Kitchen / Outdoor - Perf Go Green Recycled Plastic Bags

The annoying thing about repetition is that it can make even the most sensible advice seem trite.

Such is the sad fate of the environmentalist creed: "Take only photographs; leave only footprints."

It's pretty much impossible to live by that saying, but it's a good aspiration. It's certainly much better than the current human reality of take lots of natural resources, leave 500 billion plastic bags lying around (according to AlterNet).

That's why 1GreenProduct.com will try to identify and share alternatives to traditional bags that may take centuries to decompose.

A few weeks ago, we brought you a review of biodegradable, compostable BioBags.

Today we present Perf Go Green biodegradable plastic bags.

Available in 13-gallon and 30-gallon sizes (as well as drop cloth, kitty litter and doggie duty versions), Perf Go Green claims several shades of greenness:

- First, the bags themselves are apparently made from recycled plastic. That's great since every product that incorporates recycled plastic helps keep plastics out of landfills and creates a market that encourages more recycling.

- Second, Perf Go Green claims that its bags totally biodegrade within 2 years in a landfill environment. Apparently when the bags are exposed to oxygen, moisture and microrganisms, they decompose into simple natural materials. (The bags were apparently tested according to this standard.)

- Third, the Perf Go Green bags supposedly leave zero toxins behind after they biodegrade. A Perf Go Green representative says the bags break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass.

FYI, Perf Go Green bags come in a box made of 100% recycled paperboard. The box works like a tissue dispenser. The adhesive strip on the bottom of the box secures the dispenser to the inside of your trash can. I suppose that could save some valuable kitchen shelf space...

We weren't able to sit in a landfill for two years and wait to see if the bags really decompose. But we can vouch first-hand for the strength of Perf Go Green. We used a highly unscientific 'pull test' and discovered that these bags seem capable of hauling some serious trash. Hopefully they'll be just as good at having a breakdown a couple years later.

Where to buy:
Both the 13-gallon (MSRP $4.80) and 30-gallon ($7.35 MSRP) Perf Go Green bags contain a dozen bags per box. Buy them online at Amazon.com or Drugstore.com. 

Outdoors / Home - LightCap200

I've got to admit that I love solar products. But solar promises don't always match up to solar hype.

That's why it's so exciting to find a smart solar product that works even better than I had expected.

The LightCap200 from SolLight turns standard water bottles into solar-powered lanterns.

Weighing just 2.6 ounces, the LightCap fits any bottle with a 2-inch wide mouth, including those from Nalgene®, Camelbak® and GSI®.

The LightCap200 uses four SuperBright™ LEDs housed in a reflective-lens system intended to magnify their brilliance. SolLight says the LEDs should last for 50,000 hours. The lights and all electronics are sealed within the cap so that they won't come in contact with whatever you've got sloshing around in your water bottle.

I've got to admit that I don't actually have one of the water bottles that the LightCap200 has been designed to fit. So I did an improvised test by just placing the LightCap200 on top of a tall glass of water.

The LightCap200 performed splendidly in the test conditions, filling the glass with a beautiful white glow. It didn't exactly make the room blindingly bright, but it definitely gave off enough light to read by (provided that the book is held quite close to the bottle/glass).

I loved the versatility and toughness of the product. A built in retaining ring on the camp lets you suspend your bottle lantern from a tree limb or hook to cast light from a higher vantage point. (Obviously I couldn't try this feature for myself since the lid wouldn't screw onto a drinking glass.)

You can also use the LightCap as a flashlight if you like simply by cupping the lid in the palm of your hand.

The LightCap200 has a sealed push-button on/off switch -- but it also has a built in light sensor that automatically turns off the LightCap200 whenever there's enough light for charging. If you leave the switch on, the LightCap will automatically turn on when the sun goes down and turn itself off at sunrise. (Although with a maximum charge of 6-8 hours, the LightCap will probably fade to black before the end of most nights...)

The friendly instructions for the LightCap200 explain that the cap is guaranteed against failure due to manufacturer defects for 'one earth year' (that's about 1.63 Venusian years, fyi). I love the informality of the warranty. If the cap breaks, you don't have to hunt for your receipt. You can just send back the defective cap and SolLight says they'll send you a free replacement.

Friendly manufacturer + cool Green solar product = a strong 1GreenProduct.com recommendation.

