environmentally friendly
Solar Powered Trash Can – Big Belly Solar Compactor
Solar powered trash compactor
I always get excited to see well designed green ideas come to fruition, and the solar powered trash compactor is one of them. You can actually see these on the streets of Boston, MA and Palm Springs, CA.
This isn’t just some solar powered gimmick, it actually has a function which furthers its eco impact. The solar panel charges a 12 volt battery which runs the 40watt compactor. This allows for greater storage and less pickups by guys in big diesel garbage trucks.
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What is Greenwashing – The Spin of Environmentally Friendly Marketing
Many of you may have heard the term ‘Greenwashing’, yet, it is becoming more and more common in today’s marketplace. With the explosion of all things green, organic, natural, eco friendly, and environmentally conscious has come deceptive marketing. Greenwashing originally has been defined as ‘to market environmentally friendly behaviors or products with an underlying purpose of profit increase’, however it has morphed into a more underhanded marketing technique of promoting a product or feature as environmentally responsible when it has little to no affect at all. It can get very shakey around things such as automobiles, or products by which their very existance are damaging to the environment being marketed as ‘green’ in the relative sense of having less of an impact on the environment.
This is to be expected in a society where people tend to jump on bandwagons without taking adequate time and energy to explore what they are committing to. We become less discerning, or may not even know what the reasons why we are suddenly › Continue reading
A Green Valentines Day – Celebrate Your Love with the Environment Too!
With Valentines day right around the corner, you may be wondering what to give your sweetheart to celebrate that special day. Why not make it special and unique for both the one you love, and the earth at the same time? It’s actually pretty easy to do and will give you a nice warm fuzzy feeling. I’ve got your basics covered- eco jewelry, local natural chocolate truffles, and locally grown cut and live flowers.
Giving Plants.com Live Mini Roses in Silver
Flowers are wonderful in so many ways. They are beautiful, fragrant, colorful and can brighten any room and anyone’s day, but where do they come from? When valentines day rolls around, all of a sudden there is a huge influx of roses, tulips, carnations and cut flower bouquets, and they seem to be unreasonably cheap for all this demand. The reason for this is that they are grown in huge flower farms in other countries, and then shipped to the US. The problem with this is similar to picked fruits and vegetables- lack of pesticide regulations overseas in addition to all of the environmental costs of transportation and USDA pest treatment requirements. Previous articles on the subject from The Sierra Club and thestreet.com explain the pitfalls.
Many environmentally harmful pesticides which have been banned in the US, are still being used in other parts of the world. Compound that with pesticide treatments upon importation to the US, and all of the transportation and delivery costs, its no wonder cut flowers can be a eco and health nightmare. But it need not be! Check out your local farmers market, ask your florist where their flowers come from and support local farmers. GivingPlants.com is a great internet based operation working with and supporting California farmers and nursery’s, or you can find local farms and organic growers in your area by searching localharvest.org. Not only will these choices benefit the environment, but your flowers will last a great deal longer. Another great alternative to cut flowers are live blooming flowers and plants, that way you can enjoy them for years to come.
Intrigue Chocolates' French Truffles
Chocolate is a mainstay of valentines day and the varieties seem endless, but not all are created equal. Chocolate is is made from the cacao bean, however many treats we call ‘chocolate’ have hardly any cacao in them. Take a traditional Hershey’s chocolate bar, it contains only contains between 4% and 10 % chocolate. The rest of it is sugars, emulsifiers, milk solids, and other fillers. The source of the antioxidant powers and euphoric brain chemicals is the cacao, and for many, so is the taste.
There is another element of the chocolate equation. Chocolate is grown in similar regions as coffee, and has the same issues with fair trade and wage practices where the farmer is not paid a fair living wage. Theo Chocolate has thought of all of this, and is actually the only chocolate company in the US that is an Organic, Fair Trade, bean to bar chocolate factory. Their high cacao content chocolate and limited essential ingredients make for a wonderful tasting experience.
