1 Green Product

DeFeet Aireator Socks

2010-07-13T16:31:00.001-05:00

DeFeet Aireator socks are made in the USA using fibers from recycled plastic bottles

Made in North Carolina, DeFeet's Aireator socks are eco-friendly, comfortable and cool (both from a thermal and aesthetic standpoint). Almost 40% of the fibers in the socks apparently come from recycled plastic bottles.

Where to Buy:

You can find many styles of Aireator socks on DeFeet's website for $10 per pair.

Preserve Toothbrush with Mail Back Pack

2010-05-20T09:07:00.001-05:00

Preserve toothbrush in Mail Back Pack

Creating a toothbrush with a handle made from recycled yogurt cups? Fantastic. Preserve has been doing that for years.

Designing Mail Back packaging for that toothbrush that doubles as a postage-paid return envelope so that the used toothbrush can be sent back to Preserve for recycling? Magnifico!

How to Buy: $2.99 for a single brush via Preserve's own website or $13 for a year's worth of toothbrushes delivered automatically (one every three months).

Disclaimer: Nothing to disclaim.

Heartland Harvest Garden + Neighborhood Fruit

2010-05-17T09:34:00.001-05:00

Bee on chives by hddod

If you find yourself in or near Kansas City, make sure to visit the Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri. Not only do the gardens offer beautiful landscaping and architecture, they also contain the marvelous 12-acre Heartland Harvest Garden consisting entirely of edible plants. It doesn't get much more eco-friendly than growing your own food, especially if you grow the food organically as Powell is attempting to do. You'll be sure to discover or rediscover beautiful and delicious plants to grow in your garden, balcony or other outdoor space. (Did you realize, for instance, that chives get beautiful - and edible - purple flowers?)

I was excited to recently discover a website called Neighborhood Fruit that helps you locate public fruit trees. Apparently some cities have recently started planting fruit trees so that their landscaping provides not just shade and beauty, but also food. Did you know that you can find public juneberry, mulberry, hawthorn and peach trees in New York City? (Yes, apparently hawthorn trees have edible berries.)

The site also tries to match people who have excess fruit on their private fruit trees with people who would like access to the fruit. The site does require registration, but it seems free to use. Make sure to read the FAQ to familiarize yourself with how it all works. Seems like a brilliant idea! (Not many private fruit tree owners seem to have registered their trees, however. The closest free neighborhood fruit I could find to Nashville, TN was in California!!)

If you'd like to grow your own edible shrubs, here's a great resource from Plants For a Future!

GeoBulb LED light bulb

2009-07-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

GeoBulb II by C. Crane

You might look at the GeoBulb® II design as being sexy and sculptural.

Or it may look a little exoskeletal to you.

But either way, it is the low energy consumption of this LED light bulb that should really catch your eye.

In its Cool White form, the GeoBulb II delivers claims to deliver approximately the same illumination as a 60-watt incandescent light bulb while using only 7.5 watts of power! That's almost an 87% energy savings!

With a projected life span of 30,000 hours, GeoBulb II's manufacturer C. Crane says the bulb should last for 10 years of 8-hours-per-day usage. The bulb also comes with a comforting 3-year warranty.

As for the light quality, like many LEDs, the light is very white, with almost a bluish tint. That may sound unappealing, and you probably wouldn't want to use the GeoBulb II for mood lighting, but the fact is that the GeoBulb II is actually fantastic for use as a reading light. Somehow it makes reading printed materials much easier and seemed to reduce eye strain, at least for me.

GeoBulb II by C. Crane

(If you don't want such a blue-white light, C. Crane does sell Soft White and Warm White varieties of its GeoBulb II bulbs, but those are only rated as equivalent to 50-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs respectively. We presume these other varieties have some sort of coating on the bulb that 'softens' or 'warms' the light but also cuts down on blocks some of the luminescence.)

The only drawback I can see here is still price. Even after a 15% price reduction, the GeoBulb II will still set you back $99.95. Yowzers!

It's true that the GeoBulb II will save you a lot in energy costs over the long run, but it's still hard to imagine too many folks shelling out $100 per bulb when it's possible to buy a 12-pack of Sylvania CFL bulbs at Amazon for around $24. True, the CFL bulbs use almost twice as much electricity (13 watts) as the GeoBulb II to produce the same amount of lumens (60-watt incandescent equivalent), but on the other hand the GeoBulb II is about 50-times more expensive.

How many light bulbs do you have in your home? I have about 15 in my apartment. That means I could light the whole apartment for $48 with the Sylvania CFLs and have plenty of leftover replacement bulbs. Or I could light the apartment for $1500 with GeoBulb IIs.

$1500 vs. $48. I love the GeoBulb technology - and LED light bulb technology in general - but it's going to have to come down in price to penetrate beyond the millionaire/billionaire demographic.

Hopefully, LED bulbs will get more affordable. Most technology seems to progress down an affordability curve. Only a few year ago, CFL bulbs were rather pricey too. Now they're easily affordable. Hopefully in a couple of years, we'll be seeing multipacks of GeoBulbs for a fraction of the current price.

Where to Buy:

You can order a GeoBulb II direct from C. Crane for $99.95. Interestingly, you can get a GeoBulb for a bit more affordable price ($89.95) if you order through Amazon.com.

If your recession-era budget doesn't have room for the GeoBulb II, remember that you can still get a Pharox 4-watt LED (40-watt incandescent equivalent) at Amazon for $34.99 or the EarthLED ZetaLux for $49.99 (6-7 watts of power consumption, 50-60 watt incandescent equivalent).

A2B Electric Two-Wheeler

2009-07-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

The A2B electric two-wheeler by Ultra Motor

Happy (almost) Independence Day!

Wouldn't it be great if more of us could break free from a dependence on gasoline and cars to get us where we want to go?

As I've mentioned before, I believe that bikes and particularly e-bikes are a big part of the solution. Previously, I had a chance to test an e-bike in Tokyo. Then just last week, Ultra Motor gave me the chance to test ride their A2B electric bike around New York City.

(Special thanks also go to Vespa SoHo, the store that actually sells the A2B in Manhattan and let me take one of their A2Bs out for a spin.)

First things first, how did A2B get its name? I assumed it was because the bike provided an awesome way to get from point A to point B. Logical, but incorrect according to Daniel R. Gonzalez, sales manager at Vespa Soho. Gonzalez says that the bike actually got its name thanks to capacity to carry dual batteries. The built-in "A" battery can carry a ride for up to 20 miles (without assistance from pedal power) at up to 20 mph. Naturally, that maximum range depends on terrain - expect to go further in flat Miami than in hilly San Francisco. If the "A" battery does run out of juice and if you've purchased a spare "B" battery, you can simply flip a switch from A to B and get another 20 miles or so of range from the backup battery.

Batteries apparently take 3.5 to 4 hours to fully recharge, so theoretically you could commute to work on A2B on a Friday morning, leave the bike charging and then commute home to get a head start on the weekend right after lunch.

Here are some more thoughts on the A2B -

Aesthetics - Vespa Soho's Gonzalez pointed out that lots of other e-bikes just look like ordinary bicycles with a (visible) battery attached. By contrast, A2B was designed especially to be an electric bike. The battery is hidden from view and built into the bike's frame. Gonzalez did assure me that it is easy to swap out the battery for a new one at the end of the original battery's lifetime.

Basically, the A2B looks sweet, minimalist and futuristic. It's the kind of bike that will get noticed. Don't be surprised if you meet a lot of people - pedestrians, car drivers and other cyclists - wanting to know what you're riding. People may stare and you'll probably get a few compliments. In fact, single gals and guys looking to meet Mr/Ms Right (or even Mr/Ms Right Now) might want to buy an A2B just for the conversation-starting benefits.

By the way, although Ultra Motor is based in the U.K., its design team is from Germany. Indeed, there is something about the look of the A2B that reminds me of the sleek work of Porsche Design.

The Ride - A2B does have pedals and can move just under pedal-power, but I don't see anything on the Ultra Motor website calling this machine an e-bike. In fact, Ultra Motor likes to describe A2B as an "electric two-wheeler". This is actually a pretty apt description. The A2B's twist throttle system lets you ride around town without ever actually pedaling your legs. It's kind of a stealth electric scooter, albeit one that only goes up to 20 mph.

The top mph rating is important because, according to Gonzalez, anyone can ride a vehicle that only goes up to 20 mph. You don't even need a driver's license (at least in NY State...not sure if the same laws apply everywhere). By contrast, scooters tend to go up to 30 mph and require a driver's license. Anything over that in terms of top speed and you'll need a special motorcycle license.

The A2B electric two-wheeler by Ultra Motor

Anyway, in a word, the ride is awesome. The shock-absorbing front and rear suspension eats up bumps like the Cookie Monster chowing down on a Gingerbread Man. The 36-volt lithium ion battery propels the e-bike away from red lights in a hurry. Disc brakes let you stop on a dime - important when NYC taxi cabs are cutting in front of you to pick up passengers. Frankly, the A2B put a big happy grin on my face for most of my test ride (except when I was dodging trucks and airborne trash on Canal Street).

Now, the A2B may be a beautiful machine, but that doesn't mean that it's faultless. In the spirit of constructive criticism, I'd like to offer the following observations on Things That Might Be Improved in version 2.0:

Weight - The A2B is solid and comfy, but it ain't dainty. The bike weighs more than 70 lbs. Which means that even with a 7-speed Shimano derailleur, you'll still huff and puff trying to propel the bike by pedal power. Since the A2B looks like a bike and has a controlled 20 mph top speed, you can apparently take it on bike paths and into parks, but I still think it works best as a stealth cruiser with a little pedaling from time to time on flat ground to get exercise or save battery power. For comparison's sake, this Elegance e-bike from EcoBike weighs only around 50 lbs. Those 20 lbs can make a big difference. In fact, it's even more impressive that the A2B's motor can move the heavy bike so quickly. Gonzalez says that 1/3 of the A2B's weight is in its battery, so hopefully that part of the weight will come down as battery technology improves. Since the rest of A2B is already made out of aluminum, it's not clear how the bike could get lighter without sacrificing some of its impressive stability and shock-absorbing power.

Battery indicator - A2B does have a three-light battery indicator in green, yellow and red, but I would have liked something a bit clearer that looked more like a gas gauge. Call me old-fashioned.

Twist direction - I like the twist throttle, but I believe you have to twist it toward you in order to accelerate. It seems like it would be more intuitive to twist away and there were several times that I tried twisting away the throttle forward only to wonder why I wasn't getting any oomph. But perhaps I'm ignorant of some universal code of twist-throttling that says throttles must be turned inward and toward the rider.