(By the way, if you test your LightCap200 indoors like I did, fully charge it and then remember the room must be dark for the LightCap200 to shine. I thought the product was broken until I remembered to switch off the light and - bingo! - the LightCap200 came on instantaneously. It was a real d'oh! moment.)

Where to buy:

Order your LightCap200 ($19.95) online at SolLight's website or find a store near you using Sollight's Dealers page. [Note that not all dealers carry every Sollight product, so you might want to call before making a trip to the store to make sure the dealer has the LightCap200 on hand.]

Home - Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent

I believe that most people want to live Greener, but we don't want to sacrifice our standards of living. That's why it's always nice to see a new product that's affordable, eco-friendly and performs just as well as conventional products.

Case in point - Purex® Natural Elements Laundry Detergent. What do we like? How about:

- 100% natural cleaning ingredients, such as surfactants based on palm and coconuts.
- Natural fragrance extracts (used in combination to create luscious scents like Apple & Melon)
- Ultra Concentrate formula that lets you wash a full load of laundry with half the liquid of a traditional detergent. Less product = less waste
- Biodegradable formula derived from sustainable and renewable resources
- Hypoallergenic and free of dyes
- Bottle that is not only recyclable (#2 HDPE), but also made from at least 25% post-consumer materials

So does it work? We didn't have any crazy dirty socks in our three loads of test laundry, but Purex Natural Elements certainly seemed to do a fine job of cleaning our usual load of washables. Clothes came out smelling fresh and looking refreshed -- no small feat in our building's industrial strength washers and dryers.

We love companies that price their Green products gently. Purex Natural Elements won't bust your budget. The 50-ounce bottle (good for 32 loads) has a MSRP of just $3.49, while the 100-ounce bottle (64 loads, natch) carries a $6.99 MSRP. (If you're willing to provide your e-mail address and receive an electronic newsletter, Purex will even give you a coupon to cut the cost further.)

Note - Just want to give a shout out to The Budget Ecoist, where I first heard about Purex Natural Elements and got inspired to do a little testing of my own...

Where to buy:
You can find Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent at Wal-Mart and other grocery and mass retailers coast-to-coast.

Fashion - Lela Designs

[Note - As of this week, 1GreenProduct.com will adopt a new schedule of publishing reviews on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We may occasionally supplement this regular schedule with Tuesday or Thursday reports if we come across an exciting product that we feel deserves your immediate attention. Although we had originally intended to publish every weekday, a daily schedule proved a bit too demanding for this one-man show. We hope that the quality and in-depth nature of our reviews compensates for this newly abbreviated schedule.  Thank you for your continued support and readership. Now -- on with the review! - Aaron Dalton, 1GreenProduct.com]

We admire Lela Designs for choosing to make its "eco-luxury" line of lifestyle clothing using environmentally-friendly fabrics like bamboo, organic cotton and recycled PET soda bottles.

Not only are these fabrics good for the planet, we can also testify first-hand (at least about bamboo and organic cotton) that they feel great on the skin.

We also love the fact that Lela donates a portion of each sale to Camfed (The Campaign for Female Eduation), one of our favorite nonprofits, dedicated to fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa by educating girls.

85% of Lela's Fall 2008 designs incorporate eco-friendly or certified organic cotton fabrics. Many of these feminine, sophisticated and sporty designs are very flattering to athletic figures. (Some of the top golfers in the LPGA wear Lela Designs outfits on the course.)

Manufactured in Canada, Lela Designs clothing seems to be high quality with cute details like fair trade sterling silver zip pulls and rhinestone buttons. The crystal LELA logo adds a touch of glam. We had a chance to look at the 94% organic cotton Bahati Polo firsthand and found the fit and finish to both be impressive.

Kudos to Lela Designs for creating a sexy yet functional collection of green clothing. We do wish that the prices (tops $70-120, bottoms $90-130, jackets $110-250) were a bit more affordable, but then again, it's better from both a style and environmental perspective to have a few beautiful pieces of clothing rather than an overstuffed closet.

Where to buy:
Visit this Store Locator webpage for information on stores in Canada and the U.S. that carry Lela Designs clothing. Prefer to buy online? Lela Designs is scheduled to launch the e-commerce portion of its website tomorrow. 

1GreenProduct.com added to Alltop!

We're honored, flabbergasted and generally gobsmacked to announce that 1GreenProduct.com has just been added to Alltop's Green page.

