“Perennial evergreens” may strike you as a peculiar title, given that we’re not talking about agriculture at all. Every year we’re shown more signs of pollution damage which leads to more attention and demand for products that are less harmful to our environment and for more creative ways of doing our share to save the planet.
These evergreens are our picks this season for clothing, gadgets, footwear and everything else that is not only top of its class in style and function, but more importantly, leading a wave of eco-conscious products to keep our planet spinning for the next couple thousand years.
Lord knows with the oil, plastic, and pesticide pollution we inject into our planet on a daily basis we need more thinking along these lines.
Here are 10 products you can feel good about putting on your credit card bill. Hit ‘Start Here‘ button next to the social links.
Eco Friendly Chart
– Bamboo Product
– Recycled Materials
– Domestically made
– Low Energy (Consumption or Emissions)
– Advocate (or Financial Donor)
Circa – Convert Ultra-suede
Circa joins the eco-friendly pack this season with its Ultrasuede Convert. A hightop skate shoe made from 100% recycled ultra suede, recycled post, industrial poly waste and a bunch more nerd talk that’s all green friendly.
The manufacturing process also consumes 80% less energy and 40% less waste than traditional suede, all without sacrificing durability.
Want more? The insole is reused hemp and laces are made of recycled materials too.
$115USD – C1rca.com
Recycled + Low Energy
OAKLEY – BOB BURNQUIST RECYCLED FUEL CELL
Oakley continues its support for the environment through their “pro athlete” and “advocate for Green initiatives” Bob Burnquist.
The pair have designed special edition shades made from the excess materials of other Oakley sunglasses.
The ‘O’ logo is made of 100% bamboo as is the carry bag for the shades. The packaging was constructed from recycled materials and use a soy-based (also eco-friendly) ink.
$140USD – oakley.com
Bamboo + Recycled Materials
Native Shoes – Miller & Jericho
When Crocs first came on the market, soccer moms everywhere ran out to get a pair for their gardening or the beach. We all laughed at the horrible shapes, the name, and at everyone on the beach wearing a pair.
Fast forward to 2011 and a little upstart by the name of Native pushed way past the lazy design of the croc to create a collection of over 10 unique styles of footwear, all based on sneakers and boots that are produced with low energy emission manufacturing, zero-waste injection moulding process, animal by-product free.
Priced on par with a Chuck Taylor or an Era and friendly to the environment?! #swag
$45USD each – nativeshoes.com
Low Energy
bixi
The Montreal owned public bike system returns for its third year after record profits in 2010. Expanding to Toronto, London (UK), Melbourne (AUS), Minneapolis, and Washington DC/Arlington and soon Boston, and Ottawa.
The envy of competitors like Paris’ Velib system, the public bike system has demand far beyond all expectations and with over 3 million trips in Montreal in 2010, that’s a huge reduction in auto emissions.
$78CDN (1yr); $5 (24hr) – bixi.com
Domestically Made + Advocate
h&m
H&M continues their sustainable capsule with the Conscious Collection, an ongoing effort to push the envelope with fashionable clothing that is also less harmful to the environment.
This collection uses organic cotton and linen as well as recycled polyester and Tencel, a silky renewable material. The Conscious Collection is an ongoing H&M initiative so look for more over the next few seasons.
$25 & $18USD – hm.com
Recycled Materials + Advocate
Kono Audio – Stand 4 Green
Bring bamboo to your ears with the Kono S4G earbud headphones. The bamboo earbud has a solid sound isolating body and a fresh no tangle cord.
If you doubt how eco-friendly some tiny bamboo in your ears could be, Kono donates proceeds from every sale to a local Green cause to protect future generations.
$20USD – konoaudio.com
Bamboo + Advocate
josie maran make up
Certainly the two items on our list you’ll be glad aren’t made of bi-product or factory leftovers, this lip gloss and concealer from Josie Maran is made of earth-friendly ingredients and earth friendly packaging.
