Just in time for holiday shopping and gift giving: The Box is back!

Our exclusive EcoSalon shopping must-have, the curated eco product assortment known as The Box, is back. We’re offering $500 worth of holiday eco-goodies for just $99 and these won’t last. That’s a guarantee.

Are you a food lover? Whether you love eating food, cooking it or just talking about it, this box is for you. It’s full of anything a foodie could ever want, from cookware to gourmet goods to shade-grown coffee, so be sure to snag one before they’re gone.

(If you do miss out this time around, our friends at The Daily Meal are hosting a giveaway for the last remaining Food Box standing. Head on over to their site and register to win!)

Just look at what we have in store for you this time around:

Slate Cheese Board

Serve up a round of artisan cheeses on this simple and functional Slate Cheese Board from VivaTerra. Chalk lets you introduce guests to new cheeses with style. And don’t think this board is reserved for cheese only; the modern design makes it the perfect serving platter for everything from charcuterie to chocolate, so get creative!

(Retail value of $69)

Mortar and pestle

Made from 100% organically-grown bamboo, this bamboo mortar and pestle from Core Bamboo will brighten up any kitchen. Now you’ll be able to make handmade pesto, crush mint for your mojitos and grind together fresh herbs for garnish. Unstoppable, mama.

(Retail value of $37.50)

2 pounds of coffee from Coffee CSA

Now that you get your kale, chard and carrots thanks to a C.S.A., why not your coffee? Coffee CSA makes sure that you get the best selection of coffee directly from small-scale farms. No middlemen, just farmers and people like you who love great coffee. You’ll get two pounds of fresh-roasted premium coffee delivered right to your doorstep.

(Retail value of $29.98 – $32.98, depending on the coffee farmer selected.)

Bamboo Bottle Company Reusable Bottle

This isn’t your your mother’s water bottle. With a unique design that uses bamboo and glass, Bamboo Bottle Company has created a bottle that will not only keep you far, far away from disposables, but you can fill it with hot and cold drinks alike, meaning you can go from coffee in the morning to water in the afternoon. The glass interior is removable and dishwasher safe so keeping your bottle clean is easy. Cheers!

(Retail value of $25.00)

Wei of Chocolate

We all know that chocolate makes us feel better, but Wei of Chocolate just might go above and beyond your normal cocoa expectations. Wei Relaxed dark chocolate is organic, fair trade, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, 68% cacao, and enhanced with flower essences that work to calm & relax the mind and help you sleep better at night. Who knew chocolate could do so much?

(Retail value of $11.00)

Night Owl Paper Goods Recipe Card Books

Keep all your recipes in one place with this cute recipe card book from Night Owl Paper Goods. 24 recipe cards printed on a letterpress are held inside a sustainably-harvested birch wood cover, and with a self-standing easel is easy enough to prop up when you’re in the midst of your culinary creations.

(Retail value of $26.00)

D.I.Y. Delicious by Vanessa Barrington

If you follow EcoSalon’s food section, we’re pretty sure you’re fans of homemade food. Cooking from scratch not only puts good food on the table, but it allows you to experiment. EcoSalon’s very own food columnist, Vanessa Barrington, leads the way through the homemade cooking process in her book D.I.Y. Delicious, full of new explorations – ever made yogurt? – and simple solutions to the question, “Can’t I make that myself?”

(Retail value of $24.95)

Recipes Every Man Should Know by Susan Russo

There are just some things men should know how to do. Cooking is certainly one of them. Here’s the perfect gift for your husband/boyfriend/lover/brother/nephew/next door neighbor, because every man should know a thing or two in the kitchen. Penned by one of our favorite food bloggers, Susan Russo, this is the down and dirty guide for ensuring that a man can easily navigate the wide world of food. Fingers crossed you get to reap the benefits!

(Retail value of $9.95)

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Hazelnut Chai

Making tea is an art, and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea does it well. 100% organic and 100% Fair-Trade certified, this container of 22 sachets of Hazelnut Chai is sure to become your winter favorite. Think of it as a hazelnut torte, turned into a tea. Brew a batch and within minutes your house will be smelling of cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.