What? You're not already familiar with Alltop? Here's what they have to say for themselves:

We help you explore your passions by collecting stories from “all the top” sites on the web. We’ve grouped these collections — “aggregations” — into individual Alltop sites based on topics such as environment, photography, science, Muslim, celebrity gossip, military, fashion, gaming, sports, politics, automobiles, and Macintosh. At each Alltop site, we display the headlines of the latest stories from dozens of sites and blogs.

You can think of an Alltop site as a “digital magazine rack” of the Internet. To be clear, Alltop sites are starting points—they are not destinations per se. The bottom line is that we are trying to enhance your online reading by both displaying stories from the sites that you’re already visiting and helping you discover sites that you didn’t know existed.

Of course, you already knew that we existed. When the Alltop crowds come pouring in, you can take pride in knowing that you were ahead of the game. But remember to be welcoming, because there's plenty of Green space for everyone to comment.

Meanwhile, this is probably a good time to announce to make a stealthy announcement that 1GreenProduct.com will soon be running start running contests to give away some of the great Green products that we feature on our site.

No purchase will be necessary to participate in these contests. All you'll have to do is sign up for an e-mail subscription to 1GreenProduct.com. All active members of the mailing list will be eligible to win the contest giveaways. Stay tuned for complete rules and the first giveaway, which we hope to organize within the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, thanks for reading. And if you have any suggestions for improvement, comments, compliments, effusive praise or just want to give us a shout out, please use the 'Send us a message!' link on the right side of the page. We'd love to hear from you.

Home - Wicks n’ More Elite Essentials Candles

One thing is clear - candlelight casts a beautiful light.

But not all candles are equally eco-friendly.

In fact, according to the National Candle Association, Paraffin is "by far the most frequently used candle wax on a worldwide basis today."

Paraffin wax comes from petroleum. More specifically, the online Encyclopedia Britannica explains that paraffin wax is "obtained from petroleum by dewaxing light lubricating oil stocks."

If you don't like the idea of burning petroleum-derivative candles in your bedroom, consider the recently introduced line of Elite Essentials candles from Wicks n' More.

Made with 100% sustainable and renewable Palm Oil wax, Elite Essentials candles are available in six different essential oil-infused varieties:

• Citrus and Thyme
• Lavender Balsam
• Wild Mint and Orange
• Kaffir Lime and Tangerine
• Lemon Verbena
• and Peppermint Eucalyptus

Elite Essentials candles also have 100% cotton wicks and are made in the U.S.A. A portion of the purchase price from every Elite Essentials candle goes to Sustainable Harvest International - an organization that works to prevent deforestation in Central America.

Wikipedia has an extensive overview on palm oil, which is not only used in food products, but also in soaps and recently as a biofuel feedstock. From Wicks n' More's perspective, palm oil is a great renewable and sustainable resource. The company says it's possible to extract three times more palm oil than soy oil (another ingredient sometimes used in candle making) on a per-acre basis.

On the other hand, as Wikipedia points out, the rapid growth of palm oil plantations has created great concern in some quarters that rainforests are being cut down to plant more palm trees and that biodiversity is thus lost in the process.

One encouraging sign is that major food and personal care companies like Unilever are apparently trying to ensure that their palm oil comes from sustainable sources.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Elite Essentials candles look great. The off-white color of the candles showcases the crystalline texture of palm wax. Once you blow out the candle after letting it burn a little while, you'll see what looks like a little pile of crystals where the melted wax had pooled. The candles burn basically smoke-free with a steady, strong flame and a gentle scent. (Some people might wish for a bit stronger scent, while others will appreciate the subtlety.)

Note - After a couple weeks of intermittent testing, we had a slight 'meltdown' two nights ago. I don't have a heck of a lot of experience with large candles, so I'll rely on other candle afficionados to tell me if this is normal, but as the Elite Essentials candle burns down in the middle, it leaves a circular 'wall' of wax along the periphery. Well, that wall cracked a bit and spilled a little river of wax onto the plate we were using as a makeshift candleholder. No big deal. We cleaned up the wax pretty easily and then broke away the wall yesterday morning so that the candle once more has a flat surface on top. Other candle neophytes should be aware of this issue. And perhaps candle experts can tell me if I should have been breaking down the wall little by little after each burning? (Let me know if this verbal description is unclear and I'll try to post some explanatory photos...)

