Remember Jelly shoes from the late 80’s/early 90’s?  I sure do! I loved them and wore them throughout my childhood.  So you can imagine how excited I was when I found these—the new and improved jellies! 

Original jellies were made out of PVC (the notorious “poison plastic”). But these new kicks by Melissa Plastic Dreams have an environmentally-friendly twist. 

Melissa Plastic Dreams uses sustainable development in order to provide these retro, plastic fashions to current plastic shoe connoisseurs everywhere without compromising the needs of inevitable future generations.   They are all made out of mono plastics that can be dismantled, recycled, and reused.  Even the processes with which these shoes are made involve treating and recycling every solid, liquid, and gas within the factory in order to reduce waste. 

Now you no longer have to sacrifice your desire to stay green when fulfilling your passion for plastic fashion! Find these new jellies at Shopstyle.  Also, check out MindBodyGreen and their list of “3 Fierce Green Shoes” for more fashionable and environmentally friendly shoes. 

Additional green fashion tip: Read Summer Rayne Oakes’ best selling book Style, Naturally, which provides easy, and affordable options for staying green and looking great!  I will definitely be checking out this book as part of my continual process to be greener and more environmentally friendly.  What better way to start this somewhat overwhelming and daunting change in your life than by starting with your summer wardrobe!

It is easy to fall into the trap of greenwashing since “being green” is the latest craze these days. What exactly is “greenwashing?”  It’s defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service,” according to TerraChoice Environmental Marketing.

As you’ve hopefully learned by now, there are little industry standards and regulations when it comes to chemicals in this country. This means companies could define their product as “natural” or “eco-friendly” and not be held to any sort of accountability.   Most products on the market contain “trade secrets” or fragrances.  Even a company like SC Johnson, which is entering the green market with its Nature’s Source cleaning products, labels their products on the bottles and on their websites, but fails to list what is actually in their “fragrances.”

To arm yourself and fight greenwashing, check out TerraChoice’s 2009 report - 7 Sins of Greenwashing.  It will not only help companies from committing these sins, but will help consumers look for these sins so they are not stuck with a less than green product.  You can be aware of greenwashing as long as you are equipped with the right information and these helpful hints from http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/