Organic Materials

Cotton farming is one of the United States’ biggest industries, raking in a total of about $25 million annually. Conventional cotton farming can attribute much of its success to the usage of pesticides, which endanger the very people who spray them. Pesticides also pose a threat to citizens in the communities surrounding conventional cotton farms, as they can easily seep into the water supply.

Side-effects of pesticide exposure include (but aren’t limited to) such lovely conditions as reproductive disorders, immune system deficiencies, and birth defects. Many pesticides (such as cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are considered some of the most toxic chemicals in the world, and are known carcinogens. Why would you want their remains littered throughout your clothing, sheets, or baby’s diapers?

Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, instead relying on safer and more environmentally-friendly methods like strategic weeding and the usage of beneficial insects. No toxic chemicals are sprayed over the crops of an organic cotton farm, which makes the conditions safer for farm workers, and protects the health of consumers who buy their products.

Gary Oldham, an organic cotton farmer since 1992, has this to say about the benefits of organic cotton:

“When you buy organic cotton, you’re supporting a lifestyle that benefits the land and prevents chemicals from entering the body. We need to leave something for the next generation,”

Gary was one of the original pioneers of an organic cotton industry that is now booming– but still faces fierce competition from conventionally-grown cotton. Approximately 3 million pounds of organic cotton are harvested annually, compared to 9 trillion pounds of conventional cotton. However, as the demand for organic cotton continues to rise, production will rise, and prices will decrease. Supporting organic cotton is beneficial in multiple ways, from improving your carbon footprint to promoting safe working conditions for farmers. Stay tuned for our next blog to find out the benefits of organic bamboo!

Holiday Gift Picks

Welcome to part two of our Holiday Gift Guide! In our last post, we explained the four most important factors to consider when buying a gift. Luckily for you, The Greener Good has already sniffed around for the most eco-friendly, organic, green products on the market, so you don’t have to do a lick of research! Just take a peek at our fabulous holiday gift recommendations!

Treats for Tots

There’s not much better than seeing the grin on a child’s face when they open up the perfect present– except for knowing that said present is good for them and the environment! For instance, our colorful nesting blocks from Petit Collage are made of 80% recycled material, biodegradable, made in the USA, and they’re a wonderful way to stimulate your little one’s thirst for knowledge. For more educational fun, check out Petit Collage’s puzzles and games, too, which are all printed with nontoxic vegetable ink! Whimsical stickers from Box Play turn ordinary household items (like milk cartons and toilet paper rolls) into fire trucks and rocket ships, which saves you a fortune on purchasing the real deal. Did we mention the stickers are silicone-free and totally recycled? Please, contain your overwhelming surprise!

Stocking Stuffers

Unlike so many other things in life, stocking stuffers are fun and simple. Our adorable small heart dishes from Fire & Light are made of 100% recycled glass, and perfect for holding tiny trinkets. For the discerning automobile connoisseur, we offer up our Bamboo Mini Cars by Hape, which are made with renewable bamboo shoots and nontoxic paint, and are just the right dimensions for filling an oversized sock! Finish off your stellar stocking stuffing with a pot of organic, Fair Trade hot cocoa from Equal Exchange, which supports small farms all over the globe, and will give your gift-ee all kinds of warm, fuzzy feelings.

Fashionable Finds

Hand-embroidered by women’s cooperatives in rural Peru, these gorgeous fair trade belts by Jenny Krauss are a surefire conversation starter. If there’s a fashionista on your list, you may also be interested in our handwoven purses from JadeTRIBE, which are a fair trade commodity created by village-women in Laos (are you beginning to see a trend, here?). Accessory aficionados need look no further than our polished tagua jewelry from Andean Collection, which is made of nuts and seeds found in the forests of the Andes. Your gift recipient won’t believe their ears when you tell them that their new jewelry is made of organic, biodegradable materials… that come from bushes!

Check back for more great gift ideas tomorrow! Remember: at The Greener Good, it’s all good.

