The Salon Marjolaine is back for another edition of sustainable development. A week to make green conscience change is just enough time to reveal the environmental issues to the public. This year, the show revolves around film lectures, green coffee to discuss topical issues and a series of workshops to learn how to eat better, organic wine tasting or healthy cooking class with delicious essential oils. It offers all the latest trends in organic products. An amazing week of information to get your mind full of green ideas!

Le Salon Marjolaine takes place from November 5th, to 13th, at the Parc Floral, Paris.
Open from 10.30 am to 7 pm. Late-night opening on Thursday November 10th, 10 am to 9 pm.

Parc Floral de Paris – Bois de Vincennes
75012 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.45.56.09.09

See other green good plans on the Gavarni’s blog.

Green consciousness seems to get into many areas. The city of London has decided to host and organize the 2012 Olympic Games under the sustainable development banner. Focused on five themes, namely biodiversity, waste management, climate change, healthy living and social inclusion, the ecological plan set up for the summer games is titanic but very well constructed.

To start with, the Olympic Park will be located on former industrial contaminated land. It will allow the city to have a new green space (the largest urban park created for these last 150 years) and to identify habitats and species to protect in priority, such as otters, kingfishers and others. Moreover, in its northern part, a pumping station will be set up to manage better rainwater; while in the West, an innovative energy center equipped with biomass-fired boilers, a primary substation and a gas-fired combined cooling heat and power will be installed. Don’t worry, the South will host gardens, events, markets and bars. In addition, 2000 trees were planted and more than 300,000 wetland plants will enhance the green touch of the park.

As for social matters, the Olympic Village, which will host 17,000 athletes and officials, will be transformed later, in 2,800 homes, including 1379 low-rent.

The Olympic Stadium is designed with 75% of lightweight materials. The upper level, made with recyclable polymer, will be dismantled at the end of games. Finally, even the Olympic flame will be “green” using a cleaner fuel than paraffin, but it will still burn day and night.

For any further information, visit the 2012 Olympic Games official website.

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Everyone has already had this frustrating feeling: seeing worn or unfashionable clothes piling up at the bottom of the wardrobe. With a good will, we often decide to put everything in a trash bag, and we swear to drop it at Emmaüs … knowing that three months later, it still dominates our hallway. This is why the Japanese brand UNIQLO has decided to introduce the “All Product Recycling” initiative, (since 2001 in Japan) in France.

Now simply go on a shopping spree in any UNIQLO store in France with your old UNIQLO clothes and leave them on site. In Japan, clothes are distributed through NGO in 12 countries (Africa and Asia) and in Georgian domestic or policy refugees’ camps, while in France they will be sorted and redistributed by Samu Social. As an example, since 2006, the company received more than 10 million garments which have all been dispatched. A nicer alternative than large containers on the supermarkets parking lots.

More : UNIQLO parent company has opened a subsidiary in Bangladesh (one of the poorest countries in the world) in association with the Grameen Bank, a microfinance organization. With a textile business, the brand will contribute to the fight against poverty and illiteracy, and improve hygiene conditions. Over three years, it plans to hire about 1,500 people.

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Most of the time we get ideas about everything, even on the environmental commitment of some companies. Some handle it better than the others, whereas, in fact, performance is not always there. To overcome this bad faith, Interbrand, a brand consultancy publishes the annual Best Global Green Brands. A ranking which highlights companies combining good environmental image among consumers with real environmental performance. This year, the big winner is Toyota, followed closely by Siemens and 3M. Unfortunately for some, good performance is not enough to get a good ecological image among the public, we think particularly of L’Oreal or HSBC. On the other hand, we also notice that “greenwashing” still popular, McDonalds and Coca-Cola for example, have a good reputation among consumers while their policies are not so much green… It is time for us, consumers, to learn to put things in perspective!

More : Greenwashing is a form of spin in which green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly.

See the complete report on the Interbrand website.

See other green attitude topics on the Gavarni blog.

Everybody knows the shoes of the Maralex house inaugurated in 1930. Initially for women only, the brand was taken over by both founder’s sons, who had later decided to open a kid’s department. Encouraged by its success, the brand opens a shop, rue de la Pompe, entirely dedicated to kid’s fashion. Benchmark in the industry, all the top brands are mixed, such as Star-Rite, Finger in the Nose, Eagle or Sorel. Today the third generation (Alexander and Xavier Halpern) has decided to raise this ultra contemporary space to the rank of the largest multi-brand “department store” of Western Paris, not only with shoes but also with clothing, accessories, toys and books. The children’s fashion has a bright future.

trong>Maralex Kids
1, rue de la Pompe
75116 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.42.88.92.90
contact@maralex-kids.com

See other addresses in the area of Passy on the blog of the Hotel Gavarni.

