Archive for green products
3 Top Green News Weekly Blogs of 2011
Posted by: | CommentsIn part 4 of our 5 part ‘best of 2011’ series this week, we look back at the weekly green news we highlighted from other green blog sites to establish our top 3 from Planet Forward blog readers. To recap this week, our ‘best of 2011’ series has included our 3 most popular Meatless Monday vegetarian recipes; the 3 top corporate social responsibility initiatives; and our 3 most popular green posts. Our weekly green news segment touches on several different articles covering various environmental issues, sourced from other reliable green blog websites. When we took a look at the year in review, green news subjects included green chefs, coffee-powered cars, the Greenpeace Green electronics guide, organic food and recycled homes, to name a few. Let’s see where these topics ranked:
EcoARK built from 1.5 million plastic bottles
In 1st place 10 Green Chefs, Coffee-powered cars, Health and Climate, Recycled Structures and Boeing. A wide range of topics I know. 10 Green chefs included a list of chefs serving up wholesome food whether it be vegetarian, vegan and/or sustainable. We found the concept of a coffee-powered car intriguing, and it took us all the way to England, where coffee grounds were used to power a modified Rover SD1. This edition also featured Health and Climate Change: 7 Ways You Are Being Harmed. Then we explored 5 amazing structures made from recycled plastic bottles which included the astounding EcoARK (see photo), which is located in Taipei and is built out of 1.5 million recycled plastic bottles. And finally, Boeing 787 declared its 787 Dreamliner will use 20 percent less fuel and produce 20 percent fewer emissions than similarly sized planes.
In 2nd place, the Greenpeace Green Electronics Guide, Home Depot Holiday Light Exchange and Buying Organic Foods weekly green news roundup. Greenpeace released the seventeenth edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics which rated companies on a scale of 1 to 10 and placed them in either a green, yellow or red zone contingent on their performance. Electronics providers were evaluated based on policies and practices to reduce their impact on the climate, produce greener products and make their operations more sustainable. This edition also included Home Depot’s Holiday light exchange program, which offered customers the opportunity to exchange their old holiday lights for a 30% discount off new, eco-friendly LED lights. And last but not least, we incorporated a report from the Organic Trade Association which indicated that 78% of American families are now buying organic foods.
3rd place showcased recycled 747 Jets, recycled homes and recycled art which brought the concept of upcycling to a whole new level. Architect David Hertz actually used recycled materials of a 747 jet from a California scrap dealer to make a beautiful home for organic gardening and green enthusiast, Francie Rehwald. Then we covered The Daily Green’s list of ‘Amazing Homes and Offices Built from Shipping Containers’. Shipping containers are commonly used for importing and exporting goods, but they can be recycled and upcycled into fantastic homes, offices or classrooms. Make sure you check out the truly remarkable Container City™, which includes a series of eco-friendly, condo-like homes housed in upcycled shipping containers. If you want something more private, you can’t go wrong with Ecopods, individual homes also constructed from steel shipping containers. And finally, we discovered some pretty amazing upcycled art with 10 stunning animal sculptures made from recycled materials.
And that concludes part 4 of our ‘best of 2011’ green news weekly blogs. Tune in tomorrow for our final instalment in our ‘best of 2011’ series which will include our top 3 eco-friendly crafts.
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Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
Save and Shop Locally this Holiday Season
Posted by: | CommentsIt is often perceived that American retailers have better sales than their Canadian counterparts. Shoppers looking to make their holiday gift budget stretch even further often head over the border or shop on American websites. Though the deals may be enticing they don’t always add up to savings. Plus it’s hardly green shopping once you increase your carbon footprint and carbon emissions by driving so far to find bargains or having products shipped to you from long distances.