Why Buy Organic?

In our “Green Thanksgiving” post, we made some recommendations for making your holiday celebration a little more eco-friendly, which included the suggestion to buy organic produce. If you’re wondering what the big deal about buying organic is, read on to discover some appalling facts about GMOs, along with some thrilling information on how organic food can promote healthiness and a cleaner world.

GM (Genetically Modified) food, which has become the default staple of grocery stores nationwide, has been scientifically altered to create larger, hardier, more profitable yields– whether it’s a bug-proof corn stalk or a dangerously obese cow. Although some arguments claim that GMOs help farmers thrive and are a solution to the world hunger crisis, counter-arguments state that GM food is unsafe, unnecessary, and even toxic. The insecticide produced by genetically-modified corn, for instance, has been found in the blood of pregnant women and their fetuses– not exactly an awesome baby formula. GMO studies performed on animals have resulted in organ damage, immune disorders, gastrointestinal issues, accelerated aging, intense allergies, and infertility. Alarmingly enough, no safety testing is required for GMOs that enter our food supply. All that’s required is a nice, shiny patent. There doesn’t even need to be a label saying “hey, this food has been injected with viruses, pesticides, and 100 helpings of canola oil!” Also, because the seeds of GMO crops can easily travel and cross-pollinate, these dangerous frankenfoods have the power to contaminate non-GMO food supplies, and threaten the health of future generations for who-even-knows how long.

Organic food, on the other hand, does not contain pesticides, heavy metals, or dangerous artificial flavors/colors/preservatives. It’s more nutrient-dense than GM food, packed with natural antioxidants, and is lower in nitrates. Buying organic food promotes a less toxic world, reducing off-farm pollution and protecting delicate natural resources. Also, the tasty animals raised on organic farms are treated humanely, allowing them to interact with their natural environment and live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Even the soil benefits when organic crops are grown, as GM mono-cropping and chemical fertilizer dependency have led to a tragic loss of topsoil nationwide. The hasty science behind GM food was rushed onto the market without consideration of healthiness or long-term impact on consumers– but organic food has proven itself to be healthy and beneficial since (approximately) the dawn of mankind.

If you’re a fan of being healthy, having biodiversity on your planet, helping out small family farms, or living green, then buying organic may be your next step toward self-actualization! For more tidbits on what buying organic is like and how you can begin your journey, stop by The Greener Good and talk to one of our associates.

A Very Green Thanksgiving

Get ready for a mild dose of panic: Thanksgiving is in three days. Although you’ve probably got holiday family-wrangling down to an art, you may not have planned for a particularly environmentally-friendly celebration. After all, Thanksgiving involves a pretty overwhelming amount of traveling, consuming, and throwing leftovers away. With just a little extra thought, however, you can turn the impending smorgasbord into an exercise in efficiency, healthiness, and living green!

Try out these green pointers for Turkey Day this year:

• Hit up the nearest farmers’ market for organic, locally-sourced produce
• Skip the guilt (and the secondhand antibiotics) by buying a free range, grass-fed, hormone-free turkey– 50 extra points if they’ve also got a college degree!
• Buy seasonal produce
• Consider going vegetarian altogether for the big day (one of the most effective ways to lower your carbon footprint)
• Save energy by steaming veggies instead of baking, sauteeing, or frying them
• Serve drinks from a local winery
• Don’t use disposable dishes or utensils
• Toss your green scraps into a compost bin instead of tossing them into the trash– and be sure to recycle everything else!
• Spread out the expenses of organic produce by making Thanksgiving a potluck occasion

If you feel lost and confused, check out these friendly, green resources:

• Central Market
• Whole Foods
• Mary’s Free-Range Turkeys
• Local Harvest
• Boxed Greens Organic Home Food Delivery
• Happle’s USDA Certified Organic Pies
• List of Organic Brands from EatingWell

We’ll see you Thanksgiving Eve for more information on organic produce. In the meantime, get to planning all those meals you’re going to make out of your heaping holiday leftovers!

