Made in the USA: Locally Grown and Green Toys

Our last blog explained why “multinational investments”- or moving a factory overseas to incur cheaper production costs- is a nasty, slippery slope. Although products made in the USA have long had a reputation for sturdiness and high quality, the trend of outsourcing factory work to other countries (specifically China, Taiwan, and India) has lent itself to the vast majority of companies. With so many goods being manufactured this way, it’s hard to find products that are made domestically, in sanitary and humane conditions, by well-paid, happy workers. Let The Greener Good help you out with that!

         

Allow us to introduce Locally Grown, the sustainable star of our store! This altruistic clothing company trumpets the importance of buying locally-made goods, supporting family farmers, and engaging in sustainable production methods. Locally Grown sources and manufactures all of their products in the USA, rebelling against the outsourcing majority in favor of boosting local farmers and artisans. Their clothing is super high-quality, and made by midwestern workers in the United States who embrace the values of pride, courage, and respect for our planet.

         

For the truck-and-tools lover in all of us, Green Toys delivers fantastic playthings made from recycled milk jugs. Not only are these toys recycled, packaged minimally, and tested rigorously for safety, but they’re also 100% made in the good ol’ U-S-and-A. Produced in California, Green Toys strives to save energy by avoiding the need for overseas transport of their products. The milk containers are collected from the Californian Milk Jug Mines (also known as recycling companies), and manufactured in-state. What could possibly delight a child more than knowing that her pink dump-truck is sustainably made and environmentally friendly?

If you’re keen on finding out what you can do to save the USA from slipping into the impending doom of a trade crisis, check out this Friday’s blog for more about Buying American, or drop by The Greener Good to ask one of our associates about our domestically-made products!

Waste Not, Want Not

Landfills are bad. Among other bad things, they produce methane gas, depreciate the value of surrounding property, threaten native wildlife, and are entirely unsustainable. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are more than 3,000 active landfills in the United States, and over 10,000 inactive municipal landfills, sitting around and reeking of certain non-biodegradable snack foods. Although large corporations are the biggest contributors to these towering trash heaps, several companies are leading the way in environmentally-friendly efforts by recycling, reusing, and sending zero pounds of waste to landfills.

For instance, DuPont Building Innovations in New York uses the food trash from their cafeteria for compost, their used shipping palettes for shredded animal bedding, and their excess stone product as recycled countertops or landscaping boulders. They even use the non-composted food for generating energy! In the short span of three years, DuPont has gone from sending 81 million pounds of trash to landfills to zero pounds of trash.

The U.S. Army is enlisting in the landfill waste movement, too. The Army’s goal is to recycle 100% of their electronics, along with establishing eight zero-landfill bases by 2020. PepsiCo has slashed their volume of trash by 88%, and cooked up a strategy with crop farmers to decrease carbon emissions and water usage by 50%, too. The president of PepsiCo, Richard Evans, made this comment on his company’s recycling efforts:

“Sustainable businesses can cut costs, drive innovation, reduce risk, and motivate employees. It can help our retail customers and increase consumer loyalty,”

We couldn’t agree more! To learn more about the “Zero to Landfill” initiative and join in on the green goodness, check out http://www.zerolandfill.net/, and come support manufacturers of recycled products at The Greener Good!

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!

Essential Oil: The Terrific Treatment

Today’s Essential Oil workshop with expert Steffanie England was absolutely brilliant. Steffi truly understands the chemistry behind essential oils; a human encyclopedia of all things doTERRA! In addition to giving tailored personal advice, our special guest offered up tons of health and wellness pointers that we think everyone should add to their arsenal. This list may look longer than Les Miserables and Atlas Shrugged combined, but stick with it and keep reading ’til the end– there are plenty of surprising plot twists!

Treating Injuries

• Lavender oil is an antihistamine, and can be used on allergy blisters and swollen throats to reduce inflammation
• Lavender is also great for healing sunburns
• In a similar vein, Helichrysum oil makes fabulous sunscreen when mixed with a carrier oil- we recommend doTERRA’s fractionated coconut oil, which is antibacterial and keeps the mixture smooth
• For a wonderful allergy-fighting cocktail, place one drop of Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint under the tongue
• Peppermint is an expectorant and oxygenates the blood, which makes an indispensable tool for saving the lives of people who are drowning or experiencing difficulty breathing (Remember- CPR is always the wisest first move in this situation. If dealing with a human or animal whom you cannot perform CPR on, Peppermint makes an excellent alternative.)
• Helichrysum stops bleeding, no matter how severe, and can reduce the risk of scarring if applied to wounds immediately
• Clove oil numbs pain

Treating Sickness

• doTERRA’s blend “OnGuard” can be rubbed into the bottoms of your feet and the palms of your hands daily to kill germs on contact
• In fact, taking a deep sniff of OnGuard will coat the cilia (hair follicles) in your nose, eradicating any viruses that enter!
• Did we mention that OnGuard’s lasting power is a full 7 days?
• Additionally, laboratory tests have shown that a single drop of OnGuard coats every cell in the body within 20 minutes. BAM!
• OnGuard is awesome and you need some
• Peppermint oil stops fevers by quickly breaking down and eliminating the waste the body is attempting to sweat out
• Coriander oil has been proven to cure some cases of type II diabetes
• Essential oils are anti-viral, meaning they can penetrate the cell walls of a virus and stop their protein synthesis– something antibiotics cannot do
• Melissa oil, ingested orally, alieves situational depression by grounding the mind
• For migraines, try doTERRA’s Solace blend (designed to treat hormonal imbalances) and doTERRA’s Lifelong Vitality Pack
• Frankincense is both calming and energizing, and packs the same punch a typical energy drink does– but without any negative side-effects
• Oregano is known as “nature’s antibiotic,” and is very efficient at treating bacterial infections such as e. coli
• The “Zendocrine” blend provides fantastic detoxification support
• Thyme oil has been proven to help thwart cervical cancer
• GX Assist, a cleansing blend for the digestive tract, supports recovery from autoimmune disorders as well
• Food poisoning can be treated with Melaleuca oil, which is also fantastic for skin conditions like acne and fever blisters

