If you haven’t already heard about the hip & eco-centric Pangea Organics, it’s time to get in the know!  Comprised of a small group of like-minded soap slingers in Boulder, Colorado they’ve got a lot of style, but even more integrity.  “Pangea” (pan-jee-uh) means “the whole earth” and describes precisely what this company cares so much about.  With a desire for businesses to become more conscious of their decisions and aware of their impact on the earth, after being prompted by a friend, founder Joshua Onysko decided to fund his dream of a learning center (Pangea Institute) with soap sale profits.  With an “Always Beneficial, Never Artificial” mantra, today he is doing just that…laying the financial foundation for a non-profit that will teach entrepreneurs and small businesses all aspects of sustainable living and business practices. 

The first bar of soap he made was at home with his mother and when he got such great feedback about his soap bars from family and friends he decided to sell it at local Farmers Markets.  Today, he is still very much passionate about sourcing the best organic ingredients from around the world, paying a fair wage for those ingredients and ensuring his packaging is recycled and/or recyclable.  The compostable cardboard boxes in which the glass containers arrive contain seeds so that when it’s planted it will grow herbs.  (How cool is that?!)  Today, the line has expanded from bars to include shower gels, lotions, liquid hand soaps, massage/body oils and a full skincare line.  (A children’s line is also in the works…shhhh!).   All of which you can be sure I’ll post more about in the future. 

Not only do I personally love their products for their purity and effectiveness, but their unisex packaging is cool & modern (so lacking amongst organic products) and looks great in the bathroom!

 If you’re waiting until the last minute to get the Dad in your life something unique, forego that polluted bottle of cologne and meet Pangea’s best seller, Canadian Pine with White Sage Shower Gel.  A hit with anyone who’s had the pleasure of smelling and sudsing with the highly concentrated woodsy gel that will last up to three times longer than conventional body wash.  My personal fave is Malagasy Ylang Ylang & Linden Flower.

 If you’re a Pangea convert as well, what’s your favorite scent???

Bamboo is not a tree. In fact, it is a giant grass. And just like the grass on a lawn, when bamboo is cut it’s root system is unharmed, healthy and regenerative. Best of all, bamboo has the ability to grow to maturity in 4-6 years while hardwoods take decades to achieve maturity. Once cut, most hardwoods are left lifeless. Whereas after bamboo is cut, it is able to grow again and again.

Bamboo makes a great fabric alternative to conventional cotton. Besides being amazingly soft to the touch, bamboo is also naturally anti-microbial, which means the fabric actually prevents bacteria from growing on it, resulting in clothing that remains odor-free longer than other fabrics . . . meaning less trips to the dry cleaner, which is always a major plus for the planet and your wallet!

Bamboo as a fabric is not completely virtuous. The process of converting bamboo into a soft fiber requires harmful chemicals and energy intensive machinery. BUT bamboo growth does not require any pesticides, which in the end makes it a better alternative to conventional cotton.

Bamboo flooring seen here is an excellent alternative to conventional wood flooring, because using bamboo in place of wood prevents further exploitation of world’s already dwindling timber resources.

Dad’s likely had that same wallet for years and there’s no time like Father’s Day to gift him with an upgrade.  db clay, based in Portland, Oregon has been creating eco-friendly vegan pocket art for a decade.  Creating their own unique process to transfer photos and artwork with non-toxic ink onto their own custom engineered material they call “Tope”, each piece is designed to be a conversation piece.  They’re extra durable as well as abrasion, water, heat & cold resistant.  No PVC, chlorine or leather are ever used in their wallets.  The way in which Tope is manufactured reduces db clay’s ecological footprint by using environmentally friendly solutions.  Specifically, Tope produces no dioxin, heavy metal or phthalate pollution during production and the company claims the wallet will decompose when buried.  While making strides in the right direction and producing an eco-friendly product, I admire that they aren’t claiming to be a “green” company just yet.  With the onslaught of companies throwing around “green” without haste, it’s refreshing to know they take it seriously and they’re taking steps in the right direction to get there.  Now honesty is something I can appreciate and it’s truly a breath of fresh air.   

For the Fashion-Forward Father:

Stampage Wallet in Black: This cool black on black wallet features a Danmasch print for the hip Dad in your life.   

For the Retro or Outdoorsy Dad: 

Faith In Jupiter Men’s Wallet: The design inspiration behind this best seller was gleaned from a stained wooden box found at a thrift shop in Portland many years ago.   

Summer is almost here and with longer days and warmer weather comes air conditioning. If you’re in the market for an air conditioner, make sure it’s Energy Star certified.

Like most Energy Star products, Energy Star air conditioners use less energy—meaning less fossil fuels and lower utility bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if just half of all American homes were cooled with Energy Star qualified products, the change would prevent nearly 70 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to the emissions of nearly six million cars. As said above, it’s always better not to AC, but if you can’t take the heat any longer definitely go for an Energy Star model.

In addition to staying cool with an Energy Star certified air conditioner, I also recommend keeping the shades down. This will help any room stay a few degrees cooler. You can also install an electric fan (Energy Star of course) and create cross ventilation by leaving doors and windows open. If you still can’t take the heat, then consider “gettin’ out the kitchen” and loitering in some already cool places. Museums, libraries, movie theaters are all public spaces that crank the AC all summer long. Or you can always go to your favorite café. Hang out; grab an iced latte and let “them” pay for the air conditioning.

