Fashion - OlovesM and Nahui Ollin

Thanks to Heidi Vance of the Team Blonde boutique in Forest Park, Illinois for telling us about two companies making great green products.

Both companies prove the old saying that one person's trash is another person's treasure.

Or in this case that manufacturing waste from yoga mats and candy wrappers can become super-fun bags, placemats, coasters, planners and more. 

OlovesM calls its bags "zero waste creations" made from the unused remnants that other companies would discard. Yoga mat remnants, scraps and over-run materials form a big part of the OlovesM bags. 

You can tell that the folks behind OlovesM have some big hearts from the way they donate bags to a range of charitable causes. (Incidentally, the OlovesM name comes from OM chant that yogis make while defying gravity and stretching their bodies into remarkable poses.) 

I can appreciate yoga, but I'm now much of an expert at downward-facing-dogs. I've got much more first-hand experience with candy, so perhaps that's why Nahui Ollin's bags and other products gladden my heart. 

Nahui Ollin builds its bags by folding and weaving individual candy wrappers, gum wrappers and soda bottle labels. All the materials are brand new factory rejects from independent manufactures that would have been sent to a land fill or garbage dump if Nahui Ollin had not intervened.

Instead, Nahui Ollin turned over the materials to craftsmen who use up to 4,000 candy wrappers in building a single bag. Nahui Ollin promises that its bags will offer long-term, tear-free durability.

(FYI, Nahui Ollin makes its products in Mexico, so don't be surprised to find a little espanol on the wrappers making up your bag. Personally, we love the sense of place and international flair that the Mexican wrappers provide. Perhaps Nahui Ollin can expand into other countries - we'd love to see what bags made from Thai or Vietnamese wrappers might look like...)

Where to buy:
Of course you can find both of these products and many more innovative eco-goods at the Team Blonde boutique in Forest Park. Nahui Ollin also sells its products directly through its website. OlovesM does not have an e-commerce storefront yet, but it does have a list of retailers nationwide that carry its products. 

Drink - Goodbelly

Nothing quite like the taste of 20 billion helpful bacteria in the morning.

That's what comes in every individual serving of Goodbelly™, a new fruit drink with vitamins and probiotics intended to promote digestive health.

NextFoods, the Boulder, Colorado-based functional foods company that makes GoodBelly, has declared itself carbon neutral.

You know how antibiotic medicines can sometimes give you an upset tummy? That's because you take the antibiotics to kill harmful bacterial infections, but the antibiotics take a slash-and-burn approach to the problem, wiping out billions of bacteria that were innocently living in your intestines and helping you digest food.

(Feeling guilty yet for this collateral bacteria damage?)

By the way, if you thought taking a shot of 20 billion bacteria sounded a bit extreme, an article in The McGill Daily says we've got around 100 trillion bacteria hanging out in our guts on a normal day.

The article quotes Dr. Shari Hekmat, a Professor of Food and Nutrition at the University of Western Ontario, as saying that, “Depending upon the strain, probiotic bacteria have been shown to provide several therapeutic benefits such as modification of the immune system, reduction in cholesterol, alleviation from lactose intolerance, maintained remission of Crohn’s disease, faster relief from diarrhea, and prevention of urogenital infections."

So if we take probiotic supplements, we might need fewer antibiotics, which means fewer pharmaceuticals passing through our bodies and polluting our water supplies.

For its primary probiotic, GoodBelly has chosen Lp299v, which NextFoods says has been clinically proven to improve digestive functions and promote immunity. To back up this claim, the GoodBelly website links to several relevant clinical studies.

Just to be on the safe side, GoodBelly has added a hefty dose of 11 vitamins to its drinks. A single serving contains 50 calories, no fat, but 100% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamins A, C, E, K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, B6, Folate, B12, Biotin and Pantothenic Acid, plus lesser percentages of Calcium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium and Molybdenum.

After drinking all this,these minerals, I feel very in tune with the Earth.

For vegans and the allergic, you'll be happy to know that GoodBelly is dairy-free, soy-free and wheat-free.

What else we like: GoodBelly uses lots of organic fruit ingredients.

FYI, GoodBelly comes in both single-serving and quart size packages. The quart-size packages contain fewer bacteria and fewer vitamins in larger recommended servings. Apparently the concentrated shots of GoodBelly are just too potent for kiddies ("You can't handle the bacteria!"), but the whole family can enjoy the quart formula.

