Fact: It costs less money for clothing manufacturers to throw away the scraps from their cutting room floors than to recycle them. {NYTimes}

Fiction: Not a single designer in the world of fashion cares.

Though the Times says 15-20 percent of the fabric used to create clothing ends up in landfills, a “small but impassioned” group of designers including Mark Liu, Julian Roberts and Zandra Rhodes, in addition to students at Parsons, have dedicated themselves to working toward a “zero-waste” policy in fashion – meaning not a single scrap of fabric thrown out.

Okay, so maybe it’s not a “movement” yet, but zero-waste is definitely beginning to garner some attention in the fashion industry. In a country where recycling programs have popped up for everything from water bottles to iPods, attention has turned to the greening of the fashion industry. Various companies have begun to create detergents that clean clothing in cold water and washers that work specifically with these cold-water detergents. But what about what happens to the garment pre-consumer, specifically in the design and production process?

A few creations by students of zero waste designer Julian Roberts

If you think zero-waste is too unrealistic, think again because the movement is heating up with events and supporters piling up. {The Cut}

“The book ‘Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the Way We Make and Use Clothes’ by Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen, zero-waste pioneers, will be published in February by Earthscan. And an exhibition of zero-waste fashions, curated by Mr. Rissanen and another zero-waste designer, Holly McQuillan, will be held in New Zealand next spring and in New York the following fall. Also in March, an exhibition, ‘No Waste/Zero Waste’ will open at the Averill and Bernard Leviton A + D Gallery in Chicago, part of Columbia College Chicago.” {The New York Times}

The Cut points out that the mission is difficult because in order for no waste to result from manufacture, clothing producers will have to fit random scraps of fabric together perfectly on a regular basis.

Though zero-waste seems impractical, the idea of producing less waste in the first place rather than creating clothes from recycled scraps, as many eco-chic brands do, makes a whole lot of sense. It can be difficult to make irregular fabric pieces more couture than crafty, but in the right hands, the unique nature of each piece could even be a selling point. It would be great to see fashion get 100% behind zero-waste!

Additional reporting by Karilynn Williamson

The first solar powered Burger King

Designed with Wirsol Solar AG, the establishment boasts 720 solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine, from which the restaurant will pull about 45 percent of it’s energy. Capable producing 56,000 kiloWatt hours a year, the arrangement may not be entirely carbon neutral but it’s a step in the right direction. The restaurant was designed with several energy saving features that will both save money and test the effectiveness of such features for a building that consumes quite a bit of energy. With a heat recovery system, LED lights and water heated from waste, the new franchise marks the beginning of a greening initiative by Burger King’s BK Positive Steps.

The restaurant also adopted BK’s 20/20 design program, which makes the interior design of new and existing Burger King establishments sleeker in an attempt to give the fast food giant a touch of class, and a point of differentiation from similar competitors. Already implemented in over 60 locations worldwide, Burger King representations announced in October that they planned to implement the design in another 75 locations by the end of 2010. {Greener Buildings}

Gibson is a Grilled Cheese Invitational champ!

Nostalgic Californians craving the kind of buttery, gooey sandwiches they enjoyed as kids are sure to love The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, which opened Friday in San Francisco. A few logistical problems delayed the restaurantâ€s much anticipated debut, but partners Heidi Gibson and Nate Pollak are now welcoming customers for weekday lunch service from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. {Inside Scoop SF}

Gibson is a Grilled Cheese Invitational Champ, so patrons of this eco-friendly luncheon can expect a gourmet menu. Sandwiches range from classics like the Mousetrap (white cheddar, havarti and Monterey jack) to original combos like the Turkey Havarti (havarti, smoked turkey, ancho chili jam, arugula and pickled red onions) and the Piglet (white cheddar, ham, apple mustard and rosemary butter). Bread for the sandwiches is outsourced from Pinkieâ€s Bakery, and The American also offers homemade sodas from a vintage tap, with flavors like spicy pomegranate varying daily, as well as wine and beer. Prices range from $6-$10 for grilled cheeses. {DailyCandy}

In June, Gibson and Pollak will begin serving breakfast and dinner to patrons of their Second Street and South Park eatery, which offers seating inside as well as on their Second Street patio. Formerly a tobacco warehouse that required a redesign by these grilled cheese gurus, The American holds about 35 chairs for guests.

