With so many years of unbridled consumerism behind us, it is nice to realize that there are really companies that are working to change the way we live, and the way we decorate our homes. One of those companies is inhabit, a home decor company that uses sustainable and environmentally friendly materials to make their home decor products.

One of their products, Wall Flats, won Interior Design Magazine's Eco-Friendly Product of the Year.

"Wall Flats are Inhabit's take on a modern, eco-friendly wallpaper. A modern embossed three-dimensional wallcovering that is good for the environment. Does it get any better than that?

Wall Flats are made from 100% bamboo pulp, one of the world’s most renewable resources. No trees were harmed in the making of this product:) They are a sustainable wallcovering that is free of chemicals and will not be a burden to the environment at the end of it's lifecycle, since the tiles are 100% bio-degradable.

Wall Flats are designed to expand in any direction with an automatic pattern repeat and can be painted to coordinate with your decor. You can cover an existing wall with Wall Flats, help disguise a not-so-smooth wall or add a modern, green wallpaper to any room setting through patterning."

Most of inhabit's products are designed with geometric or nature related patterns and motifs.

For more information on inhabit, follow this link.

Eco-Chic Home Decor from inhabit originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 9, 2012.

I have just discovered the most unique travel company that I have ever heard of that specializes in exciting travel adventures, called GAP Adventures. GAP stands for the Great Adventure People.

This is a really amazing company that has all kind of group tours from hard core active back roads trips to unusual polar expeditions, to special limited edition trips that specialize in photography or other specialties. Some of their trips are appropriate for familes, and others are meant for just adults.

One of the most interesting things about this company is their dedication to sustainable travel practices.

"As a leader in sustainable adventure travel, Gap Adventures is dedicated to offering low-impact tours that benefit traveller and host alike. We work with local communities, businesses and individuals to develop sustainable tourism opportunities that help local economies while minimizing negative environmental and cultural impacts. While our sustainable tourism policies and operator standards are constantly evolving, our commitment to socially and environmentally conscious travel has been with us since the company's inception."

GAP has several pages on their sustainable travel policies and how they operate. If you would like to read more about it, click here.

If you would like more information, you can subscribe to the GAP Adventures travel newsletter - you'll be among the first to learn about new tours, contests and special offers.

The GAP's website is really interesting and fun to look through.  It is worth taking a look just for that alone.

Are You Looking for a Travel Adventure? originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 8, 2012.

Did you know that you could purify the air in your home or office just by planting the correct plants?  The book, How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office, based on 25 years of research by NASA, shows how common houseplants can combat sick building syndrome and cleanse the home or office of common pollutants.  This is exciting news for those of us who have allergies, catch colds a lot, or just spend a lot of time indoors due to weather, or work.  It is also a reminder that common household items, like carpets, blankets, and other items can contribute to our allergies and diseases.  Definitely a book to look into, for everyone who breathes.

Review

The book is laid out beautifully. The 50 plants are listed by rank based on removal of chemical vapors, ease of maintenance, resistance to insect infestation, and transpiration rate. Each plant gets a two-page spread; one page discusses the plant's ideal environment, sunlight conditions, care, and general information about the plant along with a full photo of it. The next page has a zoomed-in full-page photo of the leaves and/or flowers so the reader gets a feel for what the plant looks like and how it will fit with their decor.

The book begins by discussing the research about the air purification qualities of houseplants. The initial chapters explain how air contaminates enter our homes, the adverse effects these toxins have on humans, and how plants remove the contaminates from the air.

If you live in the UK, you can order the book here.

Clean the Air in Your Home or Office Naturally originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 8, 2012.

Able to tackle even the funkiest smells, these charcoal air fresheners are the perfect natural deodorizer... and each one lasts up to a year!

Mini Deodorizers are made from rapidly growing moso bamboo. Used for more than 500 years in Asia, bamboo charcoal has an absorption rate four times stronger than regular charcoal. Its porous structure can absorb odors and moisture, and even air particles polluted with formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, and other noxious chemicals.

