Olsen Haus shoes are 100% vegan.

These Olsen Haus shoes are splattered with non-toxic paint in champagne, making for a unique pattern that turns out a shoe both edgy and sweet. Part of Olsen Haus’ shoe profits go to PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Greenpeace and the Theosophical Society to help promote animal rights and legislation.

$160

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

Some say goodie bags are passé and I don’t blame them, especially those filled with lots of pamphlets and papers that you don’t even look at.

When we decided to offer the first 50 attendees to EcoSalon Shops! a goodie bag, we wanted it to be chock full of amazing products, and that’s just what we did.

Here’s our line-up, so get there on time. See you tonight!

Perfume samples from…A Perfume Organic

Like perfumes but hate all the synthetic notes that make your head ache?

A Perfume Organic is your solution, offering an edited line of organic perfumes that provide a healthier and much more interesting alternative to the traditional.

As a vegan, organic, local, and raw food advocate, A Perfume Organic’s founder, Amanda Walker, sought to create her line based on her own addiction to scents.

Hand poured locally in Manhattan, Walker imbues each perfume with a minimum of 14 blended notes which change on the wearer.

Delicious.

Zipper necklaces from”¦Tara St James

Tara St. James is one part my hero for realizing she could make fabulous jewelry out of leftover zippers from her collection and another part genius for minimizing waste in her collection.

I recently wrote about St. James, one of our EcoSalon Shops! vendors so go here to read more about her. In the meantime, start drooling over her zipper necklaces for you lucky first 50.

Divine Dark and Milk Chocolate bars from”¦ Divine Chocolate

Divine Chocolate is making strides as the only Fair Trade chocolate company which is 45 percent owned by the farmers. Pretty impressive. Their website says: “The overall strategic aim of Divine Chocolate is to improve the livelihood of smallholder cocoa producers in West Africa by establishing their own dynamic branded proposition in the UK chocolate market, thus putting them higher up the value chain.”

Want to know what the symbols mean on the packaging? Go to the site and check out Adinkra to find out.

Tins of tea from”¦Nourish Tea

Chris Draper, CEO of Nourish Tea, says of his reasoning behind starting the company: “On a personal quest to become healthier, I made the decision to start drinking tea daily. I quickly found that many teas were bitter and lifeless. Then one day, I had a cup of Darjeeling tea, served without milk or sugar “¦and my concept of what tea could be was changed forever.”

Herbal, red (black), green, white, blue and Matcha teas come in a delectable mélange of distinct flavors and have some of the best names ever created in the history of tea (Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, Iron Goddess Of Mercy and my favorite, Cresting Cranes Of Legend).

Says Draper: “5% of Nourish’s proceeds go to providing nutrition and hydration to those in need (with an emphasis on the young) – wherever they may be. For this reason, AAH is a core partner for the Nourish tea team.”

Go to Nourish Tea’s site for a fantastic tea education and more information about the brand’s mission.

A mini bottle of nail polish from”¦Priti

Priti founder, Kim D’amato, conceived of the idea for her line during her pregnancy. Seeking to deliver a happy, healthy baby, she was successful in finding organic foods but had a hard time when it came to greening her beauty products.

In 2005, D’amato launched Priti NYC with one simple mission: “to support organic farmers and to decrease the amount of chemicals poisoning the earth- and it’s inhabitants-one manicure at a time.”

Priti NYC polishes are all completely non-toxic and made without toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DHB) and formaldehyde – all known carcinogenic ingredients. The luxury polishes are fast drying, chip resistant, contain a UV inhibitor, and are extremely durable and glossy. They are also completely safe for use on children and moms-to-be. Available in over 100 different shades including metallics, mattes, bright neons, rich darks, classic nudes, and everything in between.

Bars of soap from…Organic Pure Life

Calling themselves your “one stop shop for a purely organic life,” the company offers baby, body, house and home and pet products to keep everyone healthy.

Non-toxic sunscreens, organic cotton baby onesies, soy candles, dog shampoos and toys are just some of the products you’ll be able to view and buy at the site.

A Leaf Crystal Ornament from”¦VivaTerra

VivaTerra’s leaf ornament sparkles with genuine Swarovski crystals and naturally adds a warm glow of golden light to your home’s decor. Hand-dipped in liquid metal, every vein of the leaf stands out in nature’s own patterns as it dangles from a silk ribbon in a window, or if you want to put it away for the holidays, from your tree’s branches.

