You may have a green message to share with your customers, but be careful. Many consumers — as many as 70 percent, according to one study — consider environmentally friendly, eco-green claims as marketing scams.

And with astonishingly good reason, according to TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, which analyzed 1,018 consumer products making 1,753 environmental claims in six categories of goods found in big-box retailers. Of the 1,018 products analyzed, all but one made claims that were, at worst, demonstrably false to, at the very least, misleading.

From that study, TerraChoice developed a list of what it calls the six sins of “greenwashing” — a relatively new term for the practice of misleading consumers regarding the environmental benefits or friendliness of products or services.

Those six sins are the hidden trade-off, no proof, vagueness, irrelevance, fibbing and the lesser of two evils, which is defined as a green claim that may be true but distracts from a greater environmental risk, i.e. “organic cigarettes.”

But honest and effective eco-messaging can happen. It starts with knowing your audience and speaking to them with honesty.

A study by TNS, “The Green Life,” categorized consumers along an eco-spectrum. Eco-Centrics (13 percent of population) are highly educated, high-income urbanites who take pride in doing their part to protect and nurture the environment. On the other end of the spectrum, Eco-Villains (7 percent) are Midwestern, middle-income men in small and midsize metro areas who have dismissed environmental concerns.

That just means businesses must figure out levels of knowledge and layers of concerns for their target audience.

For instance, Eco-Centrics want to know how products are made, is there animal testing and does the company make sure overseas workers aren’t exploited. But for the Frugal Earth Mother (17 percent of the population, characterized as practical prudent women in lower income, rural households), the focus should be on dependability and safety.

For Kansas City-based Indigo Wild, getting out the word on its environmentally friendly soaps, candles and lotions did not mean climbing the mountaintop and shouting “We’re green, green, green!”

Instead, Indigo Wild lets its products speak for itself.

“When people scream ‘green this, green that,’ that becomes their sole focus, and that’s not who we are,” said Sally Nielsen, vice president of public relations. “We’re very particular about our ingredients — it’s a culture that we’ve lived instead of a label we’re putting out there.”

But for Weston-based McCormick Distilling Co., nothing less than going to proverbial marketing mountaintop — Times Square — would do when it came to trumpeting a new eco-friendly 360 Vodka.

And vitally important, said Robert Tomei of TNS, is walking the talk, which for 360 Vodka means a number of initiatives, including bottles made of 85 percent recycled glass, labels made from recycled paper and printed with soy ink, and vinyl billboards that are repurposed into purses, handbags and totes.

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3 ideas

•When developing an eco-friendly marketing message: Be honest. Be accurate. Be transparent.

•Learn more about the six sins of greenwashing at www.terrachoice.com.

•Know your audience — most marketers agree there’s no point in wasting time or money targeting Eco-Villains.

By JENNIFER MANN

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/656540.html

             

Whether by lowering your thermostat or unplugging seldom-used appliances, chances are you’ve recently attempted to scale back on energy use.

In fact, you may be one of the consumers who have bought more than 1.5 billion Energy Star-qualifying products since the label was introduced in 1992. Last year, one in three people reported using the label as part of a purchase decision, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If they’d bought an Energy Star-qualified commercial dishwasher, they might be saving an estimated $200 per year, according to the Department of Energy. Those that took home an Energy Star refrigerator can look forward to a 15% less expensive monthly electricity bill.

Other ways of saving energy include fixing a leaky faucet and checking your insulation levels. But the most comprehensive way might be to figure out exactly how much damage you’re inflicting so you’ll know how much to cut back.

Author Alexandra Shimo-Barry knows how. In her new book, The Environment Equation, Shimo-Barry, a national reporter for Maclean’s in Canada, teaches readers how to quickly calculate their carbon footprints, or the amount of greenhouse gases in units of carbon dioxide, they’re producing by using the following formula:

A.) Multiply your monthly electricity bill by 105

B.) Multiply your monthly gas bill by 105

C.) Multiply your monthly oil bill by 113

(if you don’t use either B or C, enter 0.)

D.) Multiply total yearly mileage by .79

E.) Multiply the number of flights–4 hours or less–by 1,100

F.) Multiply the number of flights–4 hours or more–by 4,400

G.) Do you recycle newspaper? If no, add 184. If yes, add 0.

H.) Do you recycle aluminum and tin? If no, add 166. If yes, add 0.

A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H = your carbon footprint. A number below 6,000 (reflected in pounds per year) is excellent. Over 22,000? Not so great. Good is anywhere from 6,000 to 15,999, while 16,000 to 22,000 is average.

If your number is higher than you would like, there’s good news–there are hundreds of ways you can shrink your carbon footprint, and many of them aren’t as sacrificial as you might expect.

That’s because Shimo-Barry says that lack of will, not austere alternatives, is the No. 1 barrier blocking would-be waste-reducers.

“There’s still inertia when it comes to making small changes,” she says. “But Americans emit 20 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Even if we cut that by a ton–which isn’t difficult–it would make a huge difference.”

Simple Steps
Eating locally grown food is one of the easiest ways to reduce your footprint. Whether you begin visiting the farmer’s market every Saturday to pick up local fruits and vegetables or, if you are able, dining at restaurants serving regional fare, eating locally allows you to eat well without funding the emissions used to import food from other countries and regions.

Jason Karas, founder of Cambridge, Mass.-based Carbonrally.com–a gaming Web site that challenges users to reduce personal emissions through online competitions–says that drinking locally microbrewed beer is another way to shrink your footprint, for much the same reasons as eating regional food.

“It’s also a great way to support local entrepreneurs,” says Karas.

Buying second-hand is another luxurious choice. For many, vintage shopping has become as chic as getting on the list for the newest pair of Christian Louboutins. Buying vintage clothing and accessories is more than looking sharp: These practices will reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating the energy it takes to produce something new. What’s more, you might get that Hermes Birkin for $2,000 instead of $8,000. Those not so used to buying second-hand should read “Shopping Tips for Vintage Clothing Collectors.”

How are you cutting back on energy use? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

Sustainable wood furnishings are another smart lifestyle alternative. Before you redecorate your home by raiding the Conran Shop, consider buying pieces from eco-friendly shops like Vivavi and Environment Furniture. Both offer stylish, modern goods–like a mid-century-styled credenza or a curvy bamboo rocking chair–that are Forest Stewardship Council-certified, which means they’ve met 57 earth-friendly criteria established by the organization. These include minimal pesticide use, protection of local wildlife and unionization for loggers.

In the market for a second home? A penthouse on Central Park South might not sound like the most efficient way to cut carbon, but city living is often friendlier to the environment. That’s because many urbanites rely on public transportation. And even a two-floor penthouse in the Trump Tower uses far less energy than a sprawling seven-bedroom mansion. What’s more, when water, sewage and electricity are shared, less copper–which is found in plumbing and electrical systems and is one of the largest contributors to landfills–is needed.

