Sustainable Fashion has become somewhat of an elusive concept in the past few years. Is it fair-trade? Is it organic? Recycled? Slow? Green? With such broad language, how do we know exactly what we’re buying? What we do know is the conversation has brought much attention to the not just the “what” of design materials but the “how” of design processes – buying, trading, making and selling.

Argentina, eager to join in the conversation, has suddenly found itself bursting at the seams with eco-conscious fashion designers expressing their talent through endless mediums. From sustainable knits to recycled fabrics, not to mention traditional artisans hand-crafting their goods which inherently fit the green profile, eco-minded shoppers have plenty to choose from without compromising values or quality. The following ten eco-designers in Argentina and their creations top the list.

1. Sustainable knits produced in Toba indigenous community

Sustainable knits produced in Toba indigenous community for Agostina Bianci.

Agostina Bianchi Thames 1733, Palermo.

2. Bracelet made from fabric scraps and paper beads made from discarded magazines

Bracelet made from fabric scraps and paper beads made from discarded magazines by Lua Chea.

Lua Chea Borges 2029, Palermo

3. ‘Bolso Pescador’ Shoulder Bag made from aluminum can tops, $868

Bolso Pescador’ Shoulder Bag made from aluminum can tops by Aluminum.

Aluminium

4. Unisex Scarf made from sustainable knits (100% Llama), $180

Unisex Scarf made from sustainable knits (100% Llama) by Cubreme.

Cubreme, Godoy Cruz 1720, Palermo

5. Wallet made from Tyvek materials, $55

Wallet made from Tyvek materials by Confitte.

Confitte

6. Dress made from recycled neckties

Dress made from recycled neckties by Salve.

Salve

7. SURI sweatshirt hand-printed with water-based inks onto unbleached canvas, $255

SURI sweatshirt hand-printed with water-based inks onto unbleached canvas by Bill et Bill.

Bill et Bill

8. Laptop case made from recycled coffee sacks, from $140

Laptop case made from recycled coffee sacks by Carro.

Carro

9. Rococo necklace made from recycled textiles

Rococo necklace made from recycled textiles by Marina Callis.

Marina Callis

10. Unisex messenger bag made from recycled vinyl, $174

Unisex messenger bag made from recycled vinyl by Baumm.

Baumm

If your summer has been full of choripan and asados, it might be time to put down the steak knife and consider a healthier option. Green-minded restaurants that make veggies fun have been springing up all over Buenos Aires. It’s about exciting new flavors that don’t wreak havoc on your health. If you want to clean up your eating habits or are just looking for a new dining experience in this city of red meats, here are some restaurants you should definitely try.

Kensho interior (Photo: Rafa Lopez Binaghi)

1.  Kensho, Palermo

In Zen Buddhism, Kensho is the direct and intimate experience of enlightenment. In Palermo, Kensho is an awakening into the world of gourmet vegetarian dining. The food is creative, and beautifully presented. Everything is vegetarian but many things are also vegan, and some are raw food. If you’ve never experienced raw food, lose that innocence at Kensho. The raw-food picada for two, $60, combines familiar flavors with an unfamiliar preparation – nothing cooked above 38 degrees. The philosophy holds that anything heated above that temperature has lost most of it’s nutritional value. The dish has a raw spin on chorizo – made of nuts and seaweed, a cashew cheese that is to-die-for, and variations on falafel and paté. The Kensho menu is organic, and changes with the season – the promise of new dished and flavors will keep you coming back year-round.

Open Tues-Sat, 10am until late, Sun, midday until midafternoon. Prices from $45 for a main. Accept cards. Click here for more information.

Natural Deli Restaurant

2.  Natural Deli, Palermo

This a wonderful place to bring a book or your laptop and park for a while. With some couch seating and several tables surrounded by shelves filled with healthy deli goods, this is a calming space to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. The environment is as fresh and vibrant as its food, with a lot of space and natural light. Order one of their blended juices. The Reenergizador, with red fruits, banana and orange has the promise of booting your energy levels. The other side of the menu breaks down the nutritional benefits of the ingredients you’re drinking. Turns out banana is rich in potassium, calcium and vitamins B and C. Good for athletes, children, and those in need of a boost. There is a large variety of home made baked good and pastries, but don’t skip over the dining menu. You can’t miss the Verde Thai wok, $39. With three locations, Natural Deli provides a good ambiance, and a variety of healthy natural products you can take home.

Located at Gorostiaga 1776 (Las Cañitas), Laprida 1672 (Barrio Norte), Rep. Árabe Siria 3090 (Botánico). Open Mon-Sat, 8am-12am, Sun, 9am-12am. For contact information visit the official website (www.naturaldeli.com). Prices from $39 for a main. Accept cards.

Bicycle display outside Hierba Buena

3.  Hierbabuena, Barracas

Only five months old, this restaurant has already warmed many to the idea of healthy-and-delicious. Of course, the warm and inviting garden-like ambience doesn’t hurt their cause. Located in an old naval hardware store, the place combines the antique machinery with pastel striped walls and a colorful mural. The message here is “green,” and the idea is to teach people to enjoy and reap the benefits of healthy food. $40 will get you a prefixe meal: a drink (try their lemonade mixed with mango), a café and fruit salad, and a choice between two freshly made entrees. They are inventing new dishes everyday and expect to roll out a new menu with more delicious options in the coming weeks. For something unique, have the mushroom burger, a meaty patty without the meat. It comes with a massive salad, tomatoes and pickled turnip, $35. Whatever you have, you’ll leave with a fully tummy and a smile.

Open Mon, 9am-5pm, Tues-Sun, 9am-midnight. Prices from $40 for a main. Accept cards. Click here for more information.

Bio Restaurant Menu (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

4.  Bio, Palermo

The original organic restaurant in Buenos Aires, these guys have been around for almost a decade and for good reason. They keep the customers coming back with fresh, local produce, unique dishes and a dedication to their cause. The green and natural wood decor, gives this veggie restaurant an earthy feel, but no need to put on a hemp tunic or a flowy skirt. Their reputation has all kinds of people coming in for ginger lemonade and house made breads.  The menu has taken gourmet food and altered it with vegetarian and organic ingredients. For example: the Milanesa made with soy and rice is a Bio Classic. This restaurant pioneered green awareness in the city, and made some elbow room for health in the Argentine diet.

Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, Tues-Sat, 8pm-1am. Prices from $40 for a main. Accept cards. Click here for more information.

Pura Vida wrap combo

5.  Pura Vida, Microcentro (editor’s note: as of early 2012, Pura Vida closed down).

This bustling juice bar in the middle of the city serves up fresh fruits and veggies everyday. Get your vitamins in a shot of wheatgrass, a blended smoothie, and accompany it with a wrap or salad. Serving up dishes in about 5 minutes – they’re putting the “foodie” in fast food, making it the perfect spot for a quick bite during your lunch break. If that is not convenient enough, they also deliver within a 5 block radius of their location. They are conscious of creating a well-rounded dining experience, even offering five variations of olive oil. Order a fresh juice like the Jardín del Eden, with carrot, celery, ginger and apple, $17 for a small, to feel quenched and energized. Next time you need a quick bite skip the cheeseburger and enjoy Pura Vida’s beat and vibrant atmosphere instead.

Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm. Prices from $25.50 for a wrap. Accept cards. Click here for more information.

The nature of tourism is consumption: to visit a place and consume the food, the culture, and bargain purchases can be the primary objective of the tourist. Catering to tourists and their needs, hotel services, along with other tourist facilities, promote a high consumption of energy, generate huge amounts of waste, and have an inefficient use of water resources, as well contributing to congestion issues in local communities. Tourism thus has a large impact worldwide and can have a remarkably detrimental effect on the environment, as well as culture.

Casa Calma's Honesty Bar (courtesy of Casa Calma)

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has estimated that by 2020 there will be almost double the current volume of tourists worldwide. Tourism is thus rapidly becoming an even more pressing environmental issue. However, WTO research suggests that tourist activities carried out in a responsible manner can improve the conservation of natural resources and areas of natural beauty, as well as the distribution of wealth, and the development of social projects.

‘Responsible tourism’, a growing movement that supports both environmental and socio-cultural economic development, seeks to combat these issues. With an ever-expanding global interest in sustainability regarding the ways we live our lives, the responsible tourism industry promotes this focus on the tourist trade, and the principles are being adopted worldwide.

Responsible tourism initiatives are beginning to flourish across Argentina, particularly within unspoilt ares of natural beauty. However, according to Olivier Dufeu, of  sustainable tourism company Travel Native, there is a lot more work to do: “Argentina has every interest in working more in this way [promoting sustainable tourism]. There is demand, but supply is not clear or well-organised”.

