eco-friendly news you can use

MOVING UP THE LADDER
Made from a furniture company’s leftover teak cuttings, this versatile ladder from Viva Terra can be used outdoors as well as in.

Outside, it might serve as a trellis for vines. Its removable shelf is an ideal place to display garden-related decor, or even votives, such as the pretty glass one shown here propped on a stone.

Indoors, the ladder’s sturdy rungs could be used in a bathroom as a clever towel rack, or use it to display quilts in a guest bedroom. The ladder measures 18" wide by 64" high. To order, log on to vivaterra.com.



FOR THE BIRDS

Loll Designs, the same company that makes eco-friendly outdoor furniture for people, has created a dwelling for our tiny feathered friends. Like the Minnesota firm’s furniture offerings, the Contemporary-style birdhouse is made primarily from recycled plastic milk jugs, 24 of them. It measures 5" high by 5.5" wide by 5.5" deep.

According to Loll, no assembly is required, and the birdhouse is easy to hang on trees, posts or elsewhere. Four bolts on the bottom allow access for cleaning it of old nests. Shown in red, the bird domicile also comes in black, blue, brown, green and white. The product can be special-ordered from Design Within Reach in Scottsdale, (480) 970-8800, or through lolldesigns.com.



THIS ROCKS!

Head outside and view Mother Nature’s flora and fauna from the seat of this Rockdale Rocking Chair. Produced by Groovystuff Inc., a Dallas company dedicated to sustainable manufacturing, the rustic piece is made from antique wagon wheels.

Showing textural wear from years of travel, iron rings from the wheels’ outer rims are reshaped and used for the chair’s framework. Segments from the teakwood wheels become the seat and backrest.

Groovystuff products can be obtained through Santa Fe Saavy in Scottsdale, (480) 991-6719, and Valerie’s Furniture and Accents in Cave Creek, Arizona, (480) 483-3327. To learn of other retailers, contact Groovystuff at (800) 933-0536, or go to groovystuff.com.



WORDS OF WISDOM

The chemicals found in cleaning agents can take a toll on the environment and one’s health, notes Amy Kolb Noyes. The author guides readers to a healthier and more eco-friendly cleaning experience in Nontoxic Housecleaning (Chelsea Green Publishing).

The text is replete with tips and ideas for green cleaning, including a basic toolbox of common household items. Among these are baking soda and white vinegar, which can be used for purposes ranging from scrubbing away grime to washing dishes.

The author also provides “recipes” for such homemade cleaning products as an almond-scented wood floor polish and Rosemary-Mint Wash dish soap.

With this handy book, staying clean and green is no longer a chore.  --Laura Gold