Update 8/1 - This article is now cited as a source in Wikipedia!

Where to buy:
You can only purchase the Wicks n' More Elite Essential candles online at www.shopnaturalcandles.com. Prices start at just $3.99.

If you like to smell or feel candles before purchasing them, you could consider the Wicks n' More Reserve Collection Naturals. Sold in gift & boutique stores nationwide, the Reserve Collection uses the same palm wax as Elite Essentials. A portion of the sales price from the Reserve Collection also goes to support Sustainable Harvest.

Home / Office / Lamps - Berkeley Lamp II

We've been a big fan of 2-in-1 products ever since those great Doublemint gum commercials of the 80s. (Double pleasure and double fun!? What's not to like?)

But 2-in-1 products can also make good Green choices. After all, you use less resources getting one lamp that performs two functions rather than getting two separate lamps.

That's part of the reasoning behind the Berkeley Lamp II, which uses two bulbs - an upper bulb for ambient lighting and a lower bulb for task lighting.

From an eco-friendly perspective, it's great that both bulbs are ENERGY STAR approved fluorescent bulbs that should last 10-times longer than incandescent bulbs according to the manufacturer, Full Spectrum Solutions.

The two bulbs can be turned on and off independently. They can also be dimmed independently, so you can have the ambient light on at full force while the task light is set at the lowest (20%) setting. (You also have a choice of different color temperatures for your bulbs - Daylight or Sunset.

The fact is that even at the lowest setting the lamp is plenty bright. (Maybe too bright - we wished that it could have dimmed even further...) At the brightest setting, you'll have incredible illumination. In fact, the ambient light made our overhead light fixture pretty much superfluous. Depending on the size of your room, one Berkeley Lamp II could eliminate the need for any other lamps.

By the way, the light isn't just bright - it's also clear. This may seem like an odd description, but it really does seem like it's easier to read or work by the light of the Berkeley Lamp II. Full Spectrum Solutions says it has added six phosphors to the bulb, enhancing the light in a way that reduces glare and stimulates visual acuity. Presumably they use this fact to justify their tagline - "The Only Lamp Designed By Science".

Other Green features we like:

- The lamp is made in the USA. For US-based customers, that means less pollution than if the lamp was transported from the other side of the world.

- All packaging materials are made from 100% post-consumer content. These packaging materials are themselves recyclable.

- Build quality. This is often overlooked as a Green feature, but we believe that build quality and the implied lifetime of the product should certainly be considered as important factors in the overall Greeness of a product. For example, we're currently wrestling with the problem of replacing a dehumidifier that seems completely pizzled after just 3 summers of intermittent use. We now either have to invest in replacing the dehumidifier or disposing of it (creating waste) and buying a new one (requiring more resources).

The Berkeley Lamp II looks like it should last for a long time. This is no lightweight lamp. The base is made of steel. The thing has heft. It reminds us of the days when products were built to last.

Finally, we really dig the fact that the Berkeley Lamp has a plug built into its base. Again, this is a question of efficiency. Because the lamp 'gives' you another plug, it may save you from having to go out and buy a power strip.

In terms of caveats, we'd just say that from a Green perspective, we were disappointed with the volume of packaging materials necessary to ship the lamp. But perhaps our expectations have been warped by flat-pack Ikea materials that you have to assemble yourself. The Berkeley Lamp II comes completely assembled (with the shade in a separate box) and it's hard to see how they could reduce the packaging while still protecting the lamp.

Also, you should be aware that this is not a petite lamp. It stands about 30-inches tall and the shade has a diameter of approximately 15-inches. Depending on the furnishings in your home, the style could seem a little industrial. It's the sort of lamp that would look at home in an office or a hotel. In fact, the third and fourth pictures on the Berkeley Lamp II website appear to show the lamp in just such a setting. This isn't a bad thing, just something you should be aware of. Personally, we feel that if the lamp is tough enough to withstand the type of abuse it would probably receive from hotel guests, it's likely to last in a home for a very long time.

Where to buy:
Purchase directly on the Berkeley Lamp II website for $289. Two bulbs are included in the price. A lamp shade is included too, but you can upgrade to different colors and materials for an additional $9-19. Shipping costs approximately $15-30 extra, depending on your location. Full Spectrum Solutions will ship the lamp worldwide.

