Everyone’s dishing about how the concept of food trucks has been overhauled. They’re not just parked at job sites to feed hungry laborers anymore, but are taking the high road and giving restaurants a run for their money.

I got a taste of the trend at the posh 50th birthday party of a friend in San Francisco where a taco mobile was stationed at the entrance to the upscale house, titillating guests who lined up to order bean burritos and cheese quesadillas while nursing lemon drop …

Tags: bio-diesel , biodegradable , brunch , commercial leases , crepes , cupcakes , eco , environment , food , green , health codes , hot dogs , Korean BBQ , Los Angeles food , mobile cafes , recession , restaurants , roadside cafes , solar , Trucks , vegan , vegetable oil

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Imagine a small German village inhabited by a young shoemaker named Johann Birkenstock. Birkenstock creates comfy shoes for villagers, launching (though he’ll never know it) a new approach to footwear and a label that will be  recognized by millions around the world.

Generations of the Birkenstock family have been designing and crafting footwear since 1774, but in the 1890s, Konrad Birkenstock (Johann’s descendant and a custom shoemaker himself) got the idea of creating a curved shoe reflecting the true shape of the human foot with …

Tags: biodegradable , Birkenstock , footbed supports , Gizeh Birkentstock , Madrid Birkenstock , post-consumer waste , renewable

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This is the third in Luanne’s new lifestyle column, Life in the Green Lane. Read the inaugural column, “The Pros & Cons of Being Married to an Eco Man” and the follow-up, “Why Is it So Hard to Get My Mom to Go Green?”.

My dog has fleece. And that’s not all. There are dozens of reasons why this impossibly adorable pug is leaving behind a puny carbon paw print.

If you consider dogs part of the family then it’s important they’re pulling their weight in the eco …

Tags: bio bags , biodegradable , birds , carpool , china , compost , Conserve , dog beds , dog food , dog toys , dogs , endangered , fleece , fuel , green , hybrid , Life in the Green Lane , organic , pets , plastic , pugs , recycle , reuse , Smoky Bear , walking

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Tired of that thong song when your sexiest undies collapse from too many wash machine beatings?

One way to lessen the damage is my mom’s method of washing her lingerie in a mesh bag on the delicate cycle of the wash machine, keeping the fabrics separated from towels and other heavier cottons. Bags also help protect fragile fabrics from too much machine agitation. Sadly, Mom still uses Tide detergent on everything. I wheeze from the chemical odor and wince at the notion of wearing tender garments …

Tags: baby shampoo , biodegradable , bras , delicates , hand wash , hose , hypoallergenic , laundry , organic , swimwear , thongs , underwear

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If killing trees is murder, we need a darn good reason to commit the act.

In truth, it is very challenging to morph into a pulp-free society -  one that celebrates without greeting cards and wrapping paper, communicates without monthly statements and markets without catalogs. And there is nothing like holding a tactile piece of newsprint in your hands to stay informed.

Here are some, but not all, reasons for and against ending our paper chase:

Good uses of a paper

1. Love Letters

…

Tags: biodegradable , catalogs , disposables , e-books , face tissue , greeting cards , love letters , napkins , newsprint , novels , online banking , paper use , photo paper , plates , recycling , school art projects , toilet tissue , utencils

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I was in a purely pleasure-seeking mood when my eyes fell upon these quirky waste cans from Umbra. I instantly fell for the modern graffiti-like graphics, not to mention the eco-friendly material.

Designed by artist Joshua Davis in collaboration with Umbra product designer David Quan, the Artala Trash Can is made from degradable plastic. The exterior is printed with three of Davis’ designs, in his unmistakably colorful style.

The cans measure 10″ D x 14.5″ H, have a 3-gallon capacity and come in three cool colorways – kiwi, red …

Tags: Artala , biodegradable , David Quan , decor , Joshua Davis , recycled , trash , Umbra

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Modern life is complicated, and we all need reminders of what we’re supposed to be doing – hence the rise of Post-It notes, everyone’s favorite temporary reminder. Except…maybe they’re not temporary enough.

Post-Its are one of the most lauded accidental inventions in history. A 3M scientist named Spencer Silver invented a kind of glue that refused to stay stuck. Decades later, fellow employee Art Fry used it to make a temporary bookmark that didn’t rip a hole through his hymn book when removed, and after playing with the idea a …

Tags: biodegradable , paper , recycling , technology

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Have you ever really thought about what chewing gum is made of? Maybe you don’t really want to know. Modern gum is mostly made up of petro-based polymers. Essentially, you’re chewing plastic. But the original chewing gum came from chicle, the latex of a tropical Central American tree. And the Consorcio Chicleros of south-eastern Mexico are taking chewing gum back to its original Mayan roots.

So gum-lovers, I’d like to present you with a better option: Chicza, an organic, biodegradable, agave-sweetened gum made completely from chicle tree …

Tags: biodegradable , compostable , forests , healthy , mexico , natural , organic , rainforest , rainforests , sustainable , tree

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My environmental cop husband gripes that everything portable that touches our girls’ mouths is made of plastic, from yogurt tubes and Vitamin Water bottles to the spoons I throw in their vinyl lunch boxes.

But recently he turned me on to cutlery made of corn starch, biodegradable spoons, forks and knives that are even wrapped in compostable bags made from corn starch or paper bags made from recycled cotton fibers.

The sets of eco-friendly picnicware are available by the case (250 packs of assorted utensils) for …

Tags: biodegradable , corn starch , cutlery , picnic , utensils , Verterra , WorldCentric

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