Archive for November, 2009

U.S. Postal Service Goes Greener

November 30th, 2009
USPScarrier2 682x1024 U.S. Postal Service Goes Greener

Image courtesy of the United States Postal Service

The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled a new version of its green website  usps.com/green.

Says Sam Pulcrano, vice president of Sustainability:

“Friends of the environment will find smart tools on usps.com/green to measure their carbon emissions and create individual conservation plans. The Skip the Trip calculator shows how to save money, fuel and energy by using our easy online services. It’s another way the Postal Service helps customers make greener choices about their mail.”

» Read more: U.S. Postal Service Goes Greener

Greener Christmas Parties

November 30th, 2009
Glassrootstoreglassstraw bend Greener Christmas Parties

Image courtesy of Grassroots Environmental Products

The Christmas party season is alive and kicking for 2009.  How can you throw greener Christmas parties?

Grassroots Environmental Products offers varied sustainable and stylish items for green entertaining.   Here are a few great green entertaining products:

Glass Straws (shown left): “Hand-blown glass straws are new on the scene, and bound to make a splash (figuratively speaking, of course) at your next holiday gathering.”

Bambu Sporks: “The biodegradable Spork, spoon & fork, is a whimsical and earth-friendly addition to any cocktail party. Made from renewable, organic bamboo, clean up is a snap – just toss the cutler in your green bin and take the rest of the night off!”

Salt & Pepper Shakers: “Individually handcrafted from reclaimed wood and finished with natural milk-paint; seasoning your food was never so elegant.”

Cork Serving Dishes: “Serve up a side of sustainability with our new cork serving dish. Harvested sustainably from the cork trees, this serving dish is impervious to liquids, anti-microbial, and will cushion your knives with every chop.”

For more green product ideas, visit Grassroots online.

Green Zebras For Christmas

November 23rd, 2009
GZ Book Cover - 2010 Christmas small

Image courtesy of Green Zebra Guide

What is your favorite sustainable holiday gift idea?  One of seeking greener’s favorites is the Green Zebra Guide which features the best of healthy, sustainable living in Greater Vancouver.

The coupon book includes lifestyle tips and ideas and 300 exclusive offers from eco-friendly local businesses.  Consumers can literally save thousands of dollars at restaurants, grocery stores, spas, books and toy shops, yoga studio, eco-apparel boutiques, theatres, local attractions and getaways.   In Vancouver, the Green Zebra Guide costs $20 and sales support TB Vets Charitable Foundation.

For more info, check out the Green Zebra Guide online.


10 Ways To Reuse & Recycle Plastics

November 19th, 2009
freephoto1 apts 11 10 Ways To Reuse & Recycle Plastics

Image courtesy of freephoto1

Reusing and recycling plastics can be challenging everyday. How can you recycle more? Plastics Make It Possible offers great tips on reusing and recycling everyday plastics.

Here are their 10 tips:

1. “Find out which plastics are accepted for recycling in your community
and where they can be taken.”

2. “Know what to recycle with your bottles. A “bottle” is any container
with a neck or opening that’s smaller than its base.”

3. “Know what to recycle with your bags at grocery stores.”

4. “Clean and empty. Before tossing them in the recycle bin, make sure
bottles are appropriately rinsed and that caps are removed.”

5. “Bring bottles back to the bin. When bottles are emptied away from
home, store them in a backpack or briefcase, or simply leave them in
the car until arriving home to place in a recycle bin.”

» Read more: 10 Ways To Reuse & Recycle Plastics

A Green Night’s Sleep

November 18th, 2009

GreenMattresses2OMI - Terra

Are you shopping for a greener mattress?  California company Organic Mattresses, Inc., (OMI) has launched OrganicPedic, a  line of mattresses crafted with organic cotton, natural wool and natural rubber.  All OMI products are produced in an organic mattress factory which is smoke-free, chemical-free and fragrance-free.

The adult-sized mattresses have received the  GREENGUARD and LEED certifications, granted to products that meet low-VOC emission standards.  An ozone sanitation chamber promises to protect against potential contamination from molds, yeasts, and bacteria.

OrganicPedic®  queen-size mattresses range from $1595 USD for the Sierra to $4395 USD for the Terra.  The company also makes bedding accessories and pillows,  like the Eco-wool-wrapped 100% natural Shredded Rubber Pillow and the Wooly Lite pillow top.

OMI says the cotton used is grown in Texas and the wool humanely sheared from Northern California sheep reared organically without antibiotics or hormones.

The wood used in their wood-slat and box spring foundations, the company says, has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the 100% natural rubber latex is sustainably harvested from tropical rubber tress and manufactured into cores in the USA.

Image courtesy of OMI

Taking The EarthCare Challenge?