The cosmetics are produced with all natural, non-toxic ingredients (more expensive perhaps but better for the environment) while the packaging contains 30% recycled materials.
Josie is a member of several Green organizations and while make-up can’t always be green, she makes up for it in the attention her fame lends to the cause.
$18 + $28USD – josiemarancosmetics.com
Recycled Material + Advocate
andrew christian – almost naked collection
Cover your junk in bamboo and do yourself and your package a favour. Andrew Christian, a men’s underwear brand is for grownups.
If you’re still rocking the gap boxers after you’ve graduated college you need these. With a website that would make a lesser man uneasy, the brand’s bamboo collection features a grown man cut which holds your package where it should be with their unique design.
The bamboo collection is not only made from the 100% biodegradable fabric but also uses far fewer pesticides and toxins than their cotton counterparts, which means you’re doing well with every pair. Only downside, you may need to start a P90X program to make these look good.
$18-36USD – andrewchristian.com
Bamboo + Domestically Made
belkin conserve valet
The reality is people leave their chargers plugged in all day, adding to the eye sore of cables in a tangled mess. Solution? Belkin Conserve Valet, a non-slip dock surface that hides all your cables in a sexy packaging while saving the environment one charge
at a time.
The Conserve valet can charge up to 4 devices and shuts off after 4hours of charging or 2-minutes of inactivity. Drawing zero ghost power, it saves you dollars and energy unlike your out of the box charger.
$ 40 USD – belkin.com/conserve
Low Energy
team grove ipad case
Grove made a small team of designers in Portland, OR, have produced a 100% bamboo case with leather cover for your brand new iPad2. Continuing with the super slim (1/32″ of an inch) profile from their iPhone cases, the iPad2 case features functional and precise cutouts for front and rear camera, speakers, and headphone/30-pin plugs.
The cover flap retains all the folding and magnetic sleep/wake functionality of the Apple case, and is made from vegetable tanned leather, with an option to laser engrave the design of your choice.
$79 USD – grovemade.com
Bamboo + Domestically Made
"Perennial evergreens" may strike you as a peculiar title, given that we're not talking about agriculture at all. Every year we're shown more signs of pollution damage which leads to more attention and demand for products that are less harmful to our environment and for more creative ways of doing our share to save the planet.
These evergreens are our picks this season for clothing, gadgets, footwear and everything else that is not only top of its class in style and function, but more importantly, leading a wave of eco-conscious products to keep our planet spinning for the next couple thousand years.
Lord knows with the oil, plastic, and pesticide pollution we inject into our planet on a daily basis we need more thinking along these lines.
Here are 10 products you can feel good about putting on your credit card bill. Hit 'Start Here' button next to the social links.
Eco Friendly Chart
- Bamboo Product
- Recycled Materials
- Domestically made
- Low Energy (Consumption or Emissions)
- Advocate (or Financial Donor)
Circa - Convert Ultra-suede
Circa joins the eco-friendly pack this season with its Ultrasuede Convert. A hightop skate shoe made from 100% recycled ultra suede, recycled post, industrial poly waste and a bunch more nerd talk that's all green friendly.
The manufacturing process also consumes 80% less energy and 40% less waste than traditional suede, all without sacrificing durability.
Want more? The insole is reused hemp and laces are made of recycled materials too.
$115USD - C1rca.com
Recycled + Low Energy
OAKLEY - BOB BURNQUIST RECYCLED FUEL CELL
Oakley continues its support for the environment through their "pro athlete" and "advocate for Green initiatives" Bob Burnquist.
The pair have designed special edition shades made from the excess materials of other Oakley sunglasses.
The 'O' logo is made of 100% bamboo as is the carry bag for the shades. The packaging was constructed from recycled materials and use a soy-based (also eco-friendly) ink.
$140USD - oakley.com
Bamboo + Recycled Materials
Native Shoes - Miller & Jericho
When Crocs first came on the market, soccer moms everywhere ran out to get a pair for their gardening or the beach. We all laughed at the horrible shapes, the name, and at everyone on the beach wearing a pair.