Isn’t It Scary? Pt. II

Happy Halloween, Greener Gooders! If you read yesterday’s blog, you know that a lot of personal care products in your home may be masquerading as “safe,” “organic,” or even “green”– but don’t get tricked into being mis-treated! Along with the creepy ingredients we featured yesterday, here are a few more ghoulish components to watch out for:

• MIT (methylisothiazolinone), frequently found in “antibacterial” soaps and cleaners, is alarmingly similar in molecular structure to the infamous poison Agent Orange, and has been linked to nerve damage and Alzheimer’s
• The artificial color D&C Red 6 may contain lead, mercury, and arsenic. Yummy!
• Zinc, often used in moisturizers, clogs pores like Halloween candy clogs arteries, and can be toxic with repeat exposure (just like Tootsie Rolls)
• Formaldehyde can turn up in baby shampoo, baby soap, and baby bubble bath as a byproduct of other nasty materials therein- not exactly the safest thing for delicate young humans!
• Lipstick can contain lead and D4/D5 siloxanes, which cause tumors and other unhappy situations
• Phthalates, used as softeners in makeup and shampoos, are suspected to affect hormone levels, especially in developing toddlers
• Petrolatum (or Petroleum Jelly) is common to moisturizers and other cosmetic products, and forms an oily layer on the skin that prevents moisture evaporation– instead of actually moisturizing the skin cells
• Stearalkonium Chloride is used as for fabric softener, hair conditioner, and creams, and loves to irritate your skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to be the only one who messes with my mucous, thank you very much.

These freaky facts make us appreciate brands like Susan’s Soaps even more! The all-natural soap and skincare products made by Susan’s Soaps really are all-natural, with no artificial fragrances or preservatives, no synthetic colors, and no animal byproducts. Their soap is made by hand with gentle ingredients like lavender, tea tree oil, cocoa butter, and goat’s milk, relying on essential oils for aromatic qualities. At The Greener Good, we also sell Susan’s line of skin serums, which are blended mixture of sweet almond oil and essential oils to suit your individual skintype.

Speaking of essential oils, our doTERRA products are just the thing for those who want to stay freakishly fresh, and also free of skin irritations, tumors, and nerve damage. Here are some great ways to replace toxic chemicals in your home with simple, effective, all-natural essential oils from doTERRA:

• Make a basic cleaning solution with Purify/Citrus Oil (3 drops), Peppermint (3 drops), On Guard (2 drops), and distilled water– it can be used to disinfect any surface imaginable, and is a great replacement for generic dish soap!
• Add 10 drops of Eucalyptus oil to a load of laundry to kill dust mites or fleas
• To deodorize and sanitize your clothing, add 10 drops of Lemon or Purify oil to the load
• For a hydrating facial toner, combine 1/4 cup water, 1 tbsp witch hazel, and 5 drops each of doTERRA Clary Sage, Grapefruit, and Roman Chamomile oils

You should also check out this great article on making your own doTERRA soap, and drop by The Greener Good to get some personal advice from our doTERRA-savvy staff. Happy Haunting, and be sure to avoid those super-scary manmade chemicals in your personal care products!

Eco Friendly Home Surfaces

Cosentino is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of interior surface products– and ECO is their new line of eco-friendly countertops made from recycled materials. The unflappable team at Cosentino spent three years researching environmentally sound production techniques, managing to come up with a way to re-use waste products that had reached the end of their functional lifespan. The countertops in the ECO series are made from 75% recycled materials (mirror, glass, porcelain, earthenware, vitrified ash, possibility of dinosaur bits) and 25% natural materials (quartz, natural stone, resin, pigments), leaving no room for wasteful components. Additionally, 94% of the water used in the manufacturing process is re-used, giving Cosentino top placement in the imaginary sustainability rankings in my head.

