An eco-friendly alternative for your picnic needs.

Peeved at the thought of filling a landfill with plastic picnicware? Fear no more. Aspenware, Inc., a Lumby, British Columbia-based company, produces a line of all natural, ergonomically-designed, compostable wooden forks, soup spoons, knives and spoons designed to take the sting out of “disposable.”

The lightweight, yet strong utensils are manufactured from fast-growing but “short-lived” trees harvested near the end of their lifespan. The packaging, produced from 100 percent plant and wood fiber, is also compostable. After your next barbecue or birthday party, just throw the used utensils on the compost pile and smile. Cleanup is done.

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

Image: Aspenware

Summer is the era of casual picnics and easy, light impromptu meals. Be ready for those glorious impromptu meals with these picnic picks that are easy and light on mother earth. With such a delicious gathering of commodities, your eyes will be as satisfied as your stomach.

Indulge in the illusion of luxurious silverware with this Picnic Cutlery Set ($5 per set). Enjoy your clean conscious after scraping your Biodegradable Plate clean because these sugar cane fiber creations are completely compostable, biodegradable, and affordable (starting at $5.50 for a pack of 10).

Not to be outdone by your plates, the biodegradable Wasara Tumbler is a mixture of sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and reed pulp; these lovely little vessels can deliver hot or cold liquid to thirsty lips ($10 for a pack of six). The Buckley Organic Blanket (starting at $59.95) provides a soft place to rest while you savor picnic wares – plus, no one will notice if you spill a little mustard or drop a deviled egg. 

And finally, a gaggle of bugs you actually invited to the blanket, each Beetle Napkin provides ample absorbent cotton ($27 for a set of four).

Now head over to the Food and Recipes section and peruse scrumptious culinary delights to pack up for the picnic – and don’t forget the bug spray.

In a perfect world, all parents would use cloth diapers and reusable baby wipes to greatly reduce the footprint their baby’s bottom leaves on the planet during the diapering stage. But in reality, one-time-use baby wipes are a staple in every parent’s bag of tricks. Used for wiping up messy tushies at home, and to thwart or contain many a childhood catastrophe on the go, there are millions of baby wipes being used across the land, that get tossed out within moments of their use. Read on for some top tips on how to reduce your impact when using baby wipes, and to learn about three biodegradable baby wipes options that will get the dirty work done without leaving the planet a mess.

Some things to consider when purchasing baby wipes: first, seriously consider using reusable wipes. Bottoms-up offers a great all-in-one starter kit. If you’re set on going the disposable route, once you buy your first plastic pop-up tub of wipes, keep the container for life. There’s no need to fill your home and landfills with plastic tubs when you can buy refill packs of baby wipes for less of the cost and pop them into your reusable plastic bin.

Incorporate one of these three biodegradable baby wipe options into your diapering routine – they’ll help save the earth while saving your baby’s bottom from harsh chemicals.

Nature Babycare Wipes

Nature Babycare baby wipes are fragrance free, chlorine free, alcohol and perfume free and their packaging is free of plastic, made of natural and renewable materials, and 100 percent compostable. Their cloth-like feel and absorbency make these wipes less moisture-prone than say a mainstream ‘wet wipe,’ but I really like the subtle scent they emit, perhaps from their aloe vera component (even though they are technically unscented). They also come in a lightly scented variety. You can get 10 packages with 70 wipes in each package for $49.99.

gWipes from gDiapers

gDiapers recently added gWipes to their eco collection of diapering accouterments. These hypoallergenic wipes are designed especially for baby’s sensitive skin and contain aloe vera and vitamin E to soothe and protect baby’s bottom. These biodegradable wipes may be composted when wet, and because they are made of cellulose pulp and regenerated cellulose, they break down much faster than mainstream baby wipes. You can get 12 70-count packages of gWipes for $45.

Elements Baby Wipes

Elements baby wipes are 100 percent natural, compostable, and they are also free of chlorine and fragrances. Developed by a mom, Elements baby wipes are made from Ingeoâ„¢ Fibers, the world’s first man-made fiber from 100 percent natural renewable resources. Ingeoâ„¢ fibers are free of chemical additives and surface treatments, and production requires 68 percent fewer fossil fuel resources than traditional oil-based materials. These wipes are also larger in size than most baby wipes on the market, which equates to less use of additional wipes to get the job done. Priced at $5.99 for a package of 80 count wipes.

We know the best way to green your wardrobe is to buy less and wash less. But what about your underwear?

Let’s be honest, few of us are willing to consider upcycled or secondhand solutions or ever stretching out time between undie washes as with other garments (shiver).

Take into consideration that underwear is a highly consumed product – every year, the average American man buys seven to 10 pairs, and the average American woman buys 10 to 14. Unfortunately, most of these are made from conventionally grown cotton.

Conventional cotton alone is responsible for one fourth of the worldwide insecticides and pesticides used globally, so it’s time to start mentioning our unmentionables! In fact, it’s ironic that with all the discussion of eco fabric, the items using the least of it are actually responsible for the most damage. Perhaps you’ve always known that your underwear is where you can make an impact (you naughty thing, you) but happily you won’t have to take the hardcore solution and go commando. A healthy handful of talented designers are finding sustainable solutions for intimates.

Inspired by a gap in the market, Tiffany Phipps designed T-Luxe Eco-lingerie, a slinky and silky line of organic underwear. “I try to live an eco-conscious lifestyle but when it comes to intimates, no one was doing anything in the eco department. I decided it was time to do a line of my own!” said the designer.

Another designer creating beautiful pieces is Manuka Sanyal of Manu lingerie. With bamboo, organic cotton, French lace and other eco-friendly fabrics she created “out of desperation, an underwear that made me feel sexy, yet covered.”