As for the taste, we dig the Peach Mango flavor, but have to admit that Strawberry Rosehips also goes down pretty easy.

Where to buy:
Look for GoodBelly (MSRP $4.49) at Whole Foods Markets nationwide and other fine retailers including HEB, Wegmans, Publix and Giant Eagle.

Baby - Wee Generation Diaper Bag

As a fledgling green product authority, I am sometimes asked whether cloth diapers (which need to be washed) or disposable diapers (which clog landfills) are more eco-friendly.

I have to admit that I don't know the answer to that question. Although if you do go with cloth, Green Living Tips suggests using a hemp-organic cotton blend...

But I do know that it's possible to carry whichever diapers you choose inside a super-green diaper bag from Wee Generation. A collaboration between Seventh Generation (one of the most trusted names in green products), Healthy Child Healthy World (a nonprofit organization focused on protecting children from exposure to harmful chemicals or other environmental hazards) and San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks.

What makes the Wee Generation Baby Bag a good green choice?

One on hand, the manufacturers say the exterior fabric is PVC-free, Cradle-to-Cradle certified and made from 100% post-consumer recycled beverage bottles.

On the other hand, all the profits from sales of the Wee Generation Baby Bag go to benefit Healthy Child Healthy World.

Now most of us only have two hands, but parents know that you really could use three or four hands to take care of a baby. The Wee Generation Baby Bag won't give you those extra hands (drat!), but it does have a load of smart design features to help you get the most out of your limited supply of hands. These features include:

- A PVC-free waterproof wipe-clean liner
- Removable insulated feeding tote, changing tote and plush changing pad
- Detachable insulated bottle holder
- Large rear zip organizer
- Stroller attachment straps

The Wee Generation Baby Bag almost makes parenting seem like a piece of cake. Almost...

Where to buy:
Order online from Rickshaw ($200) OR ANYWHERE ELSE TO BUY?

Beauty - PlantLove from CARGO Cosmetics

If you love plants, then it's a good bet you'll be fond of the new line of PlantLove™ cosmetics from CARGO. 

According to CARGO, the new PlantLove Cosmetics Collection is 100% natural and wholly organic. 

CARGO says that PlantLove carries an ECOCERT™ designation that ensures product, process and packaging meets the strictest standards for natural, organic and environmentally friendly content.

Not only  are the PlantLove cosmetics themselves free of parabens, phalates, petro-chemicals and synthetics, but even the packaging is Earth-friendly. CARGO says that the compostable PlantLove cases are made from corn, while the biodegradable boxes are made from 100% post-consumer packaging. 

(In fact, the PlantLove lipstick samples we received actually had boxes embedded with wildflower seeds. You can moisten and plant the boxes to grow your very own wildflower patch!)

Our tester praised the colorful, cheerful flower pattern on the lipstick tube, particularly admiring the pink version designed by Lindsay Lohan. (All the colors have their own celebrity designers, from Courteney Cox to Mariska Hargitay.)

CARGO also says that PlantLove products are only manufactured in countries with solid environmental and labor records. (Our lipstick samples came from Canada, which certainly seems to have a solid reputation in both areas.) 

Furthermore, CARGO claims that even the mill supplying packaging materials for the brand manufactures under carbon neutral conditions using 100% renewable energy.  

And (yes there's more), CARGO also says that $2 from the purchase of every lipstick will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital™. 

Beyond lipstick ($20), the PlantLove Cosmetics Collection includes Loose Powder Foundation ($30), Pressed Powder ($30), Baked Illuminator ($28), Baked Bronzer ($28), Blush ($28), Lip Gloss ($20), Lip Liner ($16), Lip Balm ($20), Eye Shadow ($20) and Eye Liner ($16). 

Where to buy:
The PlantLove Cosmetics Collection debuts today at Sephora.com and in Sephora stores nationwide. 

Fashion - The GREAT Bag by Grace

The whole point of reusable grocery bags is that you should be able to reuse them for a long time.

That's why we like the GREAT bag by Grace. This double-thick 100% quilted cotton reusable grocery bag is built for high durability. You can see the pride of workmanship in the bag's details - loops that hook on store bag loads to allow easy loading at checkout, cross-stitched handles reinforced with cotton twill tape.

Made from high thread count quilters cotton, the GREAT bag (no false modesty here) has been tested to withstand loads up to 40 lbs.

