Yes, it’s really paper made out of elephant poo…I’m not kidding and it isn’t even April Fool’s Day yet.

Ok, so check this out. I spotted Mr. Ellie Pooh yesterday while at the Better Living Show in Portland. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’ve been talking a lot about the show lately and I was amazed yesterday when I was handed the most beautiful piece of paper and told what it was made out of. Yes, lovely card stock, stationery, business cards that look and feel organic are made out of elephant poo. You heard me right.

So, here’s the deal. Karl Wald left the corporate world to start Mr. Ellie Pooh, supporting elephants and humans living together in harmony in Sri Lanka. Elephants eat tons of fiber and then when they go pottie, the poo is removed and the fiber mixed with 25% post consumer waste is used to make these gorgeous paper products. No trees are harmed in the process, villagers make a living wage and the value of the elephants goes up and therefore, helps protect them from poachers….Yes, that is definitely something we support here….We love elephants…How about you?

My next business card run will be printed on elephant poo! Spread the word on this one…It’s a wonderful eco-alternative…

Offered by Branchhome.com these biodegradable plates can be put in the compost bin!

The latest issue of Real Simple magazine arrived in my mailbox the other morning and I opened it up to these eco-fabulous biodegradable plates! They are super cute and totally affordable offered at: $5.50 to $9 for 50. Hello!

The best thing about them is their earth-friendly-eco-chic-ness. These eco-plates are made from a byproduct of the sugarcane refining process, bagasse, which is biodegradable and can be put in the recycling and/or compost bin…Em Hmmm…So next time you are at the grocery store, just say NO to those icky plastic or styrofoam plates that are harmful to the planet. And for your next party, picnic or meal, think about these. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it!

Click here for more info on purchasing.

Notebook covers made from retro Bollywood posters….Love these!

Ok, so I’m suddenly in love again. This happens spontaneously when I find something that is truly unique. And here it is again, my darlings…the inspiration behind these notebooks from Ruby Rice is Bollywood and I’m definitely a lover of Bollywood films…An astrologer once told me that my female side is like a Bollywood dancer….Hmmm….

So, as reported on Designersblock, “these notebook covers are made from original hand painted Bollywood posters which are fast becoming a rarity due to India using new printing methods.” How eco-chic is that…

and these adorable hanging hearts are made from old saris….Simply eco-divine…

Click here for more info.

Rawganique hemp, flax and cotton blend. These sell out quickly.

It’s totally amazing to me and frustrating at the same time that I cannot find a continuous resource of hemp paper products! The material is lovely, sustainable, organic, feels yummy to the touch, is tree free and totally eco-chic. Rawganique is out of British Columbia and has gorgeous hemp paper products. They simply cannot keep them in stock. Hmmm…..

Rawganique inspiration books, eco-hemp delicious.

So my big thing right now is trying to find hemp business card stock for my new business cards! Hello out there eco-world…..I want hemp and environmentally friendly inks like soy and/or vegetable based. I know hemp is limited….click here for more details on hemp… but….I’m on a mission with this and I’ll share with you what I’ve found so far….

Living Tree Paper Company–Vanguard Recycled Plus

I just contacted Living Tree Paper Company out of Eugene, Oregon (I left a message…they are closed for the holidays….smart people…) who carry these earth friendly paper products:

Vanguard Recycled Plus (shown above)

• 10% hemp/flax & 90% post-consumer waste.
• 100% processed chlorine-free.
• Ideal for brochures, newsletters, annual reports, hang tags, and other high-profile corporate identity and promotional pieces.
• Excellent printing quality for black & white and full-color projects.
• Available in most sheet and roll sizes and basis weights.

Dejavu Coated C2S

• 10% hemp/flax, 40% post-consumer waste, 20% pre-consumer waste & 30% certified sustainably harvested wood.
• hemp/flax (TCF) Totally Chlorine-Free, pre-consumer waste & post-consumer waste (PCF) Process Chlorine-Free, sustainably harvested wood (ECF) Elemental Chlorine-Free.
• Available in most sheet and roll sizes and basis weights.
• Ideal for annual reports, CD booklets, catalogs, magazines and books.

Visit Living Tree Paper Company for more details.

Living Tree’s philosophy is powerful and in total alignment with my own beliefs:

“Living Tree Paper Company is a leader in developing printing and writing papers made from nonwood fibers and post-consumer waste. By providing high-quality papers that are environmentally responsible and economically sound, we are helping to minimize the environmental impact of paper production and use. Living Tree Paper Company is working to create change in the pulp and paper industry; to offer one step on the path to more sensible and sustainable use of resources in the production of basic commodities.”—Taken from Living Tree’s website.

Pinball Publishing right here in Portland, Oregon….Halelujah

Ok….I just found these guys right here locally in Portland! So happy. They are totally eco-chic and print on recycled paper with soy based inks. They might be able to get me hemp…I’ll keep you posted.

Onward and forward…eco-chic bound…..