So Green Wednesday, the day after Earth Day, is here. Today
is a day when consumers can vote Green with their dollars and reward those
companies who offer eco-friendly products. I've been saving up my greenbacks and
researching my Green Wednesday purchases for weeks. It hasn't been easy to
think of new green things we can do since our lifestyle is already very green,
but I'm ready to start exercising my purchasing power!
My environmental commitment is focused in three areas: "good for me" green, "good for my family" green and "good for the planet" green. Here's where I'm putting my money today:
My environmental commitment is focused in three areas: "good for me" green, "good for my family" green and "good for the planet" green. Here's where I'm putting my money today:
"Good for Me" Green:
- Purchase a bottle of Nordic Naturals - a daily dose of this fish oil, rich in omega 3, offers health benefits such as reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow, promoting joint, heart and skin health, improving memory and general wellness, $39.95
- Buy To-go Ware bamboo utensils for use at work and eliminate using plastic forks silverware with my lunch take-out, $19.95
- Eat an organic, free-range egg breakfast at home rather than grabbing a non-organic breakfast to eat at my desk, $3.60 a dozen
"Good for My Family" Green:
- Go to an organic dry cleaner: Green Apple Cleaners, $2.75 for a men's shirt, $14.50 for a dress
- Buy an organic, non-toxic, sustainable sofa: ABC Home and Planet, $2799
- Buy a new energy-efficient, window Energy Star GE Air Conditioner, $499
"Good for the Planet" Green:
- Purchase four Spider plants to clean the air we breathe, $5.99 each
- Buy bamboo blindsfor our five southern facing windows to cool the room and save on energy costs, $74.95 each
- Watch Ed Begley Jr.'s Living with Ed on HGTV green reality show to support green programming and their green advertisers
It has been an expensive day, but I wanted to make a strong statement of support for these environmental companies. Please join the "buy-cott" and share your own plans today for Green Wednesday. Let's put our money where our mouth is.
Mary Beth Gonzalez
iVillage.com
Please join my Going Green group and read my Green Blog
I love milk, can't get enough of it. But it comes in gallon sized plastic bottles. I also like to grow plants and found that I can cut the bottom half off and use it for planters. The seeds from one plum tomato has produced about 50 plants and I plan to feed everyone in my apartment building with them and take the extras to a local food bank. I also have cucumbers growing also and again from the seeds of a fresh cucumber. A lot of people think that they have to go to the store and buy seeds but now you know. I wish I had a back yard, I could feed the entire neighborhood.
Mike
Hi. With regard to your mentioning buying 'green' furniture, I just read something this week stating that buying so called "green" furniture is worse for the environment because while such materials as bamboo are sustainable, the energy and pollution from creating new 'green' furniture pieces is so much worse than say, buying or refinishing an old piece of furniture. The article(cannot find the source)also claimed that bamboo clothing, while chic, is also worse for the environment than is re-using or using longer old, already created clothing. Someone needs to research these claims to verify what is truly GOOD for the environment as opposed to what is NOT GOOD in reality. The article also mentioned that recycling many plastic water bottles creates much pollution and energy wasting as well. I only bring this up since I have recycled cans, bottles, and anything else at recycling centers for years now and am quite disappointed that all of that effort just made things worse for our planet! I may just research this and write it all up on my own blog!