While most of us will do anything to avoid paying ten bucks to have our socks washed on vacation, sometimes the need to take advantage of hotel laundry is too great.  But have you ever noticed how many bells and whistles come with this service?  Socks and undies arrive in new cardboard boxes stuffed with crisp tissue paper.  Your best shirts are hung neatly on wire hangers, covered in paper and then smothered in plastic with a few metal staples thrown in for good measure.  What happens to all that plastic and virgin paper when you check out?  Exactly what you think.  Next time you have to fill out the laundry form, put a note in the special instructions section that you don’t need any excess packaging.  A hanger will suffice for the stuff that needs to stay wrinkle free and if you’ve got a minute, inquire if the hotel recycles hangers.  Better yet, save yourself a whack of cash and hand wash as much as you can.  Just a few more ways to travel a little lighter, a lot sexier.

Hey sleepyhead, let’s talk pillows.  We hate to break it to you, but conventional pillows typically contain petroleum chemicals that release VOC’s into the air in your home.  VOC’s are gross enough in wall paint and furniture sealant, but your pillows?!  Fire retardant, no-iron, moisture-resistant pillows aren’t born – they’re made, using lots and lots of nasty stuff.  In addition to VOC’s, synthetic pillows are the perfect habitat for huge numbers of dust mites, their kin and all of their droppings.  Not only is this disturbing, but it’s also a huge irritation for the lungs.  Considering your airways get pretty darn close to these chemicals, you might consider switching to something a little less harmful. 

Choosing the right pillow is mostly about personal preference and comfort, and if chosen correctly will provide a healthy more restful sleep. When shopping for new pillows, be sure to pass on synthetic fabrics and fills and opt for chemical-free, natural-fill models covered in organic cotton. The most popular natural-fill options you’ll find are: 

• Natural Shredded Rubber Fill
  Also known as latex, this is a byproduct of the rubber tree (just make sure it’s not synthetic rubber).
• Wool Fibre Fill
  Wool is flame resistant and offers excellent moisture absorbency, allowing the pillow fill to breathe. Wool is naturally bacteria and dust mite resistant. Try to find wool fill pillows sourced from organically raised sheep, or recycled wool.  
• Feather and Down Fill
  Made from duck or goose feathers, the higher the down content, the softer the pillow will be.
• Buckwheat Hull Fill
  Said to be superior to either of the above options, buckwheat hull material conforms to the contours of your head and neck without “pushing back” as some fibers do. It has excellent insulation properties for both summer and winter and a single fill can last for years.
• Kapok Fill
  Kapok is a soft and silky fiber from the seed pods of a the ceiba tree

Not all natural-fill types will be ideal for you, so be sure to consider your own skin sensitivities and outdoor allergies before shelling out dough for these pillows.  If a wool sweater makes you want to claw your skin off, you should probably avoid a wool fibre fill pillow, for example.  Natural pillows are definitely more expensive than traditional pillows, but they’re worth the investment.  If you’re on a budget (and who isn’t?), consider buying one natural pillow to use as the one closest to your face, then add more pillows to your bed as funds become available to you.  As you add natural pillows to your bed, be sure to cover them in high-quality organic pillowcases to protect your investment. 

Thanks to Dihan Chandra of Organic Lifestyle in Toronto for suggesting this tip!

It’s Friday afternoon, rush hour is creeping in and your job depends on getting that package from one end of town to the other in a timely manner.  Who you gonna call?  Your local bike courier!  While sometimes fed ex or ups may be necessary for long distance runs, if your goods are local, put the petal to the lighter metal and save the earth a load of fuel and fuss.  Bike couriers are generally faster and cheaper (not to mention they probably have nicer calves) than a fuel driven messenger service and they can be found all over the world.  And you don’t necessarily have to limit your green deliveries to boring business goods.  Some florists and restaurants offer bicycle delivery too – just google a participating business near you.  You can get the world on time and keep it green.

