers, and many consumer products can be collected with plastic bags.)
- Plastic containers for products such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and margarine are now collected in many curbside programs. They are often made with polypropylene (PP) plastic that is recycled into things such as battery cables, landscape borders, cafeteria trays, and furniture. (Tip: some grocery store chains [e.g., Whole Foods] also collect these containers).
- Plastic foam used to make packaging often is made with polystyrene (PS) plastic that has been expanded with air. Innovative recycling programs can turn foam packaging into insulation, picture frames, building products—and new packaging. (Tip: some shipping companies, such as UPS, accept polystyrene foam packing peanuts for re-use.)
When you consider all the different types of new products that can be made with post-consumer plastics, it’s easy to see why they are such valuable materials. Getting the whole family involved in collecting plastics around the house is a great way to make sure this resource doesn’t go to waste. So recycle these and other everyday products—every day.
* Recycling programs differ greatly; check to see what can be recycled in your community.
Check out these other great articles by Plastics Make it Possible:
Eco friendly shipping
Eco-Friendly Shipping: It Is Possible!
Love the convenience of shipping but hate the environmental impact? Don’t fret, eco-conscious consumer. Our experts are here to help. Earth911 sat down with Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, to get the low-down on shipping the eco-friendly way.
FedEx hybrid electric delivery vehicles are on the road in several major cities around the U.S. Photo: FedEx
1. Opt out of overnight
Ground or air? The age-old question has puzzled sustainable shippers for decades. And the decision to have an item shipped via ground or air mail is still the most important choice consumers make with regard to eco-friendly shipping, Hoover says.
“Ground shipping is going to use less fuel than air,” she says. “So, the more you can avoid having things shipped overnight mail (or whatever is going to require air), that’s probably a good way to think about it.”
While top-name shipping companies, such as UPS and FedEx, are taking steps to reduce the carbon footprintof air shipping, choosing a ground method is usually your best eco bet. Transporting one ton of parcels for one nautical mile produces about 1.39 pounds of CO2 emissions, according to 2010 UPS data. So, if you can wait a few extra days for your package, go for ground instead.
2. Choose the right provider
Carriers for the U.S. Postal Service walk and drive through every neighborhood six times a week, which left Earth911 wondering: Since delivery trucks will be on my street anyway, is USPS my greenest choice for shipping?
“That can be true, especially if everybody [on your block] is getting mail,” Hoover says. “But if the trucks are driving through and not everybody is getting mail, I’m not sure if that ends up being considerably more efficient.”
Green perks offered by the Postal Service that the other guys can’t match include a program that allows you to purchase stamps and other supplies online and have them delivered with your mail. USPS will also schedule a free pickup for outgoing packages, which carriers will pick up at your doorstep when dropping off your mail. But the Postal Service isn’t the only eco-friendly way to ship.
“There are so many different parameters that it’s hard to come down and say, ‘This is always better’ and ‘This is always not preferable,’” Hoover says. She suggests keeping an eye out for trucks you see in your neighborhood most frequently. If you often see drivers from a particular shipping company in your neighborhood, you may want to opt for that company for your shipping needs.
“[Private shipping companies] are motivated to reduce their drive-times and increase their fuel efficiency,” Hoover says. “So, they’re going to try to plan the best routes and figure out how to get packages to people the most efficiently in terms of time and money, which also turns out to be the most efficient in terms of environmental resources.”
To keep carbon footprints shrinking, USPS, UPS and FedEx have all begun utilizing alternative fuel fleets. A growing number of companies, including UPS and FedEx, also offer carbon offset programs to help minimize your shipping impact.
NEXT: Three more helpful shipping tips
Will You Join the ‘Food Revolution’?
MantraMeds is big on sustainability. One of the most pressing issues today is our out-of-whack eating habits. Jamie Oliver has started a Food Revolution – bringing healthier eating to communities & schools across America & the UK. Will you Join the ‘Food Revolution’?
Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day Aims To Inspire ‘Better Food, Better Life’
Read full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/28/jamie-oliver-food-revolution-day_n_1461430.html
He’s a chef, author, restaurateur and TV personality who has launched a food revolution, bringing healthier eating to communities, schools and homes across America and his native U.K.
Now Jamie Oliver has created Food Revolution Day, “a global day of action for people to think about where their food comes from and get back into their kitchens,” that will take place May 19.
“There are so many incredible people working on this issue, so we wanted to provide a platform for anyone with skills and knowledge around food — chefs, gardeners, food bloggers, food educators, etc. — to offer experiences/events (classes, seminars, tours, sessions) to kick start a real food movement in their community. They can go to the website and create a local food event and it will be in our global event listings for the public to attend. It can be an event for five people or for 50, and the more creative the better. We hope that this will inspire future projects at a grassroots level and connect neighbors who can support each other in standing up for real food,” Oliver says. “The other way that people can get involved is to host their own dinner party. There will be people in over 45 countries around the world hosting their own dinner parties in support of food education.”
For Oliver, who sums up his food philosophy as “Better food, better life,” has made it his life’s mission “to get people to eat real food, made from scratch. I believe — and research has shown — that by eating a diet of real food (meats and vegetables, carbohydrates and the occasional treat) that you cook for yourself and your family will make you a healthier person. When I look around the world at the rising rates ofobesity and diet-related disease, I am saddened and angered because this is entirely preventable. People just need food education and a few cooking skills.”
He’s proud that his television programs and campaign initiatives have produced tangible results and inspired people to make changes in their lives.
“After ‘Jamie’s School Dinners’ aired in the U.K., the people petitioned the government to serve better food to our children and they actually listened and voted more than $500 million into the system. In America, after the ‘Food Revolution’ aired, we inspired people to petition against flavored milk and pink slime in our schools, which not only got the USDA to change the regulations around flavored milk, but led fast-food companies and grocery stores to stop selling pink slime.”
Although he encountered bureaucratic red tape and resistance while making “Food Revolution,” he nevertheless considers it a win. “Just getting the ‘Food Revolution’ series on national prime time television was an accomplishment, but then to have the entire town of Huntington [West Virginia] transform and getting Los Angeles on the journey is a huge deal. We’ve started a national dialog around food issues that many more people in America are participating in part because of exposure to our shows and campaigns. And winning an Emmy was pretty cool, too.”
Currently, Oliver is running a restaurant empire that includes “Three Fifteens, one Barbecoa next to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, two Union Jacks with Chris Bianco, and 31 Jamie’s Italians, which I hope to bring to the USA at some point.” His latest print effort is the U.S. version of “Jamie’s Great Britain,” due out in October. “It is my love letter to British food, and I am hoping after everyone falls in love with the country after the Summer Olympics that they will want to give the food a try too,” he says.
As a father of four, Oliver keeps the food he serves at home and at his restaurants local, sustainable and impeccably sourced. “A lot of what we eat at home comes straight from the garden so that helps, particularly from this time of year right through until Christmas when there’s plenty to harvest. As for the restaurants, we source everything very carefully so we know all about the food provenance. We go to all the farms to check on the animal welfare and we always use higher welfare chicken, for example.”
Looking ahead, he plans to “keep doing what I’m doing, raising my family, writing books, making telly, and making noise around issues that I believe in,” Oliver says. He has a simple solution for improving the food situation, and it starts with us. “Demand better,” he says. “More fresh, less processed. More access to good fresh food and food education so that the lovely people at home actually know what to do with a fresh vegetable.”
Get inspired: Learn about others who are making a difference with MNN’sInnovation Generation project.
Spring is here! Now, how to store all this fresh produce without using plastic?