Bell - OK, some people might say this is silly, but I would have loved to see a bell incorporated into the design. Like any bike or e-bike, the A2B is quiet. A bell would help warn pedestrians and other bicyclists that you're about to overtake them and zoom by at an astonishingly fast speed without any apparent effort. :)

Price - The A2B currently carries an MSRP of around $2,699. When considering cost of ownership, you'll have to think about the battery too. The Ultra Motor warranty guarantees the battery will function for more than 500 cycles at 80% of original capacity. That sounds decent, but given the cost of batteries ($550 to replace the internal battery, $650 for the optional auxiliary battery), I hope that Ultra Motor can guarantee more charge cycles from its batteries in the future - or make the battery cheaper to replace.

$3000+ is a lot to spend on an e-bike when there are plenty of sub-$1000 alternatives. But...sometimes you get what you pay for. A2B is a high-quality machine that looks and rides like it is meant to last. If comfort, design and speed matter to you - and if you're OK with the weight issue - A2B seems like it is definitely worth the money. You'll still save a huge bundle compared to car ownership and you can relish riding one of the top e-bikes (OK, electric two-wheelers) in the country.

Where to Buy:

Check out the Ultra Motor website for a list of local dealers like Vespa Soho.

A spokesperson for A2B also told me that Best Buy will start carrying the A2B soon. Looks like Best Buy is solidifying its position as an e-bike leader...

An Ultra Motor spokesperson says that the company offers useful accessories such as front baskets and laptop bags. It would be nice if visitors to the A2B site could browse a selection of these accessories.

Welcome to the New 1GreenProduct.com! // PowerGenix Rechargeable NiZn Batteries

2010-05-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable batteries

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your patience while I tinkered under the hood of 1GreenProduct.com to produce what is hopefully a more beautiful and user-friendly experience.

To celebrate the relaunch of 1GreenProduct.com, I would like to introduce you to the PowerGenix NiZn (nickel zinc) rechargeable batteries.

Both rechargeable and recyclable, PowerGenix claims that its batteries will last longer than other rechargeable batteries, basically offering the same amount of power as traditional disposable alkaline batteries while reducing landfill waste.

PowerGenix has also produced a handy chart showing the relative benefits of its batteries over other rechargeable options. Basically PowerGenix claims its batteries are safer, more powerful and offer more power while recharging more quickly.

Where to Buy:

Amazon.com sells a 4-pack of the PowerGenix batteries with a 1-hour quick charger for $22.71.

Disclaimer - PowerGenix gave me a pack of batteries to review. Unfortunately, after receiving the batteries, I realized that I do not possess any suitable electronics that run off AA battery power, which is why this review does not include a hands-on testing component. Sorry about that. If I am able to test the batteries in the field at a later date, I will update this post to reflect my first-person experiences.

Mr. Beams Motion Sensor Stair Light

2009-02-05T19:08:00.000-06:00

We swear that we are not reviewing the Mr. Beams(TM) Motion Sensor Stair Light ($24.99) simply because the product nearly shares the same name as British comedian Mr. Bean (a.k.a. Rowan Atkinson).

(With or without lighted stairs, we suspect Mr. Bean would take a pratfall...)

But for the rest of us, Mr. Beams could be a lifesaver or at least quite a handy eco-friendly convenience.

Basically, as the name suggests, the Motion Sensor Stair Light is a safety light intended to provide temporary light when needed to help in navigating stairs or other dark areas.

The product attaches to a wall using either double-sided tape or screws (both included). During the day or when the room is illuminated, the light conserves its battery power by remaining dark. When a light sensor detects that the area is dark, Mr. Beans automatically lights up with a low glow. Then when a motion sensor detects further light is needed, Mr. Beans ramps up the brightness and provides a beacon for up to 20 seconds or 1 minute (depending on the setting chosen).

Generally speaking, we're very impressed with the Mr. Beams Motion Sensor Stair Light, though we do have a few reservations. First the good points:

In our unit, the light sensor and motion sensor worked splendidly.

We were very impressed with the brightness of the LED at even the low-glow setting. When the light detects motion and amps up the brightness, the light is practically dazzling. That's mighty impressive for a very small bulb, but Mr. Beams says that it's using the latest LED technology -- 12-times brighter than standard LEDs.

Mr. Beams does seem very convenient. No wiring is required. The batteries are supposed to last for approximately $1 year. Basically, the light strikes us as a very efficient (and thus eco-friendly) device. It's even supposed to be waterproof if you want to use it outdoors (although the Mr. Beams Spotlight might be better suited for that task).

Still, in the spirit of constructive criticism, we don't think Mr. Beams is quite perfect yet. Here are a few observations we hope that Mr. Beams can take into account for the next edition of its stair light:

Internal controls aren't very convenient. Maybe it's necessary from a weatherproofing standpoint, but the switch that toggles the Stair Light between 20 seconds and 1 minute of illumination are located inside the device. If you want to change the setting, you have to unscrew the back (easily done with screwdriver or even a coin), remove all three C batteries and then struggle to read the tiny letters around the tiny switch.

The switch is a little inscrutable. On the 20 second setting, the lamp really did seem to stay bright for 20 seconds when motion activated. On the 1 minute setting, it never wanted to go off. We waited several minutes (without moving) and then turned on the lights so that the light sensor would switch off the light. We would prefer the 20 second setting anyway (it's certainly long enough for most people to go up or down a flight of stairs or even go into the bathroom at night for a drink of water), but if you want to use the 1 minute setting, that's something to be aware of.

The C batteries are a bit bulky and make the unit a little heavy. Also, we had to go online to make sure that it's possible to buy rechargeable lithium ion C batteries and a C battery charger. (It is.) We wish that Mr. Beams could make a smaller, lighter unit that used AA batteries - the type commonly used in digital cameras and many other electronics. We'd even be willing to recharge the batteries more frequently (every 3-6 months?) if we could have a smaller unit.

Still, overall, we're impressed with Mr. Beams. The company has given us even more enthusiasm about the bright future of LED lighting. Perhaps that's not quite as funny as Mr. Bean, but much more illuminating.

Where to Buy:

Order directly through the Mr. Beams website or via e-tailers like Smarthome and Amazon.com.

Pharox LED light bulb

2009-02-12T19:06:00.000-06:00

Last October, we reviewed the EarthLED EvoLux(TM) bulb and praised it for using just 13-watts of power to deliver the same illumination as a 100-watt incandescent bulb.

As that EarthLED review mentioned, there's lots to like about LED bulbs:

No mercury (unlike CFLs)
Very low power consumption for significant luminance
Very long lasting - approximately 50,000 hours compared to say 750 hours for a 100-watt incandescent bulb.
Relatively cool to the touch since the energy produces light, not heat. So LED bulbs are great to use in hot climates when you don't want your indoor illumination adding strain to your air conditioner.

The only thing we didn't like about the EarthLED bulb was the cost. A single bulb would put an $80 dent in your wallet.

That's why we were thrilled when Lemnis Lighting, a Dutch company, sent us information on its Pharox LED bulb. This 4-watt LED bulb is designed to replace a 40-watt incandencent.

That's right - Pharox offers 90% energy savings over your old incandescent filament bulb, plus all the other benefits listed above. Pharox has a friendlier sticker price too - only $34.95 through Amazon.com.

Now, $35 is still a lot for a bulb, but if your one Pharox LED bulb lasts as long as 50 incandescent bulbs (which Lemnis claims it should), you'll probably come out ahead financially in the long run while saving tons of energy in the process.

Indeed, Lemnis asserts that if every American household switched four 40-watt incandescent bulbs to Pharox 4-watt lamps, American would save $113 billion in energy costs over the lifetime of the Pharox bulbs.

And now for a few caveats:

A 40-watt bulb may not be sufficient for your needs. We installed our sample Pharox LED bulb in a small closet/hallway area and found that the bulb casts enough light for us to choose towels and rummage through our medicine bin, but just barely. We're hoping that Pharox comes out with a 6-watt replacement for a 60-watt incandenscent...

The light is very white. A comment on Amazon describes the light as greenish. I wouldn't go that far. In fact, you might think of the Pharox light as a sort of 'heavenly glow', the sort of light in which seraphim might bathe. Or you might just think, "Gee, that's some darn white light."

Some folks complain that CFL bulbs take a fraction of a second (or longer) to turn on after the switch is flipped. We didn't have that problem with the Pharox bulb, but strangely it did seem to take a smidgen of time to turn off after we flipped the switch. Either that or our eyes are playing tricks on us, which is totally possible.

Where to buy:

The Lemnis website directs consumers to Amazon.com, as mentioned above, where a 3rd party retailer sells the bulb for $34.95.

P.S. - For what it's worth, EarthLED now apparently offers a ZetaLux 7-watt LED bulb that claims to offer illumination comparable to a 50-60 watt incandescent bulb. The bulb is priced at $49.99 and offered in either cool or warm styles. Bulk pricing lets you lower the per-bulb price if you're willing to buy four or more ZetaLux bulbs at a time.

Amazon Kindle 2.0

2009-02-13T19:04:00.000-06:00

In case you haven't heard, Amazon.com recently announced the upcoming February 24 release of its second-generation e-book reader: Kindle 2.

What makes the Kindle 2 such an eco-friendly product? After all, isn't this just another electronic gadget that place additional demands on the electrical grid?

Well, one general Green principle we endorse is that fewer resources required = a better product (i.e. less is more).

The 10.2-ounce, 1/3-inch thick Kindle 2 can hold more than 1,500 books.

Can you imagine the environmental cost in paper, gasoline and electricity of cutting down trees (or even recycling paper) to produce, print, package and ship 1,500 books?

It's surely much higher than the one-time cost of producing the slender Kindle 2, plus the occasional cost of recharging the device.

On the recharging front, there's good news there too. Amazon says the Kindle 2 battery is now 25% longer - the battery apparently charges in 4 hours and lasts for 4-14 days of reading (depending on whether you have the sophisticated 3G wireless network switched on).

The e-books themselves supposedly only take 60 seconds to download and you can choose from among more than 230,000 options in the Kindle Store. If you think that sounds impressive, Amazon says it's aiming to eventually offer any book ever printed in any language through the Kindle 2.

From what we hear, you can also access newspapers and magazines through the Kindle 2 - again reducing printing and distribution costs associated with hard copies of the same. (The environmental case is even stronger with periodicals since they are usually read once and then trashed or at best recycled.)

We hope to have the chance to test Kindle 2 first-hand in the weeks ahead, but if you can't wait for our review, feel free to get on the pre-order list now.

Like other observers conditioned to falling technology prices, we're slightly disappointed that Amazon didn't make Kindle 2 even more affordable than the previous edition. But even at $359, the idea of an elegant device that puts an entire library at your fingertips (with all the e-books you buy backed up online in a digital Amazon library) makes the Kindle an attractive proposition.

