Guy Goes Green

Wannabe green guy going green

Posts Tagged ‘Green Products’

Coffee, razors and chickens – please help me find green versions

January 23rd, 2010

This week my green challenge is to research green companies and to make a purchasing change based on that research. I was trying to think of the various products we buy on a regular basis, but I am starting to realize that we buy quite a few green items. Ideally, I will switch over from a product or products that are NOT green to those that are. These are some of the items that came to mind and that I should look into further.

Coffee – One thing that we drink on a weekly basis is coffee and I know that I have seen coffee that is labeled Fair Trade and organic. I am very far from being a coffee snob so this is going to be a change for me. My normal ‘at home’ brew is Folgers (don’t laugh) and found a little environmental information on the company. Even though I could not find much on the company website, I was able to find a review at Greenopia and they gave me some good information. In summary, Greenopia indicated that Folgers does have a few green qualities, but “has a long way to go before it is considered a green company brand.”
Razor blades and shaving cream– Currently, I use the Mach 3 Razor blades and I have absolutely loved this product for a long time. They work well, provide a great shave and no other razor I have used even comes close to comparing. I do know, however, that I throw away the razor cartridges and that ends up in the land fill. I would imagine that there are straight edges or some greener razors I could use to replace my Mach 3s. I also imagine that the shaving cream I use is not the most environmentally friendly. Although I am not sure that I am ready to get rid of my Mach 3 razors, this is something that I think I will need to eventually look into anyways.
Chicken and Turkey meat – Ashley and I have actually talked about our food consumption quite a bit and have thought about trying to get our chicken/turkey meat from more natural sources. Honestly, I am not really even sure where to start with this, but I do know that our store bought meat is packed full of wonderful chemicals. Not only do I think a natural product bought locally will be better for my body, I like the idea of purchasing meat from smaller farms or establishment rather than industrialized farms that seem to be controlled by the corporations.

Each of these ideas are great, and I am not how feasible each of these are, but certainly deserve some looking. Stay tuned for updates and please let me know about any products that fit the descriptions above.

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Posted in Week 14 Green Consumerism

Tags: Green Products

15 Ways to have a green Black Friday

November 26th, 2009

Tomorrow the official Christmas shopping season begins and Black Friday is here once again. Although you may be preparing for shopping battle in the morning and prepared to shove other women and children out of the way to get the latest Fisher Price Elmo Live Encore Doll, Zhu Zhu Pets, Barbie Twilight Dolls or Webkins, I wanted to give you some simple tips that might help you have a more green Black Friday!

Buy green products – If you are going out this Friday, probably the main reason is to buy stuff. One of the biggest ways you can be green this shopping holiday is to buy stuff that is green. Recycled products are your friend.
Don’t let your car idle – Whether you are waiting in the parking lot or inside, turn your car off. An idling car gets 0 miles per gallon and shutting off that vehicle can help the environment.
Plan your route – I hope you are doing this anyhow since any good Black Friday shopper knows where the deals are and needs to get there before they run out of stuff.
Car pool – Go with a friend or 10. In previous years when I have participated in Black Friday festivities, part of the fun in my opinion is hanging out with your peeps. Going together in the same car will help conserve gas and prevent greenhouse gasses
Bring your own bags – Having your own bags means using less plastic or paper which in turn helps prevent unnecessary waste.
Bring a reusable, environmentally friendly cup – You may be waiting in lines where coffee is served or sold. You may need to stop at the Orange Julius for a drink. Have your own cup and prevent garbage from entering the system.
Get all shopping done in one place – If you have a mall where they have all sorts of deals… stay there. Prevent gas waste and hang out where all the good deals are.
Recycle all of those Black Friday ads – If you got the paper today you likely have pounds of extras in ads and coupons. Recycle or reuse!
Turn your thermostat down when you are out shopping – If you live in a cold part of the nation/world… turn down the heat while you are out. If you are in a hot part, turn the AC off/up while you are out.
Wait for Cyber-Monday – Save gas, effort and time. Some think Cyber Monday is where it is at!
Forego Black Friday altogether – I am not saying you should be a Grinch and skip Christmas, but why not forget the hassle and chaos of Black Friday? Make homemade Christmas gifts or shop at a second hand store. Then, there is always regifting!
Buy products that do not require batteries or have rechargeable batteries -
Pack your own snacks – You may need lunch or snacks while you are out deal hunting, why not bring your own food in environmentally friendly or reusable packaging. Eating at a restaurant or getting food from fast food places will likely generate its fair share of garbage.
Purchase products with little or no packaging. – The less packaging the better.
Buy local products - If you buy products that are made locally, you will likely be doing a service to the environment. Less shipping, probably better environmental standards (compared to overseas) and supports the local economy.

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Posted in General Green

Tags: black friday green Green Products shopping

Environmentally friendly shampoos

November 21st, 2009

At one point I was given a prescription to remedy a condition on my scalp. I personally don’t like taking or applying any prescription to my body because of all of the warnings attached to these drugs. So what I did, was start using hair products that use less added ingredients, and one that was even 100% organic. Now, I don’t have any more issues.

I learned about these products through a book, Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. I was on vacation in Kauai, and this book caught my eye in a tiny little café. I decided to purchase a used copy on Amazon. What I love about this book is that it has a list of all of the ingredients to be weary of. It says that consumers should stay away from a list called “red alert.” It also explains what these ingredients are, what they do and why you should stay away from them.

With this information I started to purchase a different type of shampoos to see if that would help. The first brand I tried was Aubrey Organics, which I purchased from Swanson Health Products. All of the ingredients pass, they are all organic, vegan and not tested on animals; an all around good product. It even smells good! Aubrey Organics uses a selection of essential oils to sent their products instead of fragrance, which is on the “red alert” list. The only thing that was hard to get used to was that it doesn’t lather like a typical shampoo. This is because it lacks Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent, which the book states is also “used in brake fluid and antifreeze.” Shocking!

Another product I just purchased was Burt’s Bees Pomegranate & Soy shampoo because it smelled good. This product lather’s nice, but doesn’t include the SLS; at least it doesn’t spell it out that way. However, this product does use fragrance, which Sophie Uliano states are used to “mask hundreds of ingredients…which disrupt the endocrine system and could cause reproductive and development harm.” My conclusion would be if they mixed these two great products together we would have the perfect shampoo. I will continue to try other shampoos to find out which one is best for me.

Another movement that I have been hearing a lot about as of late is the no-poo movement. No, this isn’t what you think it is. The ladies and gentlemen, who go no-poo, decide not to use traditional shampoo. The shampoos have chemicals that are harsh to your scalp and hazardous to your health. Also, the natural oils your scalp produces are enough to keep your scalp healthy. Sometimes you may need to use Baking Soda to keep the oils at bay.

For these options, I would prefer to use an organic shampoo. I can’t see myself not washing my hair. I have heard that if you go no-poo, then for some unknown reason, decide to wash your hair, you have to go through the 2 week to 2 month transitional period over again. Maybe if I decide to cut my hair, and keep it short, I may re-consider. If you have any additional information, or may tips to help me find my perfect shampoo, please leave a comment below.