Earlier this week, we introduced to you to the Reclaimed T-Shirt Scarf, which gives new life to t-shirt scraps from apparel factories in the US. And we asked if you ever think about all the fabric waste that’s created from apparel production. As it turns out, American Apparel does. They’ve just started selling a Bag-O-Scraps, which is simply $8 of fabric pieces that would otherwise get swept and thrown away from the factory floor.

In one week, an apparel factory can produce 60,000 pounds of textile waste according to Looptworks, a fitness clothing brand made entirely from excess materials and components like what American Apparel is now selling directly to consumers. While  the clothing brand may not be able to sell their entire pile of fabric trash, it is a sustainable step in the right direction. And even though it could be a marketing ploy, they’re also entertaining fabric scrap donation requests from schools, craft clubs and other organizations, which would help find a home for even more of their textile waste. Click here to read more

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Target’s latest gotta-have-it fashion launch is a little different from their usual GO International featured fashion designers like Loomstate’s Spring 2009 collection. This time, they’re experimenting in upcycled fashion. From Labor Day weekend through October 31, Target’s Times Square billboards will feature commissioned art from Michael Anderson, Josh Goldstein and other emerging artists. But what happens after the billboards come down is the most exciting–the vinyl billboards will be made into 1,600 limited-edition bags.

Not only will you get a piece of the art that was on-display high above Times Square, the upcycled bag is a tote designed by Anna Sui. 90% of each bag will be made from the vinyl billboard material, and have a few add-ons such as black enamel studs and other rock-and-roll details.

The eco-friendly bags go on sale on Target.com today, Friday, September 4, for $29.99.  Click here to read more

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The 2009 US Open is underway. But before you start debating whether or not Roger Federer can pull out another win or which Williams sister will last longer, check out how this year’s tournament is going for a grand slam in the green department. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have teamed up to make the event eco-friendly and help raise awareness with over 700,000 spectators.

Last year, several green initiatives were put into place and this year, the US Open is even greener. One of the biggest sources of waste for the sport are all those Wilson tennis balls and tennis ball cans, which are made up of four different materials. This year the 60,000 tennis balls will be reused for National Tennis Center programming and later donated to community and youth programs. About 18,000 to 20,000 of the tricky-to-recycle ball cans will be saved from landfills.

Eco-friendly US Open merchandise will be available, too, including the organic cotton t-shirt designed by Venus Williams (shown above) and hats made from 50% recycled plastic soda bottles. US Open shopping bags will be made for reuse with the words “recycled and reuse” printed on the bottom, or you can be a real reusable tote for $5.

And the green initiatives list goes on and on: Click here to read more

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What if you could run your car on stuff you had lurking around your home? Sounds eco-friendly and budget-friendly, right? Introducing the E-Fuel MicroFueler. It’s Shaq-endorsed and Schwarzenegger-approved. The portable micro-refinery system from GreenHouse is made for at-home use. You can turn organic waste like grass clippings, wood chips, brewery waste, algae and other non-food carbohydrate waste products into high performance ethanol fuel that’ll get your car from point A to point B in a cleaner and more eco-friendly way. And you can do it all right in your own backyard, including fueling up.

Shaquille O’Neal is an investor in the product. After calling himself “Big Eth,” he said “I tried it, I liked it. I flew to Southern California to see it first hand. It’s cost effective and it works. Hopefully, with my presence people will look at (the fuel system) and they’ll try it.”

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was there when GreenHouse unveiled the new alternative energy product and the state is also looking at a pilot program to test it. Notable companies have signed up to partner with GreenHouse, too. Karl Strauss, Gordon Biersch and Sunny Delight plan to convert 29,000 tons of liquid waste using the E-Fuel system.

Rumor has it the sophisticated at-home system costs around $10,000. Click here to read more

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Last week Top Chef Season 6 debuted featuring a chef who has green skills in the kitchen. Chef Preeti Mistry brings something different to the Top Chef cast–sustainability. Chef Preeti works for Bon Appetit Management Company, a sustainable food service company, which serves eco-friendly meals at 400 cafes and restaurants around the country. Chef Preeti is considered “top chef” at Google. Through Bon Appetit, she runs Charlie’s Cafe at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. The meals there are always seasonal and farm fresh, and she serves about 2,000 per day!

Because of her work with Bon Appetit and Google she says she approaches the kitchen differently. “My commitment to cooking sustainably has been pushed so much farther. I have always believed in cooking seasonally and using local ingredients, and with programs like the Low Carbon Diet, Eat Local Challenge and Circle of Responsibility my commitment to how I source my ingredients and more importantly why has been reinforced in such a way that I don’t think I could cook any other way,” she says. Click here to read more

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