Amazing discovery #1: Go Green Salon!

I was surfing over the web looking for the latest, hottest and greenest news and products for you, when I discovered a very handy, must-visit website: Go Green Salon. A virtual beauty salon with lots of tips, tricks and spots with green and eco-friendly beauty products and salons. From hairdressers to spa’s, nail and tanning salons: it’s all there on their website. The website is established to help salons and spa’s join the green movement. But that’s not all! Go Green Salon has an online green information resource centre for businesses and the public (you!!), an eco-friendly product store (coming soon), and an online directory that will enable you to identify and choose among participating salons in your country. Until now they’ve included salons in Germany, U.S., U.K. and Canada but they hope to increase this list soon. This website is a fantastic initiative and it makes the search for the right (=green) salon, barbershop or hairproducts a lot more easy because the website is very user friendly :-)! Already one of my favourite www-spots! So join the green movement and surf to: www.gogreensalon.com.

Save Tibet: start shopping!

Komodo has been involved with the Free Tibet Campaign for quite a while. To support the campaign they now designed a pair of shoes with the famous logo of the campaign. Komodo asks you to join them in helping create a voice which will speak up for those who suffer the flip side of China’s economic revolution. Tibet was invaded by Chinese troops in 1950. Since then, many Tibetans have died as a direct result of the occupation and lots of people, including the 14th Dalai Lama, have been forced into exile. Fundamental freedoms, including religion and expression, are denied and the torture of political prisoners who have taken part in peaceful protests is commonplace. The Free Tibet Campaign campaigns for an end to China’s occupation of Tibet and for the Tibetans’ fundamental human rights to be respected. Founded in 1987, The Free Tibet Campaign is independent of all governments and is funded by its members and supporters. So when there’s no demonstration or revolt going on, you can express yourself with these sneakers. 20% of every sale of these shoes will go directly to the campaign. Fashionwise footwear with a message = exactly what globalina likes! The price of this Tibet pair is £40 (≈ €50/$80) and available at The Natural Shoe Store.

Eco your party!

Giving a mindblowing, ultrahip, swinging disco dancing party for your birthday? New house? Wedding? Or any other reason… You know parties are fun but they can also cause a looot of trash: plastic cups and plates, balloons, and so on. Well…thankfully that’s a thing of the past now! You can eco your party from head to toe (from cup till decoration) with Eco my party! Choose from their range party (BBQ, lunches in the park etc.) essentials, that includes bamboo plates, biodegradable balloons, wooden cutlery, compostable cups and colorful, recyclable, paper garlands. Need all of it? Just order their Party Pack: full of party necessities for an eco-friendly bash! Party pack prices start at £19.99 (≈ $40 / €25) or £1.25 (≈ $2.50 / €1.50) for loose articles. Get the party started at www.ecomyparty.co.uk.

Color me beautiful!

Beautiful manicures begin with healthy, resilient nails. SpaRitual has developed a collection of sophisticated Nail Elixirs to nourish cuticles, build strong nails and establish a flawless environment for color. Their formulations are naturally colored and free of synthetic dyes. SpaRitual offers therefore DBP-free, Formaldehyde and Toluene-free Nail Elixirs and Lacquers in nail care (DBP is banned in Europe because it’s linked to birth defects!), and the first spa treatment line of vegan nail care products. Wow! SpaRitual Elixirs feature a signature brush for ease of opening, smooth control and a delicate finish. Plus the vegan nail elixers and lacquers are available in multiple colors from intense reds to mellow beiges, nirvana pinks, fresh violets and chilled out neutrals and each SpaRitual shade is associated with a unique message or meaning: the brand fuses the disciplines of color therapy and numerology to provide a quick mental retreat and moment of contemplation. And to make them even more adorable, SpaRitual gave their nail care products the most fantastic names: who doesn’t want a nail polish named ‘She’s a river’, ‘Innocence is bless’, ‘Disco inferno’ (a polish for partying!) or ‘Stiletto’ (for the sophisticated shopper!). And you can even get ‘Miss World’ in your hands (and nails) for a little while with their Airy Sopranos Line. Until now only available in the U.S. and Canada but hopefully soon in more parts of the world. Color yourself at www.sparitual.com

Cover it up!