Dufeu notes that within the Argentine provinces, tourism agencies often lack a complete picture of what sustainable tourism is all about. “There are many agencies that offer ‘adventure’ or ‘something alternative’, integrating concepts of ecology,” he continues. “But these are not formalised, and that’s what we need to work on now, to formalise Argentine tourism.”

The city of Buenos Aires is a model of its own. With sprawling suburbs and tightly packed central districts, it often encompasses all that is missing in terms of awareness of sustainability. The absence of recycling initiatives in the city is probably the most visible sign of what is lacking. While sustainable practises in the city are rolling (or perhaps plodding) steadily forward, a ‘green’ consciousness is not widely encouraged, hence the responsible tourism industry is affected.

Off the back of the small increase in environmental awareness, various organisations are establishing a more concrete platform for responsible tourism. Buenos Aires based organisation Generación Par aims to form a more complete idea of what is needed in terms of responsible tourism by participating with local communities.

Forming a dialogue with the Responsible Tourism Network (RTR), the organisation is creating an ethical code that hotels and tour operators would have to follow in order to become part of their network. The code is set to introduce a point scheme, where percentages would be added up depending on how effective the tourist service or hotel was in a number of different areas such as energy consumption and waste.

Juan José Galeano, President of the organisation, recognises that for hotels and businesses within the city to work towards the common goal of responsible tourism, there is only so much that the ethical code will be able to do. “One thing is the law, the other is responsibility,” he states, repeating what is readily acknowledged by hotel owners and eco-tourism agencies in Buenos Aires that the only way to move forward is if sustainability is higher on public agenda, for both those who provide for tourists, and the tourists themselves.

Three places to stay for responsible tourists:

Photo courtesy of Home Hotel

Home Hotel

Situated in a quiet neighbourhood in Palermo Hollywood, Home Hotel offers a tranquil and elegant place to stay, while maintaining eco-friendly principles that encourage waste reduction and lessen energy consumption. Beautifully designed, its modern spaces opening onto a secluded lavish garden, Home Hotel has maintained its initial objectives since it opened five years ago.

The first of its kind in Buenos Aires, the idea was conceived with the intention to apply the issues of green and social responsibility to as many aspects of the hotel as possible. The thoroughness of the project means that developments are continually underway: as energy-saving light bulbs are now more readily available in the country, the hotel is in the process of lowering its energy consumption.

The hotel works alongside social initiatives such as El Ceibo on recycling projects, donates used oil towards bio fuels, as well as educating their staff in their green principles in order that as little as possible is wasted. The restaurant serves a delicious and locally sourced menu, having decided against using organic produce which may have to come from further afield in order for them to be certified.

Every factor of running a hotel appears to have been thought of and nothing goes by unnoticed. Patricia O’Shea, co-owner, understands that with these objectives, adaptations to the hotel are endless, the disposal of used batteries currently top of their agenda. However, with such beautiful and calming surroundings, residents of the hotel can rest-assured that they are travelling responsibly,without having to lift a finger.

For more information on Home Hotel click here.

Eco Pampa (courtesy of Travelnative)

Eco Pampa Hostel

For those on a budget Eco Pampa is a lucky alternative, having only been open since March. Priding itself on its use of recycled furniture in its cavernous bar/lounge, the hostel has a shared kitchen and many rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Despite not appearing quite as established in terms of ‘eco-consciousness’ as other tourist destinations, Eco Pampa makes a point of reminding its customers to be less wasteful, for example putting up signs over every sink and toilet to try to reduce water usage.

With double glazed windows, computers, and televisions in many of the comfortable guest rooms, the hostel does not lack anything a customer may need. The most impressive feature of the hostel, however, is the roof terrace. Small and charming with a couple of wooden loungers, the terrace is host to a flowerbed, herb gardens, and a compost heap. The solar panels and water systems are also in full view from the roof, which guarantees to be a sun-trap during the summer months. Although perhaps not enough to warrant the word ‘eco’ in its name, the hostel is still trying to follow in the spirit of responsible tourism, and is a good place for a simple hostel stay.

For more information on Eco Pampa click here.

Casa Calma's Reception Area (courtesy of Casa Calma)

Casa Calma

Wrapped within a web of  branches from its vertical garden, the facade of Casa Calma appears to be protected from the chaos of the city that surrounds it. Inside, it is hard to believe that it is located in the centre of Buenos Aires, truly deserving of its calming name.

