“Did you know the average home car wash uses 80-140 gallons of water and the average commercial car wash uses 35-85 gallons?” Lucky Earth’s Waterless Carwash first caught my eye when I saw their bright green hybrid car parked in a Santa Monica parking structure. Today, their website got my attention again with that startling fact.

Can you imagine 80 - 140 gallons of water being used each time you wash your car at home? That is clearly an enormous waste, which is way the city of Santa Monica recently made washing your car with a bucket and hose illegal (you go, Santa Monica!). But have no fear. Just because you can no longer wash your car with a hose after reading these facts (I hope) doesn’t mean you have to opt for pricey commercial car washes or a dirty vehicle. Lucky Earth developed a complete line of environmentally friendly and chemical free waterless car wash products. Their car wash is literally as easy to use as spraying it onto your car and then wiping it clean with a microfiber towel. Step 1. Step 2. Done!

How is it that easy to save money, water, and pollutants from getting into our waterways and oceans? Lucky Earth specially developed a formula that emulsifies and lifts dirt from the car’s surface without the use of any harsh chemicals. Mind you, this formula is non-toxic, environmentally safe, fragrance free, hypo-allergenic, phosphate free, paraben free, and contains no dyes. So, you’re saving water and keeping chemicals and pollutants out of you and your environment! Sounds divine to me!

They also have interior upholstery cleaners, tire cleaners, and bike washes. Check out the list below to see all of their products. They are truly a progressive company who has revolutionized the way we think about car washes!

Earth Day maybe be over and gone but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep up the green. Check out some of the staff picks for Earth friendliness that can work year-round

           

Going green sometimes compromises aesthetic aspects of a product, especially when it comes to cars. Like the not so sleek Toyota Prius. But Henrik Fisher a former designer of Aston Martins, has noticed that a void exist in eco-friendly sleek sedans, and he is ready to fill it. Fisker has hope that his (above) sleek and eco-green sedan will be available as early as 2009. He has teamed up with California based Quantum Technologies to work on the car.

The plug-in hybrid is expected to deliver both economic fuel consumption and high performance. With a powerful engine, that is also eco-friendly, expect the price tag to be around $80,000. Full details about the car will be available at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January.

via yankodesign 

Ideal for grocery shopping, use as a daily tote,  and a gym bag, the 24-7 bag can be  discreetly  accommodated in your messenger bag, backpack, purse, or even your cup holder, which makes it within reach all the time. Here is how the bag works:-

• Scrunch: Place your hand into the attached pouch and scrunch the bag. (definition of Scrunch-crush or squeeze (something) into a compact mass : Gloria scrunched the handkerchief into a ball.)
• Flip: Pull the first flap over the bag.
• Flip: Pull the second flap over.
  
• Tumble: Your bag is ready to go. As a small ball you can put the bag almost anywhere making it easily accessible and available for use.

The bag which is constructed of lightweight  ripstop nylon, measures 12” x 14” x 5”, has a 26.5” long strap and can easily accommodate up to 3 large soda bottles. The 24-7 bag is also eco-friendly because when used, it can eliminate the use of up to 1000 plastic bags in its lifetime. You can pre-order your bag $15.00 now, although shipping will begin on Nov. 20th.

via notcot 

It’s foggy in San Francisco. Big surprise. Due to my low serotonin levels I got depressed this morning and thought about an ex-colleague that made my life miserable. I wrote her a letter that I will likely never send:

Dear Finance woman who never smiles except when someone else is hurt or fired,
You are cancer.  I quit my job to get out of the same building as you because I started to get paranoid about natural disasters. I thought about all of those people trapped during Hurricane Katrina and it scared me to think that my last moments might be spent tolerating a bitter self-serving shrew like you. I suspect that when the shit goes down you will not be invited onto any life rafts…not unless you’ve managed to hoard food. Do everyone a favor and take more vacations.
Absolutely no Love,
Dana (The only Asian you know)

PAINMAKERS & KILLJOYS
Let’s face it, there are some people who make every interaction so excruciating that violence IS the answer. They are the cronies of cubicle culture, the saboteurs of other people’s success and the ones who make waiters spit in food. When you spend the majority of your waking life around these assholes you begin to plan your exit strategy pretty quickly.

