As one of the fastest growing plants on earth and with no reliance on chemicals or fertilisers to grow, it is one of the greener grasses; it even helps to purify air quality and remove nasty toxins from contaminated soil.

That’s some hard-working grass. But as Eco Salon recently reported, as a fabric it’s not quite so sustainable as we’d all originally thought (and hoped).

‘Sustainable fashion’ may be on the up, but the label is often applied to products that use harsh chemicals to transform bamboo into fabric (known as rayon), which are damaging to both workers and the environment. The use of the harmful chemicals means the bamboo quickly loses its green credentials.

All is not lost, however; though more expensive, a far more environmentally friendly way to make use of bamboo is to mechanically turn it into fibre. This process means crushing the plant into a pulp mixture (it may sound violent, but it’s kinder) and then spinning the separated threads into fibre. Companies can also recover and recycle some chemicals by using a closed-loop system, therefore avoiding any unethical effects.

So before bamboo gets a bad name, check out the products below which say no to polluting chemicals and instead use a planet-friendly way of turning bamboo into beauty.

Which bamboo products are actually green?

Eco-Fashion
Eco-fashion brand Wear Chemistry is making its mark in sustainable fashion with a bamboo clothing range. Their t-shirts are made from 70% bamboo viscose and 30% organic cotton, and they process their bamboo into fabric in a responsible and sustainable way, thanks to the closed-loop system mentioned above.

And it doesn’t stop there; they even use recycled paper for their deliveries and 100% biodegradable plastic for their pop-up shop carrier bags. It’s already loved by the likes of Dave Berry and Angellica Bell, and is certified to be in accordance with the Global Organic Textile Standard. Fashion with a conscience; we like it.

Eco Utensils
If you’re trying to keep your home as green as possible, Bambu Boutique should be your next shopping destination. Their range of cooking utensils and kitchenware is ethically produced in China and Vietnam and they even have the Co-Op America Seal of Approval for their fairness towards workers and the environment. From cute children’s utensils to colourful baskets, their products make a great addition to any eco-conscious kitchen.

Eco Bedding
The innovatively-named Luxury Bamboo Linen company ethically makes, well, luxurious bamboo bed linen, so you can even be responsible while you’re sleeping.

The bamboo used is from non-polluted plantations in China, and is turned into fabric using the kinder process of mushing it into a pulp, before combing out the threads and spinning into yarn, then colouring with azo-free environmental protecting dyes. The bed linen is then created with 60% bamboo and 40% cotton, keeping hold of the plant’s natural anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic and moisture-wicking properties – perfect for sticky summer nights.

But there are plenty of foods to cook and ways to cook them in order to achieve a balanced and, crucially, interesting diet. It’s not all tofu and lettuce.

Here are five of our favourite sites for giving a little vegetable inspiration. (Check out Good.is’s 30 Day Go Vegetarian Challenge for more info.

BBC Good Food

First stop is BBC Good Food, who can always be relied on for something tasty and fairly easy. The site offers an extensive vegetarian section, with some particularly good options for BBQ food (always a tricky time for veggies).

Cook Veg

Cook Veg is filled with enticing images of delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes, which makes it very easy to dive in. The site also benefits from guest spots from celebrity chefs like Gizzie Erskine. I’m currently drooling over Simon Rimmer’s Rhubarb Crumble Pie Recipe.

The Vegetarian Society

While not as detailed as the other sites, the Vegetarian Society has a useful search tool which means you can type in the contents of your fridge and see what it comes up with. Filo pastry is always a good ingredient to have in your freezer, and would be perfect for using with older mushrooms in this recipe for Mushroom Filo Pie with Spicy Peach Coulis.

Simple Vegan Recipes

This Vegan recipe site has a great section of Indian-inspired dishes, like the Coconut Vegetable Curry.

The Guardian

The Guardian claims to have ‘The best vegetarian recipes on the web’, which might be a slight exaggeration, but it’s well worth adding to your list. I’m really interested in giving Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s polenta recipes, as polenta is still a fairly alien ingredient to me.