Nutrition

• Lemon oil invigorates cells by loosening those that have hardened and allowing them to absorb nutrients again
• For a gastrointestinal cleanse, combine 10 drops of peppermint oil and 10 drops of lemon either in a capsule or in a glass of water, and take daily
• Remember: if you are taking supplements, you also need to be ingesting trace minerals, which the body uses to absorb nutrient and supplements
• doTERRA’s “Balance” blend stops the production of cortisol, a “stress hormone” that protects and controls fat cells
• “TerraZyme,” a digestive enzyme complex, assists in breaking down food, and can help folks with celiac disease to process gluten
• Food intolerances can be treated with “pH Assist,” which helps your body produce healthy probiotics

Other Helpful Things

• doTERRA’s Clary Sage oil jumpstarts ovulation
• Clary Sage is also excellent at soothing cramps
• The doTERRA blend “Breathe” is so effective at opening lung passageways, it can be used in place of a nebulizer during an asthma attack (apply directly to the chest)

Always use glass when putting essential oils into containers like cups or bowls. The compounds in the oil will interact with materials like styrofoam and plastic, foiling the oil’s effectiveness. You do not want to foil the oil. That is bad.

To continue blossoming into a Boss-Level Essential Oil Expert, take a peek at these links:

doTERRA’s Website

Everything Essential

Celiac Shack (Steffanie England’s amazing blog!)

Thanks for reading all the way through this particularly bold-heavy blog entry! Drop by The Greener Good any time for more information about our doTERRA essential oils. We’d be happy to hook you up!

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/

Why Is Bamboo Green?

Bamboo has become a popular material among the eco-friendly crowd. In fact, if you step into our store, you’ll notice that we’ve got bamboo toys, bamboo clothing, and even bamboo utensils! If you haven’t heard about the ecological benefits of this softwood, you may be rather bamboozled by this craze. So, why is bamboo considered to be so “green”?

First of all, it’s a renewable resource, largely owed to its short growth cycle. Bamboo’s quick regeneration helps cut down on the cutting down of forests, and aids with preventing erosion. The imaginative game pictured above was created by Hape, and mimics the speed at which bamboo matures. Here’s a quote that appears in toy’s product description:

“Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. If cultivated properly, it can fully regenerate within 3 months, causing no detriment to the surrounding ecosystem. Bamboo raises the water level in the areas that surround it. It is an enormous consumer of CO2, thereby increasing the amount of oxygen in the air. “

The adaptive plant provides more oxygen per square foot than the average tree, and can be just as strong as hardwood– while being many times more flexible. Bamboo is a very versatile material, used to create everything from sturdy building materials to super-soft bath towels… like these from Yala!

For those of you who prefer brevity, here’s a list of reasons why Bamboo > Trees:

• It takes trees up to 50 years to reach maturation. Some varieties of bamboo can grow several feet in one day, much like a teenage boy.
• Bamboo is scrappy enough to grow in a wide variety of different climates, unlike those wimpy Poplars.
• No pesticides or chemicals are necessary to aid the growth of bamboo.
• Trees chug water. Bamboo merely sips it.
• Bamboo is wildly biodegradable, and makes excellent compost.
• Some trees are poisonous enough to kill a grown bodybuilder. Bamboo, however, is absolutely non-toxic to humans and animals. Yay!

The story doesn’t end here, though- we haven’t heard about bamboo’s dark side! Although bamboo itself is as green as can be, the manufacturing process isn’t always environmentally responsible (shocking, I know). Stay tuned for Wednesday’s blog on Why Bamboo ISN’T Green!

Time to Clean…With Better Life!

No matter if all of the extended family was in town or not, the holidays can be a mess!!  Once everyone clears out you may be stuck with quite a bit to clean.  Although we can’t do anything to reduce the messiness, we can recommend fantastic cleaning solutions!

Stick with Better Life cleaners through the mess and your house will be spotless without using any harmful products.  The list of benefits from using Better Life is pretty extensive: removes germs and bacteria from tough messes without harming surfaces, solvent-free and pH neutral, Naturally scented with essential oils, gluten free and hypoallergenic

At The Greener Good you can find all of these cleaners:

whatEver! (All Purpose Cleaner), I Can See Clearly WOW! (Glass Cleaner), Simply Floored! (Ready-to-Use Floor Cleaner), Even the Kitchen Sink (Gentle Scrubber), Einshine (Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish), Take It For Granite (Stone Countertop Spray) and Oak-K-Dokey (Wood Cleaner & Polish).

We love Better Life cleaning products because it is a family brand that believes in really cleaning up, but not at the expense of using harmful products.  The Greener Good owner, Liz raves about the Even the Kitchen Sink scrub cleaner as well as Take it For Granite for her counter tops.

 

We’re sure you’ll fall in love with Better Life, what is there not to like about the great company and the fantastic cleaning abilities!!  Because we know you’ll love it and come back for more when you run out, we have a deal for you.  If you bring in the used bottle we’ll refill it for — so we can work to reduce wasted bottles!