Utilizing an ecologically sound bamboo viscose, Sanyal created pieces that are stretchy, unbelievably soft, and enhanced with gorgeous hand-block prints designed by Manuka’s mom in the 1970s. They’re perfectly flattering and suit all body types.

With intimates, fabric selection is the key to the design. If there is any place to avoid a granola aesthetic, it’s underwear.

Jeff Denby, founder of the PACT organic underwear brand, which incorporates beautiful designs by Yves Behar, wanted PACT underwear to hold their shape and last a long time. “We founded PACT on the basic tenet that sustainability can be sexy and fun. It does not have to equate to a crunchy design aesthetic.”

Joining many underwear designers that are paying attention to their packaging, Denby recently enthused, “Each pair of underwear is packed in its own reusable fabric bag produced from off-cuts (excess fabric), so PACT eliminates tens of thousands of plastic bags. Finally, each order is shipped in bright green sleeves made from a special material that is 100 percent compostable.”

Just knowing your underwear is a little more eco than others is a secret green thrill you can keep to yourself.

Image: PACT organic

Remember Tom, as in Tom’s Of Maine toothpaste? Well, Tom got tired of the same old, same old and decided to do something else.

He and his wife, Kate, bought a sheep farm, named it Rambler’s Way and while watching all the pretty sheep with their soft fur a grazin’, got inspired to create an eco-thermal-wear line. Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.

It actually took him some time between selling Tom’s of Maine to Colgate in 2006 to now, but he’s back and providing us with more products that have been created with a conscience. In fact, at the Rambler’s Way website we learn that:

• They use organic, no-till, and best management practices.
• They protect wildlife habitat and preserve critical ecosystems.
• They use gentle combs and humane handling systems when shearing and sorting.
• Their environmentally-sensitive enzyme wash is a chlorine-free and patented treatment.
• They use minimal packaging, made from reclaimed materials that are compostable and recyclable.
• They generate their own renewable solar and geothermal energy.
• They use bio-fuels in our trucks and tractors.

Okay, we get it! We’re sold, Tom.

Now comes our giveaway that includes one of these beautiful tops and one of these pairs of bottoms (you choose the pairing) made from Rambouillet wool from the sheep farm in Maine (or from one of the collaborative ranches in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas or Utah). I just got a Rambler’s Way sample the other day to feel and the quality is wonderful.

For complete giveaway rules go here, and you’ll find FTC guidelines here. Good luck!

Oh, this is way too cute. The “Help, I Need Help” folks are at it again.

First they charmed us with clever little (eco-friendly!) packages labeled “Help, I have a headache,” and “Help, I’ve cut myself,” containing acetaminophen and bandages.

Now they’ve expanded their product line – or rather their packaging line. After all, they’re really just selling ibuprofen, but in a Zen little package labeled “Help, I have an aching body,” just to make sure you don’t forget what ibuprofen is for.

Fully compostable corn-based packages, did I forget to mention?

And even though I avoid OTC medications and prefer natural remedies for my aches and pains, I can’t help but be delighted by their wide-eyed faux-naivete. Take yourself on a visit to their Help, I’m Bored page for some McSweeney’s kind of fun.

Have you ever really thought about what chewing gum is made of? Maybe you don’t really want to know. Modern gum is mostly made up of petro-based polymers. Essentially, you’re chewing plastic. But the original chewing gum came from chicle, the latex of a tropical Central American tree. And the Consorcio Chicleros of south-eastern Mexico are taking chewing gum back to its original Mayan roots.

So gum-lovers, I’d like to present you with a better option: Chicza, an organic, biodegradable, agave-sweetened gum made completely from chicle tree latex, the old-fashioned way. The chicle latex is sustainably harvested right in the tropical forest. These trees can’t produce the latex in any other environment than their natural one, so the chicleros have great incentive to protect their trees and their livelihood.

And you, as the gum chewing consumer, can rest assured that you’re chewing a botanical product (and not the product of the petrol business) and helping these people protect their land from deforestation and cattle grazing. So chew up! And toss your gum in the compost when you’re done.

When you think of eco friendly plates and bowls, what comes to mind? Pale, pasty, meek little things, that melt at the slightest hint of heat, and never mind going anywhere near an oven. And have you tried to actually compost or biodegrade one?

Generally there’s a disconnect between the green dream and the reality, since they often require special conditions/facilities to properly do the job, and even then, they take a fair amount of time.

What to do?

Verterra seems to have gone down the list of how to make the best possible green plates, bowls and platters, and done it all. They make them from palm leaves. Fallen palm leaves. They pay their workers a living wage. They use only steam and chilling to make them, tempering them, which makes them super sturdy. The middle layer of leaves is sappy, replacing the usual binder (aka glue) used on other green plates to give them form.

Since they’re made only from leaves and steam, they compost and biodegrade fast, as you’d expect. And Verterra have had that officially verified. It’s official, they rule the school when it comes to speediness on this front. This one quote says it best, ” VerTerra dinnerware breaks down 150% above the standard in 2/3 the time. ”

In a road test of my own, I ate chili, spaghetti, and other messy meals in one of their bowls. Yes, they’re washable and reusable. Several times! They came through just fine, ready for more. And as you can see from the pictures, they’re quite easy on the eyes, looking almost like wood.

Their new Signature line really ups aesthetics, nicely curved, modern looking, with small touches like a line around the edge. Apparently they’re on to something as I’ve been told they’re already back-ordered into March! Get on the list now so you can get this lovely compostable dinnerware yourself.

This is a guest post by Paul Smith of GreenSmithConsulting. Follow him on Twitter.

Images: Theodore Samuels