You are here: Home / Archives for Eco-Friendly

How to Transform Your Grandma’s Jewelry Box into Fashionable Accessories

Ever rummaged through your grandmother’s jewelry box and wondered if there would come a day when those bulky necklaces would come back into style? Or have you ever come across a piece of heirloom jewelry that you cannot bring yourself to wear, but also could never bear to give it away? For those fashionistas who love to make the old new and restore old clothes or jewelry, do not be afraid to use those hand me down necklaces, anklets, brooches, and jangling earrings in your next do it yourself arts and crafts project. Your grandmother would more likely be happy to know that you have found a way to incorporate her jewelry into your wardrobe than find out it has just been collecting dust. Plus, you will be getting creative with your jewelry stash and being just as eco-conscious about your accessories than you are about the rest of your eco-friendly lifestyle.

What to do With Brooches
These outdated accessories can be tricky to salvage, but if you have one with potential, consider making it into a necklace. Use a necklace chain from another old necklace, or pick one up from the jewelry store or crafts store. If you have two brooches that are similar, consider making them into earrings, or use hot glue and magnets to turn them into refrigerator magnets.

What to do With Anklets and Armbands
If anklets and armbands are not your thing, try resizing them into bracelets. Resizing metal jewelry involves precision cutting and heating, so take your jewelry to a professional who can do it for you.

What to do With Handkerchiefs
Heaven knows your grandmother probably has a horde of handkerchiefs that she probably has not used in decades, if at all. Turn them into headbands or scarves and you are in luck.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Environment Tagged With: , ,

Searching for Recycled Fashion Stores in Your City

If you are conscientious about the environment and want to make sure that you incorporate eco-friendly clothing into your wardrobe, one of the best places to start shopping is at your local thrift store. Thrift stores typically hold hundreds or thousands of used clothing items, many of which can be made into fun and fashionable outfits. Sometimes you will find clothing items that you could never have found anywhere else.

However, it can also be a challenge, and very time-consuming, to sift through the rows of used clothing in search of something that will work for you. Consignment clothing stores, vintage clothing stores, or buy and sell clothing exchanges might be a better fit for you. These stores offer recycled clothing based on individual donations or in bulk from sale items at other stores, but they are more careful to weed out the clothing that is of low-quality, damaged, or would most likely be considered unfashionable to their customers. Prices are generally a bit higher than at thrift stores, but the quality of clothing is better and you are more likely to find something that fits your style.

If you are searching for a specific type of clothing, such as baby clothing, there might be a consignment store or an exchange between mothers at a mom’s group. Ask friends or do a quick online search to see if there are any eco-friendly recycled clothing stores located near you. During an online search, try different keywords such as “recycled clothing” or “consignment stores” plus the name of your city.

Buying eco-friendly clothing is an important step in the trek towards sustainable living. Resold clothing helps minimize the demand, and therefore the supply, for new clothing manufacturing. No matter where you buy your clothes, make sure that you are making smart choices about your fashion. Research the clothing manufacturer to see what their labor policies are.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Environment Tagged With: , ,

Using a Survey to Gauge Brand Performance

Anyone who has a fashion brand wants it to do well, but he or she also knows that fashion can be very fickle. Your clothing can be in one day and out the next, so you’ll need to keep making changes if you want to stay on top of your game and ahead of the competition. It’s important to get feedback from your customers in order to have a good idea of how you’re really doing, so don’t be shy about asking your customers what they really think of your clothes. You need to know if they like them, and if there are any issues with them.

You should also find out whether they would be willing to share your information with others as a good company to buy from, if they like the customer service that they get from your company, and if they are going to continue to buy clothes from you. If they aren’t, finding out why may help you change their mind. Even if you can’t convince that customer to keep buying from you, you may be able to make some changes that will keep other customers from leaving, assuming there really is a problem that you need to deal with.

By creating and utilizing a customer satisfaction survey, you can easily see what problems your company has in the eyes of your customers, and whether your fashion brand is successful overall. If there are big issues, it’s a good idea to do something about them. One of the biggest areas of fashion today is clothing and materials that are eco-friendly, so you might want to use part of your survey to see how your fashion-conscious customers feel about that. It may be an area that your business really needs to explore, and that’s something that a survey can easily tell you.