Fast forward to 2011 and a little upstart by the name of Native pushed way past the lazy design of the croc to create a collection of over 10 unique styles of footwear, all based on sneakers and boots that are produced with low energy emission manufacturing, zero-waste injection moulding process, animal by-product free.
Priced on par with a Chuck Taylor or an Era and friendly to the environment?! #swag
$45USD each - nativeshoes.com
Low Energy
bixi
The Montreal owned public bike system returns for its third year after record profits in 2010. Expanding to Toronto, London (UK), Melbourne (AUS), Minneapolis, and Washington DC/Arlington and soon Boston, and Ottawa.
The envy of competitors like Paris' Velib system, the public bike system has demand far beyond all expectations and with over 3 million trips in Montreal in 2010, that's a huge reduction in auto emissions.
$78CDN (1yr); $5 (24hr) - bixi.com
Domestically Made + Advocate
h&m
H&M continues their sustainable capsule with the Conscious Collection, an ongoing effort to push the envelope with fashionable clothing that is also less harmful to the environment.
This collection uses organic cotton and linen as well as recycled polyester and Tencel, a silky renewable material. The Conscious Collection is an ongoing H&M initiative so look for more over the next few seasons.
$25 & $18USD - hm.com
Recycled Materials + Advocate
Kono Audio - Stand 4 Green
Bring bamboo to your ears with the Kono S4G earbud headphones. The bamboo earbud has a solid sound isolating body and a fresh no tangle cord.
If you doubt how eco-friendly some tiny bamboo in your ears could be, Kono donates proceeds from every sale to a local Green cause to protect future generations.
$20USD - konoaudio.com
Bamboo + Advocate
josie maran make up
Certainly the two items on our list you'll be glad aren't made of bi-product or factory leftovers, this lip gloss and concealer from Josie Maran is made of earth-friendly ingredients and earth friendly packaging.
The cosmetics are produced with all natural, non-toxic ingredients (more expensive perhaps but better for the environment) while the packaging contains 30% recycled materials.
Josie is a member of several Green organizations and while make-up can't always be green, she makes up for it in the attention her fame lends to the cause.
$18 + $28USD - josiemarancosmetics.com
Recycled Material + Advocate
andrew christian - almost naked collection
Cover your junk in bamboo and do yourself and your package a favour. Andrew Christian, a men's underwear brand is for grownups.
If you're still rocking the gap boxers after you've graduated college you need these. With a website that would make a lesser man uneasy, the brand's bamboo collection features a grown man cut which holds your package where it should be with their unique design.
The bamboo collection is not only made from the 100% biodegradable fabric but also uses far fewer pesticides and toxins than their cotton counterparts, which means you're doing well with every pair. Only downside, you may need to start a P90X program to make these look good.
$18-36USD - andrewchristian.com
Bamboo + Domestically Made
belkin conserve valet
The reality is people leave their chargers plugged in all day, adding to the eye sore of cables in a tangled mess. Solution? Belkin Conserve Valet, a non-slip dock surface that hides all your cables in a sexy packaging while saving the environment one charge
at a time.
The Conserve valet can charge up to 4 devices and shuts off after 4hours of charging or 2-minutes of inactivity. Drawing zero ghost power, it saves you dollars and energy unlike your out of the box charger.
$ 40 USD - belkin.com/conserve
Low Energy
team grove ipad case
Grove made a small team of designers in Portland, OR, have produced a 100% bamboo case with leather cover for your brand new iPad2. Continuing with the super slim (1/32" of an inch) profile from their iPhone cases, the iPad2 case features functional and precise cutouts for front and rear camera, speakers, and headphone/30-pin plugs.
The cover flap retains all the folding and magnetic sleep/wake functionality of the Apple case, and is made from vegetable tanned leather, with an option to laser engrave the design of your choice.
$79 USD - grovemade.com
