This is something that’s been rattling around in my head for a while, and I thought it might be worth spilling it all here and seeing what you guys think. I write in a lot of places about how to be green, and I get a lot of pitches from companies [...]]]>

This is something that’s been rattling around in my head for a while, and I thought it might be worth spilling it all here and seeing what you guys think. I write in a lot of places about how to be green, and I get a lot of pitches from companies who want me to review their newest green product. But what does green really mean?

Over at Feelgood Style, we talk about green beauty and fashion, and every time I get a pitch from a cosmetics company, I find myself wondering if they’re green enough. One company makes cosmetics that come in fully compostable packaging, but they use artificial “fragrance,” which can mean any number of toxic, artificial chemicals. Are they green? What about a company who’s recipe is totally free from mystery ingredients, but their packaging is plastic?

I’m even running across this as I start my fall garden! I avoided products from Scotts (even “organic” ones), because they’re a major distributor for Monsanto’s RoundUp. Not familiar with RoundUp? It’s a pesticide, and it’s terrible for the environment. You can read a bit about some of the problems with RoundUp here.

Right, so! In my effort to avoid Scotts, I picked up organic seed starter from Burpee, only to learn that 3-5% of their seeds are from Monsanto. Is 3-5% a small enough number? Am I being green by supporting Burpee’s organic line, when I’m also supporting a company that sells genetically modified seeds?

How to be Green

Some companies are making a genuine effort, while others are just greenwashing. So many companies co-opt the word “green” as a marketing gimmick, that it’s hard to suss out who’s really making an impact and who’s just trying to break into this growing niche of green consumers. It’s up to us to read the labels, do the research, and see beyond the marketing.

But I think if we really want to get at the heart of how to be green, it’s about more than what we buy. It’s what we choose not to buy and what we choose to make ourselves. I think the key to really being a green consumer is to…consume less! That can mean just opting out of the newest and shiniest thing. It can also mean using your crafty skills to reuse what we have and turn it into something new.

My friend Kelly Rand has said many times that she thinks handmade can save the world, and I think she’s really got it right. I also think that handmade can mean different things for different folks. Maybe that means planting and nurturing a food garden, instead of buying produce from halfway around the world. Maybe it’s cooking a meal, rather than ordering wasteful takeout. Or turning an old t-shirt into a reusable shopping bag.

We all have the power to make these small changes, and I think the real way to be green is to do our best to reduce our impacts however we can.

Does that make sense? I sort of feel like I’m tossing out a half-baked idea here, and I’d love to flesh it out with you guys. What does green mean to you?

Related Posts:

• IF: Summer Crafts!
• How To: Build a Spiral Container Garden
• Unusual Planters Made From Everyday Items

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: be green, DIY, environment, garden, green, handmade, Hippie, how to be green, recycle, recycling, repurposed, reuse, upcycling

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Lori Lee-Weber of Web Works Fiber weaves beautiful rugs out of reclaimed fabric. What a great way to keep all of that fabric out of the landfill!
(. . .)Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | One comment [...]]]>

Lori Lee-Weber of Web Works Fiber weaves beautiful rugs out of reclaimed fabric. What a great way to keep all of that fabric out of the landfill!
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Post tags: interview, rag rug, rag rugs, recycling, upcycling, weaver, weaving

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Theresa Hein of T. Hein Originals makes beautiful art pieces and accessories using found and vintage materials. I just love her romantic assemblages!
(. . .)Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | Comment Post tags: [...]]]>

Theresa Hein of T. Hein Originals makes beautiful art pieces and accessories using found and vintage materials. I just love her romantic assemblages!
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: accessories, Art, interview, pins, recycling, upcycling

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As much as I try to cut back on junk mail, it seems to be a fact of life. Even after doing everything I can do opt out, marketers still seem to find a way to get their garbage into our mailbox. Rather than get frustrated, you can use all of that [...]]]>

As much as I try to cut back on junk mail, it seems to be a fact of life. Even after doing everything I can do opt out, marketers still seem to find a way to get their garbage into our mailbox. Rather than get frustrated, you can use all of that free paper for some crafty projects!
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments
Post tags: DIY, junk mail, paper, recycled paper, recycling, reuse, reuse inspiration, upcycling

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Brooke has been making jewelry since she was a kid, and it definitely shows. She does all of the wire work by hand, and you can tell by how uniform the two earrings look that she’s got serious [...]]]>

Arizona crafter Brooke Perkins creates a lovely jewelery line out of recycled glass beads.

