Being a lighthearted child in a grown-up body, I have to admit that I still like lunch pails, and my band new Yubo lunchbox happens to be my favorite one of all time because it’s: 

• BPA Free
• Recyclable
• Antimicrobial
• Dishwasher Safe

Yubo bpa free lunchwear started with two concerned parents frustrated with the amount of plastic baggies used every day. Explaining: 

“The typical store bought lunchboxes we owned were impossible to clean, they collected crumbs and foul old-food odors. Worst of all, our kids were over the novelty of their lunchboxes less than a week after buying them! That was the start of our journey to re-invent the lunchbox. We knew there had to be a better way. We set out to balance our passion for the environment with our kids’ passion for having fun.”

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Do you get your java on the go? If so, what do you do with the paper cup once you’re finished? Throw it in the trash…recycle it…maybe you never gave it much thought. But did you know that 58 billion paper cups are used in the United States every year, and if all these paper cups were recycled, 645,000 tons of waste would be diverted from our landfills? We would be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 million mtCO2e (Metric Tonne Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) similar to removing 450,000 passenger cars from the road. It’s amazing to think that something so simple could have such a big impact. Well, it sounds simple but actually the reality is quite complicated.

Global Green USA’s Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR) understands the complexity. Their mission is to help businesses increase profits by transforming waste into assets - ultimately, creating a win-win situation for business and the environment. However, CoRR can’t do it alone. It will take all stakeholders in the paper cup supply chain working in collaboration. And it all starts with one white, iconic coffee cup.

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You know about bringing your own mug, but it’s just so…clumsy. And it’s not the right size for the machines your barista uses, so they have to use a different cup when making it, defeating the purpose of you bringing a mug.

Yes, their cups are made from recycled paper, but they’re coated to make them waterproof, heat resistant, etc. Which means they aren’t getting recycled a second time. Compostable? Biodegradable? Possibly, but still, some materials had to be used to make that single use cup. Often more than twice the weight of the resulting cup. And for many, unless you have a professional grade facility at home, composting or biodegrading isn’t going to happen any time soon.

What to do? KeepCup has what may be just the thing:

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I do just love trying a new (to me, I realize Nude has been around for a while) line of nontoxic skin care and the customer service at Nude was speedy and courteous.  My samples were sent out right away and I had them in my hot little hands no more than a few days after my initial contact.

Three products arrived for review; Miracle Mask, Age Defence Moisturiser and Replenishing Night Oil.  The Miracle Mask warned those of us with sensitive skin that it was not suitable for our type.  Being the skin care guinea pig that I so willingly am, and after a quick inspection of the ingredients label for any common triggers, I gave it a whirl anyway but avoided the five minute leave-on directions and went for a mere one minute, maybe.  Designed to brighten and smooth skin, the mask contains natural AHAs and I noticed the scent of fruit acids right away.  My skin did look rosy afterward, as if I had exfoliated with a mild scrub.

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Discover what really happens with your recyclables. It’s time for another round of That’s Just Weird.

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Green pet care products are healthier choices for your family because they’ll likely be less toxic for your home, your pet and the environment.   While buying organic food and treats is easy, it can be challenging to source other eco-friendly pet care products.

Recently, I’ve discovered Marmalade pet care, a pet product design firm that emphasizes renewable/recyclable materiality.   The firm addresses ‘good design’ practices with “domestic sourcing; sustainable materials; efficient production and eventual recyclability of the product.”

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The cotton mats her company offers are mostly for hatha yoga exercises, yet also good for therapy, meditation and floor classes that don’t require too much flow. Isabella says a cotton mat can be used by itself and is perfect for the shavasana (also known as corpse or savasana) pose. It rolls up nicely for storage and travel. It’s also a good size for mom and baby together.

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Chuck Blumenthal founded his Chicago company Bean Products in 1987. His small business launch was dedicated to universal comfort and environmental consciousness.

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Gill-line is one of more established specialty vendors in the promotional items market, focusing on inexpensive small signs, like decals, yard signs, bumper stickers, labels and magnets. You can see their stuff online at gill-line.com.

Starting in 2009 Gill-line is branching out into green promotions with their new Gill-Green line divided into Biodegradable & Recycled, Recyclable, and Recycled items. This is a new venture for Gill-line and we will see how they progress with the line throughout 2009.

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Fancy a new online store for eco-friendly children’s products?  Green product website Ambitious Green calls itself a “fun place to buy great products at the center of today’s environmental issues, concerns, and debates.”

Says Ambitious Green: “We think the environment and education are challenging debates worth having. Every time you make a buying decision you are telling manufacturers and the market what’s important to you.   We share the same frustrations you do - finding products that are natural, functional, friendly and fun. We believe that what’s good  for you can be good for the planet.”

Here are a few of the latest toys at Ambitious Green:

Dancing Alligator, $19.99 (shown above) “This award-winning, wooden alligator pull toy struts his stuff as he wiggles, bobs and click-clacks along.”  These toys are made in Thailand by Plan Toys, a green company that emphasizes socially responsible manufacturing.   It’s green because it’s made of organic rubberwood, non-formaldehyde E-Zero Glue, water-based dye, recycled and recyclable material and soy ink and water-based ink.

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What is the power of zero? It is a dedication to creating a sustainably made product that generates zero manufacturing waste and is fully recyclable. It is also one of the guiding principles that drives Rickshaw Bagworks, a socially responsible company that just opened its doors in San Francisco. Not only are all of its products specially designed to generate zero waste, they are all also manufactured right here in the city.

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According to Environmental Leader, via the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), thirty-three percent of consumers plan to buy greener gadgets over the next two years. The report is based on an online survey of over 900 adults. I wonder if any of them are mayors?