(Retail value of $9.95)

Fat Toad Farm Caramel Sauce

If ever there were a sauce you’d want to put on everything, this is it. Made from organic goat’s milk, Fat Toad Farm’s caramel sauce is creamy, rich and flat-out amazing. A family farm, Fat Toad’s 47 milking does are pasture-raised, their milk used for making cheese and caramel, or cajeta. Because this form of caramel is primarily dairy based, it’s creamier and less sweet than standard caramel sauces. Be careful not to down the entire jar on one apple.

(Retail value of $12.00)

Twig Servers

A gorgeously prepped salad should have equally gorgeous serving utensils, and these Twig Servers from VivaTerra are just what you need. Nature-inspired, they’re a chic complement to an organic meal, and their design makes them fit perfectly in your hands. Now it’s just up to you to serve up a mean bowl of greens.

(Retail value of $45)

Innate Gear Doppio

Espresso, wine, whisky; this reusable mug from Innate Gear does it all. Throw it in your bag and you’ll always have something to put your afternoon Americano in, even if you’re on the go. And it’s called a Doppio. Which is just adorable.

(Retail value of $9)

Bambu On the Go Reusable Utensils

Aspenware Compostable Cutlery  

Spring and summer picnics are a ways away, but you’ll be well prepared with two sets of Aspenware compostable cutlery. With four spoons, forks and knives in each set, you’ll be able to outfit an army. Or at least all your eco-friendly friends.

(Retail value of $2.99 per pack)

Full Circle Ring Veggie Brush

Scrub your veggies clean with this Ring Veggie Brush from Full Circle. Made from bamboo and natural and recycled plastic bristles, it’s an ergonomic dream and will also ensure that your veggies have that fresh look even after the supermarket wax has been scraped away.

(Retail value of $4.49)

Architec Mixing Bowls

If you’re cooking organic, shouldn’t your kitchenware be just as environmentally conscious? These stacking mixing bowls from Architec are the perfect plastic alternative. Made from 98% natural and recycled materials, the two, three and four quart set will satisfy all your baking needs. We foresee a delicious batch of chocolate chip cookies already.

(Retail value of $29.99)

Epicurean Cutting Board

Slice and dice in style with this 12″ x 9″ EcoPlastic cutting board from Epicurean. Not only is this board made from recycled poly, but it’s also made in the USA, ensuring you can chop your vegetables with a good conscience.

(Retail value of $19.99)

Lodestar Garlic Olive Oil

If you’re attending any good dinner parties in the next few weeks this Lodestar Farms Garlic Olive Oil from Greenfeet makes the perfect hostess gift. This award winning olive oil is made with sustainably harvested olives in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and can be used for everything from dressings to dipping.

(Retail value of $13.95)

Stainless Steel Robot Tea Infuser

Steep your evening cup of tea in this fun, Stainless Steel Robot Tea Infuser from Greenfeet. The arms and feet move to fit your favorite tea mug. In need of more fun eco-friendly kitchen products? Check out the rest of the Greenfeet site for a wide selection of culinary goods.

(Retail value of $8.95)

Navitas Naturals Power Snacks

Power up with one of these Power Snacks from Navitas Natural. This isn’t your average trail mix; superfoods are the name of the game in these snack mixes, which feature cacao, maca, chia, and camu-camu. Easy to pack, they’re perfect for staying energized while you’re traveling this holiday season. Plus they’re raw and organic, which should please anyone looking for an on-the-go natural boost.

(Retail value of $8.99)

Bird Salt and Pepper Shakers

These whimsical salt and pepper shakers from VivaTerra will bring a smile to any guest at your table. And if you don’t want them for your own home, they make a beautiful gift for any bird lover in your crew.

(Retail value of $25)

To buy:

We’re sorry, this Box edition has sold out! Check out the other available options – they’re pretty fabulous, too.

