greener 01
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Inaugrual Greener magazine for the Eco Design Fair in Shanghai.TRANSCRIPT
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shopping : :
greener 01eco design fair magazine :: issue 1 :: april 2009
sustainable lifestyle and architecture: : fashion : : green shopping : : eco heroes : :
organic cookies : : go green tips
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: : shopping
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colophon
greener magazine is published to promote
the ecodesign fair, shanghai, april 2009
magazine concept & art direction by ineke teeninga
greener magazine is printed in a low printrun
on environment friendly paper
please go to www.ecodesignfair.cn for the online version!
email us at [email protected]
contributors
a00 architecture/arkin tilt, barefoot portraits,
tyler duncan bowa, jason campbell, marianne delhez, design li3,
ryan dick, greennovate, jules kwan, lamm sp, liu huili, peggy liu,
mengmeng cui, adam minter, o2 magazine, sherry poon, pamela pour,
bettina regolini, lindsey salatka, meera singh, katherine szeto,
trine targett, ineke teeninga, urbn hotels, raefer wallis,
heather wigmore, ben zhang, zeezee zhong, ping zhou.
and thanks to ava, luca, racheal, riley and tessy.
contents : :
4 green shopping
6 feature: hello my name is... I drive sustainable change+ very practical go green tips!
how you can make a difference towards a more environmentally friendly world.
11 a future green
12 constructive sustainabilitytwo interesting architecture projects showcase the use of sustainable materials and take it a step further: designing for tomorrow, today.
18 urban green
19 q&a sherry poon
20 bamboo explained why is bamboo regarded sustainable and
is it actually always very eco-friendly? learn more about this amazing grass.
22 recycling in shanghai
24 q&a peggy liu meet shanghai’s greenest resident
and eco-hero peggy liu.
26 eco fashion by green entrepreneurs
34 kids fashion
40 baby’s & kids go green green your kids’ lifestyle with the coolest
products in town.
42 favourite organic cookies
44 1 million trees a million trees in a desert?
yes! fi ght desertifi cation and reduce or even offset your carbon footprint!
46 ride your bike in chongming
48 soap nuts do your laundry without chemicals
and toxins, use all natural soap nuts.
50 beauty: soaps
54 ecodesignfair information and schedule
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shopping, shopping!
: : 2 : : old basket / new useThese old bamboo baskets are in the proud collection of O2 shop after a countryside visit. Handmade and with a little bit mending, we reuse them as a flower basket. Or use them as a shopping basket for your vegetables and fruits when strolling around the market. O2 shop, 3F, 60 Xinlelu
text and image by O2
: : 1 : : triple green Made from 100% organically grown bamboo, these beautiful nesting baskets by bambu come in
sets of three. The baskets are handwoven by families in rural villages to help supplement farming income. Perfect for fruit,
veggies, bathroom clutter or simply as decoration. available at Nest, 2F International Artists Factory, 210 Taikang Lu 1
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: : 3 : : no more plastic Since all kinds of resuable bags keep on popping up every
where, there’s really (really) no excuse to still use plastic bags for your groceries. This
nice and basic bag, simply called “twine
bag” is available from O2 shop. O2 shop, 3F, 60 Xinlelu
: : 4 : : pure and simple Just put these charcoal bamboo sticks in your water – or
tea or coff ee even – and they will help take the toxins out!
Spin, bld. 3, 758 Jululu, near Fuminlu : : 5 : : local international Those small
chinese tea shops you see everywhere sell all sorts of chinese tea, but... which tea to
choose? If your Chinese is not that fl uent itmight be hard to fi nd your favourite. Check out Song Fang Maison de Thé – French native Florence Samson selects the best teas from all over China. She can tell you all about tea, will let you smell many varieties and help you make the right choice!
Song Fang Maison de Thé, 227 Yongjialu near Shaanxinanlu
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Suddenly the world is green, the en-
tire world. Appliances, cars, buildings,
food, clothes, light bulbs, toilets, and
all things designed are now ‘sustain-
able’ or at the very least ‘environmen-
tally friendly’. These terms have broad
currency today, although they are
often inaccurate or misused. This is not
to suggest that some of these products
and consumables have sustainable as-
pects or features worth noting – some
certainly do. The trouble is differenti-
ating between what are claimed to be
‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ options.
Sustainability refers to processes that provide for the needs of today, without compromising the needs of future generations. Consumption pressures this very concept regardless of a product’s inherent sustainable features. All products carry negative environmental implications; they require raw materi-als and energy to create. Even the greenest materials require raw materials and energy to create. Still, consumption is inevitable – simply put, we need to
consume to survive. What we choose to consume and how we consume it is entirely up to us. This decision is incredibly important – what we purchase and use directly influences what is produced and even how it is made. This alone carries enormous environmental implications. This also places consumers in a critical position of responsibility as drivers of sustainable de-
Hello, my Name is { . . .your name here}, I Drive Sustainable Change
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equations of sustainability. Defining and creating ‘Green’ products and habits is instead left to govern-ments, manufacturers, designers, and marketing – effectively removing consumers and individual, critical, sustainable thought and action (Note that these bodies, excluding governments, all directly profit from the sale of products – consumption is their chief objective). This creates a non-transparent process which allows products and materials to be promoted as being sustainable too often, regard-less of holistic sustainable merits. As consumers we bear a fundamental responsibility to sift through the clutter of marketing to develop our own individual approaches to sustainable consumption. This begins with a process that is critical and opinionated – we must demand information and make a thorough and decisive response to its review. Consumers drive markets. Deliberately sustainable consumers drive sustainable markets. The more sustainable develop-ment and alternatives are demanded, the more they will become available – simple supply and demand.
Sustainable claims are not enough As an isolated term ‘Sustainability’ is quite con-cise. Applying this to the larger picture gets messy. Sustainability is inherently dependent on place. Each location and each situation dictates a differ-ent sustainable response, making it very difficult to speak in absolutes. For example: What’s better, locally produced incandescent lights, or imported LED lights? Although unanswerable here, this is the exact type of question consumers (you) need to be asking and weighing. This article aims to help consumers
velopment and change. Like it or not, your individual lifestyle and consumption habits have a tangible and measurable effect on global sustainability, period.
I’m just one person, how can I be so fundamentally important? Individuals are too frequently removed from
Humans currently consume 20% more natural resources than the earth can produce and our lifestyles are to blame. Technology is not the issue. Attitude and habits are.
Lifestyle is defining what we ‘need’ and how we meet these needs. This alone impacts the envi-ronment more than the actions of corporations, governments, designers or products.
Consider a low flow show-er that is designed to save water. This inher-ent feature is moot if you take multiple showers each day or shower for minutes on end. Or con- sider a 100% organic shirt. If you already have enough, buying another is wasteful. No matter how green the products
you buy are, they still consume resources.You are in the driver’s seat of change. You can green your life – and its not even that hard!
Greening your life starts with goals. Work towards achieving the easiest ones first, and gain mo-mentum. Proceed incre-mentally. Make a habit of considering the environ-ment with every decision you make. Your individual habits impact the envi-ronment more than the products you use. Here are some tips to get started.
Hello, my Name is { . . .your name here}, I Drive Sustainable Change by Ryan Dick, images by O2 magazine
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develop a process and habit to evaluate products and materials.