All evidence that living grandly can do the earth well, as long as you know where to cut back.

Lauren Sherman

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2008/04/15/green-carbon-living-forbeslife-cx_ls_0415carbon.html

             

HGTV is bringing viewers a full day of Earth Day programming and making it even easier for viewers to get their green on. Throughout the day the network will be highlighting different ways to embrace a greener way of life, featuring everything from easy, eco-friendly tips and trends to a behind the scenes look at some of the world’s most extreme ‘greenists.’

24 Hour Design - Episode 307- 6:30 AM - 7 AM ET/ PT
Kick off your Earth Day with 24 Hour Design as Angelo and crew serve up a master bedroom that’s green and serene.

Red Hot & Green - Special - 7:00 AM - 8AM ET/ PT
Learn how to “live green ” with out sacrificing style…Each home features cool design, innovative architecture and simple, but effective ways to incorporate green design into your home. Also woven throughout the special is a ‘green’ makeover led by a designer who creatively and colorfully remakes a room with the environment (and budget) in mind. It’s green without the guilt, proving that living ‘green’ is attainable, affordable and best of all, can be done with style.

Living With Ed - Marathon - 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM ET /PT
Check out Ed and Rochelle as they bring you a who’s who of Hollywood ‘green living.’

Living With Ed 106 - Ed and Rachelle are living yet another Hollywood dream…in Utah. They have been invited to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. Ed insists on driving the hybrid, but Rachelle wants to arrive in style on a plane. The last-minute trip has the Begleys scrambling to finish a long “to do” list, including Ed’s visit to his environmentally competitive neighbor, Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Living With Ed 201- Ed and Rachelle do a green audit at the Bel Air estate of super model Cheryl Tiegs.

Living With Ed 202 - Ed and Rachelle visit the solar powered mansion of TV legend Larry Hagman.

Living With Ed 203 - Is Jay Leno in hot water? Ed takes a close look at Hollywood pal Jay Leno’s eco-savvy water heater.

Living With Ed 204 - Ed and Rachelle visit the eco-friendly ranch of music legend Jackson Browne.

Living With Ed 206 - “West Wing” actor Bradley Whitford gets a tour of Ed and Rachelle’s eco-friendly home in L.A.It’s Easy Being Green - Special - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET / PT
Fine Living TV brings you this fun guide to adopting a greener way of life…

It’s Easy Being Green, is an entertaining, fun and upbeat look at the growing ‘green’ lifestyle and the latest trends in sustainable goods, services and technologies. Hosted by noted chef, author, and green lifestyle consultant Renee Loux, viewers learn that it’s not about throwing away everything you have and changing your lifestyle dramatically; it’s about infusing your life with options that make sense.

House Hunters - Episode PREMIER 2602 - 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM ET / PT
Eliot and Lauren Stenzel are an environmentally conscious couple who love their current place. However, after visiting Oregon, they fell in love with its coastline, and decided to look for a second home to serve as the perfect, eco - friendly beach retreat. Waterfront property can get pricey, but the Stenzel’s are confident they can find the right place for the right price.

Curb Appeal - Episode 2008 - 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM ET / PT
Watch as we give this homeowner hand with her yard to create a beautiful, eco-friendly outdoor space.

Designed to Sell - Episode 1505 - 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET / PT
Check out these eco-friendly updates for a home’s basement, dining room and backyard that still manage to keep an eye on getting the property sold.

Curb Appeal - Episode 2011 - 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET / PT
Learn how to use indigenous plants to bring eco-friendly elements a home’s exterior and landscape.

Spice Up My Kitchen - Episode 208 - 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET / PT
Check out this ’70s kitchen transformation; ancient appliances and bad wallpaper get an eco-friendly update.

Deserving Design - Episode 209 - 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM ET / PT
Watch host Vern Yip as he helps this couple go green with a fabulous Yoga studio.

HGTV Green Home 2008 - Special - 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET / PT
HGTV and Carter Oosterhouse as giving away more than a home…they’re giving away a lifestyle. Carter’s easy going attitude and ability to give simple eco-friendly tips makes this the perfect opportunity for one lucky viewer to adopt a greener way of life.

Riding on the coattails of HGTV Dream Home 2008, the biggest giveaway on HGTV and in cable, this new eco-friendly home giveaway is sure to be a huge hit with viewers. This new home is earth friendly and totally livable. It’s completely mainstream, and not at all over the top or extreme. It features the latest building technologies and materials so the future homeowners can minimize their impact on the environment without giving up lifestyle. But, the giveaway is much more than a home…we’re giving away a lifestyle. Located near Hilton Head, SC the HGTV Green Home is nestled in a town with 4500 wooded acres and amidst 450 acres of tranquil lakes. With the additional convenience of so much shopping and dining nearby including a major supermarket, homeowners won’t need to drive for miles and struggle with traffic on the highway just to pick up a few “necessities.” Carter’s easy-going attitude and ability to give simple eco-friendly tips makes him the perfect talent for HGTV Green Home 2008.

Carter Can - Episode 111 - 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET / PT
Join Carter as he helps this family get their backyard geared up for a family reunion with an outdoor kitchen and eco-friendly decking.

World’s Most Extreme Homes - Episodes 406 - 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM ET / PT
Check out energy efficient and design forward homes from Ontario, Canada to Lima, Peru.

20 Ways Your Home Can Save the Planet - Special - 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET/ PT
Wrap up your Earth Day with host Chi Lan, one- hour tour that that gives you a taste of all the best green ideas, products and tips that will get your home green and gorgeous without breaking the bank.

             

DUBLIN — There is something missing from this otherwise typical bustling cityscape. There are taxis and buses. There are hip bars and pollution. Every other person is talking into a cellphone. But there are no plastic shopping bags, the ubiquitous symbol of urban life.

In 2002, Ireland passed a tax on plastic bags; customers who want them must now pay 33 cents per bag at the register. There was an advertising awareness campaign. And then something happened that was bigger than the sum of these parts.

Within weeks, plastic bag use dropped 94 percent. Within a year, nearly everyone had bought reusable cloth bags, keeping them in offices and in the backs of cars. Plastic bags were not outlawed, but carrying them became socially unacceptable — on a par with wearing a fur coat or not cleaning up after one’s dog.

“When my roommate brings one in the flat it annoys the hell out of me,” said Edel Egan, a photographer, carrying groceries last week in a red backpack.

Drowning in a sea of plastic bags, countries from China to Australia, cities from San Francisco to New York have in the past year adopted a flurry of laws and regulations to address the problem, so far with mixed success. The New York City Council, for example, in the face of stiff resistance from business interests, passed a measure requiring only that stores that hand out plastic bags take them back for recycling.

