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I love it when celebrities use their powers for good.
On Earth Day, Oprah and Julia Roberts showed us how we can actually do something with the all that leftover food we inevitably have to toss out.
On the show, Julia said, “I [used to] just cry and scrape plates and think, ‘How can I be doing this?'”
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The compost tumbler that Julia and Oprah used on the show was provided by a company called GREENCulture.com whose purpose is to ‘provide products for an enlightened planet’.
So when they asked us to take a look at their eco-friendly site, we agreed.
To be honest, when I first looked at their furniture page, I thought it looked like a beautifully designed website offering nice furniture, but wondered what was ‘green’ about it. I quickly clicked over to their eco-facts page to find out what made their furniture different from the rest. It didn’t take me long to realize that they are sincerely striving to offer items that are “made from recycled materials or come from renewable or sustainable resources.”
For instance, GREENCulture refuses to sell products containing leather or silk.
I have to admit, I felt pretty darn guilty as I read through the eco-facts. I always knew leather is not an eco-conscious product purchase, but I was ignorant of the facts of Chrome Tanning.
Chrome-tanning, the most widely used method in the United States for converting animal skins into the leather you see on the market today, is a process awash in materials considered hazardous by authorities like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Waste produced from the process of tanning, dyeing and finishing leather includes such noxious elements as formaldehyde, sulfides, oils, acids, coal-tar derivatives and residue from finishes.
This toxic stew is linked to environmental risks, pollutes streams, lakes and rivers, and jeopardizes human health. Studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and other groups report that workers in such factories have higher risks of developing testicular, sinus and lung cancers, while residents around such tanneries have been linked to significantly higher incidences of leukemia.
And silk! Did you know that “roughly 3,000 Bombyx Mori pupae are killed for one pound of silk”. Now personally moths gross me out, but I still wouldn’t want the little Pupae boiled alive or lanced with needles in their silk cocoons.
Reading their eco-facts page was enlightening and made me think differently about the products in my home. I hadn’t really considered before how my personal selections of lighting and bedroom furniture could affect the environment.
So now I’m going to try and resolve some of my guilt by bookmarking their site so that when I’m next redecorating I will have some eco-friendly options.
Stephanie says
No, I didn’t, but that is very cool of her. I’ve always viewed Julia Roberts as a really down-to-earth and warm person compared to other celebrities…
Ness says
I always wondered what’s the best way to compost, that thing looks really nifty – wish we got something like that here!
Allison Frey says
I try my best to be eco-friendly but with 4 boys it is sometimes hard to not grab a paper towel every 5 minutes…lol
I think Julia is such an awesome person, she has always been one of my fav’s. It’s good to see good publicity on famous people.
Amber Stevens says
I actually saw this part of the episode (don’t catch it too often)…I love that she said she “hid” the paper towels when the other lady came around!! I’m trying to use less paper towels, myself!
Kari says
I did see some of that episode…I requested Gorgeously Green (I forget her name on the show) book from the library. I was quite impressed too, there are so many little ways we can begin to make changes in what we are doing, eating, etc…that is being a WISE steward of what God has blessed us with! Thanks for sharing! And for the link…y’all have a great day!
Trisha says
My father owns a farm and raises cattle. Thousand of hard working men and women make their living in this industry. I would disagree with this company. I’m of the oppinion that leather is a totally renewable resource. If it’s not than we had all better eliminate beef from our diets.
Karen says
I’ve been doing better lately about living more earth friendly. I also posted 25 thrifty ways to go green so that I could show my readers that sometimes it doesn’t take a lot of money to help out some. I’m still reading more and trying to learn of other low cost ways that I can help. Unfortunately, I don’t think a compost pile would be a wise decision (given the size of my yard), but it’s something I’ve considered, as we may be moving soon.
Julia Roberts seems like a pretty cool person. I think it would be nice to meet her.
Petula says
I saw that episode! I love Oprah and I love Julia! She is so cool!