Promoting sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.
We interrupt the “What-I-did-on-my-summer-vacation” essay to give a brief report on this week’s activities back in Brooklyn… The 30th Annual Flatbush Frolic street fair took place last Sunday on Cortelyou Road. Sustainable Flatbush was out promoting recycling and biking, and I acquired my new favorite […]
For those who haven’t guessed (or, perhaps, even thought about it), I was out of town for most of August on a series of adventures. Not the least of these involved getting to work on the day I left, which happened to begin with Brooklyn’s […]
Check out tomorrow’s
indie designer/fashion/recycling event
from the crafty folks at etsy!
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What is Trashion? Well, as you might guess, it’s fashion, accessories, art, and crafts made from trash and upcycled and recycled materials. You can check out the philosophy and some of the work of these artists here.
What will be going on? Well, well, at the Trashion show, you can:
*shop more than a dozen etsy shop’s designs, art, clothes, paper goods, accessories and housewares
*pick up some free samples (if you arrive early enough)
*learn more about trashion
*learn how to make some paper beads – and create some
to take home for free
*take away some more trashion supplies for inspiration
*participate in our online chat
*eat some tasty treats, talk with the sellers and schmooze
*support indie designers with an eco-focus to their handmade goods
What are Last Fridays Trunk Shows? Glad you asked! They’re parties with music, drinks, fun people to meet and talk to, and awesome goods to browse and buy- basically a great way to start your Friday night.
Please rsvp if you wanna come. See ya soon!
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When: Friday, July 27 from 6-8PM
Where: Etsy Labs: 325 Gold St., 6th Floor
How: Directions
Greening Your Home: Living Sustainably in Brooklyn Four free seminars conducted by Ellen Honigstock, a Registered Architect and LEED Accredited Professional. A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. Wednesday, July […]
For Event #4 Sustainable Flatbush is teaming up with the Green Edge Collaborative, a Brooklyn-based organization dedicated to community education about the impact of individual consumption choices on society and the environment. Green Edge’s previous events have included Eco-Eatery tours of local restaurants and Supper […]
Many thanks to all who supported last weekend’s Electronics Recycling Event on Cortelyou Road. We diverted a truckful of electronics devices from the landfill and made some friends along the way!
Thanks especially to everyone at Lower East Side Ecology Center for making the event possible, and to Flatbush Development Corporation for their promotion and support. We hope to do another one soon.
photo by keka
This photo by Flatbush Gardener illustrates how NOT to dispose of your unwanted electronics items! Instead, bring them to the First-Ever Flatbush Electronics Recycling Event this weekend. Details below: When: Saturday June 30, 10am – 4pm Sunday July 1, 10am – 4pm Monday July 2, […]
These bins are in Borough Hall Plaza, by the farmers’ market. A peek inside revealed excellent recycling compliance. Go Brooklyn!
We had a full house for Friday’s lecture by Wilton Duckworth and Joan Ewing of Green Phoenix Permaculture.
Wilton provided some fascinating historical perspective on New York City’s infrastructure; I was particularly intrigued to learn of our transition from a city that was once able to sell its “night soil” (waste from outhouses) to farmers on Long Island for fertilizer, to our current garbage situation requiring massive daily truck caravans to cart our waste to faraway locations, at huge municipal expense. Joan also spoke eloquently of the city’s human resources – energy of youth, wisdom of elders, richness of cultural diversity, etc. – and the need to reclaim our time so we can better utilize them.
photo by Chris Kreussling aka Flatbush Gardener
Harvesting rainwater to mitigate Combined Sewer Overflow and promoting community composting to turn organic waste into nourishment for the city’s gardens and parks were just two of the ideas discussed on what Urban Permaculture might look like; both exemplify perfectly the Permaculture philosophy of turning problems into solutions. It is worth noting that these activities make sense financially as well as environmentally (homeowners, checked your water bill lately?) and are relatively simple to implement.
Sustainable Flatbush would like to give big big thanks to Joan and Wilton for coming back to the neighborhood to share their knowledge and experience with us!!
more photos from Event #3 can be seen at Flatbush Gardener’s Flickr gallery.
Event #3 also provided a special treat for the late-nighters who stayed to hear Cacau Arcoverde and Ileana Santamaria perform music and dance from Pernambuco, Brazil! We even had a roda de capoeira going for a minute (thanks to Samir). DJ Drummerman (Jeff Duneman) and […]