But in the parking lot of a Superquinn Market, Ireland’s largest grocery chain, it is clear that the country is well into the post-plastic-bag era. “I used to get half a dozen with every shop. Now I’d never ever buy one,” said Cathal McKeown, 40, a civil servant carrying two large black cloth bags bearing the bright green Superquinn motto. “If I forgot these, I’d just take the cart of groceries and put them loose in the boot of the car, rather than buy a bag.”

Gerry McCartney, 50, a data processor, has also switched to cloth. “The tax is not so much, but it completely changed a very bad habit,” he said. “Now you never see plastic.”

In January almost 42 billion plastic bags were used worldwide, according to reusablebags.com; the figure increases by more than half a million bags every minute. A vast majority are not reused, ending up as waste — in landfills or as litter. Because plastic bags are light and compressible, they constitute only 2 percent of landfill, but since most are not biodegradable, they will remain there.

In a few countries, including Germany, grocers have long charged a nominal fee for plastic bags, and cloth carrier bags are common. But they are the exception.

In the past few months, several countries have announced plans to eliminate the bags. Bangladesh and some African nations have sought to ban them because they clog fragile sewerage systems, creating a health hazard. Starting this summer, China will prohibit sellers from handing out free plastic shopping bags, but the price they should charge is not specified, and there is little capacity for enforcement. Australia says it wants to end free plastic bags by the end of the year, but has not decided how.

Efforts to tax plastic bags have failed in many places because of heated opposition from manufacturers as well as from merchants, who have said a tax would be bad for business. In Britain, Los Angeles and San Francisco, proposed taxes failed to gain political approval, though San Francisco passed a ban last year. Some countries, like Italy, have settled for voluntary participation.

But there were no plastic bag makers in Ireland (most bags here came from China), and a forceful environment minister gave reluctant shopkeepers little wiggle room, making it illegal for them to pay for the bags on behalf of customers. The government collects the tax, which finances environmental enforcement and cleanup programs.

Furthermore, the environment minister told shopkeepers that if they changed from plastic to paper, he would tax those bags, too.

While paper bags, which degrade, are in some ways better for the environment, studies suggest that more greenhouse gases are released in their manufacture and transportation than in the production of plastic bags.

Today, Ireland’s retailers are great promoters of taxing the bags. “I spent many months arguing against this tax with the minister; I thought customers wouldn’t accept it,” said Senator Feargal Quinn, founder of the Superquinn chain. “But I have become a big, big enthusiast.”

Mr. Quinn is also president of EuroCommerce, a group representing six million European retailers. In that capacity, he has encouraged a plastic bag tax in other countries. But members are not buying it. “They say: ‘Oh, no, no. It wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t be acceptable in our country,’ ” Mr. Quinn said.

As nations fail to act decisively, some environmentally conscious chains have moved in with their own policies. Whole Foods Market announced in January that its stores would no longer offer disposable plastic bags, using recycled paper or cloth instead, and many chains are starting to charge customers for plastic bags.

But such ad hoc efforts are unlikely to have the impact of a national tax. Mr. Quinn said that when his Superquinn stores tried a decade ago to charge 1 cent for plastic bags, customers rebelled. He found himself standing at the cash register buying bags for customers with change from his own pocket to prevent them from going elsewhere.

After five years of the plastic bag tax, Ireland has changed the image of cloth bags, a feat advocates hope to achieve in the United States. Vincent Cobb, the president of reusablebags.com, who founded the company four years ago to promote the issue, said: “Using cloth bags has been seen as an extreme act of a crazed environmentalist. We want it to be seen as something a smart, progressive person would carry.”

Some things worked to Ireland’s advantage. Almost all markets are part of chains that are highly computerized, with cash registers that already collect a national sales tax, so adding the bag tax involved a minimum of reprogramming, and there was little room for evasion.

The country also has a young, flexible population that has proved to be a good testing ground for innovation, from cellphone services to nonsmoking laws. Despite these favorable conditions, Ireland still ended up raising the bag tax 50 percent, after officials noted that consumption was rising slightly.

Ireland has moved on with the tax concept, proposing similar taxes on customers for A.T.M. receipts and chewing gum. (The sidewalks of Dublin are dotted with old wads.) The gum tax has been avoided for the time being because the chewing gum giant Wrigley agreed to create a public cleanup fund as an alternative. This year, the government plans to ban conventional light bulbs, making only low-energy, long-life fluorescent bulbs available.

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/world/europe/02bags.html?_r=3&hp=&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

             

A handful of vendors and retailers who’d championed earth-friendly processes and products in the furniture industry for some years found themselves in 2007 surrounded by people singing the same tune. Those pioneers, who all along had been developing “green” product incorporating recycled wood or timber from well-managed forests in case goods, and upholstery using organic fabrics and environment-friendly foams, found themselves on the front end of a wave of companies paying more attention to the environment—at least in word.

How that buzz—spurred by a wave of media attention to the environment over the past year—plays in the long term among consumers (many of whom don’t know yet, or maybe even care, that they have earth-friendly options in home furnishings) will depend heavily on how well or how poorly retailers and vendors handle the issue of “greenwash.”

“Greenwash” refers to slapping a marketing-over-substance label on goods targeted at well-meaning consumers interested in making more environmentally friendly purchases. If bogus “eco-friendly” furniture gets exposed, shoppers (many of whom are jaded by pricing and quality issues, as well an often-negative assessment of their buying experience) could view furniture with a more cynical eye.

A LOT TO CONSIDER. John Billington, CEO of Five Rivers in Boise, Idaho, said retailers seeking out eco-friendly product have to go through their own educational process. A good place to start is talking with suppliers, asking specific questions about where, how and from what their products are made.

About 50 percent of the furniture Five Rivers sells comes from vendors who participate in the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC), of which he’s a founding member. (The store also features jewelry, organic cotton clothing, and lighting and accessories.) He sees the SFC as having a huge role in setting effective, measurable standards for the industry, as well as providing a rallying point for retailers and vendors committed to making sure their operations are as environmentally sensitive as possible. Groups like SFC can provide leadership, but retailers still have to do their own legwork to verify environmental claims about a particular line, and their own operations, Billington said.

“The Sustainable Furniture Council has become a powerhouse in creating a reliable ‘green’ rating system for retailers and consumers by evaluating products and manufacturers’ impact to our global environment,” he said. “It’s sort of like a ‘Green Housekeeping Seal’ of approval.”

The SFC might be an enormous help in raising industry awareness of its environmental impact, but Billington said retailers must gauge their own carbon footprint and make responsible choices for their communities, and do their own homework when it comes to suppliers.

