I hope everyone enjoyed reading about the wonderful personal care products I received.
Part two will focus on everything else.

• I got the cream cleanser from EcoStore USA. It is a cleanser that can be used to clean just about any surface. I love the smell and I love that it is earth-friendly and not harmful to me and my family.

• From Naked Binder, I received 9 binders in different colors. These are great! They are sturdy and will last, not to mention they are very green. I will be able to find many good purposes for these.

• From Buygreen.com I decided to get a wool pillow, it is standard size and firm and I love it! It seems like it has been a long time since I had a really good, quality pillow, but now I finally have one that is green and healthy. Definitely one of my favorites.

• Watercheck.biz sent me an indoor water conservation kit. I have not had the opportunity to use everything in the kit yet, but it is a great little kit to help you make your home more eco-conscious.

• Ecominders sent me some of all 3 of their product lines. I also received t-shirts and a reusable tote, which I take to the farmers market with me every Thursday. I love these products. They serve as great reminders to take steps to be more friendly to the planet and to be more conscious of what we are doing.

• Barefoot Books sent me 2 books from their collection. One called Whole World and another called The Sun in Me. These are both great books to teach children about being kind to the planet and about the earth and all of the beautiful things that it holds

• weeBgreen sent a kidzsack that is adorable!!! I don’t have any children, but I know just the little girl who will absolutely love it! These little bags are great, they are recycled and the markers are non-toxic.

• Project GLO sent me 15 pens, and I absolutely love them!!! These pens are so great to use and so great for the planet.

• From Intentionkits.com I received an intention kit with confidence, strength, and courage intention cards and intention tiles with the words power, strength, confidence, courage, and Ask! Believe! Receive! These are great little kits to help focus on areas in which one feels they need help or improvement.

• From Natural Luxe I ordered a scrabble tile pendant which I absolutely adore! This is another one of my favorite items. I had a very hard time choosing what to order with my gift certificate, but I am so glad that I chose this.

• From Happy Baby Organics I received coupons for trial offers for many of their meals. As I stated before I do not have children, but I am going to give these to some friends so that they can try the products.

Thanks again Eco-Office Gals for giving me the opportunity to try these products and to get to know these wonderful companies!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Ginny’s GMW Giveaway Review Part 2

It’s been quite a while since I did a flaunt it, hasn’t it? I have several products to review and plenty of giveaways to do, but tending to my clients needs has come first and so Flaunt It fell behind.

Today we will pick back up with Eden Home I discovered them on Twitter quite a few months ago and admired all the beautiful and organic products on their site. I contacted them and we started chatting. A little about Eden Home (from the site):

Offering a complete selection of organic, all natural and eco-friendly products for your home and life that won’t have you compromising your sense of style.

Most people do not realize how cotton is grown, processed and finished. As many as 2000 different chemicals are used in the textile industry! Those chemicals are often left on the fabric and then transferred to you or your baby when absorbed through the skin.

Unfortunately, many of the so-called “organic” and “natural” products sold today are either not truly pure or not beautiful. So we started Eden Home to offer healthy choices ranging from organic clothes for baby to natural bath towels, from organic cookware to all natural shampoos.

The Garden of Eden was created to be lovely and beautiful, perfect and pure. At Eden Home our mission is to offer the purity of organic without losing the beauty, whether you’re looking for organic bedding, clothes for baby, natural bath towels or organic cookware and more.

Since I had not yet done a review of “green cookware” I expressed my interest in trying some. Eden Home sent the La Chamba Natural Cookware – Small Oval Casserole with Lid.

Made from black clay found in central Columbia, La Chamba cookware can be used in the oven, microwave, and on the stovetop. There are no toxins used in the production of La Chamba cookware and tableware. The makers of this unique product use no glazes and there is no lead in the clay. You can feel safe and confident using this unique and authentic traditional clay cookware. La Chamba cookware has also been featured by celebrity chefs such as Rachael Ray.  2.0 Qts.