How can consumers know what to buy? Sustainability encompasses several crucial areas; Energy Consumption, Material Consumption, Pollu-tion or Waste Generation, Toxicity or Health, Econom-ics, and Social Equity or Fairness. Ideally products would achieve high sustainable marks in each of these categories. More often, however, achieving high sus-tainable marks in one area comes at a cost of another. Almost always, similar ‘sustainable’ products rate differently across each fundamental area. Consumers must first define what they value most, be it Health or low Energy Consumption, and develop purchas-ing habits that give preference to products which achieve highly in these areas. What you value is not what’s most important; rather, having defined values and a process for evaluating products based on this value is what is most critical. This requires consumers to question and understand, if only on a basic level, where their products are coming from, how they are Produced, Used, and Disposed of and what the impacts of each Life-cycle stage are. Understanding products, even at this level, results in informed decisions that carry a significant positive impact. For example, pur-chasing non-petroleum based natural house cleaners immediately cuts petroleum consumption, reduces exposure to toxins or VOCs (both for manufacturers and you), and helps to bolster an emerging market to be more competitive both in terms of availability and cost. This all stems from the simple decision to purchase a more sustainable product.
the easy anyone-can-do-it tips
Unplug itChargers and power strips account for nearly 5% of home energy consumption. When they aren’t in use, turn them off or unplug them. Just do it:• turn off lights and air-conditioning when you leave the room. • turn off your computer, tv and other appli-ances instead of leaving them on stand-by.• turn off the engine when not using the car (and make a point of instructing your driver to do it too). when you leave the motor of a parked car running (idling), it emits 20 times more pollution than a car traveling 50km (32 miles) per hour!
Reduce, reduce, reduceMost of us consume far more than we actually need. The most sustainable thing you can do is before buying any product or service ask yourself , ‘Do I need this?’ When the answer is no, don’t buy.
Bring your own reusable bag to reduce the use of plastic or paper bags. Our favourite: the ReUse bag by Jooi for Greennovate, see page 33 (fashion section).
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Reuse, reuse, reuseThe more you reuse, the less you consume and waste. Simple.
Air QualityBring plants into your indoor environments. Plants naturally digest toxins and carbon diox-ide. The result – cleaner air.
Energy ConsumptionDress for the weather. Throw on a warm sweater in winter. Wear light colors and thin-ner fabrics in summer. Saving energy can be this easy...
How can I evaluate the impact of a product’s Production, Use, and Disposal? GIGA (Green Ideas Green Actions) is a Shanghai-based, non-profit NGO that exists to empower design-ers with actionable sustainable design solutions. As a driver of change, GIGA is devoted to finding, evaluating, and rating green materials and products using a simple Life-cycle analysis called GIGA Rate. These criteria focus on orders of magnitude (or a GIGA-scale) as they relate to fundamental concepts of sustainability. Once evaluated, materials can be com-pared throughout their Life-cycle. GIGA Rate is not intended to assign sustainable rankings to materials, it is instead intended to evaluate sustainability funda-mentals and transparently demonstrate their holistic sustainable performance. The decision to purchase or use a material is left up to you and should be based on your own developing critical position of sustain-ability. Hence, GIGA Rate is intended to be an active tool and can be applied to any product or material you use or consume. The more you use GIGA Rate, the more sustainable thinking and (more importantly) action will become habit and a subconscious default. To download GIGA Rate or to learn more about rating and understanding Green Products and Materials, please visit www.giga-china.com
At GIGA we aim to create a sustainable culture, active in making sustainable change. To become part of this initiative email us: [email protected] driving change.
top 3 for die hards
• take cold showers. energy consumption in-creases for each degree you heat your shower water – and its better for your skin. and while you’re at it: no need to use water when you lather soap. if you only use water to get wet and to wash soap off it can cut water usage to a minute or less.
• either walk or ride your bike, no cars, buses, taxi’s (we’re not even going to start about air-planes...) if your office is too far to bike or walk to, you live too far from work.
• never eat meat again. cows, for instance, produce huge amounts of voc’s – some studies say they set off even more than an average car! apart from that, producing meat is very energy and resource consuming – to produce a pound of beef, no less than 2500 gallons of water is needed.
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more challenging (but still doable) tips
Waste is FoodConsider waste first. Before buying, ask yourself, ‘How will I get rid of this product?’ Where will it go and what is it’s impact? Avoid buying products that contain tox-ins, do not biodegrade or cannot be recycled, because these products are thrown into a landfill. Intentionally or not, solid wastes are part of our food cycle.
Two other points:• paper is recyclable, but if thrown away in regular garbage it will probably end up in a landfill – not so sustainable...• throwing away a forgotten tomato may not seem like the most environment unfriendly thing to do, but consider this: you also throw away all energy and resources needed to produce that tomato and get it in the shops and your fridge!
CompostTreat as much waste as you can at home. Compost your organic waste. Learn how in the Ecodesignfair Worm Composting workshop (see page 55).
Buy greener and use products that are non-toxic – this minimizes harm as products ‘return to the environ-ment’ after throwing them away. For instance: use
natural detergents instead of chemical ones. Vinegar, lemon and soapnuts are good alternatives (for more info on soapnuts read the article on page 48).
WaterUse water saving fixtures. Product labels indicate the volume of water used each minute – purchase the most efficient fixtures. You can also modify and improve existing fixtures by adding low flow aerators which significantly reduce water consumption, and thus waste water.
LocalWhere do your goods come from? Buying locally produced products typically requires less energy than non-regional goods. This also helps to support local industries, economies, and cultures. Buying local also applies to foods. Find local substitutes for your cereals, biscuits, vegetables, fruits, coffee, etc. If local solutions aren’t available - aim to change your habits to stop using these products. Connect yourself to your food stream. Ask where your products are coming from. The closer these goods are to your location, the better. We know this isn’t easy in China, that’s why it’s not in the easy section! ::
Go Carbon NeutralSave all energy bills, collect taxi receipts, record travel mileage (cars and airplanes). Calculate your carbon footprint. Offset your emissions by donating to a carbon trading program like The Million Tree Project by Shanghai Roots and Shoots (see article on page 44).
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There is increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of domestic growth, so it is a perfect opportu-nity to harness that energy to make positive change. The appropriate focus group is young people, who ultimately will take on the role of balancing both China’s economic and environmental investments.
In order to gain varied perspectives, I spoke with young (and new) members of the Communist Party, environmental activists, and migrant workers. They were all very open-minded about serious environ-mental issues (despite past domestic disregard) and all agreed that China has serious environmental prob-lems, with air and water pollution being cited as the most severe. They want to help make change, but they feel they lack necessary information to take action.
Jessica and Iris are two recent university graduates joining the Communist Party. They discussed about how the Party should address China’s environmental problems. Both agreed that it must begin by educat-ing people better. Jessica felt that understanding is key, for “young people are willing to take action, but to take action, we must first have awareness... Many people are concerned, but they don’t know how to contribute. If the Party asks, we will want to do it.”Iris, however, defended the Party’s environmental record, citing it’s previous campaigns, such as ban-ning free plastic bags at grocery stores, and China’s
status as developing country. But she still agreed that the Party should further inform people how they can save energy in their daily lives. She added that increasing awareness must go beyond the Party and into the larger community, praising South Korean pop stars who promoted energy conservation to young people.
