green products
Eco Labels and Logos
Eco Labeling can be confusing, and with so many different green logos out there, who do you trust? Luckily, many of the statements, such as Organic and Fair Trade, are regulated to some degree, so you can feel safe knowing that it isn’t ambiguous. With all that greenwashing out there, others can be a bit tricky, such as ‘Natural’ and ‘Eco-friendly’. Here is a quick guide covering the basics when it comes to organic, fair trade, humane, cruelty free, animal testing and more. These are the logos and labels you want to look for and trust.
Finisterre UK Surf Clothing
As a Christmas gift this year I received a surfing video from a friend which got me not only dreaming of surfing, but also of some of the great surf gear out there. This being winter for us up in the Northern Hemisphere, warm clothes and green wetsuits are required to ride our eco-friendly surfboards.
A company called Finisterre, based out of the UK, is doing great things in the world of surfing, and really for all outdoor activities. Also founders of Offset The PLC, they are working to reduce the amount of waste found in consumer goods today. Less raw material waste, production waste, transport waste, and ultimate disposable waste.
“After a certain point the correlation between material goods and happiness breaks down to such an extent that it is questionable as to whether a relationship actually exists.
So again we find less is more.”
With company values like that, along with truly eco-friendly products, and a One Percent for the Planet member, they earn five stars with me.
Eco-Friendly Slot Cars for Older Kids
Adults shouldn’t have the only eco-friendly fun. Green toys and eco-friendly stuffed animals are quite common for babies and little kids, but what about the older kids? Race in a Case portable slot cars of course!
Slot cars have always been one of my favorites, and while I doubt they use that much energy to begin with, these don’t use any at all! Similar to those crank flashlights, the more you crank, the faster they go around the track. With enough racing (and cranking), maybe your kids will grow up to be professional arm wrestlers!
The ANDREA Natural Plant Air Purifier
Its great to see people taking design hints from nature, and the ANDREA is no different. Well, actually, it is more of an integration of nature. Housing an actual live plant of your choosing, it uses more than just a filter to clean your air, it uses a whole process of nature.
While it may just appear to be a plant in a plastic dome with a fan, it is actually much more complex. Funneling the air through the leaves and roots of the plant, particles and harmful airborne toxins are absorbed and converted by the plant using the natural process of nature. No, that is not the technical term, but lets just say the chemical processes get complex.
Designed by Mathieu Lehanneur and David Edwards of Harvard University, it is not only pleasing to look at, it is also effective at reducing indoor pollution levels. Our homes and offices can have higher pollution levels than outside due to toxic cleaning chemicals, VOCs from interior paint and offgassing office furniture which house plants can be fairly effective at removing.
While I am sure the reductions aren’t going to be as big as your run of the mill carbon or HEPA filters, they also don’t make as much noise or have replaceable filter pads. Plus, as a bonus, they produce oxygen, that thing that we all breathe to stay alive- bet your household filter doesn’t do that!
Friday Eco-Friendly Finds
I get so many requests, tips and emails every week (more than I could possibly write about or feature) that it would be a shame for me to withhold them from my readers. Here are some of my favorites from the last week including sustainable gift wrap, eco-friendly soaps and recycled fire hose bags. Enjoy!
Living Ethos – Sustainable Gift Wrap
LivingEthos produces sustainable gift wraps for any occasion. I am a big fan of this site, especially the design and overall look- their products look very cool too. Founded by a former solar energy marketing mom, LivingEthos is a solution to a wasteful disposable gift wrap problem. Designed to be easy to use, sturdy enough to last for decades and look “so stylish that my not-so-green family and friends wouldn’t roll their eyes at the sight of it,” I think she was successful.
We believe that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice style to simplify your life and make eco conscious choices. Our job: bring clever, hip (not hippy), planet-friendly solutions to everyday life.
