What better than starting this new year with green goals! Come and meet eco-friendly local vendors, shop local, connect with neighbors, drop off hard-to-recycle items, and learn something new about living green at the “Green Stuff” booth at Issaquah Highlands Eco-market held monthly at Blakely Hall. The next Issaquah Highlands Eco-market is on February 5th, 2022, 9am-12 PST. Kids activities included. This is brought to you by the Issaquah Highlands community & IH Youth Advisory Board. https://issaquahhighlands.com/events.
This blog from iEco Buz brings you interviews with some of the eco-market vendors that participated last month in the Eco-market. iEco Buz is an attempt to spread awareness and connect individuals with eco-friendly businesses.
To learn more about sustainable living, eco-friendly vendors Buzz interviews, follow us at IEco Buz |Facebook , @iEcobuz|Instagram or iEco Buz | YouTube.
Top tips from our Eco-market vendors for you to live Greener :
"It is not about perfection, it is about progression. Start with where you are, and then re-use what you have, and just do your best," says Aline Bloch from Out of the Box eco-store. From the desire to help reduce single-use plastic pollution and make low-waste living simple, convenient, and accessible to all, Aline opened a refill store on wheels. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Aline.
"Reduce. I think the greatest place to start is just to reduce. We have a lot of stuff in our lives. A little less stuff and then re-purposing what we don't want anymore would go a long way," says Jo Ann Day from Mittens and more. She makes mittens out of old sweaters that she cuts apart and then sews back together with different patterns. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Jo.
"Reuse. No throwing it away. Away is still on the planet. Away is still in a landfill. There is no away," says Ilse de Villiers and Heidi from Largesse Company. With the motto of “gifting for good“, purchases from Largesse company are aimed at providing sustainable living opportunities for socially marginalized artisans and their extended communities. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Ilse and Heidi.
"Recycle. Kids are super into recycling, so find ways that your children can learn about recycling, things that can or can't be recycled," says Annalisa Giust from Ridwell. Did you know that it is super easy to recycle batteries, light bulbs, plastic films, Styrofoam, etc the right way? Ridwell can help you with it; they are redefining transparency for the waste industry by giving you a detailed look at where your materials end up and how much stuff is being kept out of landfills. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Ilse and Heidi.
"Start with yourself. If I do the next right thing, if I pick up the piece of trash, if I make a choice that is a little more eco-friendly, then I have done something" says Scott Ridout from Farm Among Us. Bringing healthy foods to his community is the heart of Scott’s mission with Farm Among Us. Scott’s long-term vision for Farm Among Us also includes gardening classes, hands-on experiences, and community events. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Scott.
"Just try it, experiment, and keep going for it. It is a lot of work because it takes a lot more practice and process to do something that is less harmful but it's always worth it," says Rose Pazzolo from Zolo Dyes. Rose sells individually hand-dyed fabric, and her clothes use natural dyes that are neither harmful to the skin nor earth. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Rose.
"When you buy, just ask the question. For example, ask the person who is selling the jewelry from where they are getting their metal," says Vicki Zomenou from Porpe Artifacts. At Porpe Artifacts you will find unique jewelry that bridges modern techniques and design with inspirational ancestry stories. They only use ethically sourced materials & recycled metals from the USA. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Vicki.
"Everyone has to do it, individuals, small and large companies, and government. The more that everyone makes the effort to find and use eco-friendly products the more normal it is going to become," says Samora Jones from Sunny Littles. She sells things for babies and small kids that are all Eco-friendly. Click here for iEco Buz's interview with Samora.
Pic: Some of our Issaquah Highlands Eco-market vendors at Blakely Hall
Top Row: Left to Right: Farm Among Us, Lotte Goede Intuitive Paintings, Ridwell
Middle Row: Left to Right: Sunny Littles, Zolo Dyes, Porpe Artifacts
Bottom Row: Left to Right: Largesse Company, Out of the Box, Mittens and More
We will continue to share more interviews from eco-friendly vendors and help you shop local and live greener. You can follow iEco Buz at IEco Buz |Facebook, @icobuz|Instagram Visit website to see how you can get involved or write to us at iecobuz@gmail.com