“Ask questions and then tell your customers what you have learned,” he said. With programs such as the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative in place for years now, wood products are a bit simpler to gauge than upholstery in that retailers can look for wood certification from such organizations.

“For sustainable forestry, organizations like the Rainforest Alliance, the Forestry Stewardship Council and Smartwood guide forestry practices toward sustainability,” Billington said. “The impact of these organizations has reached 20 countries and certified over 100 million acres of forests.”

Upholstery, with hidden components such as cushioning, is a more complicated category for retailers to vet.

“You’re seeing a lot more foam cushioning for leather and upholstery that’s eliminating harmful vapors during production and emitted from the product itself,” Billington noted. “There’s little oversight in that regard to my knowledge, and it’s necessary to do your own research.”

Determining whether or not wood in a vendor’s furniture is from responsibly managed forests is the first question retailers looking to get greener should ask, said Tim Loveday, a founder of the Design Green Alliance (formerly Channel Logic), a cooperative effort for sustainable manufacturers to increase their marketplace presence.

The second question to ask is what kind of paints or finishes are used in the manufacturing process? Those questions “are a good start for people to begin with, as most manufacturers haven’t ventured into much more detail for sustainability yet, and the responses won’t be overwhelming for the average retailer,” Loveday said.

Third, retailers might ask about certification programs suppliers participate in; and fourth, ask what makes suppliers eco-friendly. “The third and fourth questions allow manufacturers to give more detail on their sustainable practices within their own organization,” Loveday said. “However, the most important precaution retailers can take (to avoid greenwash) is to train their sales staff on the level of sustainability for each manufacturer. Having the answers to the questions above will keep them out of hot water for now.”

CHALLENGES LOOM. The word about going green is definitely out there for all to hear in furnitureland, but the industry still has a way to go, and Loveday said the development of an online resource guide would assist interested companies in increasing sustainable practices and offer advice from experts, as well as contributions from members of groups such as Design Green Alliance.

Watch for more and larger “Living Green Pavilions” such as the one at Las Vegas Market’s temporary spaces at the MGM Grand—a joint effort of DGA, SFC and Las Vegas Market. That area centers on sustainable furnishings or furniture using wood, cushioning, fabrics and finishing materials that are made from renewable resources.

“Our primary objective is to create larger, more dominant pavilions at the different furniture markets worldwide,” Loveday said. “Part of our services through our Web site will be to have a posting board for (reps) to post ‘products wanted’ and/or manufacturers to post ‘reps wanted.’”

Building a “green” network for reps poses challenges. “No question, the biggest challenge for representatives ‘going green’ is to substantiate their products as truly green,” Loveday said. “Second, mainstream retailers’ number one objection is; ‘If I transition 20 percent of my showroom to eco-friendly products, then how do I sell against the other 80 percent that isn’t?’

“In 2008 our goal is to get the message out that we now cover every category with green products, so retailers can begin transitioning their store to 100-percent eco-friendly products without giving up quality, creativity or design capabilities.”

Diversification of DGA’s participating lines is helping to create a range of environmentally friendly product in all categories for interested retailers.

“I currently have database of over 300 sustainable manufacturers, some with SKUs ranging into the thousands,” Loveday said. “My goal is to take sustainability out of the niche market it currently resides (in), and begin establishing a very strong presence to make our eco-pavilions a destination point for buyers worldwide.”

The industry also has internal issues to work through regarding its environmental approach. Already, the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), whose EFEC program for limiting manufacturers’ environmental impact has made strides, ran afoul of the SFC (AHFA’s a founding member) when it proposed retail tagging for its Sustainable By Design (SBD) program. SFC declined to grant SBD achievers its Silver Exemplary status due in part to what SFC deemed an unacceptable percentage of FSC- or equivalent certified woods in the product in question. At press time that question remains unresolved, but AHFA’s attention to environmental issues is not in question. (See this month’s “Hot Seat” for discussion of the AHFA/SFC situation.)

AHFA and SFC also were in the process of setting up a panel discussion tentatively scheduled to take place at Las Vegas Market.

THE TIPPING POINT. Kevin Tuerff, president and a principal at the Dallas-based environmental marketing consultancy EnviroMedia, said events such as the November United Nations conference on global warming are raising the environment’s profile among consumers, whatever their politics, and that a major resource for furniture was high on the agenda.

“Deforestation was the first- or second-hottest topic there,” said Tuerff, who attended the conference. Tuerff said he’s surprised at the amount of attention environmental issues get these days, and that those serving consumer markets had best be ready to at least answer questions.

“We’ve been in environmental marketing for 11 years, and we never would have predicted what’s happening now,” he said. “‘Tell me what to do’—that’s what consumers are asking now.”

EnviroMedia worked with the University of Oregon to launch a new Web site, greenwashingindex.com, to give consumers the info needed to weigh the green component of their purchase decisions.

Loveday doesn’t believe the furniture retail community has seen its tipping point due to market confusion on “what is considered sustainable.”

“However, we did a test study on a handful of retailers that carried no sustainable furniture products and asked them if they would ‘go green.’ Most were hesitant,” he said. “However, when we rephrased the question and discussed indoor environmental health and the risks associated with standard manufacturing, we saw a completely different level of interest, especially when it came to children’s furniture and bedding.”

Other industries are having success in the environmental movement. For example, The U.S. Green Building Council, (founded by SFC director Mike Italiano), developed a green building rating system through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, to encourage sustainable construction among architects, interior designers and landscape architects.

When it comes to going green, though, it’s important to do your own homework.

“Many eco-friendly organizations have developed over the past two decades to provide guidelines for global ecology,” said Billington. “There are so many products that are eco-friendly today, and so many that claim to be, that it is hard to know who to trust.”

By Powell Slaughter

http://www.hfbusiness.com/story/story.bsp?sid=89696&var=story&publication=Home%20Furnishings%20Business&publicationDate=2/1/08&slug=HFB_0208_cover_greenwash&category=None&section=Unknown&page=1

             

By Rachel Oliver

The problem with technology is by its nature it has to be new, or at least appear so. As a result, our televisions, mobile phones and computers seem ever too frequently out of date.

So we end up replacing them, and the old machines get chucked away. The stuff that gets chucked away is known as e-waste, and it is the fastest growing source of municipal waste on Earth.

At the moment e-waste only represents 5 percent of the world’s municipal waste stream — that represents up to 50 million tons of electronic waste a year, according to Greenpeace — but that number is going to get much bigger. In Europe, e-waste levels are growing at a rate of 3 percent-5 percent a year.

In the developing world, e-waste levels are expected to triple in the next five years as consumers there step on the consumerist bandwagon and spend their newly earned money on electronic gadgets. (By 2010, Greenpeace says there will be 178 million new computer users in China and 80 million new users in India alone.)

