Sophie et Voil creates made-to-order designer dresses from recycled fabrics

Anyone interested in sustainability knows that the clothing and textile industry is one of the largest contributors of pollution and waste. Spanish brand Sophie et Voila has set out to change that particular trend with a line of wedding dresses that are all custom-made from 100% recycled fabric.

Designers Sofia Arribas and Saioa Goitia said, “Sustainability is not only a concept, but the legitimate philosophy upon which we have built Sophie et Voilà.”

Related: Where to find eco-friendly engagement and wedding rings

Brides can work with the designers to develop a full range of traditional or modern looks to celebrate their day and rest easy knowing their dress selection carries a low environmental footprint. Growing up in Basque Country, an autonomous community in Spain, both designers know something about slow living. Based on a culture of local food and a focus on connecting to nature, their home instilled in Arribas and Goitia the importance of incorporating eco-consciousness into their work.

The needs of modern brides have also facilitated a growing awareness of environmental impact. “The bridal industry is slowly improving sustainability-wise as consumer’s values are changing when they are looking for a wedding dress,” the founders explained. “Brides want to look beautiful on their wedding day, but not at any price. We believe that the values behind the garments are becoming increasingly more important as it is a representation of what we stand for.”

Deciding on 100% recycled polyester fabric was a long process for the duo, who admitted it was challenging to find recycled materials that offered the luxurious look and feel they sought for the finished product along with the quality they insisted upon. In addition to offering elegance while eliminating virgin materials, Sophie et Voilà emphasizes sustainable manufacturing processes. All dresses are sewn locally in Spain in a certified fair-wage factory. In addition, dresses are only manufactured on a made-to-order basis to eliminate excess material consumption and waste. This is in alignment with an awareness that, “We must try and be sustainable in all practices as waste stems from mass consumption.” 

+ Sophie et Voilà

Images via Sophie et Voilà

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Meet E.C.HO, Milan's greenest hotel

Milan’s new eco-friendly hotel boasts green practices, gorgeous spaces and a convenient location right by the train station. Starhotels Group’s E.C.HO — which stands for Ecological Contemporary Hotel — is designed to be a calm, nature-inspired oasis within a big, energetic city.

The hotel’s most striking features include the use of glass, natural light, earth tones and plants. The first impression is the reception desk, which has a backlit ceiling that simulates sunrise, twilight and night, depending on the time of day. Visitors can relax in a hall with stone-shaped poufs wrapped in eco-label fabrics, then set their drinks on tables made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified scented cedar trunks. Or they can check out the conservatory, a low-energy greenhouse with glass walls. The hotel’s large terrace overlooks the historic renaissance chapel Cascina Pozzobonelli, dating back to 1492, and a garden with mature and stately trees.

Related: Eco-friendly, affordable housing emphasizes walkability in Milan

Every detail of the hotel’s 143 rooms and suites has been thoroughly considered, thanks to the expertise of interior designer Andrea Auletta. The internationally known designer has been working on hotels, homes, office and retail spaces for 20 years, but Milan is special to him, as it’s his hometown. On the surface, the rooms look tranquil and luxurious, with clean lines and earth-tone draperies. But a whole green framework lies beneath. Low-consumption lighting is powered partially by a solar energy plant. The wallpaper has the Nordic eco-label certification. All the window frames are super-insulated for energy savings. Bed linens are made from natural fibers, and greywater is recycled to irrigate plants.

Guests visiting the hotel on business will likely spend time in the Congress Center, an area made up of five meeting rooms with a 240 total capacity. The rooms are fittingly named Elements, Water, Fire, Air and Earth, and connect to the outdoors with a marble staircase.

The Orto Green Food & Mood Restaurant is brightly lit with both large windows and chandeliers. Designers have planned details down to the placemats and bread baskets, which are made from recycled and recyclable cellulose. E.C.HO has partnered with Eataly restaurant, which offers a plant-heavy menu using local products and artisanal producers. 

The emphasis here is on slow food. Young Milanese Chef Alessandro De Matteis incorporates international cuisine and street food into his organic dishes. Every ingredient is carefully vetted, from the Tonda Gentile IGP hazelnuts that go into the chocolate hazelnut cream filling artisan croissants at breakfast to the Robiola di Roccaverano cheese. 