Attempting a carbon neutral footprint within its architecture and energy use, the hotel works with the objective that everything they generate they give back in the form of reforestation project donations. Orientated towards an environmentally friendly design, even the wallpaper glue used in the original designs was non-toxic.

In the two years since they opened they have attempted to create luxury and calmness within each room, offering the less eco-friendly option of personal saunas and jacuzzis, as well as one-to-one yoga classes and massages within each room.

Small details such as automatic lights and organic soaps help to create what General Manager Marina Perez Alati refers to as a “green space inside the pollution”. Continuing to introduce new concepts, the hotel awaits the arrival of new solar panels for their terrace, as well as a cycling initiative for their staff to celebrate the the street outside becoming pedestrianised. Casa Calma maintains the luxurious aspects its clients expect, while moving towards the responsible tourism objectives at a progressive (yet calm) pace.

For more information on Casa Calma click here.

Three tours and trips for responsible travellers:

ANDA travel

Advertising a range of tours in areas such as La Boca, of Tango shows, or sustainable living initiatives in the countryside, ANDA is recognised as a well thought-out and accurate source for those interested in responsible tourism.

For more information on ANDA, click here.

Travel Native

Using a search engine to find out your needs, Travel Native offers tailor-made trips and tours around the country. The website can be used as a very helpful tool to find out what is avaiable regarding sustainable tourism.

For more information visit www.travelnative.com

Responsible Travel

With some good ideas about alternative bicycle tours and trips, Responsible Travel has a fairly useful website. However, be wary of expensive agency fees for the tailormade trips.

For more information visit www.responsibletravel.com

“Cute as a button” is an old adage that has been tossed around for decades, but are buttons particularly cute? Perhaps not, but Lucas Campodónico and Rocío González have been seeing buttons – discarded buttons – in ways most people would not dream of.

A button elephant (photo/Greca)

Together, they created Greca in 2008, a sustainable design company that creates accessories and objects from discarded buttons and the resin surplus of the industrial production. Buttons start to look rather cute when seen inside the resin of bracelets, necklaces, rings, flowerpots, clocks, lamps and miscellaneous objects such as decorative elephants and frogs.

The project officially began in 2008, but Campodónico and a childhood friend planted the seed that would grow to become Greca in 2005 when they started making necklaces with buttons. Those necklaces garnered a fair amount of attention, at least from family members, who began to make requests for more. Soon after, they received an offer from Juana de Arco, an Argentine clothing brand, to design a collection for Fashion Week. This gave them the confidence to start marketing what they were creating, but the project was still rather disorganized and lacked long-term goals.

Then Campodónico gained access to a button factory and became inspired by the large amount of industrial waste he saw there.

Co-Founder Lucas Campodónico with a button giraffe (photo/Brian Funk)

“It was a mixture of common sense, opportunity and necessity,” he said. “I could not understand that all of it was all rubbish that could be usable for other purposes. I started to do anything with those buttons and started researching the subject. I realized what was going on in that factory was not a rarity, but a phenomenon repeated in each factory,” he said.

González later joined Campodónico and they set about turning the hobby into a serious eco-design brand.

As far as the aesthetics of the designs, Campodónico denied that there is a definite trend. Rather, he attributed the designs to the experiences and knowledge of the people involved with Greca.

He noted that they do face some challenges in the design process that other artists are not susceptible to.

“There are limitations of our raw materials to the design,” he explained. “Designers usually think of a design and then analyse which is the best material to use. Our path is reversed. First there is the material and then we think of what we can make with it.”

It may be a bit more challenging, but the use of recycled materials and the wellbeing of the environment matter to Greca. It is important to them to show and teach that it is possible to work in a friendly manner with the environment and that many of the materials commonly thought of as rubbish can be transformed in to works of art.

Greca’s clientele usually have an affinity for design and the environment. Clients also have high-purchasing power because eco-design tends to be relatively expensive because of the low-scale production and care that is invested in each piece.

A button clock is one of Greca's new products (photo/Greca)

Nevertheless, Greca is growing, boasting vendors in California and Oklahoma in the United States; Spain; New Zealand; Chile and of course Argentina.

Yet Campodónico said that Greca’s products are designed for them.