Just in time for holiday shopping and gift giving: The Box is back!

Our exclusive EcoSalon shopping must-have, the curated eco product assortment known as The Box, is back. We’re offering $500 worth of holiday eco-goodies for just $99 and these won’t last. That’s a guarantee.

From soy candles to handmade rugs, our Holiday Shelter Box is crammed full of swanky products to bring modern style into your home – with enough cool goodies included to give things away as gifts, too. Featuring full-size gorgeous green goods, hop on this now or miss out!

(If you do miss out this time around – supplies are extremely limited – our friends at Curbly are hosting a giveaway for the last remaining Shelter Box standing. Head on over to their site and register to win!)

Just look at what we have in store for you this time around:

Set of Two Wolfie & The Prints

In the dead of winter, these U-Pick Apples and Fresh Eggs prints from Wolfie & The Sneak will remind you of warm mornings spent perusing farmers’ market. Hang them on your wall, and you’ll instantly brighten your mood. The 5″ x 7″ prints are printed on 8″x 10″ French Paper, 100% post consumer recycled paper, produced in a hydroelectric-powered, family-run paper mill in Michigan. With inks guaranteed to last 98 years under regular glass, you’ll be enjoying your fresh produce for years to come.

(Retail value of $40)

Guerrilla Gardening Seedbomb Kit

Change the world, guerrilla style. That’s the idea behind Seedbomb from Greenaid, and the Guerilla Gardening Gift Set ensures that you have all the tools to make the world a greener place. Know of an unused lot nearby? Throw a few seedbombs in. A barren intersection that could use some foliage? Seedbomb away! The packaging is perfect for your guerilla gardening exploits, complete with a handkerchief and slingshot for ensuring that your 12 seedbombs get launched far and away. Seedbombs are hand-rolled in Culver City, Calif. using local materials, sustainable packaging, and socially responsible labor.

(Retail value of $20)

Stencil1 Bird Stencils

Put a bird on it. Your wall, that is. Make your own decorative aviary with these six bird silhouette stencils from Stencil1. You can stencil any one of the six designs onto cards, shirts, even your furniture; the possibilities are endless. And fun.

(Retail value of $19.99)

Wishbone Paperweight

With a busy social calendar in the month ahead, it’s good to keep a few presents on hand, and this striking paperweight from VivaTerra is the perfect item – and a good reminder to make a wish. You never know when it might come true.

(Retail value of $39)

Wishbone Ornament

Hang your wishes up so everyone can see! An match to the Wishbone Paperweight, or perfectly fine on its own, the Wishbone Ornament brings a little cheer to its owner. The ideal go-to gift for anyone who needs a little pick-my-up this holiday season.

(Retail value of $15)

Music for the Planet by 1% for the Planet

Produced by non-profit 1% For the Planet, Music for the Planet is a collection of 41 songs that supports the environment. The album features exclusive and rare tracks by many well known artists including Josh Ritter, Mason Jennings and Rosie Thomas. All proceeds from the album go to supporting environmental causes, so we won’t be surprised if you love the music so much that you’re inspired to buy another one for a friend.

(Retail value of $9.99)

Crash Candles Soy Candle

Every cozy home needs a few candles burning, especially in the winter months, and these hand-made soy candles from Crash Candles are the perfect option. Poured in a glass tumbler you can use when the wax runs out, the candle features the designs of one of our favorite Scandinavians, Lotta Jansdotter. No not only will you bring a little extra light into your home, but you can be happy knowing that they’re eco-friendly and supporting the work of contemporary artists and designers.

(Retail value of $24)

Klean Kanteen and NAU Stainless Steel Pints

Move over, Mason jars. So last year. Especially if you have a reusable option on hand. Perfect for outdoor picnics, concerts or even a birthday party, these pints ensure that you’ll never have to go disposable again, and unlike many glass versions, these won’t break. This exclusive four-pack of Klean Kanteen pints is discreetly printed with the simple NAU logo and made of 18/8, food-grade stainless steel. Durable, versatile, reusable, and dishwasher safe.