At the bar, innovative cocktails are made from controlled designation of origin (DOCG) ingredients. Historic Italian liqueurs, such as Acqua di Cedro, china (quinine) and rabarbaro (rhubarb) are some of the ingredients that make drinks here special. And, of course, the bar serves a superb selection of organic Italian wines.

+ E.C.HO

Images © Starhotels

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Meet the fashion brand that's turning grain waste into clothing

RAFFAUF has been making ethically produced clothing for 30 years, staying ahead of the curve and conscious of the environmental issues affecting the world. Its newest collection proves that fashion can be sustainable and beautiful at the same time … and these products are made from something that’s usually thrown away.

The newest collection from RAFFAUF uses grain waste materials to create a special coating for clothing. This makes items water-resistant. But how can grain waste products that are normally thrown away turn into something like this? Grain is separated from the husk before it is processed. Once bran and oils are taken out of the husk, you’re left with a wax-like material that is mostly just thrown away. After all, the good stuff is gone. Or is it?

Related: New biofabricated clothing made from algae goes through photosynthesis just like plants

In its raw state, this waxy stuff left behind is hardly usable. But once it is heated for many hours, it melts and becomes a liquid. When the resulting liquid is mixed with other ingredients, it can be applied to fabric without leaving stains while providing water-resistant strength. Best of all, this waste product is not used by the food industry at all. As designer Caroline Raffauf explained in a press release about the new clothing line, “The textile coating adds value without competing with food.”

The coating, when finished, is 90% recycled waste from grain processing. The coating is resistant to water and water-based liquids, such as fruit juices. The new line from RAFFAUF utilizes this coating on linen to create a functional and stylish future for sustainable fashion.

RAFFAUF is based in Berlin and specializes in making eco-friendly clothing and accessories. In the past, this company has used recycled PET bottles in its products and designed clothing coatings out of beeswax. Even the style itself is meant to be sustainable, with designs that are more timeless than they are trendy so every item can be worn for many years.

+ RAFFAUF

Photography by David Kavaler / RAFFAUF

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Twisting rammed earth home wraps around a grand jackfruit tree

In the lush South Indian village of Vengola, architecture firm Wallmakers has just completed a sculptural rammed earth home that looks like a natural extension of the landscape. Commissioned by a client with a large family, the 2,755-square-foot dwelling features a variety of shared common spaces, including an outdoor courtyard with a massive jackfruit tree that inspired the project’s name, the Jack Fruit Garden Residence. As with all their projects, the architects constructed the home with environmentally friendly materials including rammed earth, Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) and recycled materials.

When the client, Mr. Riaz, reached out to the architects with the commission, he asked them to save the existing jackfruit tree that anchors the southern side of the property. The effort to preserve the tree largely informed the final design, which frames the tree as a focal point wrapped with a compound wall that twists upward to meet the home’s curving ferro-cement roof. The roof is built from pre-cast, steel-reinforced arched shells engineered to minimize the amount of cement and steel needed without compromising durability. This sheltered outdoor space also features a Japanese-style rock garden and is easily accessible from the kitchen.

Related: Indonesian eco village features rammed earth domes and ocean views

Curved forms continue in the interior with a sculptural staircase that appears to float over a light-filled atrium. Discarded pipes salvaged from a scrapyard were used to create the balustrades as well as the chandeliers found in all of the rooms. “This propagates the idea that using such scrap materials instead of gorging into fresh material is not only in line with the concept of upcycling but also helps to create art pieces that cast veristic shadows patterns on the walls throughout the day,” the architects explained. 

The walls are mostly constructed from CSEB made from compressed gravel, sand and cement as well as rammed earth. Openings are strategically located to take advantage of natural ventilation. 

+ Wallmakers

Photography by Anand Jaju and Syam Sreesylam via Wallmakers

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3D-printed e-bike wins 2021 international Green Product Award

Germany-based bicycle manufacturer Urwahn Bikes has created a bike frame made entirely of 3D-printed steel. Known as Urwahn Platzhirsch, the minimalist commuter bicycle is already racking up awards, including the international Green Product Award in 2021.

At least 1,461 participants from 51 countries also submitted entries for the 2021 awards. Categories included architecture and tiny houses, crafts, lifestyle, fashion, work environments, mobility and sports. Projects were judged on their design, innovation and sustainability features.

