Baggage: GreenisUniversal.com

There's hardly a move one can take this week without being reminded of the environment and Green Is Universal is shining bright with a slew of great GREEN WEEK tips and blogs. Here's on on the canvas totebags

Launching a website like GreenisUniversal.com shined a light on all of the things that I wasn't doing, and as my knowledge grew, so did my list of personal commitments. One of my first was to remove plastic shopping bags from my life. So I bought this bag. There were lots of other designs to choose from but I liked that this one said "Verde!" ... read more

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Green up the Office Break Room

It's Earth Day and what better time to take a second look at the company break room stacked with unhealthy snacks and sodas. Give your staff a healthy break and consider some organic alternatives!

Cascadian Farms Organic Chewy Granola Bars are a healthy, all-natural cereal made with certified organic ingredients and a good source of whole grain; containing no trans fat.


Newman's Own Organic Pop's Corn is terrific on its own, but feel free to add your own favorite ingredients, from sour cream and onion to Cajun spice, to cinnamon and sugar. It's fun for family members to make and enjoy together. Like all of Newman's Own Organics products, Pop's Corn Butter Flavored popcorn has been certified organic by Oregon Tilth.


Bigelow Organic Green Tea Bigelow Certified 100% Organic Green Tea - tea with a healthy attitude! Mother Nature gave us a wonderful gift when she packed beneficial antioxidants into Green Tea - powerful combatants that protect the body's healthy cells from billions of naturally occurring free radicals, unstable molecules that when left unchecked, may lead to a host of degenerative diseases.

Visit the Organic Green Store at Amazon for more organic munchies.

Old Cell Phone = New Tree

Beginning on April 22, 2008 (Earth Day), iRecyclePhones.com partners with American Forests to plant a tree for every cell phone donated!

With over 100 million phones discarded every year, iRecyclePhones.com President, Lonnie Jones, seized an opportunity to make a difference.

How Can You Donate Your Phone Today and Add a New Tree to Our Planet. and reduce the severe damage to ecosystems worldwide? Download and print the prepaid shipping label. Then, attach the prepaid shipping label to the box you use to mail us your used cell phone(s).

With American Forest’s and the public’s help, iRecyclePhones.com pledges on their website to plant trees throughout locations in need of environmental restoration, including areas damaged by wildfire and urban communities that lack green coverage.

sustainable Green Festivals

Green Festivals are a celebration of what’s working in our communities– for people, for businesses and for the environment.

Green Festivals are a walk through a sustainable community and "coming soon to a town near you"

• April 12 and 13, 2008 in Seattle
• May 17 & 18 in Chicago
• November 8 & 9 in Washington, D.C.
• November 14 & 16 in San Francisco
  

It starts with the personal: how people can make their lives work better. Individuals and business and community leaders also come together to discuss social and environmental issues of personal, local, national and global concern. Organizations and businesses showcase programs and products that serve the community. Neighbor-to-neighbor connections are formed, and skills are shared to empower people to create a livable community. Of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without music, art, culture and delicious food – all from local-based organizations and businesses.

Learn more at www.GreenFestivals.org

Gadget recycling gets easier

Gadget recycling gets easier (for some cities)

The U.S. Post Office launched an experimental hassle free program that encourages customers to recycle old gadgets!

So instead of dumping your old cameras, iPods, Blackberries in the trash and contributing to a digital landfill, now you have a place to take your gadgets (if you live in one of the test cities).

The pilot is set for 10 areas across the country, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Diego, and could go national this fall if the pilot is a success.

The postal facilities in these test markets will be stocked with “Mail Back” envelopes which allow you to ship old gadgets weighing in under 13 ounces back at no cost.

Other items that can be recycled include MP3 players and inkjet cartridges.

Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. Clover Technologies Group has a “zero waste to landfill” policy: it does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills.

It was this philosophy that won Clover the contract with the Postal Service, besting 19 other companies, said Anita Bizzotto, chief marketing officer and executive vice president for the Postal Service.

“As one of the nation’s leading corporate citizens, the Postal Service is committed to environmental stewardship,” Bizzotto said. “This program is one more way the Postal Service is empowering consumers to go green.”

The Postal Service recycles 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials annually. Last year, USPS generated more than $7.5 million in savings through recycling and waste prevention programs. The nation’s environmental watchdog, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Postal Service eight WasteWise Partner of the Year awards, the agency’s top honor.

The Mail Back program is another example of the Postal Service’s commitment to sustainability. USPS is the only shipping or mailing company in the nation to receive Cradle to CradleSM Certification from MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) for human and environmental health. More than half a billion packages and envelopes provided by the Postal Service annually are nearly 100 percent recyclable and are produced with the least harmful materials. Based on the recycled content of these envelopes and packages, more than 15,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions (climate change gases) now are prevented annually.

“We know our customers are interested in real solutions for proper disposal of personal electronics,” Bizzotto said. “Everyone from consumers to businesses to non-profit organizations use the mail, and the Postal Service works to manage resources wisely to minimize environmental impact.”

Word-of-mouth is being relied upon for this program to take off. So spread the word!