You may have heard that consuming Omega-3 fatty acids is good for your health.  It’s true!  Research has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), which can lead to sudden death.  Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease triglyceride levels, slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly). Omega 3 fatty acids have also been said to ease the symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, as well as a host of other beneficial effects.  The American Heart Association recommends consuming 2+ servings of fatty fish per week in order to reach the suggested amount of Omega-3’s.  Since some types of fish may contain high levels of mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins and other environmental contaminants, the safest way to reach your Omega-3 goal is to buy a mercury-free, environmentally responsible supplement.  The best supplements for your health and the health of the world’s fish population are made from the oil of low-level fish, such as anchovies and sardines caught off the coastal waters of Chile and Peru. Because there is an abundance of these fish species in this region, over-fishing is not a concern.  The next time you’re at the health food or vitamin store, check out the Omega-3 supplements and compare the labels!  You want a high level of DHA (one of the 3 fatty acids), a mercury-free label and oils from low-level, sustainably caught wild (not farmed) fish.  Here’s to your health!

Thanks to Romeo Catracchia for inspiring this tip!

Photograph by Jesse Hove.

Here at Green Is Sexy, we like to think that little gestures make a big difference. Then what can be done with those little plastic bread tags that pile up in your drawer?  We discovered that they can be recycled and have seen rulers made from them. See? Little things can add up! If your local recycling program doesn’t accept tags (call them to find out), there are a couple of ways they can be re-used: crafters wrap thread around them, kids can learn to count with them, musicians could use them as guitar picks, techies can write on them and attach them to electrical cords, anyone can put them on the end of a tape roll to mark the spot, homemakers can clip a pair of socks together in the wash, and – our favourite – gamblers can use them as poker chips. So grab your friends and a handful of bread tags and have a poker night. Okay, okay. We recognize that some of these suggestions are a bit crazy and maybe a tad obsessive, so if it’s too much for you, we just ask one thing: please cut the tags in half before you discard them Bird beaks and small animal feet can get caught and that’s not a nice gesture.

With St. Patrick’s Day as its primary holiday, March could be called Beer Month. Naturally, we wanted to find you some truly green beer!

We took this assignment very seriously, scouring pubs everywhere, searching for an organic brew and eco-cool atmosphere. After many, many pints (hey, all in the name of research just for you!), we found a perfect place to celebrate St. Paddy’s in environmental style.

Toronto’s Mill Street Brew Pub is the most eco-conscious pub we’ve seen, from the beer to the building.

Let’s get right to the beer. The Original Organic Lager is beloved for its crisp taste. It’s a bonus that the raw materials and brewing process are pesticide-and herbicide-free and different from other beer because all brewing processes ensure against chemical contamination. Though it’s not made from all-local ingredients, Mill Street took care sourcing the best organic ingredients from around the world and does source locally whenever possible. Due to the care required to brew organically, the Original Organic Lager takes six weeks to produce compared to two-to-three weeks for conventional beers. And you can feel good knowing the beer adheres to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program and meets all Canadian Organic Program standards.

There are 11 other kinds of Mill Street brews, all handcrafted onsite. They are not certified organic, but they definitely are sustainable suds. Made with local ingredients, energy isn’t sucked-up by transportation requirements. Small batches of beer and the brilliant idea of serving sample sizes reduce waste. Yes, all you commitment-phobes: you can sip samples rather than test entire bottles!

Okay, we raved about the beer, but the building got us really excited. It’s a neat re-use of urban space. Located in Toronto’s Distillery District, it’s in a cluster of industrial buildings once famous for its beer. Built in the 1870’s, the building Mill Street now houses was part of Gooderham & Worts Distillery complex until the area’s decline. Then in the 00’s, developers revisited the area, smitten with its Victorian architecture. There are now a bunch of arts-oriented businesses, but Mill street is especially cool in its simple re-use concept.