Vegan Lip Glosses from”¦Minepress

Etsy rocks, right? Thanks to a tip from Foundfuture’s Shannon Lorraine, we were able to get customized vegan lip glosses from Minepress.
Made with a natural soy base with vitamin E, aloe, safflower oil, chamomile & jojoba. Your bag could contain flavors including cherry, vanilla, original or mint and your lip gloss will say what else, EcoSalon!

An animal purse from”¦Dialog

Dialog’s signature style is based on a recycling technique from Malaysia that incorporates small origami folded squares of mixed scrap fabrics. (Trust us, the picture does not do these little cuties justice.)

Says Dialog: “To make the trim they work with charities within local communities such as drug rehab centers, women empowerment initiatives, vocational training and community development projects instigating workshops that develop skills, create income and lead to sustainable employment.”

They also raise funds for various projects around Asia by creating limited edition t-shirts called Hopetees. All proceeds go to charity.

Reusable bags from”¦RuMe

Colorado-based RuMe was launched on Earth Day 2008 “to meet the growing need of environmentally conscious consumers who don’t want to sacrifice style and functionality.”

Surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains and influenced by the environmentally-sensitive Colorado climate, the company has emerged as a stylish stand in for wasteful plastic bags accrued while shopping.

And thanks to their flat bottoms, packing groceries or new blouses into a bag has never been more statement enhancing. Choose from a multitude of colors and graphics.

A scarf from”¦ A Lot To Say

Founded by two sisters, A Lot To Say came up with a concept for a green t-shirt line that utilizes the power of the written word to educate people and help them embrace a new awareness of sustainability.

Everything in the line is made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainable dyeing is provided by AirDye® technology from Colorep®, a forward thinking company that pioneered this technology that uses no water in the application of color to fabric.

Every purchase you make from A Lot To Say (t-shirts, umbrellas, panties and scarves) gives to deserving charities including various cancer, green and animal foundations.

Spring cleaning. Now, there’s a phrase with some dust on it. When the weather gets warmer and the flowers start to bloom, this is one annual ritual that nobody looks forward to. Besides, why should all of your hard work be hidden behind closet and garage doors? This season, try out a new tradition that celebrates the end of winter in fresh and colorful style: spring redecorating. And, don’t worry about that tight budget. You can do everything from sewing new curtains to painting your walls without burning a hole in your wallet. Here are seven DIY projects to frugally renovate your room:

Make a New Duvet Cover

New bedding is one of the best ways to reinvent your room, but these sets can be pretty pricey. Instead, make your own duvet cover. Before you start, choose your color scheme. As Luanne recently pointed out, raspberry is a popular accent shade this spring, while others include acid green and amethyst.

Once you have some hues in mind, measure your comforter to determine how much fabric you’ll need to buy. You can order organic fabrics online at NearSea Naturals, Organic Cotton Plus and Vreseis for as little as $11 per yard or visit your local fabric store to scour the racks for an even better deal. Then, with thread and needle in hand, follow these easy steps to sew your new duvet cover.

Block Print Fabrics

Look around your room. Are there any boring, solid-colored fabrics hanging from your curtain rods or covering your tabletops? Just invest in some fabric paint and use this easy method of block printing to adorn them with colors and patterns of your choice.

Add Decorative Accents from Nature

Looking to enhance your room with decorative accents? Save yourself a trip to Pier 1. This project won’t cost you a singe penny. Plus, it will give you an excuse to get some fresh air and appreciate the great outdoors. Plan a hike through the woods or along the creek near your home and keep an eye out for potential pieces of décor. From homemade stone cairns to tree branch wall hangings, the possibilities are endless.

Sew New Curtains

You don’t have to be a master seamstress to nail this project. Just follow these simple steps to make your own curtains.

Paint an Accent Wall

Painting your entire room is quite a demanding project to undertake. If you’re short on time, money or both, opt to paint an accent wall instead. Choose a bright or bold shade that complements your room’s color scheme. Then, mix up some homemade non-toxic milk paint and brighten up your room.

Stencil Paint Glass and Mirrors

With this fun DIY project, you can use homemade stencils and the milk paint leftover from your accent wall to adorn your windows and mirrors with vivid colors and artistic patterns.

Reupholster Your Armchair

It’s been a long winter, and your cozy armchair is showing signs of wear and tear from night after night of cuddling up with a good book. With the latest spring trends dominating the pages of your favorite design magazines, it may be tempting to splurge on a new armchair altogether. With the latest trends in mind, reupholster it in spring style by following this guide.

Images: this could be my house, pinprick, sparklerawk, rossinst, Meghan.LaMountain, Decora Espacio, craftzine, quisic

It wasn’t the answer I had hoped for, in fact it threw me. And when I finally landed it was clear I had my next topic for EcoSalon. Is ceramic an eco-friendly material?