Eater.com predicts it will be tremendously popular and crowded, and we agree. Who wouldnâ€t flock to a lunchtime refuge that offers top notch versions of such a classic sandwich? Check out their mouthwatering menu here!

Well, if you’re like us (and can’t tell your fennel from your celery, let alone whether it’s local or in season), you need some help. First and foremost, scope out your local farmer’s market and snoop around – it’s full of your very own resident experts, so don’t be afraid to quiz them on the subject!

Here are three other easy steps you can take to get your local on.

Step 1: Know Your Seasons

Seasonal Calendars will help you keep track of what's local, when.

First things first, whether you’re an aspiring gardener or just an ignorant consumer, you need to know what’s local when. One of the best ways to keep in the know and ahead of the curve are these fabulous 2010 calendars that feature seasonal produce every month.

From Left to Right: For you Californians, a handy-dandy notebook calendar from KrankPress on Etsy ($20); A free (!) printable calendar from the Cottage Industrialist; A fabulous 2010 calendar ($24) also available as a poster ($20) – and even a tea towel! ($12) – from Claudia G. Pearson on Etsy.

Step 2: Use Technology

As you might have guessed, as there is for seemingly everything these days, there’s an App for being a locavore too. Two of our favorites are the Locavore and  GoodGuide iPhone Apps. Locavore, $2.99 on iTunes, lets you know what’s local in your state, pulls up both Wikipedia links and Epicurious recipes, and alerts you to local Farmers’ Markets. GoodGuide scans the barcode of the object you’re picking up at the grocery store and lets you know its health, environmental, and social performance (in other words, how much  – or little – the earth and its inhabitants were harmed in the making of this product).

If you’ve yet to jump on the iPhone bandwagon, there’s also some handy Web Sites you can check out, like Epicurious’ interactive Seasonal Ingredient Map and Sustainable Table, which has information on Famers’ Markets and Food Co-ops, Shopping Guides, and more.

Step 3: Cook Smart!

For help cooking seasonal, local ingredients, check out these cookbooks.

Of course, most Chefs  wised up to the local food movement way before the average layperson – so why not take some of their excellent advice (and their excellent recipes too)! There are tons of great options out there, but we’re digging these five.

Clockwise from top left: I am almost always hungry by Lora Zarubin, a cookbook with “30 seasonal menus” and “unique insights into the subtleties of seasonal entertaining.” $20.53 on Amazon.com; Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets, by Deborah Madison. $17.16 on Amazon.com; Super Natural Cooking: 5 Delicious Ways to Incorporate Whole and Natural Foods into Your Cooking. $12 on Walmart.com; Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source, $19.80 on Amazon.com;  Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, $18 from Barnes & Noble.

Blanket, €75 ($108); Garland, €25($36); Stools, €65 ($93)

Dutch “handy woman” and writer of the blog Wood & Wool Stool, Ingrid Jansen has been creating her own brand of stools since 2008 – and they’re definitely in a class of their own.

Made from wool and reclaimed wood, each stool is unique  – but you can choose the colors and patterns you prefer.

Stool, €65 ($93); Pillow, €65 - €75 ($93-$108)

And while we adore her signature stools, that’s not all the talented Ms. Jansen makes. For sale on her web site are pillows, clothes hangers, blankets, garlands, picture frames, and even wooden Christmas Trees!

But all the creations of this Dutch crocheter extraordinaire have one thing in common. Vibrant, fabulous color.

Any of Jansen’s products would be sure to bring some instant happiness to your home – and who couldn’t use some more happy in their lives?

Read More {Wood & Wool Stool Store}

Read More {Wood & Wool Stool Blog}

Read More {SFGirlByTheBay}

Well, my fellow greeniacs – why not let your environmental and ethical compass guide you? Check out this guide to buying eco-friendly laptops, and refer to our picks for the trendiest and greenest laptops you should be using in 2010.

Sony Vaio W, $450.

With a plastic casing made from recycled CDs, a carrying-case from old water bottles, and an exclusively digital manual, the Vaio W (premiered at CES 2010 last week) is a mini notebook with a lot of green power. The device has not only gotten high ratings from Energy Star 5.0 and EPEAT, but it also has a 10.1 inch LED screen (which uses less energy than an LCD screen) and 7 hours of battery life. At $450, this may not be a lap top for the technologically inclined, but it’s definitely a great fit for a person for whom portability, durability, and eco-friendliness are key.