November 17th, 2009
freephoto1 water fall Taking The EarthCare Challenge?

Image courtesy of freephoto1

Hickory Springs has launched a nationwide search for six U.S. contestants to compete in its first “EarthCare Challenge” for a chance to win $5,000 in eco-friendly home furnishings.

This contest will chronicle the challenges of six contestants aspiring to live more sustainable lifestyles.  EarthCare Challenge will take place on social networking communities Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and EarthCareInside.com.  The contest will promote Hickory Spring’s line of EarthCare eco-friendly components for upholstered furniture.

Says Hickory Springs Executive Vice President Dwayne Welch:

“Through the contest we believe many consumers will see how they can improve not only their own lifestyles but their quality of life overall.  We think it’s an important step from the home furnishings industry, which traditionally hasn’t been one of the leading industries to show all that it has done to become eco-friendly. The EarthCare Challenge is a chance to share real experiences within a community that we’re creating with our partners in the furnishings industry, and where consumers can learn how to make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives.”

» Read more: Taking The EarthCare Challenge?

How To Make Sustainable Seafood Choices

November 16th, 2009
TheBlueOceanInstitute1 raw image How To Make Sustainable Seafood Choices

Image courtesy of the Blue Ocean Institute

Do you make smart seafood choices ?  Blue Ocean Institute offers sustainable seafood guides which can be valuable resources for dining out or shopping for seafood.

The Institute works to increase consumer understanding about sustainable seafood and encourage retailers and restaurateurs to adopt sustainable seafood practices.

Blue Ocean Institute’s seafood rankings lists include over 90 species.   These popular seafood rankings consider species’ life history, abundance in the wild, habitat concerns, catch method or farming system and health advisory information.

Download the October 2009 SeafoodGuide here.

Green Wedding Planning 101

November 12th, 2009
freephoto1 whitehouse 2 Green Wedding Planning 101

Image courtesy of freephoto1

Fancy becoming a green wedding planner?

Now, there’s an online course for wedding professionals called Green Wedding Planning Certification from The Wedding Planning Institute.

Kate Harrison, founder of The Green Bride Guide and author of  The Green Bride Guide: How to Create an Earth-Friendly Wedding on Any Budget, wrote and teaches the four-week online course.   The course will teach wedding professionals how to incorporate eco-friendly wedding solutions into their clients’ events to lower costs and save the environment.

Says Kate Harrison:

“There are over two million weddings a year in the United States and an average of 150 guests per wedding. The environmental impact of the wedding industry is tremendous. With 45% of couples looking for green options this year, it has never been more important for wedding professionals to understand the environmental impacts of weddings.”

After publishing The Green Bride Guide, Harrison launched the site to help eco-conscious couples connect with local resources and to create a community where they can share pictures, stories and ideas with each other.

For more info on the green wedding course, check out the Institute online.

What’s Your EcoStore?

November 11th, 2009
GreenCalgaryEcoStore News Whats Your EcoStore?

Image courtesy of Green Calgary

What’s your favorite EcoStore?   seeking greener regularly shops at natural and organic retailers Capers Community Market and Planet Organic Market.

Recently, in Calgary, environmental, non-profit organization Green Calgary reopened its EcoStore. Back in 2004, Green Calgary, formerly Clean Calgary Association, opened the EcoStore to “provide the public with access to products that help reduce their environmental impact while raising funds for community projects”.

Says Green Calgary executive director Natalie Odd:

“Calgarians care deeply about the health of our environment. The EcoStore is here to provide them with access to tools and information that help to reduce ecological impact. Our customers are part of a growing number of people who are taking positive action.”

Among the hundreds of products available are compost bins, kitchen catchers for organics, worms for composting, water saving devices ranging from rain barrels to aerators to shower timers, office and school supplies, natural cleaners and body care, baby toys, sheets, towels, reusable plastic plates and pet toys.

Green Calgary says its EcoStore staff use stringent criteria to select products including function, where the product is made, materials used, recycled content, recyclability, and packaging. 

For more info on the EcoStore, check out Green Calgary online.

Sweet Organic Snacks And More

November 10th, 2009

sesame goji small1 Sweet Organic Snacks And More

Fancy a greener nutrition bar for you or your family?

Well, PROBAR are whole food meals made 100 percent vegan, trans fat-free and rich in raw, organic ingredients.  This summer, seeking greener was impressed by samples of PROBARs sent over by a company representative.   These nutrition bars proved to be flavorful, satisfying and filling meal replacements or snacks.

The Sweet & Savory PROBARs became fast favorites, especially the flavors Sesame Goji (above), Cherry Pretzel, Maple Pecan and Kettle Corn.

For more info, check out the PROBAR website.

Image above: © PROBAR