The GREAT bag comes in a variety of funky prints with no logos or slogans. Originally we thought the prints looked a little too busy, but then we realized the wisdom of having a design that would effectively hide stains and spills.

What could make the GREAT bag even greater? We wish that the bags were made from organic cotton. We understand that in the future, it may be possible to buy organic GREAT bags.

For now, at least we can appreciate the fact that theese biodegradable bags are hand-made in California. Easily foldable and stackable, the bags are of course also machine washable and dryable.

Where to buy:

Order through the GREAT bag website for the new low price of just $19.99 each (plus shipping & handling).

Bath - Moen Water-Saving Faucets and Showerhead

I still remember Mrs. Symington, my high school biology teacher who had served in the Navy, telling us stories about 2-minute military showers where you were expected to get wet, turn off the water, soap up, then turn on the water to rinse. 

While I admired such water conservation, my own showers used to be quite profilgate (30-40 minutes). I'm pleased to say that I've cut that down to a more reasonable average 10-15 minute shower, but I still keep looking for ways to reduce my water use even further. 

That's why I was so pleased to find the Flow-Optimized Moen Water Saving Showerhead. This 1.75 gallons per minute (gpm) showerhead offers a 30% water savings over the industry-standard 2.5 gpm nozzle. Made in the USA, this simple but stylish showerhead can also lower your energy costs (by reducing your hot water usage). 

Available in Chrome, LifeShine® Brushed Nickel or Oil Rubbed Bronze, the Water Saving Showerhead can coordinate with many different Moen bath collections.

What sort of a showering experience does the Water Saving Showerhead deliver? Well, you won't get the tropical downpour feeling of a gigantic rain showerhead, but the Water Saving Showerhead's innovative spray formers concentrate the flow of water in a way that feels simultaneously gentle and soaking. Moen says that its designers have carefully arranged the streams of water to provide great full-body coverage, a claim that seems reasonable based on our personal testing. 

We also like clever design details, like the way that the showerhead has two flat places on its connecting nozzle that let you get a good grip with a wrench in order to fasten the showerhead tightly onto the water pipe. 

If you're putting in new faucets, check out some of the WaterSense®-labeled lavatory faucets in the Fina™, Rothbury™ and Muirfield™ collections. The faucets use flow-optimized aerators that deliver water at a rate of 1.5 gpm (versus 2.2 gpm for traditional aerators).

Note that not all every faucet in a collection may have the flow-optimized aerators, so be sure to look for the WaterSense certification to  ensure you're getting a water-saving faucet.
 
Where to buy:
Use the "Where to Buy" link on Moen's website to  find a wholesaler that stocks the Flow-Optimized Water Saving Showerhead (MSRP $36 and up), the Fina faucets (MSRP $524 and up), the Rothbury faucets (MSRP $232 and up) and the Muirfield faucets (MSRP $78 and up). 

Moen also has a link on its site to online retailers that carry its products. It can be a little difficult to find certain products on these e-tailer sites, but we were able to find the Rothbury WaterSense faucets on Faucet.com, for example. 

Kitchen - TWIST Naked Sponge

How can we clean up without trashing the planet?

TWIST gives us some good options with products like the new dye-free, 100% biodegradable Naked Sponge.

Thick and sturdy, we like the way the sponge gives us something to grab onto as we wipe the dirty dishes.

The lack of a plastic scrubber on the Naked Sponge is good for the planet, but it means you may need to presoak your dishes or use something else (a butter knife?) to remove stubborn bits of food.

We love the fact that TWIST deep-sixed the dye from the Naked Sponge. The 100% natural cellulose sponge actually seems purer and more attractive than its deep blue artificially-dyed cousins that were our previous sponge of choice.

In fact, you could say that the Naked sponge inspired a revelation that perhaps we could with a bit less dying in our daily lives. (Comments welcome. Do you feel like a lesser person without a colorful sponge alongside your sink?)

As for the Naked Sponge’s packaging, we have to admit that we found it a bit gimmicky. TWIST includes instructions for transforming its cartons into bird feeders or mobiles. We appreciate the sentiment, but wonder if consumers really going to fill their homes with TWIST mobiles? Seems unlikely.

Also, it’s not listed anywhere on the package that we can see, but apparently the Naked Sponge contains an antibacterial compound called Barquat CB-50. TWIST may have good reasons for including Barquat CB-50 (to prevent odors and bacteria growth), but we'd like to see some mention of the antibacterial on the package or the website so that consumers can make a better informed choice.