To compound this problem, the average amount of time people are hanging on to their gadgets is in freefall. The average lifespan of computers back in 1997 was six years; in 2005 it was only two years, Greenpeace says. And it’s not just PCs that have turned into veritable throwaway items.

A recent article by the UK’s Observer newspaper found that in that country the average lifespan of a mobile phone now is just 18 months, and it calculated that Britons are dumping their phones in favor of new models at a rate of 1,700 every hour.

(The reason for discarding electronics often has nothing to do with flaws in the hardware itself, but more to do with the software that is running the machines. Microsoft’s Vista operating system has been blamed for rendering millions of computers obsolete, for example, by the fact that the machines can’t run on the new system. According to Mother Jones, as much as 95 percent of all household PCs in the UK and one-third of all laptops will need to be replaced should their users install Vista.)

Landfills are a natural destination for these discarded goods. Electronic items sitting in landfills are bad news for the environment generally, one of the more potent risks of leaving them there being they leak and infect groundwater supplies.

Around 40 percent of the heavy metals (such as lead, mercury and cadmium) found in landfills come from electronic waste, according to the Computer Take Back Campaign. Only a small amount of leakage can be hazardous, it argues, pointing out that “just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat”.

Sending electronics to landfills are being strongly discouraged for good reason. And while consumers may have dutifully taken their machines to recyclers, in many countries in the developed world, “recycling” actually means “exporting.” Up to 80 percent of the electronics collected for recycling in the U.S., for example is sent overseas, reports AP.

The eventual destination is Asia. Around 80 percent of global e-waste ends up there, according to the Basel Action Network (BAN). And as much as 90 percent of that ends up in China, illegally (the rest goes to India and Africa), and predominantly in the Pearl River Delta region in the south of the country.

The reason: It saves money. For companies in the developed world, “it’s as much as 10 times cheaper” to export the waste to places such as India than it is to deal with it at home, reports AP, quoting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures.

Dangerous e-waste exports

The town of Guiyu in China’s Guangdong province is, thanks to the media attention it has received over the past few years, probably the best well-known e-waste dumping ground on Earth. It has also come to epitomize the problems associated with this practice.

Guiyu literally now relies on e-waste for its income: 80 percent of its 132,000 inhabitants work in the e-waste recovery industry, according to the China Economic Review. But it’s not exactly a great arrangement. People use their hands to disassemble the machines; they extract the materials they need using health-harming methods such as open burning, which emit a variety of toxins into the air; they throw the stuff they can’t sell into the river.

Their naked exposure to toxic chemicals has resulted in the fact that around 80 percent of all children in the village now have lead poisoning, and that the level of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants are 16,000 times higher in Guiyu than they should be, according to Green Left Weekly. (While the affect of PBDEs have not been tested on humans, PBDEs have been found to “impair attention, learning, memory, and behavior in laboratory animals at surprisingly low levels”, according to the Washington-based Environmental Working Group)

There are international laws that forbid the export of hazardous waste, including e-waste, notably The Basel Convention, which has been in force since 1992. China is a signatory to the Convention. It has also ratified it. (The only notable country that hasn’t ratified it is the United States)

There are also specific laws in the European Union which prohibit exporting e-waste to developing nations. But the developed world still manages to ship its e-waste to the developing world using labels of charitable donations and reuse programs.

India, which bans the importation of e-waste, is the latest emerging market to enter the e-waste trade. In six months alone, this year 600 tons of e-waste entered the country, reports Treehugger.com — “under the guise of charitable or re-usable materials, all duty free.”

Aside environmental and health risks, there are other arguments for fixing the e-waste trade. Electronics are full of precious metals like gold, palladium and silver, and the act of trashing them is putting a strain on supplies. And that has a notable knock-on effect: prices for them are going up.

According to the UN StEP program, which aims to standardize the recycling of e-waste globally, the price of Indium (used in more than one billion products annually, like flat-screen monitors and mobile phones) has “increased six-fold” in the last 5 years; the cost of Bismuth (used in hard disk drives) has doubled since 2005; and the price of Ruthenium (used in hard disk drives) has gone up “by a factor of seven” in less than two years.

Improving efficiency

Electronics are incredibly resource-inefficient. According to a United Nations university study, an average 24-kilograms (53-pound) desktop computer and monitor takes 10 times its own weight in fossil fuels to make, StEP says. (As a point of comparison, a car only requires one to two times its weight in fossil fuels to build). It also requires 1,500 kg (3,330 pounds) of water and 22 kg (50 pounds) of chemicals. One mobile phone meanwhile, according to the Observer, requires 2 kilograms’ worth of materials such as nickel, plastics, lead, lithium, tin and mercury.

These price hikes, however, should not intimidate the electronics industry too much. The trade in information and communications technologies (ICT) yields not billions but trillions of dollars every year. In 2004 alone, quoting OECD figures, StEP says the global ICT trade made a cool $1.9 trillion, representing 7.7 percent of gross world product and 4 percent of U.S. GDP.

While the electronics industry may be able to pay higher prices, it is debatable whether the consumer will do so. Other options are workable domestic recycling programs or using less harmful materials to manufacture electronics.

Technology companies such as Sony and Dell have traditionally come under fire from environmentalists arguing that they would not implement recycling programs for their own products in the U.S. (which doesn’t oblige them to) while doing so in the EU (which does). That should change with Sony’s recent decision to open recycling centers across the U.S., where it will even accept competitors’ products for a fee.

The other option is to make electronics more eco-friendly. A U.S. study conducted by the Green Electronics Council (GEC) has recently argued that the act of consumers switching to “green computers” actually did have a significant impact on the environment, reports CSRWire.

The study looked at the impact of an industry standard known as the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), which ranks IT products based on, among other things, their level of environmentally contentious materials such as mercury, lead, PVC and cadmium. During a six-month period last year, around 36.5 million EPEAT-registered desktops laptops and monitors, worldwide were sold by 21 manufacturers, representing 575 different product types.

The impact of those sales, according to GEC, was good news for the environment because it saved:

13.7 billion kWh of electricity, enough to power 1.2 million U.S. homes for 1 year;

24.4 million metric tons of materials;

1.07 million tons of global warming gases, the equivalent of removing 852,000 cars from the road for 1 year;

118,000 metric tons of water pollution;

1,070 metric tons of toxic material usage;

41,100 metric tons of hazardous waste.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/12/03/eco.ewaste/

             

IF YOU’RE DREAMING of a white Christmas you’re in the minority this year. “Green” is the preference for 71% of consumers, who say they plan to buy eco-friendly or energy-efficient products when possible this holiday season, according to a survey by price-comparison search engine PriceGrabber.com. Beyond a desire to save the planet, these consumers are motivated in part by escalating fuel prices, which are projected to increase U.S. household heating costs by an average of 10%, according to the Energy Information Administration.