Do you have a useful vegetarian resource? Share it in the comments below!

Frankly, considering some of the unethical activities of supermarkets, this is no bad thing.

Food co-ops are created when groups of people get together to bulk-buy products and share the savings. They buy large quantities of food from local suppliers, then the members share them out between them. It’s something that’s been big in the US for a while now, but it’s now starting to make its way across the pond.

If you’re in the UK, you might have heard about it through The People’s Supermarket, a recent TV series on Channel 4. The series followed Arthur Potts Dawson as he tried to launch a co-operative. His intent was to “to offer an alternative food buying network, by connecting an urban community with the local farming community.”

As Arthur states, creating a co-op within your local community means you can benefit financially, as can local producers. He took the concept a little further by opening an actual supermarket run by the community (including asking members to commit to several days working in the People’s Supermarket each month), but it’s still an idea that every community can try.

How to create your own food co-op

So, if you fancy creating your own co-op, you can do so by visiting the food co-op tool kit on Sustain Web. The tool kit gives you all the information you’ll need on finding local wholesalers.

Then, you’ll need to find members. Consider popping flyers up in your local shop, hall or noticeboard. It might also be worth adding something to Streetbank or Gumtree. Facebook and Twitter is always handy for getting the word out too.

Once you’ve got a list of members together, you’ll need to let them know what products are available. Once they’ve all put their orders in, you can put the total order to your wholesaler.

Consider payment methods. Is it better to collect payment before or after? Arguably it’s easier to collect payment before so you’re not out of pocket, but this can involve a lot of chasing.

Once the order has been distributed to your home, you can ask your members to drop by on an agreed date to collect their order.

If you decide to set up a co-op, do let us know how you get on! And we’d love to hear from anyone already part of a co-op.

The style guru posted a photo of himself dressed…well, dressed head-to-shoulder in a fur hood styled to look like a panda.

The faux-fur hood is the brainchild of the LA-based SpiritHoods. And it’s a hit with celebs galore. Wild-heart Jared Leto, heart-throb Ellie Goulding and High School hero Vanessa Hugdens have all been spotted on the prowl.

Priced at $170 and with 10% of profits distributed to animal welfare organisations, we can really get into the spirit of this one! So with almost $20 from each sale going toward a non-profit scheme, this really is a morally profitable venture for us to embark on.

Whatever the weather, you’re wrapping up in winter with polar bear and husky or dressing down in the summer with leopard print. And your cubs can join the fun too with a kids range also available.

The ethics behind the product are what we really can get behind: Spirithoods want their customers to express ‘fashion sensibilities’ as well as themselves. A perfect way to identify with nature and explore our ‘shared bond’ with the animal kingdom.

Why not take a walk with your wild side?

Good.is has recently launched a challenge for its readers: give up meat for the 30 days of June. Eating meat has a huge impact on the earth, and reducing our intake can arguably have a big impact on fighting climate change.

They actually have a challenge every month, but this particular one is one we can all take part in. It’s a small change that can make a big difference.

The team have even put together a little pledge video.

The GOOD 30-Day Challenge: Go Vegetarian from GOOD.is on Vimeo.

There are numerous benefits to giving up, or cutting down, on meat.

*It’s better for your health. Lowering your consumption can improve your cholesterol levels, lower your blood pressure and even help you lose weight.

*It’s cheaper. Meat is, generally, expensive to buy. Think how much money you’d save by reducing your intake for a month.

*It gives you the opportunity to try a wider range of food, and experiment with new ways to cook vegetables and meat substitutes.

*Long-term, a lower meat intake can mean fewer animals are bred and slaughtered. This means less manure waste and  methane gas, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.

And if you already gave up meat for last week’s National Vegetarian Week, you might as well carry on for the rest of the month!

Image: Flickr user ecokarenlee

But while sweatshops and throwaway fashion are by no means a thing of the past, a new generation of eco-conscious designers are making their mark to prove that style doesn’t have to cost the earth. The upcycling trend is already hitting the high street and red carpet, and now thanks to Norwich University College of the Arts it’s made its way onto the (students’) catwalk.

