Category : Eco Apparel
I normally suffer from consumer paralysis – a term you’ll hear more often with parents feeling like they can’t purchase everyday items without researching them first. I definitely suffer from this and whenever I make an ‘on the fly’ type purchase without researching first, I’m never usually satisfied with my decision. Just coming off a very busy week with the kids last crazy week of school activities before they are done for the summer, I decided to purchase life jackets for my twin girls while I was in Canadian Tire. What do I know about life jackets? Yesterday I didn’t know much…today I do. At the time I made my decision not based on price – there were cheaper life jackets there, but most of them had Microban advertised on the tag. What is Microban and why don’t I want it on a vest my kids will wear? It’s a chemical that coats the outside of a product and is marketed as a ‘bonus’ to the life jacket because of it’s antimicrobial solution that will help combat mold, etc. I don’t want this added chemical near my kids and their skin, so I decided to pick the brand that didn’t have Microban on the label. At the time this was my only marker for making a better decision. When I got to the till and asked the person helping me, I also asked if the life jackets had PVC and flame retardants. They did not know. Why was I asking about flame retardants? Life jackets have foam inserts to make the jackets float…this is a question all parents should ask when purchasing anything for their children that has foam inside. More info here.
A few hours later I noticed a 1-888 number on the life jackets I purchased so I called it with my questions. The customer service representative put me on hold to ask their production department if they add flame retardants to the product. He got back on the line with me and said he wasn’t allowed to tell me the answer. (!!) Apparently it depends on which country you live in and the government decides if flame retardants are added to products…not the manufacturers themselves. I spent hours this morning looking through Canadian gov. websites looking for a list of products they mandate include flame retardants in order to be sold in Canada…I only came up with the obvious products we already know about: mattresses, PJs, car seats, etc. I will assume that yes, my Government would mandate flame retardants within the foam of a life jacket. Why? Because both North American governments are very behind the times and overuse flame retardants in so many products….especially the US. Also, once I got the life jackets home, the smell of PVC was evident, so I no longer needed to ask the question if they contained PVC. Also I’ve learned that all cheaply made items usually contain PVC as a material because it’s the cheapest and when it’s not used, a company will advertise this fact on the label. So long story short, the life jackets were returned today. I actually felt bad for the Canadian Tire customer service rep when she asked me “why are they being returned?’.
So this morning I took to the internet and tried to research greener life jackets. I didn’t find much on-line which is surprising. The only types I could find that looked like a greener option contained a foam called Gaia foam. This apparent eco-friendlier foam ensures that the foam in life jackets doesn’t contain PVC, halogen, and phthalate plasticizers. Looks like this foam is replacing mats made from EVA or PVC (petroleum products) in yoga mats because it’s chemical resistant, naturally resist fungus (making this material ideal for water products like pfds and workout mats that might absorb sweat), is fire resistant and self extinguishing. Hmmmm looks like car seat makers could be using Gaia foam to make booster seats and car seats for children, but I’ll save that for another article. Back to life jackets…
I called two camping equipment type stores in my area and one of the sales people at Atmostphere was amazing with product knowledge. He recommended the Stohlquist WaterWare line for PFD (personal floatation devices) and they are made without flame retardants, PVC, or Microban. After visiting the Stohlquist website, the product description confirms that these life jackets are produced PVC-free, there’s no listing for Microban, and they use Gaia foam. The people at Atmostphere told me that they don’t sell anything with Microban and the only reason they could think of needing flame retardants in a floatation device is if it was specially sold for fire evacuation. Good to know that a store focused on selling gear to get you into nature is actually selling products to protect nature. I can’t thank them enough for helping me out today…it’s rare when a store and their employees can produce more knowledge than the internet and today that was the case.
I’m very interested in the Gaia foam. If this material is eco-friendly and doesn’t need chemicals added to make it flame resistant, this would be an ideal solution for infant or children items that are currently doused in flame retardant chemicals in order to make them ‘safe’ to be sold in Canada and the US. Out of curiosity, I tweeted the following 9 twitter handles from the top infant car seat manufacturers to see if they’ve thought of alternatives with the foam used in their car seats – I can’t wait to hear their thoughts on this: @Britax, @eddiebauer, @EvenfloBaby, @babytrendonline, @MaxiCosiCarSeat, @ChiccoBaby, @Safety_1st, @GracoBaby, and @Peg_Perego. And now that I have my zinc sunscreen and eco-friendlier life jackets in hand, just need to find water proof shoes for one of my boys and this summer can officially begin!
What a great change of pace it is for me to write about blabla Kids. I picked up blabla as a Mommy Footprint sponsor when I asked them to send me two backpacks to review for my girls. I had long been a fan of the blabla doll designs from seeing them in local stores, the designs created by co-owner Florance have an old world, European, and earthy style. With doll designs including raccoons and fox animals and because they are made with locally grown cotton in Peru…they are very soft and come in very fun sizes. The only thing I’d change about the dolls is that they’re stuffed with polyfill rather than a wool or cotton. I know this would increase the price point, but I love a natural stuffing.