But those same skyrocketing energy costs that increase the appeal of, say, a 15%-more-efficient Energy Star furnace, are also making it tough to stomach the premium price tags such eco-friendly goods often carry. Why shell out $65 for Levi’s jeans made with organic cotton, for example, when the brand’s conventional versions start at $48?

With careful shopping and a few energy-saving measures, you can go green this winter without busting your holiday budget. Consider these simple switches for common seasonal expenses:

Christmas Trees

Some 32.8 million Americans buy real trees each holiday season, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, a grower’s group. If you’re among them, celebrate the fact that a real tree is the more eco-friendly choice. “It’s a lot more environmentally sound than a fake one, which is made from petroleum,” says Deborah Gangloff, executive director of conservation group, American Forests. Real trees also offset greenhouse gas emissions during the decade or so they grow on farms, and as a crop, new trees are planted to replace each harvested. If the use of pesticides bothers you, you can even find an organic-farmed tree.

Once the needles start littering the carpet and it’s time to dispose of your tree, find a local recycling program through your county or city environmental department. Jefferson Parish, La., sinks bundles of donated trees to protect marshland from erosion, while Cook County, Ill., uses them as a nesting habitat for herons and egrets. Plenty of areas also mulch the trees for use in local parks.

Real trees can be economical, too. A six-foot Blue Spruce is just $20 at the Bees, Fleas and Trees farm in Litchfield, Conn., or $15 at Juneau’s Christmas Trees & Reindeer Farm in Foster City, Mich. Meanwhile, a lifelike 6-foot-5-inch artificial version from specialist Balsam Hill goes for $259. Sure, a good-quality artificial tree will last for years, but once thrown out, they won’t biodegrade in the landfill, says Gangloff. (Click here for tips on which type of tree you should buy.)

Fireplace

Use your fireplace incorrectly, and you might as well be burning logs of greenbacks. “Fireplaces tend to draw more warm air out of the room than they provide,” says Jennifer Thorne Amann, a senior associate with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “It all gets sucked out the chimney.” To avoid watching your energy bills go up in smoke, turn down the heat when you set the blaze. Close off the room if possible to limit heat loss in the rest of the house. And remember to close the damper once the fire goes out. Otherwise, you’ll be losing your pricey heated air around the clock.

Gift Wrap

Americans accumulate 25% more garbage between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than they do during the rest of the year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Filling up the trash cans are the boxes, wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue paper, cards and envelopes that are all too familiar during the holidays. Reducing your expense and waste is possible, though — even if you’re not willing to resort to the standard advice of saving every scrap of wrapping paper for next year, says Constance Richards, author of “Creative Giftwraps.” “Using things that don’t need to be thrown out is the ideal,” she says. Gift bags are the obvious choice; especially if you’ve saved ones gifted to you in previous years. Bought new, you’ll need to weigh the cost-effectiveness: Will the items you stuff in a $1 bag use up at least one-third of a $3 wrapping paper roll? Lessen the hit with a trip to the dollar store, where gift bags are often two or three for a buck.

A more earth-friendly option is to forgo wrapping paper altogether and use part of the gift itself as wrapping. Stash DVDs in a big decorative bowl, for example, or place assorted beauty products in a traveling case. Or, just wrap with items that you would have thrown out anyway, advises Richards. Newspaper is the classic no-frills wrapping choice, but she also likes maps and glossy magazine pages, which are a little more offbeat and eye-catching.

Holiday Lights

Deck the halls with strings of LED lights instead of the standard incandescent bulbs, and you could cut the holiday light portion of your electric bill by a whopping 90%. One 300-bulb string of LED lights will cost of just 47 cents for the whole season, assuming you have them lit five hours a day for 45 days, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In comparison, lighting the same length string of incandescent bulbs would cost $4.92. You will pay slightly more in upfront costs, however. At specialty retailer 1000Bulbs.com, a 70-light string of multicolored mini LED lights is $14.31, while a 100-count string of the incandescent version is $9.04. But because LED bulbs last up to 100,000 hours and are much hardier than their incandescent counterparts, you’ll spend less cash — and time — over the long run replacing or repairing defunct strings, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy.

To help cover the upfront cost of LED lights, look for rebates through your local utility company. The Maine Public Utilities Commission offers consumers a $1.50 coupon per string of LED lights, while Anaheim Public Utilities in California offers $10 and $20 gift cards for Starbucks, Borders or Home Depot, based on the number of bulbs you buy.

Presents

If you’re on the hunt for eco-friendly presents, try specialty search engines Shop Green with Price Grabber and The Find Green. Both scour the web for the lowest prices on green items. Preset categories can help narrow your choices or offer eco-friendly options you might not have thought of, like organic lipstick ($20 for Cargo’s Plant Love line) and wine ($14.95 for Frey Vineyards 2005 organic pinot noir).

Turkey

Looking for one holiday splurge? Try an organic turkey, advises Kristi Weidemann, a spokeswoman for Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices. Poultry is one of the organic foods that offers the most value for your buck, according to the Environmental Working Group. The birds are raised without the aid of antibiotics or growth hormones, and consume feed that was itself grown without pesticides or other chemicals. But it’s not without a heftier price tag. At Safeway, for example, the store-brand conventional frozen turkey goes for $1.19 per pound, while its organic counterpart costs $2.69 per pound. For a 16-pound bird, that’s an extra $24. To cut your costs, stick with a USDA-certified organic bird. Labels that indicate free-range, certified humane or heritage breed — although desirable — add to the cost. (Click here for more tips on buying organic foods.)

By Kelli B. Grant

http://www.smartmoney.com/dealoftheday/index.cfm?story=20071128

             

Product claims of being friendly for the environment often not what they seem

By Alex Breitler

 

So you want to save the planet this holiday shopping season, but you’re perplexed by a plethora of products:

“Green,” gloats one label. “Environmentally friendly,” flaunts another. “Nontoxic,” trumpets a third.

What isn’t green these days?

So what’s a shopper to do?

The Federal Trade Commission has set standards to discourage greenwashing.

• Look for labels that signify certification by independent third parties like EcoLogo or Green Seal. (See www.ecologo.org or www.greenseal.org. )

• Ask questions in an attempt to uncover any of the six sins.

• Remember that there are no perfectly “green” products, only those that are greener than others.

• The California Department of Conservation sponsors an online Green Gift Guide listing products made from recycled goods. Check it out at www.greengiftguide.com..

One study by a Canadian-based marketing firm suggests that most of the goods on your gift list - and much of the regular stuff you buy year-round - isn’t as Earth-friendly as their makers claim.