Consentino’s ECO products are not only sustainable, but are also high-quality, durable, and impeccably designed. Customization gives you full control over the look of your countertop, allowing you to choose from four different edge finishes, a solid array of surface thicknesses, and virtually any size (ECO is measured by the square foot).

Ready to get recycled-surface-happy in your home? To further bolster your eco-friendly impulses, here are some of the benefits of choosing ECO for your tabletops, countertops, and any other tops in your living quarters:

• You can feel good about reducing landfill waste
• You can also feel good about your carbon footprint, since Cosentino reduces emissions throughout their manufacturing process
• ECO is 99% filtered for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which occur regularly in standard, not-eco-friendly countertops, and can lead to allergies and many other problems
• No solvents are used in machinery cleaning and maintenance at the Cosentino factory, so you won’t come into contact with harmful chemicals
• ECO has ten different designer colors to choose from, each with a unique sparkle and texture
• Cosentino’s ECO countertops have been rated “high performance” against staining, scratching, and scorching
• ECO is non-porous, so it does not require sealers
• It’s also NSF Approved for food contact
• … and GREENGUARD Certified for Indoor Air Quality
• Along with being Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Silver Certified
• And being backed by a 5 year warranty
• Lastly, for all you business-owners out there: ECO can contribute a maximum of 5 LEED points toward building certification from the U.S. Green Building Council! That’s a really big deal.

ECO countertops are measured by the square foot, and are very reasonably priced. Come see a recycled Cosentino countertops in person at The Greener Good! As always, we only sell products that we believe in– and we believe in this one heartily enough to use it in our store and in our very own homes! If you’re interested in finding out more about ECO and other green interior brands, please drop by our Innovative Ideas for Interiors event this Thursday from 4:00-7:00 pm!

Flooring the Green Way

In preparation for our Innovative Ideas for Interiors event, we bring you this week’s blog series: Nesting Green! Designing the interior of your home is a pure expression of choice. Luckily, with all the options available today, that choice can be an eco-friendly one! To get the ball rolling, we’ll introduce one of our favorite solutions for green building: the cork flooring produced by Globus Cork!

Globus Cork, the preferred flooring of calico cats everywhere, launched onto the environmentally-friendly market in 2001, answering the demand for beautiful flooring that is also made in a sustainable way. Their cork flooring comes in a huge array of colors, a massive variety of sizes, and their factory is powered purely by wind energy. It doesn’t get much greener than running your machines off breezes! What makes the cork itself green, though? Well, cork is completely natural, harvested from the bark of the majestic Cork Oak Tree. The bark regenerates itself after harvest, so the tree can fully recoup and return to its usual Oak-y business in a very short period of time. Cork Oak bark is only harvested every 9 years– compared to Red Oak and Maple (the two most common hardwood floor materials), which are harvested continually at every second of every day at an environmentally devastating rate.

If you still find this fantastic hardwood substitute a twinge dubious, check out this long list of benefits that accompany Globus Cork flooring:

• Cork gives under foot, meaning that it’s easy on your back, hips, and knees- without feeling spongy
• Due to the tiny pockets of air in the plant’s cellular structure, cork is as soft as a sapling’s bottom! 
• Cork is extremely resilient, standing up to heavy pressure without any damage to its finish
• It’s dent resistant, meaning that the air pockets in the cork will quickly spring back to their original shape if nicked, erasing the dent in an epic feat of semi-magic
• Globus Cork tiles are coated with a premium, water-based finish, which makes them highly resistant to stains or water damage
• If concerned about the effect moisture might have on cork flooring, take a look at the little curiosity stuffed into the neck of the closest wine bottle– that thing has probably been in there for decades! (Unless it’s Barefoot or Yellow Tail)
• Cork is thermally and acoustically insulative
• Cork’s cellular structure makes it warmer to the touch than stone, ceramic, vinyl, or even hardwood floors
• The air cells in cork act as a cushion to absorb vibrations caused by impact and sound– so it’s great for any room that will feature music, entertainment, or small elephants
• Cork is not just hypoallergenic, but anti-allergenic: it actually repels bugs, mites, and mold!
• The waxy substance in cork that makes it anti-allergenic also prevents it rotting, even when completely submerged underwater for long periods of time
• The colors, finish, and adhesive used by Globus are all water-based
• Their cork tiles come in more than 30 colors and 20 different sizes. Your designer will be beside themselves with indecision!
• Globus tiles are pre-glued, so you can be lazy and still have a fabulously fancy home!