I must say I am impressed and admittedly a little afraid of this large pot. It is heavy, beautifully made and I REALLY don’t want to break it! It’s much nicer then any of my other cookware for sure! I have made chili and spaghetti sauces in the pot on the stove, and a roast right in the oven. The temperature takes a little getting used to.  It takes a little longer for things to get boiling, I’m guessing due to the thickness.  I did burn the chili a little the first time I used the pot and had to let it soak for quite some time to get all the burnt stuff off. I was more careful the next time. It’s great to have a large pot like this and know your not leaching chemicals into the food. I can’t say this for my old, beat up, thin Teflon set that must be discarded! It’s been been a wonderful opportunity to review this pot from Eden Home Organic, be sure to check them out!

So, how about a chance to try out some goodies from Eden Home? They are giving one lucky reader a $35 Gift Certificate to use in their store ! Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit Eden Home and comment here on which product you would love to buy if you won the GC.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow @edenhomeorganic on Twitter or become a Fan on Facebook and comment that you did.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.
• Buy anything from Eden Home Organic and comment 5 times that you did! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Wednesday 06/30/10 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry for each one of the above that you do and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US residents only. Thanks!

(In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.)

Here are your random numbers:

10

Timestamp: 2010-07-02 02:28:39 UTC

Congrats Tammy!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt Your Green! Eden Home

First, I want to thank Eco-Office Gals for even making these reviews possible, I was floored when I won the 2nd annual Green my World Earth Day Giveaway! As part one of two, I will be reviewing the personal care products I received.

From EcoStore USA, I received two of each bar soap that they offer. The scents offered are coconut, vanilla, lemongrass, and manuka honey & kelp. I really liked the freshness of the lemongrass scent and the subtly sweet vanilla. And the coconut, well, it made me feel like I was on vacation in Hawaii when I used it! However, my favorite was the manuka honey & kelp. It smells faintly of the sea and it has exfoliating properties, which I found invigorating.

Affordable Mineral Makeup has so many great products that it was hard to choose which ones I wanted. I ended up choosing coconut organic lip balm, light green concealer, and defense primer. Since I am a lip balm junkie, that was the first thing I tried. It is not heavy or sticky and leaves my lips looking luscious and soft. The light green concealer is great for covering blemishes and stays put throughout the day. I am absolutely in love with the defense primer…. my skin looked porcelain pretty after I used it under my foundation. 

I received the Rose Monsoon Hydrating Mist from Ely Organics. This is a great product to carry in your purse for those hot days when you need a quick refresher. Just take it out and spray it on your face a couple of times for a real pick-me-up. It smells faintly of roses and helps to awaken the skin as well as the senses.

Kir DeVries has a Natural All-in-One Body Bar in Floral Scent, which I just had to have. The smell is divine, it reminds me of summer. And the best part? It feels great on the skin and does not leave any residue behind.

Cactus & Ivy sent me an Almond Biscotti Body Souffle. When I opened it, I just melted, thinking I am supposed to use this on my skin, not eat it right? It smells divinely of rich, decadent desserts. When they say a little goes a long way, they mean it. I like to use this at night because it is a little too rich for me for daytime wear, and my skin feels so nourished and moisturized when I wake up each morning. This was one of my favorite products.

From Natural Luxe I received the Nettiescrub Body Buff in Lemon Scent. Talk about waking up in the morning! The smell of this and the feel of the granules on my skin are enough to start my day off on the right foot.

My very favorite products came from Sarva Soap. I ordered three bar soaps, the scents were Santosha, Cedar Aloe, and Ocean Mist. Santosha reminds of something you would smell in a day spa. It is a beautiful scent. Cedar Aloe smells mostly of cedar with a faint hint of aloe. Ocean Mist was my favorite scent. I felt like I was walking on the beach when I used it. This soap also works as an exfoliate. These bar soaps are beautifully crafted and beautifully packaged. I would highly recommend these as a personal treat or a gift for a loved one.