LIVING OFF THE GRID
Convinced that I was dangerously close to going postal on my coworkers, I considered buying land in Molokai - possibly right next door to Eddie Vedder. That’s when I discovered Pacific Yurt. Don’t worry they don’t smell like donkey (they’re not even made with any animal bits). The Pacific Yurt ranges in diameter from 12- 30 feet and costs between $5,000-$10,000. It’s an inexpensive and self-contained structure for living, guest space or a summer home. I’ve actually even stayed in a spa-hotel yurt equipped with a full bath suite and ocean-front deck with hot tub. My plan was to get the land, buy the yurt as temporary housing, build a house when I got the money and convert the yurt into a painter’s studio. The dream is still alive…I just need that side of the island to get wifi.

*Note: This smaller option is better for camping or Burning Man.

What a cool way to server appetizers, including cheese and crackers. If these bottle platters retain their original colors and stickers, it would be interesting because before the became plates, they once contained your favorite beverages. The blue one may have contained Sky Blue, while the green one Heineken. I wonder if they have a brown ‘budwiser’ bottle. By the way this is a very practical idea of recycling glasses, and bottles. Eco-friendly beer bottles platters.  Available at uncommon goods for $15.00  [Damn I Like That]

 

Bright and Bold have these Envirosax Mono bags which are reusable, lightweight, waterproof and portable.They include an assortment of 5 eco-friendly envirosax which can be rolled up to fit in a glove box or handbag. They have reinforced seams, therefore they can hold more weight than regular plastic bags. Their handles are long enough to go over your shoulders, and they feature a  design that will definately make you want to go greeen. Also the facts about plastic bags might make you go green.

• Over 1 trillion plastic bags are discarded EVERY YEAR
• It takes up to 1,000 years for 1 bag to decompose.
• Each individual uses an estimate of 500 bags PER YEAR

Also available at Bright and Bold are these (below) Envirosax Flora Bags. They include an assortment of 5 eco-friendly bags which feature bright flora designs and colors.

Bright and Bold

Donovan says: “First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.” But for Brave Space Design, it’s more like: “First there is a big pile of scrap wood, then there is this adorable coat rack in mountain range theme.” Masters of sustainable style, the Brooklyn-based studio has spared no trees to create its cutely named wooden Coat Range. And, as Emily at Inhabitat notes, the design “takes advantage of the wood’s inherent colorations to create the snowy white (yet green) alpine snow caps.” So eco-sweet.

Here’s why organic-cotton jeans are better than those made with conventional cotton: Organic cotton’s grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers - in fact, according to the Cleaner Cotton Campaign, it takes 3/4 pounds of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce the cotton for just one conventional pair of jeans. And by supporting organic farmers, you’re helping to cut back on the number of toxic chemicals going into the environment - and the products you consume everyday.

And here’s why you should get yourself a pair of organic jeans right now: Loomstate, the sustainable fashion pioneers adored by a whole slew of ecostylish ThisNexters (like barbrahorowitz and philipsitbon and sungodess) are currently on sale at online green boutique Beklina. For just $98 - marked down from $160 - you can score some Loomstate Flux organic skinny jeans. It’s the perfect way to ease into ecofashion, and more than likely to leave you converted for life.

(via Beklina)

If you want to go all feng shui with your garden, a fountain can let you bliss out to the sound of trickling water. (Sort of like being at a spa, but without all that awful New Age music.)

To keep your garden green as possible, adorn it with a sun-powered Cascade Solar Fountain. It requires zero electricity to operate, and there’s no wiring to ugly up your pristine plot of land. You can even keep it in the shade, since the solar panel works up to 16 feet away. And since the pump is constantly recycling water, you’re not being wasteful with the H20.

The four-tier cascading “solar system” features glazed terra cotta bowls: My favorite’s the bright and cheery cobalt blue, but there’s also lovely lilac, antique brown, and blazing inferno red.