Where to buy:

At Amazon, naturally!

Eco-Friendly Firelogs -- Duraflame Stax, TerraCycle Fire Log and Pine Mountain

2009-02-16T19:02:00.000-06:00

It's still mid-February and depending on where you live, you may be wondering if winter will ever end.

What can you do in these chilly times?

a) Hibernate

b) Get treatment for S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

c) Book a trip to a warm beach (not a bad option)

d) Curl up in front of a toasty fire

But if you do choose Option D (which sure beats lowering your metabolism and curling up in bed for a few weeks, IOHO), why not try to choose an eco-friendly fire option.

Sure, some of you lucky enough to live in rural or suburban areas may have some wood just lying around from a tree-trimming or fallen log. In which case, we say "Waste not, want not."

But in our apartment, we don't have any spare wood lying around. (Of course, we don't have a fireplace either, but that's a whole 'nother ball of wax.)

If we did have a fireplace, we'd want to use the most eco-friendly firewood substitute available. After all, why cut down a tree for firewood if you can use a Green alternative that burns just as nicely - and probably more easily - with less mess and less fuss?

Here are three options that recently came to our attention:

1) Duraflame Stax -- With its rectangular shape, Duraflame claims that Stax is the first stackable firelog. Indeed, the directions on Stax say that you should start your fire by stacking two Stax on top of each other lighting them both. Duraflame also says that Stax is the first commercial firelog that can safely be burned in a woodstove.

Duraflame says it has recently switched from using petroleum-based wax to using 100% renewable bio-wax. Instead of cutting down trees to make its logs, Duraflame claims to recycle 50,000 tons of commercial wood waste and agricultural biomass (i.e. nut shells, fruit pits) each year in producing its firelogs.

2) TerraCycle Fire Log -- I used to think all cardboard was recyclable, but according to TerraCycle, wax cardboard (which Internet research indicates is used to protect shipments of perishable foods from moisture damage) cannot be recycled and does not readily biodegrade in landfills. Accordingly, TerraCycle has taken that wax cardboard and transformed it into a fire log that it claims will produce little ash or smoke.

3) Pine Mountain Firelogs - Turns out that dust is nothing to sneeze about. Pine Mountain takes the sawdust from furniture and flooring manufacturers, combines it with all-natural wax and recycles it into firelogs. According to Pine Mountain, its firelogs not only burn six-times longer than firewood (pound for pound), they also generate 85% less carbon monoxide and 76% less creosote build-up in the chimney.

ITRW Experience:

Over two days, we tested all fire logs from all three companies.

Ease of lighting - Both TerraCycle and Pine Mountain were a cinch to light. We had a bit more difficulty with the Duraflame log. Ultimately, the Duraflame log ended up catching fire at just one end and then slowly burning down to the other end in a linear fashion. We'd have to say that our experience with the Duraflame log was a bit lopsided.

Burn time - Pine Mountain and Duraflame Stax both burned themselves out in about 2 hours, although they kept glowing for another 30-60 minutes. TerraCycle lasted a bit longer, providing perhaps 3 hours of flickering flames.

Aesthetics - We tended to like the TerraCycle fire best, finding that it generated a nice warm fire and cozy fire for practically its whole run time. Pine Mountain burned a bit strongly and hotly at first, but then settled down to burn away quite nicely. The Stax fire was the smallest and bluest (although in all fairness, the Stax suggestions called for burning two Stax logs at once and we only used one firelog in our test).

3/11/09 update - Duraflame representatives note that Stax "has been specifically formulated so that more than one log may be used at a time....The logs have less energy per pound than traditional firelogs, but because more than one can be burned at a time, Stax logs put out more heat per fire." It's a fair point.

Cautionary suggestions - Read the directions on all the firelogs carefully. Never leave a fire unattended. From what we understand, you should not attempt to toast marshmallows (or engage in any other open-flame cooking) with any manufactured firelogs.

Where to Buy:

Duraflame says that Stax is sold at both Kmart and Target at an MSRP of $9.99 for a three-log pack and $19.99 for a six-log pack. Find other retailers using the Product Locator.

TerraCycle also says you can pick up a 4-pack of its Fire Logs for $15.99 at select Target stores.

Use the Product Locator page on Pine Mountain's website to find a retailer near you where you can pi

ck up the firelogs for an MSRP of $2-3 per log.

Envirosax and Rebagz Review

2009-02-19T19:01:00.000-06:00

For those of you who already have a reusable shopping bag, you know one of the biggest challenges is remembering to take it with you to the store.

(Another challenge is washing the bag after you use it to carry home fish from the seafood counter...)

That's one reason we like the bag selection from Envirosax. Available in a mind-boggling selection of styles and colors, the bags in Envirosax Graphics Series weigh just 1.4 ounces each and are designed to carry to 44 lbs. (That's a lot of tomatoes - or whatever other groceries you need to carry home...).

As you might expect from a bag that's so light, the Envirosax bags can also be folded into an extremely small bundle and then secured with the integrated snap strap (sort of like the closure mechanism on a portable umbrella). Since they're made out of polyester, the Envirosax Graphics bags are waterproof with reinforced seams for durability.

We have to admit that the idea of buying polyester bags does give us pause since polyester is basically a petroleum-based plastic, but an Envirosax rep that we spoke with gave us a persuasive explanation of polyester's benefits - light, waterproof, compressable, durable, etc.

The point is that Envirosax Graphics bags should ideally last for years and allow you to skip hundreds or maybe thousands of disposable plastic bags, thus abrogating the need for the petroleum products that would have made those disposable bags and keeping the disposable bags out of the wastestream. Durability and longevity should be important considerations in the mind of any Green shopper trying to move beyond disposable consumer culture.

If you'd rather buy a bag made out of natural materials, Envirosax can accommodate you with its Organic Series of bags made from bamboo, linen or hemp.

(By the way, did you know that linen came from the stem of the flax plant? I had no idea.)

Be warned that the Organic Series bags are not quite as compressable, but they do come with a handy little carry sac. They also weigh a tiny bit more (2.14 ounces) and are designed to carry only 22 lbs.

Which bag is best for you? The Graphics bags are so tiny and light that they can be slipped into a pocket or purse as part of an everyday routine. I have a feeling that the waterproof quality and durability of the Graphics bags also gives them an advantage.

On the other hand, the biodegradability and natural cultivation of the bamboo Organics bags makes them appealing too. Well, whichever one you choose, you'll know that you're making an eco-friendlier choice than using and disposing of dozens or hundreds of throwaway plastic bags.

FYI, Australia-based Envirosax supports several charities, including the Surfrider Foundation that seeks to protect oceans and beaches.

* * * *

Meanwhile, on the fashion front, we're pleased to highlight a beautiful series of Rebagz totes produced by a progressive company called Half the Sky Designs (R).

Rebagz makes handbags, totes, messenger bags and more in the Philippines from two types of recycled materials - woven juice packs (like the Nahui Ollin products we featured last year) and rice sacks.

The juice packs are cool, but since we'd seen that before, we were honestly most excited about the use of rice sacks. We love companies that figure out a way to take something that would ordinarily become trash and turn it into treasure.

Back on the question of durability, the rice sacks material seems incredibly tough -- after all, these rice sacks once had to safely hold 50-100 lbs worth of rice! You don't have to worry about spilling something on these bags either because you can just clean them with a damp sponge.

Build quality on the Rebagz Magnolia Clinchy Tote ($95) we sampled seems excellent, with super sturdy handles, solid stitching, smooth zippers and several nice pockets on the inside. We have every confidence that this bag would last one heck of a long time. Plus, the beautiful image on the outside is a surefire conversation starter.

The designs on the bags are so beautiful that we had a hard time choosing our favorite among the Magnolia, the Lion, Golden Fortune or the limited edition Stallion.

Just as beautiful is the fact that Half the Sky Designs says it is "committed to working only with people who are paid and treated fairly." Founder M

arty Stevens-Heebner personally visits the company's manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, where the company asserts that workers are paid "a really decent wage".

Where to buy:

Order the Envirosax of your choice from the company's website. Choose from bags in the Graphics Series ($8.50 each or a 5-pack for $37.95) or Organic Series ($24.95 each). Activate eco-thinking in young whippersnappers with the suitably silly (but still light and sturdy) Kids Series ($8.50).

You can order Rebagz directly through the company's own online store. You'll find bags made from artistic rice sacks in various categories including laptop carriers ($145), wallets ($45), runaway backpack ($75), messenger bags ($72) and cinchy totes ($95).

Prefer to try before you buy? Use the Store Locator to find a Rebagz retailer near you in the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica or Panama.

My Earth Too! Pajamas

2009-02-23T19:00:00.000-06:00

We spend a significant portion of our lives in bed.

(Some of us wish we could actually hibernate and spend months in bed, but that's another story...)

But even the sleep deprived among us spend a good chunk of each day between the sheets.

Hopefully those sheets are made from something eco-friendly like these JC Penney organic cotton sheets that we reviewed last year.

But even if your sheets are made from organic cotton, you don't really want to sleep in cotton pajamas made from crops that were treated with synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, do you?

We certainly don't. That's why we were so happy to find these cute 100% organic cotton sleepshirts and pajamas from My Earth Too! (on sale now for just $13-16 each). Since organic fashion is often priced for the affluent, we really appreciate the fact that My Earth Too! has made organic sleepwear that can fit within almost anyone's budget.

Apparently, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all My Earth Too! sleepwear gets donated to the Chuckie Goodnight Foundation For The Environment, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing environmental education for children and preserving green space.

Unfortunately, these organic PJs are currently available only in women's sizes and styles.

Men want organic sleepwear options too! We're hoping that My Earth Too! expands their offerings or that some other fashion companies will step into the breach so that we can drift off to the Land of Nod in organic comfort.

Where to buy:

You can find My Earth Too! sleepwear through Kohls.com and offline at select Kohl's locations in the West and Northeast.

Tidbits - Hilton Arc de Triomphe, Scandle, Earth Essentials Room Mists, Vespa S-50, Vectrix VX-1, Zipcar, Pizza Fusion, Preserve Gimme 5 and More!

2009-03-02T18:55:00.000-06:00

Here are some eco-friendly product and destination Tidbits that caught our eye this month:

Ah springtime in Paris! If you're visiting the City of Light, why not opt for an eco-friendly hotel. We've heard that the Hilton Arc de Triomphe is a leading participant in Hilton's We Care European Environmental Programme that emphasizes water efficiency, energy efficiency and waste reduction. The hotel may be functionally sensible, but it's also quite stylish. When we stayed at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe last September, we found that the hotel has a slinky, jazzy Art Deco feeling reminiscent of a 1930s ocean liner. If you're a member of Hilton's HHonor program (or if you've got the dough), try to swing an upgrade to the executive level where you'll have access to a super tasty morning-to-night buffet in the top-floor lounge. Kudos to the hotel for providing some relaxing green space via its lush, tropical and beautifully landscaped Andalusian courtyard.