These are more than your run of the mill drawstring bags, each gift wrap is made from cotton (with plans to source organic cotton in the future), 100% recycled polyester and are colored using formaldehyde-free and AZO-free dyes. The attention to detail even goes so far as:
• Drawstring grosgrain ribbon creates a decorative gathered top
• All inside seams are finished
• Bottom gusset helps our gift bags sit up straight
• Finished buttonhole edges to eliminate fraying
Soap Hope – Eco Friendly and Skin Friendly Soaps
Although not the best designed website, this book shouldn’t be judged by its cover since all the soaps they carry are hand selected to ensure that it is truly 100% all-natural and cruelty-free. Soap Hope carries brands like Indigo Wild (goat’s milk bars are great for eczema, psoriasis and acne!), Hugo Naturals, A Wild Soap Bar, Pangea Organics and Fraiche.
Not only do they carry amazing soaps, they also use environmentally sustainable business practices to cut costs. Shipping in reused locally-donated and clean cardboard boxes, dubbed the “Ugly Box”, they are broken down to fit each order so that each box gets another round or two of use before being recycled. All unnecessary packaging material is cut out to reduce shipping costs and waste.
In addition, Soap Hope operates under the paradigm of “Good Returns,” which means they invest 100% of yearly profits in micro lending funds for women entrepreneurs around the world.
Feuerwear – Recycled Fire Hose Bags
Constructed of recycled firehose, truck tarpaulin and safety seat belts, this gear is HOT. Feuerwear has bags, belts and wallets all made from fire fighting gear saved from the landfill. The designs are all very unique since they incorporate the natural coloring of the hose, printed numbers and identifying marks, so you will always get an one-of-a-kind original item.
They also just teamed up with notorious Berlin street artist El Bocho to create a line of limited edition works, check them out before they are all gone!
If you have any tips, suggestions or faves, send them to me! Just click on the Contribute tab above and it might make it’s way onto the homepage!
Sustainable Wal-Mart? A Greening of Retail
Sounds like an oxymoron, especially to those who have long despised Wal-Mart and everything they stand for, but this leaf may be turning green.
Wal-Mart is soon to begin labeling the sustainability of their products and are even creating their own green index system that goes far beyond what most eco friendly retailers currently track. Not only will the items ‘carbon footprint’ be factored in, but also questions like:
“Did this T-shirt come from a cotton crop that was sprayed with pesticide? Was excessive packaging used to ship these diapers?”
This not only is a win for the eco-friendly community, its a industry game changer. Wal-Mart has had success with initiatives like this before.
“Because of Wal-Mart’s leadership in [only selling concentrated detergents], they were able to set a standard for the entire industry,” Mr. Len Sauers (vice president for global sustainability at Procter & Gamble) said. “That opened the door to allow it to progress very, very quickly”
One may also recall when Wal-Mart decided to start carrying organic produce, thereby increasing the volume of organic fruits and vegetables that were grown and lowering the costs to consumers.
To help legitimize the index, they have even brought some big-time environmental organizations onboard like the Environmental Defense Fund to help create the standards. Could this be true, a sustainable Wal-Mart in the making?
Eco Friendly Neoprene? Neogreene
As an avid SCUBA Diver, Surfer and water sports guy, (a few) neoprene wetsuits are a standard for myself, and anyone living above or below the equator.
Neoprene is not the most eco-friendly material out there, even so called ‘green’ neoprene. All neoprene is made from a petroleum or limestone derivative, therefore each suit is a product of either mining or drilling.
It’s not just the neoprene itself that can be environmentally harmful. Very effective as a chemical-resistant material, it is very difficult to adhere and form into products (which is why you commonly see it stitched at seams to hold better). The adhesives used are very toxic and can include VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), toluene, formaldehyde and more.