Related: Blix Packa, the electric bike that wants to replace your car

This was a redemption story for Urwahn Bikes, which was also nominated for its steel-framed Urwahn Stadtfuchs electric road bike back in 2020. It was the company’s 3D-printed version Urwahn Platzhirsch bicycle, however, that took the award a year later in 2021. According to Urwahn Bikes, the Platzhirsch is also the world’s first electric bike to be entirely created using a 3D printing process. 

“Receiving the Green Product Award 2021 confirms us once again in our original visions and gives us backing for our further transformation into a sustainable company,” said Urwahn Bikes CEO and founder Sebastian Meinecke. The CEO emphasizes that the company is dedicated to honest communication about its sustainable journey in the local community. “For this reason, over the next few years we will increasingly detach ourselves from distant production sites in order to create even more value in the national and European environment,” Meinecke continued. “The fact is, we are on a sustainable mission.”

The company already prides itself on its sustainable business model, which was inspired by the circular economy design process. The manufacturer focuses on durability and resource-conserving materials, along with recyclable packaging and ethical work environments for its employees. Not only do the bikes themselves help reduce CO2 emissions as a transportation source, but the use of steel also highlights sustainable materials that can be recycled at the end of their life.

+ Urwahn Bikes

Images provided by Urwahn Bikes

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So Good So You delivers organic, vegan nutritional support in a shot-sized serving

As varied as they are, it seems every nutritional plan can agree on one thing — fruits and veggies are good for the body. The team at So Good So You certainly thinks so and is on a mission to compress as many plant benefits into one small, recyclable bottle as possible.

So Good So You was founded on the idea that plant-based drinks are not only good for our health but can be made while “putting people and the planet before profit.” The company achieves this goal in several ways.

Related: BobaWare eliminates single-use plastic from the boba experience

The first is through only using certified organic, non-GMO and 100% vegan ingredients. With a focus on gut health, each 1.7-ounce bottle contains 1 billion probiotic CFUs. The lineup continues to grow with each product addressing a specific area of health. Categories include beauty (with natural silica and biotin), detox, energy (with caffeine), digestion, sleep, endurance and the newly released immunity. So Good So You uses a system called High Pressure Processing (HPP) to destroy harmful bacteria and maintain the integrity of the natural, plant-based flavors. This process also eliminates the need for preservatives. That’s another way of saying you’ll recognize all the ingredients on the label.

The company acknowledges that single-serve shots mean loads of individual containers, so it invested in BtrBtl technology. These bottles break down much faster than traditional plastic and can be added to the recycling stream without any negative impact. Data in a recent study showed a biodegradation rate of 31-37% after 391 days, compared to 2% in traditional PET containers. It’s not a perfect system yet, but as the company states, “BtrBtl, pronounced ‘better bottle’, is our best effort to-date for a complete life-cycle solution for our product packaging.”

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the offices and manufacturing plant are completely powered by renewable energy. The company also takes special care of facility waste, diverting more than 94% of it away from landfills. So Good So You products can be found at Target, Publix, Whole Foods, Cub Foods and many other retailers across the country.

Personal review of So Good So You Products

To say I was excited to receive these little bottles of pressed juice is a considerable understatement. With a family that enjoys pressed juices, I was thrilled when my sample box arrived!

Let me start by saying the company’s dedication to sustainable packaging was immediately evident. There’s information stamped right on the recyclable cardboard box about how to properly dispose of each piece of packing material. The juices have to remain cold, so ice and insulation are necessary. Unlike another company that recently shipped me items in multiple petroleum-based plastic foam coolers that I will be paying to recycle (ugh), So Good So You lined the box with corn-based foam sheets. The instructions say to dissolve the material in water and use it to water your plants. No plastic foam here. Thank you! The ice packs are non-toxic, so they can be opened, drained and then recycled with other plastic film. I chose to plop mine back into the freezer for future use, but it’s good to know what to do with them when the time comes.

On to the products … I just can’t say enough good things about these pressed juices. The beautiful colors look like natural, whole foods. Each bottle gives a bit of insight regarding the type of support inside. If you’re not someone who enjoys vegetables you might need a ‘beet’ or two to get used to the strength. For me, I was ecstatic the flavors tasted like the plant they came from — not watered down or sugared up. Beets taste like beets, carrots taste like carrots and grapefruit tastes like grapefruit. I’m not saying I’m a beet fan, but it’s a shot — a small amount that undeniably lets me know I’m drinking a vegetable.