If truffles are more your (or your loves’) thing, then try Intrigue Chocolates for an order of their natural exotic french truffles in many unique flavors. Handmade from seasonally fresh market ingredients like rose petals, pomegranate, and honey, each truffle is a true culinary experience.
Simply Wood Rings
Jewelry is a very popular gift around this time, but do you know where yours came from? Before you buy, ask a few questions so you don’t end up inadvertently supporting modern day slavery and environmental pillaging. You may have heard about ‘blood diamonds’, but did you know the same kinds of things go on for just about all precious metals and jems, including gold? If you are considering diamonds, check out my previous article on eco diamonds and jewelry.The most important thing is to hold your jeweler accountable for their claims of ‘conflict free’ jewelry by getting source certifications and guarantees. There are several eco conscious jewelers out there, some which promote reclaimed materials, such as renewed gold and vintage pieces. Check out NoDirtyGold.org for more information on gold mining practices.
There are other green alternatives that can be more unique and special, such as a intricate wood ring made from an old heirloom, or a one of a kind bracelet or necklace from an eco artist. With all of the wonderful eco friendly environmentally conscious artists out there, it is easy to find beautiful treasures that are not found at traditional jewelry stores. One that will be special and have more meaning, while being gentle to the environment at the same time. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Green Up Your Launderd Clothing – Dry Cleaning Re-thought
Ever think what a little tweak here and there to a huge industry such as dry cleaning? There are about 6 dry cleaners just in my one block radius, and they each get enough business to sustain themselves, so it makes me wonder; what kind of impact could a single little change do to preserving the environment? Many of you may have heard about new ‘Green’ Eco-friendly dry cleaners, so what makes them green you say?
Most dry cleaners use the chemical perchloroethylene (also called tetrachloroethylene, perc, Cl2C=CCl2 and C2Cl4) to launder your clothes. Exposure to perchloroethylene has been found to be dangerous to your health, and has been linked to increased risks of several cancers including: bladder cancer, cervical cancer, esophageal cancer. It also is an irritant causing skin, eye, nose and throat irritation, reduced fertility, and many other adverse health effects. Environmental impacts have been less clear, although lets assume that if it causes issues like that, it probably isn’t too good for anything else either. Those most affected by these afflictions are the actual dry cleaners themselves since they are exposed to these chemicals on a daily basis.
Environmentally friendly ‘Green’ dry cleaners commonly use one of two substitutes for perchloroethylene, mainly liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) or silicone-solvent based cleaning. Both of these are widely believed to be more environmentally friendly, however, the health risks to workers using silicone-solvents have not been fully studied. Consumer Reports recently compared the cleaning ability of these methods, and found that the liquid carbon dioxide ‘dry cleaning’ method to be far more effective than traditional perchloroethylene with silicone-solvents coming in a close second. It appears the green dry cleaning methods not only are more eco-friendly, but also more effective!
That’s really just the tip of the iceberg. What about the billions of disposable items that we take home from the dry-cleaners after picking up out clothes? Two companies have each addressed seperate items in order to green up the industry.
Hanger Network Recycled Hangers
It may not surprise you that over 3.5 billion wire hangers are used every year, and while they may be useful for pulling wire behind a wall or fishing a wedding ring out of a sink drain, most of us don’t re-use all of the dry cleaning hangars we collect over the years. A marketing company called Hanger Network has come up with a great earth friendly design and a new way to market to the consumer, the EcoHanger. It remains re-useable, and is composed of almost entirely recycled content from the 100% recycled paper cover to the recycled bottle-cap hook. Made in the USA from renewable resources, it also remains 100% recyclable.
Clothesnik Reuseable Cotton Dry-Cleaning Covers
And finally, the plastic bag covering that your dry cleaning always comes back wrapped in. Reuseniks came up with a reusable cotton cover to be used when transporting your dry cleaning to and from the dry cleaners called the Clothesnik. Not only does it make your dry cleaned clothes easier to find when picking them up, you reduce the plastic waste generated from the one time use disposable plastic covers. Now if only we could get them in organic cotton, or better yet, hemp!
