Environment, Organics, Fair Trade & Recycling at Big Green Purse

Use Black Friday Sales to Try New Green Products

If the high price of some green goods has prevented you from buying them in the past, Black Friday - and Cyber Monday, the online shopping spree that happens four days after Thanksgiving - may offer the opportunity to finally give them a try. Retailers usually slash prices 30-50%, which helps make eco-friendly products more affordable. As we get closer to the big day - November 25 - I'll let you know about bargains I think are worthwhile, not because it's Black Friday particularly, but just because I think it's a smart way to use the power of your big green purse to send a message to manufacturers that green is the best "black" there is. For now, here are categories to consider if you want to make a shopping list.

FOOD

Organic food can cost as much as 30% more than food that's been conventionally grown using pesticides or under inhumane conditions for animals and people. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that staples like organic milk, meat, poultry and fresh vegetables will be on sale just because it's Black Friday. But specialty foods - like chocolate, tea and coffee, nuts, and dried fruits - are likely to have their prices slashed, particularly at more conventional grocery stores where they're seen as a premium item. I expect online retailers to offer bargains on gift packs of these items - but there's no reason why you can't buy them for yourself.

ELECTRONICS and APPLIANCES

I hate to encourage anyone to buy more electronics, given how much e-waste is piling up. However, if you're truly in need of a new phone, tablet, computer, or printer, Black Friday is the day to buy it. Do your research now so you can aim for the most energy-efficient, eco-friendly equipment; check this Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics to pick the most environmentally responsible company for the item you want. Plan now to recycle your old equipment when you replace it; stores like Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot accept almost any electronic device, regardless of the manufacturer. If you still don't have an energy-saving power strip, get one of those while you're at it. Appliances will include the federal government Energy Guide sticker to help you choose the refrigerator, freezer, washer or dryer that uses the least amount of energy.

CLOTHING

While you'll find fashion bargains galore on November 25, not many of them are likely to be green, especially at the mall. Sadly, stores like Macy's, Target, Ann Taylor, Chico's, Express, Coldwater Creek, and the Limited are embarrassingly limited when it comes to dresses, shirts, pants, and other couture made from organic or eco-friendly fibers. You might have some luck at H&M; the last time I was in there, I found skirts and blouses made from organic cotton, and some sweaters made from recycled polyester. If you're not looking for dressy work clothes, head over to Lands End, Northface, Patagonia, and REI. Patagonia has done a particularly good job of using recycled fibers to make its vests and jackets; plus, you can recycle old t-shirts and other clothes at Patagonia when you shop.

JEWELRY

More and more fine jewelry stores are offering bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings made from recycled gold, reclaimed stones, and diamonds sourced from humane and fair trade mines. Before you buy, ask to see certification that shows where the jewels originally came from.

TOWELS AND SHEETS

Organic towels and sheets are a real luxury, and their usual high price shows it. But even their cost might come down on Black Friday; if it does, go for it! JC Penneys, Target, and Wal-Mart stock organic linens regularly; hopefully, they'll put them on sale November 25 along with the conventionally produced items. Check online or in the newspaper for "money off on anything" coupons.

WINE, BEER, SPIRITS

Most liquor stores sell organically produced wine, beer, vodka, gin, and possibly other spirits. Whether you're stocking up for the holidays or want to refill your fridge or wine cellar, take advantage of storewide discounts or sales on individual brands.

SOAP, SHAMPOO, PERFUME, PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

Stores like Bath & Body Works, the Body Shop, and Origins increasingly sell soaps, shampoos, lotions, and cremes free of parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances. Read labels carefully, and look for products packaged in paper, cardboard and glass rather than plastic.

YOGURT AND BREAD MAKERS

If you buy a lot of yogurt and bread, chances are you're throwing away a lot of plastic yogurt containers and paper bread wrappers. Pretty much every department store will have these two items on sale on Black Friday.

WRAPPING PAPER AND HOLIDAY CARDS

The "greenest" option is to use paper you saved from last year and to send e-cards. You can also wrap presents in fabrics, towels, or table cloths and napkins or bundle them into reusable shopping bags. But if it's paper you must have, look for 100% recycled paper or tree-free paper options in both wrapping and cards from Hallmark and Papyrus, among other shops.

Don't forget your own shopping bag... your reusable one, of course!

Related Posts:

Recycling Your Computer Just Got Easier

What if You Buy Nothing?

