Steal or Splurge Eco-Friendly Accessories!
April 21 2008
Perhaps you were one of the 84 million peeps who caught Rachel’s “TV Guide” segment on Sunday night. Non? No worries, here’s the scoop on the featured eco-friendly accessories. Get them for a steal, or splurge on something truly decadent. Because if green is the new black… Oh, you know the rest.
Need a new spring bag? STEAL this ReTread purse made from recycled tire tubes ($160) from www.violet.com, or SPLURGE on this fabulous Caen Tote ($350, pictured below) at www.49sqmi.com, with one caveat: This bag is so new it’s not up on the site yet, so you have to call or email to order. But oh-so-worth-it, as it’s made from eco-friendly hemp, which requires no chemical pesticides or fertilizers to produce, as well as waaay less water than cotton.
Looking to update your jewelry collection? Look for pieces that use recycled materials rather than relying on new metals, which pump cyanide into our ecosystems during mining. SPLURGE on Toby Pomeroy 18-karat Eclipse Hoop eco-gold earrings ($500 to $2,000, depending on size) from www.tobypomeroy.com or STEAL some Smart Glass Jewelry made from recycled bottles ($48 to $250, depending on size) from www.smartglassjewelry.com.
Tootsies looking a little tired? Dr. Scholl’s Eco-Friendly Exercise Sandals with recycled metal buckles, veggie-tanned leather uppers, biodegradable rubber soles and sustainable hardwood soles are a STEAL at www.drschollsshoes.com ($88), plus they plant 10 trees for every pair sold! But because you can switch out the ribbons and presto, change-o they match pretty much every thing in your closet, Mohop sandals are a worthy SPLURGE ($298) from www.mohop.com, and make spring fling packing a snap.
Scarves are perennial, especially on a warm spring night, and these eco-friendly versions don’t disappoint. SPLURGE on a hand-loomed, sustainable (meaning they don’t kill the silkworms) silk scarf from Indigo Handloom, which uses thread cultivated only in a valley in India where the worms naturally produce gold-colored silk. No dye here, just a real-life Rumplestiltskin story ($250) from www.indigohandloom.com. And we found a surprising STEAL from Linda Loudermilk, the couture designer whose eco-bamboo “Water is a Human Right” scarves support clean water initiatives ($50) at www.lindaloudermilk.com.
What to tote on your accessory shopping expedition? The average American tosses more than 300 plastic bags each year, which go into the landfill and don’t biodegrade—they photodegrade, meaning they break into tiny toxic bits which pollute our oceans. Try a reusable shopping bag instead, which aren’t just for supermarkets any more. We love Envirosax, a STEAL ($10) at www.tobi.com or a WeBe bag made of recycled Carribean coffee and rice bags, which is a SPLURGE ($40) if you use it as a shopper, or a steal if you rock it as a purse, from www.webebags.com.
P.S. Thinking about going green(er) but don’t know how? The Starter Kit for Change includes a bag, fair trade hot chocolate, a plantable tree, and more—it’s a veritable e-ticket to sustainability. ($40)