Next, I spoke with Vic, a recent graduate who was an environmental activist and lecturer at his univer-sity in Jiangxi Province. He stressed the importance of making environmental issues relevant to young people’s lives. The attendees of Vic’s lectures were unaware of how pollution affected their lives and were very open to learning more. Other students are working with Shanghai Roots & Shoots to raise awareness by performing enviromen- tal evaluations of their schools and business ofices. The efforts of Chen Peng, one volunteer, have cul-minated in a successful recycling campaign at his university as well as in the collaboration with FedEx to help the company conserve energy.
Yet despite the resounding desire among young people to acquire information, there is an entire population of migrant people who often face the worst consequences of pollution and are also the least informed. They are in need of serious environ-mental outreach. As Rex, a migrant worker from Jiangxi, noted, “many of them [workers] don’t go to school and lack education. They do not know the health effects of pollution. If they don’t know, they can’t do anything.” ::
by Jason Campbell
Over the past decade, China has experienced extreme economic growth in its pursuit of development and modernization. With that positive change came negative costs, and the environmental consequences have been stark. However, China may be entering a new era – China’s environmental future depends on the untapped resource of its youth.
Round Earth – The Environmental Protection Organization of SHOU
A future green
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We’re designing for tomorrow, today.Our buildings and spaces directly consume materials and resources. More importantly, they shape lifestyle and consumption patterns. Architecture must be sustainable.
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Eco-Retreat by A00 Architecture/Arkin Tilt, pictures by Raefer Wallis
architecture : :
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The concept that drove the design and develop-
ment of the Eco-Retreat and its site is deeply rooted
in sustainable principles.
Every design decision was weighed in terms of its
environmental impact. ‘Renewal’ best describes the
design process and built result. Materials are more
important to sustainable design than the buildings
they are used in – the toxins they contain persist in
our environment for thousands of years even after
demolition. Hence building with materials which mini-
mally impact the environment during their entire life
(production, usage and renewal) was critical. Building
with natural resources that China actually has was also
of key importance. This drove the decision to build
the structure out of stabilized, insulated rammed earth
(SIREwall). Precedent was taken from the traditional
Hakka earth houses in Fujian Province. The Eco-Retreat
walls are the fi rst of their kind in China.
Rammed earth is made from locally sourced inorganic
soil (meaning anything but topsoil), water, and a mini-
mum amount of cement. Its behavior and structural
properties are not too dissimilar to concrete. The
advantages, however, are that it uses less cement
(50% to 85% less), is non-toxic, breaks down into
aggregate once disposed of, and cuts out count-
less fi nish materials. Paints, stains, glues and other
fi nishes are all unnecessary as rammed earth is both
a structural and a fi nish material. This entirely
eliminates some of the building materials available
on the market. Taking it one step further, the insulated
rammed-earth walls of the retreat make it superbly
energy effi cient.
The client was bold and fearless to take risks and
test several fi rsts, the largest being the rammed earth
walls. Due to the client’s generosity and courage,
stabilized, insulated rammed earth technology has
become a valuable new sustainable building alterna-
tive for China. This is especially notable given the
overwhelming lack of green construction resources
in China.
project eco-retreatlocation zhang jia gang (suzhou district, yangtze river)area fl ora: 25,000 m2, architecture: 600 m2
function eco-retreat and sustainability research centerarchitect a00 architecture / arkin tiltcompletion date summer 2009
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For designing the new Greennovate offi ce we
basically used Greennovate itself as the concept;
matching their way of thinking and allowing
them to live in it.
A way to think turned into a way of life turned into
a way to build. Reuse, reinvent, rethink. We wanted
to create a quality space in terms of functioning,
circulation and modularity.
We built a very comfortable space using low VOC
painting, local low processed wood, rough bamboo,
and as little glue as possible. The offi ce benefi ts from
a lot of natural light and good orientation, so the
energy saving is obvious and easy for Greennovate’s
team. We worked with local furniture companies and
redesigned/reused Chinese furniture we are keen
on collecting.
Our goal was to establish a trusting relationship be-
tween the designers (us) and our contractor.
Getting the contractor to understand something which
is very hazy here in China- sustainability- was challeng-
ing to say the least, especially on such a low budget
project.
We achieved the green goals we aimed for in the be-
ginning. The understanding of sustainability was well
received by the contractor and I think overall we were
able to embed a certain environmental awareness
into our team’s mind with this projects completion.
This project made us aware that we should not wait
for the Chinese sky to turn blue by itself. It was our
fi rst “green” project in China, and we were lucky to
have Greennovate as such a conscious and active
client. Sustainability calls for action and asks for
involvement. Its process isn’t only bound to build-
ing “green” – it requires deep understanding of what
consequences your thoughts are going to have on your
surroundings.
The client’s perspective
Greennovate is a social enterprise providing environ-
mental concepts that contribute to the quality of life in
China. We work within green SCR challenges including
greening the supply chains, environmental awareness
initiatives and environmental education.
With the architetcs we share the passion for develop-
ing green concepts that inspire other people to start
participating and acting towards positive change.
When we were planning our move we wanted to create
a space that will be comfortable and healthy for us to
work and an exciting place for our clients and partners
to visit and work with us. We wanted to have an open
space divided into areas for working, brainstorming,
eating, hanging out and a separate area for a confer-
ence room. We had a goal with our move and renova-
project greennovate offi celocation jing’an district, shanghai
function offi ce spacearea 85m2
architect design li3completion date november 2008
architecture : :
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tion: to reduce waste, use natural and local materials,
install energy efficient appliances and lights, use low
VOC painting materials and reuse all the existing
furniture.
We wanted a budget solution to show other busi-
ness in Shanghai that green doesn’t mean spending
more money, but it is a great way to unchain the small
innovations that are usually lost due to our existing
thinking processes and habits.
The whole area we created encourages positive energy
and creativity and gives us a feeling of belonging
somewhere. This really matters in a city like Shanghai.
The building management was very helpful when we
were moving and planning and the most rewarding
thing came after the office was finished and they
actually asked us to help them make the entire area
greener. So we are now planning to do waste separa-
tion inside and around the building and we hope to
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introduce the green roof system to use the empty
space on the roof and create a pleasant outdoor area
for all tenants.
We liked the space from the beginning because it has
plenty of natural light and is a part of an older build-
ing. We are on the fi rst fl oor and don’t have to use the
elevator to get to the offi ce which is a very nice thing
to have in Shanghai. We also have coff ee, food stores
and gym downstairs.
Most members of our team live within walking
distance from the offi ce, so we don’t have to use taxis
or other public transportation to get there. I myself
have to say that I really enjoy my daily walk to the
offi ce.
I encourage everone that wants to build green or
make their home more green to stop waiting for solu-
tions to happen and start creating them by simply
reanalyzing the ways we do things in China. ::
Greennovate offi ce by Li3, picture by Tyler Duncan Bowa
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: :urban green
urban green Shanghai construction sites have their own way of showing green. Maintenance is hidden away behind carefully choosen pictures of better looking places. Why? No idea!
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What inspired you to start the Eco Design Fair? Despite being known as a polluted, congested city, Shanghai has a wealth of green resources. Through personal research for my family and business, I discovered some wonderful eco and locally produced products and wanted to share them with the rest of Shanghai. The Eco Design Fair is an easy starting-point for the general public to connect with various eco-conscious businesses and groups in one location.
What is the ideal product to showcase in the Eco Design Fair? Eco products showcased at the fair should be natural, organic, sustainable, fairtrade, recycled, reuseable, energy-efficient, non-toxic, cruelty-free, and available in Shanghai. Nowadays, there is no excuse for a prod-uct to not use environmentally responsible materials, ecologially sound manufacturing processes and ethi-cal labour conditions. Green design has moved beyond the hippie-era. New eco materials and processes with a little creativity allow products to be well-designed, contemporary and sustainable. It is what the consumers and the earth demands.