Looking for clothing that's comfortable, stylish, classy and organic? Sounds like a tall order, but actually Stonewear Designs has you covered on all counts with its Spring 2009 collection. A member of the Organic Exchange (a nonprofit working to promote organic agriculture), Stonewear Designs offers a range of comfy and flattering tops and pants perfect for yoga, jogging or just lounging around the house. The Stonewear website doesn't have a separate section for organic clothes, but if you browse the site, you'll notice that several stylish items including the Twister Top and Echo Sleeveless Top contain 90% organic cotton content.

Like candles? Like body oil? Get the best of both worlds with The Scandle(R) Body Candle. As the candle melts, it produces a warm massage oil. It sounds a little painful, but actually feels quite relaxing. Scandle says all its candles are made with 100% natural ingredients like soy butter, shea butter, jojoba, vitmin E and essential oils. The 10-ounce candle ($24.95-$25.95 MSRP) comes packaged in a re-usable ceramic container. You can then purchase additional candles on their own at www.abodycandle.com and insert them into the container. The travel size 4-ounce candle ($12.95 MSRP) comes in a metal tin made from recycled materials. FYI, Scandle says its petroleum-free candles use a 100% cotton wick. Purchase Scandle online or search for a store near you.

It's nice to see eco-friendly products make their way further into mainstream stores. The most recent evidence of this trend: CVS has begun selling its own brand of Earth Essentials(TM) Aromatic Room Mists. Packaged in recyclable 7-ounce aluminum cans, the room mist uses a non-aerosol spray to disperse essential oils. The mist itself is apparently non-toxic, fully biodegradable and has not been tested on animals. The mists are available in CVS stores nationwide and at CVS.com for $3.99. Interestingly, I've been reading lately how essential oils have excellent antimicrobial properties, which suggests that using essential oils to freshen the air could kill nasty bacteria and viruses at the same time... (Here's another related story on the potent power of peppermint essential oil from Discovery.com...)

Did you shiver through last winter? Or are you looking for a way to lower your cooling bill this winter? Maybe more home insulation could save you money and make your home more eco-friendly by cutting down on the energy required to heat and cool your house. Johns Manville claims to be ahead of the curve in completely removing formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, from its fiberglass attic insulation. Johns Manville also says that it uses the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled glass (20% percent) among all fiberglass insulation makers. Click on the Where to Buy link on Johns Manville's homeowner website to find a contractor near you who carries Johns Manville insulation.

Alternative eco-friendly and chic transportation option #1 - The Vespa S-50 (MSRP $3,199). Introduced late last year, this scooter offers classic Italian styling, top speed of 39 mph and sips gasoline at 85-90 mpg. Available now at a Vespa Dealer near you.

Alternative eco-friendly and chic transportation option #2 - The 100% electric 2009 Vectrix VX-1 (MSRP $10,495). An update of the first Vectrix scooter introduced in late 2007, the 2009 VX-1 is highway-legal with a top speed of 62 mph and an approximate range of 35-55 miles. Since Vectrix scooters burn no gasoline, they're much better for the environment than vehicles with internal combustion engines. If the price seems a little steep, look out for the VX-2 (30 mph top speed, 40-50 mile range, MSRP $5,195) scheduled to arrive in Vectrix dealerships by this coming June.

Alternative eco-friendly transportation option #3 - Scooters aren't ideal for carrying huge loads (although they can manage in a pinch, apparently).
If you only need a car occasionally, why endure the enviromental waste and expense of owning your own vehicle when you can share a fleet of cars with a bunch of other folks in the same situation. That's the premise behind various car-sharing services including Zipcar, U Car Share, Mint (NYC only) and Connect by Hertz. Save money on parking, gasoline (generally included in the car-sharing hourly rates), insurance, maintenance and more while still having access to a car when you need it most.

Pizza Fusion is a chain of pizza restaurants with locations in 13 states using organic ingredients in its pizzas, delivering pizzas in hybrid vehicles, offsetting 100% of its energy use with renewable energy certificates, serving food in containers made from corn starch, providing utensils made from potatoes and generally adhering to a lengthy and extremely impressive list of environmentally-friendly practices. How about the taste? It generally gets good reviews on sites like Yelp, particularly from folks who like the vegan and gluten-free options.

Looking for a way to recycle #5 polypropylene plastic (used in many containers for yogurt, cottage cheese and other dairy products)? Many municipal recycling programs do not accept #5 plastics. That's why Preserve, Organic Valle y and Stonyfield Farm have teamed up with Whole Foods to let customers drop off #5 plastics in "Gimme 5" bins at a growing list of Whole Foods stores. Preserve then recycles the plastics into a wide array of kitchen and bath products -- some of which we have previously reviewed here on 1GreenProduct.com.

There are lots of hip (and often expensive) organic cotton shirts out there, but sometimes you just want a basic long-sleeve organic cotton t-shirt. For those occasions, Macys delivers in spades with its Field Gear Organic Long Sleeve Tee (MSRP $39.50, but we've seen the sale price fluctuate between $9.99 and $14.99). Given the sale price, we found the shirt is surprisingly comfy and well made. The cotton had a substantial, almost sueded feel and even a couple of grommets under the arms for ventilation.

Men looking for white organic cotton underwear have an option with the Calvin Klein Naturals collection available in boxer brief, trunk and classic brief styles. (Note - The underwear is technically available in black and willow colors too, but when we tried ordering some black briefs from Amazon.com, we received the white underwear by mistake. When we returned the product and tried again, we got the white underwear the second time too. That's why we think you can have any color you want, as long as it's white.)

Not satisfied with the expert eco-friendly reviews here at 1GreenProduct.com? You can get loads of reviews from consumers like yourself at Buzzillions.com, a site where verified purchasers write reviews about products they've bought. Buzzillions has lots of non eco-friendly products, of course, but they've also got sections on Energy Star products, products made with recycled materials (more than 300 reviews on the Keen Ventura Canvas shoe!) and organic products. Don't be surprised if a given product, like that popular Keen shoe mentioned above, shows up in more than one category. FYI, Buzzillions said they would monitor this blog and would be happy to get comments/feedback on how 1GreenProduct.com readers like their site. This is your soapbox! Feel free to speak out.

Should every business strive to be a Green business? In the sense that being Green means reducing waste and figuring out how to improve efficiency, the answer is probably Yes. If you're a small business owner looking for some practical ideas on making your business more eco-friendly in the hopes of saving some money, improving customer loyalty, boosting employee motivation and having a lighter impact on the planet, you might glean some useful information from Daniel Sitarz's new book, Greening Your Business. (FYI, publisher EarthPress says it prints on 100% recycled post-consumer waste paper using soy-based inks and offsets its carbon emissions with the purchase of wind-energy credits used to subsidize the construction of wind turbines on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.)

Japan Eco-Travel: Solar Shopping Mall, Electric Bikes and Oasis 21

2009-05-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

Solar panels cover an Aeon shopping mall in Yonago, Japan (photo by Aaron Dalton)

I recently returned from a few weeks in Japan.

Naturally, during my trip, I kept my eyes open for the latest and greatest eco-news to share with 1GreenProduct.com readers. Here's what I found:

1) At a remodeled Aeon shopping mall near the western city of Yonago, I found huge sections of exterior wall had been lined with solar panels. As a result, practically the entire building functioned as a solar collector. Other parts of the mall structure were covered in "living wall" type greenery. This eco-minded mall even had mini windmills perched on poles in the parking lot. The mall's remodeling had let in more natural light, allowing for a reduction in energy spent on artificial lighting.

'Testing' this electric bicycle meant sitting on it (photo by Aaron Dalton)

Meanwhile, I found an electric bike on display at the mall. Having never had a chance to actually ride one before, I hoped to be able to test it out. In one of those comical cases of misunderstanding that often occurs abroad, the salesperson assured me that I could indeed test the bike. But I soon found this meant only that I could sit on the bike as long as I remained still and did not pedal it anywhere. This didn't really end up being a very useful test of the bike's electric functionality.

America has giant shopping malls. America has a lot of parking lots. Surely we could be retrofitting some of our shopping centers with solar panels and windmills as Aeon has done in Yonago. All it takes is willpower and imagination.

Looking at the Nagoya skyline from the water-covered roof of Oasis 21
(photo by Emran Kassim)

2) In the city of Nagoya, I took a break from seeing castles and museums to visit Oasis 21. This transit center / park / shopping mall / futuristic spaceship-style structure located in the city's Sakae shopping district certainly makes an impression.

What makes it eco? Well, the roof of Oasis 21 consists of a very shallow oval pool of water. The water reflects heat, cooling the ground-level plaza and the open-air below-ground shopping center.

Even better, the roof also collects rain water, which it then uses to irrigate the plantings in the park below.

Plus, it makes for a pretty cool place for couples, families and businesspeople on a lunch break to come sit, contemplate the reflecting pool and gaze at the TV Tower and the rest of Nagoya's high-rise skyline.

I like Oasis 21's boldness. There are surely less expensive ways to collect rain water, but Oasis 21 places Green ideas on center stage in one of the city's trendiest districts, showing that eco can be sexy, eco can be dramatic and eco can be architecturally beautiful.

New Tokyo Metro line with protective clear walls between platform and tracks
(photo by Aaron Dalton)

3) I won't dwell much on the differences between Tokyo's mass transit systems and the subway system that I endure in my hometown of New York City. To think too much on the topic would probably reduce me to tears.

In brief, the Tokyo metro is clean, modern, unoffensive, safe, smooth and quiet.

The New York subway is none of those things.

But what I really would like to draw attention to in this adjacent photograph is the fact that some of the newer Tokyo metro stations have walls of glass or plexiglass (not sure of the exact material) separating the platform from the tracks. When the train arrives, the doors of car line up with sliding doors in the glass walls and both open simultaneously, allowing passengers to exit and board the trains.

As a result, I believe that it is practically impossible to be pushed in front of a train in the Tokyo Metro.

In New York, on the other hand, the narrow and crowded platforms present a definite hazard, particularly during rush hour when a few inches or a shove from behind is all that separates a passenger from the fetid tracks and injury or death beneath an onrushing train.

Given the general state of dilapidation and disrepair in the NY subway, it seems highly unlikely that protective glass doors like these will be installed anytime soon. This is a sad commentary on the extent to which America has fallen behind in mass transit best practices in comparison not only with Japan, but with other countries like France where such systems are being installed.

The Muji e-bike (photo by Aaron Dalton)

4) Finally, not quite satisfied with my brief test of the e-bike back in Yonago, I found an opportunity to rent an electric bike in Tokyo at a Muji store.

