"Feet to the Fire" Festival" 2016 - May 7!!!

Recycle Your Pants project is back in business! We are going to kick off a new line of upcycled denim eco-friendly goods at the "Feet to the Fire" festival in Middletown, CT on Saturday, May 7, 2016! Please the the Riverfront celebration of arts and the environment. See you there!

Learn how to sew this year!

A sustainable future depends on all of us working together and relying more on ourselves individually and as a community. Take the leap and learn how to sew this year. Learn how to make your own handbags or repurpose your favorite clothing that can no longer be worn. Handmade businesses in the USA are something that I truly support in order to make sure we thrive as a nation. Do not worry so much about doing everything yourself as an individual, but rather making sure that the we are supporting each other in our community. Supporting small businesses and creating whatever the community needs helps in creating the

Why eat great food only to take the leftovers home in an oil-product?

I support the To-Go Ware mission to encourage reusable containers and utensils when eating out or taking food out. They are popularizing stainless steel To Go containers that could go right in the oven or on the stovetop for reheating! We waste so much when getting food TO GO unless we do it right with something like what To-Go Ware has to offer. I have one, and I love it.

Plastic utensils are also a great hazard to the environment. Just consider the sheer number of them used away from home. Plus, it doesn't help that thousands of fish and sea creatures have been found with plastic utensils in their stomachs, causing them often to die since they cannot digest them.

Still not convinced? Please read Adam Starr's blog (enclosed in the title above) about the dangers of plastic utensils. They are not recyclable, and they end up in landfills or our oceans, which seems to becoming landfills of sorts, too.

WalMart charging for shopping bags, Phase out plastic test

Wal-Mart is doing a test at several stores in California. They are phasing out plastic bags. People will have to pay $.15-$2 for a bag now, which is how most other countries do it. If you forget to bring your own bag to the store, then you are charged for a new one. I applaud them for taking this leap and testing this out.

I hope this practice catches on and helps to educate people across the country about the dangers of plastic bags.

Read the full article when clicking on the title.

H&M said it would stop the destruction of merchandise & donate it

H&M responded immediately to the article in the NYTimes yesterday. They said that they would not slash any more clothing. They will donate it to charity. Let's make sure that they keep that promise!

Read the statement published in today's NYTimes. Click on the title.

Wal-Mart says that they normally donate or recycle unsold clothing, so they don't understand how this happened. Make sure it doesn't happen again.

I hope that employees have the courage to speak up it these matters, too. Consumers certainly made their voices heard! Companies must be made to think twice before they proceed with any unethical practices.

H&M, WalMart found slashing then trashing items

Not only have people found clothing in the trash by big stores, but the employees slashed the trashed items with a knife in order to make them unwearable by anyone. Read the article from the NYTimes. Click on the title.

H&M and WalMart actually paid employees to destroy clothing, so no one could wear it. There are thousands of homeless & hungry people in NYC who could use this clothing. If they do not want to donate it, is there no store that functions as place that could buy the bulk for a blanket price and sell it off for much cheaper prices to people who really need it? I will try to figure this out. How does Marshall's and T.J. Maxx work? Where do they buy their items from?

Reusable fabric gift bags - Green Christmas!

Happy Holidays to all! If you are celebrating Christmas this year, let it be green. Green is the color of life, the trees that stand full in winter, and the frogs dug deep in their mud puddles.

This is the time when consumer spending is highest throughout the year, so remember to look for gifts that have less packaging.

Here are some tips to minimize waste through all the wonderful gift-giving:

1) Make (if you know how to sew) or buy REUSABLE FABRIC GIFT BAGS! Your family and your friends can reuse them every year, so you only spend the money once & they can be utterly beautiful. You can make them look like the sack Santa carries around, or you can make them different sizes to fit the individual gift!

2) Reuse this year's calendar for the tiny presents! Just tie a pretty ribbon around it.

3) Use the comic section of the paper.

4) Bring your own shopping bag when you shop!

5) Support eco-conscious sellers online or in local stores.

6) Buy gifts from local businesses! You don't have to travel far, so you save time and gas.

7) Check out local farms who raise their own meat. Support local farms for Christmas dinner.

HOLLY, JOLLY, and JOY! Keep it green & keep it simple.