The event also includes workshops and exhibits. How do you select who and what to feature? The city’s sustainability movement is being advanced by a small yet interesting crowd of people with amaz-ing talents. By featuring these people and their stories
in our free workshops, the hope is that ideas can be exchanged and action taken to improve Shanghai’s environmental situation. This year’s workshops include urban worm composting, ways to green your home, how to calculate your carbon footprint, and eco-friendly activities for kids. Also, there will be a unique opportunity to take a tour of the URBN Hotel led by the chief Architect.
What makes the Eco Design Fair special? Although eco fairs are now being held in cities across North America and Europe, Shanghai is the first eco fair I have taken part in. A variety of goods are available and the Eco Design Fair in Shanghai focuses and supports local businesses with well-designed, modern, sustainable products for the everyday. The Eco Design Fair in Shanghai is small in scale which helps maintain the feeling of a community marketplace, allowing people to connect with others and to discover what is new and interesting in the city. A lot of people have commented that the best part of event is the relaxed and fun atmosphere.
Will the Eco Design Fair change the world? For me, going green does not mean you have to change your entire lifestyle. I believe small changes can make a difference, and that a consumer can drive meaningful change in their community’s prod-uct-consumption habits, purchase by purchase. Of course, we hope that the Eco Design Fair will spark similar events in various cities around China. ::
q&a : :
Sherry Poonorganiser Eco Design Fair
q&a with
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Frequently celebrated for its inherent durability and renewability, bamboo is being used to produce a wide range of products: flooring, wall panels, clothing and textiles,
furniture, pens, silverware and kitchen utensils, scaffolding, etc. Most things we use can somehow be made in part from bamboo. Manufacturers happily advertise the origins of their products and are quick to slap on claims of ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’.
Bamboo certainly has some very preferable environmental features. These, however, need to be balanced against the definitive negatives.
Bamboo explained
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by Ryan Dick, picture by O2 magazine
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Bamboo is a grass, and a prolific grower. Mao bamboo (or Giant Bamboo) is commonly used to produce consumables and can grow to its full height in just 3 months. It takes an additional 3-5 years for its fibers to fully mature and become dense, hard and wood-like. This rapid growth can occur entirely without the help of fertilizers. This expedited time frame has made bamboo environmentally notable as hardwoods take decades, if not centuries to mature. Bamboo is also inherently pest resistant eliminating the need for pesticides. Once harvested, bamboo does not require replanting – as a grass it reseeds itself. Bamboo is natural, and when treated properly can biodegrade when disposed of.
On the flipside, in reality bamboo is rarely grown without the aid of fertilizers or pesticides. Although unnecessary, these dangerous additives do speed up growth. This creates a major downside – fertilizers and pesticides are often nasty, petroleum based products with embedded toxins that leach into soil, and eventually our waterways contaminating both.Rapidly renewable materials demand high nutrient levels to sustain their growth. When left to natural cycles, dead bamboo biodegrades to fuel new growth. When harvesting is uncontrolled, nutrients are too quickly removed from their natural cycles, often leaving soils nutrient deficient to the point of being unproductive. This then dictates the use of additional fertilizers or growth enhancers – clearly a downward spiral. Bamboo is now a cash crop of sorts and it is not uncommon for extensive amounts of land to be cleared for its cultivation. This disrupts local ecologies and even human cultures (displacement).
Processing raw bamboo also commonly leads to significant environmental problems. Harvested
bamboo is often cut into strips, boiled in a hydrogen peroxide bath (to become pliable and to kill any leftover organisms), and the strips are then laminated (or glued) and are often sealed. This process is responsible for impregnating toxins into bamboo. Glues remain as some of the nastiest materials we commonly use – many are formaldehyde based. This is significant because formaldehyde is both toxic and persistent and will off-gas throughout its life-cycle (even after disposal). This indirectly compromises the food and water we eat and drink and directly compromises the air we breathe. At its worst, bamboo isn’t so green.
The issue of bamboo is rarely this polarized. Often bamboo products have some combination of these pros and cons. There is a growing awareness to these problems – and manufacturers have responded. You can find products that only feature the positives listed above. Bamboo products that have been FSC (Forest Stewardship Council – www.fsc.org for more infroation) certified are clear leaders in terms of sourcing. FSC Certification guarantees that bamboo is sourced from sustainable sources with sustainable practices (no land clearing, additives, or over-harvesting). Although a grass, bamboo can be FSC Certified – don’t let manufacturers tell you otherwise. FSC Certification, however, is not enough. Also be sure that the bamboo products you purchase are laminated using non-toxic, non-formaldehyde glues. These non-toxic products are also commercially available.
Bamboo products can be as sustainable as is advertised – this, however, isn’t a default. To find out more about bamboo products, please email questions or comments to: [email protected]. ::
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“Today I collected card board and paper, mostly.”
: : shanghai style
interview by Sherry Poon, pictures by Tian Ning
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Meet ‘our’ recycle guy (he prefers to remain nameless). It’s Sunday morning and there he is, like every Sunday morning, right around the corner waiting for people to drop by with their trash. Any kind of paper, plastic, bottles, even dvds, electrical appliances and some metals, like iron, lithium, copper – he buys basically everything except glass. It’s clearly pointed out to us by the wooden sign with the red writing. He says: “My hands get cut by pieces of glass easily, so I don’t like to buy glass.”
He’s been doing this work ever since he came to Shanghai in the 1990’s and was cheated out of his total earnings by his boss. He works from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm,
7 days a week. He is unclear about earning a decent living, but he tells me prices have gone down again. “For some items the current price is only rmb 0.4/kg, while the price used to be up to rmb 1.0/kg before.” Newspapers for instance, he buys for rmb 1.0/kg and sells them again for rmb 1.2/kg. After collecting and sorting all waste in the lane he meets his friends on their pile-filled bikes and they ride together to a company which specialises in waste disposal on Wu Zhong Lu. This company will resell everything to different factories. All paper, for instance, goes to a paper mill in Zhejiang province. They make new paper out of the old – our guy may see a recycled box on his bike again in a few weeks time...
The Two Cultures, Recycling EditionFiled under: environment, scrap — posted by Adam Minter on shanghaiscrap.com
Here’s something that I’ve learned: the world has two cultures of recycling.
In the developed world (Europe and North America, in particular), recycling is a moral act, done – pri-marily – as expatiation for consumption. Little to no consideration is given to the cost of recycling; and, on those rare occasions when economics enter the discussion, they often do so because an entity – say, a city recycling program – suddenly finds itself in need of a subsidy to continue running a government-chartered recycling program. The average citizen rarely considers the economic value or cost of his or her sorted paper, cans, and bottles; sorting such materials is a civic duty.
Meanwhile, in the developing world, recycling is an economic act, done primarily for income. Little to no consideration is given to the environmental benefits
of recycling; on those rare occasions when the envi-ronment enters the discussion, it’s a side-benefit, of-ten utilized as a marketing ploy by companies seeking more valuable recyclables for less money. The average citizen (say, in Shanghai), rarely considers the envi-ronmental benefit of selling his or her paper, cans, and bottles to the local scrap peddlers. Almost to a person, he or she is concerned with obtaining market value from an item that has value – to someone else.