Of the 1,018 products analyzed at a half-dozen big-box stores, all but one “made claims that are demonstrably false or that risk misleading intended audiences,” says the report by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing.

“Some are accurate, certified and verifiable, while others are just plain fibbing to sell products,” said company President Scott McDougall.

And so it came to pass that the company this month published the six sins of “Greenwashing,” as follows:

The sin of the hidden trade-off

Your new printer says it’s energy efficient, but is it compatible with recycled paper or toner cartridges? Does it contain hazardous materials that would harm the environment?

More than half of the sampled products had hidden trade-offs, the survey found. They boast a pretty nose while carefully concealing acne.

The end result? A greener image of the product than closer study would suggest.

PRODUCTS FOUND: Paper, lumber, insulation, office technology, detergents, air fresheners, cleaners and pesticides.

The sin of no proof

A lamp carries a tag claiming it is energy efficient but offers no evidence.

More details of a product’s claims should be available at the store or on the product’s Web site. Yet more than a quarter of the products researchers encountered offered no such information.

PRODUCTS FOUND: Lamps and lights, shampoo and conditioner, facial tissues and paper towels.

The sin of vagueness

The hair mousse says it’s “natural.” So is arsenic.

Garden insecticides claim to be “chemical-free.” But researchers note even water is a chemical. More than 10 percent of the products checked made vague claims that are “utterly meaningless.”

PRODUCTS FOUND: Insecticides, hair products, kitchen wax paper, household cleaners.

The sin of irrelevance

Some green claims may be true, but they don’t tell us much about how this particular product can be distinguished from the one next to it.

A can of shaving gel may be labeled as being “CFC-free.” Chlorofluorocarbons, when released to the upper atmosphere, can burn through the ozone layer, the Environmental Protection Agency says. But they’ve been banned for nearly three decades.

So everything on the store shelf should be “CFC-free.” This is hardly a “green” attribute by today’s standard.

PRODUCTS FOUND: Gels, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides.

The sin of lesser of two evils

Wanna smoke? Cigarettes rolled with organic tobacco are a “greener” choice.

But the benefits gained from using organic rather than traditional tobacco hardly outweigh the larger risks from smoking in general, including personal health and secondhand smoke, the researchers say.

The sin of fibbing

To be fair, only a few of the products tested outright lied, the researchers said.

Most of them - shampoos, a caulking product and detergent - claimed to be certified through watchdog agencies, but they in fact were not.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/A_NEWS/711290331

             

Want to know how you can reduce your carbon footprint and be more ecologically friendly as a family? As part of the Western Mail’s Environment Month, Friends of the Earth Cymru have come up with a 60-point guide to going green

AT HOME
The global warming carbon emissions we produce from our homes account for a massive 25% of total emissions in the UK. So everything we can do to reduce this will help

1. Just boil the amount of water you need for one cup of tea, rather than half a kettle full and save cash with each cuppa.

2. Use a lid on saucepans. In this way you’re saving energy and money with every meal.

3. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs. They cost a little more, but save up to 10 times the price over their lifetime and use at least two-thirds less energy than standard bulbs.

4. Turn off appliances. Switch off PCs and TVs when not in use. And never leave them on standby – appliances on standby wastes at least 6% of domestic electricity use in the UK.

5. Make sure your hot-water tank is dressed correctly. A British Standard lagging jacket costs £10 and the insulation for the pipe leading to the hot-water tank from the boiler costs £3 a metre. The yearly saving on your bill? Up to £20.

6. Produce your own energy by installing small-scale renewable energy systems, such as solar panels or wind turbines. Grants are available from the Low Carbon Building Programme. See www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk if you’d like to find out more.

7. Save water. Did you know that having a shower instead of a bath can save about 40 litres of water? But avoid power showers as they can use more water than baths. Install spray taps for new sinks, as they use less water than normal taps.

8. Do all you can when it comes to household recycling. If you have a collection service – use it! Go to www.recyclenow.com for lots of information on recycling in your area.

9. Avoid disposable batteries and use rechargeable ones. You can even use a solar-powered recharger – try www.naturalcollection.com for eco-gadgets.

10. Recycle mobile phones and printer cartridges. If you really need that new phone, find a home for the old one. Recycle through your local Oxfam shop or call ActionAidRecycling on 0845 3100 200.

11. Most high-street opticians will take your old glasses to give to people in need around the world.

12. Only print when absolutely necessary. If you do print, use both sides of the paper.

13. Candlelit dinners are not just for the romantics. Inside and out, try leaving the lights off to save electricity. Citronella or beeswax candles will also keep insects away.

14. Try a local grocer or a vegetable box delivery scheme instead of highly-packaged supermarket goods.

15. Buy refills. Using refills saves you money on the products you use in large quantities like laundry and dish-washing detergents.

16. Glass bottles can be re-used as many as 20 times. So use your milkman!

17. Buy green kitchen appliances. Choose fridges and washing machines which have the highest energy rating and the longest guarantees.

18. Close the fridge door. Each minute the fridge door is open takes three minutes of energy to cool down again. And don’t put hot or warm food straight into the fridge – allow it to cool down first.

19. Defrost your fridge regularly. It keeps it running efficiently and cheaply. If your fridge seems to frost up quickly, check the door seal.

20. Keep your freezer in a cool room or garage. It won’t need to work as hard, and so uses less energy.

21. Wash at low temperatures. Wash laundry loads on the low-temperature programme.

22. Dry your clothes outside. Use a washing line whenever it’s not raining, and you can enjoy the fresh smell that only comes from line-dried clothes.

23. Don’t dry clothes on a radiator. It stops heat reaching the room, creates damp and encourages mould.

IN THE GARDEN
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, there’s so much more you can do. Growing your own veg, making compost, helping wildlife and avoiding nasty chemicals can all help create a green haven just outside your door

24. Avoid energy-hungry patio-heaters. There are 2.3 million domestic patio heaters in the UK. Every one of them uses twice as much energy as a kitchen hob. For those evenings in the garden when it gets a little chilly, put a jumper on.

25. Collect rain water in water butts for using in the garden. A garden sprinkler uses as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day.

26. Make your own compost. Almost one third of our domestic waste could be composted, but ends up in landfill. Shop-bought compost for the garden costs about £2.50 for 20 litres. A heap in your back garden is absolutely free.

27. Get your children into gardening. Give them their own little veg patch and enjoy the cheap food. A bunch of radishes costs about 45p. A packet of 1,000 radish seeds costs about £1.

28. Grow hedges. For £25, you can buy 50 hedge plants that will give you 10m of thick hedge. Takes time to grow, but a lot nicer than a typical fencing panel which costs £25 for just under 2m, excluding the cost of posts and concrete, and wildlife and birds will love you for it.

