Stylish, one of a kind products that are eco-friendly are hard to find!  So when we come across a website that offers all this and more, we are itching to get the word out!  Check out Elsewares.com for some recycled and eco products that are artistic and truly unique:

Recycled Tea Light Holders

We love these recycled tea light holders.  They’re made from recycled bicycle freewheels and cogs and come with a tea light.  Update your living space with these recycled candle holders and rest assured that none of your friends will have the same ones.

Um Clutch

We love this stylish Um Clutch!  These eco-friendly handbags are made from 2 layers of factory excess industrial wool felt that have a zipper sewn around the edges. When open, the piece lays completely flat. When zipped, the piece turns into an organic 3-dimensional form.  Functional and fashionable all at once!

Recycled Rubber Coasters

 

You’ve got to get these Recycled Rubber Coasters for your next get-together  They’re made from recycled automobile tires, and they’ll give your guests the option of showcasing their love for either the east or the west coast.

You’ve been told to “recycle, reduce, and re-use” since you were a kid. I can still hear the jingle in my head from the commercial with the little dancing recycle cartoon!  A great way to help the environment is to invest in recycled products, and refinding.com offers some fabulous options.  We’ve fallen in love with their line of recycled watches (and watches, by the way, are making a huge comeback for the winter 07/spring 08 seasons!):  

Fem Tire Watch Pink

This watch is hand cut tire with a watch face made from metal and plastic.  It’s sure to last you a lifetime!  It’s one of a kind, so no one will ever sport one similar to yours!

Fem Cone Watch

This fabulous watch was made from road cones that were left along the highway and long forgotten!  We love the bright color and matching watch face.

Football Watch Red

If you’re looking for a gift for your significant other, try this more masculine watch made from an old football!  The band is made from retired leather pigskin and is paired with a red watch face.

 

All these watches go for only $55.00, which is a great investment for a watch that will last a lifetime and is good for the environment!  Refinding.com also sells belts, wallets, purses & jewelry, so check out their other products.

1. Is it best for the environment to use a real Christmas tree or a fake one?

a) A fake one

b) A real one

 

2. Should you wrap your Christmas gifts in wrapping paper or gift bags?

a) Wrapping paper

b) Gift Bags

 

3. What type of computer is better for the environment?

a) Desktop

b) Laptop

 

4. When you go to the grocery store, which is better – paper or plastic?

a) Plastic

b) Paper

c) Neither!

 

5. When buying fast food, which is better – going through the drive-thru or ordering inside?

a) Drive-Thru

b) Order inside

 

Scoring:

Give yourself one point for every A, two points for every B, and three points for every C.

 

9-11 points: Greener than Green!

Congratulations! You know how to live a green lifestyle. Thanks to you, we’re sure to be on the right track to saving the earth. Keep up the good work!

 

7-8 points: Budding Environmentalist

Good job! You know the basics, there are just a few more things to learn. The more you learn, the safer you can make the environment we live in. Remember, change starts with you!

 

5-6 points: On your Way to Going Green

You haven’t quite started to pay attention to the ways to go green, have you? Hop on the bandwagon, Diva! There’s so much to learn, and the more you learn the better off you and your future offspring will be. Let’s do it together!

 

Answers:

1. A real one: Most evergreens are planted and grown on land that is unsuitable for farming, so cutting them down doesn’t permanently destroy any animal habitats. Cutting them down also releases oxygen into the air which helps the environment. Fake trees, on the other hand, aren’t biodegradable and are therefore just waste.

2. Gift bags: It is best to use gift bags because they are often re-used, whereas wrapping paper generally gets thrown out after one use.

3. Laptop: Laptops use considerably less power than desktops!

4. Neither!: It is best to purchase of few cloth tote bags and bring them with you each time you visit the grocery store. Most stores are now selling their own for around $0.99 per bag. But if you must choose paper or plastic, it’s best to choose paper because plastic bags only sit in landfills, whereas paper easily recycles.

5. Order inside: It’s best to park the car and order inside. Sitting inside your running car while you order and wait for your food only produces gas emissions that are bad for the environment.

It's easy to go green and still be in style!  Her-Design.com offers some fantastic organic and vegan handbags that we just love, and we know you will too! Helen Mirren is already a fan of their 'Lily' handbag:

Other celebrity fans of this line include Lacey Chabert, Danielle Fishel, and Rick & Kathy Hilton!  Check out all the bags available at Her-Design.com and start living a fashionable eco-friendly lifestyle:

 

Photos:  Her-Design.com 

It is estimated that a woman will use as many as 16,000 tampons over the course of her life! A 1998 study concluded that 6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion sanitary pads were disposed of in one year’s time. These products, often laden with chemicals such as dioxins, end up in landfills and sewer systems, sometimes even washing up on U.S. coastlines.

Unfortunately, there is no safe level of dioxin exposure, according to the EPA, and so we need to find a way to make a wiser and safer choice for our health and the health of our planet!

The company Glad Rags has invented the Moon Cup as a tampon alternative made from medical-grade silicone that is designed to “catch” the menstrual flow rather than absorb it. Worn internally similar to a tampon, the Moon Cup offers safety from unwanted chemicals and plastics, and provides inexpensive protection and a healthy, environmentally-friendly choice. Soft and durable, the product should last for 10 years before needing replacement and can save a woman as much as $800 over the lifetime of the cup.

The product is ideal for active women involved in sports and travel, women with sensitivities to tampons or disposable pads and women who desire comfort and ease during their periods. At any rate, it gives women another option in dealing with their cycles in an environmentally-safe manner.

This can be quite a change when first used, and it does take some getting used to. But from someone who’s used it, it’s not as terrible as you may think. Perhaps you’re thinking that the thought of the moon cup is “gross” – even the employees at Glad Rags have admitted to thinking this before trying it! But no customer has ever returned a Glad Rags product claiming it to be too “gross.” Check out more info on this here

Glad Rags also offers several other environmentally-safe menstrual products in the form of Cotton Reusable Menstrual Pads for day and night. Check out all of their products and the plethora of information to decide if you want to give this environmentally safe product line a try.