I’ve written about this topic in other places, and I’ll be writing more in the coming year. For now, though, I’d like to repeat a story: a good friend, from Hunan, likes to recount how people from her small town warn school age children that – if they don’t study hard – they’ll end up as scrap peddlers, picking through trash to find value in other people’s garbage. That is, in rural Hunan, recycling is what you do if you’ve failed at everything else. ::
shanghai style : :
“Today I collected card board and paper, mostly.”
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q&a withPeggy Liu
What made you such an avid environmentalist? In other words, did something happen that changed the course of your life to create JUCCCE and improve the environment? I’ve always been an environmentalist, a believer in Gaia*, an avid organic gardener. I’m now a mother of two young boys, and the pollution in Shanghai makes me worry about their health. But JUCCCE is not about treehugging, it’s about bringing private and public sector interests together to make sure it makes economic sense for everyone to go green as fast as possible.
JUCCCE was a challenge presented to me by US and Government representatives at the MIT FOrum on the Future of Energy in China, April 2007 in SHang-hai. Although I’m working harder than I prefer to, the opportunity to create JUCCCE was a gift. I’m glad I can use all the skills I’ve picked up in my vary-ing careers to do something meaningful. I think this was my calling in life. If someone were to choose one thing to do to be more environmentally responsible, what would you recommend it be? Individual actions and technologies won’t make a visible difference. Rather, a change in mindset where you look at everything as having a lifecycle and understanding energy use along the way, is the key. When you flush the toilet, how did they pump the water to the city, through the pipes to get to your
Who is Peggy Liu? Peggy Liu is arguably Shanghai’s greenest resident. She is Chairperson of JUCCCE, which stands for Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy. She was honored as a Time Magazine 2008 Environ-mental Hero and a World Economic Forum Global Leader in 2009. Peggy was an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative 2008 on Energy and Climate Change. Peggy is an active alumna of MIT and organized the MIT Forum on the Future of Energy in China 2007 from which JUCCCE was formed.
What is JUCCCE? JUCCCE is a non-profit NGO that brings together in-ternational expertise and technologies to accelerate the use of clean and efficient energy in China. We aim to create visible change within 10 years.
Why does JUCCCE focus on China? Because China’s growth dwarfs the progress of any other region of the world. For example, for the past few years, China has built 7.5 billion square feet of commercial and residential space, which is more than the combined floor space of all US malls and strip malls. By 2030, 5,000 new cities and 50,000 new sky-scrapers will be built in China. To supply this rising energy demand, China opens a new coal plant, large enough to supply all the households in Dallas or San Diego, each week.
Chairperson of JUCCCE
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house, to flush solids back to the waste water treat-ment facility, to treat the water, to release the water? How much energy did it take to mine the materials to make the pipes, the toilet, etc. A holistic view of energy use is very eye-opening.
Do you have an indulgence, for example, a long hot bath once a month? My biggest non-value-added uses of energy probably come from indulging in gourmet food. I try not to think about the energy used in shipping imported food, excess packaging, wasted food materials, heat for hot water to wash dishes. That could be a real downer when I’m sipping my Velvet Noir hot chocolate. I have, however, cut out most of the beef and milk in my diet as cows are a major producer of methane, which is much more harmful than carbon dioxide.
What keeps you doing what you are doing? Where do you feel rewarded? progress The momentum that JUCCCE has with its programs is incredible. In less than 2 years, we have figured out some key programs that will really change the way China creates and uses energy. Now we are executing.
fear If you listen to climate scientists and McKinsey, you’ll hear the same message. We’ve got 5-8 years to really invest everything we’ve got into green solu-tions. Once we pass that we’ll have vastly diminishing
returns on emissions reductions and energy savings. Why? Because we’re putting in legacy infrastructure at a frightening pace. Because we’ll have 9 billion peo-ple by 2050. The next few years will determine how livable the earth will be for our children.
learning Everyday I’m honored to spend time with leaders in the field who are pushing the envelope. I get to go to school everyday. I get to see an overall picture of the energy landscape that very few people see. What ‘visible change’ would you like to see occur in China’s environment in 10 years? To make a visible change, every company must view themselves as an energy company. Every job must be a green job. ::
* The term “Gaia” comes from Greek mythology, where it is the name
of the Goddess of the Earth. In the late 1960s, independent ecologist and
environmentalist James Lovelock used the name in his Gaia hypothesis,
which posits that the earth is a superorganism. This theory has gained much
support in the environmentalist movement (source: wikipedia).
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more than just a pretty face
sustainable summer fashion modeled by some of Shanghai’s green entrepreneursphotography by barefoot portraits at URBN hotel
: : fashion
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shopping : :
::liu huili journalist at O2 magazine, wearing light yellow gown by Shanghai Trio, black bamboo tank and leg-gings by Nuomi::
“O2 magazine wants to provide the mind oxygen, for those dwell-ing in cities. My favourite ‘green spot’ in Shanghai is a vegetarian restaurant I like, named Wu Guan Tang in Xin Hua Road. ”
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: : shopping
::jules kwan managing director space development at urbn hotels and resorts, wearing organic cotton shirt and organic jeans by h&m::
“urbn is the first carbon neutral hotel in China, so my favourite ‘green spot’ in Shanghai is urbn hotel! ”
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shopping : :
::mengmeng cui enviromen-tal consultant & partner at Seal Carbon, wearing white organic cotton skirt and tank by Icicle, bamboo scarf by Nuomi::
“Seal Carbon is the first l0cal Chinese carbon consulting com-pany that helps businesses an individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve carbon neu-trality. My favourite ‘green spot’ in Shanghai is Nest”
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: : shopping
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shopping : :
::ping zhou eco-audit program coordinator at Roots and Shootswearing bamboo white dress by Nuomi::
“Shanghai Roots and Shoots provides environmental education programs for the youth. Fuxing park is my favourite green
spot in Shanghai”
::zeezee zhong operations director at Roots and Shoots, wearing bamboo mandarin sweater and pants by Stella Chen, bamboo tank by Nuomi::
“My favourite green spot is the
Roots and Shoots office”
::meera singh international schools coordinator at Roots and Shoots, wearing raw silk dress by Icicle::
“The Shanghai Roots and Shoots office is my favourite green spot in Shanghai. And the stretch of canal behind my compound, lined with willow trees, where I like to walk and bike.”
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: : shopping
:: ben zhang contractor at EMCC, wearing wool jacket and natural dyed black pants by Urban Tribe::
“E=MC2/EMCC are the only contractors in Shanghai to have developed an expertise working with green materials. EMCC is also responsible for co-developing stabilized, insulated, rammed-earth construction (SIREWALL) in China.”
:: lamm sp contractor at EMCC and [Wi:], wearing reversible bamboo hoodie by Stella Chen and natural dyed brown Thai pants by Urban Tribe::
“At EMCC we basically build stuff. I don’t have a favourite green spot in Shanghai”
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shopping : :
::trine targett owner & designer of Jooi, co-founder & curator of Nest, wearing beige stripe yak down hoodie and beige yak down lounge pants by Shokay, Reuse bag by Jooi for Gecko project by Greennovate::
“Jooi brand creates contemporary products for home and living. It is part of the Nest Design Collective.Nest is my favourite green spot in Shanghai, because people can buy great designed products with a good concience.”