Filed Under: Business, Eco-Friendly, Environment Tagged With: , ,

How to Know the Clothing You are Purchasing is Eco-Friendly

With the concept of going eco-friendly as a growing trend in society, people are constantly looking for ways to make changes in their lives to accommodate prevalent trend. Whether they incorporate CFL bulbs into the homes as replacements for generic energy absorbing light bulbs, or install gray water systems that assist in using the water from sinks to water the plants outside; there are plenty of different avenues to take in this pursuit. Among some of the most popular is buying eco-friendly clothing. Eco-friendly clothing does not simply pertain to the material in which the clothing is manufactured out of, but it also pertains to the types of facilities that the clothing is made. Clearly, a bamboo fiber shirt made in a facility that pours massive amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere and utilizes child labor for cheap production is not a viable source to get your clothing from.

There are a few ways to determine as to whether or not your clothing is truly eco-friendly. The first and most obvious thing you will want to do is be familiar with the various eco-friendly materials commonly used in the clothing industry. When you become more familiar with the materials, check to ensure the clothing you are in route to purchase is made from one or a mixture of these types of materials.

Secondly, and most importantly, do some research on the retailer as well as their suppliers. Retailers always paint a pretty picture for consumers as part of their marketing approach., so unfortunately, you cannot believe everything you read regarding a specific article of clothing. Ensure the company has a good reputation by doing various searches regarding aspects of the company;check into their suppliers via a web site to get an idea of how their operation is run. Doing these relatively simple acts will ensure that you are truly supporting a green idea, as well as the green businesses partaking in the idea.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly Tagged With: ,

Being Eco-Friendly by Recycling

There may not be any simpler, cheaper way to give back to the environment than by recycling. The concept of recycling is pretty straightforward: Instead of putting a crumpled up piece of paper in the garbage can where it will be sent to a landfill, put it in a bin with other crumpled up pieces of paper where it will be reused again and again. Who would have thought that the piece of junk mail you put in your recycling bin could actually become a contract, a math test, or even a check written out to your name?

Becoming hip with the recycling trend is not only super easy, but it helps you feel good about yourself every time you do it. All it takes is a recycling bin, which can be defined as anything you put recyclable material in, and the patience of not immediately throwing away recyclable material. It is amazing how many items can be recycled and reused. Milk cartons, soup cans, soda cans, and even bottle caps can all be recycled and reused for a completely different function. Just look for an indicator, which may be a “U” or a label that simply says “Recyclable.” Even if you are not sure, you can put it in the recycling bin and if it is not recyclable, if will be transferred to standard trash. Many sports arenas and large facilities now have bins next to the trash cans that are labeled “Bottles,” “Aluminum,” and “Plastic.” Pay attention to these and if you have an empty plastic bottle, recycle it!

Many people believe the notion that the Earth is full of endless resources. While that has neither been proven nor unproven, it is not a risk we should be willing to take. By recycling instead of throwing away, we are making the possibility of endless resources more and more feasible.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly Tagged With: ,

Use Word of Mouth to Go Green

There are undoubtedly many people in various communities who are very environmentally-conscious. They make efforts to recycle, to ride or bike or walk, to wear environmentally-friendly clothing, and to conserve energy whenever possible. Their efforts should definitely be appreciated, but they should also be the people who promote what they are doing and try to get others involved.

A lot of individuals who give back to the environment are very outgoing people with a good network of people around them. But a lot of their friends and family may not be into the whole “going green” thing as much as them. Whether it be bringing a friend to volunteer with them or promoting an eco-friendly water bottle; there are many ways to show people it can be a lot of fun to “go green.”

But you do not have to just force people to go to events or to buy things to make them feel eco-friendly. Although advertising is an effective medium, one of the most powerful ways of communicating is through word of mouth. Show your friends how much fun you are having and how good you feel about yourself. Tell them about how your power bill is fifty bucks cheaper because you keep the television off and turn out your lights when you leave a room. Write a blog and post a link on Facebook for all of your friends to see. Word of mouth is a powerful way to get support behind a product or an idea. There is no reason why it cannot be just as effective when trying to promote “going green.”

People will of course be skeptical and think certain “going green” concepts are dumb and lame. But once people start getting involved and hearing all the buzz from those who have been eco-friendly for a while, they’ll realize: “Hey dude, this is a pretty cool thing.”

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Environment Tagged With:

Being Eco-Friendly Around the House

A lot of people believe that being eco-friendly means taking a lot of grueling steps to make the environment better. However, small steps taken day by day can have the exact same effect. A simple way to make the transition to being more eco-friendly is to start in your own household.

One concept most of us were taught growing up, was if we are not using something, turn it off or put it away. This is not only one of the concepts behind being eco-friendly, but it is also a money-saver. This is especially true when it comes to the power bill. By simply unplugging your laptop if you are not using it, or if it is already fully charged, you are saving electricity. By turning out the lights when you leave a room, or when you leave the house, you could be saving dollars every day. There are so many little things you can do that will not only cut down the bills, but help keep the household eco-friendly.