Read More {CNet}
Read More {Ecofriend}
Read More {Inhabitat}
Read More {Sony}

Apple’s Macbook Air, $1,499.

An oldy, but a goody. The Macbook Air may have been on the scene since 2008, but it remains one of the few high-performance, environmentally sound laptops on the market. Rated as the Greenest Ultraportable by LapTop Mag, the Macbook Air not only offers all the goodies you except from an Apple computer, but it also has environmental chops to spare. It’s energy-efficient, it’s recyclable, it’s manufacturing is almost toxin-free, and…it’s a Mac. Enough said.

Read More {Apple}

Read More {LapTop}

Asus Bamboo Series, $999 (Rumored)

While Asus premiered a brand new, environmentally friendly laptop at CES this year… it was… well, it was hot pink.

And while we love our Barbie colors as much as the next gal, we’re still really digging the stylish sophistication and renewable nature of Asus’ Bamboo Series, which has now been amped up with Intel’s latest Core i5  processors. Plus, randomly enough, it’s the first netbook to “have survived the unforgiving conditions of snow-capped Qomolangma Peak, which stands at a staggering height of 8,848 meters (29,028 feet).” Yup, I’m a PC and I’m made from kick-ass, snow-defeating bamboo. Take that Mac.

Read More {Asus}

Read More {SlashGear}

Read More {Gadget}

Read More {3BL Media}

Toshiba Portégé M750, $1, 499

This one swivels. Cooooooool.

Ok, ok. Beyond its cool, swivveling netbook to tablet capabilities and an LED backlit display – this bad boy has its fair share of Eco-friendly badges of honor. Toshiba came in as the #3 Greenest Electronic Company of 2009 (according to Green Peace’s Rankings) – and the Portege is one of the companies eco-friendliest (reaching EPEAT’s Gold Standard). If you’re looking for the greenest tablet of the land – or just one which sounds more like a briefcase than a computer – look no further than the Portégé.

Read More {Toshiba}
Read More {GreenPeace}

DIY Ice Lantern from Design*Sponge, IKEA ROTERA lanterns ($4.99) and SOLIG Globes ($9.99)

For a gorgeous wintry look, you should check out IKEA”s $5 ROTERA lanterns or, simply, make your own. Design*Sponge has an awesome DIY project for lanterns made from ice – and luckily Mother Nature does the majority of the work on this one.

And when the weather turns warmer, check out IKEA’s newest line of solar-powered, LED summer outdoor lighting: SOLIG. The remarkably efficient SOLIG lights will be on shelves in a few weeks at incredibly affordable prices: $9.99 – $39.99.

Read More {Design*Sponge}

Read More {Inhabitat}

Instead of ordering mass quantities of ornaments and trees to deck the White House halls, the First Lady decided to dig around the Presidential basement, re-use the 800 or so ornaments from previous administrations, have 60 community groups bedazzle them with local flavor, and then decorate according to the theme: “Reflect. Rejoice. Renew.”

While you may not have 800 ornaments in your basement (at least, we hope you don’t), this holiday season is the perfect time to take a leaf from the First Family’s book and “renew” and recycle your old decor – all in the name of good taste and green living, of course!

Read More {Earth911.com}

Read More {People}

Oeuf Squeeze Me Mittens on Inabitat's Green Gift Guide

Inhabitat founder Jill Fehrenb has come up with five tips to green your holidays:

 1. Buy eco-friendly gifts: If you need inspiration, let us suggest the gift guides on Inhabitat and Green Your Decor.

2. Make your Christmas tree green: Buy a living tree and use energy-efficient lighting.

3. Recycle your wrapping paper

4. Get crafty and make your own gifts, or forego gifts entirely: We suggest buying a charitable donation in your gift recipient’s name – it’s a great idea for a green, do-good gift.

5. Opt for eco-friendly holiday greeting cards.

Read the Full Story {Open Forum}

And so, courtesy of the paper specialists at Oh So Beautiful Paper, I present to you three of the loveliest, eco-friendliest calendars for 2010! All are made from recycled paper and have gorgeous visual style – just the way to bring the new year in right.

$29 Letterpress Calendar from Albertine Press.

$23 Eco-Chic Desk Calendar from See Jane Work.

$34 Deluxe Wall Calendar from SusyJack*