This review is about the blabla backpacks and they are the cutest ones around. Combining the fantastic blabla designs with functionality and a great story behind the manufacturing of blabla products, these backpacks are as cute online as in your hands. When the girls received their blabla backpacks they just squealed and have been packing them full of treasures every since. They are very easy for young children to put on themselves and easy to open with the zipper. They have been knit by Peruvian artists and are very soft and amazing quality. Check out a few of the backpack designs and a snapshot of a blabla collection:
A snapshot of the range of products blabla offers:
With Easter coming just a hop, skip, and jump away – keep your eyes on blabla Kids because they are releasing new designs April 1 that have a dreamy, Spring feel. They have simply adorable bunny dolls, knit rattles & food, backpacks and clothing to help you reduce the standard cheap chocolate and plastic Easter treats this year! To easily keep track and be notified of the new designs, join the blabla Kids Facebook fan page.
Looking to prevent your precious consumer dollars spent supporting PVC in clothing? It’s tricky and if you’ve never thought of it before…it takes a some investigation & sorting to find where it lurks. Think of shiny, sparkly decals that are stuck to your kid’s clothes or stinky items like rain gear and you’ve got a great place to start. All big box stores are famous for this so if you shop at the mall…save your breath and patience and don’t ask a salesperson if the shirt, shoe, PJs, etc. contains PVC. They won’t know and the experience will be similar to plucking out your arm hairs. Slowly. Yes, I’ve run my usual list of questions at every retail shop in my local mall including stores like Gap, Old Navy, department stores, Please Mom, H&M, etc. and even District Managers go cross-eyed talking to me. Do I still shop there? Very occasionally and less and less frequently as the options in eco-friendlier clothing open to consumers. What is the problem with glitter or a big decal on a kid’s shirt? You’ve got the cheapest and most toxic form of plastic sitting right under their noses. You’re also supporting over-seas production of clothing that is using toxic materials for the poor people making the clothes. You’ve got a piece of clothing that will never disappear from the earth…no matter how many times you hand it down because once it ends up in the landfill, PVC will continue to live on. And you’ve got a substance that you’ve brought into your home that will end up in the dryer (think heat on toxic plastic) and you’ve just spend your hard earned $$s on another toxic item in your home.
Why is PVC terrible for human health and the environment? I know I’ve explained PVC before, but if you are new to Mommy Footprint, it’s an important material to understand if you are trying to ‘green’ your life and make healthier lifestyle choices. Described as poison plastic from Greenpeace, this form of plastic is the most toxic of the classified plastics (coded 1 – 7) and it’s ‘recycling’ number is 3. Please note that while called recycling or resin number (the number defining which type of plastic and item is made from with chasing arrows surrounding it) for PVC is a 3, it is NOT able to be recycled. PVC plastic is toxic from the moment it’s produced until you attempt to get rid of it (burning it or throwing it into the landfill). While it’s being produced, PVC releases harmful dioxins into the air and continues to off-gas throughout it’s life. When you first open a product that is made from PVC that is wrapped in packaging, you will notice an intense and disgusting smell – that is the scent of PVC. A terrible fact that supports the fact of what happens when PVC is burned is described on the Greenpeace website. Listen to this:
From July 9-12, 1997, at least 400 tonnes of PVC were consumed in a fire at Plastimet, Inc., Hamilton, Ontario. The facility was storing bales of “jet trimmings” from a manufacturer of automobile interiors. Analysis of soot and ash samples after the PVC fire at the plant revealed levels of dioxin 66 times higher than permitted even for industrial land. This one fire increased the annual dioxin emssions for the whole of Canada by 4 % in 1997.
What are the top places I’ve tried to eliminate PVC from the clothing I purchase? Footwear (rubber boots in particular), umbrellas, t-shirts, and PJs. I have walked into stores and had an instant headache from the smell a few pairs of rubber boots can produce. It’s the number one product that is usually produced from PVC and it’s easy to tell because of the smell and price (PVC is a very cheap material and as a result the products produced from it are less money). The best new item for this winter season has been Bogs Footwear for my son and I. Bogs uses natural rubber and neoprene in their boots and the breathability, comfort, and quality has been very impressive. I’m a huge fan of this company and will outfit my entire clan in their boots next winter.
Umbrellas are also impossible to find PVC-free in a mall or traditional retail store. I found two for my girls at Dandelion Kids and they do have an online store if you’re looking to purchase. Another place I try to avoid PVC is sleep ware, but boy is that tough. It’s very hard when trying to find cool boys’ sleep ware. Any sort of licensed PJs – you know, the kind 8 year old boys like – have a big shiny decal on the front. That and they’re made with polyester (I’ll save this rant for another day) but I’ve had luck at Lazy One a local store and I love the PJs for younger kids at Hatley (they also sell PVC- free umbrellas).
The last place to try and rid PVC in my clothing (and kid’s clothing) is simply making a decision to not purchase clothing that have any shiny or synthetic looking decals. Once you fully understand what these ‘fun’ decals are made from…it’s actually quite easy to explain to children whey you’re not buying the licensed shirt. We of course get loads of hand-me-downs that have these decals and embellishments,but I’m more talking about the power of consumer dollars. It seems a bit mad that we continue to spend our money on things that are toxic to our heath – doesn’t it?
