Feeling trapped in plastic, much like this poor couple, I came to a new stance for Marc’s and my wedding (and sanity).

Somehow, when I Googled “Plastic-free wedding”, I found nothing, though I figured all the overlay of eco-concern and weddings would naturally have had a blog or something named this.

Anyhow, I am not going the route of creating a specific website and blog to this specific topic, but you will find posts regarding how I try to make my upcoming wedding friendlier to the Earth and our future. My first vow is to make my wedding as plastic-free as possible.

I have already been weighing the disposable plateware versus china rental conundrum. I think I am within a week’s decision on that one. How about everything else though?

The wedding industry (sometimes referred to as the WIC – Wedding Industrial Complex) is a complete craphole for useless, disposable, stuffs. Favors, decorations, hair goodies, foods, clothing, invitations, programs, and so much more. In fact, it feels that with each year, new crappy disposable things get tacked on to a new bride’s “must-have” list.

Like Save-the-Date cards (sadly referred to as STDs). Those used not to be at all. Now, not only do many brides feel they are mandatory, but the new thing is Save-the-Date magnets. I have received three from friends… and while they are actually cute, it feels weird to leave magnets of all my coupled friends on my fridge for years to come.

We are just bypassing wedding STDs completely.  *chuckles*

(more…)

As I try to plan a wedding, something which you think you can do until you are in the position to, and then realize you have zero experience in doing so and should not be given the privilege*, I am faced with yet another conundrum.

Do we use disposable dinnerware for the wedding reception, and what options are there besides plastic?

The whole thing arose when I told my Sis and Gramms over Thanksgiving that I did not know how much rental dinnerware would cost us, and Gramms suggested I could get pretty clear plastic plates from Walmart and probably save a bundle.

Yep, Gramma.  I could save a bundle, but I edit and write articles about not doing exactly that.  Using plastic plates just does not jam at all with who Marc and I are.**  So, I thanked her for the suggestion but explained how that could not work for us.

I have noticed, however, that I am far from alone on this debate.  Forum board after forum has brides talking about going plastic.***  Then again, many boards are slamming plastic.

Paper is getting slammed, too.

Enter Bambu Veneerware, made of 100% organically-grown bamboo.  The products look chic enough, and I found Pink Argyle and Kirstin Endemann talking up the products.

I am thus torn between renting dinnerware, buying cute mismatch dinnerware I have to wash myself after the reception, or buying this Bambu Veneerware which is still stylish while being super easy to clean up after (plates only, not the bamboo utensils) and says it biodegrades in less than six months.  Hmmm…

I really dug this post by Apartment Therapy where Kristen Lubbe debates this exact issue when it comes to hosting parties.  I dig the honesty of questioning which to do, and where we (as environmentalist and social-conscious humans) should allow ourselves some forgiveness for accepting a little convenience over moral high-ground.  But check out the tremendous slew of comments afterward, many bashing the author for not taking the route of renting or buying new dishes.****

So, suggestions?  Feelings why you lean one way or another?  Or what you would never do?

Let it fly… I have stuff to decide.  And you know you would feel gratified and proven right if your comment is what sways my decision. 

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

*Who am I kidding?! I love this challenge!  Nine and a half months left to figure it all out!

**Except plastic plates are cheap.  Marc and I are cheap.  :/  Cost, however, is not enough of a jam for us to forsake our ethics.

***I’m a honking big snob anyhow and just think plastic is tacky.  I would avoid it however I could.

****Commenter Oneformybaby at November 23, 2009 11:25 pm really expresses my feelings regarding this Apartment Therapy post and the commenters with “i totally understand about the need to preserve our environment but why dont we stop attacking each other for trying to make our lives just a little less stressful and start putting our attention to where it really can make a difference. Its like telling someone they are horrible people for eating fast food once in a while! Sometimes, you just need a break!”

If you struggle to make greener decisions, sometimes the battle within yourself is if the green you need to save most is the green in the world or the green in your wallet.  With the holidays zooming toward us, temptation to shop “big sales” and get “huge savings” can bear upon you.

Black Friday sales woo tons of shoppers annually and mark the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  I understand that retailers need shoppers in order to make profit, which in turn means sales associates keep their jobs and can pay their bills.  I get it, I get it, I get it.

I beg you to consider, however, the kind of purchases you make when you shop these stores, these sales, these “giant blowout” events.  I yearn for you to realize that big box stores want you to get caught up in the whirlpool of low numbers, shiny vases, plush blankets, sparkly dresses, and jingling toys.