For around $15 and a deposit, I had the e-bike for the entire day. This was my first time ever using an electric-assist bike and frankly it was amazingly fun.

The bike was electric-assist - meaning that it would not move unless the rider pedaled. But pedaling up even the steepest hills was no problem with the electric motor on maximum assist. On flatter terrain, I left the electric assist on low or medium settings in order to stretch out the battery life.

Riding the Muji e-bike through Tokyo during cherry blossom season

Using an e-bike feels like someone is giving you a gentle push from behind, like when you were first learning to ride a bicycle. The freedom and speed that an e-bike provides is exhilarating, almost giddy.

At the same time, you do still get some exercise pedaling an e-bike around town for a few hours. But what would have been exhausting without electric assist was merely a nice bit of exercise with the motor providing support.

Incidentally, in Tokyo, bicyclists are allowed to use the sidewalks. This made for some extremely interesting close-quarters maneuvering when the office crowds emerged for the lunchtime rush.

(Oh, another cool thing about the Muji e-bike, which apparently is true of all sorts of bikes sold in Japan, is that it has an integrated lock built right into the bike. Turn and take the key with you when you dismount and a bolt shoots through the wheel, making it impossible for anyone to pedal off with your bike. As a result, no one has to carry around a chain or even a lock to secure their bike to a post or tree. Very convenient and easy. Would love to see this feature on bikes sold in the U.S.! Perhaps it is available here already on some models?)

The Muji bike retailed for approximately $800. Unfortunately, Muji stores in the States don't seem to carry the e-bike, but you can find various electric bikes if you shop around on the Internet or perhaps at your local bike shop.

Amazon sells some e-bikes for reasonable prices, but the $372 eZip Trailz bike appears to use an old-fashioned sealed lead acid battery, whereas newer e-bikes are using lighter and slimmer lithium ion batteries. The Ohm e-bike looks pretty cool, but apparently goes for around $2000.

Based on my experience in Tokyo, I believe that an e-bike could be a real commuting option for people who live fairly close to work (say within 10 miles) and have a relatively safe biking route available. Given the importance of having a comfortable, safe and enjoyable ride, you might want to go to a local bike shop and try out a couple e-bike models in person. If your shop doesn't carry an e-bikes yet, encourage the owner to start bringing e-bikes to the market.

I'm a believer. I think once people get a chance to try out an e-bike, they'll be hooked.

Heys USA Eco-Case Luggage

2009-05-15T16:40:00.000-05:00

The Green product world is a strange place.

In certain categories such as clothing, cosmetics and cookware, consumers have a vast array of eco-friendly choices.

But in other categories, it's nigh impossible to find a single Green option.

We used to think that luggage fell into this second category, until we discovered the Heys USA Eco-Case made from 100% recycled plastic.

Introduced in 2008, the Eco-Case comes in three sizes - 28-inch, 24-inch and 19-inch.

It's also available in at least six colors including black, bronze, pink, red, silver and turqouise.

The turqouise 19-inch sample case we received for testing was so adorable we practically wanted to pick it up and hug it. Had we given in to the temptation, the suitcase probably would have felt at least somewhat huggable thanks to its new ABS plastic formulation that Heys says gives the hard-sided case the flexibility of a rubber band. We think the rubber band metaphor is stretching things a bit - pun intended. You won't be stretching the Eco-Case across the room, but it does seem to have measurably more flex than a standard hard-sided case.

We're mystified about why Heys even bothers to offer a 7-year warranty if it's going to exclude both normal wear and tear and any damage that airline baggage handlers might cause. What does the warranty cover then? Maybe if the Eco-Case spontaneously falls apart in the your storage closet, you can county on the warranty, but otherwise it seems like window dressing.

On the other hand, we don't imagine we'll need to test the warranty anytime soon, because the Heys Eco-Case seems like one tough cookie. Four 360-degree spinner wheels from Japan give the case lovely manuveurability, the locking telescoping push-button handle seems rock-solid and all the zippers, lining and other hardware looks and feels top-notch.

Basically, the Eco-Case has the style and substance of a premium piece of serious luggage - with the added Green advantage of being made from recycled plastic.

Heys says the Eco-Case is also 100% recyclable, but we're not clear on how exactly to bring the materials back into the recycling stream. Presumably you can't just leave the Eco-Case on the curb with your milk cartons and soda cans.

Where to buy:

A wide variety of e-tailers carry the Heys USA Eco-Case, including Amazon.com ($440 for 3-piece set), eBags.com ($450 for 3-piece set), Luggage.com ($449.99 for 3-piece set) and others.

The Natural Dentist

2009-05-17T16:38:00.000-05:00

Lots of toothpastes include an ingredient called SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) to help clean your teeth. But did you know that in higher concentrations, SLS is also used to degrease engines and clean floors, according to Wikipedia.

Toothpastes from The Natural Dentist are SLS-free. They're also free of alcohol, artificial dyes, sweeteners and preservatives.

Because really, why should your toothpaste or mouthwash be bright green or bright blue? That's just not natural!

Even though I'm approaching my mid-30s, I still got a kick out of The Natural Dentist's Sparkle Berry Blast flavor toothpaste. The toothpaste relies on minerals (silica and mica) for its cleaning and sparkling power. It does have sodium fluoride to prevent cavities, plus it also has such natural goodies as aloe vera gel, lycopene and grapefruit seed extract.

Technically, Sparkle Berry Blast is supposed to be for kids. And it does kind of taste like you're brushing your teeth with liquid candy. But I'm totally OK with that.

For adults with a slightly less sweet tooth, The Natural Dentist also makes grown-up flavors like Peppermint Twist and Orange Zest. The Peppermint Twist one is supposed to also whiten your teeth (using the silica to remove surface stains). Personally, I've yet to find a toothpaste that does a great job whitening your teeth. For a true teeth cleaning/whitening, I think you need to visit a dentist, but I guess every little bit helps if your toothpaste can help you maintain whiteness between cleanings.

I also enjoy The Natural Dentist's Pre-Brush Whitening Antigingivitis rinse. Unlike many other mouthwashes and rinses, The Natural Dentist's rinse contains no alcohol, so you won't get that "My mouth is on fire!" feeling. Instead, The Natural Dentist relies on Peppermint and Sage Oils to conquer bad breath. Oh and the rinse's whitening power supposedly comes from powdered bamboo. And since 1GreenProduct.com is a hearty fan of bamboo, that's another point in The Natural Dentist's favor.

Where to buy:

Purchase multipacks of Natural Dentist products at Amazon.com.

Alternatively, find a broad list of online and offline retailers at The Natural Dentist's own website.

Update: My source at Natural Dentist tells methat prices for all Natural Dentist mouth rinses have recently been reduced 30% from $9.99 to $6.99 for a 16-ounce bottle.

Even better, by visiting The Natural Dentist website, you can download a coupon for $1.50 off any product.

KOR ONE Hydration Vessel

2009-01-29T16:36:00.000-06:00

Disposable, throwaway plastic bottles filled with water may be terrible for the environment, but we have to admit that the concept of carrying around water or some other nice potable liquid to stay hydrated actually makes quite a bit of sense.

That's why we're so keen on the KOR ONE Hydration Vessel ($29.95) - a slightly grandiose name for a beautifully designed reusable, portable 750-milliliter bottle.

Made from a new type of plastic called Tritan(TM), the KOR ONE claims to offer greater stability and durability than older generation polycarbonate refillable plastic bottles. Created by the Eastman company, Tritan can also supposedly withstand warm, humid environments better than its predecessors - a trait that allows users to place their KOR ONE in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

(KOR does not come with an instruction booklet, just a little strip of plastic placed around the bottle with information on proper care and usage. We applaud KOR for not printing up a whole information booklet, but we do wish that the info strip was made of paper - preferably recycled paper - rather than #5 plastic. In any case, one of the bullet points on this informative paper strip points out that KOR should only be washed on the top rack of a dishwasher. Given the 11-inch-plus height of the KOR bottle and the fact that the rack of our beneath-the-sink dishwasher is miniscule, we're resigned to washing the Hydration Vessel by hand. Perhaps that's for the best though, since another point on the information strip tells me that handwashing is recommended.)

Beyond the strength/durability/clarity properties of Tritan, KOR really wants to play up the fact that the Hydration Vessel contains no BPA (bisphenol A), a chemical recently designated a "toxic substance" by Canada and placed on a blacklist by Wal-Mart and other retailers. In September, the Washington Post ran a scary story about BPA being linked to mood disorders and brain function problems in monkeys. While some plastic bottle manufacturers have had to scramble to remove BPA from their formulas, KOR ONE can state that its bottles have been BPA-free from the beginning. (Of course, the tradeoff with using a new plastic is that the Tritan formula may itself have risks that are only discovered years in the future...)

KOR has a nice webpage explaining the eco-benefits of switching from disposable plastic bottles to a reusable bottle like the KOR ONE.

KOR apparently made the decision to manufacture its bottles in North America, both to cut down on the environmental costs of shipping the bottles and in order to work with an ISO-14000 certified factory adhering to strict environmental guidelines. (Update - We had originally reported that KOR ONE was made in the States. Apparently it's actually manufactured in Monterrey, Mexico. Apologies for the error.)

Frankly, we're darn proud of the fact that the KOR ONE Hydration Vessel was designed in the States. The pictures don't convey the full beauty of the KOR ONE bottle, but they give some idea of its sculptural qualities. The bottle's beauty may seem a little frivolous at first, but you realize that it makes sense. KOR wants reusable water bottles to seem stylish and sexy - much more appealing than a boring old disposable bottle. That's why KOR ONE fit in perfectly at a NY fashion show.

We dig the details like the rubber base that lets us plant the bottle securely on a table or countertop. The RKS Design team apparently intended to evoke a glacier - pure water surrounded by ice - with their blue-and-white design. But for us, the KOR ONE simply looks sleek, space-age, sculptural and dramatic. The white edges act as a framing device, while simultaneously serving a protective function and providing an integrated carrying handle.

This bottle deserves to win design awards.

Our only concern? Maybe it's so good-looking that people will be reluctant to use it in the real world where it might get scratched or even swiped...

Where to buy:

Order your KOR ONE ($29.95) online today through the company's own website.

You can also find the KOR ONE (for 5 cents less) through Amazon.com.

Embrace Only Love

2009-01-15T16:34:00.000-06:00

Actions based in love result in love.

That's the heartwarming message behind the new Embrace Only Love eco-friendly clothing line.

Embrace Only Love makes its graphic t-shirts and hoodies out of materials such as hemp, bamboo and organic cotton -- and does a nice job explaining the eco-benefits of each type of fabric.

