Eco Friendly Product Guide

Sure, you know that reusable shopping bags are great for the environment.  But they are also becoming a major fashion statement.  All kinds of artists and designers have taken to creating hot new styles which have become a status symbol among the shopping elite.

A perfect example are these Spring in New York bags from RuMe.  Inspired by the most prestigious New York locations, the set of three comes with one each of the blue “Hamptons”, green “Greenwich” and orange “5th Avenue” bags.  Additional features include:

• individual bag size 15.5” x 15.5” x 4”
• handles are 11.5” long
• three bags roll up to 6” x 2” x 3”
• each bag holds more than 50lbs*
• water resistant/machine washable
• double stitched seams
• square sides and bottom
• made in a South Korean Fair Trade Factory

You can get this chic (and green) set of reusable Spring in New York bags on the RuMe website for $29.85, or buy them individually for $9.95 each.

One of the problems with the way manufacturing is done in today’s world is the sheer volume of waste that is produced.  Some of it is a byproduct of the process, and some of it is simply a result of mistakes by the workers or machines.  For example, in factories which make cans, tins and other metal containers, there can be hundreds–even thousands–of misprints which must be discarded because they are not able to be sold.

One artist has salvaged this misprinted sheet metal and used it to make stunning Moroccan-inspired themed lanterns that can lend ambience to either an indoor or outdoor space.  These colorful lamps come in two shapes:  round and cylindrical.  They have hundreds of tiny openings which allow a lit tealight candle to illuminate the room with a magical glow.

Imagine your next BBQ or evening party decorated with these festive lanterns.  Each misprint metal lamp is $69 and can be purchased on Viva Terra.

The tricky thing about this product is that it has not been fully developed, it has no price tag (though you can expect a big one when finally one day in the far distant future, if ever, these cars roll off the production line) and you cannot even order one.

The best you can do is go to the Fly the Road website, choose your model (see above) and “pre-register”. By choosing the model, exterior and interior colors and saying what you will be using it for, you are sort of telling the developers (who are heavily funded by venture capital and partnered with businesses of similar ilk) what the market wants. If the market is comprised of people who fill in online forms for cookie California startups, that is.

If you are interested in looking at a vehicle that combines all the disadvantages of motor cycles, small cars and fighter jets with a notion of saving the planet, then the Venture One (prototype under construction is your dream vehicle.

My only question is, does it fly by night?

I have never given sponges the consideration they deserve. I suppose, though, that sponges (the type that sway about on the floor of the ocean) have as much right to life as anyone.

Also I had failed (until hearing about Twistclean) to consider that the billions of sponges manufactured artificially every year might lead to unwanted piles of spongy waste with a detrimental impact on the environment.

That was the reason that the people at Twistclean decided to reinvent the sponge. Now you can get a range of household sponges that keep your house clean as well as your conscience. The materials they use are 98% biodegradable, plus they do their absolute to best to use all the raw material they take into the factory.

You can look at the Twistclean website for a list of suppliers. Unfortunately you cannot buy online and the website gives no indication of the prices of these little suck-ups — but if you are seriously into purchasing non-damaging household materials then Twistclean sponges may be the answer for you.

Designer Sara Kirsner has come up with Doie Designs, an eco-friendly bamboo collection that is incredibly stylish and comfortable. According to her Website, each piece of clothing is made from a combination of bamboo jersey, and 100% silk trim.

One stylish item in particular is from the Harusame Collection. The Harusame Empire Cami is very sleek and form fitting, and is an excellent addition to any woman’s wardrobe. This typically runs for $62, but has recently been on sale for $43. Either way or, it’s quite the deal for something this stylish. You can also order directly off of DoieDesings.com, making it your one stop for stylish, eco-friendly clothing.

Browse from a number of Kirsner’s collections. There’s a lot of really nice clothing on the website, and it all holds true to Kirsner’s mission statement.

Recyclables, recyclables, recyclables. This word cannot be stressed enough when concerning a “green” or “eco-friendly” style of living. The guys and gals over at LetsGoGreen.biz understand this on a large scale. As one would hope, all of the products available through the site are Eco-Friendly.

An easy find, and something that we may just take for granted every day is facial tissue. On the site, one can find a large variety of recycled facial tissues, ranging from $2.09 for 10 packs of pocket tissue to $1.59 for a box of 85 recycled facial tissues.

Especially during the cold and flu season, tissues can be used in rampant numbers. It only makes sense to seek ones out that are made from recycled paper. You can even put one in that cube of yours in the office. You will help do your part to protect the environment, and you can stress this level of conservation to your co-workers as well.

Of course, the paper doesn’t just stop at facial tissues…paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, and even copy paper are available through the site. Have a look around, and start getting your home or office on the track to going green.