Erica D.'s Profile

SF Green Clean is the Real Deal

I just used SF Green Clean, which was able to remove paint (yes, paint) from my pants, while using biodegradable soaps rather than the industry's standard toxic chemicals. The commitment to being through-and-through green starts with their paperless registration process (confirmations and receipts are all via email), continues with their non-toxic cleaning process, and ends with their beautiful wooden hanger and reusable garment bag. I eschewed the garment bag when I went to pick up, but kept the lovely hanger.

Their website also includes a "How does your local dry cleaner stack up?" link, to compare petroleum and perchloroethylene of your local cleaner with SF Green Cleaner. For those who live and work in the Presidio, SF Green Cleaner is an ideal green dry cleaning choice.

keywords: laundry, cleaning, clothing, dry cleaning

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Not my "Source" for Oral Hygiene

I've been disappointed by my Source toothbrush, by Radius. Initially attracted to the "100% renewable" claim on the package and the interesting handle design, I've found this to be a less-than-desirable choice. The handle is made from plant fibers, and comes with a replaceable brush head (recommended length of use per head: 90 days).

Unfortunately, the handle is also so bulbous that it doesn't fit in any standard travel case or toothbrush holder. The bristles are also so soft that it's difficult to get a good clean feeling during normal brushing (at least with the "medium" version that I purchased). I find myself hankering for a traditional toothbrush, one that I'll be able to travel with more easily, and use for a better twice-daily cleaning.

keywords: toothbrush, oral care, oral hygiene

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My new green yoga mat is also "green"

I love my new jute yoga mat from EcoYoga. The topside has all the texture and feel of a conventional yoga mat, and the underside sports rougher plant fibers making for a nice grip on the floor. The EcoYoga website boasts that the mat is made entirely from plant-based materials, as opposed to the PVC mats more commonly available. These jute mats are also fully-compostable.

The explosion in interest in yoga doesn't seem to be concurrent with options for environmentally-friendly yoga practice, and the mind/body connection doesn't seem to be necessarily in step with a person/earth connection. A few years ago, when I was a canvasser for Greenpeace, we had a running joke that the demographic who would never stop to talk to us were "people with yoga mats."

The EcoYoga mat I purchased was around $30 retail, so it was about $12 more expensive than the red PVC mat I bought at Target a few years ago, but still what I would consider a reasonable price for a high-quality yoga accessory. The available colors are also fantastic.

keywords: EcoYoga, yoga, mat, jute, plant-based

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A gem of a resource for the green office

This website was easy to use, and populated with recycled office supplies essential for the green office, everything from recycled ballpoint pens made by Industries for the Blind, to CD jewel cases recovered from unopened music and software packages. Their organic food section includes links to purchasing Fair Trade coffee, tea, and chocolate. Shipping is calculated after ordering, which can make invoicing right away a little tricky. Also includes a link to becoming a "Green Certified Office." The greatest benefit to this site is their clear commitment to sourcing office products from only the greenest, cleanest, most sustainable companies committed not just to environmental but social sustainability as well. A fantastic source for the sustainability-minded office manager.

keywords: office supplies, recycled office paper

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Sustainable Packing Superstars

I've been working on creating a sustainable, portable photowall, with mountable photosleeves (4" x 6" and 5" x 7"). Unfortunately, the eco-scrapbooking community has yet to catch up to the rest of the green movement, and cellophane-like materials made from biodegradable or recycled plastics are readily available, but not typically on a scale suitable to a small project such as this.

Fortunately, Pak-sel is able to meet small-scale ecofilm needs. There are limitations on using their biodegradeable corn-based materials will discolor over time, and can't be exposed to heat or direct sunlight. However, their material is still a wonderfully welcome eco-friendly addition to our photowall and press clippings folder.

keywords: cellophane, plastic, biodegradable, recycle, reuse

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Lots of unsustainable packaging, but tasty

I am very familiar with all varieties of Peeled Snacks currently available, but the Shock-o-late has been particularly addictive. The idea with Peeled Snacks is that the fruits and the nuts are packaged separately within the snack pack, in order to keep each ingredient optimally fresh. And fresh they are -- these snacks are very yummy.

But I give them 3 stars, because ultimately: these are not particularly healthful snacks, and they involve so much plastic packaging, all for the sake of not having a slightly moist cashew in your trail mix. Peeled Snacks are not a part of a sustainable snacking lifestyle.

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A better natural deodorant

This is the best natural deodorant I've found, and is close in form to mainstream deodorants. Unlike other natural deodorants, it's more of a white solid than a clear gel.

keywords: deodorant jason natural

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