(Retail value of $39)

EcoSystem Journal

A blank journal is a blank slate, waiting to be filled with your thoughts, drawings and lists. These blank ecosystem journals have a flexible cover and are filled with pages of 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Sized at 7 3/8″ x 9 7/8″, you’ll have plenty of space to let your creative spirit fly, or encourage someone else that they do the same.

(Retail value of $18.95)

Paper Culture Gift Certificate

Haven’t gotten to your holiday greetings yet? That’s okay – now you can use this $25 Paper Culture gift certificate to customize your own holiday cards. Already ahead of the game with your cards? Your gift certificate can also be used for any product on the site from personal stationery to bamboo wall art. With a motto of “be modern. be eco” Paper Culture uses exclusively 100% post consumer recycled paper for card and envelope and a portion of all proceeds go towards supporting non-profits that focus on education, family and sustainability.

(Retail value of $25)

Recycled iPhone Re-Case

Any busy girl is sure to put her phone through the ringer, which is why you need to make sure it’s properly protected. The Re-Case from Miniwiz is made from 100% trash (rice farming byproducts and post-consumer thermo-plastics to be exact), though from the sleek design, you’d hardly know it.

(Retail value of $24.95)

Plywerk Gift Certificate

Every time you go on a trip you take your camera. In fact, you’ve taken so many photos by this point, your photographer’s eye is actually getting good. But what do you do with all of those photos? Don’t leave them in the hinterlands of your hard drive, print them so everyone can enjoy your work. The masters at Plywerk mount your photo on eco friendly bamboo, eliminating the need for a glass frame. Their easy-to-use website allows you to upload your photo, choose your size, and almost before you’ve had the time to hit send, you have a gorgeous mounted photo waiting at your door.

(Retail value of $20)

Angel Face Botanicals Aromatherapy Shower Steamer Set

In the midst of holiday parties and planning, any good hostess needs to take some time to herself and recharge. These delicious scented Shower Steamers from Angel Face Botanicals make the perfect hostess gift, a little “thank you” for throwing a dinner or cocktail hour in the busiest season of the year. The sampler set comes with Lavender Mist, Juicy Citrus, Peppermint and Eucalyptus, so you could even divide them among your deserving friends. Or if you’re feeling in need of an energy boost yourself, turn your shower into aromatherapy central and enjoy yourself.

(Retail value of $20)

VivaTerra Flowered Thermos

Your friends will be thrilled when you bring a batch of hot cider along on your winter excursions. This beautiful, double-walled, 34-oz. thermos from VivaTerra is perfect for transporting hot and cold drinks alike and with its floral enamelware design, you’ll be serving in ultra current style.

(Retail value of $55)

Verde Lifestyles’ Bamboo Rug

Bring a little zen into your home. This 2′x3′ dark brown bamboo rug from Verde Lifestyles is beautiful and durable, and with a mixture of earthy wood and red undertones provides an ideal dose of warmth to modern, rustic and contemporary settings. Perfect for welcoming guests in your entryway.

(Retail value of $24.75)

Lucky Bowl

A small bowl that can serve as a nice positive daily reminder. This 3 1/2″ inch ceramic bowl by Paloma’s Nest is handmade in Austin, Texas and is a beautiful little keepsake for any friend whom you feel lucky to have. Each piece is made out of pure white clay and has a matte finish.

(Retail value of $22)

Elephant Plantable Pocket Notebooks

If you’re like us, you have a few notebooks lying around, all full of to-do lists and great ideas. But what do you do when they’re full? If it’s a Plantable Pocket Notebook like these ones from Botanical Paperworks, you can take it right outside and put it in your garden. Filled with plantable paper, come springtime you will see a vibrant collection of wildflowers sprout. Perfect for sticking in your purse and jotting down quick notes, or passing along to the friend who always seems to be coming up with good ideas but never has a place to put them.