Outdoor / Lamps - Brookstone Solar Lantern and Solar Umbrella

Ah, those warm summer nights - perfect for spending time outdoors on the porch or around the pool.

If you're looking to add a warm glow to those evenings, consider the Asian-style Brookstone Solar Lantern.

Brookstone says that the lantern charges in just 4-6 hours of direct sunlight via a solar panel on top of the lantern. Energy from the panel is stored in a rechargeable and recyclable Ni-MH battery that then powers two LED bulbs for up to 6 hours. (An on/off switch inside the lantern lets you switch off the lamp sooner if you want.)

Our thoughts: This is a great concept and priced quite reasonably at $19.95. The LED bulbs themselves are bright, but you would still probably need a few of the lanterns to adequately illuminate any outdoor space. Both the LED bulbs and the lantern's nylon covering should last for years, so you probably won't have to invest in replacements anytime soon.

Unfortunately, the lamp didn't perform so well in our at-home testing. Lacking a patio or porch in our highrise apartment, we tried to charge the lamp's solar panel indoors by leaving it bright sunlight next to a large window. But when we tried using the lamp at night, it refused to stay lit for very long, prefering switching between on and off like a giant indecisive firefly.

When it was on, the light was quite pretty. I wouldn't want to read by the light of a single Brookstone solar lantern, but it was bright enough that I could find my way around the apartment without bumping into walls. I'd compare the brightness to the light of a candle, though the solar lantern's light is a bit more tightly focused.

I'm prepared to give Brookstone the benefit of the doubt on the functionality of the solar lantern. Perhaps my lamp had a faulty connector somewhere around between the solar panel, battery and LED lamp. Or perhaps it really does need to be charged outdoors. (Brookstone says the solar lantern is recommended for outdoor use only.) But if you're interested in the solar lantern, I'd suggest trying one lamp first before springing for a whole string of them.

Update - A Brookstone source says that she used the lantern successfully over the July 4th holiday weekend by charging it outdoors on a boat. Under these conditions, she said the lantern shone from dusk until 11 p.m. or later. So it seems that given exposure to enough solar radiation, the lantern may indeed perform as promised.

We do have a quibble from a Green standpoint too since nylon is not exactly considered an eco-friendly fabric. According to Green Networld, nylon production fabrication produces nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas. A thermoplastic material, nylon requires an industrial petroleum-based production process. As WiseGeek dryly points out: "Like most petroleum products, it has a slow decay rate, which unfortunately results in the accumulation of exhausted nylon products in landfills around the world."

We hope that the next edition of the solar lantern will use more eco-friendly materials -- maybe something traditional like this rice paper cover with bamboo ribs?

If you try using the solar lanterns to eat outdoors and decide you don't have quite enough light to guide your fork to your mouth, Brookstone does offer a Solar Umbrella ($199.95). The company claims that the 24 LED bulbs shine up to 8 hours and turn on automatically at dusk. If the solar umbrella works as depicted (we didn't have a chance to test it ourselves), it could be a beautiful, elegant and Green solution for nighttime outdoor dining.

Where to buy:
The solar lantern and the solar umbrella are only available online or in the Brookstone catalog. Lantern is available in Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Pink (all with White LEDs) or White (with Amber LEDs).

Outdoor - American Forests' Historic Tree Program

Another July 4^th may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t show your patriotic colors.

And here at 1GreenProduct.com, the most patriotic color of all is green!

That’s why we like the American Forests’ Historic Tree Program, which lets you pick out a Red Maple seedling grown from the seeds of Red Maple trees that George Washington planted at Mount Vernon.

Other seedlings are descendants of trees from Gettysburg (Honey Locust), Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion (Southern Magnolia) or Red Cross-founder Clara Barton’s private office (Redbud).

We received a sample of the Redbud that arrived in good condition looking quite healthy. The tree comes with a plastic greenhouse tube, wood stake and plastic bird safety net.

Given that we try to minimize our use of plastics, we were initially pretty dismayed to see that the tree ships with a protective plastic greenhouse tube.

Even after learning that the tube is necessary in many environments to protect fragile seedlings from animals (deer, rabbits, chipmunks, etc.) that might eat the plant, we’re still not convinced that it’s a great idea to ship thousands of seedlings with plastic tubes. We wish that the tube was made from something biodegradable (corn-based starches?). And what about the wood stakes? Are they from FSC-certified plantations? The enclosed materials don’t say.

