By MC Milker •
June 27, 2008
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Just when you thought that inflation would drive consumers away from more expensive green products, the silver lining appears. The Wall Street Journal, in an in depth article, Green Products Gain From New Price Equation on the subject, reports that green products and those with greener packaging may turn out to be the big winner as energy prices spiral out of control.
Consumers typically have paid a premium for environmentally friendly products. But with soaring energy prices pushing up the price of mainstream goods, green products are becoming just as — or even more — affordable these days.
Because eco friendly companies tend to use fewer fossil fuels in production and tend to focus on energy saving techniques, as the price of oil rises, it impacts green companies less. Eco friendly products made from natural materials, rather than plastic, a petroleum derivative, are impacted less by rising material costs. The same applies for packaging costs. Avoiding the plastic wrapper turns out to have been a smart economic move.
My home is definitely my refuge.
Until recently, I thought I did a pretty nice job of doing my part for the environment when it came to my home: using eco-friendly cleaning supplies, buying CFL’s, setting the timer to regulate heat and air, but the more I read, the more I find that I can do. There are also a ton of companies emerging that are trying to make an impact while reducing their footprint.
Below are a few of my favorite online destinations for cool products and information for the home and home office.
When I decided to start my own business, I knew that I wanted it to be green. Of course, my definition of green could be quite different from everyone else’s. There are varying shades of green, which makes it very difficult to quantify or define. Perhaps this is why there are so many different green certifications, seals, labels, and standards out there. With the dizzying array of options for green and sustainable certification available, it’s hard for a business owner to decide which certifier to use or if it’s even worth bothering at all.
Since I’m trying to start a graphic design studio, I started by searching for a green certification agency that specialized in creative services. It seems that many of the certifiers lack standards for service-based businesses, as most focus on products. The only design specific green “certification” that I found was the Design Can Change Pledge, a voluntary pledge for designers who commit to move towards sustainable practices. The site includes many ideas for going green as well as a great introduction to what sustainability in graphic design means, but doesn’t offer certification for green design businesses. As of yet, there’s no LEED for the graphic design industry.
Have you joined Huddler yet?
The EcoGeek calls Huddler “The Finest Green Shopping Community So Far“. What is Huddler?
Launched in March of 2008, Huddler is a network of niche product review communities. By focusing each “Huddle” on specific areas of interest, Huddler hopes to provide a home for the most knowledgeable, passionate consumers to meet one another and share what they know in an interface that even novice internet users can take advantage of. By integrating custom built discussion forums, wikis, product reviews, image hosting, and more, Huddler not only helps you decide what to buy, but how to better use what you already own. Huddle together. Shop Better.
Huddler is holding a contest to celebrate its launch. Simply join Huddler, share you knowledge of the green products you use, and win! “From hybrid vehicles to solar arrays, CFL bulbs to green cleaners, efficient appliances to geothermal heat pumps, Huddler wants to know about your experiences and help you learn from like-minded peers.” You could win a green prize pack containing:
By Cassie Walker •
April 3, 2008
Some environmentalists feel strongly that companies should reduce their impact on the environment because it’s the right thing to do - going green because it benefits the bottom line somehow doesn’t count. Personally (and paraphrasing Oleta Adams) I don’t care how you get there, just get there if you can.
Business events like the AeA soponsored, “How Does Going Green Affect the Bottom Line?” further the cause. Held on March 20th at UCLA, technology companies discussed their successes along the journey to sustainability, and shared lessons learned related to different areas of greening.
A few key takeaways for companies interested in going green:
By Joel Bittle •
March 27, 2008
If you attended the Greenbuild conference in Chicago last November, you would have been hard pressed to find a green cabinet manufacturer among the exhibitors - but you couldn’t turn around without bumping into a new type of green countertop. They nearly outnumbered the waterless urinals. Over the past couple of decades, countertops have evolved from tried-and-true laminate to bold new materials and colors of every taste and budget. It’s not surprising to see the creativity of new countertops go hand-in-hand with the emergence of green products. Below are several types of green countertops, from least expensive to most. Feel free to give any feedback you have on any of these products.
Laminate - Easily the least expensive green countertop, laminate countertops made with recycled wood particle board (like SkyBlend) and non-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) adhesives are ideal for building projects that are seeking green certification at the lowest cost. It may take a while to track down a local fabricator offering green laminate countertops, but they shouldn’t cost more than a few dollars more a square foot than regular laminate tops.
By MC Milker •
March 6, 2008
Recent headlines may give eco entrepreneurs a reason to worry!
Clorox Launches Greenworks
Organic Brands Bought Up by Large Corporations
In fact some of the bigger independent players in the natural and organic arena are doing just that according to a recent NY Times article.
“The whole landscape is shifting, and I think everyone is struggling to redefine their strategy in the midst of huge change that ain’t finished,” said Jeffrey Hollender, the president of Seventh Generation, which makes nontoxic household products like cleaners and diapers. “It’s still sort of in the early stages.”
By Joel Bittle •
February 28, 2008
So you’re building or remodeling green, and you’re trying to decide what to do about the cabinets.
Scanning the requirements for various green building programs, you seem to have two choices. First, you can try to find cabinets made with Forest Stewardship Council certified wood from companies like Neil Kelly Cabinets. But if the company is not local, the packaging and shipping of these products may cut into their green-ness. Or you could try out agrifiber based cabinets, like Humabuilt Wheatcore Cabinets, which have arisen due to the demand for green cabinets.
Unfortunately, when faced with these choices, many before you have given up on the idea of green cabinets and gone for possibly cheaper, more convenient plain old wood cabinets from their nearby kitchen and bath dealer. If you find yourself in the same boat, chances are there’s a lesser known green option waiting for you there. Many large cabinet manufacturers across the country are certified as members of an extensive green program called KCMA-ESP.
By Mark Seall •
February 21, 2008
It’s often hard to be green. I have recently written elsewhere about the phenomena of Greenwashing, pointing to recent research showing that consumers rarely get what they sign up for out of green products. Wary of this, Swiss supermarket chains are launching new initiatives to provide better consumer guarantees for lowering the environmental impact of their purchases, making it just a little easier to be a good green citizen.
Switzerland’s two major supermarket rivals, Migros and Coop have launched different schemes – although potentially confusing for customers, this is at least an indication that competition for greenness is heating up.
By zippy •
December 5, 2007
These are one of my favorite green discoveries. ChicoBags (www.chicobag.com) come in a rainbow of colors, are lightweight and incredibly clever. They compress into their own teensy self-contained pouch and have a carabineer clip so you can snap them right onto your key ring. No more forgetting them at home or in the car! They pop into a pocket or purse, clip to a belt loop or backpack [...]
Always on the lookout for new green events, I’m excited to have found something that promises to be more than just networking (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) On Thursday, June 7th, the Los Angeles Net Impact chapter, in partnership with SustainLane, is hosting an event dedicated to sustainability.
The event features guest speaker Gillian Christie. As founder and CEO of Christie Communications, a communications and public relations firm, Christie works
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Just when you thought that inflation would drive consumers away from more expensive green products, the silver lining appears. The Wall Street Journal, in an in depth article, Green Products Gain From New Price Equation on the subject, reports that green products and those with greener packaging may turn out to be the big winner as energy prices spiral out of control.