Just place your 25-g mini deodorizer in your gym locker, hockey bag, fridge, shoes, diaper pail, compost bin, or next to the kitty litter. A breath of fresh air is only moments away.

Comes in sets of three.
Why it matters
Good for the Earth
This product is made from bamboo. Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable resource that needs no fetrilizer or pesticides, uses less water and releases more oxygen that alternative materials.

Ethical Ocean: Sustainable Eco-Friendly Mini Deodorizers originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 7, 2012.

• Most new aluminum cans are made from 50 percent recycled aluminum.
• Enough energy is saved by recycling one aluminum can to run a TV set for three hours.

Did You Know? Eco-Chic Green Fact #9 originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 7, 2012.

If you live in an area of the country that gets cold in the winter, even if it doesn't snow, then you need to protect your skin from chapping, and drying out. This is not just a cosmetic issue, it is a health issue, because your skin protects your body from catching diseases. Healthy supple skin is important, and of course it also feels good.

I am the kind of person who forgets to put lotion or creams on during the day, and I don't like the way they feel on my hands while I am working, so it was difficult to find something that I could use on a regular basis and that I would want to use. After several years, I found The Body Shop's Body Butters. When they first came out, there weren't too many choices of scents, but it seems like every year now they come out with more. I like to use them after showering in the morning over moist sking, and sometimes in the evening before bed. They come in different skin types all the way to very dry, and they are never greasy. My personal favorite is the mango, but they have many floral, fruity, and natural scents. Best of all The Body Shop is an ethical, fair trade, and eco-friendly company and has been since its inception. Definitely a product to have on hand and a perfect gift for anyone. Totally worth every penny I have ever paid for it.

Keeping Your Skin Protected Against the Cold Weather originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 6, 2012.

Burt's Bees is an "Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company." They create natural, Earth-friendly personal care products formulated to help you maximize your well-being and that of the world around you. Burt's Bees got their start back in 1984 in Maine, when Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz teamed up selling candles made from the beeswax created as a by-product of Burt's honey business. Burt's Bees has grown up over the past several years and a lot has changed, but there are some things that never will: their recipes, their values and their natural way of doing things.

Burt's Bees has products for the entire family, but I just love their baby care products especially formulated for baby's precious skin. These gentle, creams, powders and lotions are packed with a bundle of natural ingredients for your bundle of joy.

Burt’s Bees Baby Basket originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 5, 2012.

Eco-Chic Gifts Under $25: Hand Carved Fair Trade Assorted Gourd Bowl originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 5, 2012.

The first choice is this wonderful handmade knit hat from Concious Clothing.

The hat is handmade from 100% all natural, hand spun, hand dyed lambswool, lined in polar fleece for a super warm and soft fit, and made in my favorite colors, blue, turquoise, and black. Best of all, it is only $20.00 and fair trade. Read more about this gift here.

Eco-Chic Gifts Under $25: Knit Hat originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 4, 2012.

One of the most clever companies I have come across lately in my research for eco-chic green products is English Retreads.

In their own words:

"At English Retreads, we turn recycling into a bold fashion statement with our unique handbags and accessories. Designed specifically for conscientious consumers and savvy fashionistas, each one-of-a-kind English Retreads product is handcrafted from reclaimed truck inner tubes—right here in Boulder, Colorado.

One hundred percent vegan, our materials are an ecologically sound alternative to animal products. And even though our bags are designed to keep on truckin' forever, it's always good to buy a spare. Following in the tire tracks of Henry Ford's original Model T, English Retreads are available in any color you want—as long as it's black!"

English Retreads gets the inner tubes from truck stops in the Boulder, Colorado area where they are located. And the bags are really cute, and can take a lot of wear and tear.

English Retreads-Recycling Rubber Tires originally appeared on Eco-Chic Green Fashion on February 4, 2012.