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These sales want you to spend beyond your means.

These stores want you to buy now, and pay later.  Like still paying it off in September 2010.

These “shopping holidays” want you to feel like whatever you give, it has to be big to prove it is given in love.

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… to fear that no matter what you give… that the receiver might give you something that even bigger.  Now you wouldn’t want to look like a cheap shmuck, right?

… to continue handing over that plastic-fantastic credit card, blissfully ignoring the poisons in those toys (every child should chew on some lead and phthalates, right?), slave labor in that jewelry, and child labor and questionable labor practices in… well, just about everything, right?

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Now, is that the backstory you want for gifts you give?

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Perhaps you’ll say no.  If so, consider a handmade holiday.  Or consider a no-gift holiday.  Or the challenge of a “Made in America” only holiday.

Just consider that the holiday is really is about spending special time with the special people in your life.

Whatever you choose to do, make the most of your Thanksgiving weekend.

With much love, tremendous thanks, and sustainable thoughts,

Ashley Sue

At the 2009 N.C. State Fair, I had the completely, unabashed, enchanting pleasure during the Deep-Fried Tweetup to meet Steve Trash, who needs our vote for President Obama’s Green Job Czar.

Steve Trash is my new Enviro-hero in addition to being a comedian and magician.  Yes, an Eco-minded Magician and Comedian, but Steve is no joke (though he is a complete kook!).

I have wondered about illusionists and magic since I was a mere child, always fascinated with David Copperfield and, in more recent years, Chris Angel.  All I can help but wonder is, are these guys for real?

I saw Chris Angel take a woman and her friends right off the sidewalk, take her necklace (an heirloom from her Grandma), take a hammer to it and break it up (putting the woman in tears), place the fragments in her hand and tell her to squeeze it really tight, and when she opened her hand, she seemed genuinely shocked to pull it out in absolutely perfect condition.

I thought… wow.  I wish I were that chic.  I want to have the experience personally so I know I am stumped as to the magic.

Enter Steve Trash at the Deep-Fried Tweetup at the N.C. State Fair.

He had a few cube-shaped sponges, about two inches cubed.  He placed one in my hand, another woman had one, and Steve had one.

I kind of rolled the sponge around and looked at it, just checking it out.  Just a little squooshy sponge, you know.  He told me to squeeze it really tightly in my fist.  I obliged happily, even noticing that a smidge of it was peeking out between my pinky and palm, and I poked it back in.

The other woman, Linda, also squeezed hers, and Steve squeezed his tight.  I watched this happen.

Then, Linda opened her hand… her sponge still stood sweetly in her hand.

Steve opened his hand (by the way, never moved his hands around, no sleeves, etc… trust me, I was watching for that); no sponge.  Then Steve told me to open my hand.

“I can’t!” I replied.  He assured me I can, to which I replied, “No, I can’t!  I’m scared!”

The little child in me was desperate to find both his sponge and mine, shockingly together in my hand.  The adult me prayed I would find only one sponge, joyfully sitting open in my palm, and the world could continue to make sense.

I held my breath and pried my fingers open, and…

I literally screamed!  Then I continued to squeal and nervously giggle.  I began to jump up and down!  Both sponges were in my hand.  I felt as if I had somehow blacked out and it had been planted.  That is the only scenario where these things happen without any knowledge or recollection, right?!

Steve laughed and said this is why he does magic:  magic makes people happy!

Are you curious why I tell you about Steve Trash, the magician?

All of his props are previous trash and recycled goods.  Things he finds, sometimes not even knowing what they previously were used for (”What is that?  A googles lens?  I toy submarine window?  I don’t know.”), and finds ways to incorporate them into his act.

Plus, he uses magic as a fun way to teach kids, and apparently the kids inside of us adults, about recycling and eco-responsibility!

I just adore Steve Trash, and if you want to know more about him, you can check out this awesome article on him, as well as his website.  Cool as he is, it should be no shock he is also on Twitter, Facebook, other Facebook, and Vimeo (think YouTube).

Steve, you have my vote!  I am writing President Obama now!

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

I may have already shared my final thoughts on the SIGG debaucle, but Z Recommends gave me more food for thought.  Z is good, by the way.  I am not sure how I am only now becoming such a fan of the site.

First, Zrecs gave the full low-down on what sins really were committed versus what it seems to some.

Then, Zrecs shares an actual interview with SIGG CEO Steve Wasik, less than a month after Wasik’s admission of BPA in certain SIGG liners.