Where to buy:

You can find the Naked Sponge ($2.79 MSRP for a 2-pack) and other TWIST products at Whole Foods Markets, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies, King Soopers and other local grocery and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada. Find a store near you by using the Where to Buy link on TWIST's website.

Home - FLOR Modular Carpeting / Act2GreenSmart Sweepstakes Winners!

I'm a big happy face guy.

I doodle happy faces all the time.

So I was pretty much overjoyed to discover that I could carpet my apartment in eco-friendly happy faces thanks to FLOR Modular Carpeting.

Flor's new approachably hip Alexander Girard Fonda del Sol collection contains a cornucopia of cheery smiling faces. You can choose from four different styles to match the color palate of any apartment.

Of course, happy faces are cool, but eco-friendly happy face carpeting is even sweeter.

FLOR says that its carpet products are formaldehyde-free and meet the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label Plus standards for VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions.

We love the fact that FLOR has a super-strong Return & Recycle program. Let's say you get tired of happy faces (impossible!) and decide to switch to the cow-themed Stampede design. FLOR will arrange for your old tiles to be picked up, returned and recycled - all at no cost to you.

What happens to old tiles after they're recycled? Some of them probably get turned into FLOR's Fedora tiles that contain 80% post-consumer fibers and are sold for just $6.99 per tile.

(As for the backing on FLOR carpet tiles, that contains at least 39% pre-consumer recycled content. Various FLOR styles are also made from renewable materials including cotton, wool and even corn!)

Want more info? You can get an overview of FLOR's green side at FLORisGreen.com.

For now, I can't imagine returning and recycling my floor tiles. I've got six faces smiling up at me each day, protecting my floor, adding a bit of spring to my step. Life is good.

Where to buy:

You can purchase FLOR online or offline at select retailers. Prices generally range from $6.99 (Fedora) to $19.99 (Counting Sheep). The La Fonda Del Sol collection is sold in sets of six-tile rugs for $159.99 each. You can of course buy more than one set to spread the happy faces even further throughout your home.

We have our winners!

Congratulations to our two winners of the recently concluded 1GreenProduct.com Act2GreenSmart sweepstakes!

Paula from Garden City, Michigan won an Act2GreenSmart messenger bag, while Barbara from Parkersburg, West Virginia won an Act2GreenSmart tote.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Sweepstakes. Remember, as long as you're an active subscriber to our 1GreenProduct.com email updates, you're automatically registered to enter any upcoming sweepstakes.

We'll be on the road quite a bit this month (stay tuned for European green travel updates), but you can look forward to some new eco-friendly sweepstakes in October!

Bed - Natural Elements Pillow

Do you love a firm pillow? If so, we've got a great green product for you - the Natural Elements pillow from Hollander Home Fashions.

Hollander has taken plastic soda bottles that might otherwise have gone into landfills and recycled them into lofty polyester pillow filling.

And when we say 'lofty', we mean incredibly resilient. If you're the type who frets over flat pillows, you will worry no more with the Natural Elements pillow cradling your noggin.

No doubt you'll also have sweet dreams thinking of all the plastic bottles you've saved from the landfill. Hollander says that up to 40 post-consumer recycled green soda bottles are used to make the filling of its jumbo pillows.

And what makes the perfect for cover for such a green pillow? How about an unbleached, non-dyed soft cotton shell? (The only way that Hollander could make the Natural Elements pillow any greener would be to use organic cotton for the shell. We'd be willing to pay a few dollars more for an organic cotton Natural Elements 2.0 pillow...)

Where to buy:
Get a great deal on a Natural Elements pillow ($9.99 - $14.99) at Marshalls, TJ Maxx or Home Goods.

Drink - Hall Wines

Let's raise a 1GreenProduct.com toast to Hall Wines. 

This winery company has more than five hundred acres of prime Napa Valley vineyards devoted to the classics - Cabernet Sauvignon (2005, $39.99), Merlot (2005, $27.99) and Sauvignon Blanc (2007, $19.99).

The wines are not only tasty to drink (do I detect hints of peach in the bouquet of the summery Sauvignon Blanc), they're also pretty darn friendly to the Earth.

Hall is still in the first year of its three-year Organic certification process, but it's off to a good start with its commitment to use only natural products for weed and pest control. 

If you want to know why this is important, just check out this recent AFP story on pesticide contamination in wines sold in the EU. Anyone want to bet that US wines are any better? 