At The Greener Good, we enthusiastically practice what we preach! Check out what we’ve got on our store’s bathroom floor:

That’s right. Pure, unadulterated Globus Cork flooring. We love it, our customers love it, and the trees that haven’t been cut down to make it love it, too. Drop by The Greener Good to take a look at it sometime and ask us about availability, pricing, and installation. For even more details, be sure to attend our Innovative Ideas for Interiors event this Thursday from 4:00-7:00 pm!

Using Your Essential Oil

In preparation for our Essential Oil workshop with health guru Steffani England, The Greener Good is giving you the details on all things oily! The first post in this week’s series was a thrilling introduction to aromatherapy, which proved that sniffing is feeling. If you’re interested in conducting a little therapeutic aroma-ing of your own, read on to get some tips about using your doTERRA oils at home!

There are three ways to administer your essential oils: aromatically, topically, and internally. As you may have guessed, using your doTERRA oils for aromatic purposes means benefiting strictly from their odor, so you’ll need some kind of diffuser to waft the scent through the air. For a super-simple diffuser you can make at home, dilute 20-30 drops of essential oil in a jar of water, place a cork on top, and stick absorbent reeds through the middle of the cork. The plant matter will carry the scent from the inside of the jar into the surrounding air, wafting delightfully potent fragrances all throughout your abode (check out a full tutorial over here)! Another option is to use one of the diffusers created by doTERRA (pictured above), which use atomization technology to spray out an aromatic mist of essential oil and water.

Because essential oils are all-natural, they’re completely safe to apply directly to your skin. Many essential oils will immediately benefit the target area upon contact- such as the soothing and antibacterial melaleuca (tea tree) oil on an injury. The oils are absorbed through the bloodstream into the body, so topical application can benefit you internally as well. Due to their closeness to aforementioned bloodstream, “pulse points” are popular places to apply doTERRA oils, as pictured above. NOTE: Some oils are stronger than others, and should be diluted with a “carrier oil,” such as coconut oil, before being applied directly to the skin. When using oils topically on children, always dilute. Kiddos are wee and delicate, and essential oils are extremely strong! Always read labels before applying topically.

Lastly, some doTERRA essential oils can be ingested to supplement the diet or improve health. Lavender oil, for instance, can clear a stuffy nose right up if you apply a single drop beneath the tongue, and doTERRA’s OnGuard blend can be ingested over a period of several days to gradually improve your immune system’s defenses. Oils can be mixed in with water or tea, and can be swallowed, gargled, or lightly dabbed onto the tongue or gums. Again, please don’t try to get too creative with this- essential oils are VERY powerful, even in small quantities, and some oils should not be taken internally at all! Specifically, resist the urge to gulp down Birch, Eucalyptus, or Evergreen. As a general rule, it’s always a good idea to research something before you decide to taste it. Reading labels could save your life!

Thanks for reading our second installment in the Essential Oil series! Don’t forget to join us at The Greener Good on 925 Foch St. this Friday at 10 am for a workshop on doTERRA Essential Oils with special guest Steffanie England! Our Facebook event page is over here, so be sure to RSVP. Seeya Friday!

Aromatherapy: It’s the Real Deal!