“We like to do what gives us pleasure. Often we make products that we like but they do not sell. We believe that the pleasure of doing what one wants is a great privilege, but we realize that to do this, we have to work very hard,” he explained.

He realizes that the brand has a long way to go before it reaches the full potential of their vision. He said, “Our goal is to grow without ceasing to be children. We believe it’s possible for a company to achieve a balance of adapting to the competitive market without losing the love for what it does.”

Lead image: ‘Button Frog’ by Greca

Photo courtesy of Casa Calma

Good hotels are places to which you plan on returning. Great hotels are places in which you dream of living; places which force you to rethink your vision of home.

Casa Calma sits in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires and aims to be “a home from home” for its guests. It is Argentina’s first eco-hotel and is devoted to a philosophy of wellness and organic living; an oasis in the womb of a heaving metropolis.

On 15th October, Casa Calma celebrates its first anniversary as Buenos Aires’ prime environmentally friendly, urban refuge. After a year of business, the ground-breaking design of the hotel continues to provide guests with luxury accommodation whilst adhering to an organic mantra.

Photo courtesy of Casa Calma

Argentine architect and co-founder, Carlos Levit, believed in the importance of investing within his own country. Through travel and exploration of global ecological design ideas and phenomena, he was able to “create something entirely new here in Buenos Aires”. Levit designed everything in the building, and where the green issue is a relatively recent preoccupation in Argentina, his work is truly innovative, as he strives to highlight the importance of organic living.

The hotel features an abundance of initiatives dedicated to promoting this movement of environmental concern. The building is surrounded by a beautiful vertical garden: green ivy which grows up each of the outside walls, providing a verdant backdrop and acting as an energy saving thermal balance, keeping heat either in or out as required. The horticultural wonder also improves the breathing quality of the surrounding atmosphere and grows behind double glazed glass, ensuring that no heat is lost unnecessarily.

The hotel’s impeccable decor is all manufactured from eco-friendly materials. The wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, assuring sustainable forest resources; and the wallpaper is made from entirely recycled materials. Furthermore, each room’s amenities (the lavish, complementary spa products) are bottled using recycled plastic, and are refilled as opposed to replaced, cutting down on the hotel’s waste.

However, according to the staff of Casa Calma, the hotel’s primary attraction is its character. It is distinct from any other establishment in the country, and the tranquil haven seems completely hidden from the bustling city outside. Indeed, upon entering the building the double glazing drowns out all traffic noise, and the crisp white, plush interior of the lobby creates an immediately fresh and cosy atmosphere. The shelves are lined with books on green living, and a computer is available for free use by guests.

This serene ambience is the defining feature of the hotel’s bedrooms. The twelve ‘Wellness’ and six ‘Wellness Premium’ suites are designed as individual spa retreats, each equipped with a Jacuzzi and therapeutic ‘Scottish shower’. Premium rooms also have a sauna and all bathrooms feature a luxury array of natural soaps, oils and lotions. The rooms are light and spacious and if desired, candles, chocolate and champagne can all be ordered from reception. Guests can enjoy breakfast in bed at no extra cost, whilst watching a DVD from the hotel’s library on the wide-screen television. The overall effect is that of a sumptuous, yet homely, environment which is further enhanced by a well-stocked mini bar and máquinas de la casa, such as an espresso machine and i-pod port.

Photo courtesy of Casa Calma

The staff and managers maintain that this “filosofía de casa” is what makes Casa Calma such a wholly relaxing and satisfying experience. Nowhere is this philosophy more evident than in the hotel’s ‘Honesty Bar’. At any time, residents may help themselves to fruit, pastries, teas, juices and wines. They are trusted to record their pickings and pay the tab when they check out. Casa Calma’s cuisine is based on fresh, regional, organic produce, and the range of delicious meat, fish and pasta dishes are all prepared from scratch on the premises. Chef, Ignacio Sosa, describes the menu as: “Homemade meets sophisticated, and always hecho con amor.” He and his team promise to cook each dish to your preferred taste, “as you’d like it in your own home.”

Thus, he perfectly captures the essence of Casa Calma. As the hotel endeavours to provide the finest in calm comfort and eco-friendly luxury, guests are most importantly welcomed with open arms into a homely environment. A year on, the hotel’s philosophy is still refreshing. Whether you are holidaying in the capital, or looking for a weekend break from working in the city, Casa Calma promotes a “culture of wellbeing”, catering for the mind, body and above all, soul.