Last month, the budding designers studying the BA (Hons) in Fashion at the university showcased their creativity and craftsmanship, and made Slow Fashion seem like the next big thing in the event, which was sponsored by John Lewis and The Gallery Haircutters.

Teaming up with Cancer Research UK, the students used clothes donated from the charity and created new, cutting edge pieces to prove that fashion with a conscience doesn’t have to be dull.

Having been given a brief to change perceptions of second-hand clothing, the designers had their work cut out for them but succeeded by turning men’s shirts into dresses and old skirts into modern, stylish items that wouldn’t look out of place on the high street.

Sustainable fashion is said to be on the up, with more and more brands taking note of the greener attitudes of consumers. From the methods of manufacture to the materials used in designs, the industry is becoming more aware of its responsibility to the public to be more ethical, but the eco-trend isn’t quite taking over the mainstream just yet. If you’re looking to make less of a carbon footprint with your high heels, why not check out our guide to ethical fashion initiatives for inspiration?

Source: Norwich Evening News (check out their photo gallery for all the pics)

Cookery demos from cordon bleu chefs and free tasting means you won’t even have to pack your sandwiches and with so many events and games on offer you’ll need your hands free.

Well with the Vegetarian Society doing their bit, we just had to do ours. It’s been a struggle but we’ve managed to whittle it down to single figures…

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The jorg&olif Top 5 reasons to be veggie this spring.

Environment
It takes 96.5bn gallons of water to maintain the poultry industry in the US.

I don’t think I’ll look at a Nandos the same way again when I think about the millions that could have been saved, and the billions that still could be. Whilst watering down the meat industry, it takes 2,500 gallons of water to each pound of meat. If taxpayers weren’t footing the bill, in the US each pound of meat would cost $35. Now that is taxing.

Animals
The average meat eater will consume 36 pigs, 36 sheep and 750 chickens in a lifetime: a farm per person.

At jorg&olif we like to get personal with our food, but when our food once had personality, that becomes difficult.

In the US half a million animals are killed for meat each hour. Intensively reared animals are exposed to pesticides, regular doses of antibiotics and growth hormones. I’m not so sure I want to chance these chemicals making their way to my plate.

Looks
You’ll be losing much more than a quarter-pound if you cut down on those beef burgers.

Saying goodbye to meat means au revoir to those fast foods. After all, nobody goes to Burger King for a salad do they?!

Almost all vegetarian diets are significantly lower in calories, meaning that you’ll find it much easier to fit into ‘those’ jeans.

It’s not easy to get greasy veg or fatty fruits, so skin will remain clean and clear. If you’ve never wondered how Brad and Angelina do it, now you don’t have to.

Wallet
With talk of those jeans and your now smooth skin, just think of your back pockets here. As well as sitting on a smaller bum they’ll be considerably fuller: no money going towards new pairs of jeans or cosmetic products to purge those pores.

And when you find yourself in a restaurant ordering from the vegetarian menu and not from the grill, you’ll notice that you’re saving your pounds here as well. Leaving more money for that second glass of vino or the dessert you’d have found much to cheeky after a chicken or beef dish.

Life
What’s the point in looking good and feeling good if you’re not here to enjoy it? It’s almost common knowledge that fat can clog your arteries and cause heart disease. Surely it’s common sense to act! Vegetarians have a 20% lower blood cholesterol level and visit hospital 22% less than the average meat eater. These figures speak for themselves, as will yours.

Attending Manchester’s meat-free Saturday is completely free, from entry to attractions and food.

It’s time to start saving those pounds and enjoying the finer things.

Vegetarian Society

The Slow Fashion Movement has been growing support — and column inches — of late.

The Ecologist recently explored how the high street is trying to keep up with the Slow Fashion Movement in Greening the high street: marketing trick or real deal?