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Somehow this doesn’t surprise me. Vintners are acutely aware of the health of their environment, their plants, and the resulting product. With the refined and particular tastes of many of their consumers, a lackluster wine will lead to lackluster profits. Beyond that though, their customers are, I would venture to guess, more likely to be of the LOHAS mindset, choosing what they consume based on more factors then simply the cheapest available. They want everything they touch to have thought, consciousness, and a lighter impact on the planet factored into them.

How can a wine be green? The grapes themselves can of course be organic, the growing method biodynamic. But what else?

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Oh, my plastic bag Obama sign is not just any old plastic bag banned throughout the world for shoppers, but it is a union-made, recyclable bag. This bag proudly displays the union USWA label local 3210, as well as a gentle reminder to “please recycle”.  I’m not sure what steelworkers are doing making plastic bags (or if I am reading the label correctly, perhaps it is an endorsement?), and I wish the sign was made from post-consumer recycled plastic content.

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Bug Bam has created these fantastic wristbands that resemble “cause” bracelets and are amazingly effective in repelling mosquitoes. All-natural (made with plant oils), DEET-free, and 100% recyclable, these wristbands are waterproof, sweat-proof, and last up to 100 hours.

You can even put them on the chair legs as you sit down to enjoy your outdoor barbeque feast. They have a citron-y fragrance, but you don’t smell like you’ve been dipped in citronella wax. For just a few bucks, Bug Bam can help you can stay safe, stylin’, and most importantly, unbitten.

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Image and story source:  Treehugger 

In fact, homes and businesses all over Korea recycle and compost as a general rule. More than 40% of solid waste is recycled and about 55% of food waste is composted as fertilizer and feed. Still, the recycling laws behind these successes are only part of the puzzle. Koreans, it seems, don’t fully appreciate their country’s recycling system; and it’s hurting recycling efforts.

Many believe that recycling and compost is either burned, buried, or dumped at sea. In fact, this is a common skepticism the world over that’s preventing better recycling. Despite growing up watching Mr. Rogers on TV visiting and explaining recycling plants (come on… we all think Mr. Rogers is cool, right?), too many people secretly suspect that their separated recycling and waste all gets burned or buried together in the end.

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Ike’s Quarter Cafe has been in business for seven years as of this month, and in that time has had plenty of opportunities to try out the various green options available. And, lucky you, we’re going to tell you the best of breed that they’ve found!

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Makena Brown, grade 8, has a plan to help keep the planet healthy and make money, too. Makena collects all of her family’s recyclables and stores them in the back yard. About once a month, she and her family load up the car with the many bags of bottles and cans and take them to the local recycling center. Because it’s her project, Makena gets to keep the money paid by the recycling center for the aluminum, plastic and glass. "Makena is the chief of our recycling plant," says Mr. Brown proudly. "She’s the recycling queen."

"The money is the number one thing that’s in my mind," says Makena. "I’m like, that’s great! And in the back of my mind I know that this is helping the environment, [reducing] pollution, and helping the earth to get better step by step." With her recycling money, Makena is helping to pay her mom back for her new computer.

Ask a little more about Makena’s interest in protecting the environment, and you’ll find that she’s a fountain of knowledge. For example, she explains that more water is used to make plastic water bottles than can be contained by the bottles after they’re made. She’s also especially interested in renewable energy. Her eyes light up when she talks about San Francisco’s proposal to get electricity from tidal power generators.

It’s been about a year now that the Brown family has been saving their recyclables for Makena’s recycling project. Makena’s grandparents have also started to save their recyclables to contribute to the Brown family’s recycling program. "We end up with a big pile of bottles and cans on the side of the house," everyone chuckles. "We can’t walk past until we clean it up."

In addition to supporting Makena’s recycling project, her parents and her younger sister, Ashley, all have their own ways of helping the environment. These include choosing environmentally friendly cleaning products and using cloth shopping bags.

Ashley says, "we watched a show on Oprah and it was ‘Green Day’ and she gave organic cotton bags that help the environment to everybody in the audience."

"So when you go to the grocery store," she says cheerfully in unison with her mom, "and they ask ‘paper or plastic?’ you can say neither because you have your own bags."

It was Makena’s school that gave her the interest to pursue her recycling business. "It actually started last year when I learned about global warming," recalls Makena. "In 7th grade, we did a project on global warming. Each group was assigned to do something. There were groups for food, recycling, pesticides, and all these things about global warming. It was called the Green Fair. And I learned about recycling and how much litter is on the side of the roads. And I was like, that’s a great way to get money and help the environment."

Mr. Brown adds that he has taken Makena to see a wetland preservation project in which he is involved with the hope that it would interest his daughter in environmental protection.

What’s the family’s least favorite part of delivering their recyclables to the recycling center? "The smell," everyone says together, laughing. "It’s pretty bad."

Makena and Ashley explain, "When we go, we do not want to catch the germs and the stickiness on our hands so we wear latex gloves."

With her recycling business rolling along, I wondered if Makena would like it if companies stopped producing plastic bottles, even if having fewer bottles to recycle might put a hole in her profits. "I would," she said, "because then we’d be saving the water and it would be healthier for the planet. It would be another step to stop global warming." Spoken like a conscientious and environmentally responsible businessperson.

For people Makena’s age interested in starting an at-home recycling project, Makena has some advise. "The only thing," she says, "is just to keep your mind on it and help your family know and make rules. I told my family that if they’re done with a bottle or can, they could just put it on the counter. I put it in a bag and take it out to the yard. Keep your family informed. And the other thing is just try to get other people involved because you’re going to get money for it and you’re also helping the environment."