You made a fabulous dish and you got some leftovers. So what do you do? You probably put it in a bowl and cover it with…plastic? Silver foil? So the next day you can throw away the plastic foil and enjoy that pasta salad once again. Well…from now on you can reduce your plastic or silver foil trash pile big time! Save on plastic wrap with these sunny fruity reusable bowl covers! They keep all your food fresh and the elastic tops fit tight for better storage. The clear area between the tutti frutti design shows you what’s in the bowl and they’re highly economical: just wash and reuse. Your purse and planet will love these covermodels! Although they’re made out of plastic, because you can reuse them over and over again it will eventually decrease the use of plastic and therefore the plastic waste. Smart thinking! You can buy 24 tops for just $7,99 (≈ €5/£4) at AlwaysBrilliant.

Mind your Wood Manners…

Almost one fifth of all imported wood in the European Union has been cut illegally. The main countries of origin are Russia, Indonesia and China, reported the World Welfare Foundation (WWF) today. This environmental NGO wants more powerful measures to stop illegally logged wood from being imported into the EU. The current voluntary permit systems do not work, according to WWF.

Some numbers

The amount of illegally cutted wood imported into the EU was in 2006 between 26.5 and 31 millions cubic meter. That quantity corresponds to the total harvest in Poland in that year! “Illegal logging devastates the protecting functioning of trees and increases the risk on natural disasters such as landslides”, says wood expert Anke Schulmeister of the WWF-office in Brussels. “Deforestation is also of the largest causes of climate change.” According to her, the largest flow of ‘wrong wood’ of Russia goes to Finland. Factories process it in pulp and paper for other EU countries. A less large flow comes from Indonesia. China tripled her export of wood and paper to the EU between 2003 and 2006. A third of the wood used in this production, was cutted illegal.

The WWF asks the EU for legislation which allows the import of only legally cut down wood. Traders should prove the origin of their wood. When countries or companies violate these measures, strict sentences must follow, says the WWF.

Wooden you

So what’s fair wood and what’s not? It’s not always easy to see (or find out) but if you want to play all fair, it’s safest to buy wood certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). The independent organization FSC awards its label to wood that comes from sustainably managed forests. The label also guarantees that the rights of indigenous people are safeguarded. You can recognize fair wood by their FSC label (see image).  And to help you a little more, Globalina made a list of good wood and a list of bad wood. So you know exactly how to shop wood-good! To find out how much ancient forest (illegal wood) you already have in your living space (or not) or for more info about what to-do and what not-to-do in woodworld, check out Greenpeace’s foresthouse.

Good Wood!

 Safe to buy

Type of wood		Shopping advice	Origin
Bamboo	Officially not a type of wood but a type of grass	All okay!	Asia and other parts of the world
Oak, European	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Europe and some parts of Asia
Red Oak, American	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Eastern North-America
White Oak, American	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Eastern North-America/South Eastern Canada
Maple, American	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Eastern North-America, West-Asia, Europe
Maple, European	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Europe and West-Asia
Ashes wood	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Europe, Japan, China and some other parts of Asia, Eastern North-America
Pinewood, French	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Southern Europe, North Africa
Chestnut (not wild)	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Southern Europe, Some parts of Asia, North Africa
Cherry wood, American	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Europe, some parts of Asia, Eastern North-Amerika
Cherry wood, European	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Europe
Larchwood, European	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Middle / Northern Europe, Siberia, Western North-America
(Chest)nut, American	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Eastern North-America
(Chest)nut, European	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Europe, Asia
Sycamore from American Platans	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice	Eastern part of the U.S.

 Okay to buy IF/BUT:

Type of wood		Shopping advice	Origin
Oak wood	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice. Buying Oak wood from Russia is discouraged: there’s a high risk that the oak wood from Russia has been cut illegally.	Europe, Northern-Asia, Japan, Eastern North America
Beechwood	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice. Beechwood from Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romenia, Slovakia): only buy the FSC certified ones.	Europe
Beechwood, steamed	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice. Beechwood from Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romenia, Slovakia): only buy the FSC certified ones.	Europe
Pinewood, North-European	Timber from production woods	Preferably with FSC label; without label: second choice. Do not buy pinewood from Russia: there’s a high risk the timber has been cut illegally.