Zrecs also shared that independent labs actually show that the SIGG bottle liners in question DO indisputably leach BPA, and why it matters.

Finally, Zrecs shared their 2009 BPA-Free Water Bottle Showdown to give us educated alternatives to SIGG bottles.  After returning mine (I love you still), I walked out of REI with a store voucher instead of a new bottle.  I do not yet trust these new EcoCare SIGG liners (after reports of liners flaking off during normal use), and I hate SIGG’s new uber-cliche-themed bottle designs.  Lame.

Thanks to the BPA-Free Water Bottle Showdown, I actually opted for the 32 ounce, Made in Spain, Laken Classic water bottle from REI.  Yay!

Now, barring finding out that Steve Wasik is the real father of Gisele Bundchen’s unborn child instead of Tom Brady, I am finished.  I have a new bottle coming and will review it when I have it.

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

Just a quick moment to let you know about Jolly Green Girl’s fabulous new giveaway!  She’s partnered up with b.b.begonia to give away a stylish new tote!  I think that’s a fantastic idea!

Why would Jolly Green Girl Susie partner up with b.b.begonia?  It’s a perfect pair:

b.b.begonia brings you the latest in stylish and fashionable polyester totes to reduce our dependence on plastic bags and hopefully eliminate them completely in the near future. With modern and kitschy prints; you would be proud owners of these Eco-chic bags.

When you mix a chic with impeccable style and taste as well as eco-smarts with a responsible company also helping make a positive impact on the environment while remaining hip, you have a fantastic chance to win a fantastic bag!

Susie offers multiple ways to enter and increase your chances, so head on over to her post to find out how you can have that chance!  Plus, by carrying this modern eco-friendly bag, you can reduce your use of plastic and paper disposable bags when you shop!

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

Just like any other media story or corporate scandal that becomes overly saturated throughout the media (as niche as it may be), I am sick of hearing about the SIGG dramas.  If you want my opinions, I’m angry at the distrust caused, and I have stated it here, here, and here.

For an update, however, here is a post by Towns and Trails on REI responding to the SIGG issue.  I love REI for always standing 100% by their products.  Also, SustainLane discusses the embers remaining aglow from this highly unfortunate misstep of the company.

One quick point to remind people, however.  I do not believe the media has created a panic, as SustainLane states.  I, in fact, have seen nearly nothing regarding this when I watch CNN, FOXNews, or local news, all of which I watch lots of.  Instead, we the blogging-community media have expressed our concerns and frustrations.  We, the people, have a voice, and it is utilized for issues like this.  MarketingDaily does a great job explaining this as SIGG proving that consumers own brand.

Also, the argument that older versions of SIGG are safe is definitely questionable, as the “100% leach-free” tests for those SIGG bottles tested only to the parts per billion.  Some tests show that BPA can affect hormones at the parts per million level.  Where are those tests on SIGG?  Want to see two great (opposing) perspectives on this?  Check out this by Treehugger and this by Real Green Girl.  Spectacular.

Sadly, this leads me to say I cannot feel great about the new EcoCare liner in the newer SIGG bottles either.  I just do not have a choice but to assume well of it.

On that note, I am heading to REI now to return my old SIGG, which I am really sad I have to part with… We’ve had good times together.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

Have you met The Greenists?  In case you missed it, the previously known “Allie’s Answers” blog grew into “The Greenists” ~ which means we get even more quality info from more eco-loving, ultra interesting friends!

Two of my favorite recent posts include one on crayons and one on shopping for dinner at your house.

Remember when you were a kid and you loved opening a new box of untouched, unbroken crayons?  The colors were just so perfect, and they were shaped so lovely… OK, perhaps I was just geek enough to feel that way.  Do you also remember at Vacation Bible School when they would pull out the shoebox of broken crayon ends, most missing their paper wrappers and all of them hobbly and rounded on the ends?  They were not as exciting to play with despite working just as well.

Melissa found a way to make those knobbelled over crayons fresh and exciting again, not to mention the absolute perfect shape and size for tiny hands.  Plus, the process of making them “new” again is fun for your own creative side!

Also, Noelle realizes how much we all tend to throw out insane amounts of food.  For instance, I have a box of unopened prunes sitting in my fridge from over two years ago, purchased in a cloud of delusion where I thought I would enjoy snacking on them if I had them.  Noelle knows that times are tough, and frankly, each of us could probably do the grocery shopping for our week’s dinners right in our own pantry.  Go ahead.  Give it a try.

