As a corporate giant and the biggest of the big box stores, Wal-Mart is known for taking over mom and pop shops, offering the lowest prices on what are often the lowest quality products, and generally promoting the consumerism of the US. What they’re not known for is being green. But that may change if the new universal green labeling system that Wal-Mart is working on comes to fruition.

It would be, put simply, an environmental nutrition label, and would include information on the carbon footprint of a product, the water consumption required to make the product, and the air pollution that was created as a result of the product, and it could revolutionize shopping in the United States. In the UK, shopping king Tesco has already begun to feature carbon labeling on the products they sell (starting with their in-store brand), but there—like here—the issue of determining the standards for labeling is a tricky one. So tricky, in fact, that Wal-Mart has tapped environmental groups (like the Environmental Defense Fund), academics, and their product suppliers for help in setting up the labeling system. The company has also set an estimated time line of five years for cementing the standards and implementing in their stores. Click here to read more

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A lot of greenies have beef with bottled water, and rightfully so. Over 25 million plastic water bottles get tossed every day, only 20 percent are recycled. What’s more, 47 million gallons of oil are needed to every year to produce all that plastic. Are the carbon cost of shipping it from across the country or across the world from places like Fiji is unnecessary. But despite the eco costs, many still buy bottled for its convenience.

Bottling your own tap water just got easier though thanks to Reduce’s WaterWeek. The set of five 16-ounce BPA-free bottles come with a handy holder to keep the organized in your fridge so you can easily take one every morning on your way out the door. We have great tasting tap water that’s readily available and free. If you buy a bottle of water every day, that adds up to about $500 a year. If you grab a WaterWeek bottle every day, you can drink for free. They also come in kid sizes so you can keep your little ones hydrated on the go, too. Click here to read more

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A new survey shows that Americans are all for being more eco-friendly, as long as it doesn’t make them uncomfortable or inconvenienced. The Shelton Group polled 1,006 American households about their buying habits. Sixty percent want green products, but most don’t want to give up their favorite modern conveniences like iPods and air conditioning. In fact, over one fifth of the respondents said they wouldn’t give up anything despite the harm done to the environment.

The survey showed that 62 percent of Americans wouldn’t give up their iPods, 65 percent wouldn’t stop using their dishwashers, 75 percent couldn’t part ways with their microwaves, 79 percent would rather hang on to their cell phones than be green, 86 percent said air conditioning was a must and 87 percent had to have their televisions.

So what’s the takeaway, other than the fact that Americans are a little spoiled and selfish when it comes to saving the planet they call home? Click here to read more

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At first glance, you might wonder what the heck these roly poly round things are, but once you see them in action with kids, you’ll understand why your green playroom needs a few bObles. The colorful animals get eco-friendly accolades because they’re made from EVA foam that’s both toxin- and phthalate-free.

You could put these Denmark-designed pieces into the eco-friendly furniture category since they’re made to withstand the weight of a child sitting or laying across it. You could also call them sports equipment of sorts because balancing on the bObles can help kids develop their strength and sense of balance. Click here to read more

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Paper napkins rank up there in the super wasteful category with toilet paper and tissues. Think about all the paper napkins you and your family go through at a meal at home and all the extra napkins you grab to guaruntee you won’t run out and get stuck looking like a slob when you’re eating on the go. Last year, Oprah urged everyone to use one less paper napkin every day. But you can do better.

According to the NRDC if every US household replaced one pack of 250-count virgin fiber napkins with 100% recycled ones, 1 million trees could be saved. You could start buying Seventh Generation 100% recycled napkins made from 80% post-consumer recycled content. Or you could take it one step further and give up paper napkins altogether. Click here to read more

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