Stay tuned for part two!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Ginny’s GMW Giveaway Review Part 1

As some of you may know. We have passed our 1 year anniversary on our 3 Acres of land out here in no-mans-land, SC. Many of you also know that it has been the SC red clay mud pit from hell! Well, we FINALLY put a stop to that mess and had someone out here that knew what the heck they were doing when it came to growing grass! Green is sprouting up everywhere like crazy and the whole family is so happy! (Yes that’s our grass in the picture! Taken from my phone about 5 minutes ago!  Woohoo!)

Luckily, we are going into Winter so we shouldn’t have to worry about too much maintenance, but times flies and Spring will approach fast. That’s why an introduction to saferbrand.com caught my attention this morning.  After all,  lawn maintenance will have to begin, I have compost to figure out what to do with, insect maintenance, you name it, the games have just begun! Safer Brand looks to be a wonderful resource to help find products I will need in the coming years to make sure I’m not killing the family while ridding the lawn of weeds and insects and trying to keep it green. Additionally, they have this great Gardening 101 section that will give me a ton of tips for planting, composting, fertilizing etc. This will be such an awesome resource since I kill about anything that can’t feed itself (my girls are still alive, that’s about it though!)

If you’re like me and want a nice lawn, but don’t have a clue how to make it happen why not become a fan on Safer brand’s facebook page and  Safer brand is officially on twitter so give them a follow! I did, lord knows I need all the help I can get!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Safer® brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gem of the Week: Safer Brand

Make Money and Make a Difference with Fair Trade Fundraising

By Ashley Symons, Equal Exchange

I went to elementary school in the Midwest in the early ‘90s. Every fall, we entered the school gymnasium to get pumped up for our annual fundraiser. This kick-off event was meant to energize us to sell, with lures of all the prizes we could win if we sold the most candy bars, tubs of popcorn, or wrapping paper. The philosophy was, “the more you sell, the more you’ll win random stuff you really don’t need!” Never did we talk about how what we were selling might impact people or places. Just get the most money, and you too could win a neon-pink kazoo keychain. Woo-hoo!

Fifteen years later, I’m so pleased to be a worker-owner at Equal Exchange, where we offer schools a different kind of fundraising. My co-worker, Virginia Berman, started the Equal Exchange Fundraising Program after getting requests from teachers and parents who wanted an alternative fundraiser. After three years, we’ve partnered with over 300 groups. And the momentum continues to grow every day.

So, what’s special about this fundraiser? Well, for one it offers totally yummy fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. It’s stuff that people already eat and drink, so it doesn’t feel wasteful like typical fundraisers. Plus, it’s fairly traded, so you can feel good knowing your fundraising dollars are supporting small-scale farmer co-ops and their communities. Additionally, the products are organic. The farmers use sustainable farming methods, without all those nasty pesticides and fertilizers. It’s better for them, it’s better for you and your kids, and it’s better for our earth.

Equal Exchange also developed a Fair Trade and co-op economics curriculum to accompany the Fundraising Program, to teach children that their everyday choices can make a difference in the lives of others (it’s free to download on our web site). We really believe that change is on the horizon – and we need the help of future generations to make sure we are supporting farmers internationally, while also making efforts toward greening this planet of ours.

The bottom line? Your school fundraiser can make a difference worldwide while raising money for your own community. Sounds way better than a neon-pink kazoo keychain, if you ask me.

To find out more about the Equal Exchange Fundraising Program, please visit www.equalexchange.coop/fundraiser

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest post: Fair Trade Fundraising

Good Monday morning readers! This morning I bring you Sacred Herbals: Natural Aroma Therapy Bath, Body and Spa products.