Brooke has been making jewelry since she was a kid, and it definitely shows. She does all of the wire work by hand, and you can tell by how uniform the two earrings look that she’s got serious skills.

I was lucky enough to receive a pair of Brooke’s beautiful earrings in the mail last week to try out. The pair she sent is a combination of recycled glass and sterling silver. I just love the wire work that supports the delicate seafoam-green beads.

The earrings are a little bit heavier than I’m used to but by no means uncomfortable. The wire and beads dangle from French hooks with a bit of chain, giving them a nice swing. They hit me right above the jaw, which is just perfect.

While the metal that she uses is mostly new, the glass beads are fully recycled. In its previous life, all of the glass in her recycled line comes from soda bottles. A lot of recycled glass actually ends up getting downcycled into lesser material, so you can feel good about rescuing these lovely pieces of glass from that fate!

You can check out Brooke’s recycled glass line over in the Jeweled Triton Etsy shop. She’s got pieces made with conventionally-mined sterling silver and gold as well as some pieces made with recycled copper!

Related Posts:

• Spotted: Acorn Cap Jewels
• What does green mean?
• Awesome: Recycled Plastic Cup Necklace

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments
Post tags: downcycling, earrings, jewelry, product review, recycled glass, recycling, review

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Signs are super duper important, no matter what you’re making. Folks at craft shows and in stores want to know what things are made of. They want the story.

After doing a few shows, I realized that a lot of folks were asking the same questions [...]]]>

Signs are super duper important, no matter what you’re making. Folks at craft shows and in stores want to know what things are made of. They want the story.

After doing a few shows, I realized that a lot of folks were asking the same questions about what I make:

• What is this?
• Did you make this yourself?
• What is it made of?
• How much does it cost?

I’ve got no problem answering questions, but it makes things much easier for shoppers if they can see a bit about your work at a glance. Some shyer folks might not want to ask questions, and that could cost you a sale! These simple little tent signs do the trick, and they’re cheap and easy to make, too!
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Post tags: cardboard, display, recycling, repurposed, Shop Talk, signs, tutorial

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How lovely are these bottle lights?? I’ve been staring at this picture for over a month now, and I just may have to do something about it when the weather warms up. I’m thinking you could rig up something like this with a strand of Christmas lights, an appropriately-sized drill bit, and some hot [...]]]>

How lovely are these bottle lights?? I’ve been staring at this picture for over a month now, and I just may have to do something about it when the weather warms up. I’m thinking you could rig up something like this with a strand of Christmas lights, an appropriately-sized drill bit, and some hot glue. Do you guys think that sounds about right?

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by septuagesima

Related Posts:

• What does green mean?
• Reuse Inspiration: Upcycled Junk Mail Projects
• Reuse Inspiration: An Upcycled Basket (Made from Plastic Bags!)

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments
Post tags: Festival Remix, inspiration, lights, recycling, reuse, upcycling

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I stumbled upon this awesome heart pin by Urban Woods Walker just in time for Valentine’s day! She cut up old soda cans and stapled them to this foam heart with a pin on the back! I love the colors and the whole look of this thing, and it gets double points [...]]]>

I stumbled upon this awesome heart pin by Urban Woods Walker just in time for Valentine’s day! She cut up old soda cans and stapled them to this foam heart with a pin on the back! I love the colors and the whole look of this thing, and it gets double points for keeping some trash out of the waste stream! She says the whole thing is recycled! “Even the office staples…they were in my deceased dad’s desk drawer for like 20 years. I used them up.”

Check out all of her rad recycled jewelry on her Flickr!

[Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by Urban Woods Walker]

Related Posts:

• 5 Questions With T. Hein Originals
• What does green mean?
• 5 Questions With Web Works Fiber

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2009. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: accessories, heart, pin, recycling, upcycling, Urban Woods Walker

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