Many smaller (usually online) stores that have better options with materials used to produce clothing are listed below. I’d like to reward their efforts with my consumer dollars and a shoutout in this article. There are so many more small stores that have made the decision to use quality materials in the production of their clothing – please feel free to post a comment to this post and let people know about your products.
Bogs Footwear – http://www.bogsfootwear.com/
Puddle Gear – http://www.puddlegear.com/products.asp
Hatley – http://www.hatleystore.com/
Barley & Birch: http://www.barleyandbirch.com/
Little Inkers: http://www.littleinkers.ca/collections.html
Haha…everything I’m not young and hip, although I think I’m pretty easy to buy for. We all have those wonderful people in our lives that are impossible to shop for because they can purchase high-end, very hip items themselves. No I’m not talking about kids. Whether it’s grown nephews, nieces, siblings, child care providers, teachers, or friends. Well – I have the store for you. Seriously, I’ve shopped there a few times, I’ve written about it a few times, and every time I see Billy Would’s new products I’m more convinced that this is the only store you need to find amazing gifts for those ‘hard to buy for’ people on your Christmas list. Another bonus is Billy Would is an online store so you don’t need to be local to enjoy Adea’s designs.
So many times it’s hard to classify a designer that produces jewelry or accessories so closely resembling art so I won’t label Adea – owner of Billy Would Designs. Her highly polished modern wood jewelry collection are sourced from reclaimed hardwoods that are clean and earthy in design – perfect for any person on your ‘tricky’ to buy for list. Hard to imagine these eco-friendly pieces were once defected wood or discarded furniture. My all time favorite design is her tree pendant. I gave this necklace to a very special friend for Christmas two years ago and she just loves it!
Crank up the cool factor and check out the Billy Would belt buckles made from throw away skateboards. All of these buckles are literally one of a kind and super cool you can see the layers of the skateboard when you turn the belt buckles on it’s side. I purchased one of these last week from Billy Would for the toughest person to buy for on my list. The story behind these accessories is guaranteed to wow any lucky recipient. The finished product is also very contemporary and fresh – they really stand out with a pair of jeans on both men and women. Also a great price point at $35. Best chance at finding these skateboard buckles before Christmas is if you’re local to Vancouver, is checking out the One Of A Kind Show in Vancouver this weekend. Billy Would is showing there with so many more talented artists, designers, craftspeople that are so inspiring and amazing.
My mom was with me when we checked out the Billy Would table last weekend and she thought the pendants and skateboard buckles were very cool and interesting too. So whatever the age, people just appreciate art and the stories behind them. This is such a trend with gift giving this Christmas and I’m so happy to write about these talented people. Thanks and happy holidays!
I was inspired to write this post from the awesome ideas in the Cool Mom Picks holiday gift guide – they did such a great job in choosing original ideas for Superhero fans, without adding the usual plastic toy options. I’ve got some beautiful little nephews to buy for this Christmas who are very into Superheros so I wanted to highlight the CMP ideas plus a few of my own.
From the CMP guide….for the kid obsessed with super heroes
Personalized Cape
For the child that already has everything superhero – this personalized cape with their initial is awesome!
Personalized Adventure Story
I love the idea of personalizing an adventure story with your very own superhero. I walked through the steps of setting up your superhero and their appearance…you can really get close with how the superhero looks by changing eye color, hair styles, etc. So much fun and again, great gift idea for the little super hero fan that already has everything.
Superhero Mask and Cuffs
Green Planet Parties carries superhero themed lightening bolt arm cuffs and masks that are made 100% with felt and have large eye holes so the superheroes can see where they are flying! These would compliment any capes or dress-up costumes and make the perfect stocking stuffer (size and price point). I love these so much because there isn’t any vinyl used to make them which make them a safe and fun alternative around the eyes and face.
Custom Reversible Superhero Capes
Yes I’m back to capes because we all know that kids love them. For the die hard Superman, Spiderman, Batman/girl child – The Cosmic Banana shop will nail it because kids will visually love them, but what’s great is they are hand-made in the US. I like them so much because the appliques are hand-stitched…not glued which means they will last a very long time. Check out the girlie superhero designs too!
Shutterfly Photo Books
Have you ever used the Shutterfly site to create family Photo Books? I used to make one every year for my in-laws and parents each year as a Christmas gift….they loved them! A very special idea for your superhero fan would be to take a bunch of pictures with him/her dressed in their favourite ‘saving the world’ outfit and made a little story using Shutterfly. You can make your own story or talk about how much you love your superhero…any child would love this. My kids look through our Shutterfly photo books regularly and love the special captions that were personalized especially for them. Shutterfly is always good about having discounts and/or free shipping on their Christmas cards, calendars and photo books so always check out the home page for updates.
From having two boys I know there is magic to be found in believing in Superheroes. Great job to CMP and other talented artists for thinking out side the box and encouraging this wonderful world using earth friendlier Christmas ideas.
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