Welcome to the world of Sacred Herbals, where natural is always better! At Sacred Herbals, we don’t have many rules, but the few that we do have, we follow with the same sense of pride and purpose we put in to each and every one of our unique hand-crafted products. Our rules are simple. We produce extremely high quality products, made in small batches, using only all natural and organic ingredients when ever possible. We also believe in using the very finest ingredients available anywhere in the world. While so many still claim to make “natural” products, we proudly include all the fine details found in the corners others so frequently seem to cut. The result is nothing less than the finest natural luxury aromatherapy, bath, skin and spa products made anywhere. (more from the site)

Sacred Herbals sent their Shakti Perfume Oil and Autumn Spice Lip Balm to try out. I had never tried natural or organic perfumes. I’m actually pretty stuck in my ways with my Calvin Klein Euphoria. So, this gave me the opportunity to try something new. I chose the Shakti because the scents sounded appealing to me: Vanilla, Rose, Lemon & Orange. I’ve worn it several times and it does have a nice scent almost like a lemon or orange cake icing (guess that’s the vanilla). I didn’t pick up on the rose though. However, the scent is a little too light for me. Rather, it doesn’t linger.  It seems as if just a few minutes after applying it, the scent is gone. I prefer to apply my perfume once and be done for the day. Same goes for my make up, I’m just not the type to run to the ladies room throughout the day and reapply. This would be a better fit for someone that is more accustom to doing touch ups during the course of the day.

The lip balm was much more spicy with nutmeg, vanilla, cloves and orange essential oils and a long list of natural oils, waxes and butters to soften up dry lips. Mainstream lip balm is loaded with a ton of toxic crap you really don’t want on your lips so I definitely recommend finding a more natural alternative to keep your lips moist!

Using both of these products and the opportunity to learn about Tara and her great company has been an enjoyable experience. Sacred Herbals has many other products that look simply dreamy and I look forward to spoiling myself with them! Want a chance to try them yourself? You know the routine, let’s do it!

Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit Sacred Herbals and comment here on which product you would love to try
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow @sacredherbals or @ecoofficegals and comment that you did.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.
• Buy anything from Sacred Herbals and comment 5 times that you did! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Wednesday 11/25/09 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US and Canadian residents only. Thanks!

Here are your random numbers:

42

Timestamp: 2009-11-27 16:11:10 UTC

Congrats Heather C!!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt It! Monday: Sacred Herbals

EarthTalk^®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled? — Justin J., Los Angeles, CA

With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the process of manufacturing glass not only contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and tiny particulates that can damage lung tissue when breathed in.

Beyond manufacturing, the transport of wine in glass bottles across the country and around the world also takes its environmental toll. According to wine writer Tyler Colman, upwards of 90 percent of American wine is produced on the West Coast, but then shipped to the East Coast where the majority of wine consumers live. Trucking all these heavy glass bottles generates a much larger carbon footprint, ounce-for-ounce than the transportation of much lighter boxed wine. Almost half the weight of an ordinary case of wine comes from the bottles; about 95 percent of the weight of a case of boxed wine is the wine itself.

“A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine and generates about 5.2 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions when it travels from a vineyard in California to a store in New York,” reports Colman, who blogs at DrVino.com. “A 3-liter box generates about half the emissions per 750 milliliters.”  He concludes that switching to wine in a box “for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year” would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of removing 400,000 cars from the roads.

According to the Wine Group, the third largest wine company in the world by volume and a big advocate for switching away from glass bottles, there are other advantages to boxed wine (which typically includes a plastic bag within a cardboard box). The vacuum packaging of boxed wines allows the contents to stay fresh for up to six weeks in the fridge once the seal is broken and the first glass has been poured. The Wine Group has launched the “Better Wines Better World” website in an attempt to curry public favor for technologically advanced, environmentally friendly and economically practical boxed wines.

Still, despite the benefits, boxed wine may still be a tough pill to swallow for many wine connoisseurs still bent on tradition. “Even those traditionalists who are coming around to the idea that maybe screw caps are fine for some wines, balk at the idea of a cellar full of cardboard boxes,” says wine writer and vineyard owner Lee Asbell. “It is difficult to imagine how wine service at fine-dining establishments would handle such a change.” For now, boxed wine is still the domain of cheaper brands. But that could all change as more and more wine makers and drinkers take up the mantle of saving the Earth.

