Buy a Shirt - Save a River

It's not every day you find a win win win - but in April you will find just that, a win win win, all month long.

Hotel Felix, Chicago's greenest hotel, has partnered with Recycle Me for an Earth Month promotion that will make everyone a winner.

Recycle Me, the organic cotton clothing company that brought you all organic cotton tees, grown, sewn, and printed in the USA, is donating the last of it's t-shirt inventory to be sold at Hotel Felix - only $15.00 while supplies last. The proceeds will benefit Friends of the Chicago River.

'Not only are you getting a quality cotton tee free from pesticides and chemicals where all stages of production were good to the environment, you also get to help the local environment, the Chicago river,' says Alix Gnoske, founder of the former company Recycle Me. Gnoske was happy to donate the shirts to benefit the Friends of the Chicago River as she has been exploring and birding along the river since she was 13.

The tees will be on sale all of April at Hotel Felix, in downtown Chicago at 111 W. Huron. Shirts range from babies to adults with a variety of eco-smart phrases, such as 'I AM GREEN' and 'ORGANIC eat it wear it be it.'

Friends of the Chicago River started in 1979 and is the only organization solely dedicated to the Chicago River. Their mission is to improve and protect the Chicago River system for people, plants, and animals.

Hotel Felix opened in 2009 and is the first eco-friendly hotel in Chicago with Silver LEED Certification. They are celebrating Earth Month all April with additional promotions and events including free yoga classes provided by Pop-Up Yoga Studio every Wednesday.

So this April check out Chicago's greenest hotel, buy a shirt that was produced supporting the environment, and get even greener with that purchase (maybe buy two or three!) as the proceeds will benefit your own Chicago River.

Win, win, win!

Chicago Green Festival

What are you doing this weekend? Hop a train, a bus, or hop on your bike and get down to Navy Pier for the biggest Green and environmentally friendly event of the year!

May 22 - 23 is Chicago's 4th annual Chicago Green Festival brought to you by Green America and Global Exchange featuring hundreds of local and regional green businesses, non-profits, and community groups who are making a difference for you and the planet!

There will also be dozens of expert speakers on many interesting and current topics, lots of free samples, and the fabulous food court where you can taste so many different healthy yet delicious things!

You can find RECYCLE ME and local Chicago author and illustrator Alexandra Gnoske of Loui Saves the Earth at the Sweet Spot Cafe in booth 1230 with BOT Bakery. BOT Bakery makes handcrafted Organic-Vegan-Gluten-Free, baked goods!

There so much to see, learn, and experience (for kids too - and kids always get in free), you should stay for the whole weekend!

Green Business Owners You Should Know

Last month RECYCLE ME joined many other local green business and organizations at the North Lake Shore Community Earth Day 2010 event on the Loyola Campus.

We were fortunate enough to run into two of our favorite Green Business Owners: Marilyn Jones with Consolidated Printing from Chicago and Kathleen H. of Distinctive Green Interiors and Local Green Connect from Elgin.

Both woman are doing, and have been doing, wonderful things for the environment for years. Marilyn is the owner of the award winning Consolidated Printing who has been pioneering green printing since the 1970s. Check out their recent interview with NBC5 here.

Kathleen has got to be one of the busiest environmental proponents I know. Just this week she planted a 400 oak tree forest in Elgin. She heads up Distinctive Green Interiors helping people create eco responsible homes. She's amazing at connecting people and developing eco programs for businesses, schools, you name it!

So glad to know them both. And I hope you can check them both out as they are true (local) Green Business Owners making a difference in their communities and for the planet!

Summer Reading a Little Early! Loui Saves the Earth for kids of all ages

Local Author and Illustrator, Alexandra Gnoske, has just published Loui Saves the Earth a children's book with some local Chicago flair.

The book is an inspiring story of how a boy and his dog can make a difference for Planet Earth. It teaches, while entertaining, the importance of our everyday actions, and that everyone, even little kids, can make a big difference.

The author will be hosting a book release party on May 15th, from 3 - 5pm with readings at 330 and 430, at Drew's Eatery, 2207 W. Montrose. Ms. Gnoske will be giving away signed copies of her book to the first 15 people at the event.

You can also find her book on amazon.com.

Ms. Gnoske is big on teaching kids about nature and environmental issues. She has a degree in Wildlife Biology and a J.D. in Environmental Law. She previously taught at the Ozark Natural Science Center and continues engaging children with Loui Saves the Earth.

Her Blog is meant to empower children by acknowledging the everyday things they do that make a difference for the planet.

You can also find Ms. Gnoske selling her Recycle Me brand organic and water based cotton tees around Chicagoland. For more information on upcoming events and book signings please visit www.louisavestheearth.com. We recommending purchasing your book on amazon before an event in case the books run out!

Local Green Holiday Guide: Where do you live?

Friends of the Recycle Me Blog, I will be adding more interviews from the West Coast, particularly the Seattle, WA and Southern California areas because I know many of my readers are from those areas.

Most of my interviews are from businesses around Chicagoland because that's were Recycle Me is located.

If you live somewhere else and want to hear about Green Businesses in your area, or know a Green Business I should blog about, please contact me at alix@recyclemeorganictees.com with that request so we can get them in here!

Thanks!

Help RECYCLE ME win the Shine a Light Grant!

Please help RECYCLE ME win the Shine a Light Small Business Grant by nominating us CLICK HERE!

RECYCLE ME need's to receive 50 nominations by September 13th. You are eligible to win $3,000.00 when you nominate a small business.

We truly appreciate your support. We would love to expand our organic cotton clothing line and give you more ways to keep the chemicals out of the environment and off your body!