We’ve already discussed topical uses for essential oils, but now it’s time to tackle how they can be used for aromatherapy. If you’re like me, you don’t really understand how huffing the concentrated juice of a chrysanthemum could be all that helpful. If you’re smarter than me, you already know that the chemical constituents in essential oils are carried via scent into the lining of our nasal cavities, thereby entering our limbic system, which has direct influence over our endocrine and autonomic nervous systems, and thus influences our glands and their secretion of hormones (commonly known as emotions). Whew! Before you click away from this page in search of something that doesn’t make your brain hurt quite so much, we’ll give you a quick summary: aromatheraphy is legit.

And here’s another surprising fact: it’s not just for hippies anymore! Aromatherapy has steadily been growing in popularity over the last few years, which has led to an influx of scientific studies on its effectiveness. Across the board, researchers have found that aromatherapy with doTERRA essential oils creates a greater sense of calm and well-being, and has measurable benefits (something no-one’s been able to prove about algebra classes!). A study done in the ER of Vanderbilt Hospital found that medical personnel were 37% less stressed and 54% less frustrated after diffusing essential oil throughout the workplace. In another study by Vanderbilt, cardiologists noted that use of lavender oil had positive effects on their patients. Yet another study published in The British Medical Council found that frankincense oil may be an inexpensive alternative therapy for bladder cancer. Even right here in Fort Worth, Harris Methodist Hospital has begun dispensing essential oils to relieve stress and anxiety for patients and staff, and doctors there have found that aromatherapy can reduce pain and help patients get to sleep.

Teachers have even been using doTERRA in the classroom to calm, invigorate, and de-stink their students. Is there anything this magic oil CAN’T do? Stay tuned to this week’s blog series (a Monday-Wednesday-Friday affair) to find out how you can conduct your own aromatherapy sessions at home, and get on the path to a less stressful, more productive life!

To learn more about essential oils and the myriad of benefits they provide, come attend the doTERRA workshop at The Greener Good this Friday, October 19th at 10:00 am!

Why Fair Trade Rocks

Mark your calendars, Greener Gooders: October is Fair Trade month! What is Fair Trade, you ask? Although you’ve probably seen a Fair Trade Certified or FAIRTRADE logo floating around certain retailers (ahem- our store), you may not know exactly what that stamp of approval means.

Fair Trade is the concept that workers in developing countries should be properly compensated for their products. Totally crazy idea, right? Unlike goods sold through the traditional supply/exchange system, Fair Trade Certified/FAIRTRADE goods are purchased from cooperatives as directly as possible, allowing the original producer (e.g. the farmer, clothier, or jeweler) to get a much bigger slice of the proverbial pie.

The Fair Trade Labeling Organization establishes a fair base price for commodities, which aims to cover not only the price of the product, but also the worker’s living expenses, education, medical bills, and the needs of their family. In addition to benefiting the communities of farmers and workers, Fair Trade Certified goods are sustainably produced, meaning that crop management is done as organically as possible, and with minimal use of chemicals. Workers are taught how to farm without damaging the environment, how to properly dispose of waste, and how to control erosion and agricultural diversity.

The Greener Good supports the empowerment of marginalized and underprivileged communities, so you can find tons of Fair Trade awesomeness at our store! The Andean Collection, creators of the “Amazon” necklace pictured above, is a social enterprise based in Ecuador that invests all profits back into the company and the social programs it supports, helping to lift South Americans out of the vicious cycle of poverty. As an added benefit, their jewelry is also gorgeous, so you can look good and feel good at the same time!

Other Fair Trade companies you can find at TGG include Lily and Laura (whose outrageously popular bracelets we just restocked!), ARTELUSA, Sari Sak, PACT, Badger, Equal Exchange, RootWorks, Dsenyo, Kate Quinn, and tooooons more. Come celebrate Fair Trade Month with us and support the obliteration of poverty this October!

 

For more information on Fair Trade, visit these links (and stay tuned for Friday’s blog entry!):

http://www.fairtradeusa.org/

http://www.fairtrade.net/