environmentalism

Seiko watches of Japan has launched a new website intended on educating consumers on how many Seiko timepieces are environmentally friendly. How can watches negatively effect the environment? It really comes down to the disposal of batteries in basic quartz watches. Battery powered quartz watches require battery changes each few years. With the majority of watches around being quartz powered, that means tons and tons of batteries disposed as garbage each year. While small in size, the volume adds up, and is especially important as batteries can sometimes contain harmful chemicals.

While Seiko still makes normal quartz watches, the new site called Seiko Clean Energy, emphasizes how four watch movement types they utilize will not contribute (as much) to battery waste. None of these four movement types are new, but the intent of the website is to specifically promote the potential earth-friendliness of the those products. Seiko Spring Drive and mechanical movement watches don't have batteries at all, so they will never contribute to battery waste. These two movement types represent Seiko's highest-end products. Seiko Kinetic and Solar movement watches are technically quartz movements, but have batteries that recharge natively inside of the movement (they will really only contribute to waste if the watches themselves are thrown away). Seiko is dedicated to educating consumers, and with today's focus on energy efficiency and planet friend products, Seiko is communicating how they can contribute.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

PACT is back with a new print. The underwear designed to cover your ass while saving it from pollution and other environmental mayhem is out with a new look ... thanks to a little help from Yves Behar and artist Sage Vaughn. Three new prints are coming out, each aligned with a new cause.

Behar designed two of the new prints, which include shells and scales. Ten percent of the sales from these new undies (for men and women) will go to Oceana. The third, designed by Vaughn, is a butterfly print that will support Global Green USA.

"I love the idea of bringing a sense of joy and playfulness to philanthropy and the act of giving," said Vaughn. "Like a tattoo in an unseen place, the intimacy of underwear creates a unique relationship with the art." Before turning to the garments closest to your skin, Vaughn made a name as a painter and graffiti artist. He designed the new PACT print for his wife, Sweet P.

Jeff Denby, co-founder of PACT, says, ""We're thrilled to be working with Sage Vaughn for the Global Green print." He continues, "We're longtime admirers of his work, and his Global Green print is a stunning addition to PACT's collection of bright, bold patterns that capture the heart of the organizations they benefit."

To save the environment is to save your ass, and a new underwear company is making both more comfortable. PACT, which launched last month, integrates organic materials and a low-impact manufacturing, shipping and shopping process to deliver comfort and style ... but not at the expense of the rainforests and ozone layer. Premium organic is poised to become the next iteration of conspicuous luxury (if it's not there already), and hiding a PACT product under your jeans could someday supplant a Patek-clad wrist.

Well, maybe that's wishful thinking from an ol' tree-hugger, but there is no doubt that the premium associated with environmentally friendly products is already beginning to carve out its own space in the world of luxury products.

Manufactured in Turkey – from the farming of organic cotton to finished product, all within a 100-mile radius – PACT underwear requires a lower level of carbon emissions to produce, and every link in the supply chain, the company says, is certified to exceed the highest environmental standards. Where no certification exists, PACT uses social expectations as its benchmark (and not the expectations of a guy who clubs seals for sport). Packaging for shipping bags is compostable and encloses another bag, made from cloth scraps and reusable.
The company eschews filler, plastic and big cardboard boxes.

"We looked at underwear through the lens of 360º design," says Jeff Denby, PACT Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder. "Having fuseproject as an equity partner in PACT illuminates the fundamental importance of design to the PACT brand. Our collaboration is key to generating what we believe are the most innovative ideas at the intersection of business, design and sustainability."

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort – and its sister property, the Beach Resort – are making it easy to hide from the world for a few days this summer. And, I can tell you from experience, the twin Ritz properties are great places to hide. With the Spa Escape Package, you can be treated as you deserve (or, in my case, better), for a mere $259 a night ($299 at the Beach Resort).

The spa at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort services both Naples, FL properties. As part o this program, a stay at either hotel will get you a $200 spa credit, which includes both services and retail. You'll also pick up a $50 gift card for the properties' on-site stores.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa integrates organic and eco-friendly options to mitigate environmental impact without degrading the quality of the treatments provided. The Eco-Luxe Facial and Eco-Luxe Cocoon are conducted in the Eco-Room, which features soft materials made from organic cotton and bamboo and washed in a separate machine with fragrance-free and sulfate-free cleansers. The floor and chair are made from bamboo, and the massage table was crafted entirely from sustainable materials.

With domestic flights cheaper than ever (except when I'm flying, it seems), getting to Naples won't be painful, and JetBlue has countless flights into the area. And, the perks that come with the Spa Escape Package basically make the room free. I hit this spa last summer and might just make it an annual experience.