ODU Green Fashion Show

My tardiness in posting lately has been in part due to me making garments for the ODU green fashion show which was part of their Women's History Month events. About a dozen or so students modeled green fashion last Thursday at Webb Center in front of a crowd of about 80 students and community members. Not only did the gals done eco-wear, but each was accessorized in earth-friendly hats, belts, and jewels.

It was great to see the university create an event like this and I'm glad we were able to be part of it! Check out some of the pictures of Green Alternatives upcycled garments...

Safer Cosmetics

The Campaign for Safer Cosmetics has released a new report that details some of the scary facts about what's really in our products, more specifically, what's in baby products. 48 products were tested and the results will surprise you. The entire report can be viewed at the Campaign for Safer Cosmetics Website. After heading to this link, you will be able to read about the testing that was conducted as well as view some pretty awesome links at the bottom of the page including a complete report of the products and results.

Though this study is directed at children and baby products, you can also put your everyday items to the test by checking them out at CosmeticDatabase.org.

These products come in contact with our skin every day so do your homework and check out the items that line your shelves.

Earth Hour - March 28

Volunteers Needed

Green Alternatives is partnering with Hope House (our neighbors at the new location) to lead a group clean for Keep Norfolk Beautiful Day. In case you didn't know, Keep Norfolk Beautiful Day is March 28th which is coming up. Our clean will take place from 10 am to Noon on the 28th at Barraud Park in Norfolk.

If you would like to volunteer to help us clean up the park, visit GreenAlternativesStore.com to sign up. You can also sign up in the store or by calling us at 757.622.1444.

I can't wait to gather up a bunch of greenies to make a difference cleaning Barraud Park!

Graywater Systems

I personally think graywater systems are fantastic and genius. Really, why do we need to use potable (treated, drinkable) water to flush our toilets anyway. Basically, graywater systems utilize the water that has already come out of your faucet for other functions around the house. You've already paid for it so why not use it as much as you can.

There are many different graywater systems out there so you would need to find one that best fits your lifestyle and home design. The system that I like uses the water that runs down your bathroom sink to refill your toilet.

The best way to learn about graywater is to check out some interesting facts at www.graywater.net. There is a great list of questions and answers, general information, benefits, and some other good stuff.

Below is a graywater system for lawn and garden projects:




Another graywater system is shown below for bathroom and toilet water use:




Some other useful information about graywater that is probably the easiest to understand is below: