When Donald Trump signed an Executive Order this week to roll back the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan, he did so surrounded by coal miners and executives. The event was deliberately staged at the EPA just to make clear his complete contempt for the agency’s work to address climate change. His message to the coal industry was also clear: the US is going to turn back the clock and increase our use of coal to generate electricity.

This is one area where Trump is consistent: throughout his campaign, he promised that he would bring back coal mining, and bring “clean coal” power to the country. However, reality just won’t cooperate. Coal is not clean, and the industry is not going to make a comeback, no matter what the White House or Congress does.

Coal’s decline is going to continue no matter what

Coal is the MySpace of electricity production—everyone’s abandoning it for better technologies. Natural gas, wind, and solar are all cheaper. Even American Electric Power (AEP), one of the dirtiest utilities in the US, has made it clear that the decline of coal is inevitable. In a recent Bloomberg article about the decline of coal, AEP spokeswoman Tammy Rideout said, "We will continue our transition to more natural gas and renewables as we balance out our generation portfolio and provide cleaner energy." When even coal’s best friend in the utility sector is running in the opposite direction, all hope is lost for coal.

Not surprisingly, the coal-mining industry has been shedding jobs at a precipitous rate for years. Between 2014 and 2016 alone, it lost 200,000 jobs.

Undoing Obama’s Clean Power Plan may slow the decline of coal slightly, but it will continue to decline. When he promises to bring back coal-mining, Trump is playing on the nostalgia of coal-mining regions, which have seen a sharp decline in their living standards, but he may as well have traveled to New Bedford, Massachusetts—once the whaling capital of the world—and promised to give everyone a harpoon and a whaling ship.

Coal will never be clean

Proponents of coal say that it can be burned cleanly, and if it’s burned cleanly, it will make a comeback. What they usually mean is that the carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants can be captured and pumped underground. There are two major problems with so-called “clean coal” technology: 1) it is ridiculously expensive, and 2) it does not address the environmental and health impacts of mining coal, or the waste that remains from burning it.

First, the problem with the economics. The US has been trying to build a commercially viable carbon-capture coal plant in Georgia for years (partially funded by taxpayer dollars). However, the cost of Southern Company’s Kemper “clean coal” plant is approaching $7 billion, and is about 300 percent over budget. The plant is slated to generate just 500 MW of energy, enough to power a little over 300,000 homes, and will likely be the most expensive power plant per megawatt hours of electricity ever built in the US.

To put that into perspective, Southern Company could have built a 500 MW solar power plant for just $1.8 billion. Or, they could have built four solar plants, generating four times as much power, for the price of one carbon capture coal plant. Of course, Southern Company can pass the cost of this boondoggle onto its ratepayers and taxpayers, but clearly, spending four times as much as needed to generate power is not a recipe for success for the country as a whole.

Second is the environmental problems with “clean coal.” Even if you are capturing the carbon, you are still mining coal, and coal mining is a very dirty business. Congress and Trump recently made it even dirtier by repealing the Stream Buffer Rule, which would have protected waterways from some of the worst impacts of coal mining.

And coal’s toxic impacts don’t stop at mining. When you consider the full life-cycle of burning coal, the environmental and health impacts are truly alarming. A landmark 2011 study, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences and written by faculty at the Center for Health and Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, found that the true cost of coal is up to one-half trillion dollars per year, when all environmental and health impacts are added in. Based on this true cost accounting, all clean energy sources are much cheaper than coal. Of course, this cost accounting cannot put a real value on the shortening of the life of a miner, or a person with asthma, or a person living in a community with polluted drinking water.

Check out Stephen Colbert's take on Trump's climate change rollback.

Trump’s campaign played on the nostalgia of coal country for a time when coal was king. This is a cruel and cynical ploy on his part. He knows that coal is not making a comeback. What he should be offering these communities is assistance in moving their economies to cleaner technologies and better-paying jobs.

Right now, he’s doing the opposite. Trump’s proposed budget actually cuts funding for programs that retrain workers in coal country for jobs in the technology and clean-energy sectors.

If all of this is making you angry, the best thing you can do is call your representative and senators and let them know that you support full funding for the EPA, and you support fully funding job-training programs that will actually help people in coal country. Call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 today to be connected to your two senators and representative to let them know you oppose the Trump budget and expect them to pass a budget that supports people and the planet.

For several years, the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD, had held an annual fundraiser selling Sally Foster gift wrap to raise money for the sixth-grade field trip. But the gift wrap chosen for the sale contained no recycled content and couldn’t itself be recycled, which concerned a group of green-minded students so much, they called a boycott.

“This particular group of friends called themselves ‘the Treehuggers,’” says Miriam Glaser, who teaches sixth grade science at the school. “I got wind of the boycott, so I met with them, and we started working together as an official school group on green issues.”

As a result of the boycott, the PTO saw a significant reduction in the amount of money they earned, and it didn’t take them long to agree to meet the Treehuggers to discuss sustainable fundraiser alternatives.

Though it was too late to stop the Sally Foster sale, the Treehuggers decided to conduct a sale of their own, to raise money for compost bins and recycled paper for the school. Glaser helped them find an eco-friendly fundraising company.

“I was very excited about how much we raised,” says Glaser. “We were all happy with the variety of green products, and the kids felt good that they’d made a difference.”

Are you a parent or grandparent who is tired of seeing your child sell unsustainable products to raise money for her or his school? Does your house of worship or nonprofit run fundraiser programs through businesses whose products could be cleaner and greener? Read on for a variety of responsible alternatives to conventional fundraisers.

Sustainable School Fundraisers

Fair Trade Chocolate, Coffee

As many US students are learning, the coffee and cocoa industries have been tied to worker exploitation and environmental degradation. Now, schools and other nonprofits can raise money and support cocoa and coffee farmers through a Divine Chocolate or Grounds for Change fundraiser.

Farmers in the Fair Trade system work cooperatively and earn a living wage that allows them to improve their lives, communities, and local environment.

Divine sells Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate from Ghana. Schools and other organizations can buy 1.5-oz. dark, milk, and crispy rice Divine Chocolate bars at wholesale prices, then resell them at retail and keep the profits.

Through Grounds for Change, your group can hand-sell 12-oz. bags of organic, shade-grown, Fair Trade coffee, using the company’s order forms and information cards, or you can purchase it in bulk at a discount and resell it, pocketing a percentage of the profits.

Both companies will also provide materials to help you educate buyers about Fair Trade.

Fair Trade Gourmet Food

A catalog of gourmet treats can be a popular fundraiser, too—especially around the holidays. Equal Exchange’s program helps your group raise money by selling Fair Trade chocolate, coffee, tea, and cocoa, as well as certified-organic, US-grown cranberries, almonds, and pecans.

Equal Exchange will send order forms and recycled paper catalogs displaying its organic, Fair Trade, premium-quality products. Once your organization has completed its sales, you order the products at a discount and pocket the profits.

By request, Equal Exchange will provide recycled paper posters and flyers to advertise your sale and the benefits of Fair Trade. It also offers a Fair Trade curriculum for grades 4–9, as well as an incentive program where students earn green prizes for achieving certain sales quotas.

Fair Trade Crafts

If you like import stores like Pier One and World Market, you’ll love the Fair Trade craft items from FairTrade Caravans, which provides ethically made and sustainable products through school fundraisers including handmade jewelry, scarves, home goods, greeting cards, children's gifts and holiday items. These unique products replace the unsustainable fundraising products such as magazines, candles and wrapping paper that families and friends feel obligated to buy to support their children's school. 

The FairTrade Caravans program includes an online platform for ordering high-quality fair trade certified products, marketing support to ensure a successful fundraiser and enrichment materials for students to learn about the people, places and stories behind the items. It returns 25% of product sales back to schools. 

Another option is from Global Goods Partners, which includes recycled cotton handbags from India; glass pendants from Ecuador; soccer balls from Pakistan; and more.

A Global Goods fundraiser is held entirely online. The company gives your school or nonprofit a special code for supporters to use when shopping from its online store, and you’ll earn a percentage of the profits from those sales. For schools, it will also provide posters and other promotional materials.

Reduce E-waste for Cash

Your group can provide a valuable recycling service for your community while earning needed cash with an e-waste recycling fundraiser. Your group collects unwanted cell phones and chargers, ink cartridges, MP3 players, digital cameras, and PDAs to send to the company for cash. Some websites that you can work with are RecyclingFundraiser.com, or Funding Factory.

Books for Sale

Better World Books (BWB) helps high school and college students raise money through book drives to benefit their school and literacy programs around the world.

Students collect used books, including old textbooks, from their community. They ship the books to BWB at no cost to them, and then BWB resells the books online, donating or recycling those that can’t be sold. The school gets a percentage of the profits and designates one of four literacy programs to receive an additional portion: Books for Africa, Room to Read, WorldFund, or the National Center for Family Literacy.

BWB also offers a similar program to help libraries raise money in exchange for book discards.

Two other organizations provide green-themed books at a discount to schools and nonprofits, which can resell them at retail to raise money: Contact Kids Think Big to get its brightly illustrated children’s book, Think Green!, which is about simple ways kids and adults can help green our world.

Greeting Cards

If your group likes the idea of selling greeting cards, consider offering beautiful cards made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and printed with soy inks. Plymouth Cards has a fundraiser like this.

Reusable Shopping Bags

Reusable shopping bags are increasing in popularity, so why not sell them and make some much-needed cash?

Ecobags offers fundraising with lots of reusable products, from bags to bottles and beyond, or you can choose products yourself, designed or blank. The Eco-Bags team can custom print or you can buy blanks and decorate yourself.

Trees

You can't get a greener fundraiser than selling trees! Trees for a Change will help you sell "Tree gift cards" for your next fundraiser with a 40% profit. Every card sold means a tree gets planted in a fire-devastated U.S. National Forest.

A Final Word on School Fundraisers

Next time your school or organization suggests selling toxin-laden cleaners or conventional candy that may be tied to worker exploitation, feel free to send around the link to this article and lobby for a sustainable school fundraiser. With fundraising, you can help spread the word about high-quality green products and support the green economy, while raising money for schools or causes that are close to your heart.

Updated August 2023

Tim Zang of Kansas City, Missouri, bought a diesel Jeep Liberty last year. When he drove off the lot, instead of heading to a fuel pump, he headed straight home, where a 55-gallon drum of Missouri-grown, 100-percent soy-based biodiesel sat waiting for him in his garage.

“Every gallon of soy we use replaces a gallon of fossil fuel,” says Zang. “The money I spend on soy stays right here in Missouri, biodiesel is better for my engine and better for the environment, and if we as a society wake up to the benefits of biofuels, they can put a lot of people to work here in the US.”

After using fuel from the drum in his garage for several months (sometimes mixing it with conventional diesel, which is necessary to keep biodiesel at temperatures below freezing), the Kansas City fuel market caught up to Zang, and in April the first public biodiesel fueling station opened a few miles from his home.

Zang switched back to fueling up at a pump, and other Kansas City residents, pinched by ever increasing petroleum costs, started giving biodiesel a chance as well.

“Biodiesel was an easy choice for us,” says James Brooks, vice president of the Kansas-City-based United Beverage Company, which switched its entire fleet to biodiesel in April. “We’re an urban wholesaler with lots of trucks on the streets of downtown. Using biodiesel is something we can do for ourselves and for the city.”

Furthermore, adds Zang, the last time he filled up from the public biodiesel pump, his cost was ten cents per gallon cheaper than if he had filled up with conventional diesel.

Why Biodiesel?

Studies show that biodiesel outperforms gasoline, ethanol, and conventional diesel in reducing climate-altering carbon dioxide emissions and in overall fuel-efficiency (see sidebars below).

Using 100-percent biodiesel (B100) eliminates all of the sulfur emissions associated with conventional diesel, cuts emissions of carbon monoxide and smog-producing particulate matter almost in half, and reduces hydrocarbon emissions by between 75 and 90 percent. Perhaps most significantly, using B100 reduces the emissions of carbon dioxide—the main greenhouse gas causing global warming—by more than 75 percent. Even using a blended biodiesel fuel like B20 (a 20-percent biodiesel/80-percent petrodiesel blend offered at most biodiesel fueling stations) still reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent, according to the Department of Energy.

Besides lowering emissions at the point of use, biodiesel fuel—made from corn, soy, or other plant matter—had a past life absorbing carbon dioxide while it was growing as a crop in the field. With its past carbon dioxide absorptions balancing its later carbon dioxide emissions, biodiesel results in an overall life-cycle lowering of carbon dioxide emissions over both conventional diesel and gasoline. The industrial processes used to produce biodiesel are cleaner than conventional diesel processes, reducing emissions associated with the life cycle of the fuel by more than 80 percent.

As a cleaner burning fuel, biodiesel is better for a car’s engine than conventional diesel, providing greater lubrication and leaving fewer particulate deposits behind. Biodiesel’s high ignition point (350°F vs. –43°F for gasoline) makes it a safer fuel as well. Biodiesel is biodegradable and considered nontoxic by the Environmental Protection Agency. All diesel vehicles have 20- to 30-percent higher fuel economies than comparable gasoline vehicles.

Biodiesel also frees car-drivers from reliance on dwindling fossil fuel resources and the world politics associated with obtaining those resources. It also keeps fuel dollars in the US. Biodiesel is more accessible than ever, with the number of public fueling stations in the United States rising from zero in 1997 to over 1000 today. To find a biodiesel fueling station or local biodiesel supplier near you, visit the National Biodiesel Board’s Web site.

Recycled Waste Oil as Fuel

Taking an even bigger step toward sustainability, some drivers bypass fueling at the pump or ordering a drum from a supplier and make their own biodiesel from the waste oil produced by local restaurants, converting what would have been garbage into a usable product.

Any organic oil you can find can be converted into fuel for a diesel vehicle through the use of a chemical catalyst and an alcohol—most commonly lye and methanol, which must be handled with care. The process of making your own fuel is not difficult, but is somewhat labor intensive and takes about a week from start to finish. You can find several biodiesel recipes online at Biodiesel Community, or by joining the forums at Biodiesel.org (Find supplies online from Green America's Green Business Network™ member Real Goods)

Other drivers choose to modify their diesel cars to accept straight vegetable oil (SVO), rather than modify the oil into a fuel. The quality and condition of the waste oil used as straight fuel matters more than the condition of waste oil converted into diesel fuel. Therefore, even if you modify your car, you still might need to spend time filtering and purifying your waste oil before you can pour it into your car’s tank. You can find more information about SVO and purchase conversion kits for your diesel car from Web sites like these: Golden Fuel Systems, Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems, and Neoteric Biofuels.

Biodiesel and the Future

In the long term, renewable energy experts differ on the upper limit of biodiesel’s possibilities as an industry, should biodiesel become wildly successful., adopted as America’s primary choice for fuel

With the country already consuming more than 40 billion gallons of diesel fuel every year, a massive shift to biodiesel would make impossible demands on our available agricultural land. Cornell ecology professor David Pimintel explained in a 2005 study how he had studied large-scale bio-fuel production based on corn, switchgrass, wood biomass, soy, and sunflowers, and found each to be unsustainable. Others argue that even if such land-use was a possibility, the resulting agricultural shift toward fuel farming would trigger unintended consequencs, such as spikes in the price of food crops. For example, in Europe, demand for biodiesel has triggered increasing imports of Indonesian palm oil, which in turn has accelerated massive deforestation in Indonesia, as farmers clear forests for palm plantations.

Meanwhile, University of New Hampshire physicist Michael Briggs explained in a 2004 paper how aquatic farms could be used to grow resources for biodiesel production, taking pressure off land intensive crops like corn and soy. With high oil content, fast growth rates, and less land-use, some aquatic crops like algae make practical sense as future sources for biodiesel fuel, as demand grows. A 1998 report prepared for President Clinton by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory reached a similar conclusion, but with the caveat that biodiesel production from aquatic resources would “only be competitive if petroleum diesel cost more than $2 a gallon.”

What to Do for Now

For now, such questions about the industry’s future underscore the dramatic imperative for Americans to consume less fuel. We already know that a fossil-fuel-based transportation system is unsustainable, but consuming bio-fuels at our current gasoline levels would likely make unsustainable demands on our agricultural capabilities as well.

To stay away from dirty fuels and preserve the maximum capabilities of bio-fuels, try switching to pedestrian power, pedal power, and public transportation when at all possible. Then, see if biodiesel might work for you.

If you already drive a diesel vehicle, a switch to biodiesel—especially biodiesel recycled from waste oil—is without question the less destructive choice, based on biodiesel’s decreased pollution levels, status as a renewable fuel, and carbon-absorption as a crop in the field.

If you are thinking about your next car purchase, and you have access to B100 biodiesel or can make your own, purchasing one of the top five fuel-efficient diesels will significantly lower your carbon dioxide emissions and throw your support behind renewable fuels. Even if you must use a lower blend like B20 on occasion, a biodiesel car will likely trump the life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions of a comparable hybrid, though the more you use B20, the more that distinction between the cars will diminish.

If you do not have easy access to biodiesel, which is still currently most accessible at the pumps for Midwestern drivers, a hybrid car remains the best choice. Finally, if the most efficient diesel or hybrid car doesn’t meet your transportation needs due to size or hauling capabilities, running a diesel vehicle on the highest blend of biodiesel you can will still minimize your carbon dioxide emissions.

Stay Tuned

Transportation technologies in the United States are changing rapidly. If you’re not looking to purchase a new car right now, stay tuned. In five years, the choices available to the American driver are likely to be different. Biodiesel pumps will likely be more widely available, ethanol may become a cleaner and more efficient fuel as innovators bring down the cost of producing ethanol from waste, and automobile companies will hopefully complete the development of hybrid diesels, which would combine the benefits of both our current best choices.

Also in development are hybrid cars that can be recharged through plug-in power, which, when powered by solar or wind, will become the most sustainable option of all.

In the short term, however, biodiesel remains cleaner and more efficient than gasoline, ethanol, or conventional diesel, while ethanol is cleaner and more efficient than gasoline, but on a smaller scale. Until other options become available, and in cases where biodiesel is not a feasible option, then the best bet for the health of the planet is to reduce the amount of fuel you must use— by driving a hybrid, and by cultivating a lifestyle that depends on cars as little as possible.

Updated 10/2022

When Green America member Laura Gidney and her husband John were househunting in New York state, they knew their new home had to be in a neighborhood zoned for backyard chickens. The Gidney family now has ten adult chickens, with 20 newly hatched chicks this spring. They make their home in a comfortable coop with plenty of space to roam. Each morning, the Gidneys enjoy fresh eggs from their mini-flock.

As the Gidneys have learned, keeping a small flock of chickens in your backyard has many benefits, from supplying you with fresh, healthy eggs from well-cared-for animals, to giving you great fertilizer for gardening, to providing lively pets—as well as being part of the drive to local, sustainable food systems.

Why Backyard Chickens?

Most chicken-owners have the same reason for starting up their flocks: eggs. By getting eggs from your own chickens, you avoid supporting industrial farms that produce the majority of eggs sold in the US. Egg-producing hens on factory farms are often kept in such close, inhumane quarters that they cannot stretch their legs or wings, walk around, or participate in normal social behaviors.

Also, a 2010 Cambridge University study demonstrated that pasture-raised eggs, from chickens given space to peck for food, are more nutritious than industry-sourced eggs, with pasture-raised eggs containing twice as much vitamin E and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. With certified organic chicken feed available, you can keep your chickens healthy while supporting sustainable farming.

Those healthier eggs may cost a little more than factory-farmed eggs at the grocery store, but they’re competitive with and often cheaper than the cost of local, free-range eggs. Taking into account only the cost of food but not coop materials or other one-time expenses, most backyard chicken-keepers estimate they pay about $3 per dozen for backyard eggs. Eggs at most farmers’ markets tend to run from $5+ per dozen.

Backyard chickens also serve as great composters for your kitchen scraps. Andrew Malone, who runs Funky Chicken Farm in Melbourne, FL, says he can’t think of much you can’t feed a chicken.

“They’re omnivores and will eat just about anything that comes out of the kitchen, including meat,” he says. Just make sure to supplement kitchen scraps with proper feed, Malone warns, to ensure your chickens are getting the nutrition they need to stay healthy and lay strong eggs.

You can then add the chicken’s waste to your compost pile and use it on your garden as a fertilizer. In addition, chickens will happily eat up insects and pests in your yard.

Provided that children are gentle with the chickens, Jim Dennis, owner of Phoenix-based chicken company Rent-a-Hen, has observed that chickens can make social and even affectionate pets.

“For my children, every morning it’s a race to see which one of them gets to collect the eggs,” says Laura Gidney. “Today most kids are in a race to play a video game, so we are happy to have our kids out in the fresh air, playing in the dirt with their chickens.”

Check Local Ordinances

Before you run out and buy a clutch of chicks, make sure you’re ready for the commitment. First, check with your local officials to ensure backyard chickens are allowed where you live. Some municipalities have bans on chickens, or limits on how many chickens you can keep on your property. Because of their infamous early-morning cockadoodle-doos, roosters are banned from many cities.

If your city isn’t yet chicken-friendly, CommunityChickens.com has articles on how to change local ordinances.

Building a Happy Home for Your Backyard Chickens

If your local ordinances approve of backyard chickens, you’ll want to provide your birds with a chicken coop, or a secure hen house that will offer the birds a place to lay eggs, as well as a “run” where they can roam and peck. Make sure your coop also protects them from predators.

“If you’ve never seen a raccoon on your property, I can almost guarantee you’ll see one within the first few nights that you bring those chickens home,” says Malone.

Each chicken needs three to four square feet of space in the coop, and another three to four square feet in the run. Because chickens are social animals, Malone suggests a minimum of six chickens—which would require an 18-sq foot coop and a run of equal size.

If you’re a do-it-yourself-er, the Internet is rife with ideas and instructions—from coops on wheels that can be moved from place-to-place in your yard to designs to build a coop for under $100.

Your local feed store and online companies like backyardchickens.com also carry ready-built chicken coops.

Experts also recommend having one nesting box inside the coop for every three to four chickens—you can use a pre-fabricated wooden box from a feed store, or utilize any number of things you may have at home, like old milk crates, plastic tubs, and even a five-gallon bucket placed on its side. Or your chickens may choose their own place to lay. Green America member Rob McLane of Tucson, AZ, says that one of his chickens wanders inside every day to lay an egg in the family laundry basket.

Daily Care Concerns

Taking proper care of your chickens will ensure that they stay healthy, and will help you get the most eggs out of your flock. Each chicken requires about ¼ cup of feed per day, as well as a supply of fresh, clean water. Chickens can survive both hot and cold weather, and will be fine outside with temperatures as low as 15 degrees, but their laying patterns will change with the seasons.

Be sure to be vigilant about cleaning your chicken coop every two weeks and cleaning your hands and shoes after handling chickens and their eggs. A report from the Center for Disease Control this summer traced a seven-year salmonella outbreak to a hatchery that shipped chicks to consumers around the country. The outbreak has since ended, but the report emphasizes the importance of good hygiene when handling your chickens.

Pickin' Chickens

From Rhode Island Reds to Plymouth Rocks, there are many breeds available for your flock. Different breeds come with different personalities and different rates of egg-laying—and you can combine breeds in one flock for variety. While Malone says choosing a favorite chicken breed would be “like picking a favorite child,” he notes that brown-egg- laying breeds tend to be more social and docile.

The website MyPetChicken.com’s Breed Selector Tool can help you to find the breed of chicken right for you.

Depending on where you live, there are several ways to get your own backyard chickens. Some chicken keepers choose to raise their chickens from chicks. This requires providing the chicks with additional heat and special feed; chicks can be found at local feed stores and farms. You may also be able to find older chickens locally— old enough to be outside without extra heat, but not yet laying eggs.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, many chickens with years of egg-laying ahead of them are brought to shelters and farm sanctuaries, and while they may not produce eggs at the rate of younger hens, they may be a perfect match for families who want to raise humanely treated chickens and save an adult chicken from slaughter.

Most hens start laying eggs at about six months old and will lay with the greatest frequency for that first year—giving you about four to seven eggs each week, though it may vary with the seasons. The number of eggs she’ll produce will reduce by about 10% each subsequent year, and most backyard hens can live from eight to ten years.

Different people will make different decisions about what to do with a chicken at the end of her productive egg-laying period. For many, backyard chickens are seen as pets, and their owners will choose to continue to care for them for the duration of their natural lives. Others will butcher their older hens, using them as an additional source of food. Because of the increased numbers of hens being given to shelters and sanctuaries, the US Humane Society asks that people not drop off their non-productive chickens.

If you think chickens might be right for your family, keep in mind Laura Gidney’s words: “I always encourage anyone who can to totally do it!” she says. “Besides the fact that the eggs taste better, you know the quality of the food you give your birds, you know the conditions they live in, and it’s a beautiful thing to see your kids are out there taking care of and loving these birds and getting nutritious food out the whole deal."

As media attention causes more and more consumers to become aware of the troublesome levels of toxins in certain kinds of fish, the seafood industry is starting to feel the effects.When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an advisory in March 2004 suggesting that pregnant women and children limit their consumption of canned tuna due to mercury contamination, tuna sales were already in a decline, and continued to drop. Canned tuna sales dropped 30 percent between 2000 and 2014, according to the Washington Post.

"There’s news circulating that there are contaminants in seafood, but it’s so confusing, I think many consumers just walk past the seafood counter altogether and get their protein from other sources,” says Henry Lovejoy, president and founder of EcoFish, a sustainable seafood company.

As a consumer, how do you know which types of seafood are safe for you and your family? How do you know which are being overfished, contributing to the decline of our oceans? Fortunately, it’s getting simpler every day to get the health benefits of seafood without the toxins, and without harming the marine environment.

Fish and Human Health

The health benefits of eating seafood are considerable:

• Seafood is low in fat and calories.
• It’s a great source of high-quality protein.
• Omega-3 oils, which occur in abundance in mackerel, albacore tuna, salmon, herring, sardines, and lake trout—for their abundance of omega-3 oils. Omega-3s help prevent blood clots, promote a healthy heart, and may even help alleviate rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, cardiac arrhythmia, and depression.

Despite its benefits, seafood can be dangerous to your health when contaminated with industrial chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals—most notably mercury and PCBs—which has too often been shown to be the case in recent studies.

Mercury

"Acute or chronic mercury exposure can cause adverse effects during any period of development. Mercury is a highly toxic element; there is no known safe level of exposure," according to a 2011 paper called "Mercury Exposure and Children’s Health" from the National Institutes of Health. "Ideally, neither children nor adults should have any mercury in their bodies because it provides no physiological benefit."

The National Institute of Health (NIH) notes that “exposure [to mercury] results principally from consumption by pregnant women of seafood contaminated by mercury.” And the EPA and FDA issued a joint statement in March 2004 acknowledging that “nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury.”

In the 2004 statement, the FDA and EPA warned pregnant women, women of child-bearing age, nursing mothers, and young children against eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish due to high mercury levels. They also warned these vulnerable groups to eat only six ounces of albacore tuna per week, also due to mercury contamination.

The nonprofit watchdog Environmental Working Group (EWG) finds the FDA-EPA fish consumption guidelines to be too lax, stating that if pregnant women, women of child-bearing ages, and children follow these guidelines, EWG studies indicate they will go over the safe level for mercury in their blood.

Corroborating the EWG’s warning, the National Institutes of Health released a study in March 2005 stating that the annual cost of mercury’s damage to babies’ developing brains is $8.7 million. Study researchers explain that between 316,000 and 637,000 children each year have cord blood mercury levels at levels associated with loss of IQ, which not only results in quality of life issues, but “causes diminished economic productivity that persists over the entire lifetime of these children.”

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Another problematic group of toxins that has made headlines after being found in fish are PCBs. These are synthetic chemicals released into the environment through industrial manufacturing. California’s Proposition 65 recognizes PCBs as carcinogens, and the EPA says that PCBs act as endocrine disruptors in rats exposed to high levels.

Recent studies have pointed to farmed salmon as being particularly vulnerable to PCB contamination. This is most likely due to farmed salmon being fed ground-up fish with high concentrations of PCBs in their fat and oils, according to three independent studies, including one conducted by the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

As is the case with mercury, researchers are still trying to assess what effect PCBs have on human health at low and moderate levels, or due to the fact that they build up in your body over time. Since concerns about PCBs in food are relatively new, it’s difficult to know what types of fish to avoid besides farmed salmon. Henry Lovejoy of EcoFish recommends avoiding larger fish at the top of the food chain, since they accumulate more PCBs than small fish. You can also look for seafood that’s specifically been tested for PCBs.

Though not as prevalent as mercury and PCBs, other toxins have also been found in fish, including the known carcinogen dioxin, as well as the EPA-banned pesticide dieldrin, which is a neuro-, liver- and immunotoxin.

Fish and the Environment

Some types of fish have environmental problems associated with them, making them a not-so-good choice for your dinner plate. These include:

• Overfishing: We’re catching and eating certain types of fish, such as Chilean sea bass, faster than they can replenish their populations.
   
• Catching Methods: Environmentally unsound catching methods are a major contributor to the decline of our oceans. The ocean floor and coral reefs are being severely damaged by bottom trawlers, for example, which scrape the sea floor in an effort to catch bottom-dwelling fish. Also, when fishers use large nets and bottom trawlers, which take in everything in their path, they’re usually searching for a specific type of fish. Consequently, only a small portion of what they catch is kept, and the bycatch, or what’s left over, gets thrown back—usually dead or dying. The United Nations estimates that 27 million tons of fish are unintentionally caught and thrown away by commercial fishers each year.
   
• Farming Methods: Certain types of fish are conventionally farmed in ways that are harmful to their aquatic environments. For example, corporate fish farms often create fish monocultures that pollute their surrounding environments with waste, chemicals, and even antibiotics.

Our "Safe, Sustainable Seafood Guide" contains everything you need to know to choose those types of fish that are harvested in ways that aren't contributing to our oceans' decline. (Environmental data from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Blue Ocean Institute, and Environmental Defense.)

Safe, Eco-Friendly Alternatives

For nearly every type of seafood you’re craving, there’s a sustainable alternative. For example, many types of salmon contain high levels of toxins and are likely to be farmed in unsustainable ways. But if you purchase from Copper River Seafoods, you’ll enjoy wild Alaskan salmon that is sustainably fished by locals—who are paid a fair price for their fish—and that are tested as having low levels of PCBs and mercury.

EcoFish offers one of the country’s widest varieties of sustainably farmed and wildly harvested fish, independently tested for PCB and mercury levels and labeled with consumption recommendations for women of child-bearing age by Seafood Safe. Their selections include several alternatives to the otherwise “problematic” and “avoid” categories of our seafood card, from wild sashimi-grade Oregon albacore tuna, to organic Florida white shrimp, to wild South American mahi-mahi.

Several other sustainable seafood companies, listed below, sell healthy, eco-friendly seafood direct to consumers. You can also look for the following labels at your local seafood outlet:

• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): The MSC label appears on several different types of wild fish, indicating that they have been caught using eco-friendly methods. The fisheries are certified sustainable by MSC-approved independent certifying organizations. Though MSC is an independent nonprofit, it was started by Unilever (with the World Wildlife Fund) and still takes contributions from the grocery giant.
   
• Fishwise: The Fishwise label appears on a variety of seafood. Fishwise labels tell consumers what kind of fish it is, how the fish was caught, where it came from, and how sustainable it is. The labels also bear a color—green for sustainable, yellow for seafood with some environmental problems associated with it, and red for unsustainably caught seafood.Grocery stores must join the Fishwise program to use the labels, and it has been adopted by Target, Albertson's stores, and many natural grocery stores.
   
• Seafood Safe: Started by EcoFish founder and president Henry Lovejoy, Seafood Safe is the only seafood label that provides consumers with at-a-glance consumption recommendations based upon independent testing for contaminants. The initiative is still very much in its beginning stages—currently, EcoFish is the only company carrying the label, though the program will open up to all seafood companies by next year. How it works is this: Fish carrying the Seafood Safe label display a number, which indicates how many four-ounce servings women of child-bearing age can safely eat of that species per month. (People who fall into other categories can visit the Web site to view their consumption recommendations.) The number is determined by independent testing (by random sample) of the fish for mercury and PCBs—the methodology for which is reviewed by an independent panel of experts. Other toxins will be added to the testing platform as the program develops.

“My dream is to have all seafood sold in the US bear the Seafood Safe label, because consumers deserve to know what they’re eating,” says Lovejoy. “We as a nation need to be a lot more careful in how we use toxic chemicals, and where we put them. What goes around comes around.”

In light of the climate crisis and wildly fluctuating gas prices, many Americans are looking for ways to drive less, bike more, and choose public transportation—and Green America members are leading the way. But unless you live in the heart of a city with an excellent mass transit or car sharing system, driving your own car can often be a necessity.

If you can afford to trade in an older, inefficient car for a much more efficient one, the greenest choice is to do so. For those who need to purchase a car right now, one of the greenest options is a hybrid car that gets at least 40 miles per gallon (mpg). There are also over 30 models of plug-in hybrid or pure-electric vehicles, which get up to 315 miles on a charge (Tesla Model S).

Some car buyers might assume that they can’t justify the up to $5,000 more it can cost to purchase a hybrid vehicle over a comparable conventional one, especially when gas prices are low. But in fact, hybrid cars bring their drivers a variety of financial savings and other perks that go beyond saving money at the gas pump—and can make a hybrid purchase more budget- savvy than buying a conventional car.

Save Money, Save the Earth

In today’s hybrid cars, a battery provides an electric assist to the gas-powered engine, achieving 20–35 percent better gas mileage than conventional cars. The 2017 Toyota Prius, for example, gets 50 mpg overall in real-world driving, and has been the leader in best mpg for hybrids for years. Of course, models from other makers do nearly as well.

In 2012, President Obama signed a law that will increase the fuel economy to 54.5 mpg for cars and small trucks by Model Year 2025. Drivers who choose more efficient hybrid cars today are helping to support this target in time to prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Also, hybrid cars emit less ground-level air pollution than other cars, including 29 percent less smog-producing nitrogen oxide. Even if some very efficient conventional cars can get “hybrid-style” mileage, only hybrid cars also help maintain healthier air.

(Note: Although President Trump froze fuel economy standards at their projected 2020 level in 2018, in January 2020 the administration agreed to slowly raise standards again, this time at a rate of 1.5 percent per year. This, however, is still far below the Obama-era standards, making ethical consumer choices even more important in the auto industry.)

When Bryan Palmintier and his wife were looking to purchase a car, he was working as a fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a think tank focusing on energy and other resource issues. So he set out to quantify how some financial benefits to hybrids aren’t reflected in the sticker price. In his widely-circulated blog post, “Rethinking the Cost of Hybrid Cars,” which he co-write with Noah Buhayar, Palmintier proves that drivers in need of a new car shouldn’t assume they can’t afford a hybrid until they’ve taken a full accounting of all of the ways that hybrid cars can save them money.

“A lot of people get sticker shock when they look at the price of a new hybrid,” he writes, because “the added expense won’t pay itself back very quickly on fuel savings alone. ... But this quick analysis misses a number of hybrids’ other economic benefits.”

Federal Incentives for Hybrid Cars

New hybrids may entitle their owners to federal tax credits ranging from $250 to $3,400. How much a given hybrid owner can expect to get from the federal hybrid tax credit depends on many factors, including the car’s fuel economy, and how popular a given model is. Some models have already exceeded their quotas and are no longer eligible for any tax credit, and the recently passed economic stimulus bill did not extend or expand these credits. To see how much of a tax credit you might be able to claim, consult the Internal Revenue Service. Additionally, as of 2019, the federal Plug-In Electric Vehicle Credit offers a tax credit of between $2,500 and $7,500 for any car with charging capabilities, which includes plug-in hybrids.

State and City Incentives and Perks

Some states and cities offer incentives for hybrid drivers, including tax credits, and the convenience of being able to drive solo in “HOV” (high-occupancy vehicle) highway lanes. Many cities also offer privileges to hybrid owners, including free or discounted parking. Contact your city clerk’s office to find out if a new hybrid would entitle you to parking perks when driving around town.

Employer Incentives and Perks

A growing number of employers are encouraging their workers to commute in hybrid vehicles. At some forward-thinking companies, including Green Business Network™ members My Organic Market, Patagonia, and Clif Bar, employees receive up to $5,000 for purchasing or leasing a hybrid, essentially eliminating the price premium. A list of businesses that offer hybrid employee benefits can be found here.

Some universities provide special parking rates for faculty- and student-owned hybrids, and some hotels reward hybrid drivers with free parking. Be sure to ask your employer, school, and the other institutions in your life if they have special benefits for hybrid owners—or if they’ll consider creating some.

Loan Discounts on Hybrid Cars

Financing a hybrid purchase can be cheaper than financing a conventional car. Many banks, especially credit unions, offer preferential loan rates for hybrid cars. For example, Meriwest Credit Union in the Greater Bay Area and Tucson, AZ, offers a 0.25 percent rate discount on any auto loan for new or used hybrid vehicles.

Insurance Discounts

A number of car insurance providers, including Farmers Insurance Group, Geico, and Travelers, offer discounted insurance rates to hybrid drivers in some states. Be sure to inquire about how choosing a hybrid might save you on insurance.

Repair Costs and Brakes

Hybrid owners shouldn’t expect any higher or more frequent maintenance or repair costs than owners of conventional cars, according to Consumer Reports. Generally hybrid cars come with a standard three-year/36,000 mile warranty, as well as an additional warranty guaranteeing the special hybrid technology (100,000 miles for Toyota hybrids and 80,000 in Honda hybrids, for example). In fact, the technology that a hybrid uses to recoup energy during braking actually means that hybrid cars’ brake pads last three times as long as those in a conventional car, reducing the frequency of break pad replacement.

Resale Value

When it comes time to resell a car, hybrid owners have been delighted to discover that their cars have held their value better than non-hybrid versions of the same model. For a quick estimate of the average resale value for a car of the type you’re considering, Buhayer and Palmintier suggest consulting the Kelley Blue Book to look up models of the car you’re considering that are about as old as you’d expect your car to be when you resell it.

For example, Palmintier thought he’d drive a 2008 Prius for three years, so he looked back at the current resale value of the 2005 Prius, in contrast to comparable non-hybrids. The 2005 hybrid was reselling for $4,000–6,000 more than the resale values of two 2005 non-hybrid models.

Gas Savings

Even if gas prices have dropped temporarily, we can count on them going back up again eventually as we approach peak oil supplies worldwide. So the real-dollar value of a hybrid car’s better mileage is likely to increase over the course of the time you would own and drive it.

Benefits Beyond Money

When Shira Fischer moved away from a transit-friendly city to begin medical school in Worcester, MA, she needed to purchase a car; and she was willing to spend several thousand dollars more to get a hybrid.

“I didn’t want to own a car,” recalls Fischer, who’s since come to love her Toyota Prius. “But I knew I had to get one, and I knew I wanted to minimize the effect on the environment.”

For Fischer, economic perks have combined with less tangible benefits: “Accounting for the hours I spend in it, the tax rebate, the saved gas, and how good I feel about it, [the price premium] was definitely worth it.”

“The best part is all the people who stop and ask me about my mileage,” she says. “I feel like I’m a commercial for environmentalism wherever I go."

When you visit the dentist, you’re probably hoping that you’ll get a clean bill of dental health. Keep in mind, though, that you should also be looking closely at the health of your dentist’s office. Many dental procedures that have been used for years—from fluoride applications to amalgam fillings to root canals—are now under scrutiny for their possible role in causing health problems. Learning about the issues surrounding these procedures can make you a more informed and safer dental patient.

Silver Fillings

[2020 Editor's Update: Since the publishing of this article, new evidence and clarifications have emerged. Today, both the ADA and the APHA do not consider amalgam to be an unsafe material for fillings, although it can have a negative environmental impacts when it enters waterways. The FDA has reviewed the evidence on amalgam and found it to be safe for adults and children over 6. This classification of "safe" does not indicate that no mercury is released into the body via amalgam fillings, but rather that it has not been linked to any negative health impacts. Part of the reason for this is the distinction between different types of mercury, as the kinds of mercury found in fish is considerably more potent than the mercury found in amalgam. The article as originally published is below.]

Amalgam, or silver, fillings, which have been widely used by dentists for more than a century, are about 50 percent mercury; the balance is made up of other metals, mainly silver, copper, tin, and zinc. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), amalgam is an ideal substance for dental restorations because it’s durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear, and cost-effective. The ADA claims that the presence of mercury in fillings is not a problem, because the fillings release only minute amounts of mercury vapor, and such low-level exposure has not been proven to be harmful.

A growing number of dental professionals disagrees. “The ADA warns that amalgam is toxic before placement and after removal, so dentists have to take precautions with these procedures,” says Dr. Robert Johnson, a biologic dentist who heads the Natural Horizons Wellness Center in Fairfax, Virginia. “There’s no reason for amalgam to suddenly not be toxic once it’s in someone’s mouth.” There’s little dispute about one thing: everyday activities like brushing your teeth, eating, and drinking hot liquids cause amalgam fillings to release mercury vapor.

The ADA acknowledges that chewing and grinding teeth may cause amalgam fillings to release one to three micrograms of mercury per day, while the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the average amount is actually three to 17 micrograms per day.

There’s also no doubt that mercury is dangerous: According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal agency under the US Department of Health and Human Services, exposure to “high levels” of mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and a developing fetus.

What’s still being debated is exactly how much mercury exposure it takes to cause these effects, and how much of that is likely to come from fillings. Proponents of amalgam fillings say that the amount of mercury released from them is nowhere near a dangerous level, while critics contend that research hasn’t conclusively proven that amalgam is safe.

“The bottom line is, there’s of lack of attention to this issue in the dental field,” says Dr. Michael Ziff, DDS, executive director of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT). “When physicians prescribe drugs, they’re very aware of the toxicology of the medications—but when you ask dentists what the absorption rate of mercury vapor from amalgam fillings is, many of them have no idea. They take the ADA’s word for the safety of fillings instead of looking at the science.”

If potential health hazards aren’t enough to make you exercise caution around amalgam fillings, consider their effect on the Earth. Scientists agree that mercury needs to be kept out of the environment. According the nonprofit Mercury Policy Project (MPP), many dentists contribute to the prevalent problem of mercury pollution in waterways by failing to separate mercury from their wastewater, and by incinerating dental waste that contains mercury, which releases that substance into the atmosphere. Urging your dentist to adopt best management practices for mercury waste disposal—a step also endorsed by the ADA—can greatly reduce the amount of dental-related mercury pollution.

“The good news is that 25 percent of dentists across the US no longer place mercury fillings. Many recognize that mercury use reduction is good for the environment, for their patients, and for business, too,” says MPP executive director Michael Bender.

Fluoride

Since the 1940s, fluoride has been added to community water supplies around the US in order to prevent tooth decay. Many dentists credit fluoridated water with dramatically lowering the incidence of cavities in the population, but a reassessment of the original studies on fluoride’s contributions suggest that it might not be quite as beneficial as originally supposed. Studies on fluoride published in the Journal of Dental Research have shown that fluoride’s action occurs mainly on the surface of the teeth, meaning that the benefits of ingesting the substance are negligible. Other research suggests that fluoride might be harmful.

Fluoride is generally not considered dangerous at low levels—the key is to make sure you don’t get too much. Data from the National Toxicology Program indicates that fluoride may be a carcinogen. And a University of Utah study found “a small but significant increase” in the risk of hip fracture in elderly men and women exposed to artificial fluoridation at one part per million—a low level that’s within the range recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Though the links between fluoridated water and cancer or hip fractures haven’t been definitively proven, some scientists are urging caution and calling for an end to the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water.

Sealants

Advocacy groups are also raising questions about the safety of sealants. Sealants, which are usually applied to back teeth as barriers against decay-causing bacteria, are under fire because they may leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors have been linked to declining male fertility and increased cancer rates in humans.

Controversy began with a University of Granada study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 1996, which found that BPA had leached into patients’ saliva shortly after dental sealant application. In response to this study, the ADA tested the 12 brands of sealants that carry its seal of acceptance and found that 11 of them leached no detectable BPA; they contacted the manufacturer of the twelfth, who implemented additional quality control procedures and whose product then leached no detectable BPA in subsequent testing. However, many experts say much more research is needed before it can be concluded what kinds of sealants leach BPA, and whether BPA can be absorbed from saliva at harmful levels.

Root Canals

Some dentists are also challenging conventional wisdom on root canals. These invasive procedures are performed when bacteria infiltrate teeth through cavities or cracks and compromise the soft tissue inside. The root canal procedure removes diseased pulp and seals the tooth to prevent infection from spreading.

Some research—based largely on studies conducted by Dr. Weston Price in the early 20th century and detailed in a 2008 book by Dr. George Meinig—suggests that bacteria can continue to spread despite root canal procedures, possibly entering the bloodstream and causing harmful infections in the liver, kidney, heart, eye, or other tissue.

The American Association of Endodontists states that more recent attempts to duplicate Dr. Price’s research have not yielded the same results, and root canals are safe; the IAOMT says that contemporary studies show microorganisms persisting in root canals after treatment. Unfortunately, the current alternative to a root canal is tooth extraction, which dentists are reluctant to recommend.