CONTACTS: Better Wines Better World, www.betterwinesbetterworld.com. DrVino, www.drvino.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk^®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk^® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

photo credit: Bota Box

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Eco-Benefits of Boxed Wine

I know I promised and promised and it’s finally here… a long awaited Flaunt It! Monday.  This has got to be my all time favorite to date, too! So, let’s not prolong things.  Natura where have you been all my life? Nautra’s mission statement:

“To help our customers achieve a superior night’s sleep, alleviate pain, and increase comfort through unique and exceptional sleep systems that aid overall health and well-being. With our commitment to excellence in service, quality, and attention to detail, we will serve our customer with the greatest care, with the intention of helping them sleep better and live better.”

I met Julia Rosien, Communications Director, in the Twitterverse many months ago and we had a brief exchange about doing a Flaunt It for Natura.  Time went on and I let Flaunt lapse as we all know.  So, when I decided to ramp it back up I contacted Julia to see if she would want to help me kick things off.  She was more then happy to have me check out a few of their products and sent them right over.

I got to try out the:

Organic Latex Pillow – “Luxuriously soft, organic cotton cover, lined with a plush layer of organic Natura Grow Wool™.”

Washable Duvet Mate – Conveniently compact and portable, the Duvet Mate features a lightweight duvet that folds easily and neatly into a throw pillow, eliminating the look of messy throws and blankets. Filled with a silky batt of Natura Wool™ and covered in soft, unbleached 100% cotton, the Duvet Mate also has a cozy foot pocket to protect feet from cold and drafts.

Aromatherapy Spray – Re•Groove•N8™ with the relaxing scents of green tea and aloe.  Spritz a room.  Spray your body.  Mist a pillow.  Then inhale its calming essence and feel your body immediately relax.

Let me be honest, as much as I appreciated their Green initiatives I was a little skeptical about the products. I mean there are a few options when it comes to pillows; firm, soft, feather etc. but was there going to be any difference between a $5 non-organic pillow and Natura’s Organic pillow, besides the materials it was made out of? My curiosity had the best of me.

So, let’s move to the first night. This is a true account peeps, no exaggeration.  I went to bed with my new pillow and blanket. I can’t even explain how cozy I was, but that wasn’t the kicker.  At some point after I fell asleep I woke up, it was still dark and I was alone in the room. My husband was gone? WTH?! I jumped up, looked around and had no idea what was going on… until I realized it was 6am!! Yes, I had slept so deep and comfortable I thought it had only been an hour at best. I never even changed positions. I had stayed curled up in the same position all night long!  My husband said he had kissed me good bye when he left and I didn’t budge. That is so not me! Not that I have trouble sleeping, but I don’t ever remember sleeping so soundly in my life.

The blanket is also so very cozy. I love the little foot pocket.  The foot pocket is actually what you fold the blanket into to make it a travel pillow. Now I have tried to show two people how the blanket is supposed to fold into itself, but it ends up very lumpy, so I have to work on that. That’s just my own malfunction nothing to do with the concept of the pillow, mind you. For now it’s just my awesome blanket with a foot pocket.

The spray, let’s stick with the theme… LOVE IT! It is a very nice, subtle scent and I go crazy spraying it everywhere!

Natura has got the secret to sleep for sure. Plus, they use organic materials, they’re chemical free, they even re-purpose leftover mattress material in the pillows! I love this company and would love to have every product in the line!

So, check this out… Natura is giving one of my readers TWO Organic Latex Pillow!  That’s a $224 Value!! Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit Natura and comment here on which product you would love to try (Dream BIG there’s so much to choose from!)
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow @JuliaRosien, @naturaworld, or @ecoofficegals and comment that you did.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.
• Buy anything from Natura and comment 5 times that you did! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Wednesday 9/30/09 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US and Canadian residents only. Thanks!

