Green Daily

There's no shortage of innovation when it comes to dying in an ecologically conscious way. Just looking back through our posts on eco-friendly burials, tombstones, caskets, and urns -- one might think we were totally obsessed with death. Well, maybe we are, and that makes us even more qualified to say that the Coffin Table -- designed by Pratt grad student Charles Constantine -- is probably the most morbidly kick-butt green burial contraption yet.


The non-toxic, untreated pine box is called "Momento," and what makes it so uniquely eco-friendly is that it's designed for use in life as well as death. Why not combine the furniture on both sides of your mortal existence into one? It's the 3 R's in action. Conventional caskets are generally made of old-growth hardwoods and covered in toxic sealants. What a waste. Charles's coffin/table has an open bottom for quicker decomposition -- now that's efficiency.

[via Inhabitat]

Ever stand in your local drugstore and feel a wave of brand overload? Seriously: how many shampoos/conditioners/detanglers/smoothing creams/hair gook does one need?

Debranded Home's goal is to rid you of the brands that clutter your vision and your bathroom sink. But before you go and dismiss this as too "Adbusters" for your taste, consider this: the site also features an entire section on making your own beauty products. From hand soap to herbal shampoo to toothpaste, these green options are good to the earth and your body.

If you're worried about the lead in your lipstick, the mercury in your cosmetics, or the placenta in your hair conditioner, you may be exploring more organic ways to enhance your natural beauty. So how about rubbing bird poop all over your face?

As it turns out, the last time one of Mother Nature's feathered friends dropped a bomb on your noggin, they were doing you a favor. Because, believe it or not, high-rolling New Yorkers are paying for that crap -- the Shizuka salon in midtown Manhattan charges $216 for the courtesy of lathering your face in bird excrement.

But before you judge, apparently geishas and kabuki dancers have been doing this for centuries. Bird poop contains guanine, which helps remove pollutants and blackheads. Plus, nowadays, instead of taking guanine, um, direct from the source, the stuff is sterilized with UV light before it's pasted on your face.

So, while I wouldn't recommend standing under trees, face-up, hoping for perfect skin, this might work as an alternative to your traditional cosmetics routine. Or not.

Here at GD, we love us some Dr. Bronner's, and for good reason: the products boast all-natural, organic, fairly-traded ingredients, they're gentle on the skin, and they can be used for pretty much anything.

Now, the slightly wacky organic soap line is filing a lawsuit against other personal care product companies, saying that they're not as organic as they claim. (One of Dr. B's mottos is "Wash with a clean conscience.")

And Dr. B's is kinda right: not many products can rightfully claim that they're organic (recently, an Origins line was the first to be registered organic by the USDA). In the official news release, Dr. B's calls out companies like Estee Lauder, Kiss My Face, and Nature's Gate, listing the hard-to-pronounce chemicals that appear on the labels of their products.

Specifically, Dr. B's claims that many of these so-called organic products still contain synthetics.

The mud-slinging has already begun: about a week prior to the release of the Dr. Bronner's lawsuit, Ecocert, one of the companies accused of being unorganic, filed a claim basically asking the judge to throw out the first suit.

So, whaddya think?

Yesterday I was watching snippets of the Martha Stewart Show while straightening up my house when I saw Dr. Brent Ridge share his goat milk soap recipe. For those of you who like to DIY here is the recipe -- those of you who are less inclined to break out the lye and fresh goat's milk you can purchase these beautiful bars from their source: Beekman 1802. The handmade, artisanal, chemical-free soaps are made at the Beekman farm just north of New York City where Dr. Ridge raises his own goats. You can choose from unscented or scented selections which change every month. This would be a wonderful Mother's Day gift too!

In Women's Health Magazine a doctor was quoted as saying, "As much as 60% of topical skin-care products are absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. They should be consumed with the same prudence that we use to choose our breakfast cereal."

So, 100% Pure body products would be the perfect gift for your eco-friendly friends who take that advice to heart. They're made of real ingredients. So if your lotion says it's blueberry scented, there are actual blueberries in it -- what an amazing concept!

What's up with celebrities and their outright rejection of the hygiene products that they once endorsed? It seems like every week we hear a superstar complaining because their co-star won't take control of the bodily odor. Now we find that even the best-smelling Hollywood divas don't wage war on their underarm sweat glands by jamming them full of phalates and aluminum. Is boycotting deodorant the next big celebrity trend?

