I ordered my first pair of trendy TOMS shoes about a year ago, a pair of the classic style made from burlap. Even though I know some people wouldn’t agree with me, I like the simple, loafer look of them. Plus, TOMS sells some vegan styles and promises to ‘use earth- and animal-friendly materials whenever possible.’ The kicker about these kicks, of course, is that for every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS gives a free pair to a child in a need somewhere in the world. When I received my shoes, I was struck by how comfortable they were on top of all the other benefits.

Are they too good to be true?

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Dear Planet Shoes:

Your site combines two of my favorite things: enviro-friendly products and SHOES. Oh, SO MANY SHOES! With so many cool brands to choose from, what’s a girl to do when offered free rein to choose? After poring over the site for well over an hour I decided I’d like to try out a product that was vegan, a product designed for walking. Based on these criteria I chose the Vivobarefoot Venus mary-janes in pink and blue. Read more…

Please welcome today’s guest poster, Bailey Harris.

Since clean laundry is pretty much a necessity, we pay high prices for laundry detergents, fabric softeners and stain removers. Many people don’t realize that simple, reasonable ingredients can be purchased to make your own laundry products. Most of the time, these ingredients can be found at the same stores as your favorite detergents, fabric softeners, and stain removers, at a fraction of the cost. Read more…

It wasn’t so long ago that everyone in America bought things that were made right in our country, if not the same state. It makes sense that things would be cheaper for the consumer if they didn’t have to travel halfway around the world to get to you, right? Not these days. Many of the things we buy on a regular basis just aren’t manufactured in the United States anymore; companies have discovered it’s cheaper to outsource factory labor overseas. That way, the companies can charge consumers pretty much the same amount in stores, but it costs the company less money to make the product.

So what does this have to do with the environment? It’s not green to ship materials to factories in China — many of which far exceed the emissions restrictions on American factories — so workers can make the products, then ship the products back over here to sell to us. It would be much greener and more efficient to make the majority of the products we consume right here in the U.S. of A., and for other countries to do the same. (Plus, can you imagine the number of jobs that would open up if we manufactured more things in our own country? HELLO, ECONOMIC RECOVERY.)

So it’s increasingly rare to find companies that manufacture their products domestically, but last week, I was lucky enough to tour the Okabashi factory in Buford, Georgia, which is less than an hour from my home. Clad in my beloved Okabashi flip-flops, which I raved about yesterday, Mickey (a fellow Greenist, who also served as the photographer during our tour) and I were escorted around the factory, seeing workers create the shoes that would be shipped out to stores and individual consumers. I’m glad to report that Okabashi not only creates a comfortable, high-quality product, it also lives up to its green message. (In fact, it won the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2011 Environmental Award!)  Read more…

Do me a favor: Go look in your closet and find a pair, any pair, of shoes. Look for the little label or stamp that tells you where that pair of shoes was made. Without even knowing what shoes you’re looking at, I’d bet good money they were made somewhere in Asia, probably China or Taiwan.

In fact, look at some other articles of clothing while you’re in there. Shirts, pants, whatever. Were most of them made in China? I thought so. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about my Okabashi flip-flops: Not only are they super comfortable and 100% recyclable, they were made right here in America. In fact, they were made in Buford, Georgia, no more than 45 minutes from my home.   Read more…

While the internet has given us much (we can’t thank it enough for all the naked people and celebrity meltdown videos), one benefit that’s often overlooked is its capacity for inadvertent time travel. While researching this article, I came across the following passage on the site greensteps.org:

To date, the Chaco team in Paonia has been able to beat the “landed cost” of assembling their core performance sandals in China. [HR Director Dave] Knutson attributes this to the simplicity of the product, and the experience and work ethic of their employees.

It’s a fun exercise in flux capacity because the article was posted in 2005, three years before Chaco moved all production to China. Read more…

Have you heard the rumor that dryer sheets can repel mice?  Mosquitoes?  Even bees?

Although the evidence of this rumor is shaky at best, it seems like a good idea to question an item claiming to have the ability to repel animals, especially if that item is used on clothing and, as such, leaves chemicals behind that are in prolonged contact with your skin.

But what would you use if you didn’t use dryer sheets?

Well, time to consider Nellie’s Dryerballs.

Nellie’s Dryerballs are reusable plastic balls that are added to the dryer in lieu of dryer sheets.  They claim to: soften fabric naturally, reduce drying time, have no chemicals, reduce lint and wrinkles, and reduce ironing.

I purchased mine in conjunction with a pair of reusable dryer sheets last November and haven’t looked back!