(Retail value of $9.95)

Grain Utility Card

This card really can say it all. Designed by Grain, with its word search puzzle the Utility Card contains over 100 different wishes, from Happy Hannukah My Love to Howdy Friend, Happy New Year.

(Retail value of $4)

To buy:

Please note that all editions of The Box are sold out except for Shelter. Please be sure to select Shelter from the menu below.

Supplies are extremely limited – first come, first serve. Remember to include your shipping address! The Box is priced at $99 per box, with an additional $30 shipping and handling surcharge. Orders are shipped via UPS anywhere in the United States. Sorry, we can’t ship to P.O. Boxes and we cannot process international orders. If you have questions, drop us a line at contact@ecosalon.com.

Edition

Fashion $99.00 USD Food $99.00 USD Shelter $99.00 USD Yoga + Beauty $99.00 USD

Bamboo and you in 2011.

Earlier this year, EcoSalon rightly predicted that bamboo would continue making waves in design. It’s not difficult to see why.

As far as materials go, bamboo is remarkable. It grows and spreads quickly without fertilizers, pesticides, or water. It’s not fussy about climate. It’s 16 percent stronger than maple, one-third lighter than oak, and naturally antimicrobial. It also releases more oxygen into the air than similarly-sized plants.

With such credentials, bamboo has cropped up as quickly in the sustainable design world as in nature. In 2012, we’ll likely be seeing even more of the grass. We can also expect more creative uses of Plyboo, a sustainable bamboo plywood already used heavily in architecture and interior design. Produced in China by Smith & Fong Co., plyboo is available in a wild array of grains, colors, and textures, including some that resemble animal prints.

But before we look forward, let’s take a step back. Here’s a look at eight of our favorite featured bamboo products from the past year.

AHeirloom’s Stateside Plyboo Cutting Boards

Pick your state.

Bamboo iPhone Case

With a carving of the iconic Leica M1, this iPhone case is a smart mash-up of high and low tech.

Bamboo Wood Cutlery

Abstract-Modern Bamboo Vase

Clever and vibrant.

Bamboo Bath Scale

A modern alternative to clunky white plastic.

Plywerk Bamboo Photo Mounts

These photo mounts from Plywerk are an elegant new way to showcase favorite snapshots and works of art. Upload your image to their website for a custom mount job, or purchase blank ones for do-it-yourself projects.

The Magistral Cabinet

Designer Sebastian Errazuriz’s Magistral Cabinet, which showed at the Cristina Grajales Gallery this spring, is actually made from bamboo skewers.

VivaTerra Patterned Bamboo Plates

With spring colors and retro-chic patterns, these bamboo plates from VivaTerra are a bright idea in bamboo design.

Image: Pjan Vandaele

Weigh in without leaving a plus-size footprint.

You must admit: it’s rather adorable that Hugh Grant’s lovechild is nicknamed Bamboo. After all, bamboo is an eco-friendly, oxygenating, renewable resource that spreads faster than celeb gossip, without fertilizers, pesticides or that much water.

Grant should consider gifting his baby’s mama with this, a bamboo digital bath scale from Crate & Barrel ($53). It’s durable and lightweight with an extra-large LCD readout. It’s eco-friendly and easy on the eyes, too. Not a bad perch from which to monitor post-pregnancy weight loss.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

Combining the natural strength of bamboo with the modernity of your favorite mobile device, this throwback design is sustainable and cool.

Bamboo and you: is this supposedly sustainable material all it’s claimed to be?

You care. You really care. That doesn’t mean you have the time to be an investigative carer. Green this, green that, and pretty soon, caring becomes a full time profession. Because green is also the color of money, and plenty of people are trying to cash in on your consciousness.

Take bamboo. Bamboo pajamas, bamboo underwear, bamboo towels, bamboo sheets, bamboo floors – we’re bamboozled. But ask any carer why it’s truly sustainable, and suddenly it’s hem and haw city. It’s, like, renewable or something? Right?

Right – sort of. We’re here to help you sort the grass from the greenwash.

