Recently, it seems that whenever I find a new designer, artist, or photographer I love, she's from Portland. That city must just be oozing talent. Case in point, designer Marisa Kula Mercer of Plover Organic. I heart the patterns of this organic, fair-trade textile line, which includes organic cotton sheets, shams, and tea towels. But it's their quilts that really make me coo. I was curious about how one of the people behind this style-conscious bedding (along with co-owners Sheila Mulvihill + Julia Wilbur) goes green in her daily life. Here's Marisa:
1. three simple ways you've gone greener in your life
+ My husband and I have decided not to buy anything new (with the exception of food!), at least for the next year.
+ We compost religiously.
+ Our
biggest effort right now is not trying not to waste food. When I go to
the store, I buy only what we need for the coming days, and we make
soups from whatever is leftover. I think people seriously underestimate
all the resources that go into the making of food — especially meat.
2. last green purchase
I've
been using cloth pocket diapers since my daughter was born, but
couldn't find a way to make them work when we travel. So I just finally
tried G Diapers, and they are amazing. I can't believe I didn't
discover them sooner!
3. one green initiative you'd like to see enacted in your community
Portland,
the city we live in, is remarkably green, so there's not much lacking.
But I would love it if our recycling program encompassed a wider range
of plastic recycling.
Right now we are limited in the plastics we can recycle curbside, and
have to go somewhere else for #2s and #5s, somewhere else for plastic bags,
and then have to store up all other plastics and wait for special
programs which only happen every couple of months. (And even more
infrequently now because of the economic slowdown.)
4. best green gift you've given, received, or coveted
Right now, we have our eye on the amazing reclaimed wood furniture at the Rebuilding Center in Portland. But of course we are trying not to buy anything new, so it's tough!
5. hardest habit to break to be more eco-friendly
Driving, definitely.
6. three ways you want to be greener this year
+ drive less, walk more
+ buy as little pre-packaged food as possible, to eliminate all those pesky plastic containers
+ plant more vegetables this spring!
And I thought I'd share this little nugget from Plover Organic's site. Here's the origin of this textile company's name, in case you were wondering:
The plover is a short-billed shorebird that has been a cherished inspiration in the arts from all over the globe for centuries. Unfortunately, plovers now also symbolize the conflict between the natural world and coastal land use and development, their numbers dwindling dangerously as a direct consequence of human interference.
A fitting name for eco-conscious bedding. Special thanks to Marisa for being a part of Green Swap!
{photograph of marisa by annie beedy}
{green swap photograph by charlotte jenks lewis}
yesterday's q+a: susan and katharine of hable construction
tomorrow's q+a: vivian leung of 9spotmonk
what's green swap? find out more here