Now a company called GreenSmart has introduced Neogreene, a neoprene like material made with a water based chemistry allowing for less toxic adhesives to be used. › Continue reading
Solarmania – 7 Interesting Personal Solar Paneled Objects
The advent of the the personal solar panel probably started with those solar powered calculators way back when. I remember I used to rip those little sun suckers out of as many calculators as I could get a hold of and try and make something cool… it never worked out.
But nowadays, solar powered accessories are all the rage. You find them on public trashcans, parking meters, boats, even stadiums. Here are just a sampling of some of the things we have slapped solar panels on and called them better.
Solar Sunglasses
Why hasn’t this been thought of sooner? It just makes so much sense, sunglasses = sun = solar energy, right? Something tells me you would have to be ON the sun (or at least looking directly at the sun) to even squeeze a watt out of those sexy little guys. I’d still rock them just for the green fashion prestige.
[via yanko design]
Solar Tent
Now that is just one cool looking tent. Makes me think of a big orange solar paneled armadillo. Not very practical for hiking, but with the remote finder that actually lights up the tent and other ‘gadgety’ accessories, it would make for a great concert tent.
[via engaget]
New on the Green Scene
I get quite a few emails a day from green companies and individuals recommending their favorite products and sites, however, I just don’t have the time write feature articles on all of them. With so much great stuff to share, I figured I would just type up a quick summary of each so everybody can still benefit.
Positively Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio has taken great strides to help turn this lakefront town into one of the nation’s greenest cities, from the environmentally friendly hotels to a number of restaurants who exclusively cook with locally-grown food. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Cuyohoga River fire, Positively Cleveland has compiled a list of the 75 “green” things to love about Cleveland.
Forty years ago the Cuyahoga River caught on fire due to heavy pollution, but Cleveland has since turned this unfortunate incident into an opportunity by striving to make itself one of the nation’s greenest cities. After decades of hard work, Cleveland has grown to become a “green city on a blue lake.”
Gobble Green Vegan Food
Gobble Green is an online marketplace where you will find a diverse and frequently updated selection of healthy, pre-packaged vegan meals. Our food kits are packaged in environmentally friendly containers and shipped directly to your home.
Gobble Green is all about the protection of our environment, animal rights, and healthy eating. Gobble Green is right for anyone who is interested in leading a humane and environmentally responsible lifestyle. We are very proud of our menu and our message.
Buy Green
A great new green shopping resource, Buy Green even has its own green standards for the products it carries.
You will find eco friendly clothing, including bamboo clothing, green home environmental products including natural organic products and solar powered lights, just to name a few. Commercial buyers also have a wide selection of products from environmentally friendly bags for retailers to recycled paper products.
Don’t Recycle Soda and Sparkling Water Bottles
As you may have guessed from previous posts about eco plastic bottled water and soda bottle reuse, I’m not a big fan of these ubiquitous containers. With the average American consuming over 600 cans or bottles of soda and sparkling water each year, think of the environmental impact of reducing just a fraction of that.
Enter the perfect replacements – reusable containers paired with water filters and CO2 infusers! I am almost overwhelmed at the reasons why these are such great devices, here are just a few:
- Huge reduction of ‘disposable’ glass bottles, plastic bottles and cans
- Reduction in indirect transport-related emissions (from moving all those very heavy, liquid filled containers)
- Make your own sparkling mineral water and soda (without High Fructose Corn Syrup)
- unlimited flavor combination’s
- no more ‘flat’ drinks wasted or thrown away- just recharge them
- it’s cheaper!
Organic Vodka and Scotch Whiskey
Organic liquors are the next step in greening your alcoholic beverages. With so few choices in the hard alcohol department, it is refreshing to see these new offerings from Maison Jomere. I was lucky to receive a bottle of each to sample and review before their debut.
While I think their bottle presentation is a bit lacking (as is their website), it is apparent where their true focus is – what’s inside the bottle. While I am not a huge drinker, I do enjoy a quality beverage. I decided to take the bottles to a small gathering of scotch and vodka loving friends to get a variety of opinions.
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