Here are your random numbers:

311

Timestamp: 2009-10-01 01:40:16 UTC

R Hicks ENJOY!!!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt It! Monday – Natura

Add one more to the “Things We’re Sick Of Hearing About” category. Already in there are celebrities having babies, athletes in handcuffs and politicians screwing somebody (literally and figuratively). What’s next to be thrown onto that ill-regarded pile? Goin’ Green. That’s right, I said it. Take your hybrids, rubber playground mulch, CFL bulbs, and solar panels and shove ‘em all in the giant recycling bin labeled “PAPER ONLY” sitting in your local grocery store parking lot.

Some of you are at this moment red-faced with smoke coming out of your ears typing your response to this article on your made-from-refurbished-seaweed keyboard after reading just the title of my article. Before you hit send you need to know that I AM A GREEN MANUFACTURER MYSELF and you need to hear my take on things. For the rest of you with your fingers over your face leaving just enough space to allow one eyeball to take a gander, let’s all just be completely honest – it’s easy to hate goin’ green, and there are three very good reasons to do so:

1. Green Products Stink

I’m not the least bit opposed to saving the planet. As a matter of fact I’m ALL FOR IT (remember, I’m in the green product business myself). And when there is a green alternative for the non-green product I am shopping for I really want to give it a try. However, in my possession at this moment I have a box full of green pens (black ink, green manufacturing) that work about as well as a hammer and chisel, a 23-pack of green toilet paper (threw the 1^st roll away immediately after enduring a 1^st degree cardboard burn over a significant portion of my posterior during the maiden voyage), and a handful of corkscrew fluorescent light bulbs I promptly removed from my house when discovering that when watching TV in my living room I had enough lumens to perform gall bladder surgery.

BOTTOM LINE: See Jimmy Buffet’s Cheeseburger In Paradise VS a tofu burger. There are some great green products out there that are as good as if not better than their non-green counterparts, but the reality is that they are few and far between. Few Americans snub the thought of making environmentally friendly choices but until the majority of our green products are equivalent replacements, STOP SHOVING THEM DOWN THE COLLECTIVE THROAT OF THIS COUNTRY.

1. Green Products & Programs Are Outrageously Priced

Because I do manufacture an eco-friendly product I try my best to support other entrepreneurial individuals and companies doing the same. For example, I ship my product in small recyclable cardboard boxes so I’m thinking not only should I use a box that CAN be recycled (which I do), I should also use one that has ALREADY been made from recycled materials.

Great THEORY, eh? When the rubber meets the road the non-recycled cardboard is about 1/3^rd the cost of the recycled version. You do the math. Oh, and how about the recycling bin for my home? The local recycling company wants me to separate all of my stuff (no problem), wash it out (ok), put it in the plastic bin (got it), drag it to the curb on Tuesday morning (uh huh) and then PAY THEM to take it away, recycle it and sell it for a profit. I’m no rocket scientist but isn’t that double dipping?

BOTTOM LINE: Green products & programs won’t really become mainstream viable until they make sense financially for the CONSUMER. To those of you who gladly pay premiums for sub-par green products and programs under the heading of “it’s worth it for Mother Earth” I truly applaud your efforts (I do the same). However, if we want green to reach the SUV-driving suburbanites we’re going to have to meet them at a place near and dear to their hearts – their pocket books.

1. Goin’ Green is a Pain In The Butt

Why do we as a country embrace NetFlix, Google, and Fandango? Because they all take something we were used to doing the hard way and make it easier. Their reward, adoption by millions. Thus far, however, almost everything green requires us to go out of our way. I have to drive across town to the organic food store, load up my cans, bottles and newspapers that I’ve been collecting in a corner of my garage for 3 months and take them to the recycling center, search endlessly online for green toothpaste, mouthwash & dental floss – I could go on.

BOTTOM LINE: If we want the nation to go green with us we need to make it not just a good thing to do, but a CONVENIENT thing to do as well.

On of my favorite companies is Southwest Airlines. They have a GREAT PRODUCT, it’s PRICED BETTER THAN THEIR COMPETITORS, and they MAKE THE USER EXPERIENCE WONDERFUL. Contrast that to most of our green products that are 1. Inferior, 2. More Expensive and 3. Harder to Use or Acquire than the non-green version. Good Ole American economics says that one of those two models is a sustainable movement while the other is a fad that will eventually dry up and blow away. None of us want the momentum of today’s environmental consciousness to die. How do we avoid that? We become dedicated to creating green products and services that are superior, better priced and more convenient.

BOTTOM, BOTTOM LINE: Either we get green goin’ in the aforementioned direction or goin’ green is gonna be goin’ out of style.

About the Author: Andy Sperry is a Geologist by education, former Environmental Consultant, and the founder and owner of InkFlip.com, a supplier of discount remanufactured (refilled) printer ink cartridges. InkFlip.com offers recycled ink cartridges that meet or exceed OEM specifications, prices that are up to 70% less than big box retail stores and the convenience of their never-run-out program where empty cartridges are mailed from customers to InkFlip.com in a pre-paid box, refilled and returned to the customer immediately. http://www.InkFlip.com – BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest Post – Top 3 Reasons to HATE “Goin’ Green”

EarthTalk^TM
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Where can I locate directories of environmental groups, businesses and jobs so that I can get involved in making a difference? — Jeanette, Carle Place, NY

The most comprehensive directory of environmental groups—from small to large and local to international—is provided for free online by the Washington, DC-based National Wildlife Federation. The group’s Conservation Directory (www.nwf.org/conservationDirectory) features listings for some 4,200 groups, including conservation-oriented non-profits, commercial businesses, government entities, colleges and universities, zoos, aquariums, museums, grant-giving organizations, and related coalitions.

Each listing includes all contact information, as well as a general description of the group’s work, the issues it focuses on and other relevant information. Users can search by keyword, location, issue and even contact name. Groups that aren’t in the directory can easily add themselves via an online form. NWF reports that new groups are added every day.

EnviroLink (www.envirolink.org), which started as a mailing list in 1991 between 20 students at Carnegie Mellon University, is today one of the best resources for green info on the web. The EnviroLink database has links to thousands of groups and resources across the U.S. and beyond, and is keyword-searchable.

Another old-standby is EcoMall (www.ecomall.com), which has an extensive “activism” section listing various eco groups and their campaigns. The site allows users to search by keyword or to navigate through well-conceived listings by issue topic. While the simple design of the site may bring users back to the early days of the World Wide Web, the listings remain fresh for the most part.

Beyond organizational listings, there are many other sites where you can find various green resources. Those looking for green products or services, for example, need steer their web browsers no further than Coop America’s National Green Pages (www.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages). The trusted directory lists some 3,000 businesses that have made commitments to sustainable, socially just principles, including support for sweatshop-free labor, organic farms and “cruelty-free” (not tested on animals) products.

Another good online directory of environmental products, services and even related job opportunities is the Eco Business Links Environmental Directory (www.ecobusinesslinks.com). A couple of other excellent environmental jobs listings include 5 Million Green Jobs (www.5milliongreenjobs.org) and the Green Jobs Network (www.greenjobs.net). Meanwhile, EnviroEducation.com also offers job listings, but focuses on helping aspiring students of environmental education, policy and science find graduate- and certificate-level programs to indulge their green learning muses.

Of course, in this day and age Internet search engines rival these directories for helping people find groups to work or volunteer with. An expertly crafted keyword search on Google (www.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/Environment) is sure to turn up some promising results. Remember to set key phrases apart by surrounding them with quotation marks to get better results. Navigating through Yahoo’s topic-based Environment and Nature Organizations page (http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/environment_and_nature/organizations) is another way to harness the power of the Internet to find environmental groups, information and resources.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

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Directories of Environmental Groups, Businesses and Jobs