We just posted a very interesting article on beading with sustainable materials. Check it out in the "What's New" section on the upper left of the BeadStyleMag.com home page.
Writer Gwen Moran explores the challenges of trying to bead green and some resources for information and materials. What I particularly like about the article is that Gwen makes the connection between beads that have become a source of livelihood for people in often-struggling countries and beads that are kind to the environment. They are very often one and the same. We have used Kazuri beads as well as the beads from Beads for Life in a number of projects and we're always looking for more examples of these bead lifelines. Because of this we've expanded the parameters of our Beads of Change to include environmental as well as economic issues.
I encourage you to read the article - and if you know of any sources of sustainable materials that we haven't mentioned, please let us know.