Bamboozled on the Floor

Bamboo is amazing. First, it’s a fast-growing, carbon dioxide-eating grass that doesn’t need extra water, nor does it need fertilizer or pesticides to be commercially grown. Some species grow up to three feet in a day and can be harvested in just four years. Bamboo even self regenerates. As a feedstock for “wood” flooring, it’s hard to argue against this wonder grass; oak for comparison, can take a century or more to mature. The downsides of the product aren’t many; it’s mainly the source by which bamboo flooring is procured that can be murky. The domestic market for sourcing raw bamboo is fledgling at best. Most bamboo comes from China and it’s often difficult to determine where it’s coming from, really. With global demand for bamboo increasing, there are plenty of examples of important habitat being bulldozed for agriculture. That’s bad, obviously. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) does certify some bamboo flooring products which means it meets a strict criteria for sustainable harvesting and worker’s rights.

Bottom line: For wood substitute materials such as bamboo flooring, FSC is the way to go.

Bamboozled on Your Body

Now it gets tricky. Once we start talking textiles, bamboo’s green quotient starts to feel like third grade long division. Bamboo as a plant, even if sustainably harvested, might not be sustainably manufactured. There are two kinds of processes for making bamboo into fabric: mechanical and chemical. The mechanical option involves smashing the woody parts of the plant which secretes natural enzymes that break the plant down into mush. The mush can then be combed out and spun into yarn.  This is essentially the same process by which hemp is made into linen. Bamboo linen is rare, because the mechanical process is cost prohibitive and labor intensive.

Chemically-processed bamboo fiber is similar to rayon or modal, which makes it soft as a baby’s butt – it’s the new silk. This is the stuff you want on your skin. But here’s the problem: To achieve aforementioned baby-butt softness, bamboo leaves and shoots are ‘cooked’ in chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (lye) and carbon disulfide. The process is known as hydrolysis alkalization and multi-phase bleaching. Fact: Sodium hydroxide in its crystalline form is the active ingredient in Liquid Plumr. Acute exposure can case eye and skin irritation and breathing fumes can cause vomiting. That carbon disulfide in the bamboo bath is known to cause neural disorders. Where this becomes a big issue is if bamboo is being processed for fabric in places where worker safety conditions aren’t scrutinized (a particular issue right now in China).

Now, there are some good ways to process bamboo that are far more eco-friendly and involve less environmentally detrimental chemicals to break down the plant into stock for yarn. A company in Seattle, Washington called 5 Bamboo makes a proprietary product called Nomo, all produced in a closed loop system. Lyocell is the result, which is leaps and bounds better than hydrolysis alkalization and multi-phase bleaching.

Bottom line: look for bamboo products that are Lyocell or indicate mechanical, not chemical, processing.

Do We Want to Be Bamboozled, Do We Not Want to Be Bamboozled?

The skinny is this: If a bamboo product is produced in the USA, it’s probably being made from the more environmentally friendly process. If the bamboo is made abroad, it’s possibly bad news. There are some certifications that exist to help consumers make conscious choices but these too have issues. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global NGO that defines industrial and commercial standards, which works as a tool for companies to implement environmentally friendly practices. The ISO, however,  does not certify the manufacturing processes. In so many cases, the producer isn’t the manufacturer of the textile and though the product make be safe for the environment, the process by which it was made is not. Chain of custody gets weird in developing world supply chains.

Bottom line: You don’t need to make a career of it (I promise), but it’s up to you, the consumer, to do your homework. Bamboo may be the new silk, Pergo, cutting board and kitchen utensil, but you have to talk to the company that makes the product first. As always, it’s Caveat Emptor out there. Or maybe better: Viridus Caveat Emptor: green buyer beware.

Image: The Busy Brain, Lav & Kush, Joi

While they might want to reconsider the air miles it took for them to find it, this bamboo vase from Phillips Collection gets a sky-high rating.  

Designers Mark and Julie Phillips of Phillips Collection specialize in what they call Globally Sourced Home Décor. Hmm, sounds like a mighty big footprint to me. Nevertheless, this abstract-modern vase is made by hand from pressed bamboo. Let’s hear it again for fast-growing, durable and pliable bamboo.