How to Shop for Eco-friendly Clothing (Parts 1, 2, 3)

Top Ten "Green" Thanksgiving Tips

Give to Your Favorite Charity Whenever You Shop - At No Extra Cost to You

For more ideas on how to be a green consumer this holiday season, check out the Green Moms Carnival this month, hosted by Betsy over at Eco-Novice.

 

How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothes - Part 2: Try TENCEL or Lyocell

If we were to separate clothing into categories, somewhere in between natural fibers like cotton or hemp and man-made petroleum fibers like polyester, we'd find Lyocell, "a natural cellulose" product. Lyocell  is made by processing wood pulp into fiber so it can be woven into fabric and sewn into socks, underwear, pants, and blouses, among many other fashion options.

Lyocell, which is also sold under the trade name TENCEL® or Lenzing Lyocell, offers several advantages over conventional cotton and even rayon, another fiber made from cellulose. The trees Lyocell is made from are grown without pesticides, often in sustainably managed forests on land that's not suitable for other crops. Though harsh chemicals are needed to soften the wood pulp so it can be converted into fiber, the chemicals are captured in a "closed loop" processing system so they can be reused rather than discharged into local water supplies. (NOTE: The Organic Clothing blog cautions people who are highly chemically sensitive to be alert to possible allergic reactions to TENCEL.)

Lyocell also offers advantages over cotton when it comes to water. According to this excellent analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, unless the cotton is only grown using rain water, Lyocell can end up using far less water to produce than either conventional or organic cotton. Sustainable textiles expert Coral Rose notes, "I strongly believe Lenzing’s products are a key component to any sustainable fiber strategy, when considering all the environmental impacts associated with fiber growing and production." 

New Innovations in TENCEL® are giving way to several variations of the fabric. TENCEL® MICRO is a very smooth silky fiber, while TENCEL® with Multitouch can be used to make heavier fabrics like denim.
 
Shopping for TENCEL®

TENCEL® products are widely available, some at very reasonable prices. Forever 21, for example, offers a severl TENCEL-based garments like this blazer.

You can also find a huge selection of TENCEL® clothing at Tianello.

To try out a TENCEL® sheet set, check out Downlite  or even your local Bed Bath and Beyond Store.

 

Use Your Purse!

The U.S. has an extremely high average fiber consumption per capita, approximately 41.8 kg per year compared to the international average of 10.5 kg per year. Clearly, how we choose to spend our money on clothing directly affects the environment. The next time you are faced with a choice between TENCEL® and cotton, choose the most eco-friendly option: TENCEL®.

For More Information...

Don't miss Part 1 of our series, "How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing"

You can learn more about Tencel if you read this interview with Coral Rose, who has been a featured speaker at events such as The ECO-SHOW, All Things Organic (ATO), and Texworld-New York, to name a few. In this article Coral points out how rare it is to find a company that answers the questions “what is the source of our raw materials? [and] Where were the materials harvested, processed, produced?” Her opinion on the environmental impact of fiber growing and production is that Lenzing Modal and Tencel come out on top.

Modal
 Modal, which is also manufactured by Lenzing, is made from beech trees. Modal is highly absorbent and, like Tencel, resists fading.  100% Modal  is most often made into towels or bedding, though it blends very well with cotton and is another great choice for clothing.

Big Green Purse receives "Image of the Future" Award at Davos Communication Forum

The World Communication Forum recently recognized me and Big Green Purse with its global "Image of the Future" prize. The prize was awarded by a committee composed of 30 communications professionals from 20 countries in recognition of "the manager or designer who has created the best innovative brand and/or image," particularly when it comes to protecting the environment.

"Thank you for your collaboration, for the wonderful work you're doing, [and] for your contribution to  communications and the eternal values you're successfully conveying to other people," said the Forum's Media Manager Helen Brandt . "We highly appreciate your work."

(You can see more Big Green Purse honors here.)

It's Time for BlogHer to be Green - Inside and Out.

 BlogHer is the world's largest network of women bloggers. As such, it commands substantial financial sponsorships from multi-national conglomerates, many of whom jump at the chance to peddle their wares to the thousands of attendees who throng BlogHer's annual conferences. After all, these women are bloggers: their online presence functions like a  giant megaphone to the rest of the world. What company wouldn't want to promote its products to so many potential free advertisers?

How "green" the BlogHer conferences are has become increasingly controversial over the past few years. Last year, an uproar ensued when the group's conference seemed to have been commandeered by Pepsi and other companies that for three days bombarded conference-goers with trashy swag. I was on BlogHer's "Green Team"; the victory we thought we'd won convincing Pepsi not to hand out bottled water was undercut by all the soda bottles and other junk companies peddled right and left throughout the event.