 

Only buy when FSC certified:

Guatambu, Pau Marfin	There’s a high risk the timber has been cut illegally: in Brazil there’s a huge deforestation problem	Only buy when FSC certified!	Brazil
Ipé / Lapacho	There’s a high risk the timber has been cut illegally: in Suriname a lot of  destructive bunch cap and many social conflicts	Only buy when FSC certified!	Tropical Central and South America
Jatoba or Locus	There’s a high risk the timber has been cut illegally: in Brazil there’s a huge deforestation problem	Only buy when FSC certified!	South America
Merbau	Is listed on IUCN red list of endangered wood species	Only buy when FSC certified!	Southern East Asia, South-West Pacific, Madagascar
Sucupira	There’s a high risk the timber has been cut illegally: in Brazil there’s a huge defosteration problem	Only buy when FSC certified!	South America
Purperhart
	There’s a high risk the timber has been cut illegally: in Suriname a lot of  destructive bunch cap and many social conflicts
Only buy when FSC certified!	Tropical Central and South America (Suriname and other countries)
Teak	High risk of illegal logging	Only buy when FSC certified!	Southern East Asia

Bad Wood!

Type of wood
Afromosia	Is listed on CITES list of endangered trees
Afzelia apa	High risk of illegal logging
Afzelia doussié	High risk of illegal logging
Basralocus	High risk of illegal logging; in Brazil huge problem of deforestation
Bilinga or Opepe	High risk of illegal logging
Curupixa	High risk of illegal logging; in Brazil huge problem of deforestation
Kambala or Iroko	High risk of illegal logging; in Brazil huge problem of deforestation
Kerouwing / Keruing or Yang	Is listed on CITES list of endangered trees
Lariks, Siberia	High risk of illegal logging
Nut, Asian	High risk of illegal logging
Padoek	High risk of illegal logging
Panga Panga	Is listed on CITES list of endangered trees
Sipo	Is listed on CITES list of endangered trees
Mutenyé	High risk of illegal logging
Wengé	Is listed on CITES list of endangered trees
Zebrano	High risk of illegal logging

All natural ≠ 100% natural?

Many products claim to be 100% natural, with all natural ingredients. But are these products truly all natural, like they say they are? How do you know your favorite cleanser or body milk is ‘telling you the truth’? Knowing what is natural, is often less easy as it seems. So Globalina’s giving you a little help in this.

What to do? Like reading the ingredients label of your bottle of milk, coke can or cereals pack, you can start reading the labels of your beauty products. Unfortunately, these labels are often written in a very ‘consumer unfriendly’ way. You probably never heard of most of the ingredients or terms. To better understand the potentially harmful ingredients that may be in your personal care products, you can use Burt’s Bees Interactive Ingredient Tool. With this tool, you can learn how to separate the naturals from the non-naturals very easily. Globalina gives you already some simple tips:

• A single natural ingredient doesn’t make your product all natural.Read the ingredients statement and the labels of your products carefully. Especially important is to look for the ingredient order. If lemon extract is the last ingredient on the list, your Lovely Lemon body lotion isn’t very natural after all.
• Certain ingredients tell you the truth immediately.Watch for the following commonly used ingredients: Sulfates (Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate), Parabens (Methyl-, Propyl-, Ethyl-, Butyl-), Petrochemicals (petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin), Chemical sunscreens  (Oxybenzone/Avobenzone) and Phthalates. These ingredients should never be used in an all-natural product.
• Products can be certified ‘organic’ when not all ingredients are organic.FDA regulations require the use of Latin and scientific names for ingredients. This means that even natural raspberry oil is called rubus idaeus oil on a label. To familiarize yourself with the scientific names, look up ingredient names on Burt’s Bees Ingredients Glossary.

If you want to be sure all your health care products are (almost) 100% natural or organic, buy your goodies at Burt’s Bees: http://global.burtsbees.com. Burt’s bees tells you how natural every product is they’re selling and what ingredients they use. Their Super Shiny Lip Glosses (100% natural) are made with almond oil which makes your lips instantly soft and very kissable. Or try the Lemon Poppy Seed Facial Cleanser (98.31% natural). Smells so delicious you almost want to eat it!

Loveable label

 Another brand to add to your wish-list: Armour Sans Anguish. Gotta have an unique designer piece from this brand! Armour sans Anguish garments are constructed entirely from salvaged and recycled materials. Since 2004 designer and proprietress Tawny Holt has been committed to reclaiming what might otherwise be wasted to create clothing that is at once both shamelessly romantic and fashionably modern. Tawny reclaims garments and fabrics from surroundings and send them off into the world utterly transformed into lovely skirts or sweet dresses. Not one of the pieces is alike, all of them look super original, the designs are sometimes a bit awkward but most of the time strangely beautiful. Each Armour sans Anguish piece is one-of-a-kind but if something you like is sold, you can e-mail Tawny herself and something similar can possibly be produced for you. The skirt at the photo is still available ($74 / €47 / £37) but make sure you’re fast when picking an item. Her designs are sold out quickly! www.armoursansanguish.com