Just as the Gaypride and the Technoparade, why the Ecology would not be celebrated? After all, why in the world would environmentalism necessarily rhyme with pessimism? This is what underlines the Collectif Appel de la Jeunesse, an association created in 2009, by setting the first Greenpride. Happy Ecology could be a good way to tackle the main issues combining health and environment… In any case, we want to believe it! So, it will take place on Sunday October 23, 2011. Among the key events there will be a brunch organized in partnership with organic producers from Ile-de-France at la Villettte Enchantée, the brand new spot of the parc de la Villette. There will be also a carnival parade, eco-designed, everywhere in Paris, with Greenpeace and GoodPlanet, and pop-rock concerts at the Trianon. Who said that Ecology was boring?

More: Between November 7 and December 16, 2011, meetings and debates on environmental and health issues are organized in the Paris area colleges and business schools (Sciences-Po, Dauphine, ESSEC …). They will be led by researchers, scientists and so on.

The Greenpride will take place on Sunday October 23, 2011.

For further any informations, go on : www.greenpride.me

See other good plans on the blog of the Gavarni Hotel.

Do you need a part-time car? Forget car rental, Key’lib Autopartage is coming. No constraint, no commitment or subscription, the self-service car is the solution. Simply register, then you receive a membership card that allows you to book online, and then open your car. You may be wondering what car is it ? For now, only Renault Clio III are available throughout Ile-de-France. It comes from the range éco2 of Renault, they reject virtually no CO2 (less than 0.25 lb CO2/km). Moreover, the emissions are fully offset by Pur Projet, a reforestation association. No more excessive rental or purchase, you are free to move without any constraint!

More : Key’lib holds the label “Paris Autopartage”, which guarantees the quality of service and its commitment to sustainable development.

Photo credit : Forum Auto

Rates :
Occasional use 6h for €30.
Normal use 15h for €60.
Frequent use 30h for €90.
Intensive use 75h for €150.

Kilometer cost : €0,30/km.

Key’Lib Autopartage
9, rue Custine
75018 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.42.62.03.22
info@keylib.fr

A Breton wind is blowing on the 6th arrondissement. And for good reason, a Breton creperie has just hoist its flag. For its crepes and galettes, the Compagnie de Bretagne prefers fresh and organic products coming directly from Brittany. Same thing for its ciders menu, which suggests about twenty hand-crafted beverages. We like the contrast between a traditional cuisine and an ultra modern setting signed by the famous interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, divided into black and white (perhaps a tribute to the colors of the Brittany flag…). Between modernism and tradition, this creperie is just awesome!

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

Photo Credit: Fabrice Rambert

La Compagnie de Bretagne
9, rue de l’Ecole de Médecine
75006 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.43.29.39.00

Recommended by all culinary bloggers, the brand new (and first one by the way) address of the gifted Chef Akrame has opened in the beginning of the year and is already one of the best Parisian restaurants. This young Chef has cooked with the most famous Chefs such as Ferran Adria (El Bulli) and Pierre Gagnaire.

An acclaimed cuisine
No wonder he broke into the market so fast, he benefits from a very creative spirit and focuses on an innovative and subtle cuisine. Perfect cooking, conscientiously balanced dishes, product chosen following the season, Akrame’s cuisine has been praised several times and that is only fair. Rose-water pigeon and sweet potatoes in emulsion, braised yellow pollock, Comté coulis, green apple and celery, those all are very mouth-watering delicacies.

A mysterious menu
At Akrame, because this is also the name of his restaurant, menus are imposed. Several formulas are suggested depending on the appetite and the budget. Thus, you only discover the content once you are served. As the Chef likes to remind, allow yourself to be lead and surprised, and trust him.

Akrame is opened from Monday to Friday from 12pm to 2pm, and from 7pm to 11pm.

Prices : Formula Les Amis du Midi : 2 main courses at €25, 3 main courses at €35.
Menu Coup de Cœur : 4 main courses at €45.
Menu Gourmand (on lunch and evenings) : 6 main courses at €65.

Akrame
19, rue Lauriston
75016 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.40.67.11.16
contact@akrame.com

See other gastronomic restaurants on the blog of the hotel Gavarni.

The 104, which is now a cultural institution in Paris, has been for a long time, a funeral service. Among the 419 790ft² that make up this cultural space, there is an Emmaus laid out as an apartment. But there is also a restaurant in which the star-studded chef Fabrice Biasiolo renews the experience of a cuisine “du quotidien et de l’extraordinaire”, drawing inspiration in the world’s cuisines and seasonal products, but above all in an organic market! It takes place every Saturday in the courtyard of 104 Aubervilliers. Vegetables, cheeses, terrines, every week, farmers such as Loïc Boulanger (la Ferme de Marconville ) or Jean-Marie Beaudouin (la Ferme des bio pâturages), come to sell their local products and exclusively organics. The 104′s Bio Market gives a country look to Paris!

The 104′s Bio Market is open every Saturday from 11 am in Aubervillier’s Hall.

Photo credit: © DR

Espace culturel du 104
Entrée au 5, rue Curial
75019 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.53.35.50.00
contact@104.fr