Coming from a multiple pet household, our family seems to have a never ending pile of towels, dog beds, and comforters in need of washing.  Even with our new dryer that is meant to ‘sense’ when laundry is dry, these bulky items would often dry on the outside but would still be wet in the inner folds.  Not anymore!  The dryerballs do succeed in reducing drying time, but more important in my book, they almost always prevent the problem of sheets or towels wrapping around themselves- making items not only dry faster but also more completely!  In that sense, I believe the items are also less wrinkled and in less need of ironing if removed from the dryer right away.   Unfortunately, I am the person who forgets anything is in the dryer and is surprised to find it a couple days later when I go to dry my next load- so wrinkles are something I’m used to living with.

As for the other claims, I’ve never had an issue with fabrics not feeling soft enough, and I didn’t notice a difference when we switched to dryerballs.  However, even with the reusable dryer sheets, static cling was slightly more noticeable in loads with troublesome fabrics- i.e. my husband’s wool socks.  We’ve always had trouble with these items, though, and the addition of the dryer sheets did help.  I’ve also found the dryerballs work best with full loads of laundry- but we’re all doing that anyway, right?  But if you do try to use them in small loads, they can make quite a ruckus as they bounce around in a less-than-full-dryer.

Want to give your own dryerballs a try?

Well, the gracious people at Nellie’s All Natural are offering a free giveaway of Nellie’s Dryerballs.  Just ‘like’ Nellies All Natural on facebook and return here to leave a comment telling us you did so.  A winner will be picked by random number generator and posted on Tuesday, March 8th.

One last word of caution: if your husband is as childish as mine, he will snicker ever time you say “dryerballs.”   You’ve been warned.

I live in Rochester, NY.  Snow is often in the forecast here from October to May, and good boots are an essential part of staying warm and dry.  But I hate boot shopping.  With a vengeance. Trying to find boots that will fit over my ginormous calves is not my idea of fun.  I frustrate sales people, I frustrate myself, and I always walk away empty-footed handed.  For the past three or four winters, I’ve been wearing my hiking boots when it snows, because the idea of going to the store and going through the boot shopping process is almost more loathsome than bathing suit shopping.

When Planet Shoes offered to send me a pair of boots from their Eco Shop to review, I warned them about my ginormous calves.  They suggested I try the Keen Bern High Boot in Crouton.  I’ve been wearing a pair of Keen slip-ons as my primary shoes since 2008, and they are still in fighting form.  I love how durable and comfortable they are.  So, I agreed to give the Bern High Boot a try, even though I suspected they wouldn’t fit my problem calves.  I have never been so happy to be wrong before.  Not only did they fit, but they are fabulous.   Read more…

Because I was a good little NPW throughout the 2010 calendar year, Santa saw fit to leave me a beautiful gift under the Christmas tree: this gorgeous Santogold bag from vegan designer Matt & Nat. The few times I’ve used it to go out I’ve received bunches of compliments on its distinctive look. When I’m wearing it I also like to pretend I’m like a modern day, non-musical Joan Jett because it is so punk rock.

In addition to being awesome-looking, Matt & Nat products are all made using vegan leather and recycled materials. The About Us section of their website words it beautifully:

“In 1995, MATT & NAT Founder and Creative Director Inder Bedi was challenged by a Mahatma to become a Vegetarian for 30 days. It was during this time that MATT & NAT was conceived. A brand and movement shaped by the power of duality. Fifteen years later, he is continuously working towards this goal – exceeding norms to offer cutting edge products that are fashionable and beautiful and yet made in a socially responsible way, or as we like to say, with Compassion. MATT & NAT products have never used animal by-products. That said, the brand is more than just vegan. It has always been a trailblazer in the environmental movement. Each product contains at least one recycled element and on average 21 plastic bottles are recycled to make linings for our bags. MATT & NAT has always been a Pioneer in Eco-Fashion.”

Plastic bottle linings! I love anything that combines form and function with fashion. So the next time you decide you NEED a new bag (this happens to me quite frequently), I’d highly recommend one of these bags. Or, you know, if you decide you NEED to buy me a gift, may I suggest this Portland bag? Because seriously: swoon.

I’m a somewhat outdoorsy kind of gal, and despite the sweltering heat this summer, I’ve done a lot of bicycling, kayaking, river tubing and hiking. All this is great fun, but for one thing: I have a watch with a metal band, and metal watch + sunscreen + my sweaty wrist = no fun. And since I’m also the kind of gal who constantly wants to know what time it is, I soon found myself in the market for a durable watch with a cloth band that I could wear while I’m enjoying the outdoors.

So I went watch shopping online, and it wasn’t long before I found Sprout. In addition to the wide selection of colors and the cute design, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Sprout watches are supremely eco-friendly. The band is made of organic cotton, the watch face and buckle are made of corn resin and bamboo, the glass over the watch face is made of mineral crystal, and even the battery is mercury-free. There’s nary a petroleum-based product in it! I was quite impressed, and between the eco-friendliness and the fact that it’s only $24 on Amazon, I bought it. Read more…