eco companies
A Great Green Festival Weekend
Last weekend I had the pleasure to attend the Green Festival Seattle 2010. Upon first walking into the event, I was overwhelmed with over 300 exhibits, excited to see all of the friendly faces, and ready to learn a lot about everything green. The Green Festival took place June 5th and 6th in the Washington State Convention Center. I attended the festival on Saturday, June 5th, and volunteered there on Sunday which was a fantastic experience. The staff of the event were knowledgeable, friendly, organized, and most of all excited to be a part of, and provide, a wonderful weekend for many individuals and families. One thing I noticed while I was volunteering: a large percentage of the people coming to attend the event had free passes which had been given out at Verizon stores and other places. The Green Festival is completely focused on trying to provide as many people as possible the opportunity to spend the weekend learning about living green and green products, and that is a great thing.
Here are a few products and companies I learned about while I was there:
Marcal Small Steps – Marcal is a company with a ‘green culture.’ Being the oldest environmentally friendly paper product distributor in the US since 1950, their mission is to provide affordable and recycled paper products to families. Their Small Steps line was created in 2009 and consists of recycled bath tissue, napkins, towels, and facial tissue. Because their products are 100% recycled, no trees are used in their manufacturing and they have already saved 23,720,740 trees and counting. › Continue reading
Green Festival Seattle 2010
My favorite thing about eco-friendly products and green living is that there are so many expos, conferences, and events that provide fun and easy ways to learn more about green companies. I was really excited when I saw a flier for the 2010 Seattle Green Festival and just completed my registration to volunteer for the event. Green Festival also takes place in San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington DC and struck gold when it was here last year.
The festival is a joint project by Global Exchange which aims to create green economies that embrace diversity and Green America which promotes economic power and sustainability around America. The festival is Saturday and Sunday, June 5th and 6th. Saturday from 10am to 7pm and Sunday from 11am to 6pm at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.
Release, React, Recycle
This is awesome! 
There are many ways to alleviate anger and frustration and many ways to recycle. Combine them and you get Glassphemy! I a new project in New York by the creative David Belt to encourage fun recycling. Glassphemy! Is a 20ft by 30ft clear box with high walls of bulletproof glass in Brooklyn. At one end of the box, people stand and throw glass bottles at people on the other side. Guests can aim at their friends for a little extra fun, and even a way to get rid of aggression! This is a great example of repurposing!
“Recycling’s so boring,” said Belt “We tried to make it a little bit more exciting.” Last summer David Belt created another fun recycling project – the dumpster pool! Belt transformed an industrial lot into a lo-fi country club with cabanas, barbecues, photo shoots, and dumpster swimming for under $1000. › Continue reading
Last Minute Mothers Day Gifts
It’s May 8th. Mothers Day is May 9th. Time to celebrate this excellent occasion with the perfect present for your favorite Mom. Did I mention it is May 8th? Don’t worry! Here are some last minute recipes for eco-friendly gifts or even simple add-ons if you’ve already gotten something for her!
A Clean-Green Basket. Ingredients easily picked up at your local grocery or hardware store. Do your own take on a fruit basket and create a practical gift that your mom will feel proud to use.
Ingredients:
• 1 large basket
• A few leafy twigs
• Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes, multi-surface, and/or bathroom cleaner. Seventh Generation focuses on environmental sustainability and how they can provide products that reduces pollution and keeps natural toxins out of the air. They disclose all of the ingredients within their products to ensure the health of your home by producing safe and effective cleaning supplies. Check out their product coupons as well. › Continue reading
The Big Business of Organic Foods
Who owns your favorite organic food label? Think most organic products and companies are independent- think again. Odwalla = Coca-Cola; Green and Blacks Chocolate = Cadbury; Cascadian Farms = General Mills. The list goes on and on. In fact, if you see it at a chain grocery store, your favorite organic or natural foods product is probably owned by a big corporation. See the graphic below for your favorite organic brand and their parent company.
It is the natural progression of business. In 2005, US organics accounted for 2.6% of the food market, growing at a rate of 17-20% a year resulting in a $52 billion industry in 2008.
The plus side
- Organic food is easy to find, is plentiful and the costs are reasonable.
- The food is predictable in quality, flavor and taste. Often smaller producers have a smaller production line and work in small batches with less strict ingredient or quality controls. While this can add to the uniqueness, it occasionally can produce unexpected results.
- It can expand the organic market, adding and converting farmers and updating practices to the mainstream.
