Shopping
EcoEtsy
Et
sy is one of those sites where you can foresee an obvious and easy transition into the green neighborhood. As an online store where people can set up “shops” to sell their homemade or restored goods, there’s everything from jewelry, to clothes, to housewares, to unique gifts of all sorts. I recently noticed that Etsy has started to set up an eco-friendly section of the site known as EcoEtsy. Last Christmas I found a myriad of awesome gifts for friends and family that were low impact to the environment, and just plain perfect for the people on my list.
When I started looking through the Etsy site, I was disappointed to find that that EcoEtsy is actually really hard to find on their main site. They don’t even have an eco or green category on their main page. It seems to me if you’re going to have an EcoEtsy blog in this green era, it would be in your best interest to advertise that on your main site. The only eco-friendly point of interest on their main site is the ability to search for local sellers. I appreciate the ability to search for goods from sellers that are only in neighboring towns, severely cutting down on emissions from shipping.
Aside from the complete lack of exposure, the EcoEtsy site was still exciting for me. I spent way longer than I should have at work looking through the eco-goods from various sellers. If you want to search for items from the EcoEtsy team on the main Etsy site, simply do a tag search for “TeamEcoEtsy“. They’ve set up a twitter and a Facebook account as well if you’re interested.
EcoEtsy is currently holding an Earth Day Auction on their blog. They plan to donate all the proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund. › Continue reading
Food as an Environmental Issue
http://www.flickr.com/photos/foxypar4/ / CC BY 2.0
While thinking about and writing my posts on natural groceries and organic delivery services, it came to my attention that the concept of food is not inherently an environmental issue in the minds of many people. I’ve got to admit that this kind of blew me away. To me, food is so essentially an environmental issue that to not think of it that way is to ignore huge aspects and linkages within environmentalism. Think of the vegetarian and vegan movements. Think of organics. Think of sustainable agriculture and waste reduction and prevention. The environment and all its issues are like a giant spider web, and right there in the middle, where all the threads intersect, is food.
When people think of being green, of acting environmentally responsible, they think of recycling, of using reusable shopping bags and water bottles. They might even go so far as to think of using public transit or even riding a bike to work. Let’s be honest, a lot of people just think politics and then tune out. When people think about food, they think of what they like to eat, what their family likes to eat, the price of the food, and maybe even what’s healthy.
But there is so much more to it than that. Let’s break it down. › Continue reading
Natural Groceries Part 2: Spud! Organic Delivery Service
I had the chance to try out and review Spud! Local and Organic Delivery this past week. After reviewing Whole Foods in order to have something to compare Spud with, I had high hopes for the delivery service, but mixed results in the end. But more on that later.
Spud (short for Small Potatoes Urban Delivery) was dreamed up in 1995 by a sustainability business consultant determined to correct the imbalance between large scale and independent farming through alternative retail methods, i.e. direct home delivery. This method generates 80% less food waste, creating direct connections between food suppliers and customers, and reduces grocery store car trips saving people time and reducing carbon emissions. Spud claims to be North America’s greenest grocer, through buying local, buying organic, and being completely, 100% carbon neutral.
The site itself is kind of amazing. It calculates how far away every item you order comes from. You have the choice to order only locally sourced items, meaning they are grown or made within 500 miles of your zip code. › Continue reading
Natural Groceries Part 1: Whole Foods
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovemypit/ / CC BY 2.0
This past week I was lucky enough to get the chance to try out Spud’s organic delivery service. But in order to properly review the site and the service, I felt the need to compare it with another organic grocery chain, in order to provide a more valuable sense of perspective. So I decided to swing by my local Whole Foods Market to get a little scope.
The first thing I noticed, as I pulled into the parking stall, was the shiny new jaguar I was parked across from. Compared with my well loved, if slightly beat up, old Saturn, I felt a little out of place. Whole Foods has developed a bit of a reputation, particularly among the younger demographics of grocery shoppers, as a yuppie environmentalist market.
I must admit that I feel there is a grain of truth to this judgment. The selection is vast, the quality is impeccable, everything is natural and organic, and as such the prices are, understandably, high. Whole Foods has very much earned its nickname of “Whole Paycheck”. It made sense that at least one shopper had a nice car. If I made enough money to buy all my food at Whole Foods, I would probably drive something much nicer as well. › Continue reading
Giving Eco-Gifts
Even in this day and age, green thinking is still a new concept for some people. Buying green gifts for your friends is a great way to encourage green behavior and educate them about green concepts and products. Here’s a list of my favorite eco-friendly gifts for friends, environmentalists and non-environmentalists alike.
Fair Trade Chocolate. Just about everyone likes chocolate, so it’s the perfect go-to gift for just about anyone. Educate your friends and family on fair trade practices and the sustainable benefits of encouraging fair trading practices in developing countries. Check out Serrv, which has some tasty chocolate treats on their site, that even help them in their goal to eradicate poverty. Other fair trade chocolate and organic raw chocolate options help society and the environment.