This year, I did not attend the conference. But by all reports, the swag was much more restrained. Still, the confab was sponsored by a bevy of companies promoting the kind of throwaway "stuff" Annie Leonard shined such a bright spotlight on in her searing online documentary, The Story of Stuff. To wit, not only did the companies give away a lot of junk - they also sponsored a suite where conference goers could throw it away (or "recycle" it to places like homeless shelters, begging the question: if you don't want it, why do you think a homeless person does?).

Florida Resident Shifts $1,137 to Organic Foods, Native Plants & Worm Poop

Worm poop? It's not as crazy as it sounds (see post below). Worm castings (as they're more delicately called) make great organic fertilzer. They're also a terrific choice if you're looking for ways to shift your spending to greener products and services -- in this case, away from concentrated agricultural chemicals and towards all-natural soil amendments. That's just one of the choices Kimberly Button of Orlando made when she joined the Big Green Purse One in a Million campaign. What about others?

Well, Kim also started buying more organic chocolates and tea (who can blaim her?), organic groceries,and organically-based personal care products like body lotions and shampoos. She printed her business cards on recycled paper and bought recycled envelopes, too. Plus, she bought a re-usable stainless steel lunch container so she could forego plastic bags or takeout boxes. All told, she shifted more than $1,000 in just a few months, qualifying her to become a One in a Million member.

Now, you might think it was a "no brainer" for Kim to put her money where her mouth is. After all, she is a green living consultant who has founded her own sustainable business and website. (Make sure you check out her work at GreenWell Consulting and GetGreenBeWell). But she still has to manage a budget, make choices when she shops, and evaluate trade-offs.

So I asked her, "What inspired you to make the shifts to greener products and services?" "I started living greener because of health problems that weren't being adressed by modern medicine - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia," she said. "After quickly realizing the positive health benefits of living green, I really became more in tune with how my decisions directly or indirectly affect the health of the planet as a whole. It's a "Do unto others...." mentality that I have now.  What do my excessive spending habits do to the livelihoods of individuals less fortunate than us around the world?"  
  
Then I wanted to know, "What was easy about the shifts? What was more challenging?"  "Buying organic and healthier foods was definitely easier. There's an instant benefit there.  And buying green cleaners is a no-brainer. Same cost, or less, for the same cleaning power. Paying much more for healthier personal care products can be challenging sometimes, since the cost is often SO much more than the cheap stuff, but these are products that are being absorbed by your skin, so the health benefits to me are more important. I just find ways to use less stuff, and the savings justify the costs!"
 
Being intentional about how she's spending her money has also inspired Kim to plan for the future. "I hope to invest in larger, more expensive items such as rain barrels, a composter, a drip irrigation system and even a hydroponic garden system," she vows. "I know these are so important, but the initial expense can be quite expensive, especially when it also involves some modifications to your home."

In the meantime, Kim will contine to make affordable shifts in her day-to-day purchases that benefit her as well as the environment.

Kim's Shifts in 2010

January	Recycled Envelopes	6.50
February	Biodynamic Lotion (Clearance)	5.00
February	Organic Tea House	4.00
February	Organic Groceries	125.00
February	Non-Profit Org. Donation	25.00
March	Organic personal care products	54.00
March	Organic groceries	130.00
March	Seeds	10.00
March	strawberry & blueberry plants	12.00
April	Organic meats & produce	130.00
March	Organic Restaurant	8.00
March	Non-Profit Org. Donation	15.00
April	Green Business Cards	11.00
April	Stainless Steel Lunch Container	18.00
April	Organic Tea House	10.00
April	Eco Tour	80.00
April	Organic Chocolates	6.00
April	Organic Restaurant	54.00
May	Eco Friendly Pest Controls	4.50
May	Recyclable Pots	60.00
May	Compost/ Worm Castings/ Mulch	40.00
May	Organic Groceries	150.00
May	Green Web Site Hosting	40.00
May	Native Plants	30.00
May	Organic Groceries	109.00
TOTAL		$ 1,137

Feeling inspired? You can join the One in a Million campaign yourself. Here's how.

And to read about more One in a Million members, click here.

 

Why I Believe in the Power of the Purse

This month's Green Moms Carnival topic is "I believe..."

I am taking the opportunity to reiterate why I created Big Green Purse, a campaign to motivate women especially to channel their spending power into social and environmental change.

It is because I believe...

