Eco Baby: The Diaper Discussion

I have to admit- while I am trying to make choices in my family life to make the world a better, greener place- there is something plaguing my conscious that involves my 6 month old……Disposable Diapers.  In the world of diapers, it feels like damned if you do- damned if you don’t! Before anyone passes judgement, consider the factors that went into my reasoning:  1.  Convenience convenience convenience 2.  Money   3.  My perception of cloth diapers being uncomfortable, unsanitary and not as eco friendly as we thought (the chemicals used to clean them in diaper services have been rumored to have as detrimental effect on the environment as the disposables).  

Since we are a work in progress, and I am willing to open my mind a bit more towards cloth diapers- especially after coming across this site Diaperaps.  If you are in the process of making the choice between cloth or disposable, I encourage you to include this site in your research.  They give really good reasons to use cloth diapers:  

Good Reasons for Choosing A Cloth Diapering System

1. Cotton is the Most Natural Diaperyou can put next to your baby’s skin. There is no need for gels or chemicals.

 

2. Do you know how a Disposable Diaper works? Do you know what’s in a disposable diaper (there are no ingredients listed on their package) ? Try this — cut a disposable diaper in half. Pour water on half and watch what happens. There are tiny chemical crystals that turn into a spongy gel when water hits them.

3. The Environment. A baby will use either 7,000 disposable diapers or 80 cotton diapers. A disposable diaper is used for 2 hours – a cloth diaper is used for 3 years. Think of all the resources used to produce a product that will last for only 2 hours and then be thrown away. Think about where all the billions of throw-away diapers are going to end up.

4. Less Diaper Rash. Studies have shown there is less diaper rash with the use of cotton diapers than with disposable diapers.

5. Cloth costs Less-a lot Less. You will save about $2000 if you use cloth over disposables. While disposables are priced very cheaply for the newborn sizes, as your baby grows the diapers start costing a lot more.

6. Cloth Diapers are Easy To Use. In your mom’s day you needed pins, rubber pants, and time to fold a long flat cloth into a diaper. Now with cotton prefold diapers and Diaperaps diaper covers, it is quick and easy to change your baby.

7. Babies Potty Train Earlier when they use cotton because they can feel the wetness.

8. It takes a cup full of crude oil to produce the plastic for one disposable diaper.

9. Babies learn by imitation. You can teach them by example, the responsible way of dealing with waste. You don’t just wrap it up and throw it away.

 

In addition, this company addresses my other fears about cloth diapering and gives me more reasons to consider this option:

My Fear:  Using pins in the diaper- NO THANKS!

The Diaperaps answer to my fear:  No pins.  They use a hook and loop system resembling velcro- evidently it is also really durable.

My Fear:  The awful chemicals used to clean the diapers 

The Diaperaps answer to my fear:  The site contains detailed instructions on how to launder and sanitize the diapers at home-using your washing machine.  

The Bottom Line (no pun intended): Lots of parents report that cloth diapers made of natural fibers such as cotton or hemp are better for their baby’s skin than the synthetic materials found in disposable diapers.  When used correctly, cloth diapering systems have been known to reduce skin rashes.  Clearly the disposable diaper issue needs further exploration and research- but I do encourage parents of a baby or toddler to consider both options before making a decision.

So Charming

 

 

I have a new “must have” item:  A Good Charma Bracelet.  I would personally like to have the Good Luck one.  These bracelets are sexy, cool, can be worn with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt or with a slinky dress for a night out.  There is something very special and appealing about Good Charma bracelets;  they been a favorite among celebrities like Demi Moore & Beyonce and Madonna (she has reportedly gifted over 100 sets to her friends)!

These feel good bracelets are designed to stir the soul and bring forth feelings of well-being and peace. Rachel Smith of Giving Tree Jewelry says the bracelets are packed with great energy and wildly popular at her gallery because they appeal to such a wide audience.  “They are incredibly comfortable, and everyone who buys one, comes back to the gallery and still has it on! It’s comfortable, stylish, and brings great things!” 

 

Good Charma- Love

 

Favorites among her customers include the Good Charma Luck bracelet and the Good Charma Love bracelet.  The jewelry recently caught the attention of Extra’s Tanika Ray who interviewed Smith (see clip above). Bracelets are hand made and composed of 6 strands, either sterling silver or 14 karot gold.  Each charm is packed with great energy and holds a significant spiritual meaning.  The bracelets are sold at http://www.givingtreejewelry.com.  Happy Shopping….

Art from Recycled Flip Flops

 

UniquEco Recycled Flip Flop Initiative Creating One of a Kind Wildlife Sculptures

The shores of the Indian Ocean in eastern Africa are awash with industrial debris from as far away as China, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Hundreds of brightly colored flip flop sandal pieces and parts wash ashore daily not only causing blight along the coastlines but endangering the marine eco-system in the vast ocean that lies between these countries. The flip flop initiative by UniquEco is a solution designed to clean up the environment by marketing products made from waste back to the consumer who generated it while providing employment opportunities to the poor communities hardest hit by this environmental degradation.