To all those who think organic cotton can only be beige and boring and oh-so-drab, here’s a heads-up: Some of the sweetest eco-friendly frocks this season come in every hue of Cadbury Mini Egg. My favorite: the Stewart + Brown deep v dress in bright and happy blue. With puckered cap sleeves, the dress is 100 percent organic pima cotton - and a portion of proceeds goes toward nonprofit environmental groups.

Habitude’s Empire Gathered Dress is available in lovely teal, but there’s something classic and maybe even a little Greek-goddess-esque about the pure white shade. Habitude produces its entire line domestically, using yummy fabrics like hemp-silk charmeuse in addition to organic cotton.

And for ladies who like to go pretty-pink for the holidays (or any day), there’s Loyale’s Ibiza Dress. Girly-girls can show off the split flutter sleeves while enjoying that other secret benefit to organic cotton: the ability to indulge in one too many chocolate bunnies and still feel all flowy and free.

Unless you’re planning on hiding away some Easter eggs in your bag this year, a clutch should do just fine for carrying along to holiday brunch. For an accessory that’s sassy-pink in color and green in spirit, go for the aGaiN NYC brocade clutch. Made from “rescued and repurposed” fabric, it’s adorned with a vintage wooden buckle - so no new materials were brought into the world to create the darling little thing.

aGainN NYC designer Allison Teich first dreamed up her line of bags while getting her morning coffee at a local deli: Struck by all the waste involved (the paper cup, paper bag, and “army of napkins”), Allison started scheming ways to get more creative with her recycling. Fueled by her determination to not “let my hatred of waste get in the way of a cute accessory,” aGainN NYC was soon born, turning so many once-landfill-destined fabrics into adorable hobo bags, laptop bags, clutches, and other treasures.

And Allison’s eco-activism doesn’t stop there: She also gives a percent of her profits over to environmental charities, making her a fabulous role model for eco-crafty girls everywhere.

I generally don’t do pink nail polish. But if there’s ever a time for cotton-candy-colored nails, then Easter’s it. Trouble is, when it comes time to whisk the pink away the very next day, we’re left to rely on icky nail polish remover (aka one of the most toxic beauty products likely living in your bathroom cabinet right now).

For anyone who’s equally freaked out by the formaldehyde (and other scary chemicals) in nail polish remover, painting your nails can be so much prettier with Honeybee Gardens Peel Off Polish. The product lets you take a more do-it-yourself approach to getting rid of the color, and may even provide a little entertainment for those who got their grade-school kicks out of peeling dried Elmer’s glue off their hands.

Plus, the polish itself is nontoxic: It’s water-based and free of formaldehyde and phthalates, and it won’t release any nasty fumes while you’re performing your at-home manicure. The Fairy Dust and Ballerina shades are so Easter-perfect, and you can save the Wild Child and Rock Star polishes for whatever holiday comes next (Arbor Day?).

As if we didn’t already worship Stella McCartney enough, she’s gone and created a skincare line that’s destined to help push organic further into the mainstream. Loved by ThisNexters like stylewriter, Care offers luxury beauty products made without petrochemicals, endangered plant species, or silicone. Says deydolma in commending Care: “It not just ‘green washing’ like we are seeing so many business out there do these days - but it is authentic and certified. And - she does not have a gazillion products for us to buy and use - she knows that skin care should be quick and painless.”

While I’m wishing for the Calming+Soothing Elixir (a moisturizer made with “skin-cushioning” chamomile, arnica, and licorice), John and Rose have already been lured by the Gentle Cleansing Milk (“a very good cleanser that removes makeup without being abrasive and is very soft and gentle on the skin”).

And for those not ready to make a full-on commitment to Care, there’s the oh-so-darling Discovery Set: Featuring trial-sized versions of the 5 Benefits Moisturising Cream, Calming+Soothing Elixir, Radiance+Youth Elixir, and Nourishing Elixir, the kit is the perfect intro to luxury organic.