Not really.

Ceramic is certainly not 100% eco-friendly, although it does boast an honest list of good intentions.

But first the aforementioned answer, which comes from Whitney Smith, a ceramic artist on Etsy. I asked her about the eco-friendliness of her work. Here’s what she said:

Hi Kim, I wouldn’t consider my process eco-friendly. Pottery production uses a lot of energy, and many of the ingredients in glazes and the clay body itself are toxic and cancer-causing in their raw form, and are mined from the earth. I take steps to reduce harm to the environment and myself and employees in my relatively low-production studio, but as a general rule it is impossible to make eco-friendly pottery, though I have seen people make that claim. As far as energy usage, I know some people have employed solar panels to reduce usage, but kilns use so much energy that solar panels are a minor offset at best.  Wood burning and gas fired kilns pollute the air. I know PG&E, my energy provider, claims that over 50% of the energy provided to Northern Californians is wind energy, but who knows? Thanks for asking!  Whitney

I’ve heard the term “eco-friendly ceramics” tossed around by at least a few of the artisans whose work we’ve featured here at EcoSalon. (Perch! and Heath Ceramics, to name just two.) What do they mean and how can they claim eco, while Smith speaks of the polluting process and a serious footprint?

Needless to say, I was stumped. I wanted to reply with, “But, but, but”¦other people say their ceramics are eco?” Instead I bit my tongue and hit up Google.

It took me just under 5 minutes to find an environmentally friendly ceramic memo board and this ceramic teapot made with “sustainable materials.” Really?

Clay is an organic substance, for crying out loud. It comes straight from the earth, but as I’ve learned, this doesn’t mean it’s anything near green. Can any object made of clay, baked at degrees in the realm of the thousands ever be considered remotely green?

Perhaps.

For instance, what if non-toxic, low-impact glazes are used? What if the artist’s studio is footprint-free? And what if there’s a type of clay (there is) that only requires one fire in the kiln rather than two?

That, we can fairly say, is progress. Perfection? Does it really matter, as long as there’s an authentic and consistent path toward better, cleaner, safer?

Upon further investigation, I found this post by Laura Zindle, an artist based in Vermont. She states – emphatically, I might add – that her own work is not even the lightest shade of green and further, she’s infuriated that that others are making such preposterous claims.

Zindle has done some of her own research, asking her most knowledgeable colleagues to comment. Their thoughts show candor and passion about the art of ceramics, their own green leanings and how difficult it is to make ceramics 100% sustainable.

What most of them do agree on is the importance of staying informed and educating oneself about the options. The problem, which seems to be a common thread through any and all movements working toward sustainability, is that changes cost money.

John Hull, one of Zindle’s colleagues and a “lifelong educator and potter,” responds to her inquiry with the pragmatic suggestion that “being more green is better than less green.”

You and I work at home. We don’t drive to work using fuel…that’s green.
Your products are functional and don’t get thrown away…that’s green.
When they get broken and are disposed of, they don’t have a negative environmental impact…that’s green.
Your construction process doesn’t use energy (electric potter’s wheel, ram press, etc.)…that’s green.
You fire to a relatively low temp in an efficient kiln emitting no harmful gases (as in reduction)…that’s green.
Your kilns help heat the house and work space…that’s green”¦.and on and on,
BUT…energy use, mining and transporting of materials and all that is a question.

Actually, most of the ceramic artists I have researched claim some level of lessened environmental impact, ranging from total eco-friendliness to simply using non-toxic glazes. For example, Steve Harrison and Janine King have lived and worked green in Australia for years. Davistudio, Emily Murphy and, of course Amy Adams and Perch! are also on the path.

Zindle’s website now claims her work is “hand built and slip cast with low fire white earthenware and glazed with non-toxic low fire glazes”. Even a cynic can see the light.

There’s plenty of greenwashing going around, and the world of ceramics is hardly unique in this. A consistent definition of what it means to be green in ceramics needs to be established.  That being said, an honest dialogue is occurring within the ceramics community, which is clearly a move in the right, green direction.

Unquestionably, ceramic is better than plastic. Ceramics are also handmade, and therefore tend to be high in quality. Ceramics are recyclable and artists like Sarah Cihat prefer to use the old and make something new. Vintage ceramics from companies like Bauer are collectibles and are very functional. Personally, I’d rather have Bauer than anything new from Neiman’s.

But I still would love a Whitney Smith cake stand (second image).

Main image: lepiaf.geo