Ethical Living : weekly thoughts
Vegan alternatives to silks, how you can eat your way to happiness (no surprise that it involves fruits and vegetables!) and a new accessories brand that we have discovered, making seriously stylish bags in Los Angeles from 100% recycled materials - read on for the details....
3 Sustainable Vegan Silks That Do No Harm
For thousands of years, silk has been associated with luxury. From emperor’s robes to concubine’s scarves, the fabric represented wealth, refinement, and sensuality. Of course, this is all true today, too, but we can add ‘sustainability’ to that list – silk is a biodegradable material that takes to dye quickly, meaning that unlike some other fibres, it doesn’t need multiple dye baths, which is good news for the environment. But silk can be bad news for animals!
Most people know that the refined textile is the outcome of the silkworm spinning a fibroin protein into a cocoon, which can be comprised of up to a hundred metres of silk thread. To emerge from its cocoon, the silkworm secretes a fluid which burns a hole through the strands. But since this damages and breaks the fibre, farmers habitually boil the silkworm alive to save the silk. Finding this to be cruel, various designers to find alternative ways of making silk.
Here are three of the best – and most sustainable – vegan silks, and the wonderful designers who use them.
Seriously cool bags made from 100% repurposed materials: REWILDER
We're loving this Town Tote from Rewilder Bedrock, made in Los Angeles entirely from repurposed materials. In fact, there is lots to love about this brand - PETA approved, focussed on recycling goods into imaginative new bags and producing with care for the environment.
“IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL ALL USE MATERIALS MORE RESPONSIBLY. WE’RE STARTING NOW.”
how to eat your way to happiness
"Before you thoughtlessly scoff your next burger and fries, pause to think about how it might affect your mood. Studies led by Deakin University Associate Professor Felice Jacka show that people consuming food and drinks high in sugar and sodium are more likely to develop mental health conditions such as depression. But, by choosing a healthy diet, it may be possible to boost mood and increase your chances of warding off depression.
"We have brand new data from the ABS telling us that nearly all Australians are failing to meet the basic dietary guidelines, particularly as they relate to the recommended five to six serves of vegetables a day,’ Prof Jacka says. ‘This has large implications for our physical health, but our research now tells us that this is very important for brain and mental health as well."
