April 2011 Archives

What better way to mark Earth Day 2011 than by exploring the latest innovations from a country that has long epitomized what it means to be green: New Zealand.

"Being green is part of New Zealand's DNA," said Tanya Shuster, a business development manager with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the country's national economic development agency. "It's not a marketing gimmick it just makes sense to the New Zealand ethos."

Blessed with a pristine environment, a wealth of nature's best ingredients and an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit that spawns creative companies, New Zealand is tapping into a burgeoning demand for sustainable offerings in everything from clothing to carpeting to cosmetics. The country's natural products industry is now worth more than $750 million annually and growing.

Among the latest, cool, eco-friendly products from New Zealand are

Ethical Wool and Happy Sheep:  

A New Zealand merino brand called Zque is adding a new fiber category to the country's venerable wool industry that it has dubbed "ethical wool."  The company's Zque fiber combines natural performance wool with an accreditation program that ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, animal welfare and traceability back to the source.   Likewise Icebreaker use pure, superfine New Zealand merino from sustainable sheep farms to make high-performance outdoor wear. Icebreaker even includes a "Baacode" - get it? - to trace the origins of the wool from the mountains of New Zealand.  

Wools of New Zealand is promoting a new brand called Laneve, which is  traced back to the farm where it was grown. Laneve represents wool that comes from accredited New Zealand farms that meet a comprehensive range of environmental, social and responsibility and animal welfare standards. It is carried on carpets and rugs made by manufacturer partners around the world. Laneve, along with the established Wools of New Zealand brand, are working to build a stronger desire for New Zealand wool and the happy sheep that graze the lush, verdant countryside.  

·     "Green" Wine:  

     More than 1,100 vineyards have now signed up to Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, the industry's program for environmental, social and economic sustainability.  That equates to over 84 percent of New Zealand's wine producing land or nearly 65,000 acres.

Case in point is the award-winning Villa Maria Estate, which was an early adopter of the screw cap and is devoted to sustainable practices ranging from night air cooling, renewable energy and heat recovery at its wineries to organic viticulture and hybrid vehicles for its sales team.

Natural Beauty: 

Kio Kio, a new body care line from New Zealand that recently made its U.S. debut at exclusive Fred Segal boutiques in Los Angeles, sets a new standard in eco-conscious beauty with its "wild-harvested" methods using botanical native extracts from the country's virgin forests and eco-friendly packaging made from recyclable materials.  Another upscale line of 100% natural skin care from New Zealand-based Snowberry combines the "purest, finest ingredients" from New Zealand wilderness with sophisticated packaging that appeals to the chic and fashionable. 

Pacific Perfumes has perfected an all-natural solid perfume packed in eco-friendly, biodegradable wooden pots sourced from certified sustainable New Zealand forests.  The company donates $1 from each sale to Forest & Bird, New Zealand's oldest and largest conservation organization

 

    Surf & Turf: 

     Sustainable, environmentally responsible husbandry is at the core of NZ King Salmon, which raises King Salmon prized throughout the world for its rich flavor, elegant texture, deep orange color and high natural oil content. The company is introducing a new premium cold smoked salmon to upscale food purveyors in the U.S. that is pin-boned by hand, brined with sea salt and then slowly smoked with Manuka wood, a hardwood native to New Zealand. Likewise, New Zealand is a key source for sustainable grass-fed beef for discriminating palates and eco-conscious foodies.  Anzco Foods' grass-fed Greenstone Creek and Maori Lakes grass-fed beef and Pilot Brands' Firstlight grass-fed Wagyu beef are two examples of this coming straight from New Zealand's pastures.

 

For more information, visit www.newzealand.com.

Who has time to clean carpets these days? Our fast paced lives require fast paced solutions when spots and spills disrupt our day. When life's mishaps occur, there is no need to panic when it comes to wool. In fact, wool's unique and complex construction releases soil up to 25 percent more readily than synthetics. Best of all wool is naturally soil resistant and doesn't require any protective finishes. This means that the addition of anti-soil agents, like Sctochgard, are unnecessary.

Why? Well, the soil resistant characteristics inherent in wool fiber give it the ability to naturally shrug off both wet and dry spills. Wool has a scaly outer structure that holds soil high on the pile where it can be easily vacuumed. If you have a cut-pile carpet, an upright vacuum with a beater/bar brush is the best. Just make sure to set your vacuum so that the brush barely touches the face of the carpet. If you have loop pile carpet, a suction-only vacuum is needed to prevent excess fuzzing.

Wools of New Zealand recommends using a Miele vacuum and has partnered with Miele to promote wool safe vacuums. Miele makes exceptional vacuum cleaners that offer various suction levels and wool-safe attachments, especially in the S4 and S5 series. If you use a Dyson, be careful. Many manufacturers void their warranties if a Dyson vacuum is used.

When it comes to wet spills, you need to clean it as quickly as possible, but cleaning is easy. That's because wool has a protective membrane, called the epicuticle, which helps prevent wet spills from penetrating the fiber. Start with a white, absorbent cloth and water. Blot the spot...do not rub. Rubbing can damage the texture of the carpet. Should additional treatment be necessary, simply refer to Wools of New Zealand's website at woolsnz.com or our maintenance brochure for easy step-by-step instructions on how to clean numerous types of spills.

Wools of New Zealand also offers WoolClean Kits and WoolClean Natural, two WoolSafe spot-cleaning products that effectively clean wool as well as synthetics. Cleaning solutions used on wool carpet have to have a PH level less than 7 to prevent discoloration, so it is important to use products that are WoolSafe certified. A complete list of approved cleaning products is posted on woolsafeusa.org.

Professional cleaning is recommended every one or two years or as needed. To ensure you hire someone that knows how to clean wool, we recommend using a Certified Wool Care Specialist. To find one in your area, just visit our website.