29. Go peat-free. Avoiding peat-based composts means stopping the destruction of our peat bogs, which are invaluable habitats for a wealth of wildlife.

OUT AND ABOUT
Going green doesn’t need to stop once you leave your front door

30. Use the car less. Cycle or walk instead and get some exercise. The average cost of a gym session is around £3.80, but the cost of pedalling fast to work is nothing.

31. Stick to 70mph where it says so – or keep under it. Not only is it illegal when you go over, but fuel costs can go up by as much as 4p a mile for small cars cruising at 80-85 mph on the motorway. According to the Slower Speeds Initiative, driving at 50mph instead of 70mph can reduce fuel consumption by a further 30%.

32. Use retreaded car tyres. You don’t need to always buy new. For more info, contact the Retread Manufacturers Association.

33. Start a walking bus group. Get the kids to class without having to do the school run twice a day.

34. Become a skipoholic. Rather than spend, spend, spend at the DIY store, look out for usable materials in local skips. Ask the owner of the contents before taking from any skips.

35. Libraries don’t just loan books. Lots of them hire out music cassettes and CDs, movie videos and DVDs, and even PlayStation games. Use your library to save yourself the cost of building up your own collection.

36. Shopping locally will cut out food miles and support your local economy. Large out-of-town supermarkets are driving the smaller local shops out of business so support your local shops and help the environment too.

37. Re-discover your local area. Holiday nearer home to avoid excessive travelling. You’ll be supporting the local economy, and discover a new appreciation for your area.

38. Avoid flying. It’s easy to get to anywhere in Europe by train. One call to Rail Europe on 0870 8371 371 will tell you all you need.

SAVE CASH AND SAVE THE PLANET

If you think going green is just for those who can afford it, think again. Lots of what you can do that’s good for the planet is good for your wallet too

39. Carry out a financial health check. Could your money be doing better financially and ethically? You could be banking with an ethical institution and getting as good a deal or better.

40. Do you really need it? Buy less and avoid waste. You can then spend more on things which you really need, and buy quality that will last.

41. Babies don’t need special baby food, especially not at up to a pound a jar. Buy a hand-held blender for £5 and purée ordinary, UK-grown organic food, such as potato, carrot, cauliflower and pear.

42. Give your time. Rather than searching for a present that may never be used, you could help with decorating, gardening or a big clear-out.

43. Cut the cost of cleaning. Add lemon juice (59p for 250 ml), soda crystals (51p a kilo) and bicarbonate of soda (44p for 200g) to your shopping basket to get your taps sparkling, dissolve grease, and shift stains on your work surfaces. All for £1.54.

44. Banish aerosols. Air fresheners fill your home with a toxic soup. Avoid wasting money and open a window instead.

45. Ditch disposable nappies. Switch to reusables. This could save you up to £600 in total. A set of 10 reusable nappies with simple Velcro fasteners costs about £70 new.

46. Save energy, save money. Use less energy in your home by improving insulation, draught-proofing, heating controls etc. Call the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012 for free advice.

47. Pack your own lunch. Making your own sandwiches instead of buying over-packaged snacks could save you more than £4 a day.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

There’s only so much that each of use can do in our daily lives. But there’s a lot more that our politicians can do that affects us all. Make sure the Government knows that you want a greener Wales

48. Campaign. Take part in letter writing campaigns, postcard campaigns, petitions, online actions – it does make a difference, honest!

49. Demand strong leadership on climate change. We need strong leaders to take tough decisions and come up with creative solutions. If Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ken Livingstone can do it, you can too, Rhodri Morgan.

50. Educate and inform. Ask the Welsh Assembly Government to launch a high-profile awareness raising campaign to improve understanding of climate change and the many solutions we can implement to reduce its impact.

51. Demand they spend our money wisely. The Assembly Government should move some of the expenditure from roads (50% of Welsh transport budget at present) to support better public transport, cycling and walking schemes.

52. Email you MP now. Ask your MP to take strong action on climate change by emailing them at www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/email_mp.

GET TOGETHER

If there’s so much that each of us can do alone, there’s so much more we can achieve if we work as one

53. Join a Friends of the Earth local group. If you want to do more for the environment both locally and globally, join one of Friends of the Earth’s many local groups around Wales. For information on your nearest group phone 029 2022 9577 or visit www.foe.co.uk/cymru/english/local_groups.

54. Have a clothes swapping party. Get together with you friends and swap clothes. This way you can get a whole new wardrobe for nothing and save the planet too!

55. Use your affiliations to magnify your input. As an employee, a union member, or a member of a club or society you’ll have more influence, so encourage your organisation to make itself heard.

56. Make your town a Transition Town. The transition network is all about people taking control of their own communities, and making a difference by working together. Find out more at www.transitiontowns.org.

57. Join ‘Cymruaction’ at www.foe.co.uk/cymru/english/press_for_change/mailing_list and become part of a powerful email campaign to protect the environment of Wales.

58. Share transport. Get together with work friends to car share.

59. Share tools and DIY equipment. Does every house in your street need a £70 lawnmower, a folding workbench for £30, and a steam cleaner at £100? Share with your neighbours, and it’ll do wonders for your community spirit too.

60. Join Friends of the Earth’s Big Ask Online March. Film yourself on a digital camera or a mobile phone and upload it at www.thebigask.com, and you’ll be joining Welsh luminaries Cerys Matthews, Goldie Lookin Chain and Huw Stephens and many others in asking the Government for a really strong climate change law. Or go along to The Point tonight at the Cardiff Swn Festival, where you can visit Friends of the Earth Cymru’s video stall and they’ll do the filming for you.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/feature-news/2007/11/10/60-ways-to-go-green-91466-20082759/

             

Defining the terms for environmentally friendly life Being “green” means being aware of your responsibility to the environment and to the community. Here are other common green terms and their meanings:

Organic: Organic food is produced by farmers who place an emphasis on renewable resources and soil and water conservation, and use minimal pesticides as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. The USDA sets the standards for being able to label products “organic.” Visit www.ams.usda.gov/nop for more information.

Fair Trade: Fair Trade helps family farmers in developing countries gain direct access to international markets, allowing them to compete fairly and receive a fair price. This also deters cost-cutting practices that diminish quality. Look for the fair trade certification on products, and visit www.transfairusa.org for information.

Shade grown: If you buy Fair Trade-certified coffee, tea and chocolate, it is usually shade-grown. This means that the products you buy provide shelter for migratory birds and help reduce global warming.

Sustainable: A method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.

Biodegradable: The product has the ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means, into raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment.

Erin Wade

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/home/ideaarchive/stories/092007dnlivgreenglossary_0923liv.f209634e.html