Eco-Friendly Classes or Outings. Pretty much any class or experience is a good buy. I highly recommend yoga or meditation classes. There’s not better feeling than being at peace after a good yoga class in my opinion. Also, you can find classes or day trips through local environmental groups, or the Audubon society, which have low environmental impact, high educational value, and are just out right fun.
Organic cotton bed linens. If you’ve never tried organic cotton bed linens, you’re missing out, especially if you, like me, suffer from allergies of any kind. Organic linens can be a savior for those of us with intense allergies, keeping our air passages free of allergens and reducing chemical sensitivities. There are even lots of brightly colored and awesome patterned options available. Try Amnitey Home, Gaiam or VivaTerra or Good Night Naturals for some quality natural bedlinens.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Our landfills are filling up faster than ever, and the garbage problem, is only getting worse. Recycling the obvious cans, bottles, and cardboard are the first step. Beyond that, it’s our job to develop green shopping habits that will help us lead a more sustainable lifestyle. I’ve listed some of the eco-friendly shopping tips that have come in handy for me, as I’ve tried to rethink the way I shop, and develop more sustainable habits in my life.
Tips for eco-smart shopping:
- Try out your local thrift stores. Second hand stores are great, and they’re full of things for you to reuse. I live in a very affluent area of California, and the thrift stores are full of clothes and books that have barely, if ever, been used. Plus they are dirt cheap! I can find the greatest button up shirts and cookbooks at thrift st
ores. I not only get to feel great about reducing my monthly spending, but I get to feel good about buying used products instead of adding to the landfill.
- Give your old stuff to charity. Just as thrift stores are great for finding great stuff, they’re also a more eco-friendly way of getting rid of your stuff. Most charities for the homeless, or lower income families, are always in need of used clothes, books, or toys. This is a great way to give back to the community while reducing your net output.
- Cut back on your purchases. With the economy the way it is, it’s the perfect time to cut down on your purchases. Reducing your “stuff”starts by reducing what you buy, and keeping it down to the essentials. How many times have we found a screaming deal on something at our favorite store, only to watch it sit in our house unused, and wasted? › Continue reading
An App a Day…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanl/ / CC BY 2.0
I have a consumption confession. I’ve finally jumped onto the smart-phone bandwagon after years of firmly saying I didn’t need one, didn’t want one, wouldn’t use one. Well, I did need a new phone and I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty hooked. It really is a beautiful piece of tech. Soon I had stumbled my way into the app market.
Sure enough, there, mixed in sporadically with the far more popular but much less useful applications such as the light-saber sound effects and the dunkin’ donut finders, were a few green-living focused, environmentally friendly, eco-apps.
Here is a few examples of self described “eco-apps” that are currently found on the Android Market: › Continue reading
Reusable Shopping Bag Choices
Shopping bags have really come a long way. Baskets turned into paper grocery bags, which then gave way to disposable plastic bags, and now up next in the evolution of the shopping vessel is the stylish reusable tote bag. A lot of cities are beginning to tax disposable plastic bags in grocery stores, and rightly so in my opinion (just see my post on the Pacific plastic trash island to see why), and with pocket size replacements that can go anywhere, there really are no more excuses.
So lets get into it:
Flip and Tumble
Material: Ripstop Nylon
Size: The size of a peach folded, carries 2x the amount of a common plastic shopping bag. (12″ x 14″ x 5″)
Cost: $7-$12 depending on quantity
Why: The smallest and easiest to crunch down to fit into your purse or backpack
They have a wide palate of colors/prints, and the single long padded handle strap allows you to shoulder the bag. Also check out their produce bags.
Baggu Bag
Material: Ripstop Nylon
Size: Folds into a flat 5 “x 5″ pouch, carries 3x the amount of a common plastic shopping bag (15″ x 25″ x 6″)
Cost: $6.50-$8 depending on quantity
Why: Cheapest and highest capacity, but doesn’t fold as small
Wide range of sizes and colors, two wide loops for shoulder carrying. Also check out their high-capacity bags for less trips.
Envirosax
Material: Lightweight polyester, bamboo, linen and fine grade hemp
Size: Rolls into a 4″ x 1.5″ pouch, carries 2x the amount of a common plastic shopping bag (19.5″ x 16.5″ x 5″)
Cost: $7.50-$26 depending on quantity and material
Why: Wide range of materials as well as styles
Popular designs, graphics, colors and styles for children as well as diverse materials make Envirosax worth checking out.
Etsy Find:
Material: Recycled/Re-used T-shirt
Size: 16″ x 17 1/2″ with a 3″ gusset – roll up secured with an elastic band
Cost: $24 custom orders accepted
Why: Unique, no new materials used, great example of reuse.
Very cool look, fully lined and handcrafted. Etsy is going to have many one-off, custom and unique bags to select from.