The planting instructions were clear and after no more than 30 minutes work, the tree was planted, staked and entubed. I’m a bit skeptical that the tube will let in enough sunlight to allow the tree to grow, but we’ll report back on the tree’s progress from time to time.

Overall, we love the idea of any program that encourages tree planting and encourages Americans to consider the connection between trees and beloved historical figures (some of whom, like Henry David Thoreau, were themselves nature lovers or amateur botanists).

And of course we’re happy if the Historic Tree program brings more supporters to American Forests, which promotes tree planting, urban forestry, environmental education and community-based forestry.

But we do wish that American Forests would find a way to make the accessories that ship with its trees a bit in keeping with the earth-loving spirit of the trees themselves. Perhaps we’re asking too much? If anyone has experience with growing tree seedlings, we’d love to hear if there are greener options for protecting the little seedlings until they’re strong enough to fend for themselves…

Where to buy:

Order your 1-3ft. tall Historic Tree seedling directly from the American Forests’ Historic Tree website. Give the gift of Historic Trees with E-Gift certificates in $25, $40, $50, $75 or $100 donations.

1GreenProduct.com on Green Your Decor!

Occasionally, we have the privilege of contributing a guest post to a blog we admire.

Such was the case yesterday when our review of KAA Design Group's Alkira Lounge Chair appeared on Green Your Decor.

Technology - Targus Grove Computer Bags

So you're a modern business roadwarrior, but you care about the environment too?

Check out Targus' new line of Grove™ laptop bags. Available in four styles (Sling, Convertible Messenger/Backpack, Messenger and Topload), all the Grove bags are labeled PVC-free.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a common plastic used to make everything from sewer pipes to clothing, but health concerns linked to PVC and the plasticizers (such as phthalates) added to the PVC have led to concerns over its continued use. Indeed, the California legislature has even considered a bill to ban PVC packaging.

Indeed, the Center for Health and Environmental Justice calls PVC "The Poison Plastic" and says that PVC cannot be effectively recycled. They claim that just one PVC container accidentally added into the recycling stream can spoil a batch of 100,000 recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.

So basically it's a good thing that Targus has eliminated all PVC from the Grove bag. Instead, they've chosen to use recyclable plastic hardware. Theoretically, you can take the bag apart, remove the plastic pieces (i.e. the feet) and take them to a recycling center or put them in your recycling bin. (Though you'd need to make sure that your recycler could handle thermal plastic rubber used in the feet and the other types of plastic the bag contains.)

We should also mention that the stylish metal accents on the bags are nickel-free. Since some people are allergic to nickel and since the nickel refining process may be hazardous to the health of its workers (according to Environment Writer), this also seems like a good thing.

From a purely functional and design standpoint, Targus has done a good job with the Grove series. The olive and black color scheme with 'sedona' (i.e. burnt orange) accents looks rugged and stylish in an understate way. Lots more sedona coloring on the inside, good padding in the laptop section (holds up to 15.4" notebook) and a plethora of pockets and clips make the Grove bags both versatile and fun to use.

Is Grove the greenest solution ever to carrying your laptop? Probably not. You could always throw your computer in a organic cotton case like the ones from Passenger Pigeon (scroll down the page - sorry no direct link to product). But if you want something more rugged and structured, the Grove bags definitely seem like a Green step in the right direction.

Where to buy:
Purchase directly through the Targus website ($49.99 - $79.99) or offline at major nationwide retailers listed here.

Kitchen / Food and Drink - Soda-Club Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker

Happy Independence Day, America!

Of course, for many people in the U.S. of A., the 4th of July means barbecue!

If you're sipping a nice ice-cold soda while grilling today, think about all the plastic and aluminum required to hold your fizzy drinks. (Of course, you can recycle the packaging, but still...)

How can you kick the bottle and can habit? One solution (my first choice, actually) is to use tap water and tea bags to make nice big pitchers of iced tea.

But if you've got to have the bubbly stuff, at least you can ditch most of the packaging with a Soda-Club® home soda maker.

The Soda-Club machine basically consists of a canister of carbon-dioxide inside a plastic dispenser. You add tap water to the 1-liter bottles that come with the machine, inject carbonation into the water with the press of a button and then add whatever syrup or other flavoring you like. Voila - practically instant soda!

When you're finished with your soda, just rinse out and reuse the bottle. (That would section #2 of the famous "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" slogan.)