Apparently, Julia Roberts has now disclosed that she is amongst the deodorant-hating ranks of Matthew McConaughey and Orlando Bloom. Her method of avoiding b.o. is so top secret, she can't even disclose it to Oprah -- now that's personal. These guys do know that organic alternatives exist out there, right? Is there something wrong with Tom's organic deodorant that we don't know about yet? Hollywood types always seem to get the info first, but of course the also have a tendency to be a little eccentric.

[via Ecorazzi]

I'm not one to tout consumerism as part of green living. But I'll go a little crazy since it's Earth Day and what's Earth Day without shameless promotion for the sake of our planet?

My favorite mainstream green retailer, alongside my local health food stores -- yes, plural -- and farmer's market is The Body Shop. Of course they are touting themselves today. The company has been around for for 32 years, dare I say much longer than most who have jumped on the green bandwagon? They use recycled packaging (although they lose points for abandoning refill service several years ago.) They claim to promote energy efficiency throughout the company's corporate offices and incorporate a green philosophy into the design of new stores. Plus, the company has made a commitment to being a Carbon Neutral retailer by 2010. They also support community trade and Farm Aid.

Basically, shopping there is about as conscientious as you're going to get in the mall.

A week ago, I posted about sunscreens and noted that California Baby sunscreen came highly recommended. This week, I wanted to tell you a little more about the entire California Baby body-care line, which I love.

California Baby was started by Los Angeles resident Jessica Iclisoy, who, back in 1991, was raising newborns. She was also having difficulty finding bath/diaper products for them that contained organic, non-synthetic ingredients. Lucky for us, the entrepreneurial spirit drove her to make some of her own.

Today, Iclisoy's line is in health food stores across the country. And even though it's "supposed" to be for babies...who cares?! Try anything of hers, even if you're 102.

Just as it's been shown that children who play outdoors are less likely to develop ADD or ADHD, Norwegian researchers have found that spending time on a farm can help those with mental illnesses manage their symptoms.

Subjects that routinely cared for farm animals -- mostly cows and horses -- showed a lower level of stress along with an increase in confidence in managing new situations. The technique is known as "Green Care," and it's being employed more and more to treat schizophrenia, anxiety, personality disorders in US and Europe.

Due to a recent advancement in funeral technology, we may be one step closer to answering one of life's great riddles: which is greener, burial or cremation? A company called EcoffinsUSA has tipped the scales back in favor of burial by offering up a selection of biodegradable woven wicker caskets.

OK, it's not exactly an technological advancement, but it does solve a couple of environmental problems that are caused by the traditional burial process. Many conventional coffins are constructed out of threatened old-growth woods like mahogany and are sealed with toxic sealants or paints. EcoffinsUSA's lineup is woven out of sustainably-grown, 'fair trade' bamboo, willow, and banana.

There's a helpful post on sunscreens up at Enviroblog; contributor Jovana Ruzicic points to a guide to using sunscreens created by the Environmental Working Group. In case you were wondering, California Baby brand stands out as a winner. Kiss My Face, too.

Jovana goes on to mention a chemical called oxybenzone, which, a new study finds, contaminates nearly all Americans. According to the post, it's a synthetic sunscreen ingredient linked to, "allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage." (Hmmm. Sounds like oxybenzone might protect you from the sun, but still kill you dead.)

Jovana also calls out the FDA on it's lax application and creation of standards for sunscreen chemicals and use.

So wear a hat. Problem solved (temporarily)!

If you've ever wondered which of your favorite stars are using organic natural makeup, here's the inside scoop!


To find out what eco-friendly products Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alicia Silverstone and more are using, browse through the gallery. Oh, and best of all, everything is affordable. Keep reading to learn where you can find these budget friendly, earth friendly items.

I get so lost looking at cosmetic product choice. There is makeup made with organic ingredients. There's makeup that isn't tested on animals. Then there's businesses who manufacture makeup using only sustainable practices.

Suki Cosmetics has it all. Their products are made with only ingredients that you could actually find in nature. They're a green company who also doesn't test on animals. Not only do they not test on animals, but they ensure that even their ingredient suppliers don't test on animals.

As far as sustainable plants go, hemp is right up there with the best of 'em. The plant has a really short growth cycle, so it can be re-grown over and over. And when it's ready to use, the entire plant can be utilized, whether for food, clothing, paper, upholstry...the list goes on and on. (And though you already know this, I'm going to reiterate it anyway: there is virtually no THC in hemp. So, you'd have to smoke a hemp plant the size of a telephone pole to feel even remotely high. Okay? I repeat: hemp is not marijuana. The plants are cousins).

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, check out all of these rockin' ways hemp can be used. Let a little hemp into your life. You'll be glad you did.