Recycler: 5 Sexy and Sustainable Picks from TreeHugger
by TreeHugger on 03. 5.05
All this enviro-blather is great and all...but where's the hotness?
For my shallow, design-obsessed brethren out there, here are 5 picks where you get to have your cake and eat it too.
1.Papkorn Disposable Dishwares. Molded from bioplast, a biodegradable corn-based plastic.
2.Icebreaker sportswear. Made from renewable, biodegradable merino wool from the land down under the land down under.
3.Voxia Seating. Made from sustainably harvested beech or walnut, with beautiful lines. Truly amazing.
4.iXi aluminum bike. Folding, oil-free chain. Incredible detailing.
5.BigDig House. Housing made from an old freeway ramp!
[by Graham Hill]
Those seats are to die for!
And so is this site.
http://www.savethesheep.com/faq.asp
I wouldn't buy wool from any company which doesn't make a statement about the treatment and transport of it's sheep. Abercrombie and Fitch have even boycotted merino wool.
The word “merino” refers to the merino breed of sheep, who are the most commonly raised sheep in Australia and whose wool is used to make clothing. Merino sheep are specifically bred to have wrinkly skin, desirable to farmers because, theoretically, the wrinkly skin produces more wool, but those wrinkles also trap moisture, urine, and feces, making sheep susceptible to blowfly infestation. Lately, other merino sheep, who have smoother skin, are resistant to blowfly attack, and produce ultra-fine wool, have come on the scene.
icebreakers uses free-range merino wool from independent new zealand farmers who specify that their shears don't touch skin.
merino is sustainable, 100% natural, biodegradable, and eco-efficient. additionally, it's practically a miracle fiber... warm when it's cold, cool when it's warm, washable (keeps size and shape), insulates when wet, odor resistant, non-itching, etc. i suspect A&F are riding on a publicity stunt as they have done many times in recent years (soft porn catalogs and racist t-shirts). if i were concerned that icebreakers' suppliers were abusing sheep i would ask them about their policies.
i have been wearing them for many years and highly recommend icebreakers' clothing. there's no comparison to synthetics.