Founder Kheng Chow got the idea to start Embrace Only Love after completing a ten-day silent meditation course, so it's no surprise she's decided to donate 7% of all profits toward helping others attend free Vipassana meditation courses.

We had a chance to review two products first-hand. The men's organic cotton t-shirt is light and comfy, well-made and nicely fitted. We liked the design and the "Find Your Center" message ($26.90). (Would our center be our belly button?)

We also had a chance to check out a women's limited-edition "Attain Peace Through Balance" long-sleeve hooded t-shirt made from ecoKashmere - 70% Bamboo, 25% Organic Cotton and 5% Lycra ($36.90). The shirt really is nice and versatile - light, warm, stylish, durable, machine-washable and so forth. (Frankly, we'd prefer not to see any of the synthetic lycra in the product. Sure, it adds a bit of sexy clinginess and helps the garment keep its shape, but we'd rather have an all-natural shirt...)

The hemp t-shirts - like this "Respect Your Place in Nature" version - are made of a 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton blend. We didn't get a chance to try one of these in person, but based on our experience with a similar mix of fabrics in a Royal Robbins shirt, we're confident that the hemp and organic cotton blend will deliver a nice mix of strength (hemp) and softness (organic cotton).

One thing that's interesting about Embrace Only Love is that the company tries to make its sourcing a bit transparent. So you can learn on the website that the hemp/organic cotton t-shirts are supplied by Hemp Traders. The ecoKashmere(R) products (not just the women's hoodies, but also the men's long-sleeve t-shirts) come from Jonano. Continental Clothing Company makes organic cotton t-shirts for men and women.

We're not sure if the transparency is good for Embrace Only Love's brand strength, but we like the fact that the company has apparently partnered with some really nice ethical and high-quality suppliers.

Of course, the suppliers only provide the 'canvas'. Embrace Only Love comes up with the designs and the messages, and then turns to Spreadshirt.com to hand-print its shirts using water-based inks.

Where to buy:

Order your clothing directly through Embrace Only Love's website. Since fabric content varies for each item of clothing, be sure to check carefully to make sure you're getting organic cotton, bamboo, hemp or whatever else you want. Be aware that the totes do not seem to be made from organic material.

Sylvania Living Spaces CFL bulbs + DOT it LED lights

2009-05-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of CFL bulbs.

How can you not like a product that uses 1/4 of the electricity of incandescent bulbs to cast the same amount of light? Using less energy not only saves money, it also reduces the demand on the electrical grid and lessens the urgency of building new power plants.

Add in the fact that CFL bulbs are rated to last around 12-times longer than incandescents (approximately 12,000 hours for CFLs versus 1,000 hours for incandescents) and the argument in favor of CFLs becomes even stronger.

Many hotel chains and stores have recognized the benefits of CFLs and made the switch. So why are some consumers holding back?

1) Price. CFL bulbs used to be much more expensive than incandescents, but prices have been falling. CFLs will still cost more at the register, but when you factor in replacement costs and energy savings, CFLs definitely make sense from a pocketbook perspective.

2) Mercury. This is a valid point. Mercury is an extremely hazardous substance and CFLs do contain mercury while incandescents don't. On the other hand, CFL manufacturers have been working hard to reduce the amount of mercury in their bulbs. Last year, we covered the Sylvania Micro-Mini Twist, which contains just 1.5 milligrams of mercury. For comparison sake, we linked to Gaiam, which pointed out that the old mercury thermometers many of us used to use in our homes contained 500 milligrams of mercury. Still, you do need to be careful if a bulb should happen to break (PDF) and you can't just dispose of the bulbs by throwing them in the trash when they do eventually wear out. You wouldn't want that mercury to leak into a landfill. Fortunately, many major retailers have programs to accept old CFL bulbs free of charge for proper disposal.

(Here's some more info from TreeHugger and the US EPA on what to do if a mercury-containing CFL bulb breaks in your home.)

3) Light quality. This is the big one for many people and it's one with which I can sympathize. CFL bulbs have been belittled for having an unpleasantly cold or bluish light. Personally, I think these concerns have been a bit overblown too, but if you've been worried that CFLs will plunge you into depression, fear no more. Sylvania has recently come out with a new series of Living Spaces(TM) CFL bulbs that provide what Sylvania (accurately) calls "Cozy, Comfortable Lighting(TM)".

Honestly, I didn't realize that my old CFL bulbs were not cozy or comfortable, but when I swapped in the new Living Spaces 23-watt bulbs (slightly fewer lumens than a 100-watt incandescent), I immediately noticed the difference.

Frankly, the new bulb did perk up my demeanor and make me want to skip around the apartment a little. Yep, it was like having a cheerful petit ball of sunshine in my home.

I also liked the fact that the packaging is made of 100% recyclable paperboard.

By the way, in case you're wondering how Sylvania gets such a warm light from its CFL bulbs, the company attributes the difference to "enhanced phosphors".

Note that these new Living Spaces bulbs still have the small dimensions of the Micro-Mini Twist. They also still contain less than 1.5 milligrams of mercury each, according to Sylvania.

Caveat - Sylvania warns that these bulbs are not designed to be used in dimmable lamps, but if you have a lamp with a dimmer, Sylvania has introduced a new line of Mini Twist Dimmable bulbs.

FYI, Sylvania doesn't just make CFL bulbs. In fact, the company has taken the exciting step of introducing a number of LED-powered lighting solutions. Since LEDs are even more efficient than CFLs (i.e. use less power to produce an equivalent amount of lumens), this is an exciting step.

LED bulbs are still rather expensive, but we had a chance to test two Sylvania LED products - the DOT-it(R) Solar and the DOT-it Linear Swivel.

As the name suggests, the DOT-it Solar is solar-powered. Sylvania has very cleverly designed the light with a suction cup so you can stick it your window where the solar-panel will suck up plenty of power to help the 3 LEDs shine for a long time.

The DOT-it Linear Swivel runs on batteries (three AAAs) and can be mounted in numerous ways (velcro, magnetic, adhesive) under a cabinet, in a garage or anywhere else you might need some really bright, tightly-focused light. And here's an idea: you can use rechargeable AAA batteries to reduce landfill waste and make your lighting even more efficient!

These DOT-it products seem like a nice option if you need a bit of extra light someplace and want an efficient solution that doesn't involve any wiring.

Incidentally, the DOT-it Linear Swivel features a very cool on-off mechanism where you lightly run your finger over a "touch sensor" to control the light. Not exactly sure how that works, but it is (as they say in California, "hella cool").

Also, a slight warning about the power of these LEDs: Don't look directly into the light. The DOT-it Swivel is meant to shine down onto a countertop or workspace, but while testing it, I had it pointed up so I could examine it more closely. I accidentally looked at the light saw spots for a while afterwards. Conclusion - these puppies are bright.

Where to buy:

Shop the Sylvania online store for a full selection of DOT-it lights including the DOT-it Solar ($14.99) and the DOT-it Linear Swivel ($9.99).

Sylvania says the Living Spaces bulbs are available at Lowe's ($13-15 for 2-pack), but we were unable to find them in Lowe's online store. Call your local Lowe's store to see if they bulbs are in stock.

You can also find many Sylvania DOT-it products (complete with customer reviews) at Amazon.com.

Pangea Organics Body Care

2009-06-24T16:25:00.000-05:00

The Product:

Pangea Organics body care products (prices vary from $8 for bar soap to $40 for facial mask)

The Promise:

No petrochemicals, sulfates, detergents, synthetic preservatives, artificial colors/fragrances or GMOs.

Organic, fair trade (whenever possible), cruelty-free

Molded fiber packaging made from 100% post-consumer newsprint without glues or dyes. Packaging has been impregnated with seeds from the same plants found in Pangea Organics products.

A 100% wind-powered facility where the carpets are made from recycled soda bottles, the paint is non-VOC and the workers are paid a living wage.

The Reality:

We believe that the USDA only provides organic certification for food ingredients, so it would be nice if Pangea provided some information on how it knows its ingredients are organic. We've seen other cosmetics brands - particularly European ones - that contain the logo of one or more organic certification authorities, but Pangea seems to have foregone this step.

Other than that, the product and packaging seem to match the descriptions on the website and press materials.

The Experience:

The organic essential oils (sage and geranium in massage oil; blood orange, lavender and and Egyptian calendula) in Pangea products give them a truly heavenly scent.

We thoroughly liked all the Pangea cleansing products that we tried. The facial cleanser seemed to do an especially nice job on our 'problem' skin ($28), which perhaps explains why the cleanser won a Redbook MVP Beauty Award.

And cinnamon-lovers will be over the moon about the Malagasy Cinnamon Cassia with Cloves bar soap ($8). Incidentally, the soap not only smells great, but it looks like a work of art.

Inside the seeded boxes, Pangea packages all its products either in glass or #2 HDPE plastic, both of which are very recyclable. The caps on the shower gels and lotions are apparently also recyclable.

As for the seeded boxes, they all contain sweet basil seeds except for the bar soap, which has the seed of a spruce tree.

We love the idea of 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, especially when it comes with a bonus of free plant seeds! Not only does Pangea packaging reduce trash, it actually promotes plant life!

The packaging is so innovative that we almost feel silly complaining, but as advocate for eco-minded consumers everywhere, we wish that Pangea had put different types of seeds with different product boxes. If you buy six different Pangea products, you get six boxes impregnated with basil seeds. How about some oregano? Maybe a little rosemary?

(Also, it's not immediately clear from the boxes that you need to remove the label - which does appear to be held onto the box with a bit of glue - in order to access the full planting instructions.)

These are small quibbles. On the whole, Pangea seems to have a large number of laudable eco-friendly practices in place and to be producing some very nice skin and bodyare products.

Where to buy:

Shop online at Pangea's own website or through other e-tailers like Amazon.com.

Prefer to try before you buy? Use the Pangea Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

Vizio VO320E 32-inch LCD HDTV with Eco HD Performance

2009-07-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

Vizio's energy-efficient VO320E 32-inch LCD TV

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I'd like to elaborate on a theme I raised a couple of weeks ago regarding the amazing advances in technology.

Free enterprise and capitalist competition sometimes (deservedly) get a bad rap for encouraging greed and gluttony, but the flip side is that this same competition is spurring firms to develop better products with a small physical and environmental footprint.

Last month, I talked about this phenomenon in the desktop PC market where my new Compaq CQ2009F computer uses approximately 70% less energy than the seven-year old machine it replaced, weighs 70% less (fewer raw material inputs), takes up less space and costs approximately 70% less than the previous machine.

The same forces are at work in other technology markets, including of course the television market. When my bought my last TV (again about seven years ago), I think the only two options were CRT tubes and projection televisions. Both types of sets were large, bulky and heavy. I bought a 20-inch Sony TV on 86th Street in Manhattan, found that the box was too big to fit into the trunk or backseat of a taxi cab and nearly gave myself a hernia trying to carry the box 8 or 9 blocks to my apartment. The TV weighed nearly 70 lbs.

I'm a value shopper. Last month, I finally decided that prices had fallen far enough that I could justify upgrading to a widescreen 32-inch LCD TV. (I knew that plasma televisions have a reputation as energy hogs, so I didn't even consider a plasma set. Plenty of other consumers are apparently making the same decision and most manufacturers have already exited the plasma TV market or announced plans to do so.)

Vizio's energy-efficient VO320E 32-inch LCD TV

After loads of research (much of it conducted with the help of the shopping website dealnews.com), I settled on the Vizio VO320E 32-inch LCD TDTV with Eco HD Performance. What drove my decision:

1) Performance - I had seen Vizio TVs in plenty of hotel rooms and figured that the sets must be at least somewhat durable for hotels to install them in rooms where they would get heavy usage. The technical specs (primarily contrast ratio, brightness, pixel response time and viewing angles) all looked pretty good.

2) Reputation - Other Vizio TVs had generally good reviews - or at least no worse reviews than many of the other brands in the market. Vizio also rose from obscurity to become the #1 selling brand of flat-panel HDTVs in North America in just a couple of years. I figured the company must be doing something right to see that kind of growth.

3) Price - Purchasing the TV through Dell's website and using some coupon codes highlighted by dealnews.com, I was able to buy the TV for under $400 (including tax and free shipping). That seemed like an excellent price for a 32-inch LCD TV with the specs and reputation of this Vizio.

4) Eco Factors - The Vizio VO320E is branded as an "Eco HD" television. Vizio's website says taht the VO320E consumes less energy than traditional HDTVs and exceeds current Energy Star Guidelines by at least 15%. The tech specs declare that the VO320E should use an average of 84.5 watts when operational and just 0.33 watts in stand-by mode. For the sake of comparison, I checked the posted specs for a variety of other 32-inch TVs:

Sony's 32-inch Bravia L Series TV (KDL-32L5000) - 99.3 watts, $549.99 via Amazon
Panasonic's 32-inch VIERA X1 Series (TC-L32X1) - 120 watts, $484.95 via B&H Photo
Sharp Aquos 32-inch LC32D44U - 135 watts, $499 via Amazon

Now I did not have a chance to verify power consumption on all these other TVs with my handy Kill-a-Watt meter, but I did test the Vizio VO320E and found that it came pretty close to its claimed power consumption, generally drawing around 86 or 87 watts of electricity when in use. Watching analog or digital channels did not seem to make any difference in terms of power consumption.

I also liked the fact that the Vizio VO320E was lighter than many of the other 32-inch TVs I considered. The 32-inch Sony Bravia, for example, weighs approximately 28 lbs when mounted on its base pedestal. For comparison, the VO320E on its stand weighs just 22.5 lbs - nearly 20% less. Less weight equals less raw materials, which should generally mean a smaller environmental footprint. (Note that this calculation is really just educated guesswork since Company A could theoretically extract more raw materials and produce more plastic in a more eco-friendly manner than Company B, but in the absence of details on extraction and production methods, weight seems like a reasonable factor to consider when calculating the environmental impact of household machines.

Conclusions:

Unfortunately, I no longer have the receipt for my old 20-inch CRT TV, but I'm fairly confident that the TV cost somewhere north of $500 when I purchased it back in late 2001 or early 2002. That makes the Vizio at least 20% less expensive for a television that weighs almost 70% less, is almost 80% thinner and provides a screen more than twice as large (as calculated by square centimeters) compared to the old TV. That certainly sounds like remarkable progress.

LCD manufacturers are making remarkable strides in terms of power consumption. As measured in my original Kill-a-Watt review last year, the 20-inch Sony CRT required approximately 70-watts of power consumption. The new Vizio delivers a much brighter, clearer and more than twice as large image with only 25% more power. And the amount of electricity needed to power a flat-panel TV will surely fall further if history is any guide. Consider Vizio's VX32L LCD HDTV launched in 2007. That earlier generation Vizio LCD TV weighed 32 lbs (42% more than the VO320E) and had an average 180-watt power consumption! Take a minute to consider that fact - in just two years, Vizio lowered the power consumption on its 32-inch LCD TV sets more than 50%. If the trend continues, the latest generation 32-inch sets sold in 2011 will need only around 40 watts of power. A 2013 LCD TV will need only 20 watts of power and so forth. If we can achieve similar reductions in the energy needs of other household appliances, imagine the cumulative effect on the energy needs of the our nation and other nations around the world.

On the other hand...

It's great to highlight the latest and most energy-efficient appliances and electronics, but do better/smaller gadgets solve our environmental problems or contribute to them? Consider that nothing was truly wrong with my old Sony CRT TV. The television still worked fine. In an age where television technology had stagnated, I (and millions of other consumers) would probably have kept our CRT televisions for another 10 or 20 years. My parents kept televisions for decades. The calculation is complicated by the fact that my new TV may be more efficient than my old TV (it certainly uses less energy than a 32-inch CRT), but in absolute terms it actually increased my energy consumption a little bit.

To extrapolate on this last point, Good Clean Tech recently ran a story about a French report suggesting that any efficiency gains in electronics have been outweighed by skyrocketing demand. The argument goes something like this - each new PC may be more energy efficient, but if falling prices and increasing functionality prompt a family to upgrade from one family computer to four computers (one for each famly member), energy usage will actually go up.

How can consumers who are concerned about the environment deal with this challenge? It sounds obvious, but I think all of us simply need to consider the environmental impact of each purchase decision. Are you purchasing a new television because it will significantly enhance your quality of life or simply because you want the latest toy? Manufacturers are experts at stoking consumer wants and getting us excited about the latest bells-and-whistles on their gadgets. But is it worth going into debt or stressing the environment simply to keep up with the Gateses?

In our household, we watch a lot of movies on DVD and the new TV has made a huge improvement in this entertainment experience for only a small increase in energy usage. It's slim size has also made our one-bedroom NYC apartment seem a lot more spacious. So it's had a major impact on our lives, but I can't see upgrading to a larger or slimmer TV anytime soon unless the manufacturers had made another major improvement in energy efficiency - saying reducing the energy usage to just 20 watts without losing performance. (Of course, if efficiency improvements continue apace, we could reach that point in just another few years.)

Ultimately, I believe most people do want to reduce our impact on the environment. Simply by taking the time to consider environmental factors like energy consumption in our purchase decisions we can perhaps accelerate the move toward greater energy efficiency and lower overall energy usage.

Final thoughts - I haven't spent much time talking specifically about the Vizio VO320E's performance in this rather long review, but overall I'm extremely pleased. The picture is bright and beautiful - especially on digital HD channels. The menus are easy to use and the TV's scan feature found us several channels we could not access before. I only have three quibbles:

1. The remote control started acting very wacky on the first day of usage. Essentially, it started communicating with my stereo (turning it on and off) and refusing to communicate with the TV. After 10 nerve-wracking minutes, I finally managed to get the TV and remote talking to each other again. I'm still not sure what went wrong, so I'm a bit anxious at the thought it might happen again.

2. The VO320E lacks a headphone jack. As mentioned, I share a one-bedroom apartment and office with my spouse. Sometimes one of us wants to watch TV while the other works. Our old TV made this easy with a headphone jack right on the front panel. The Vizio VO320E has no headphone jack. Apparently, Vizio's consumer research indicates that most people don't want this feature and don't care about it, so Vizio eliminated it to save money. I do appreciate the good value of the Vizio set, but found the headset jack's absence extremely annoying. Ultimately, I was able to find a cable (RCA input to female headphone jack) at J&R that allowed me to connect the headphones, but encountered another problem when the volume controls on the TV had no impact on the uncomfortably loud sound coming through the headset. Fortunately, I had a backup pair of headphones with an in-line volume control on the headset wire. With this ad-hoc setup, we are able to watch TV and use the headphones, but it isn't very customer friendly.

3) The third quibble is the most annoying for me. Most television manufacturers insist upon putting obnoxiously large and prominent versions of their logo and name on the front of their television sets. Personally, I can't imagine why they think that viewers want to be distracted from their shows by obtrusive set logos. I'd prefer a tiny logo/name in the same color as the rest of the set. In any case, Vizio has outdone their competitors in the Logo Distraction wars by making their logo glow - orange when the set is off and white when the TV is on. I have to admit that the soft orange glow doesn't really bother me when the set is off. It wastes a little bit of power (which is annoying from an eco perspective), but I guess it also helps keep me from bumping into the set if I get out of bed in the middle of the night. On the other hand, having a glowing white logo below an active screen seems just totally idiotic.

I'm not the only one bothered by the glowing logo. Plenty of other online reviewers have complained and message boards are filled with Vizio owners asking if there's any way to turn off the glowing logo. (Apparently there isn't.)

In any case, there is an easy way to solve the problem - just go out to Staples or whichever office supply shop you like and buy some black card stock paper. Cut a little rectangle just large enough to completely cover the Vizio logo and tape it to the frame of the TV. If you pick your card stock carefully, the paper will be unobtrusive by day and invisible when watching the TV in a dark room. Again, this problem was not insurmountable, but forcing the customer to come up with an inventive solution to a unnecessary problem is just stupid from a design standpoint. At the very least, Vizio should give consumers a menu option to turn off the glowing logo. (I'd make the 'off' setting into the default option, but that's just me...)

Would I recommend the Vizio VO320E to a friend?

Yes. I still think this is a great TV for the price with nice eco-friendly qualities and efficiencies. I'd like to see Vizio address some of the flaws listed above, but in the meantime I've got plenty of leftover black card stock if you need it.

Where to buy:

Vizio's website directs shoppers to Walmart.com where the VO320E is on sale for $398.

ecosource Home and Garden

2009-01-08T15:01:00.000-06:00

According to its founders, ecosource Home and Garden aims to make products that are:

cheap
fun to buy
don't feel like a sacrifice
better for the planet

Looks like ecosource hit all the bases with its new line of grēnware(TM) tableware, bowls and plates made primarily with plant cellulose - mostly rice hulls and coconut fiber. Instead of using artificial dyes or paints, grēnware simply offers the natural earth tones of the plants from which it was made.

What you end up with is one of the coolest collections of Green kitchen products that we've seen thus far. On one hand, grēnware is pretty tough. We like the samples too much to drop them from a great height, but we experimented dropping them from 1-2 feet into the sink and onto the countertop. Not a scratch.

In fact, any guests who didn't know the grēnware secret might think that your plates and dishes were made out of yucky plastic.