*  the fastest, most effective way to stop polluters is by pressuring them in the marketplace

*  women can be the world’s most powerful economic and environmental force if we intentionally shift our spending to the best green products and services

* women have the power right now to solve many of our most serious environmental problems by using our green purses to make a difference

* women must act – intentionally, collectively, and with the full force of our purse power behind us – if we hope to leave our children and grandchildren a better world.

Women spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace. I believe we should tell manufacturers what to make; they should not be telling us what to buy.

I believe we only have as much power as we exercise. I also believe exercising our power gives us more.

I believe it is not too late ... but it will be soon.

As the saying goes, if not us, who? If not now, when?

I believe it is up to us, and we must act now.

See what more green moms and friends believe on Monday, February, 9, when The Smart Mama hosts the next Green Moms Carnival.

When it comes to packaging, Trader Joe's can do better.

As much as I love the product variety at Trader Joe's, I hate the packaging waste.

Everything - apart from a few bananas - comes wrapped in excessive plastic or paper. What gives? On a recent shopping trip there, all the fresh produce seemed to be hermetically sealed: one barrel was full of pairs of zucchini trapped on small polystyrene trays bundled in plastic. Another featured pairs of apples similarly presented. Elsewhere, the store was selling oversized boxes of organic tea bags - the tea bag was the same size, but it was encased in a large cellophane wrapper, then packed in a box that seemed to be 30% bigger than the standard size. Is that ok because the tea is organic?

Trader Joe's offers a good selection of organic milk, eggs and butter. Its cleaning products minimize dangerous chemicals. And it sells many of these choices at reasonable prices. But the company does itself and its customers a disservice, especially in these lean and green times, by not reducing the packaging used to sell its products.

Maybe next time I'm there, I'll just unwrap all the overpacked goods and leave the waste at the cash register.

Thumbs down, Trader Joe's.  

Forget Black and Orange. Can I Get That In "Green"?

As Halloween unofficially kicks off the holiday buying season, Big Green Purse is encouraging consumers to ask "Can I get it in 'green'?" no matter what they're looking for when they shop.

The idea is to pressure the nation's 1.6 million U.S. retailers more forcefully than ever before to offer the greenest products and services available.  Looking for a sweater? Ask if the store has it in "green" - i.e., made from certified organic or recycled fiber by Fair Trade workers. Buying toys? Inquire about "green" dolls, action figures, stuffed animals, and games made in the U.S. from certified sustainable materials finished with non-toxic glues and paints. Thinking about electronics? Request the "greenest" options, which you can find on the ratings pages at Greenpeace.

In all likelihood, most stores, especially those occupying the very un-green real estate characteristic of shopping and strip malls, won't have a ready supply of certified green goods on hand. But that's why consumer demand is so important.

*  Given that consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of GDP, consumer behavior has an oversized  influence on the entire economy. What you buy tells manufacturers what to make more of -- and how.

*  The Christmas shopping season alone can account for as much as forty per cent of a retail store’s annual revenue and as much as three-quarters of its annual profit. Consistently demanding the greenest possible goods from now until the end of December -- and buying them when you find them -- is the most immediate route available to change corporate behavior.   

*  The National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend $470.4 billion during the 2008 holiday shopping season, more than $1,000 per household.

Shifting even 20% of that money would amount to an end-of-year infusion of more than $94 billion to eco-manufacturers, providing needed financial capital to entrepreneurs the federal government routinely ignores. Though the government seems more than willing to spend $700 billion to bail out the outdated banking industry, it offers little or no money to help innovative manufacturers transition to certified environmentally-friendly practices, an action that arguably could have a far more positive impact on our economy and national security than rescuing failed banks.

It goes without saying that the greenest way to celebrate the holidays is to reduce buying as much as possible. The reality is that people are going to shop - at least for holiday food and drink, and for most, much more. Shoppers who shift their spending to green products help infuse environmentally-friendly producers and retailers with the capital they need to continue to ramp up their eco-offerings while eliminating practices that pollute the air and water and accelerate climate change. They also create a resounding drumbeat that lasts far beyond the Christmas sales.

Plus, asking "Can I get it in 'green'?" creates an opportunity to educate a substantial number of people who, for a few minutes at least, are a captive audience: the 25 million Americans - 1 out of every 5 working U.S. citizens - employed in the retail industry.

So, start asking "Can I Get It In 'Green'?" And don't keep the answers to yourself! Share them with the rest of us via the Get It Green Forum or over on Twitter.

And for other holiday and Halloween ideas, check out the Green Moms Carnival, hosted this month by Green Bean Dreams.