The Champali Wildlife Sculptures from UniquEco Designs are imported by Global Crafts, a fair trade company that works with artisan groups from all over the world. Champali means slipper in Swahili. Local women and children comb the shores to collect the indestructible pieces of rubber champali. Talented artisans and sculptors in the village glue the pieces together in multicolored patterns then hand carve each carefully crafted animal transforming recycled waste into stunning works of art!  These colorful animals offer no matter what their skill level.

These unique pieces can be purchased at www.organicbug.com.  Purchasing one of these colorful animals helps to support workers in this developing region while preserving the beauty and wonder of the natural world. The UniquEco Champali Animal Sculptures are featured in the Summer, 2008issue of O at Home, Oprah’s popular home decor quarterly magazine!

 

The Leakey Collection features the beautiful and sustainable jewelry handcrafted by the Maasai women of Kenya

 

Few have experienced the exotic lifestyle led by Philip and Katy Leakey in the rural bush of the Rift Valley in Kenya; and in 2002 they had an idea:  bring a piece of their world to the rest of the globe. The Leakey’s vision was to utilize their artistic talent and passion for African culture and create beautiful, stylish and sustainable accessories while providing income for the Maasai in Kenya.  The Leakey Collection was born.

The Maasai women work under acacia trees at mobile work sites in the Rift Valley, spanning 150 miles.  The Leakey Collection provides work opportunities where work is needed, and is currently offering employment to over 1200 Kenyans.   Katy Leakey is hopeful this statistic will grow by reaching a wider audience through their new retail site, http://www.leakeylife.com. “We developed this company with the goal of enhancing understanding between developed nations and Africa using products and commerce as a vehicle.” says Ms. Leakey.  “Consumers want quality products made from sustainable and natural resources; and that is exactly what they will find from The Leakey Collection.”

Philip Leakey is the third and youngest son of paleo-anthropologists Drs. Louis and Mary Leakey. He was a Member of Parliament in Kenya for 15 years, a Deputy Member of the Cabinet for 14 years and a Member of Cabinet for 1 year. Philip is known in Kenya for his dedication towards improving conditions for all Kenyan’s with particular attention to the areas of business opportunity and the environment.  Katy Leakey’s talent as an artist and designer has allowed her to connect diverse cultures through art and lecturing in university systems in the United States. She spent time studying ancient cultures in the unexplored areas of the Amazon of Peru and Ecuador before moving to Africa in 2001. In 1964 Allen and Helen O’Brien along with Katy Leakey’s parents, Robert and Evelyn Moodey along with three others, co-founded the L.S.B. Leakey foundation, lending a cultural anthropological bent towards Katy’s life long work in art.

The Zulugrass and Zuluwood lines feature the most popular products of The Leakey Collection; and have found their way into the global market.

Zulugrass is the cornerstone of The Leakey Collection and contains vibrant and exotic necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  Each piece of Zulugrass is assembled by the Maasai women from grass beads colored with low impact textile dyes.  The grass is harvested and cut into beads by hand.   The pieces are then mixed with hand blown Czech and Japanese glass beads and strung on a special blend of elastic that was used in the movie, Spiderman.

ZuluWood necklaces and earrings are made from the native woods of East Africa and is the natural compliment to Zulugrass jewelry. All wood used to make the Zuluwood products are collected from fallen and sustainable pieces of acacia.  Sustainable methods of planning and collection are utilized in this process.  In addition, wood is hand tooled and burnished for a gem like finish; there is no wax, lacquer or varnish used on any of the beads or wooden products.  

From high fashion jewelry to home interior design accessories, The Leakey Collection’s natural elegance distinguishes this high end product line as one of the world’s premier offerings.  These extraordinary pieces are now available http://www.leakeylife.com .

 

MyItThings Column

Recycled with Style

Earrings from Bottled Up Designs- Made From Recycled Glass

Why designers and artists are eager to utilize recycled materials

Stylish Escama Clutch Bag- Made from Recycled Aluminum Tabs

America Ferrera as "Ugly Betty" carrying a Rebaz Tote

 

Recycling materials and transforming them into fashion accessories is a win-win situation.  Designers and artisans who work with recycled materials are taking a product at the end of its useful life and turning it into a usable raw material to make another product.   As a consumer, you are helping the environment when you support businesses that manufacture clothing and accessories made from recycled materials.

How are you helping?  Scientists are noting our planet’s landfills are filling at an alarming rate; many of the materials filling these landfills will remain for thousands of years.  And the consequences will be disastrous if we do not follow basic recycling principles.  Recycling reduces the demand for raw materials- and preserving our resources.   It reduces air and water pollution along with energy usage. 