The dark Cocoa colored plates in particular almost have the lightness and smoothness of old-fashioned melamine...only without all the associated toxicity. The lighter Natural colored plates and bowls definitely seem a little rougher and more obviously "eco". Personally we like both styles - Cocoa is dressier and fancier, Natural seems better suited for breakfasts or casual meals.

ecosource doesn't call grēnware shatterproof, but it's certainly sturdy enough that I agree with the company's suggestion to use grēnware outdoors at pool parties or picnics. If your grēnware does chip or break at a picnic, you don't even really have to worry about picking up the pieces -- ecosource says that grēnware is designed to biodegrade in as little as four months. (Again, we didn't have a chance to test this claim, but if any readers want to plant a bowl in their backyard and leave us a comment in May, we'll definitely post it!)

You can't put grēnware in the microwave or the oven, but ecosource does say that the product is dishwasher-safe. We tested this claim and found that grēnware came through the dishwasher just fine -- although ecosource does say that regular dishwasher use may shorten the product's intended five-year lifespan. (The company therefore recommends handwashing.)

We're sort of head-over-heels this product, but that doesn't mean that we're blindfolded to any potential faults. We'll start with the little stuff -

1) Change the label! Our grēnware tableware samples came with a little barcoded sticker on the bottom that proved almost impossible to remove without leaving behind a sticky, gluey mess. Surely it must be possible to use an easier-to-remove label that still sticks when it needs to? We felt super-guilty at using so much water just trying to get off all that glue residue.

2) Made in China. We generally prefer to buy U.S. products both to support local industry and to avoid the environmental transport costs of importing something from literally halfway around the world. On the other hand, perhaps China has more of the raw materials (rice hulls certainly, not sure about the coconut fibers) than we do, and so therefore perhaps it really does make sense to make grēnware over there...

3) Replace the tableware every five years? This is really our only misgiving - the flip-side of designing a product that decomposes easily is that it probably won't be the most durable thing ever. ecosource notes that you don't need to feel guilty about throwing grēnware away since the product decomposes so quickly, but it still seems a little profligate to buy new place settings twice every decade. We've had the same set of post-collegiate dishes for nearly a decade with plans to keep using them until they get chipped into oblivion. Of course, accidents and rough handling do eventually damage most dishes to the point where you need to get a new set, but we still think that most conventional dishes will last longer than grēnware - unless you're a real klutz.

In summary, if you're looking for some versatile, eco-friendly and beautiful tableware, grēnware rules. If you crave variety in your life and like to change your place settings every 3-5 years, grēnware could be just the ticket.

If on the other hand, you believe the most eco-friendly choice is to buy one set of plates that will last for eons, then you may want to give grēnware a pass.

But even so, definitely take a look at some of the other ecosource products, particularly greenPots - strong, incredibly lightweight planters and pots pre-drilled for drainage. Made from grain byproducts (rice hulls again), ecosource says that these weather-resistant pots contain neither wood nor petroleum, deplete no natural resources and can decompose or be composted at the end of their useful lives.

We don't have a ton of gardening experience, but from what we do know, many pots won't survive all that long outdoors anyway, particularly if they get knocked over by high winds or rampaging squirrels. It's nice to know that when your planter gets cracked, you can simply bury the pieces and that they'll harmlessly go back to the earth. Or if you've been nurturing a plant indoors and are ready to plant it in the ground, you could just break up the pot (to free the roots) and then put the whole shebang in the hole.

Pretty awesome.

Where to buy:

Use the ecosource website to find a retailer near you. (The list is ordered alphabetically within each state, but we'd love to see a tool that would let you search by zip code and then map out the closest retailers. Just a suggestion...) Unfortunately, at this time, it does not appear that either grēnware or greenPots are available for purchase online.

Home / Technology - Kill A Watt™ EZ Electricity Meter

2008-11-26T14:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, we're incredibly thankful for all the support and enthusiasm from our wonderful readers. (Yes, we’re talking about you.)

We hope you get to eat your fill today of sustainable, local and organic food.

We're also thankful for gadgets that make it easier for us to live greener. For example, we're grateful for the Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Meter, which came to us courtesy of Current Energy.

The Kill A Watt is a nifty device that lets you measure how much energy your refrigerator, computer, microwave, lamp, stereo, TV and other appliances use.

You just plug the Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Meter into an outlet, then plug the appliance into the Kill A Watt. The LCD display can display power consumption in volts, amps, kilowatt hours (kWh) or watts.

If you know the rate your utility company charges for energy (usually expressed in kilowatt hours), the Kill A Watt will even tell you how much your appliance costs to run.

In our line of work, the Kill A Watt is invaluable for measuring the accuracy of manufacturer claims. In fact, we've been using the Kill A Watt to test the energy efficiency of appliances like the Sharp Air Purifier KC-C150U or the Blueair ECO10 (two of the air purifiers we'll be featuring during next week's special 1GreenProduct.com Air Purification Week!)

We plan on employing the Kill A Watt regularly as a way of verifying that the products we profile really do help you make your home more energy efficient.

Of course, we won't have a chance to test all the products you already own. Therefore, you might want your own Kill A Watt to determine which appliances use the most energy, giving you the ability to make decisions about which appliances to replace if you wanted to lower your energy bill (and shrink your eco footprint).

Although you can leave the Kill A Watt plugged in to measure average energy usage and costs over time, we suspect you'll often get a good idea of energy usage just by plugging your appliance into the Kill A Watt for a few minutes. So why not lend the Kill A Watt to your friends and neighbors? There's no reason why 3, 5 or 10 households couldn't all benefit from a single Kill A Watt device.

In terms of gripes, we did find the instruction pamphlet slightly confusing. We also wish the Kill A Watt were made in the USA, to reduce the pollution costs associated with shipping from its Chinese manufacturer. And wouldn't it make sense if a device intended to help people live greener lives could incorporate a bit of recycled plastic into the design of the device itself (as with the HP Deskjet D2545)?

Enough grumbling. What did we find in testing the 1GreenProduct.com household? Here's how our appliances stacked up according to the Kill A Watt:

Fan = 36-43 watts (depending on fan speed. Interestingly, the top speed uses almost the same energy as the lowest speed...)
20-inch CRT TV = fluctuates around 70 watts
DVD = 12-15 watts
Treadmill = 107 watts (at 2 miles per hour)
Lamp with 60-watt ncandescent bulb turned on = 61 watts
Lamp with 13-watt CFL bulb turned on =14 watts
Sharp air purifier (low setting) = 5 watts!
Sharp air purifier (high setting) = 75 watts
Blueair air purifier (low setting) = 6 watts
Blueair air purifier (high setting) = just 10-11 watts!
Toshiba 15-inch laptop = 27 watts
Compaq desktop (Presario 6000) = 70-109 watts, depending on what the processor is doing
17-inch LCD monitor =32 watts

Incidentally, based on these tests, it seems that a laptop is a much more energy efficient choice than a desktop and monitor. Even taking into account the fact that we were testing an old desktop computer and that desktop efficiency has improved, we still ended up using a minimum of around 100 watts for the desktop and monitor combined versus 27 watts for the laptop. (Naturally the equation changes if you're using a desktop like the 11-watt Zonbu Desktop Mini...)

Where to buy:

A Google search will reveal lots of places to buy the Kill A Watt. We obtained our sample unit thanks to the generosity of Current Energy, a Dallas-based company that operates what it calls the world's first energy efficiency store™.

You can order the Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Meter ($56)- along with lots of other nifty energy efficient products, through Current Energy's online store.

The Leakey Jewelry Collection

2008-11-10T14:46:00.000-06:00

I spend many of my workdays at my desk, typing on the computer, staring into the thin screen for glimpses of the world beyond.

And today I write about women whose workdays take place under acacia trees in Kenya, where members of the Maasai community make jewelry out of Zulugrass and Zuluwood for The Leakey Collection.

According to The Leakey Collection, all materials used to make the jewelry are sustainable. The wood comes from fallen dead wood. The harvest of Zulugrass preserves wetlands that would otherwise be burned and drained to support cattle.

The hollow grass used in the Zulugrass jewelry is harvested by hand and then cut by hand into beads. These beeds are then dyed with textile dyes (hopefully using environmentally-friendly dyes) and mixed in with Czech and Japanese glass beads before being strung on elastic bands.

The result - beautiful and long-lasting bracelets, necklaces, earrings and other accessories. Prices are very reasonable with multi-strand necklaces going for $39.95 and bracelets for $29 on The Leakey Collection's retail site.

The Leakey Collection jewelry has a sort of timeless elegance to it. There is a simplicity, for example, in incorporating wood that has been hand tooled and burnished without the use of wax, lacquer or varnish.

The Leakey Collection says that more than 1,200 people are involved in the manufacture of its products, indirectly supporting over 10,000 individuals and helping to spread wealth and promote women's equality among the Maasai.

In our experience, The Leakey Collection's bracelets and necklaces are dressy enough to wear for a night out on the town, but bright and cheerful enough to complement even a day at the beach.

And speaking of the beach, the company says its Zulugrass is water proof and colorfast in both salt water and fresh water. So make a splash!

(PS - One of the founders Philip Leakey is the youngest son of famed paleo-anthropologists Drs. Louis and Mary Leakey.)

Where to buy:

Purchase items from The Leakey Collection online or use the Store Finder to find a retailer near you.

Fall Fashion Week - earth creations(R)

2008-10-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

Most of the time, we wash clothing to get rid of dirt.

But Martin Ledvina and Joy Maples, the founders of earth creations (R), discovered that dirt - particularly red clay - could actually be added to clothing to create beautiful designs.

Martin and Joy have built a business out of creating comfy and eco-friendly clothes for men, women and children using natural clay dyes.

We don't want to pigeonhole earth creations, but we think the style could be described as modern hippy chic. In other words, you'll find lots of earth tones (not surprising, really, since the colors come from the earth) and plenty of loose-fitting clothing that drapes and hangs to flattering effect.

The clothes are built from earth-friendly, sustainable fibers such as industrial hemp, organic cotton and bamboo. Most garments are sewn inside earth creations' own factory in Alabama, where the company says employees are paid a fair wage and enjoy a clean, safe working environment.

According to this history of dyeing, modern synthetic dyes date only to 1856. Before that, humanity made art and fashion using dyes and paints made from natural materials - clays, berries, pounded mollusk shells, indigo plants, charcoal and so forth.

By returning to the artistic traditions at the roots of mankind, earth creations has given us beautiful clothing that is both natural and biodegradable, meaning that the clothes will not have any harmful impact on the world we leave for human generations to come.

Where to buy:

You can buy earth creations clothing through the company's own online store (where you can sometimes find sales like the hemp and organic cotton Criss Cross Top marked down from $49 to $15) or at other Internet retailers.

Want to see which shade of clay looks best against your skin before you buy? Use the Store Finder to find a local retailer near you.