In addition, Hall says it plants cover crops in all its vineyards to minimize erosion and the sedimentation of locla waterways. Modern farming requires the use of fuel to run machines. At least Hall uses 50% biodiesel to run its machinery. The National Biodiesel Board points out that biodiesel is renewable, biodegradable, less toxic than table salt, domestically produced and produces fewer emissions than petroleum diesel. 

Where to buy:
Pick up a few bottles in person at the Hall wineries in St. Helena or Rutherford.

Can't make the trip? Provided your state allows you to accept wine shipments, you can shop online at Hall's website or from sites like Wine.com.   

You can also find Hall Wines in stock at many Whole Foods Markets.

Children / Toys - Peter Rabbit...Naturally Better

Everybody loves bunny rabbits (except for a certain Fudd).

But for the rest of us, rabbits are lovable if mischievous creatures, and Peter Rabbit is one of the most adorable rabbits of all.

Created by author Beatrix Potter back in 1902, Peter Rabbit has been captivating children ever since with his adventures.

Now the bunny is back and better than ever in a new collection of Naturally Better Peter Rabbit books, toys and other products.

There's something for everyone in the Naturally Better collection.

New stuffed animal versions of Peter Rabbit and his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail from Kids Preferred are reportedly made out of 100-percent certified organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials. These buns come in PVC-free packaging made from recycled materials.

FYI, the spokesperson who represents Peter Rabbit Naturally Better told me that each company making goods for the collection has commited to a 'Corporate Social Responsibility Charter' that guides the manufacturing, marketing and packaging of the products.

Families with infants can pick up Peter Rabbit Organics - Naturally Better toiletries by Eco Natura including shampoo and baby balm. The products reportedly meet strict USDA-certified organic standards and come in bottles that are free of Bisphenol A.

Meanwhile, families in the States will finally get access to the Peter Rabbit Organics foods that have been delighting UK families for years. The foods will be USDA-certified organic and, if the UK products are any guide, will not contain any added salt, sugar or artificial ingredients.

And of course since Peter Rabbit began as a book, it's only natural that the Peter Rabbit...Naturally Better collection will include a baby record book, two board books and a special edition hardcover version of the classic Peter Rabbit stories. All of these will be printed on recycled paper or FSC-accredited paper, using vegetable-based inks.

Hm...vegetable based inks? Sounds like the sort of thing a rabbit would like!

Where to buy:

You can find the Peter Rabbit Naturally Better stuffed animals at FAO Schwarz ($18-30).

Look for the Peter Rabbit Organics toiletries ($9.99-14.99) in the Whole Body department of Whole Foods stores nationwide starting later this month or early next month.

The organic foods are scheduled to start hitting the shelves of fine food stores in September.

You'll have to twiddle your paws until January when the Peter Rabbit...Naturally Better books bounce into your local bookstore and show up online at retailers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Food - Kopali Supergood Superfoods

Sometimes I just find advertising really confusing.

For example, I never understood those jam ads that said, "With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good."®

Why did it have to be good? Does the name Smucker's somehow intrinsically embody goodness?

On the other hand, with a name like Supergood Superfoods, you're certainly creating some high expectations.

Created by Kopali Organics, all 10 varieties of Supergood Superfoods are certified Organic according to USDA standards. Kopali says that means a government-approved certifier has checked the organic standards each farm, producer and processor involved in the production of Supergood Superfoods.

Kopali quotes the standards from the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP):

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations... Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

Four varieties of the Supergood Superfoods (Mango, Pineapple, Mulberry and Goldenberry) contain just organic dried foods with nothing added at all - no sugar, no oil, no sulfites.

I thought maybe Kopali had created the term 'superfood', but according to Wikipedia, usage of the word stretches back more than 90 years to mean a food with lots of beneficial phytochemicals (compounds derived from plants or fruits).

Kopali's Supergood Superfoods certainly seem to fit that bill. Take the Goldenberries. These puppies are packed with Vitamin A (81% in a 1.8-ounce serving) and dietary fiber (20%).

I don't believe I'd ever tried a goldenberry before, which isn't too surprising since apparently goldenberries are one of the Lost Crops of the Incas. But now that Kopali has rediscovered this lost crop, I hope others jump onto the goldenberry band wagon. Simultaneously sweet and tart with a bit of crunch, the experience of eating a goldenberry is a bit like biting into a slice of honey-soaked lemon (only less messy).

Have a sweeter tooth? Indulge in one of the five varieties of Supergood Superfoods covered in Fair Trade Certified™ dark chocolate. The chocolate enrobes cacao nibs, goji berries, espresso beans, banana or mulberries. I tried the Chocolate Goji Berries and have to say that the chocolate sort of cloaks the organic berry hiding inside, but it felt good to know that I was getting 23% of my Vitamin A while nibbling on a chocolatey snack!

Incidentally, it doesn't show up in the Nutrition Facts box, but according to a December 2007 article in the UK Telegraph, goji berries are #1 when it comes to concentrations of antioxidants (substances that may protect your body's cells against damaging free radicals).

Finally, if you just can't make up your mind, you can always choose the Supergood Superfoods Organic Mix - goji berries, mulberries, pistachios and cacao nibs.

We don't have any gripes about the taste, presentation or ethos behind Supergood Superfoods, but we do have two quibbles. First, all the Supergood Superfoods come packaged in plastic pouches. Since the pouches themselves are kind of small, you'll go through a lot of plastic if you nibble a Supergood Superfoods snack every day.

Second, with an MSRP of $3.99 for 1.8 ounces (which translates into approximately $36/lb.), you'd need a SuperBankAccount to make Supergood Superfoods a daily snack.

At prices like those, you might want to grow your own Superfoods. Incidentally, that Telegraph article did say that goji berry plants are tough, self-fertile and easy to grow, so if you're looking for a new gardening project...

Where to buy:
According to Kopali, you should be able to find Supergood Superfoods at every Whole Foods Market for an MSRP of $3.99 each.

Sweepstakes Tip -- Green Your Decor & SuzyJack

Looking for an eco-friendly way to decorate your walls or organize your desk?

Green Your Decor, one of our favorite sites for green product info, has the scoop on nifty pencil cups and wall hangings from SuzyJack.

As Green Your Decor points out, SuzyJack uses recycled paper, soy-based inks and wind power in manufacturing its products.

Now until September 1st, Green Your Decor is running a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will get a 2 SuzyJack decorative Iris wall panels. Here's the contest link.

And remember, if you want extra entries to our own 1GreenProduct.com Act2GreenSmart Sweepstakes, you can still blog about the contest or invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list before 11:59 p.m. on August 28. Good luck!

Office - Bagasse Notebooks, Composition Books and Writing Pads from Staples

Some people get pessimistic about the state of the environment, but I am continually filled with optimism thinking of human ingenuity.

Sure, our curiosity gets us into all sorts of messes, but it also helps us come up with ingenious solutions to reducing waste and producing useful Green products.

Consider the example of bagasse, a.k.a. sugarcane waste - the plant fiber that's left over after the sugarcane has been processed and crushed to make sugar.

What would you do with this crushed sugarcane? (I have a sweet tooth, so I might suck on the cane a little just to see if there were any sugar left, but that's not the best answer in this case.)

Office products company Staples® decided to use the bagasse to create a collection of eco-friendly notebooks, notepads and filler paper. These paper products are manufactured from a formula that includes 80% bagasse and marketed under the Staples EcoEasy™ brand.

Staples says that the quality of bagasse paper is "just as good as tree-based paper," but we think that's incorrect.

In our humble opinion, the bagasse paper looks and feels even better than tree-based paper. There's a sort of silky smoothness and sheen to the paper that we rarely experience in tree-based paper.

Now we don't mean to diss trees, we'd just rather see them standing tall, pumping out oxygen, providing shade and making the world a beautiful place to live rather than pulped into paper.

Could bagasse paper ever replace tree-made paper entirely? One other bagasse benefit to consider (per Staples) is that sugarcane can reach maturity in just 15-16 months, where trees apparently require at least 10 years to mature. This seems to make bagasse a much more efficient (and did we mention sweeter?) renewable resource. Although there are probably many other variables to consider, such as how much paper you can get out of a 16-month old acre of bagasse versus a 10-year old acre of trees.

According to Staples' media reps, the bagasse paper can go straight into the usual paper recycling stream. One more point in its favor...

Where to buy:

Currently, you can only find these bagasse notebooks ($1.99-$2.99), composition books ($1.99) and writing pads ($1.99) in Staples stores. Use the handy Store Locator to find a location near you.

Don't Forget:

You can still enter the 1GreenProduct.com Act2GreenSmart sweepstakes that runs until August 28!