Buying Green: Products for Sustainable Living

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Eton - human-powered radio

www.etoncorp.com

Go off the grid plug-free, wire-free and battery-free with people-powered devices, ideal for camping, emergencies and daily use. Eton's Microlink ($30) merges a portable radio with an LED flashlight and a cell phone charger, all powered by a hand crank. The gizmo comes equipped with an earphone jack for quiet listening and a USB port for those who just can't leave their wires behind. Cranking for 90 seconds provides 30 minutes of radio use.

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Freeplay - human-powered flashlight

www.freeplayenergy.com

No need for batteries or an electrical outlet with Freeplay Energy's Kito flashlight ($22). Turning the crank for one minute charges the torch with an hour's worth of light. Available in several colors.

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BioBag - biodegradable garbage bags

www.biobagusa.com

BioBag's sacks are constructed from cornstarch and other ingredients and will reportedly break down in your compost pile or the local dump. BioBag says its material even allows kitchen trash to breathe, cutting down on accumulated odors. Check the Web for retailers. Cost varies by store.

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Dr. Hauschkas - petroleum-free lipstick

www.drhauschka.com

Lips don't have protective oil glands, so women who want to keep their lips moist and lovely often turn to lipstick, which is commonly made from petroleum or its by-products. Instead add color and conditioning with Dr. Hauschka's Lipstick Novum ($19.95), available in four shades. It has shea butter and rose wax to protect dry lips. In addition, the lipstick features nutrient-rich argan oil, which Moroccan women harvest sustainably from the thorny evergreen ironwood tree. The argan oil market helps to preserve both a fair trade economy and the forests of southwestern Morocco.

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Biokleen - dishwashing detergent

www.biokleenhome.com

Dishwashing machines use about half the energy and a sixth of the water as scrubbing plates by hand with the water running. But most dishwasher detergents contain phosphates, which can throw water ecosystems out of whack by encouraging too much plant growth (think: lakes choked with algae). Biokleen's phosphate-free detergent uses an eco-friendly cleanser (sodium percarbonate) and grapefruit seed to cleanse pots and pans. And Consumer Reports recently rated its cleaning power as best among so-called biodegradable cleaners. See Web site for retailers.

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more...

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=buying-green-products

[SpiritAlight 1]

Great start Mr. Fancypants!

I have taken out every book practically from the library in the past few months reading reading reading...

green this and green that.

Businesses, investments, homes, shtuff, recycling, everything under the sun....yes even solar and other renewable energy ideas.

I may even find the energy to post some ideas/finds here on VJ.

It's a lot.

Ha!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Great start Mr. Fancypants!

I have taken out every book practically from the library in the past few months reading reading reading...

green this and green that.

Businesses, investments, homes, shtuff, recycling, everything under the sun....yes even solar and other renewable energy ideas.

I may even find the energy to post some ideas/finds here on VJ.

It's a lot.

Ha!

I stumbled onto some crank flashlights at a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store. They were reduced to just under $8 a piece, so I bought two of them and they're awesome! They use LED lights and have 2 settings. The one I keep in my dresser - still lights up when I click it on even after weeks of sitting in a drawer.

[SpiritAlight 1]

Great start Mr. Fancypants!

I have taken out every book practically from the library in the past few months reading reading reading...

green this and green that.

Businesses, investments, homes, shtuff, recycling, everything under the sun....yes even solar and other renewable energy ideas.

I may even find the energy to post some ideas/finds here on VJ.

It's a lot.

Ha!

I stumbled onto some crank flashlights at a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store. They were reduced to just under $8 a piece, so I bought two of them and they're awesome! They use LED lights and have 2 settings. The one I keep in my dresser - still lights up when I click it on even after weeks of sitting in a drawer.

WOW.

My dad has one and a hand cranked radio too.

[pedroh 21]

i don't flush down the toilet.. and shower every 3 days, to save water..

[Amby 490]

we have a few of those wind up flashlights and I've never actually used one of them BUT i don't go around using flashlights very often. just purchased some of the dishwasher detergent last week after someone suggested it.