Rachael wears an organic cotton reversible 6-in-1 dress by Wobabybasics
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shopping : :
P U R Ebaby and kids outfits made from organic cotton, yakdown and silk scraps photography barefoot portraits, www.barefootportraits.org
Riley wears a yakdown knitted dress by Shokay
Rachael wears a silk patchwork dress by Nuomi, Riley wears a yakdown knitted dress by Shokay, Luca wears an organic cotton longsleeve by Pikku*Poika, Ava wears an organic cotton reversible 6-in-1 dress by Wobabybasics
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shopping : :
Luca wears an organic cotton longsleeve by Pikku*Poika and organic cotton reversable shorts by Wobabybasics
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: : shopping
Tessy wears an organic cotton reversible 6-in-1 dress by Wobabybasics, Riley wears a yakdown knitted dress by Shokay
Ava wears a yakdown knitted tunic dress by Shokay
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pretty in printsBaby boys and girls are ready for summer in these fun and cute printed onesies from wobabybasics and Kit+Lili. Both brands off er organic cotton babywear for ultimate softness. wobabybasics is a Shanghai based brand, produced locally and ethically in China. Kit+Lili is imported from Europe. Both brands available at Lollipop, 3211 Hongmei Road, Suite 605
wobabybasics also available at Nest, Taikang Lu Lane 210, Studio 201
(2F) International Artist Factory and www.wobabybasics.com.cn
construction siteThis do-it-yourself chair is made of recycled card board and
makes a fun project for the entire family. Put it together fi rst and then decorate it to make it your own personal treasure!
available at Nest, Taikang Lu Lane 210, Studio 201 (2F) International Artist Factory
bamboo bites Feed your baby her fi rst bites from safe and natural bambu KIDS utensils – they are uniquely designed for small mouths and hands and are free from dyes or chemicals. Get ready for fun and messy action as your toddler will love to use these easy to handle forks and spoons to feed himself!available at Nest, Taikang Lu Lane 210, Studio 201 (2F)
International Artist Factory
sensitive skin More and more natural and organic
products for our babys’ sensitive skins have become available in
Shanghai. New at Lollipop, organic products from California Baby,
including a ‘no fragrance’ spf 30+ sun screen. Also fragrance and
preservative free, is spf 30+ sun screen by Australian brand UVNatural
Baby, at Shanghai Toy Club. Another favourite are products – like Bubbles
for Bub – from Cherub Rubs.Shanghai Lollipop, 3211 Hongmei Road, Suite 605;
www.shanghaitoyclub.com.cn;
Cherub Rubs through [email protected]
: :baby’s go green
what is fun to do, good for your body and good for the environment?
save the world!Lola is cleaning up her room and wants to throw away all the things she doesn’t need anymore. “Why don’t you recycle it?” says Charlie. And Lola says,
“Recycle it? What is that?” ... read how Lola learns to recycle. Find out how you can recycle too and play the recy-cle game online http://www.charlieandlola.com/planet/planet-game.html available at charterhouse booktraders
“Recycle it? What is that?”“Recycle it? What is that?”Lola learns to recycle. Find out how you can recycle too and play the recy-Lola learns to recycle. Find out how you can recycle too and play the recy-
your fi rst chopsticksWith these cool chopsticks you can practise how to eat with ‘kuaizi’ like a real pro! A fun tip for practising: try to eat m&m’s with the chop-
sticks and have a contest with your friends: place 5 (or 10) m&m’s in a row for each contestant, place an
empty cup in the middle of the table – ready, steady, go! The fi rst to have all the m&m’s in his mouth and the chopsticks in the cup is the winner!
my first chopsticks by karen spencer,
paint paint paint!This paint in bright colors is safe to paint with – use your hands, a
brush, make stamps out of potatoes, just have fun! If you don’t feel very creative you can take inspiring workshops and classes at Flying Start.
paint and workshops (18mths to 9yrs) at www.flyingstart.cn
kids go green : :
your fi rst chopsticksrst chopsticks
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: : food
Imported organic baby and toddler biscuits are
over priced and over packaged and cause earth
damaging carbon miles. So make your own
instead! Buy local (organic) ingredients and keep
your ‘food miles’ low.
This recipe is for yummy and relatively healthy biscuits that Theo loves, and they are a great treat for stroller rides. They’re really easy and fast to make, taking around 30 mins from weighing the ingredients to out of the oven and ready to eat!
ingredients100g organic wholemeal fl our 25g organic porridge oats 1/2tsp baking powder pinch of salt2 tbsp organic honey 50g butter
instructions1 mix all the dry ingredients 2 stir in the honey and rub in the butter
to form a soft dough3 pat the dough on a fl oured surface into
a 5mm fl at shape4 cut out your nibbles and place then on
a lightly greased baking sheet5 bake for about 10 mins or until golden
in 180ºC/350ºF oven
Cool for 5 mins and enjoy! I normally use a very small cutter (or a 125ml baby milk bottle neck) which makes coin sized nibbles of about 2cm in diameter.
Create your own special variations by adding a little something to the mix: raisins, dried cranberries or chocolate chips.
text and pictures by bettina regolini
theo’s favourite nibbles
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ingredients1 cup organic wholewheat fl our1/2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. baking soda1/4 tsp. salt1/2 cup butter1/2 cup brown sugar or red date sugar1 egg1/2 tsp vanilla1 cup organic oats1/2 cup raisins/coconut/chocolate 1/2 tsp. spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mixed, etc.)
instructions1 mix fl our, baking powder, baking soda
and salt together2 in seperate bowl mix butter, sugar, vanilla, eg3 mix dry ingredients (step 1) with wet (step 2)4 add oats, spices and anything else tasty5 drop batter in one tablespoon dollops onto
baking tray.6 cook 8–10 mins in 175ºC oven
Cool for few minutes and let’s eat!
recipe by sherry poon, picture by rui pestana
food : :
ruohan’s favourite cookies
organic wholemeal fl our 有机全麦面粉 youjı qúanmài miánfen
baking powder 发酵粉 fajiàofen
salt 盐 yán
butter 黄油 huángyóu
sugar 糖 táng
organic porridge oats 有机燕麦片 youjı yánmài piàn
honey 蜂蜜 fengmì
vanilla 香草 xiangcao
raisins 葡萄干 pútáogàn
cinnamon 肉桂 ròuguì
shop local! the basic ingredients in chinese
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: : environment
Trees in a desert? How will they survive? And who takes care of them? What Roots and Shoots does in Kulun Qi is reforestation. The land has not always been desert; the previously lush grassland degraded to its current desert state mainly because of improper use, such as overgrazing and over-farming. We plant poplar trees, which are native to Inner Mongolia and grow well with little water. In addition to not requiring much water to grow, the trees survive in large part because of our planting methods. We use a bulldozer with an attached trencher to dig trenches that are 50 cm deep and then the tree planters use a shovel to dig another 50 cm deep before planting. Because we go so deep into the land, the saplings are actually planted in moist soil. This provides a healthy foundation from which a tree can grow.
The Inner Mongolia native hybrid poplar trees have historically grown successfully in desert climates. We purchase one year-old saplings from a local nursery in Kulun Qi. Capacity building such as working with the nursery is key to our project. We provide the nursery with both income and technical knowledge (from our forestry expert in the United States). This year, we are also going to plant Xanthoceras, which is a biofuel. The government in Kulun proposed planting these because they have historically grown well in the area, and because the oil will bring economic benefits to the farmers.