Still looking for that unique and earth-friendly gift for Father’s Day?  I’ve discover a handful of great gift ideas that I’ll be sharing over the next week!   Here’s one of my top picks:

Awarded National Geographic’s ‘Best of Gear’ for 2008, the Solio Classic Universal Hybrid is a compact universal charger that uses the sun to power your cell phone, iPod or iPhone, PDA, Bluetooth headsets, MP3 Players, GPS devices, most digital cameras and handheld game devices.  With an internal rechargeable lithium battery, you can get power when you’re in a place that doesn’t.  On the beach or in the mountains?  Backpacking in Europe?  No problem.  The sun will charge it for you and will recharge your device at the same rate your electrical charger does!  Perfect for skiers, surfers, mountaineers, campers, hikers, backpackers, golfers, people with windows and anyone who wants to take advantage of free power.  It comes in black, hot pink, silver & white.  I love that you can charge it (for four hours) in an electrical outlet at home before heading outdoors so you can re-charge your device when it dies and you are nowhere near an outlet.  Then all it needs is eight to ten hours of direct sunlight to be fully charged again so that you can power your device when it’s out of juice.  This cool gadget is the epitome of renewable energy.   

If you have five minutes to spare, check out this video about how Solio is helping villages in Africa with limited or no access to electricity:

The Solio H1000 Universal Hybrid charger is featured in the video above. 

Going forward, Timberland has devised an ambitious plan to maintain their environmental leadership. Their goal: to have a Green Index for every product across the brand by 2009/2010 and is currently working with other retail chains to create a universal measurement system. “All Timberland owned and operated facilities and employee travel is carbon neutral by 2010,” said Betsy Blaisdell, leader of Timerland’s environmental stewardship program.

With retail stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East the scope of Timberland’s influence is mind blowing.

All Timberland owned and operated facilities and employee travel is carbon neutral by 2010—audacious and unrealistic? I don’t think so! As seen from the examples above, they are well on their way.

To learn more about Timberland and its environmental efforts visit my recent review of the company at The Huffington Post.

Hi there!

My name is Stancie and I’m thrilled to be the newest addition to the ShopGreen blog. How exciting that one year ago this month PriceGrabber decided to group “green” products together and I’m joining the team on ShopGreen’s anniversary!

I’m of the mindset that we can and should work towards being ‘conscious consumers’. We owe it to ourselves to take a step further and be aware of the impact of our decisions. “Sustainability”, “carbon offsets”, and “lighter footprints” have all been gracing the covers of magazines and news headlines, but what do they really mean and how do they apply to your busy daily life? My goal is to bring an element of simplicity in order to decode “green” messages being hurled your way. To learn a bit more about me, visit our Meet The Writers page. I very much look forward to sharing my latest and greatest organic and eco-friendly finds with you! And please feel free to say hello or comment. I’d love to hear from you and welcome your feedback!

And just in case you’re wondering, my Dad’s name isn’t “Stan” and my Mom’s name isn’t “Nancy”…the number one question asked of me.

Timberland’s effort to share information with not only customer, but also competitors of challenging retail conglomerates is what makes Timberland Inc. a true environmental leader and corporate exemplar. In 2007 Timberland won Backpacker Magazine’s Editors’ Choice Green Award. Upon receipt of the award, Timberland humbly responded:

“our hope is that other like-minded companies will join us in developing an industry-wide index for comparing the environmental impacts of our design choices and we also hope to inspire consumers to ask questions, and make informed decisions about their purchases.”

With this goal in mind, Timberland is currently working with Levi’s Strauss, to share information, conduct joint assessments and communicate remediation. According to Betsy Blaisdell, leader of Timberland’s environmental stewardship program, “the goal behind all of this cross-brand effort is to spend less time policing and more time encouraging improved environmental performance and workplace conditions.”

As I always say, Patagonia is my favorite company—a true model of environmental stewardship. Yet, With all this writing about I’m learning quite a lot about Timberland’s environmental initiatives and I must admit, I like what I hear . . .

For starters, Timberland produces a publicly available report that details all aspects of the companies energy use, human rights standards, environmental stewardship and community involvement.

If looking up Timberlands’s sustainability report is far too tedious, consumers can also read information printed on the company’s recycled-paper shoeboxes and soy-based hangtags. Shoeboxes sport a simple label (matching “Nutrition Facts” found on food packaging) that provides corporate-specific information such as the average number of kilowatt-hours and percentage of renewable energy used by Timberland. Very cool indeed.

In addition to Timberland’s packaging “Nutrition Facts,” Timberland Outdoor Performance Wear products include a “Green Index” hangtag, which measures and reports on the product’s environmental impact. The index addresses three issues of concern:

• Climate impact: measures greenhouse gas emissions produced from raw material extraction through manufacturing.
• Chemicals used: based on the presence of PVC and solvent adhesives.
• Materials used: measures the use of organic, recycled or renewable.

With the “Green Index,” the lower the rating, the lower the environmental impact. Zero (0) indicates the smallest environmental footprint; while ten (10) means there’s work to be done. The rating is determined by an outside authority’s analysis of raw materials used and energy dispelled during production.

For lighter hiking and walking comfort, dad will enjoy the Timberland Winter Park Men’s Slip-On (pictured above).

Designed specifically for long-distance travel and light hiking, the Winter Park Slip-On is the perfect gift for the father on the move.
Crafter for a combination of comfort and durability, the shoe offers excellent protection against the elements. Moisture-wicking SmartWool lining keeps feet dry and warm. Timberland’s Winter Park Slip-On is also covered in rich oiled leather upon which water beads up and rolls off. This full-grain, seam-sealed, waterproof premium leather covers the upper part of the shoe. The shoe’s sole is strong enough for slippery slopes, but light enough for long walks.

The slip-on is also a great choice for seniors. With a comfortable footbed that naturally contours to the foot, even grandpa will enjoy.