01/13/08 03:25 - 39ºF - ID#42869

Green

So, I've been a bit negligent over the past few years about being Green. Something happened to me in the past few weeks and it is like I woke up. I'm actively thinking about what I'm doing in my home.

Now that I'm "awake", I thought I would share with everyone else.

Shopping and Cleaning

Ecobags
Bringing your own bag when shopping saves plastic bags. Visit www.ecobags.com

Method Home
Method offers some cleaners that are dye- and perfume-free, nontoxic, biodegradable, naturally derived and never tested on animals. For more information, visit www.methodhome.com

Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies
All of their cleaning supplies are made with natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free. For more, visit www.mrsmeyers.com.

Seventh Generation products
Seventh Generation is one of the leading brands of nontoxic household products. For more information, visit www.seventhgeneration.com.

Shaklee
This company has been producing natural cleaning products-everything from dryer sheets to stain removers-for 50 years. Call 800-670-6251 or visit www.shaklee.com to save 33 percent on the Shaklee Healthy Home pack and 15 percent off all other items at Shaklee.

Green Home
This is just the epicenter of green products.
www.greenhome.com/

Water bottles

Nalgene water bottles
These water bottles are durable, inexpensive, can be used repeatedly and are widely recyclable. For more information visit www.nalgene-outdoor.com.

New Wave Enviro Products
Corn-resin bottle with filter ($8.99) provides pure, clean drinking water and can be reused up to 90 times, and the bottle biodegrades in just 80 days. For more information visit www.newwaveenviro.com

or call 800-592-8371.

SIGG water bottles
Using a premium reusable bottle like SIGG greatly helps reduce unnecessary environmental waste caused by plastic PET water bottles. Get more information at mysigg.com.

scott writes at 08:24:18 01/17/08 - Comment #30559: I plan to use the earth until it's gone, like the good little virus I am.

jbeatty writes at 04:40:17 01/14/08 - Comment #30362: I'm not discrediting anything about any of these companies, because I really don't know anything about them. But this whole "green" movement that has appeared in the past five years really has me skeptical. I have to wonder how many of the CEO's of these "green" companies are driving around in Escalades and Hummers. Too often I think its just a ploy to sell over-priced products to people. I guess thats just my cynicism coming out.

dcoffee writes at 09:21:27 01/14/08 - Comment #30344: Sweet Thanks. Those energy efficient bulbs are cheap now too, and they come in warm tones.

ajay writes at 06:22:46 01/13/08 - Comment #30332: Nalgene is getting some bad press these days. A couple of big stores have stopped carrying Nalgene bottles due to this whole Bisphenol-A thing (it leaches into the water, and is claimed to be an estrogen imitator?).

I don't want to get big tits; I've switched to Sigg .

james writes at 04:58:43 01/13/08 - Comment #30328: I am not a fan of nalgene. For one, they are the largest manufacturer of water bottles for animal cages in testing facilities. The plastic they use is composite-polycarbonate plastic which is not recycled domestically. It is either thrown out or shipped over seas to be recycled. The amount of fuel burned to ship all of it negates some of the benefit. Additionally, nalgene bottles use bisphenol A, a chemical which has been linked to increased estrogen and breast cancer risk.

So, I avoid Nalgine. Thank you for posting all this information though.

libertad writes at 04:35:12 01/13/08 - Comment #30321: I am a huge fan of Method products. Great dish soap, all purpose cleaner and Tub and tile cleaner! They also have pretty decent hand soap too (smell before buying). I wrote a lengthy thing a while ago about my experience with green clean. Check it out if you want :::link:::
Also, I found an electromagnetic sponge on one of the websites you posted and I'm going to look and see if I can find it somewhere else so I can try it. There isn't anything else on that site that I want (except maybe a shower curtain I can't afford) and don't want to pay to ship one thing. Anyways, it looks like I might like it a lot. It is great that you can wash it in the washer to cut down on the bacteria that grows on it. I hate when people have nasty ass sponges that smell. That is so gross.