This Father’s Day buy a green gift that correctly reflects your type of Dad. You know, a sweet I wish I thought of that gift that is also sustainable, organic, recycled or fair. Yes, an eco friendly gift your Father/Grand Dad/Pops/Etc. will actually dig.

Here is our uber green, pretty cool if I don’t say so myself, Father’s Day gift buying guide:

For the Outdoorsy Dad

SE 2.0 Portable Water Filtration Bottle ($34.95, BuyGreen), Filtered Water Bottle ($9.95, Bobble)

A water bottle with built in filtration – not only replacing plastic bottles but also ensuring you drink the highest quality water. For the SE 2.0 Portable Water Filtration Bottle (left) each Sovereign Earth water filter produces over 100 gallons of pure water – 99.99% pure, removing contaminants like chlorine, agricultural and industrial pollutants heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals. Bobble (right) has a carbon-based filter that removes organic contaminates from regular municipal tap water and meets or exceeds NSF International Standard 42 for chlorine, taste and odor reduction. This filter you have to change every 2 months or after 40 gallons.

Solar Hybrid Flashlight ($19.95, BuyGreen)

An innovative solar flashlight, the Solar Hybrid Flashlight generates renewable power from sun or room light. An 8-hour charge in sunlight or room light will provide up to 16 hours of continuous light, and it can be charged over and over again. It also holds a single charge for over 3 years and comes fully charged. Keep reading →

There’s no better way to put the devastation in Haiti than in Carbonfund.org’s words: As if earthquakes and poverty were not enough, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere is now facing seasonal rains that can bring flooding and tragedy. But fortunately Carbonfund.org doesn’t usually stop with words. To help with the problem, Thursday they announced their  “Million Tree Challenge” campaign will be redirecting all of its donations for the next three months to tree planting in Haiti. The Million Tree Challenge is a campaign launched in March to plant a million trees.

Eric Carlson, President of Carbonfund.org:

Many of Haiti’s problems may seem intractable, but planting trees is something we can do today that will help prevent floods and build communities. By planting trees and restoring native ecosystems, we can do our part to aid the recovery for Haitians today and for future generations.”

Learn more about Carbonfund.org and how Haiti tree planting will slow post-earthquake floods.

To support Haiti by joining the Million Tree Challenge, go to www.carbonfund.org/trees

Composting can feel like cheating it requires so little effort. Composting has many variations depending upon the scale needed and space available. It is a great way to reduce the amount of household waste and to create fertilizer and great additives for your soil. A compost system can be as simple as a pile leaves or can be easily constructed at home. For those of us that would rather purchase a composting setup, here are my recommendations for the following categories: Keep reading →

This week I delved into the plethora of products made of recycled glass, and I was seriously impressed by what I found. Glass is a material that can be recycled infinitely. It is comprised of silica, the main component of sand, and I have learned that one application for recycled glass material is that it is being tested as a material to “replenish” beaches that have been worn down by erosion.  I guess that is the ultimate back to nature approach. Glass is a stable, non-toxic material that can be used in a multitude of forms. It has great insulating properties and can be used to create amazing art forms. There are a lot of uses for recycled glass throughout the home and garden, I have selected a few to discuss below. Keep reading →

Many green options cost more than their replaced product – but the SodaStream Soda Maker offers a wealth of eco and health benefits for cheaper than buying sparkling water and soft drinks the old fashioned way.  So you’ll be improving your health, keeping tons of plastic out of landfills and saving money instead of lugging heavy bottles of future trash home from the market.

Some SodaStream Background

As a fan of all things that bubble, from champagne to sparkling water to soda (does beer count?), I’ve found it increasingly difficult to enjoy these great things due the myriad of challenges the conscious consumer faces when looking at purchasing these products.  These range from the health impact on you and your family (hey, only 33 grams of fructose corn syrup in most major single serving soda cans!), to the environmental impact that millions of plastic bottles of mineral water and the impact of transporting mineral water from some remote part of the globe to your favorite posh restaurant table. Keep reading →

These recent super snowy days have led my imagination to the prospects of spring and the possibilities for setting up a spring garden. Aside from the gardening options, I’m excited about the possibility of creating  a hospitable backyard habitat for some wilder critters for everyone’s benefit.

First, I intend to order a mason bee house and some mason bees.  Mason bees aren’t colonial like European honey bees and they don’t sting unless actively provoked.  Since they’re  solitary, mason bees do not build hives.  Instead, females lay eggs within a mason bee house and the new adults hatch from their cocoons the following spring.  These bees are excellent pollinators, so your garden flowers will be pleased. And if all that isn’t enough to get you onto the mason bee bandwagon – mason bee houses make for a unique, attractive addition to any garden.  They’re natural conversation starter, and with lots of funky designs on the market, you’ll be sure to find one that suits your style and budget.  Keep reading →

Down East Doormats are brightly colored, durable and bring a little bit of summer to every doorstep. They actually float as well!  These door mats are produced by the Maine Float-Rope Company from floating ropes that are turned in by lobstermen due to changing regulations.

Lobstermen formerly used floating rope between lobster pots but it has been found that floating rope can cause North Atlantic Right Whales (a critically endangered species) to become entangled in the lobster gear when they surface during feeding. New regulations require sinking rope and all of that old rope would otherwise end up in landfills.

These mats are a great addition to any home and will last for years to come as they are advertised as indestructable. It is rare to get the opportunity to buy a locally-made, upcycled product from a company that donates a portion of its proceeds to protect its local environment.

Enjoy!

During the summer months, there’s nothing better than sitting out on an Adirondack chair with a glass of wine or a nice frosty beer to take in the sights and sounds of the season. However, since this type of outdoor furniture is typically manufactured from wood, wood and more wood, it may bring a nice summer, cottagey feeling to your home in the city or the county; but it comes at the cost of the environment.

Loll Designs offers a solution with their line of outdoor furniture that is made from 100% post consumer recycled HDPE, a high-density polyethylene which is a plastic resin that is used in products and packaging such as milk jugs, detergent bottles, margarine tubs, and garbage containers. Loll Designs Adirondack chairs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and will look fantastic on any deck or front porch of a home or summer cottage. Plus, to get them there, the eco-friendly company uses carbon offset shipping through a partnership with Carbon Fund and packages the sustainable outdoor furniture in completely recycled and recyclable packaging. It doesn’t stop there either, they also produce their furniture locally in the United States, donate 1% of the proceed of their sales to a variety of environmental organizations, and they plant a tree for every harvesting day of the year! Keep reading →

Although the availability of green products for the home is expanding, many of the companies that carry these items are still falling under the radar because they just aren’t part of the mainstream yet. This means that without digging deeper, prospective green consumers just don’t know where to look in order to find affordable, eco-friendly items to decorate their homes with. It’s really nice to see some of the big name companies coming on board with green alternatives, because it increases everyone’s exposure to products that are sustainable, eco-friendly and affordable. Keep reading →

Whether mattresses are typically made from goose down, or other synthetic foams and materials that take a toll on the environment with the manufacturing process or through the cultivation of the materials themselves; they generally don’t do any favors to the environment.  Of course, everyone wants a comfortable place to lie down at the end of a hard day, so purchasing a mattress should never be taken lightly, and if you don’t want to be kept awake at night as a result of choosing a mattress that’s anti-environmental, you might want to look at an alternative. Keep reading →