For environmentally friendly dry cleaner locations near you, check out Hangars Cleaners or Blue Sky Cleaners, which uses to liquid carbon dioxide method, or Green Earth Cleaning for the silicone-solvent method.
[via treehugger and ecolect]
Top 5 Strangest Eco-Friendly Solutions
I think its time for a TOP 5 list, just because- so here it is: The TOP 5 Strangest Eco-Friendly Solutions.
You may not have known these were even problems, but somebody somewhere did. I had no idea how to even rank them, but without further delay, here we go!
Recycled Can Lingerie
This sure looks cool and is probably moderately effective against poison arrow dart attacks, but seriously? I would think some heavy chaffing and pinching would be involved. While it probably isn’t so much practical, it is kinda pretty and reminds me of chainmail, why not- right? A work of art, these creations by Ingrid Goldbloom are pretty stunning.
[via makezine]
Treadmill Bike
I wish people could make up their mind, but i guess some people want it all. Or maybe you are a runner that wants to hang out with biker friends. Possibly you have an aversion to bike seats and would like to have kids someday. The treadmill bike allows you to run instead of pedal, you can even up the resistance! This conjures up good memories of the bamboo bike.
[via greendaily]
Potted Plant Speakers
Well, they say that plants grow better when exposed to music don’t they? I don’t think we are going to save much green space with these, but they do give you a good feeling inside. These JVC speakers have a little pot on top to plant your favorite miniature, they even link together similar to legos. I hope they are waterproof- i think i would go with a cactus motif just to be sure.
[via envirogadget]
Wooden Stick USB Flash Memory Drive
Wood seems to be the new eco-chic thing to pair with electronics, so why not do it to a USB stick drive? Seems only natural. Natural birch that is. Collected from the forests of Berkshire, England – these silver birch sticks are dried, hollowed, sanded and waxed before the flash drive chips are sealed into the wooden receptacle. Using 2GB flash sticks, they are a bargain at £18 shipped from flashsticks.
[via envirogadget]
Organic Batter Blaster
I’m probably pushing this one, but it is organic! For those mornings where you really crave pancakes, but you just don’t have the time. I have not tried it, but it sure seems convenient. “Just point, blast and cook!” is the tag line and it sure looks that easy. I wonder if it looks like whipped cream?
[via focusorganic]
Fashionable Outerwear (with function)
With winter looming and fashion giant Vogue recently buying outdoor outfitter The North Face, clothing retailers have turned their eye to looking good in the outdoors. Its no longer just about function, just check out your local supermarket or ski slopes. With so many brands to choose from, how do you choose which brand to outfit your next excursion? Well if you want functional, stylish outdoor clothing without checking your eco-consciousness at the door, then Patagonia is your brand.
A leader in developing new products and manufacturing processes that lower the impact on the environment, it would only make sense to protect the very thing you are outfitting people to explore. They became famous for being the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to integrate PCR clothing into their product line, a technique for creating fleece from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. Since then, they have further expanded recycled materials into their line and now even recycle used garments (of any brand) into new ones. Taking advantage of more eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics such as hemp, recycled polyester, organic cotton and wool, you are sure to find the perfect green material for your style.
Everything we do pollutes or taxes the Earth in some way. It’s a sad and inescapable fact. But there are things we can do as individuals and businesses to lighten our impact on the environment, such as buying and throwing away less, reusing products whenever possible, and recycling everything we can.
-Excerpt from the Patagonia website
Let’s not forget what these clothes were developed for either. Whether you are exploring Mount Everest or your local mall, these garments are sure to perform, and with style. Using the latest developments in technology, and tested under the strictest of conditions, you are sure to stay warm and dry.
l can go on and on about how green this company is, but why don’t you have a look for yourself? There is plenty to explore on their website including well designed functional equipment for just about every sport, even surfing! Reduce the impact on the places you love to explore, and do it in style.