The local government in Kulun divides the land amongst local farmers. Each farmer and his/her family
is then responsible for trees on their plot. A hybrid poplar reaches maturity in 10-15 years, and the local law prohibits farmers from harvesting the trees before they are 20 years old. Farmers must receive govern-ment permission before harvesting, and must replant a new tree immediately in its place. Enforcing this law is the responsibility of the government, not Roots & Shoots.
The Xanthoceras trees that we will plant this year will eventually be harvested for their oil, which can be used for both cooking and industrial purposes. All reforestation areas in Inner Mongolia must, by law, be fenced off so that cattle do not have access to the trees.
When arable land degrades, you can no longer plant on it. Then, when the desert expands, sandstorms strike. Sandstorms are dangerous because, among other things, they make it hard to open your eyes and hard to breathe. Sand pollution fills the area. If we don’t deal with the problem of desertification, sand-storms will get increasingly severe.
We can’t simply run away from environmental prob-lems, especially ones that were caused by human
1 million treesGo carbon neutral and buy a tree (or two) in the Inner
Mongolian desert. Clear your conscience and help local farmers fight desertification at the same time.
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actions. Because Roots & Shoots is ultimately all about sustainability, we wouldn’t want to encourage the locals to simply flee to the city where we’d then hand them charity money. Instead, we aim to improve lives and raise environmental awareness in ways that will have useful, long-term effects. Rehabilitating the desert lands of Kulun Qi has sustainable benefits. Since our project’s trees revitalize the soil, farmers plant their own vegetables in the increasingly healthy soil. This improves the farmers’ livelihoods and quality of life.
Another component of our sustainable approach is educating the local farmers and students about the reasons the land got to this terrible state. We hope to help them realize the importance of caring for their land and dealing with it in scientifically and environ-mentally sound ways – meaning, no longer overfarm-ing and over-grazing.
The reason why The Million Tree Project is located in Inner Mongolia rather than Shanghai for instance, is because planting trees in or around Shanghai is expensive and there isn’t much available land. In Inner Mongolia, where there is an abundance of land, reforestation efforts have been going on since the 1970s. Rather than starting a new project, Roots & Shoots decided to help develop this already existent, very important initiative. The Million Tree Project approaches tree planting with a focus on sustainabil-ity and tree survival. Working together with the local government, farmers, and nursery, we make sure that trees are not just planted, but that they stay alive. ::
environment : :
The Million Tree Project: improve your environmental impact!
The Million Tree Project is a Shanghai Roots & Shoots project intended to improve the ecological and hu-manitarian conditions of Kulunqi, Tongliao munici-pality, Inner Mongolia. The Inner Mongolian desert is expanding due to a combination of the green-house effect and unscientific exploitation of the land such as overgrazing and over-farming. Desertification causes serious sandstorms, destroying local homes and forcing many people to flee their native land.
The Million Tree Project gives individuals and organi-zations an opportunity to fight desertification and global warming by planting oxygen-producing trees in the Inner Mongolian desert. The local population is in-timately involved with, and benefits from, every step of planting, maintaining, and monitoring the trees. Every April, Roots & Shoots staff, volunteers, and sponsors help the local farmers plant trees in Kulunqi.
Shanghai Roots & Shoots aims to plant one million trees in the Inner Mongolian desert by 2014. After this year’s planting trip, the running total will be 200,000 trees.
We encourage everyone to rethink their habits and actively choose to reduce waste and energy con-sumption. For those actions that harm the environ-ment but are unavoidable, buying trees is a perfect way to give back. You can reduce, or completely offset, your or your company’s carbon footprint through the Million Tree Project. Each tree costs rmb 25 and clears the air of 250 kg of carbon dioxide over a period of ten years.
For information about the Million Tree Project, buying trees and offsetting carbon emissions, visit: www.jgi-shanghai.org, or send an email to: [email protected]
We started from a harbor named Bao Zhen. What lay ahead of us was a two-day ride full of peace and quiet–both for our ears and also our minds.
The sea around Chongming is yellow, the colour of the sandy land of this island, and one of the many colours of the Yangtze in which it sits. After a rain, the yellow sea blends with the silver skyline, an image of mildness, especially when mixed with the sound of the sea tide and the slowly rolling bicycle tyres. The fresh moist air begins a thorough and much-needed cleansing process for the body and the mind.
The views of the endless farmland and trees, mmmm, so nice. Without the crowds of people, cars or any chaos whatsoever, it is so easy to relax and enjoy the abundant scenery.
Besides a few cars, you might encounter an old man walking his sheep, or some women heading for the seaside with their fishing gear. Life on Chong-
ming is simple and uncomplicated and a welcome respite from the big city. On Chongming one buys vegetable from the farmers who sit by the road in front of their homes. They sell whatever they have too much of. It is easy to trust the food from a farmer who will eat the same as you from his table.
There are many places to view the wide variety of birds who migrate to the wetlands of Chongming. The best season to see the birds is autumn, but spring is also mild, beautiful and incredibly green.The farmers told us that hundreds of years ago, the islands of the Yangtze were constantly changing due to the power of the river, and many small islands sim-ply disappeared. So the people of Chongming built the embankment that exists today in order to protect their village.
When you need a tranquil getaway that is close to Shanghai, visit Chongming. ::text and images by O2 magazine
Grown from a piece of mudflat, Chongming is the third biggest island in China, and the first one to bubble up in our mind when we decided to try a round-the-island ride.
: : travel
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shopping : :
Quiet... and Peaceful Enjoy a Round-the-Island Ride in Chongming
: : there are regular boats to Chongming Island in Baoyang Harbor and Wusong Harbor, however they don’t run during bad weather conditions
: : bring your own bicycle: : the road condition is good so any bicycle will do: : the suitable seasons are spring, summer and autumn: : suggested route: Bao Zhen Harbor to Chen Jia Zhen(35km), Chen Jia Zhen to East Ying Fishing
Village(5km),East Ying Fishing Village to Dong Tan Bird Appreciation Site(18km), Dong Tan Bird Appreciation Site to the East Sea (5km),the East Sea to Chen Jia Zhen(7km),Chen Jia Zhen to Forest Part along the north public road(40km), Forest Part South Gate Harbor(20km).
: : Chen Jia Zhen is a middle site, 20RMB for meal, 50-100RMB for accommodation
Tips
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: : shopping
are you nuts?
Soap nuts are the ultimate sustainable way to clean basically anything in the house. They are natural, environmentally safe and economical.
The easiest way to start is using them as washing ‘detergent’ in your washing machine
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are you nuts?
soap nuts instructionsBasic daily warm/hot wash usePlace 4 or 5 nuts in an old sock or cotton draw string bag. Tie bag shut and toss into washing machine with clothes. Run the cycle as normal. No need to remove the soap nuts until the end of the cycle – only the warm or hot water will cause the saponin (soap) to be released, the cool/cold rinse water will not. After using put soap nut bag aside to “air out”. You can reuse this soap nut bag 4 to 6 times.For heavily soiled loads use 6 or 7 soap nuts. Be sure not to over load the machine so the clothes have plenty of room to “swish” around.
Cold water washing & hand washablesPlace 4 or 5 soap nuts in a large bowl or bucket, run warm/hot water over the nuts and allow them to soak until a weak tea is made. Let the “soap nut tea water” cool a bit and pour it into the washing machine water, add the clothes and run on cold cycle as normal. You can reuse these nuts 3 to 4 times.For hand washing: once the water cools
to a temperature safe for the fabric, add hand washing items to the bucket and hand wash as normal, rinsing with cool water.Note if not using the “soap nut tea” within a day or two keep refrigerated to maintain freshness and use within 2 weeks even if refrigerated.