When going shopping over the border you have to take the exchange rate into account. Yes, the Canadian dollar is strong, making shopping in the US seem enticing. Savvy shoppers should check with their credit card companies to see what their exchange rate is and if there are any additional fees for using the card internationally. Something else to take into account is the price of gas and the amount of fuel used. Depending on where you chose to shop it could be quite costly, not to mention the negative effect on the environment for the trip. Also, when you cross the border you have to declare your items and pay duty and HST on them. What happens if any of the items you purchased have to be returned? Another trip across the border is the result. When calculating your savings these additional fees must be considered.
If online shopping is something you consider, don’t think that the sales hold up exactly. Once again you have to take into account the exchange rate from American to Canadian dollars. On top of that there are shipping and handling fees. Yes, some retailers do give free shipping over the holiday season (including Planet Forward) on orders over a certain amount, but that is not true for every retailer. Canadians should note that when a product has to cross the border, there are additional frees to consider like duty, and brokerage fees. These fees might not seem like much when the product is being delivered, but you have to take returns into account. If you have to pay for the shipping and handling on the return of the item that again cuts into the savings you incurred.
Online shopping has become more popular than ever this year and many retailers have adopted the “Cyber Monday” sale in Canada. Even “Black Friday” the traditional start of the American holiday shopping season that takes place the day after Thanksgiving has taken root north of the border. This means that there are more bargains to be had in Canada this holiday season and if you’re looking for green products then you need to check out Planet Forward’s sale. Many retailers are fighting to keep consumers shopping locally and not lose them to American retailers.
When shopping locally you save on gas and reduce carbon emissions by not having to drive quite as far to shop. Also, there is no exchange rate to be taken into account. You’re also helping to strengthen the local economy, increase consumer confidence, and create seasonal employment. This holiday season in order to get the best deals you have to take everything into account. Speaking of great deals, we want to offer our loyal green blog readers 70% off the Planet Forward line of green products this holiday season, meaning everything in our store is less than $10. Enter coupon 2011SAVE70 at checkout for huge 70% off savings on reusable stainless steel bottles and thermals, reusable bags, organic fashions, green cleaning kits and more. Happy holiday shopping.
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Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
Tags: Black Friday, buy local, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, Cyber Monday, green cleaning kits, green holiday shopping, green products, green shopping, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions, planet forward, reusable bags, reusable lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, reusable stainless steel bottles, shop local, shop locally, shopping in Canada, stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermals
Nissan Turns Over A New Leaf
Posted by: | CommentsLast year was the year that the long awaited electric car came one step closer to becoming reality. What brought this on was two major car companies brought viable electric car models to market: Nissan’s Leaf and Chevrolet’s Volt. Nissan’s Leaf model has so far out sold Chevrolet’s at 10,100 units compared to Volt’s 2,029.
Nissan recently unveiled that their Leaf can also double as a backup of generator to a house as it as the capability to feed energy back into the house. They say it can power the average Japanese household for forty-eight hours. This is an important selling point in post tsunami Japan where power outages are still occurring. Not to mention they are trying to phase out nuclear power, and until other grids are in place there are gaps in service.
And in renewable energy news: “Last month Nissan also demonstrated a system whereby electricity is generated through 488 solar cells that were installed on the roof of its headquarters in Yokohama near Tokyo. Nissan said that four batteries from the Leaf were placed in a box in a cellar-like part of the building, and stored the electricity generated from the solar cells, which is enough to fully charge 1,800 Leaf vehicles a year.”
It’s not just in Japan that the electric car is coming closer to fruition. In early August the Ontario government announced eighty million dollars to promote investment in electric car charging stations. If governments are willing to help put in the infrastructure needed to support the electric car not only is the idea a popular one amongst the general public, but also it will entice people to purchase an electric car in the future. One of the main concerns around electric cars, for everyday consumers, would be how to charge it when not at home.
On top of that the Ontario government offers up to eighty-five hundred dollars in incentives to buyers of electric cars, as they are entitled “to a green plate that grants them access to high occupancy vehicle lanes.”
This demonstrates that both the private and public sectors can work together to promote viable green alternatives like electric cars.
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Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW!