My bare hardwood floors are starting to bring me down, but I’m not into covering them up with carpet that’s full of synthetic chemicals and toxins and other stuff that neither I nor my primadonna cat want to breathe in all day long. A much better alternative: Flor modular carpeting, made up of really cool-looking tiles that you can mix and match on your own. Measuring about 20” × 20” each, Flor tiles have already won over ThisNexters like ryangreysmith, Brendas, kramapalicious, vrome, and alisonspear.

I want the Pressed Flowers design, which would be so perfect for spring. And when seasons change, I can always switch them out for something more cold-weather-appropes. For, as Flor fan loft3 notes, “aside from the idealistic notions that the carpet can be recycled, it can be disassembled, put back together and scaled up or down…Overall this is a great concept that democratizes design by allowing us to design our living spaces and then change our minds.”

Hollywood may have just gotten around to going green, but lovers of The Lorax have long known the importance of protecting the planet from pollution and other environmental ills. One of Dr. Seuss’s most favorite creations, the 1971 classic tells the tale of a mossy, bossy character who “speaks for the trees” and strives to protect them from being obliterated by the greedy Once-ler.

Adopted as a cautionary fable by environmentalists the world over, The Lorax is also adored by ThisNexters such as ckilgore: “Long before saving the earth became a global concern,” she notes, “Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty.”

To honor Dr. Seuss’s way-ahead-of-his-time eco-smarts, shop green when you’re next seeking out a treat for your child, niece, or nephew - or any other budding treehugger in your life. ThisNexter mdh2992 has added enough selections to create her own green-kid gift guide: From fair-trade, nontoxic Wooden Sorting Toys and Stacking Toys to a Wildlife Tree Puzzle handcrafted from an environmentally-friendly hardwood, this shopcaster’s got the goods on toys that tread oh-so-lightly on Mama Earth. One of her coolest - and most Lorax-league - finds: the Trees-To-Be Seed Kit from Greenfeet. Including “everything you need to start and grow your own magnificent tree,” the kit is available in gingko and yule seeds.

...continued: Toys To Make The Lorax Proud

Your K would rather have a mink coat hug her than her hug a tree.

But green or not, these iWood sunglasses are classically glammy — Jackie O, jetset-styled peepers, in a cheeky chic wood, it’s really a footnote to your K that —

“iWood [is] eco-friendly woody glasses and jewelry! ” exclaims design bloggette NotCot.

Oh? Sounds so mignon, but I almost didn’t hear you, distracted by the shiny shiny of this CITIZEN Eco Drive watch. Louis XIV, Sun King-worthy bling powered by the sun, ThisNexter Helen Riegle digs it for practicality:

“Because it’s powered by light, I’ll never have to buy and discard another watch battery.” 

And because it’s so chic, I’ll never have to buy and discard another watch again.

Maybe.

...continued: Glammy Green

My vacation fantasy at the moment: a week (or two, or three) spent lounging around an impossibly glamorous eco-resort tucked away in some pristine landscape that I’ve never before visited. El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa in Taos, Maho Bay on St. John, and Kamalame Cay off Andros Island in The Bahamas (all featured in DailyCandy’s Go Green Travel Guide) would each do quite splendidly, I’m sure - now I’ve just got to work out the part where I get magically whisked away.

Ever since visiting Tabernash, Colorado’s sustainability-minded Devil’s Thumb Ranch last fall I’ve felt slightly spoiled, hoping to find more and more getaways that pair the luxury of spa life with an eco-consciousness uncommon to far too many so-called sanctuaries. After all, the ultimate stress-melting experience can only become more healing when you know the planet’s being taken care of as kindly as your tension-addled body and mind. To others who wish to keep it green when blissing out, I suggest checking SpaFinder.com (a site that “gives a little mental escape and perhaps motivation to getaway,” according to ThisNexter Sharon Brown) to seek out the best earth-friendly spas around. And if you can’t manage an exquisitely eco escape at the moment, you can still pamper yourself with planet-protecting products at home.

...continued: Eco-Indulgence