Another "One in a Million" Shifts Spending to Used Car, Organic Make-up

The One in a Million campaign is inspiring thousands of women to shift $1,000 of their household budget to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit.

Meet the latest "Millionaire":  Christine G. from Pittsburgh, PA shifted almost $5,000 in the following ways:

*  Used Car - $4,700

*  Organic Makeup - $23.00

*  Used books for herself and gifts - $103.00

*  Organic lotions and shampoos - $54.00

Total Shift:  $4,881.00

Here's her story:

" I am recently married, have one spoiled dog name Meeko, a husband Steve who supports the green effort I'm trying to undertake in my own little corner of the world (and who really likes me not buying the unnecessary items at all!). I am in charge of a safety program on the job and have started to incorporate "green living" into safety talks and communications out to the people in the field who work with the same program, though I do not manage any employees directly.

"I was looking for a "new to me vehicle" and I did not want to buy new and lose value as soon as I drove off the lot.  I look at buying a used vehicle as recycling, but did not look at the mpg as the price was soooo right.  The mpg is no worse than the vehicle I have replaced by buying this used vehicle.

Re what inspired Christine to become One in a Million? "I want to do my part - once I thought about what "organic" and "free trade" and "shade grown" and all the other phrases really mean, I realized that it's not only good for the planet in the big picture, it's good for me in the immediate future."

Will she continue to shift her spending? "I do continue to buy greener products and services, though I'm also just not buying as much unnecessary items as I have in the past - and I finally found Bon Ami!!, so I'll be cleaning a little greener, too."

"I am the major purchaser for the household. I am looking for bamboo flooring in anticipation of when we'll need it in the future for a remodeling project. I'm interested in solar panels or at least sky-lights. I am buying organic groceries as much as possible (milk, parents have a farm so fresh free-range eggs are no problem, local farmer's market fruit and veggies instead of imported and treated from who knows where with who knows what) as well as H&B items (shampoo, cosmetics, sunscreens, etc.)."

"I will think green before any purchase and purchase to the greenest of my ability - be it gently used, flea market, donation store, hand me overs, etc.  I'm trying to work "green" into everything I can."

Thumbs up, Christine!

How to Protect Your Family From Bisphenol A

Bisphenol-A, a toxic chemical used to make baby bottles, plastic water bottles, and food and beverage can liners, has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. Even so, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) insists that the chemical is fine for use by infants, children and adults.

BPA, an artificial sex hormone, has produced irreversible damage in test animals. It has been under fire from environmentalists, scientists, and, increasingly, concerned moms.

FDA, the federal agency charged with regulating food safety, has argued that BPA can continue to be used in consumer products. The agency cites 2 studies indicating that the chemical is safe, despite the fact that both studies were funded by the chemical industry.

Environmental Working Group, the consumer watchdog research institute, says, "The FDA has refused to take into serious consideration more than 100 independent animal studies suggesting the toxic chemical could be linked to serious disorders in humans, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, early puberty, obesity and learning and behavioral problems."

University of Missouri research scientist Frederick Vom Saal today released one of the most comprehensive studies ever published on BPA. The study links heart disease and diabetes to continual, low-dose exposure to BPA -- exactly the kind of exposure you would get from drinking canned sodas regularly or drinking regularly from plastic bottles.

In an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists report a strong correlation between levels of BPA in American adults and these diseases, both of which are increasing.

"These startling results only increase the urgency of removing BPA from products used by young children," said EWG senior scientist Anila Jacob M.D. M.P.H. "If the adult population in the U.S. is seeing links between this toxic chemical and heart disease and diabetes, imagine what impact much higher exposure levels are having on babies whose bodies are just developing."

The National Toxicology Program, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, has asserted that it has "some concern" for BPA¹s negative impact on "development of the prostate gland and brain and for behavioral effects in fetuses, infants and children."

"If this weren¹t so serious, it would be laughable," said EWG VP for Research, Jane Houlihan. "Here we have an agency that time and again makes the wrong call on everything from pharmaceuticals, tomatoes and toothpaste, and we¹re supposed to take them at their word over a toxic sex hormone found in baby products."

Until state or federal laws pass outlawing BPA in consumer products, you can protect yourself by:

* minimizing your consumption of canned food and canned beverages, as BPA may be used to line the cans; choose fresh or frozen food and bottled juices instead

* buy only water bottles or baby bottles that explicitly say they are BPA-Free

* use glass baby bottles and reusable water bottles made from stainless steel or aluminum

* avoid plastic food and beverage containers that are made with #7 plastic; you should see the number in a triangle on the bottom of the bottle.