MSNBC reported today that Jenna is having an “Organic” Wedding. Wow. Green Weddings are now “Official”.

Post Consumer Recycled Paper: Use it or Not??

Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find 100% postconsumer recycled paper. Last year, one of our suppliers actually went into bankruptcy. (They have since stabilized their finances.)

Until the markets for recycled paper expand and become commonplace, trees will continue to be cut down to  make paper. This, from the Union for Concerned Scientists:

The growing presence of recycled paper has led many people to believe that all paper is now made from recycled materials. This unfortunate misconception has actually decreased demand for recycled paper, causing manufacturers to produce less. As a result, more than 90 percent of printing and writing paper still comes from virgin tree fiber.

The benefits of producing paper from recycled fibers are many: fewer trees cut down, less water and energy consumed, less pollution generated. And now that studies have shown today’s recycled paper products are comparable to conventional products in quality, performance, and cost, the case for buying recycled is stronger than ever.

Some paper suppliers are touting 30% postconsumer recycled paper as ‘green’ or the eco alternative. Frankly, that is pretty lame. 30% recycled has been the US government mandated percentage since 1998.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has a great monthly newsletter, “Green Tips.”  This month, the subject is roses.

Flowers sold in the United States are generally grown on large farms and treated with massive amounts of pesticide; this not only endangers the health of farm workers, but also pollutes local air and water supplies.

In addition, many flowers are imported from Asia and Central and South America, where environmental regulations are often less stringent. For example, the International Labor Rights Fund and the U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (LEAP) have found that 20 percent of the chemicals applied to flowers in Colombia, a top exporter, are restricted or banned in the United States and Europe. Transporting these flowers to U.S. stores magnifies their environmental impact, as trucks and airplanes (including the needed refrigeration) contribute to air pollution and global warming.

Sign up for their newsletter — it’s great to get the real deal about eco these days!

Saturday 12th of April was Earth Day on the Promenade in Santa Monica, CA.  I spoke to a few of the organizations that are active, locally, about doing some workshops or getting more listings for Green Wedding vendors in local resources.

Well, I was basically told that greening weddings and events (YIkes — in Hollywood!!) are small potatoes. So, I’m going to be posting on why green weddings are larger than the sum of its parts.

Recycled paper. What does it mean, exactly?  There are 3 basic kinds of commercial recycled paper.

• First  is mill broke, or mill waste. This is just all the excess created by the papermaking and fabrication process.
• Next is pre-consumer waste, which is paper that goes back to the pulper, having never been sold.
• Third is the result of our collective recycling efforts. Newsprint, telephone books, magazines, office waste, and what we bring to the curb. This is post consumer waste.  55% of this goes to landfill. Most of the rest of it, gets shipped to Asia. Very little of post consumer waste goes back into the US consumer stream. 

Very few paper mills like to deal with the de-inking process and the difficulty in creating a consistently colored and textured sheet. 

Post consumer recycled woodpulp paper is never as strong or chemically consistent as virgin pulp. (This is because of the length of the actual fiber, which is fairly short.) 

The mills that have specialized in post consumer recycled paper have gotten pretty good at making handsome, specialty paper. However, because of the volatility in the paper industry, with companies buying and selling each other, and the corresponding downsizing, a number of post consumer specialty mills have closed in the past 10 years. (A few were in bankruptcy last year.) 

That is why it is so important to create consumer demand for post consumer recycled paper. It’s really important to create consistent, dependable supply and recycling streams if we are going to create good steward business practices.

Okay, Greenwashing is hitting the invitation market bigtime. One of the large invitation manufacturers has launched a line of eco invitations. Their hook: 30% post consumer fiber. Better than nothing, of course. What about the ink? Wastage, process? So, we figure it’s time to focus on what to look for.

HARDCORE GREEN: The most eco invites: Recycled treefree invitations made locally, from recycled rag (old hemp clothes), using a wind or solar powered Hollander beater. (is that too hard core for you all:)Printed letterpress from handset type, and printed on a treddle press (which means no motor, operated by foot and leg power) Ink: vegetable based ink.

Letterpress uses very little ink, as long as you don’t have to create a custom mix.This is very old school, very difficult to do well, and expensive. But, very, very green!