The consumer in turn is rewarded by acquiring a quality product that is unique and well made.  Products made from recycled materials are often handcrafted and manufactured by a fair trade organization that provides a fair wage and favorable working conditions for their workers.  

Celebrities and fashionistas alike are spotted everywhere donning everything from bags made from recycled juice boxes, plastic bags or rubber tires to earrings made from old mason jars and Clorox bottles. As more and more of us are beginning to follow the green movement, designers are creating fantastic well crafted pieces fashion consumers will enjoy for generations to come.  Making treasures out of trash has come a long way. 

 

Here are some of my favorite recycled fashion pics:

 

Vy & Elle Bags- Made from PVC Vinyl (Recycled Vinyl Billboards)

An average person will spot hundreds of billboards with advertisements made of PVC vinyl each day.  When these billboards are no longer needed, they are discarded into landfills where they create toxic pollution. Upset by this wasteful practice, Nicola Freegard and Robin Janson founded Vy & Elle in 2002 in order to transform this landfill-bound material into durable and vibrant products. The strength of PVC vinyl makes it an ideal material for reuse, and because of the different images printed on the vinyl, it’s even more interesting as a fabric. The material offers colorful graphics that take urban art into everyday living. Each bag and accessory item Vy & Elle makes is unique: with random colors and designs, every product made is different, offering a chance to carry a piece of art on a shoulder, in a pocketbook or in the home.

http://www.raindogsonline.com

 

Rebagz from Half the Sky Designs- Made from recycled juice boxes

Moms everywhere love the convenience of disposable juice boxes. The square boxes used for liquids are called “Aseptics”.  Aseptics are made from complex layers of plastic, metal and paper. The aseptic industry has spent millions in public education on the issue of aseptic recycling. However, the actual recycling process is very expensive and awkward, and is therefore only available in a very few places.  Fortunately, a group of enterprising women in the Philippines have found a way to incorporate this awkward material into fabulous designs.  They cut the juice packs into strips, fold and weave them together to create some very cool stuff! Well-made, vibrant, fashionable and functional are just some of the ways to describe these water-resistant handmade creations. Rebagz is a line of bright durable totes, packs, handbags and wallets made from recycled juice packs and nylon rice sacks.

http://www.organicbug.com

Escama Bags- Made from Aluminum Tabs

These elegant and eye catching pieces are all made from recycled aluminum tabs. Based in San Francisco, Escama Studio works directly with two Brazilian craft cooperatives – Cia do Lacre and As Panteras do Lacre – to design and produce these sleek, modern pieces using traditional crochet techniques and recycled aluminum pull-tabs. Escama Studio believes that the world’s abundance of ‘junk’ offers a lot of creative potential.  Did you know that recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy cost of processing new aluminum?

Sold at http://www.raindogsonline.com

Bottled Up Designs- Jewelry made from recycled glass

Why use recycled glass?  The manufacture of glass uses energy in the extraction and transportation of the raw materials, and during processing, as materials have to be heated together to a very high temperature. Large amounts of fuel are used and the combustion of these fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas. Glass can be recycled indefinitely as part of a simple but hugely beneficial process, as its structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed.

The artisans at Bottle Up Designs polish and mold the recycled glass to eliminate any sharp edges. The glass is then skillfully mounted in delicate spirals of sterling hoops to produce enchanting pendants and earrings that catch the light with every move! Each pendant is strung onto a simple contemporary round neck cord made from recycled rubber tires. Each piece comes with the Story of the Glass, so the artist includes a card with each selection relating the approximate age and original use of the antique glass. The Amber Square Pendant & Earrings hail from the broken remains of antique Clorox bottles!  The vivid deep blue color of the Antique Cobalt Glass Square Pendant & Earrings comes from the broken remains of old Noxema bottles! 

http://www.organicbug.com

 

Maasai Beaded Necklaces- made with recycled paper beads

The young women from the Teenage Mothers and Girls Association of Kenya (TEMAK) use a combination of handmade paper beads and Maasai glass seed beads to string fun, colorful jewelry. TEMAK, a Fair Trade organization, trains young women in life skills and craft making to support themselves and their families. Using recycled materials such as magazine, calendar & brochure pages, tin cans and wire taken from car engines, each artisan develops her own unique style that is apparent in each piece of jewelry. The paper is cut into triangles then rolled to form the beads—wide, short strips for narrow beads & long, thin strips for chunky beads. Applying a high-gloss varnish as a finish, each recycled paper bead looks like polished stone or wood! It’s amazing! Some necklaces have matching beads but most are mixed with an array of muted colors as you can see by the images.

http://www.organicbug.com