Your Cheat Sheet to the Eco-Lingo when it comes to Fibers
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
1. Bamboo: This is a sustainable material that creates a luxuriously soft fabric similar to silk and cashmere. Bamboo apparel is hypoallergenic and naturally antimicrobial fabric as well. Try: Bamboo Clothes
2. Ingeo: Is a biodegradable material made from fermented corn starches. It is moisture repelling and easy to care for and is just as soft as many silks on the market. Try: Natural Work LLC
3. Organic Cotton: This is grown without the use of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers. It is softer and more durable than conventional cotton. Try: Earth Easy
4. Organic Hemp: This is a renewable and sustainable fiber. It is absorbent, insulating which helps to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer and this fiber is also very durable as well. Try: Eco Mall
5. Organic Linen: This is derived from a chemical-free flax plant. The fabric is absorbent and airy, making it comfortable to wear in a variety of temperatures. Try: Raw Ganique
6. Organic Wool: This fabric comes from sheep that have eaten organic feed and never treated with synthetic hormones or dipped in pesticides. Try: Better for Babies
7. Tencel: This is a natural fabric that is man-made from wood pulp cellulose. It is softer, more absorbent and more resistant to wrinkles than most fabrics. Try: Tencel Clothing
8. Soy Fabric: This is made from the soy that is left over after tofu and soybean oil production. It is pesticide-free soybean fiber is so similar to cashmere that it minimizes the need for traditional cashmere goat production, which has contributed, in their part, to the overgrazing of China’s northwestern plans areas. Try: Under the Canopy
*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: The next time you need to give a great gift and you are stumped as to what they would like give a Ginkgo Tree-to-Be Kit to the lucky recipient. It is a sacred tree in Asia, the ginkgo biloba species has survived on the planet for approximately 270 million years and is a symbol of long life and memory. The tree is extremely hardy and resilient with an unusually chemistry that is often studied for its medicinal benefits, it is thought to be a memory enhanced and a an antioxidant as well. It is a living fossil, one of the most ancient trees known to human beings. This tree gift is a wonder and unique gift to celebrate milestones such as a birth or even a marriage and some give them as gifts for college and even high school graduations. This tree gift comes with everything you need to successfully start and grow a ginkgo, along with a tag made of aluminum to place your personal message on the tree. These trees are often planted ceremonially in memory of loved ones, it may very well be in your family for centuries to come. This tree can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 9 and can grow up to 20 feet tall in ten years.