As Soda-Club points out, if the Green movement doesn't want people buying bottled water, why is it OK to buy bottled soda? Why not just make your own soda at home with tap water, a CO2 cylinder and a dash of flavored syrup?

Well, for one thing, most people who drink soda like a particular brand or taste. IMHO, Soda-Club's flavors don't quite measure up to some of the name brand soda tastes that have been refined over decades. (On the bright side though, Soda-Club does claim that its soda mixes contain no high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and have 2/3-fewer carbs, calories and sugar than store-bought soda. We presume they mean non-diet kinds of soda...)

Also, if you're just an occasional soda-drinker, you may not want the hassle of mixing your own soda when you get an urge for a glass of the fizzy stuff.

Soda-Club could be great fun for kids who'll get to see what goes into making a bottle of soda, or it could even be a (minor) hit at cocktail parties, but be warned that the 1-liter bottles won't quench a thirsty crowd. You might want to get a couple of extra bottles if you do plan on using Soda-Club for a party.

Our verdict: For heavy soda drinkers who also want to play a smaller role in the plastic and aluminum waste stream, Soda-Club could be a Revolutionary product. But it still probably won't get its own public holiday.

Now go enjoy your fireworks.

Where to buy:
Online at Soda-Club's website. Offline at Boater's World stores nationwide and assorted other retail outlets.

Kitchen / Bath - Preserve

As hard as we try to minimize our use of plastic, there are always some corners of our modern lives where plastic endures.

Consider the toothbrush. Odds are, we're all using a plastic one.

(Random thought - What were toothbrushes made of before plastic became a common material? Where there wooden toothbrushes? Thanks to Google and Colgate, I now know the most advanced toothbrushes of the late 18th Century were made of cattle bone with swine-neck bristles. Yum!)

Anyway, these days if you can't avoid brushing with plastic, at least you can brush with a recycled plastic toothbrush. A company called Recycline® makes the Preserve® toothbrush by recycling Stonyfield Farm yogurt containers. (Containers that once held organic yogurt, natch.)

When your toothbrushes wear out, instead of chucking them in the trash, you can send them back to Recycline in a postage-paid package (download the label from Recycline's website). Your old razors will be reborn as plastic lumber for park benches, decks and other sturdy objects.

Recycline also makes Preserve razors. Not only is the handle made from the same type of recycled plastic as the toothbrushes, but the blade cartridge can be popped out and changed. (So you don't have to throw away the whole razor when the blade wears out.)

The newest Recycline products bring Preserve into the kitchen with cheery colanders, cutting boards, mixing bowls and storage containers. Most of these made-in-the-USA products are made from 100% recycled plastic and are also dishwasher-safe. The amazing Paperstone™ cutting boards are created from a combination of natural resins blended with 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Frankly, the design rocks on all the Preserve products - especially the kitchenware. Credit the folks at Evo Design who partner with Recycline to give all the Preserve products an organic feel plus great functionality. Especially with the new kitchen products, everything looks great and is easy to use. Little cutouts in the Paperstone cutting boards, for instance, make it a pleasure to grab and carry a wet cutting board full of sliced scallions over to a pot of bubbling chili.

Or to give another example, consider the apple-inspired food storage containers. Yes, the design is adorable, but it's also well-crafted. Lots of storage containers use a pop-off lid, but the screw-top lid on the Preserve containers seems to fit more snugly. You'll probably preserve your food better and are less likely to make a mess if someone drops the container accidentally.

In regular use, all the Preserve kitchen products performed great while brightening up the kitchen. My only small gripe is that the the regular cutting boards seem to scratch a little easily. Recycline calls these boards knife-friendly, so maybe the softness is supposed to help your knives last longer? Anyway, I preserved the feel and the endurance of the Paperstone boards certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. (Plus it's just so cool to think you are cutting on a board made partially out of paper!)

One last bonus -- since Preserve tableware and kitchen products (except for the Paperstone) are all made out of 100% recycled #5 plastic, they can all be dumped straight into the recycling bin -- provided of course that your community recycles #5 plastics. Unfortunately, not all communities recycle #5 plastic, so you may have to search a while to find a way to get these items into the recycling stream. (Hint: Put "#5" and your location into the Earth911 search box to find someplace near you that takes #5 plastic!)