It’s well worth a read. This part especially:

According to Alex McIntosh of the Centre of Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion, high street labels… are actually struggling to become more eco-friendly, as they are not able to reconcile their ‘sell-more-for-less’ approach with a truly sustainable business strategy [...] ‘High street labels often try to market consumerism as a way to happiness but you don’t really need 300 t-shirts in your cupboard. If people bought one high quality t-shirt for £30, they wouldn’t have to buy 10 for £3 each.’

Meanwhile, The Idler’s piece Slow Fashion Starts Now reports that NJ Stevenson, author of The Chronology of Fashion: From Empire Dress to Ethical Design, believes slow fashion is on the rise and that fashion is becoming about “style and individuality”.

Which is where Doctor Who comes in.

If the Slow Fashion Movement is about individuality and style rather than trying to be bang on trend, Doctor Who is a great figurehead. And if slow fashion means owning just a few t-shirts — or just a couple of outfits — then the Doctor is the poster child.

David Tennant spent most of his time wearing either a brown suit or a blue suit with his converse, and Matt Smith is — rightly or wrongly — pretty attached to that flannel shirt and bow-tie.

In fact, if you asked any of the Doctors to take part in the Uniform Project, they wouldn’t think twice about wearing the same outfit every day — they just might struggle to come up with different ways to style it.

After all, what the Doctor understands is that creating your own “signature look” can be the most powerful fashion statement you can make. Which is why so many of our best-loved fashion icons made just a few key styles their own.

Doctor Who may spend his entire life racing around the TARDIS console before racing off to save the universe, but he’s still the ultimate slow fashion icon.

Check out Doctor Who’s slow fashion on BBC’s Doctor Who site.

It tastes better, it’s usually less well-travelled, and it’s lighter on the pocket.

Regular, free newsletters from Eat The Seasons keep us up to date with what foods are in season, which is handy as a guide when shopping for locally sourced, seasonally grown food. It’s worth signing up for if you’re new to the concept of eating locally.

Alternatively, take a trip down to your nearest farmers’ market to see what local producers are currently offering.

This season, it’s all about asparagus. This delicious green vegetable goes beautifully with melted butter or hollandaise sauce, and it’s wonderful dipped in boiled eggs as a toast substitute.

Those who have never cooked asparagus before tend to over-boil or steam it, which reduces the flavour dramatically.

If you’re new to asparagus and you’re not sure what to do with it, you might like to try some of these recipes:

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Asparagus recipes

Asparagus parchment parcels – An easy one to start with, from Domestic Sluttery. It’s a simple recipe that involves cooking the asparagus slowly in parchment, getting the most out of the asparagus flavour. This particular dish goes perfectly with meat or fish (you could always add the fish to the parchment while it’s cooking).

Wrapping the asparagus in parma ham or pancetta is another popular way to cook the vegetable, particularly when chargrilled. This is a great one to serve up to guests, or as a snack before dinner.

This recipe for BBQ asparagus and halloumi with crispy capers from the Channel 4 website is decadent, and delightfully meat-free. Salty ingredients like these work well with asparagus.

Asparagus also goes well with risotto, and this risotto recipe from the Good Food Channel contains broad beans — another season vegetable. Perfect for a lazy evening when all you want to do is relax with a good book, a glass of wine and a bowl full of filling food.

Let us know if you’ve got any great tips for things to do with asparagus!

Image: Flickr user pamramsey

Recommended reading

In Season Cuisine: asparagus Abi provides even more tips for things to do with those tasty spears.

The team has been out in Costa Rica, surfing, skating and generally having a very nice time. But they’ve also been up to good, planting the first trees in the etnies rainforest.

They seem to spend a lot of time shooting arrows, catching waves and generally larking about, but there’s also some serious gardening going on as part of the Plant A Tree project.

The Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree scheme was set up by etnies founder, Pierre-Andre Senizergues who has pledged to plant 35,000 trees through sales of Jameson 2 Eco shoes.

Check out their video diaries from their adventures.

Part one

Part Two

Part Three

If you buy a Jameson 2 Eco shoe etnies will plant a tree in the Costa Rican rainforest.

Related: Cushe climate neutral shoes