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From the monthly archives:

November 2004

Natural 100% Silk Comforters

November 29, 2004

It’s a comforter filled with 100% silk.
Silk has a higher warmth to weight ratio than wool, down, or synthetic fillers. It’s non-toxic: no chlorine, perfumes or chemical dyes used. It’s natural: breathable & hypoallergenic. It’s also inexpensive.
Moreover, it is manufactured in Germany to European Eco Standards, including the 100% organic cotton cover.
The filling is Tussah [...]

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New Sustainable Pillows

November 26, 2004

Pangaya has justed added a new line of sustainably produced pillows.
Luckystone Living Design™ accent pillows are individually crafted by hand using organic and sustainable materials. The pillows are made from a durable sateen made of 91% organic wool and 9% organic ramie. The pillows are made individually when they are ordered.
Available from: Pangaya ($120)

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Organic Vodkas: Metaefficient

November 24, 2004

Liquid Ice Vodka is a unique vodka made by distilling five grains — wheat, corn, barley, rye and oats, all of which are certified 100% organic.
The vodka is made with water from the Snake River in Oregon, which runs right under the distillery. It is distilled four times and filtered three times through lava rock.
In [...]

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Japanese Interiors: Minimalist: Adaptable: Renewable

November 23, 2004

Traditional Japanese houses are built with bamboo, paper, straw and other kinds of light weight wood, all of which are renewable. The houses are also made with components such as tatami mats, shoji screens and tansu cabinets.
The components are fitted together without nails, and are often rearranged. For example, in the bedroom, futons are rolled [...]

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Eco-Wool Jacket

November 21, 2004

This jacket is made of organic wool manufactured in a fair-traded knitting co-operative.

Available from: Hempest ($109)

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Subaqueous: Waterproof MP3 Player

November 21, 2004

This waterproof casing goes on top of a iRiver. There is also another waterproof MP3 player by Finis that uses bone conduction to produce sound underwater.
Available from: H2O Audio

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Metaefficient: Material: Rare Bamboo

November 21, 2004
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Metaefficient Spice: Frontier Natural

November 20, 2004

Frontier Natural Products is a large supplier of bulk organic spices. They provide fresh spices sealed in foil packaging at great prices. For example, you can get a pound of organic black peppercorns for $12.
About their company, Frontier says:
As the world’s largest global supplier of organic herbs and spices, we hold a leadership position, not [...]

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Beneficial T’s by Patagonia: Metaefficient

November 18, 2004

In addition to their online store, Patagonia has a separate web site where they sell organic cotton T-shirts called Beneficial T’s wholesale to other retailers. Beneficial T’s are made with benign dyes and bleaches, and sustainble farming practices.
Retailers like Grassroots Natural Goods are thus able to offer organic cotton shirts for around $10 (short sleeve) [...]

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Contemporary Tableware: Ekobo (Sustainable)

November 16, 2004

Made of eco-effective bamboo, ekobo is an elegant line of contemporary tableware designed in France and hand-crafted in Vietnam, for sale in the U.S.
Apero (pictured right) is a set that includes a serving tray and a matching bowl.
It is priced at $29.
Available from: Illico Design

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MetaEfficient In the News: LA Times Review

November 13, 2004

We’re in the news again, with a recent review from the Los Angeles Times:
The Reactual Institute, which tries to highlight ecologically sound products, sets a lofty goal on the home page of Meta-Efficient, billing it as a “guide to the most efficient things in the world.” That means products are reviewed based on how well [...]

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New Ultralight Summer Wool: Superfine190

November 11, 2004

Icebreaker has just released a new line of ultralight merino wool performance wear called Superfine190.
The Superfine range uses a smooth, soft wool to create a “cool wool” quality — intended for summer and lightweight warmth when it gets cold.
It’s hard to believe these tops are woven from wool, they are so thin. The “190″ [...]

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New Energizer 15 Minute NiMH Charger

November 9, 2004

Not long ago Rayovac released a 15 minute battery charger, raising the bar for NiMH battery chargers. Up until that time rechargers took from 7-24 hours to fully charge AA and AAA NiMH batteries. The only catch was that you had to buy special Rayovac 15 minute batteries to put in the 15 minute charger.
Now [...]

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Fungi Perfecti: Growing Useful Mushrooms

November 9, 2004

Fungi Perfecti is the web site of Paul Stamets, author of “Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms“. Stamets has a long history of discovering and cultivating edible and medicinal mushrooms. He researches useful aspects of fungi such as their antiviral properties and their potential for “mycoremediation” (restoring polluted or damaged habitats with fungi).
Through the Fungi Perfecti [...]

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Organic Baby Clothing

November 8, 2004

Infants are more susceptible to chemical irritants in clothing. So clothing them in undyed organic cotton reduces the chances of irritation and exposure to chemicals which are used to manufacture conventional baby clothing.
These retailers have selections of organic clothing for babies: NutureMama, The Nuture Center, Ecobaby, BlueCanoe, Pangaya
Nordic Natural Woollens specializes in baby clothing made [...]

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Maggie’s Socks: Functional Organics

November 6, 2004

Maggie’s Functional Organics has been manufacturing clothing apparel made from organic fibers for over ten years, specializing in socks. We have found their products to be of good quality.
The clothing is made from certified organic cotton, wool, linen and pesticide-free hemp.
Here is their FAQ page for details about how their products are manufactured.
Home Page: Maggie’s [...]

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Wholefoods to Start Selling Organic Clothing

November 4, 2004

Marci Zaroff, founder “Under the Canopy,” an online retailer of organic fiber fashion, says her company’s products will start selling at Whole Foods new megastore slated to open in February in Austin.
The collection will feature apparel for women, men, babies as well as home bedding products. After the initial regional rollout, Zaroff hopes to expand [...]

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Ecoeffective Shoes: Adidas Hemp

November 3, 2004

When Adidas came out with these hemp shoes a few years back, they were given grief about it by the federal government and chose to rename them from “Superstar Hemp” to “Gazelle Natural”.
Regardless of the politics, hemp is a very durable and “breathes” very well as a shoe material. The soles are made out of [...]

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Rhodiola Rosea: Hypereffective Adaptogen

November 2, 2004

Golden Root or Rhodiola Rosea is a plant native to mountainous regions of Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Arctic. It has been used throughout history in those areas to combat fatigue and restore energy.
Recently it has been getting worldwide attention due to its effectiveness as a “adaptogen”. Explaining the effects of the adaptogens is difficult, [...]

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Cellophane: Retro-Metaefficient

November 2, 2004

Cellophane is a natural polymer made from cellulose, a component of trees and plants. We like it because it is completely biodegradable and can be made from renewable sources. It is impermeable to air, grease and bacteria.
It was used widely for packaging food until the 1960s when it was replaced by a plastic substitute which [...]

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