Where to buy:
Recycline says that Target has started carrying the Preserve toothbrush nationally (though we couldn't find it on Target's website yet). For now, Preserve Kitchen products are available exclusively at Whole Foods. If you're looking for anything else, check out this store locator and then call to make sure the product you want is in stock.

Fashion - Cosabella Bamboo and Eden Collections

For 25 years, Cosabella has been making some darn-sexy Italian-Floridian lingerie, swimwear and beachwear. (The collections are designed in Miami, handcrafted in Italy.)

This month, Cosabella introduces a collection that is as good for the Earth as for a lady's figure.

The Eden Collection is made from a blend of bamboo and micro-modal. Since both ingredients are natural, the lingerie is completely biodegradable. Cosabella guarantees that the fabric is fully-natural.

Bamboo, as we've mentioned before, has lots of green properties - it grows quickly (making it an extremely renewable resource) and usually requires little treatment with pesticides or herbicides. Modal is a fiber that is made from the pulp of beech trees.

Cosabella claims that this combination of bamboo and modal makes the Eden collections antibacterial, odor preventative, anti-static and 4x more absorbent than cotton.

As part of Cosabella's Fall '08 collections, Eden should ship this month and be available in stores through March of next year.

If the stores you visit are out of Eden, don't worry - Cosabella plans to make introduce new bamboo/modal blend lingerie each season. Looks like paradise isn't lost after all...

Where to buy:
Cosabella products are sold at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel and hundreds of specialty stores around the country. Click the "Where to Buy" link on the upper right corner of Cosabella's homepage. (Since Eden is just one of many Cosabella collections, you might want to call in advance to make sure the story has items from the Eden collection in stock and in your size.)

Home - Trane XL800 Programmable Thermostat

Happy July 1st!

Have you melted yet?

Let's assume you're blessed enough to have air-conditioning and would like to keep your house livably cool without running up your electricity bill or needlessly wasting energy.

That's where a programmable thermostat like the Trane XL800 comes in handy.

Here's what you can do with a thermostat like the XL800 - keep the house cool at night while you're sleeping, dial back the cooling automatically around the time you head to work, have the system start cooling the house down in the late afternoon in preparation for you arrival and then keep it cool all evening.

What's that? You only go to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Not to fret. You can designate different temperature settings for different days of the week with the XL800's 7-day programming capability.

According to the Alliance to Save Energy, a programmable thermostat that adjusts the temperature by 10-15% when the house is unoccupied can save you up to 10% a year on your cooling costs.

Save money, save energy and stay cool? That'll help you chill out and enjoy the rest of summer...

Where to buy:
Enter your zip code on Trane's website to find a dealer near you. Price and installation costs vary, but should run you about $250-300.

Technology / Office - HP Deskjet D2545 Printer

Sure, you recycle paper.

Way to go! Good job! (Pat on the back.)

But do you use a recycled printer? Hm? Thought not.

Well, thanks to HP's new D2545 Deskjet model, you can change your ways for the greener.

More than 80% of the total plastic weight on the D2545 comes from recycled plastic, including 100% of the printer's outer casing and trays.

Even better, the ENERGY STAR®-qualified D2545 comes in 100%-recycled product packaging.

Weighing just 6.2 lbs., the compact D2545 still has impressive performance specs: up to 26 pages per minute (ppm) black printing capability, with as much as 20 ppm in color.

One more green benefit to buying an inkjet printer from HP -- the company supports recycling of inkjet cartridges in 42 countries and territories around the world through a free postage-paid return-and-recycling program.

Want more details on all the D2545 product benefits? Download a PDF here.

And remember, even if you do recycle, you're not participating fully in the recycling chain unless you also buy products (like the Deskjet D2545) made from recycled materials.

Where to buy:
Purchase directly through HP's Home & Home Office store or via Walmart.com.

Bath - Caroma Sydney Smart Dual Flush Toilet

Australia - known for its shrimp, its beer, its beautiful beaches and its dual flush toilets.

OK, maybe not so famous for the dual flush toilets, but it should be!

Bathroom products manufacturer Caroma has been making dual flush toilets Down Under for 25 years. Put delicately, dual flush toilets use a little bit of water to wash away liquid waste and a more robust flush to cleanse the bowl of solid matter.

A number of Caroma toilets have made in stateside. In fact, Caroma claims to have the most EPA WaterSense approvals (36!) o