1GreenProduct

Here are some recent eco-friendly product tidbits:

SNO:LA organic frozen yogurt - available in California and Japan

- Travelers (or residents) in Beverly Hills, California or Santa Monica can enjoy organic frozen yogurt made from all-natural ingredients (including probiotics) at SNO:LA. There’s also an outpost in Kyoto, Japan. The shops use eco-friendly decor and consider themselves ‘no-plastic-zones’ by choosing to use biodegradable/compostable materials such as sugar cane, corn and potatos for their cups and spoons.

ZT Rooibos Red Tea organic beverage

- ZT Rooibos Tea made from the South African rooibos plant is an all-natural beverage with organic ingredients like brown rice syrup and inulin (for fiber). Tasty, slightly sweet, low calorie and healthy, it’s an interesting and complex alternative to regular iced teas. (Note that rooibos teas a.k.a. red teas are herbal teas, different from the black, green, oolong and white teas that come from the Camellia sinensis plant.) The ZT website has an interesting explanation of the nutritional benefits of its rooibos teas. ZT’s teas are available in several flavors including vanilla, lemon and ginseng & honey, but I think the regular unsweetened variety is complex and interesting enough on its own. Available at various natural food stores nationwide including Whole Foods Market, ZT teas have an MSRP of $1.79 – $1.99 per 16-ounce bottle.

The Sentina Zen Light with motion and photo sensor uses only 3 watts of electricity

- Datexx offers several appealing Sentina LED lighting products for the home. This family of emergency and safety lights include features such as a crank generator, motion sensor and power outage sensor. Cost for these lights is in the $30-45 range. As usual with LED lights, these products consume very little power (just 3 watts in the case of the Sentina Zen Light) and should last a long time.

Earthworm biodegradable cleaning products use enzymes to break down grease, dirt and other organic materials

- Earthworm cleaning products use natural enzymes instead of harsh chemicals to clear drains, clean surfaces, remove odors and perform other household tasks. I didn’t have any luck using Earthworm to clear my own sink drain (it was a heavy-duty job that ultimately required a trained plumber), but you may have better luck if your drain is only a little bit slow or if you’re just looking for a maintenance solution to keep the drain running freely. Here’s a nice explanation of how enzymes work as cleaners. I do like the fact that Earthworm products are biodegradable and much safer for humans and other animals than traditional harsh chemical cleaners.

- The new Intercontinental hotel at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport provides an eco-friendly option for travelers to the Second City. The hotel purchases its energy through 100% renewable wind energy credits, uses CFL and LED bulbs throughout the property, places recycling bins in guest rooms to reduce the waste stream and offers guests water packaged in biodegradable bottles. A green roof covered with trays containing three inches of soil plus wheat grass and sedum helps slash cooling costs and should last 2-3 times as long as a typical industrial roof. Rates for November start around $225/night during the week or just $127/night on weekends according to the hotel’s website.

Disclosure – ZT Rooibos and Earthworm provided me with a complimentary product samples for testing purposes.