You know what I’m talking about: those direct marketing ads that offer products you’ve never imagined (and probably don’t really need) for $19.95 (and if you call now, you’ll get two of ‘em). Every now and then, one of these catches my attention… in the sense that “Hey… that’s kind of green.”

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not calling any of the products listed below “green” (nor am I endorsing them at all… from what I understand, caveat emptor always applies with these products). That would require some time-consuming due diligence to assess the products manufacturing process, materials, and lifecyle. But, in each case, the product’s selling proposition is based on conservation: use less of another product, make other products last longer, or use less energy, water, etc. These products do show that conservation sells… even if it’s not called that.

Without further ado…

The ShamWow: “Holds 21 times its weight in liquid!” I haven’t tested that (or the product itself, for that matter), but the ShamWow could also nearly eliminate paper towel use if it works as well as the marketing claims. The greenest option for eliminating paper towels may be the rag bag, but, c’mon, this is pretty cool (but, yes, that spokesman guy is scary as hell!). Questions still to be answered in assessing “greeness”: material (a “rayon type of material” according to the website), manufacturing processes, end of life. The reviews are definitely mixed.

Save a Blade: “Save Hundreds on Razor Blades!” OK, that make take some time (though disposable blades aren’t cheap). But sharpening disposable blades to get up to 200 shaves… that makes financial sense, and also cuts back on blades in the trash. Given the ugly environmental impact of razor production, that’s a good thing. Questions still to be answered in assessing “greeness”: materials, manufacturing processes, energy use, origin of the product (I’m guessing “Made in China”), and end of life. Also gets mixed reviews. Treehugger took a look at a similar product, the Razor Saver.

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