Six “eco-oblivious” Americans have been chosen as finalists in the Hickory Springs EarthCare Challenge. They will now advance on a 45-day sustainable lifestyle makeover for a chance to win their own personal collection of earth-friendly home furnishings.
The finalists are:
Ray Bariso, a business manager from Warren, New Jersey.
My Bui, a kinesiology student at California State University.
Idona Cabrinha, a mother of two from Los Osos, California.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