Liquid soap (multi-purpose cleaner)In a large pot on the stove, combine 8 to 10 cups of purified water. Add 10 to 15 soap nuts and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Discard these soap nuts. • Use 1/2 measuring cup of liquid as liquid laundry soap• Use 1 – 2 tbsp for hand washing clothes• Use 1/2 cup mixed with 16 ounces (1/2 liter) distilled water or vinegar for household cleaningFor a calming fresh scent add lavender essential oils. Add tea tree oil for added disinfecting properties.Safe for all fabrics including: silk, wool,
cotton, and synthetic blends. ::Instructions by Pamela Pour, image by O2 magazine
what is a soap nut?Technically the soap nut isn’t a nut, but a fruit – the dried fruit of the Indian Rittha tree.After falling from the tree, the soap nuts are collected, the fruits are removed and the soap nut shell is put to dry in the sun. No chemicals or other ingredients are involved and after drying the soap nuts are ready to use.
how does it work?The soap nut shells contain saponin, that is released from the nuts when brough in con-tact with (warm) water. The saponin acts as a soap and is cleansing and hypoallergenic.
The soap nuts work just like commercial laundry deter-gants, but without the chemi-cals, added fragrance and other irritating toxins. This makes them safe and suitable for people with very sensitive skin. After use the soap nuts are fully biodegradable.
You can also use the soap nuts as window and glass cleaner, liquid hand soap and sham-poo, plant wash and pest re-pellent, you can use it in the dishwasher and for cleaning jewelry!
green at home : :
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: : shopping: :beauty
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: : 1 : : you can almost eat it With a little bit of bees wax, this smells fresh and clean, and be-comes soft and mild when in water. It’s so natural and fresh, abundant with nutrients – you cannot help but want to eat it. Wait – it’s a soap! Use it to wash your face and body, without any regret. Available at O2 shop, 3F, 60 Xinlelu.
Text and image by O2 magazine
: : 2 : : personalized How cool is this – Essex County Naturals offers an online service to create your own ‘brand’ of soap and other skincare products. In four simple steps you can select your own products, labeling and packag-ing. Their cold crafted organic shea butter soaps come in lots of inspir-ing scents and are oh so soft, rich and creamy. All soaps are enriched with moisturizing shea butter and infusions of organic herbs and essential oils. While some of the in-gredients are imported, the actual soap is made here in China.www.essexcounty.ca – website under construc-
tion, but can download product overview and
place orders.
: : 3 : : organic camomile Other locally produced soaps are available from The Herb Store. They have several types for dif-ferent skin. We tested the Organic Camomile for sensitive skin – it’s a huge bar of soft and shiny soap. The gentle chamomile smell really gives you the ‘back to nature’ feeling. It’s almost too bad the bar is so big: it will take for ever before we can try another soap.Cute detail: all packages look hand-stamped!Available at The Herb Store, 152 Fumin Lu.
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beauty : :
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: : shopping
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Thank you! to all volunteers and sponsers who helped
make the Ecodesignfair a success!
fifty:fifty
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eco design fair spring 2009unique sustainable retail and education event
date Saturday, April 18 2009 time 10am – 5pmplace ANKEN Green, 668 Huai An Road (near West Suzhou Creek Road)
The Eco Design Fair Spring 2009 will be held at the newly com-pleted ANKEN Green, a sustainable warehouse office/commercial space adjacent to the Suzhou Creek.
The Eco Design Fair exists to advance the sustainable design movement in Shanghai, to create awareness about environmental issues, and to make it easier for everyday people to make everyday sustainable lifestyle choices. The fair will be the only place in the city to see and buy well-designed sustainable, organic, natural, non-toxic, recycled, ethical, energy-sav-ing, and environmentally aware products all in one place.
Over 30 eco-conscious businesses and groups will be showcased with products including organic and eco clothing, home accessories, bags, furniture, natural health products, stationary, toys, building materials, organic food products plus more information on developing a more sustainable lifestyle. In addition, solution-based, family-oriented, interactive activities are available throughout the day, including a Greening Your Home Exhibit,
ecoDesign Student Competition Exhibit, organic farmer’s market, ecoFashion Show and workshop/lectures.
Net proceeds will be donated to Shanghai Roots & Shoots and their Million Tree Program in Inner Mon-golia. The proceeds from previous events have donated over 270 trees to Shanghai Roots & Shoots.
Organizers and partnersThe first Eco Design Fair in Shanghai was held in April 2008 and organized by Sherry Poon. As the owner of Wobabybasics, an organic apparel company based in Shanghai, she discovered that people were interested in organic and eco consumer goods but did not know where to find them in the city. Sherry started the Eco Design Fair to be a starting point for the general public to easily access expert advice as well as sustainable design products and services in Shanghai. A00, GIGA and NEST are also sponsors and organizers of the event.
The first Eco Design Fair was held in April 2008 at URBN Hotel and
was attended by over 400 people, including foreigners and Chinese nationals.
Main SponsorsWobabybasics, A00 Architecture, GIGA, NEST, VOX Media Group, Tian Yi, LiveGreen
Venue SponsorsANKEN Green, URBN Hotel
Media SponsorsThat’s Shanghai, O2 magazine
VendorsA00 Furniture @ NESTANKEN GreenArabica RoastersBambu @ NESTBebemamieBiohousec-cedilleDirectway BiotechnologyDragonhorse DesignEcole de Design Nantes AtlantiqueGIGAGreendotdot.comHapeHelekangIQ AirJethro ChanJOOI @ NEST
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LiveGreen EcoMotherwearNaked RetreatsNaturally KnottyO2 MagazineOrganic ValleyPaper Tiger @ NESTRaffles Design InstituteRap. @ NestRocks and WingsRoots & Shoots ShanghaiRose’s Milk Carton BagsShanghai MiandeShanghai OrganicsShanghai Toy ClubShanghai TrioShokaySimplify FashionSISUSJTU Green Friends AssociationStella ChenStream SourceStudio MakiThe Herb StoreUrban TribeURBNWagasWobabybasics @ NESTYogavive
[email protected] Sherry Poon
ecoWorkshop Schedule @ ANKEN Green
free of charge
10:00How Can Life Cycle Management Guide the Business Sustainability
Bill Kung of Ecovane
11:00We Save More Than Pandas
Linnet Kwok of WWF China
12:00Intro to Eco Design Fair & Million Tree Program
Eco Design Fair / Roots & Shoots Shanghai / ANKEN Green
12:30eco Fashion Show
13:00Greening Your Home and Eco-Home Audit
including Greening Your Home Exhibit Walk-through
GIGA/Roots & Shoots Shanghai
14:00Product Design and How It Changes
Our Daily LifeJaime De Vizcaya of Raffles Design
Institute
15:00 Carbon Neutrality
Amanda of Seal Carbon
ecoWorkshop Schedule @ URBN Hotel, 4F, Green Room
free of charge
17:30URBN Hotel Tour
Raefer Wallis of A00 Architecture
EcoKIDS Corner @ ANKEN Green
free of chargeall materials provided
10:00–16:00Worm Composting Workshop
Roots & Shoots Shanghai,Eco crafts, NEST
10:00–12:00Plastic Bag Weaving
Rainbow Bridge International School
13:00–15:00Recycled Spring Flowers
Kidtown
workshopsfor
free
info : :