There is no reason to keep the outside lights on when the sun is shining bright, yet people either forget or don’t want to make the effort to turn them off. The same seems to be true with televisions; as people would rather leave them on than turn them off when they leave the room. Leaving items on just wastes electricity and translates over to electric and power bills.

The easiest way to transition into making this a habit is to turn everything off before you leave the room or the house. Have someone remind you or just simply scream in your head, “Light is on! I must turn off before I can exit.” Make a quick sweep of the house before you go to work. This will not only cut down your bills, but give you a little exercise to get your blood rolling before a long grueling day.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly Tagged With:

Buying Clothes While Protecting the Environment

If you need new clothes, it’s important to think about where they’re coming from and what’s happening in the lives of the people who make them. You don’t want to encourage sweatshop labor or those kinds of things, and you also want to think about what your clothes-buying habits are doing to the environment. Find out where the clothes you’re buying are made and what they’re made from. If they aren’t made from fibers that are environmentally friendly, you might want to consider switching brands and purchasing clothing that is easier on the planet.

Finding out the impact of your clothing choices can be just a click away, too. You can research your Apple Bottoms and determine where they come from. Sure, they’re great for women with curves, but you can look further to find out if they’re environmentally friendly. That way, you can see what kind of impact you’re making on the planet. Over time, people are becoming more interested in that, and they’re getting more informed about who’s making their products and where those products are coming from.

The future of the clothing industry will be impacted by that, too, because people aren’t going to keep buying clothes that are hurting the environment. Some people will, but not all of them will continue to do so. For the people who don’t want clothing that’s harmful to the planet, clothing companies that don’t want to lose business will have to make a lot of changes. They’ll be willing to do it if they want to keep their market share. They can actually make more money in the long run if they cater to their customers early and often, and show that what their customers want matters to them. That might be stressful for the company at first, because it will be used to doing things a certain way, but making changes can really help to improve business for the future.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Environment Tagged With: , ,

Going Green by Cooking

For most of us, times are now tighter than they have ever been. Saving a buck here and there is almost a necessity. Yet, when people believe they are doing a great job saving money, they are sometimes wasting it just as much as before.

A lot of people will order take-out after a long day of work, or stop by a fast food restaurant for dinner after a long day of classes. This is perfectly fine to do every once in a while, but over time it adds up even when you don’t realize it. Eating out can cost anywhere from five to twenty dollars every time. Not only are you wasting money each time, but each time you bring back food to your home, your trash bin gets closer and closer to the brim with empty boxes, silverware, and uneaten food. A quick resolve for this is a word some people are not familiar with… Cooking!

The first thing people say about cooking is they do not have time or they are too tired when they come home. That is a weak argument which can easily be dispelled. For those who have at least one day off during the week and about forty five minutes free during that day, you can prepare your meals for that week. If you are on a budget, you can easily find food that is cheap to cook and will last you more than one meal. You can cook it all in one setting and just put it in the fridge and heat it up the next few days. Clean up only requires putting dishes in the dishwasher and the trash can does not pile up twenty feet high in the air.

Cooking is a great way to save money, to eat healthier, and to reduce the amount of trash generated. Learn how to cook; it is a tasty way to go green!

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Environment Tagged With: , ,

“Recycle” Your Clothing

Giving back to the community can help make life easier for other people and help reduce wasteful spending and production. One way of doing this may be surprising to some, but it revolves around clothing.

A lot of people will look in their closet in the morning and almost subconsciously narrow down the options of what they are going to wear to two or three choices. Additionally, even more people will look into their closet and see a plethora of items that they immediately know they will never wear. This may be because they’ve outgrown it, because they hate the way it looks, or because it is a pair of shorts and they live in Minnesota. And too many of us will just ignore those items and let them keep taking up space that could be used for storage for our messy rooms.

One of the most helpful things to do with these outcast pieces of clothing is give them to Goodwill. By giving away clothing that you will never wear, you are helping keep someone warm who would have to spend their last dollar to do so otherwise. They can now use that dollar to provide dinner for their family; the same dollar that could not be spent if you decided to keep the ugly sweater you got for Christmas back in sixth grade.

It was really nice watching a documentary where they showed how championship t-shirts made in advance for losing teams were shipped to poverty-ravaged areas. Most of the companies who produce these shirts make substantial profits, and it is a good, heartfelt deed to take a small loss and give back to others.

By theoretically recycling clothing, you are reducing the need to waste precious materials and resources to produce them. In poverty-ravaged countries, donated clothing can help them allocate their other resources for a multitude of more dire situations.

Filed Under: Eco-Friendly, Recycling Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »