London-based Hoyan Ip, a 2012 MA Fashion graduate, observed that food waste could help offset fashion industry waste. So, she set about using discarded food to make buttons, buckles, and other garment trims. Ip says, “Fashion represents change. Bio-trimmings are unique products that act as an object to educate and make good changes towards both sustainable fashion and ethical living for the future.”
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Astute ‘Adoornment’
Cabinet Doors Become Artist’s Canvas Bright colors, a love of nature, a sense of delight, and a practiced hand all contribute to the look and feel of Elizabeth See’s oil paintings. At first glance, her work appears to be rendered on traditional materials. Closer examination will reveal that she uses discarded cabinet doors and cut-offs from woodworking production as the canvas for her art. The BZ Corner, WA artist takes repurposing seriously and is constantly on the hunt for scrap wood and disused cabinetry. It is as natural for her to befriend nature by keeping usable materials from the landfill as it is for her to sit quietly studying the…
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The Value of Wastewater Recycling
Sorting your water bottles and soda cans into recyclable and non-recyclable isn’t enough to live completely green and cut down on waste. One of the most important recyclables is water. According to the Water Information Program, daily water consumption of an average American is about 176 gallons per day and the United States uses a staggering 3.9 trillion gallons of water per month. Global wastewater programs are working to create efficient ways cities and towns can repurpose water. You can do your part by recycling lightly-used household water to reduce the amount you use every day. Reusing Grey Water At Home Recycling companies, such as recycling services from republicservices.com, are developing…
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The Mysteries of Recycling:
Part I Understanding the Problem What’s so mysterious about recycling? We dutifully put our waste paper, cardboard, empty cans, plastic containers, and glass jars into our recycle containers and then set them at the curb. Some of the more conscientious of us even give some thought to the rules for what can be recycled and how it should be sorted. Others don’t. Then we all go about our daily lives thinking that we are building a more sustainable world by turning our waste into someone else’s treasure. Seems simple enough. Ah, if only that were true. Historical Perspective Recycling, as we think of it today, didn’t come into existence until…
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Inner (tube) Beauty
Artful Accessories from Recycled Bicycle Inner Tubes When Julia Garretson looks at bicycle inner tubes, she sees jewelry. When others look at her jewelry, they see- well… Jewelry. As a member of Portland’s Trillium Artisan Etsy Team, Julia is one of several local artisans dedicated to using recycled materials in her work. The end result is a wonderful collection of handmade paper and jewelry that she markets locally as well as online. Having grown up in Massachusetts, the clever craftswoman brought her passion for making things with her hands to Portland. Here, she graduated from Oregon College of Art and Craft with a degree in metalsmithing. The talented artist forges,…
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Post Holiday Waste Recycling
Happy Holidays!!After the Holidays where to recycle all of the Holiday trimmings? Wrapping paper, cards and boxes that are 100 percent paper can be recycled in curbside bins. Do not put foil, plastic coating and glitter into recycle bins. Plastic bottles, jars, tubs and buckets are the only plastics that you can recycle at home. Christmas Trees and Wreaths in PortlandOregon Metro Informationhttps://www.portland.gov/bps/garbage-recycling/news/2021/11/16/holiday-garbage-and-recycling-tips#toc-holiday-tree-disposal Styrofoam™ Blocks (No food-related Styrofoam) Agilyx Tigard, OR https://www.agilyx.com/tigard/drop-off/ Know of any other resources for Holiday recycling in the Portland, Vancouver area? Ideas about reducing Holiday debris? Please share the information in comments. Photos: top: from flickr member foilman
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Wood in the Course of Human Events
Wood has got to be one of nature’s most miraculous gifts to the human race. We have depended on wood for fuel, tools, weapons, and shelter since before the dawn of history. Even in this high tech world of the twenty first century there is wood everywhere, in one form or another, no matter if we are flying across the country at 30,000 feet, riding in a subway beneath the streets of Manhattan, or sitting on the sofa in front of the TV set. The sad fact is that wood has been with us for so long and is present in so many different forms that we no longer notice…
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Tips for an Eco-Conscious Wedding
Weddings are a huge and expensive undertaking and can leave an even bigger footprint on the environment. More and more couples are looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly which can be difficult since weddings are typically associated with hyper-consumption and produce a great deal of waste. Invitations, decorations, food, travel, etc. the list is endless. Unfortunately, many items at a wedding only get used once and are tossed. By incorporating any number of these suggestions for an eco-conscious wedding, you’ll be doing your part to sustain the earth while being a role model for others.Invitations and PaperCutting down on paper invitations is one of the easiest ways to…
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The RINSE Project Helps Wineries Reuse Wine Bottles
Cowhorn Winery in Applegate Valley, Oregon has teamed up with Wine Bottle Renew to establish a powerful new bioregional program called ‘The RINSE Project.’ The project cuts per-bottle costs and reduces wineries’ carbon footprints by recycling used wine bottles and preparing them for industry reuse. Some 300 million cases of wine are sold in the United States each year and the wine bottles from about 210 million end up in landfills. As the first Southern Oregon winery to ship used bottles through the RINSE Project, Cowhorn Winery aims to help change that and cut its carbon footprint in the bargain. In addition to cleaning, packing, and shipping wine bottles for…
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Portland Garden Cottages – Intimate Spaces from Recycled Building Materials
There’s an ongoing debate in my house over what constitutes a “too small” dwelling, so I’m always on the prowl to bolster my position that we can live well in small spaces. Evidence: The Portland Garden Cottages designed and built by Jeffrey Gantert and Brad Bloom. Gantert and Bloom built two small, (364 square-feet) cottages from mostly used building materials. The cottages took advantage of an empty lot in the Mississippi Historic District of the upper Albina neighborhood of Portland. They are designed to fith with the history and character of the neighboring structures, a mixture of ordinary working-class homes and ornate Victorian-style architecture. From the outside,…