Sincere thank you to Allie for continuing to share her love for life and living with all of us, as well as introducing us to a whole new gang of friends ~ The Greenists!

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

After (in my opinion) butchering their relationship with loyal customers when they announced in August 2009 that SIGG bottles manufactured before August 2008 did contain trace levels of BPA, SIGG Switzerland (USA) is attempting to regain consumer trust again. Now, SIGG will also deal with a federal class action lawsuit against the company for misleading the public.

Health advocates and environmentalists have pushed to remove BPA from food and beverage containers for years.  CEO Steve Wasik’s letter admitted to working on a BPA-free liner for their aluminum reusable bottles since at least 2006.  Of course, the confidence shattered due to SIGG’s refusal to admit, and further providing misleading information, to consumers until one year after their new BPA-free “Eco”-liner debuted.

After reading the letter myself, I emailed SIGG myself (liners@mysigg.com):

To Whom It May Concern:

I write to inform you how my trust and loyalty in your company have been damaged.  I am angry that you mislead your customers, as you have.  Call it whatever you wish, but lying by omission is still lying.  You snuck around admitting what you knew about your product.  You waited until a year after making the switch to a new BPA-free formula to announce any of this to the public.  You had an AMAZING opportunity to practice honest relations and engagement with your public, as well as to create an huge success story and newsworthy promo-piece last August.  Instead, a year later, your public, including me, feels deceived.  This trust will be hard to regain.  My SIGG is now questionable as to whether I will continue to use it, or if I will share the best publicity for you guys ~ word of mouth.  I wrote a piece, posted on both of my own blogs regarding this concern.

I would like to know how you plan to rectify this situation with your customers, including myself.

I look forward to your timely response.

Ashley Sue Allen

In less than a day, I received a response from a SIGG representative (any underlining or text emphasis is how I received it):

Dear Ashley,

Please know that your SIGG bottles are proven 100% safe and do not leach anything [including BPA] into the beverages that have been poured into them.  Extensive independent testing shows this and are located here for your discernment:  http://mysigg.com/bulletin/testing.html

We understand your concern and will gladly replace your bottle[s] with brand new SIGG bottles featuring our EcoCare, BPA free liner.  We ask that you return your old bottles to us as proof of purchase and so that we may recycle them. Please confirm you have the old liners in all bottles being returned to us by visiting http://mysigg.com/liner – New liner bottles, or stainless steel bottles returned to us will only be returned to you and slow down the replacement process significantly.

Attached please find our return form.

Please print and fill this out and ship the bottle[s] back to us.  Upon receipt, we will issue you a gift certificate pin code good toward the purchase of replacement bottles on mysigg.com, this will include the shipping.  No need to return any tops or the caps currently on your bottles, as these are BPA free and may come in handy as extras when you receive your replacement[s].

We enclose a mailing label with the appropriate RMA, please USE THIS shipping label on the outside of your package so that we may expedite the processing of your return.   Failure to use this label will cause your package to be misdirected in our warehouse, and seriously delay your replacement.  Please note that this mailing label does not include postage for the bottles you are returning.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.  You may choose to keep your current bottle as they have been proven not to leach, [http://mysigg.com/bulletin/testing.html] but if you want to upgrade your bottle[s], you will have to bear the cost of returning it to us.  Thank you in advance for your kind understanding in this regard.

If you have any questions, please hit reply to this email [liners@mysigg.com] and let us know.

As you see, I was offered the option of sending my beloved SIGG bottle back to them, on my dime, for a credit to purchase a new one free of charge from their website.  They cover shipping of the new bottle.

I also posted information on the hyperlocal news website MyNC.com, where a commenter named “Tom” posted a link to a federal class action suit against SIGG.

Yes, Tom informed me, legal action is being taken against SIGG.

I will keep updates going on GG, so stay tuned, or please share any info you know.

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

How very cool would it be to pick up your groceries in a 100% organic cotton ecobag with your original artwork on it?  Even better, how very cool would it be to have won it, free, in a giveaway competition?!  I think it sounds like a great way to kick your disposable plastic shopping bag habit!

Peter from EcoPrintWorks let me know about this awesome giveaway.  Check them out if you want to win a “custom print [ecobag] with your art using our amazingly soft, vibrant, and earth conscious water-based inks.  All you need to do is register or place an order” with EcoPrintWorks by the end of August, and you could win!  Visit their site and read more.

Good luck!

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue