If you recently had a child head off to college, you’re probably planning a care package or two to send their way as they adjust to life on their own two feet. Maybe you’re thinking of cookies and cleaning supplies or clean underwear. These are all good things, but we’d like to suggest the Smith & Truslow Freshly Ground Organic Herbs set. This may seem like a strange recommendation, but hear us out. Freshly ground organic herbs are one of those things that few freshman would even think of buying that will make a big difference in their lives (at least their cooking lives). They can spruce up their pasta sauces (even if they’re heated on a hot plate) with the flavor of basil or add a gourmet note to their chicken with some rosemary (even if that chicken came in a bucket). Click here to read more

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Even if you stick to the less expensive, run-of-the-mill lunch takeout options like Subway or the local Chinese joint, lunch can run you anywhere from $5 to $10 bucks, especially if you buy a bottled beverage. Not only is that a lot of cash per week, it’s a lot of packaging that ends up in the waste stream. Even if you want to recycle your plastic utensils or food wrap, type 3 plastics like these aren’t recycled in most cities. Ordering delivery is even worse: restaurants throw packaged utensils, condiments, and moist towelettes into plastic bags, regardless of whether you actually need them.

Bringing your lunch can save you upwards of $50 a week – but skip the brown paper bag! Reusable bags save cost in the long run and obviously reduce waste – but make sure you get one that’s ultra durable so you can get the most use out of it. We particularly like Laptop Lunches’ Lunch Date, which comes with not only a reusable hemp bag, but also a Bento Box with sleeve, an 18 oz. stainless steel lunch jar for hot or cold foods, a reusable icepack, and a stainless steel drink bottle. Click here to read more

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #146

What’s healthier than a Red Bull and more socially conscious than any other energy drink on the market?  New-kid-on-the-block LIVE is making a big splash these days with its low-calorie, smooth-tasting flavors and – get this – its commitment to donate 50% of all profits to charity.  Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!  Founder Wilson Ling wants to use his company as a vehicle to creating a healthy community of socially responsible people.  In fact, his marketing technique is uniquely creative to that end: each flavor represents an important issue, so consumers can put their buying power behind the one that matters most to them.  We like Green Tea, whose profits fight Global Warming, but are equally impressed with Original (Youth Programs), Acai Berry (AIDS and HIV), and Sugar-Free (Breast Cancer).  This drink is no gimmick either, boasting a mere 134 calories and 27 grams of sugar in a 12-oz. can.  In fact, all ingredients are natural, the juice is made from evaporated organic sugar cane, and it doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or preservatives.  Like the idea of downing a healthy energy drink to support a good cause?  LIVE is coming to major retailers nationwide in the next several months!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #130

It’s often the only thing that gets us going in the morning: that warm cup o’ Joe that soothes us before giving us an encouraging pat on the back to face the day.  So we’re not asking you to give up a sacred morning ritual – just that you bring your own cup and sleeve to eliminate unnecessary waste during your morning coffee run.  Greensleeves offers some attractive sleeve options made from 100% cotton, with a two-layer insulation of vinyl and flannel batting to protect your hands from burning.  Designed with whimsical patterns, they fold easily to fit in your pocket and will fit any standard cup size.  Ease your coffee-guzzling guilt for $3.25 at www.etsy.com.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #108

Bottled water may be a thing of the past, if ecogastronomic restaurateur Alice Waters has anything to say about it.  When she struck bottled water off her menu last year, many New York restaurants scrambled to do the same, offering their customers the choice of filtered tap water instead.  Though many might wrinkle their noses at the idea of drinking tap water with their haute cuisine, however, restaurants’ sophisticated filtration systems actually often produce better quality water than many bottled water counterparts.  For this service, they’re tacking on a small “sustainability surcharge” that, though as cheap as free tap water, costs less than bottled water.

For example, Bobo in the West Village uses Natura, an Italian water purification system that uses a carbon filter and UV light to kill any bacteria.  It can also add fizz to create sparkling water.  Both flat and sparkling water costs $1 to cover the cost of purification, but any overage is donated directly to Charity: Water to build wells in Africa.  Meanwhile, Gottino, located in the same neighborhood, scoffs at the idea of charging customers for their filtered water.  Their filtration system uses reverse osmosis, which cleans impurities using intense pressure to push water through a membrane.  Sparkling is also available.

We ecoists are incredibly excited by this new development and hope it’s the start of a slow death for bottled water companies everywhere.  Has your favorite haunt jumped on the bandwagon?  If not, leverage your support by suggesting that they make the eco-savvy switch.  It’s one that’ll help the environment and their business costs in the long run.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #67

The
next time your mother wags her finger at you for eating too much chocolate, you
can tell her that every bite is helping to save endangered species. The Endangered Species Chocolate Company has
now made it possible for you to be a do-gooder just by sitting on your couch
and indulging your sweet tooth. Their
100% ethically-traded cocoa not only sustains family-run farms in Nigeria and ensures fair wages for the farmers, but 10% of profits are donated to protect the endangered species featured on the wrapper.

Beyond
the Samaritan appeal, their distinctive chocolate is European in style,
offering a dense, buttery,

fruity flavor not found in your average Hershey
bar. And by dense, we’re talking 75%
cocoa content in their dark chocolate bars, packing a wallop in every bite. Bars are available for $1.89 and holiday gift
packs go for $5.25 and up at chocolatebar.com .

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #63

Let’s face it: there’s a lot of drinking going on during the holidays. This year, celebrate by mixing up your favorite drink with a bottle of eco-friendly vodka. The 360° method of making vodka is supposed to have saved countless trees, water, greenhouse energy, and actual road mileage. Plus, the packaging is nearly 100% recycled- that includes the bottle and the label. Drink and be merry by checking out vodka360.com.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #62

It’s not just the fact that these delicious teas  are available in white, black, and herbal varieties that make them calming. Zhena’s Gypsy Teas are all certified fair-trade and organic. You can take advantage of a variety of delicious flavors, including the red lavender pictured above, which can double as a beauty aid to sooth puffy eyes. The tins are reusable and refills are available from the website, gypsytea.com. 1lb. of the red lavender tea costs $35.90.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #58

These portable SIGG water bottles are fashioned from single pieces of aluminum and come in 105 funky designs, making them a fun, unique stocking stuffer for the eco-chic on your list.

The baked-on non-toxic inner lining is perfect for toting around coffee, orange juice, soda or water with no metallic aftertaste. These are perfect eco-friendly accessories for the gym, the car, or your kid’s backpack.

They range in cost from $18-21, visit sigg.ch for more information or pick one up at your local Whole Foods.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #47

Did you know that food production ranks as the second-biggest consumer of fossil fuels after automobiles? Or how about the fact that 75% of all antibiotics used in the United States go towards animal feeding operations? In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver reveals some unsettling information about food consumption today, as well as the government’s role in endorsing certain ingredients that lead to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and malnutrition. Her book is not so much an exposé as it is an example of how you can lead a sustainable lifestyle that allows you to grow and enjoy the real taste of food. She recounts her experience of picking up her family and moving them to a family farm in Virginia to become locavores- people who only eat locally grown food. For the naysayers who argue that it’s too expensive and time-consuming to do this, she offers tons of practical advice on how to achieve the lifestyle no matter your financial situation. Learn how to become the next locavore for $16.17 at amazon.com.

Powered by Bookmarkify™