[Reba 2]

We have a radio that cranks up for when the power goes out (which is once or twice per year around here, and we're just waiting on the annual ice storm sometime soon!). Plus, we have those shaker flashlights, and I even bought a couple of 'em for stocking stuffers for brother-in-law and his daughter to put in their cars (no worries about dead batteries!).

We use biodegradable laundry detergent, automatic dishwashing detergent and dish soap. Plus all natural plant based biodegradable hand soaps, bath soaps, toilet bowl cleaner, tub & tile cleaners etc etc etc.

I should have a look for some of those above lipsticks, I've been using an all natural tinted lip balm, but the colour doesn't stay as long as lipstick. Its minty fresh though!

We used to have a subscription to Mother Earth News, but then figured if they're on-line we could read it for free, and save all that paper and postage! I was thinking about getting the archive CDs though, lots of info there!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We have a radio that cranks up for when the power goes out (which is once or twice per year around here, and we're just waiting on the annual ice storm sometime soon!). Plus, we have those shaker flashlights, and I even bought a couple of 'em for stocking stuffers for brother-in-law and his daughter to put in their cars (no worries about dead batteries!).

We use biodegradable laundry detergent, automatic dishwashing detergent and dish soap. Plus all natural plant based biodegradable hand soaps, bath soaps, toilet bowl cleaner, tub & tile cleaners etc etc etc.

I should have a look for some of those above lipsticks, I've been using an all natural tinted lip balm, but the colour doesn't stay as long as lipstick. Its minty fresh though!

We used to have a subscription to Mother Earth News, but then figured if they're on-line we could read it for free, and save all that paper and postage! I was thinking about getting the archive CDs though, lots of info there!

You inspire me, Reba!

[aidan80 9]

We got a wind up flash light/radio/phone charger free when we opened a bank account !.. Considering it's free and likely very cheap (the free grill was) it didn't work too bad only.. you had to wind the thing up forever just to get some light outta it. I wonder if the other products work better? How do the shaker flash lights work? I was thinking of getting a couple for our cars.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We got a wind up flash light/radio/phone charger free when we opened a bank account !.. Considering it's free and likely very cheap (the free grill was) it didn't work too bad only.. you had to wind the thing up forever just to get some light outta it. I wonder if the other products work better? How do the shaker flash lights work? I was thinking of getting a couple for our cars.

This is the crank flashlight I bought:

http://www.amazon.com/Garrity-Power-Lite-C...1512&sr=8-1

It works great! I'm certain that the quality of the products out there vary greatly just like any other product you buy.

[Amby 490]

steven is saving the world. it would be more "green" if it wasn't packaged in so much plastic

[kaydee457 13]

These items are mostly impracticle, don't provide useful amount of light, particularly if they use LED's, and if you need to crank your radio for power you were'nt prepared to start with......

Mr. Fancypants.......I could, and would never recommend these novelty items given they mostly don't work, and their performance is exaggerated in ads.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I don't buy green products. I always think about the glee it would cause to some dorky envirogeek and I just can't get myself to pull the trigger. Under no circumstances can I tolerate any action of mine providing comfort to those freaks.

[SpiritAlight 1]

I don't buy green products. I always think about the glee it would cause to some dorky envirogeek and I just can't get myself to pull the trigger. Under no circumstances can I tolerate any action of mine providing comfort to those freaks.

:lol:

carry on...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

These items are mostly impracticle, don't provide useful amount of light, particularly if they use LED's, and if you need to crank your radio for power you were'nt prepared to start with......

Mr. Fancypants.......I could, and would never recommend these novelty items given they mostly don't work, and their performance is exaggerated in ads.

Riiiight, Kaydee...just like you saying that investing in solar and other renewable energy is a waste of time.

I don't buy green products. I always think about the glee it would cause to some dorky envirogeek and I just can't get myself to pull the trigger. Under no circumstances can I tolerate any action of mine providing comfort to those freaks.

Why don't you and Kaydee get a room and get it over with.