Uncategorized | AzSustainability.com
Jan 26


Photo: The ever-fabulous beauty guru Sunny Subramanian of Vegan Beauty Review

With my little company, Strawberry Hedgehog, I seem to always be telling people “what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it!” Why? Because our skin is our biggest organ, just as it expels toxins in sweat it that delicate, thin membrane between your inner systems and the polluted outside world also absorbs what it comes in contact with. The trick is learning how to read the labels, how to decipher those ingredient lists and figuring out exactly what IS in the stuff we slather on every day or suds up with in the shower. Historically, we have done some crazy things for beauty but by being mindful of what you’re using you can count yourself out of that modern group. Cosmetics and beauty products have a huge range of ingredients from seriously hazardous and cancer causing, to allergy-inducing, to down right gross (hello carmine!). Ecocentricity, a fantastic ecofriendly shop in downtown Phoenix is offering an informative get together to clue you in on the No-No’s and what to look for.

Join us for light refreshments and a good time. Hear from Donna Harris, CEO of Naturoli Beautiful, LLC , a local natural skin care company; Rachael Ward, founder of Mixology Makeup, a local mineral makeup company; Elizabeth Allard, owner of Organic Excellence, a local company offering natural hair care, anti-aging and therapeutic cremes; and someone from Just B – B Just, a local social enterprise offering natural soaps and benefiting individuals trying to escape homelessness. Sample products from these and other local companies offering natural alternatives — that really are natural. (* Men are welcome, too — the nasty stuff is in your skin care products too!) RSVP by following this link or at 602.281-2725 so we will have enough refreshments to refresh everyone.

Host: ecocentricity!
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: 137 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ

If you can’t make it and want more information on your own products you should do some searching on the Cosmetics Database. You can also find valuable information on the Vegan Beauty Review or read some of my other posts on the topic:

  1. How Natural Is Mineral Makeup?
  2. Are you Polluting your Home?
  3. Block a Burn, Bleach a Reef?
Nov 24

DATE: Nov. 24, 2009
CONTACT: Mark Shaffer, Director of Communications, (602) 771-2215
ADEQ Urges Proper Disposal of Turkey Grease Through Recycling Rather than Pouring it Down The Drain
PHOENIX – (Nov. 24, 2009) – Don’t listen to any of the traditional gobbledygook when it comes to disposing of turkey grease after your Thanksgiving Day feast.
Pouring the grease down the drain clogs the pipes of many homes along with causing wastewater blockages and overflows in municipalities. There are environmentally conscious alternatives to disposal that not only protect wastewater infrastructure but can also help clean the air.
“Just say no to clogs and yes to turkey grease recycling,” said Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Benjamin H. Grumbles. “Thankfully, more households, businesses, and communities are seeing green by keeping fats, waste vegetable oils, and greases out of drains and sewers and converting them into clean-burning biodiesel fuel easily and cheaply.”
Arizona offers several venues for grease collection that will ensure it is used locally for the production of clean burning fuel.
The Town of Gilbert and Az Biodiesel group are partnering to collect the grease through Monday, Dec. 7 at eight Gilbert fire stations located at the following addresses: 215 N. Cooper Road, 2730 E. Williams Field Road, 2855 E. Guadalupe Road, 1011 E. Guadalupe Road, 909 E. Ray Road, 3630 E. Germann Road, 1095 E. Germann Road and 3595 E. Warner Road.
In the Town of Cave Creek, Dynamite Biofuels Co-op is partnering with Big Earl’s Greasy Eats Restaurant, 6135 E. Cave Creek Road, and is offering a bin for grease collection daily from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during the holiday season.
In Tucson, the Tucson Clean Cities Coalition, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department and the recycling group Grecycle will be sponsoring a grease disposal drive on Friday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at O’Reilly Chevrolet, 6160 E. Broadway; Pima County Industrial Wastewater Control Plant, 5025 W. Ina Road; and the City of Tucson Water Plant #2, 1102 W. Irvington Road.

Nov 2

Hope to see you this Saturday! Great bands, fabulous local vendors, & what should be gorgeous weather. Keep your dollars in our state while avoiding the carbon footprint of shipping in goods from all over the world/country for nationally owned chains.

Saturday, November 7th
10am-4pm
Duck & Decanter
16th St. & Camelback
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Oct 15

Head out to the Farmer’s Market being held by Bashas’ in Gilbert next weekend! As you probably know Bashas’ is our only large locally owned grocer here in Phoenix. At the suggestion of Local First AZ we’ve asked you to make the move to shopping predominantly at Bashas’ to help pull them out of bankruptcy. Part of this movement to support Bashas’ as a local business has apparently driven Bashas’ to do the same by offering this venue to other locals – farmers, crafters, artists, etc. See you there?

Bashas’ Farmer’s Market
next Saturday, Oct. 24 from 8am-1pm
at Bashas’ #172
99 S. Higley Rd. (Higley & Elliott)
Gilbert, 85296

Sep 4

Do you remember the cafeteria food you had as a kid? It hasn’t gotten any better, in fact, it has gotten worse as demonstrated by recent widespread contaminated meat recalls, etc. The American diet in general is lacking, unbelievable levels of obesity and diabetes in children is shocking and undeniably traced back to diet. Meals poor in nutrition, high in fat, and high in preservatives, binders and other random unpronounceable additives are what sustain our children throughout the school day. Kids must have healthy food when they are expected to concentrate and perform at the levels that modern schools demand. It is impossible for anyone to function without the proper fuel. Slow Food USA has organized a chance for communities to come together and make a statement that the current way of highly processed, precooked, preserved and frozen foods is not good enough for our kids. Whole foods, nutritious foods, REAL food is what they need. Here are locations where you can become a part of this movement… No time to be there yourself? Make a donation or at least Sign their Petition.

In three days, people in all 50 states will sit down to share a meal and bend the direction of history just a little bit. Together, we are publicly rejecting the notion that our schools can’t afford to feed kids anything but the bad food that makes them sick. And the way we’re making this statement is by bringing neighbors together in the spirit of good will and for the joy of sharing good food. That is the heart of our movement.

Where to go in Arizona:

Bisbee AZ Eat-In
September 7, 2009
98 Cole Ave
Bisbee, Arizona 85603
Organizer: Sarah Meggison
Email: sarah.meggison@gmail.com
View Details
Chandler, AZ Eat-In
9/7/09
Chandler, Arizona
Organizer: Natalie Lawson
Email: Natsoup@gmail.com
View Details
Phoenix, AZ Eat-In
September 7, 2009
1826 West McDowell Road – Arizona State Fair Grounds
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Organizer: Patty Emmert, Slow Food Phoenix
Email: info@slowfoodphoenix.org
Phone: 623-694-6172
View Details
Prescott, AZ Eat In
September 7, 2009
Prescott, Arizona
Organizer: Alaya Bouche
Email: alaya.bouche@gmail.com
View Details

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