In the 16th century, they made ink from chimney soot mixed with linseed oil.

We’ve been contacted by another large pay to play company. You pay them and they write an article about your product and they make the article available to Main Stream Media. (which includes all the big broadcasters and newspapers.)Pay to Play Syndication. Yikes. No vetting.  That means that that any company can pay $5,000 for an article  to be written about the companies green practices. Which may or may not be true.  How can we trust any article we read about  a supposedly eco product or service?

Need a delicious and thrifty way to thank your bridesmaids for their unselfish dedication to your Big Green Wedding?

How about treating them to a luscious, organic Spa Day. And, if you host the spa day at your place, you can give your bridesmaids the experience of a first class organic indulgence, while keeping the expense within bounds.

If you can afford to, hire a personal masseuse for a few hours or keep it as simple as pedicures, manicures and facials. Among the first considerations (other than your time allotment and budget) are your friend’s personalities. Do they tend to be Super Femmes or Extreme Sport Athletes, or somewhere in the middle?  Some people are put off by strong fragrances or have sensitive skin. Those who favor citrus scents don’t tend to like strong flowery smells. Make a list with their likes and dislikes. You can whip up a selection of potions, if your friends fall into two camps.

For food and refreshments, serve a light organic lunch paired with organic, fruity ice teas. (We are all addicted to Republic of Tea Apricot Honey, sweetened with organic raw dark agave. You can serve if hot or iced, depending on time of year.)

For decoration, display the organic cosmetics you make in lovely bowls. The same scrubs and facials can be jarred up in lovely antique containers as gifts for your friends to take home with them. You can go all out crafty here. Consider decorating the room with your presents for each of them. (These can be as extravagant as organic robes, or as personal as bamboo towels bundled together with homemade soaps and your custom potions.) Create ambiance with candles and soothing music or romantic poetry readings.

Have a fondue pot?   Make a finishing moisturizer with raw organic shea butter, kept warm and liquid over a low flame. (Be really careful about the temperature!!)  You can buy organic, unrefined shea butter, bulk from Nature’s Shea Butter in New Jersey.

There are great recipes for organic facials, scrubs and moisturizers all over the web. Finely ground seasalt and lemon juice make a great scrub — as does sugar and aloe vera gel with some essential oils. Organic almond flour is a classic base for scrubs. Oatmeal calms the skin and sour cream was my mother’s secret for super soft skin.  If you have a local farmers market, avacado and cucumbers are great basics for facials.

Supplies: You will need a good blender and an ample selection of bowls and containers to be efficient. 

A practical reminder: If you are going to include pedicures, remember to include a good padding of absorbent towels under your decorative spa towels. If you don’t have a stock of old towels you can use, your local Goodwill or hospital resale shop should have an inexpensive selection to choose from. (As any seasoned animal lover or vet tech can attest to!) Recycled, too.

The spa treatment stages are:

1) Exfoliation: Scrubs or African Black Soap. (I dare you to find a dead skin cell on your skin, after a soak and scrub with organic African Black Soap. And I am a red-headed pasty white girl!) It is not the most frilly, feminine soap, but it is amazing.  You can buy the real thing here, free-trade:

Salt soaks are especially good for the athletically inclined. I’ve bought bulk supplies from Auntie Godmother at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market for years. (Don’t let the humble website fool you, I’ve seen many a celebrity at her booth.) The Megabath is my favorite. She also has a good selection of floral soaks, which you can also buy bulk.

2) Feeding the Skin: This is when you apply the facials of choice. Foot massage or reflexology is an extra treat.

3) Sealing the nutrients in: Big no-no, any product with petroleum oil. Petro-based oils actually pull moisture from your skin. Nothing is better than raw organic shea butter, or coco butter. You can liquify the shea with warm water, and follow with organic cotton gloves.

After a delectable lunch or light dinner, send your goddesses home with their smell-good presents and they will feel completely well-nourished and well-loved. 

This website is just fabulous for finding Farmer’s Markets and local farms for Organic faire for your green wedding or event: Local Harvest

How would you like your wedding party to pull up in a fleet of these? I want one, badly! The Aptera is slated for production sometime this year. It’s been in development for 5 years: