Organic Shopping Principles
When should you spend money to protect the planet – and when should you keep it in your purse?
Given the thousands of green products being introduced these days, and the vague marketing claims being used to sell them, you don’t want to blow your budget just to keep up with the newest “eco,” “herbal,” or “biodegradable” fad – especially if the claim turns out to be more greenwashing than green.
On the other hand, genuinely earth-friendly products do help minimize your environmental impact. Every organic cotton T-shirt you buy, for instance, helps reduce the use of toxic agricultural chemicals, protecting the air and water. Moreover, the same tee waves like a bright green flag in front of conventional cotton producers, reminding them that your money is filling their organic competitors’ coffers. Continue reading »
Blue Avocado’s coordinated collection of reusable shopping bags
The BYOB (that’s bring-your-own-bag) trend is hopefully becoming a way of life and not just a fad. San Fran’s ban on plastic bags is now almost two years old, and many other cities are considering following suit. Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently proposed a charge of six cents on every plastic bag New Yorkers need at the checkout. Ikea and Whole Foods are eliminating their use in all of their stores
What’s a grocery shopper to do? Check out Blue Avocado’s new Cool Kit Gro-Pak, a sustainable shopping system that includes five different types of shopping bags, including a main tote Pak, an insulated Chil bag for hot and cold items, a Mesh bag just for veggies, a Stuff N’ Go bag that folds up really small, and a sturdy Multi-Use bag. The entire system fits into the main Pak for easy storage at home or in the car.
All of the bags are made from recycled materials and come with an audited carbon label that lets you know you’re taking a stand for the planet. If you avoid three plastic bags each time you go to the grocery store, you’ll save an average of 200 bags per year. That’s 9.5lbs of CO2 or the equivalent of not driving 11 miles, making Gro-Pak the perfect cross between conscience and convenience.
This article appeared in The Alternative Consumer
Recycled guitar strings of music legends become bracelets and aid charity
New York-based WEAR YOUR MUSIC creates eco-friendly jewelry that turns the used guitar strings of an eclectic range of famous musical artists into stylish bracelets that proclaim both your love of music, and your donation to charity.
The bangle-style bracelets are crafted from guitar strings donated by over 150 artists ranging from rock luminaries Eric Clapton and Pete Townsend to contemporary artists like My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, Jack Johnson, Carrie Underwood and Ani DiFranco. I have my eye on the under-appreciated Steve Vai bracelet ($150).
The fine silver used on each bracelet is also 100% recycled, as is the DVD case each bracelet comes in. Each piece is sold with a certificate of authenticity.
A portion of each sale is donated to charities like Carlos Santana’s Milagro Foundation and The Grateful Dead-affiliated Rex Foundation.
The company also makes a line of guitar string fashion bracelets (no rock star heritage) that start at $7.00
This article first appeared at The Alternative Consumer