How to Store Vegetables & Fruit Without Plastic
So you’ve got all these great fruits and vegetables and now we’re going to help you keep them at their freshest with these tips. These tips are from the Berkley Farmer’s Market which is a Zero Waste market! Here is a printable PDF of their original tip sheet. In the works here at Washington’s Green Grocer is a switch from plastic bags (although we use as few as we can get away with, while still keeping your produce from getting battered on it’s way to you) to only recyclable paper and reuseable cloth bags!
HOW TO STORE VEGETABLES WITHOUT PLASTIC
Artichokes‐ place in an airtight container sealed, with light moisture.
Asparagus‐ place them loosely in a glass or bowl upright with water at room temperature. (Will keep for a week outside the fridge)
Avocados‐ place in a paper bag at room temp. To speed up their ripening‐ place an apple in the bag with them.
Arugula‐ arugula, like lettuce, should not stay wet! Dunk in cold water and spin or lay flat to dry. Place dry arugula in an open container, wrapped with a dry towel to absorb any extra moisture.
Basil‐ is difficult to store well. Basil does not like the cold, or to be wet for that matter. The best method here is an airtight container/jar loosely packed with a small damp piece of paper inside‐left out on a cool counter.
Beans, shelling‐ open container in the fridge, eat ASAP. Some recommend freezing them if not going to eat right away
Beets‐ cut the tops off to keep beets firm, (be sure to keep the greens!)by leaving any top on root vegetables draws moisture from the root, making them loose flavor and firmness. Beets should be washed and kept in and open container with a wet towel on top.
Beet greens‐ place in an airtight container with a little moisture.
Broccoli‐ place in an open container in the fridge or wrap in a damp towel before placing in the fridge.
MantraMeds & Earthspun Apparel had a wonderful day at MUSC’s Earth Day festival! Here are some pictures of other vendors who were there with us.
MantraMeds Sustainable Medical Apparel & Earthspun Apparel tees
MUSC Earth Day festival
Wonderful coordinator for the event
Delicious asparagus
Had a great talk w/ these guys about Earthspun Apparel's spinner in Kings Mountain who uses solar panels
The local animal shelter brought around some adorable kittens and dogs.
Yoga House - new studio in Charleston
Massage therapy
We even had some live music
Greenville Zoo’s Party for the Planet: PICTURES
Party for the Planet | April 4, 2012
Party for the Planet was a huge success! Earthspun Apparel & MantraMeds had a booth right between Joy the Elephant, the Tortoises & the Giraffes! Tons of local businesses showed up to share their green initiatives. City of Greenville Recycling had green Silly Bands and face painting. We highly recommend the Greenville Zoo as a destination point this spring & summer! Zoo Camp 2012 is all abount Animal Mythbusters. What a great way for your kids to spend their summer! Go to http://www.greenvillezoo.com/zoocamp.aspx to find out more.
Clemson RecycleMania Video in the News!
Clemson University recycling video selected for national competition
http://www.clemson.edu/media-relations/4155
By Taylor Reeves
CLEMSON — A video created by Clemson University Recycling Services and Video Production Services for this year’s RecycleMania competition has garnered national attention as one of the top 10 videos among universities across the country.
The short film, titled “The Spirit of Recycling at Clemson,” was recognized out of 30 submitted Youtube videos as one of the 10 best in the nation. To win the overall RecycleMania video contest, it must receive more “likes” on Youtube than any other top 10 video.
“We are so honored to be included in this year’s RecycleMania video contest. The video is a really fun and easy way to raise some awareness and support for our recycling program,” said Kate Ripley, promotions intern for Recycling Services.
The video competition runs through Monday, March 26, and people can vote for Clemson’s video at thisYouTube address and clicking “like.”
RecycleMania is an annual competition among more than 600 universities nationwide to recycle as much material as possible over a five-week period. Last year, Clemson finished second in the ACC behind the University of Maryland.
Earthspun at Recycling On The Rise
Jack Miller and Marshall Johnson are at Carolina Recycling Association‘s “Recycling On The Rise” trade show at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC this week.
Jack Miller giving a reporter the low-down on these zero impact tees!