To give them some leeway, the Phillips Collection is a traveling duo that has been traversing the globe over a period of 30 years. Taking them all over the planet in their relentless search for talent, innovative production techniques and globally inspired organic décor.

What do you think of their globe-trotting ways: a forgivable means to an end or not so cool, even if it is bamboo?

The vase retails for $147.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

Keep up with your stylish eco-statements even when you’re at the beach.

Go to the beach sometime and you’ll see a wave of umbrellas reminiscent of a scene out of 1975′s Jaws. Luckily, a company like Brelli came along to cure us of our dated seaside style to offer us 99% UVA/UVB sun protection under a sweet, oversized parasol.   The sunBRELLI is made using sustainably harvested bamboo, organic cotton, and biodegradable biofilm and comes  with an organic cotton carry case.

Afraid of sharks? The Brelli also comes in smaller sizes for use as your go-to umbrella that shields you from rain.

$48-$59 depending on size.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

 The State Series from husband and wife design duo AHeirloom is a cut above…Iowa. 

Now you can dice, chop, mince and show some home state pride. These butcher blocks are made from 100% renewable bamboo, care of Plyboo, by Brooklyn-based design duo A.Heirloom. As part of the State Series, seen here in its Pacific Northwest glory (that would be Alaska and Washington State), these cutting/cheese boards were designed with 3D software and CNC routed on a 3 axis mill.

Price is $40 per state, including Delaware.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

Image: AHeirloom

EcoSalon’s top bathing suits for summer ’11 are made from sustainable fabrics, locally sourced or fair trade.

Warm days are here and it’s that magical time where we prance around in our underwear and call it a bathing suit. Yours a little worn, tight, faded? Well, we’ve compiled an up to date list of what we consider the best (sustainable), summer ’11 bathing suit lines going.

You can thank us now or later.

Kelly B

Kelly B attacks environmental and social consciousness via her line’s flattering silhouettes and subtle sexiness. “Clothing is a form of art that everyone can relate to. Everybody wears it. It’s a platform to get everything that is important to me out there,” says Kelly. Looking stunning in her bathing suits beach side is another way to further carry out her green views.

Mociun

Caitlin Mociun of Mociun has niched out our closets already with some of the more graphic and forward thinking styles available in the eco fashion world but she’s pushing us into a deliberate love for her bathing suits too.

Karla Colletto

Karla Colletto is a luxe swimwear line that combines high fashion with figure-flattering cuts. The result is runway-ready swimwear that will make women of all ages wish they were as style savvy as you. She offers lots of different suit options but her cut-out suits are a sure standout from the rest.

Emobi

Emobi prints are all original and designed in-house, using a range of environmentally friendly water based dyes, that minimize the impact on beaches and waterways combined with premium breathable UPF 50+ fabric.

Olga Olsson

Each Olga Olsson bikini is totally unique and hand painted by fair trade artisans in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. All bathing suits are made to order so the line can create as little waste as possible.

Lina Rennell

Sure you could have a traditional bathing suit as you bask on the beach but then what fun would that be? Lina Rennell’s swimwear line is always full of surprises from vintage cuts to graphic prints that meet to form the world’s cutest bathing suit.

Meadow

All of Meadow’s designs are proudly sewn in Miami, where the brand focuses on local production and sourcing. Meadow only works with sustainable materials such as bamboo, soy, organic cotton and upcycled fabrics. Her entire line features a coastal vibe for laid back luxe pre and post beach.

Niksters

Nikster’s bathing suits are made from soy, organic cotton, bamboo, and other natural fibers to further promote your sustainable lifestyle.
These exotic bikinis are accessorized with shells, pearls, stones, bamboo, coconuts, and other hand-selected elements from tropical destinations around the globe. Some of the designs are also carefully hand-finished through macramé stitching, embroidered beads, or hand-painting.

Top Image: Cali Dreaming