Let’s be real here. I fully understand there’s a power of suggestion when it comes to products labeled as natural and healthy, especially those claiming to support immunity and beauty or offer energy and endurance. With that in mind, part of me wanted to discredit these claims. But my experience has been delightful (and delicious). After every shot, I feel a bit of a rush. It’s subtle, but it’s like my cells do a little dance. I’ve experienced this same feeling after eating an amazing, plant-based meal. It’s a clean energy that is, well you might say ‘organic,’ and I think I will. So do these juices do what they claim? I don’t know. But I do know I like the way they make me feel physically, mentally and environmentally.

+ So Good So You

Images via So Good So You and Dawn Hammon / Inhabitat

Editor’s Note: This product review is not sponsored by So Good So You. All opinions on the products and company are the author’s own.

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UK plastic waste is being exported to and burned in Turkey

Approximately 40% of the U.K.’s plastic waste was sent to Turkey last year, according to a Greenpeace U.K. report. This is equivalent to 210,000 metric tons of plastic waste. The report has established that a bulk of the U.K.’s recyclable plastic that is sent to Turkey is either burned or ends up in landfills, roadsides and bodies of water.

Greenpeace investigated about 10 sites across Southern Turkey and found evidence of plastic packaging from U.K. supermarkets at every site. The organization also found the packaging of a coronavirus antigen test, an indication that the waste is less than a year old.

Related: Research continues to unravel plastic industry recycling lies

There have been increasing concerns that Turkey is becoming Europe’s dumping ground. In 2020, Turkey, Poland and Malaysia received the largest amounts of plastic waste from the U.K. Of more concern is the fact that most of the waste is not recycled but rather ends up in landfills. The waste exports to Turkey from the U.K. have grown exponentially from 12,000 metric tons in 2016 to 210,000 metric tons by 2020. The report has further established that the U.K. produces the most plastic waste per person after the U.S.

Nihan Temiz Atas, biodiversity projects lead for Greenpeace Mediterranean and who is based in Turkey, said, “Around 241 truckloads of plastic waste come to Turkey every day from across Europe and it overwhelms us. As far as we can see from the data and the field, we continue to be Europe’s largest plastic waste dump.”

Following the release of the report, the U.K. government has come out on the defensive, saying that there are already plans to stop the exportation of waste.

“We are clear that the U.K. should handle more of its waste at home, and that’s why we are committed to banning the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries and clamping down on illegal waste exports — including to countries such as Turkey — through tougher controls,” the country’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement.

Many wealthy countries have long been dumping recyclable plastic waste in lower-income countries. Last year, Malaysia returned over 150 shipping containers of illegally imported waste to several countries, with 42 containers belonging to the U.K.

+ Greenpeace UK

Via BBC

Image via Nareeta Martin

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Carpenter turns scrap-destined bus into retro accommodations

Ever wanted to spend the night in an authentic double-decker bus? Well, now’s your chance thanks to U.K.-based carpenter Adam Collier-Woods and his brilliant new renovation project. Aptly named the “Big Green Bus,” this holiday accommodation is made from a converted metro bus that was given new life after being destined for the scrap pile.

The original bus was built in 1982, clocking in about 689,000 miles traveled throughout its life, including some time spent as a school bus. Collier-Woods bought it just before it was meant to be destroyed, documenting the entire process from purchase to project development on a local television station. Today, the bus contains a rentable accommodation space with room for six people in three separate bedrooms.

Related: Transformed caravan’s mobile music studio to help refugees

There’s a full kitchen on the bottom floor along with a dining room, bathroom, and wood burner for optimal coziness. The bedrooms upstairs feature a total of two full-sized double beds and one set of bunk beds that look out through the bus windows into the surrounding forest. The project recycled the original bus fittings and reused them throughout the design, including two bus seats to make up a front room lounge area — complete with board games and a collection of books to borrow.

Bright colors help characterize the retro interior decor, while the outside is painted with a hunter-green tone to complement the tree-filled landscape. The spot also comes with a spacious deck, pantry staples in the kitchen and several living essentials. 

Collier-Woods, who was responsible for all the renovations, chose a privately owned, secluded (there’s no wireless internet) section of woodland in the Sussex countryside to park the bus. A part of southeastern England known for its combination of rolling hills and classic local pubs, the location also boasts an outdoor heated shower and a wood-fired hot tub for guests to enjoy. Accommodations are charged per person and require a minimum of two nights’ stay.

+ Big Green Bus

Via Tiny House Talk

Images provided by Adam Collier-Woods

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