See, it used to be a brewery, so all requirements were in place. By re-using the building for its original purpose, the developers surely saved money, time, and energy with minimal retrofits. It may not be a completely green building, but it began with the right steps. Mill Street is a place where you can really drink responsibly.

Visit www.millstreetbrewpub.ca for more information and be sure to check it out next time you’re in Toronto. And if you have no plans to visit the Big Smoke anytime soon, look for an organic brewery near you!

Photos: Courtesy Mill Street Brew Pub.

With Easter just around the bend, let’s take a moment to consider the delicious egg.  We’re not talking chocolate but the ones that hens go to so much trouble to lay.  The generous egg offers up loads of protein, vitamins, omegas and healthy fat.  Unfortunately, not all eggs are created equal.

There’s a lot of evidence suggesting that mass-produced, industrial style eggs (the ones you’re most likely to find in the supermarket) are not as high in nutritional value as pastured or organic eggs.  Heavily sprayed feed, antibiotics, hormones and cruelly treated hens add up to a lesser egg.  Most laying hens are stored in cages so cramped they can barely move, their cages are never cleaned and they live in darkness.  It’s a pretty horrible existence.

Organic can be better.  It means the hens are at least cage, antibiotic and hormone free and given organic feed that isn’t sprayed with toxic chemicals.  But even organic and free range doesn’t necessarily mean cruelty free (check out Michael Pollen’s Omnivore’s Dilemma for his insights on this issue). The best eggs around come from local, pastured, organically fed, truly free-roaming hens.  And they do eggxist!  You’ll most likely find them at your farmer’s market or you can inquire at your local grocer.  Ask lots of questions and find the best eggs for you.

Plan on decorating eggs this Easter?  It’s still important to buy fairly raised eggs – even if you don’t plan on eating them.  Where you put your dollars really counts and it sends a clear message to the industry about your eggspectations.  Consider taking the kids on a field trip to your local egg farmer – they’ll love finding out how the Easter egg began.

Mother Earth News is a monthly magazine that deems itself “the original guide to living wisely”.  Taking a peek inside, one can see why.  The pages are full of smart ideas on how to make your life more sustainable and have fun doing it.  Whether you’re looking to do simple stuff like baking your own bread or more complicated like building a bicycle that runs your power tools, this mag has the means to show you how.

MEN does green living from a to z including renewable energy, green homes, gardening, health, transportation, homesteading, farming, recipes and the list goes on.  Not into a subscription?  Check them out online @ http://www.motherearthnews.com/.  Here you’ll be given the opportunity to send all your burning questions to a group of experts and they’ll actually write back!  Enter to win a readymade chicken coop or peruse the real estate listings to find land for sale.

MEN also publishes a quarterly Wiser Living Series that focuses on a specific topic of sustainable living and gives a thorough overview.  On display until May 2010 is the Guide to Organic Gardening.  It’s got everything you wanted to know about starting a garden or improving the one you have.  MEN tackles pests without pesticides, seed saving, making your own potting soil and what foods to plant in your region.  They can even get your started on growing your own mushrooms!  Get into Mother Earth News and you might not want to get out.

There are lots of things you can do for your health that will help you operate your life in a greener way. Take napping for example: just a 15-20 minute lie back per day will allow you to feel more energetic and effective for the rest of your day and evening. That may mean one less coffee (cup, beans, water, espresso maker energy, dollar bills….) or one less energy drink (can, factory process, change, vending machine cooling system…). That also may mean that you’ll have the energy to take on more activities later too, like making dinner at home instead of ordering out or line drying your clothes instead of putting them in the dryer. The energy you put in will come back to you.

Going out to eat with a friend? Just know that the average restaurant’s food portion is 60% larger than what you’d typically serve yourself at home. Why not share the joy of eating out with a friend and split an entree? It’s more than likely that you’ll be pleasantly full when you’re through, and your calorie count and wallet with thank you. And you’ll be less likely to be taking home leftovers, using one less takeout box and one less plate. Less really is more.

Photo by Jon Sullivan.