“We need more research on the actual health risks to patients from this treatment, and whether techniques can be improved to reduce risk,” says Dr. Ziff. Dr. Johnson notes that the use of biocalyx, a special cement that expands as it hardens, is a developing technique that shows promise for reducing infection risk from root canals.

The Bottom Line

“The dental establishment feels threatened at the idea of finding anything harmful in the materials or practices it’s been recommending for decades,” says Dr. Johnson. “But just as we must urge the auto industry to reconsider its reliance on fossil fuels, we must urge the dental industry to support additional research on its favorite materials in order to protect human and environmental health.”

There’s reason to be hopeful, adds Dr. Ziff. “Individual dentists are making more of an effort to educate themselves, and I expect we’ll see some major positive changes over the next couple of decades,” he says.

If life were fair, taking time out to indulge your creative side through art would be a naturally green endeavor. You could paint a mural, mosaic a table, or take your children to a pottery shop without a single worry about toxic art supplies.

But this is the real world, and in it, paints, glues, glazes, and even markers can pose hidden health hazards that we should be aware of. Paints can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may include formaldehyde, benzene, and ethyl acetate, which can cause headaches, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Exposure to paint thinner fumes can have similar effects on health and are harmful or fatal if swallowed.

Children are particularly vulnerable to chemicals because of their small size, higher metabolisms, and immature immune systems, so it pays to exercise extra care with the products they use.

The good news (and yes, there is some!) is that it’s easier than ever to find greener, safer alternatives to hazardous art supplies.

Art Supply Labels to Look For (and to Look Out For)

All art supplies sold in the US must bear the phrase, “conforms to ASTM D 4236,” confirming that they have been properly labeled for chronic health hazards, in accordance with the federal Labeling Hazardous Art Materials Act (LHAMA). Under LHAMA, art supplies must contain warnings if they cause acute hazards—such as “harmful or fatal if swallowed” or “may cause skin irritation”—as well as warnings if they could cause chronic health effects, such as cancer, sterility, blindness, birth defects, or allergic reactions.

However, LHAMA does not mandate that manufacturers provide consumers with an ingredient list, so the substances in many art supplies are often kept from consumers. States are considering and proposing mandatory warning labels and/or ingredient disclosure on packaging related to consumer products, but this is not uniform throughout the nation. Toxicologists from the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) evaluate all US art products for compliance with LHAMA at least every five years and whenever a product’s formula is changed.

To go even further when it comes to art materials and safety, also look for labels from the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). ACMI is a nonprofit membership organization made up of art supply manufacturers, who voluntarily agree to have their materials evaluated by independent toxicologists and tested by accredited, independent labs for safety every five years, as well as randomly and whenever product formulas change.

“Our lead toxicologist, Dr. Woodhall Stopford of Duke University, evaluates every color formulation of every product, and he must approve every formula change,” says Deborah Fanning, ACMI’s executive vice president. “He looks at everything as though it were going to be used by a one-year-old.”

Any art material evaluated by ACMI will bear one of the organization’s seals. The AP (approved product) label appears on all supplies evaluated as nontoxic to both children and adults. Some older products may have a CP (certified product) or “nontoxic” HL (health label) seal instead of an AP label.

The Perils of Paint

If a product contains potentially harmful ingredients, ACMI will mandate a CL label (caution label). No material with these labels is appropriate for children.

Fanning says that ACMI’s evaluations prohibit AP-labeled products from containing chemicals at or above California’s Proposition 65 level. Prop. 65 is widely considered one of the most exhaustive and complete lists of known chemicals known to be carcinogens and/or cause reproductive harm. AP-labeled products also avoid toxic levels of known or potentially harmful chemicals as classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Health, and other agencies.

One thing to note is that the AP and CP labels do not indicate that a product is completely free of toxicants—rather, that it contains no chemicals “in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans.”

As an example of how that might pose a problem to the most cautious of us, Healthy Child Healthy World states that though polymer clays are labeled nontoxic by ACMI, they are made of polyvinyl chlorides (PVC) softened with phthalates. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive and organ damage, and manufacturing or burning PVC creates dioxin, a potent carcinogen. ACMI continues to label polymer clays with the AP label, says Fanning, because “the amount of phthalates in them is too small to cause harm, and the clays would not be expected to release hazardous materials unless burned.” Healthy Child Healthy World counters that children are subject to multiple exposures of phthalates from different sources every day, and no one knows what the cumulative effect of such exposure is.

“No label can be a perfect guarantee that an art product contains no toxins* of any kind,” says Fanning. “But our approach is very conservative.”

Find it green: Try nontoxic paints from Green Business Network member Natural Earth Paint.

Want to be extra cautious? Here's our advice on art supplies:

The primary toxicant in certain art supplies are chemical solvents, which are substances that can dissolve other substances to create a solution. In paints, solvents—including methyl alcohol, which can cause blindness if swallowed, and toluene, linked to kidney and liver damage—dissolve pigments and allow paint to spread evenly. Also, some pigments in art paints can contain highly toxic metals such as cadmium, arsenic, and lead, says the Washington Toxics Coalition.

“Paints in the ACMI program, even oil paints, very rarely contain solvents,” says Fanning. “Solvents may be contained in sprays and fixatives, some permanent markers, mediums and varnishes, silkscreen inks, etching grounds, rubber cement and some other adhesives, enamels and lacquers, and turpentines.”

What to do: Though the base formulas of water-based paints do not contain solvents and are therefore safer than those of oil paints, Fanning says it’s the pigments in any type of paint that can be the most problematic. Look for the AP seal on any color of paint you buy, even watercolors.

If you use oil-based paints, make sure you use AP-certified oil paint thinners and brush cleaners.

Children should only use water-based AP-certified children’s paint.

Crayon and Marker Madness

There are three types of markers: water-based, alcohol-based, and aromatic solvent-based. Aromatic solvent-based markers are the most toxic—many contain xylene, a neuro-, kidney-, reproductive-, and respiratory toxicant, says the Washington Toxics Coalition. Alcohol-based markers contain toxins, but they’re not as potent as xylene, says the Coalition.

As for crayons, they no longer contain talc and are made from beeswax or paraffin. ACMI mandates that all children’s crayons under its watch be AP nontoxic.

What to do: Avoid alcohol- and solvent-based markers, both of which are often marked “permanent” or “waterproof.” Look for water-based markers with an AP label. If you need dry-erase markers for white boards, look for those marked “low-odor,” which are alcohol-based and less toxic than other kinds.

Find it green: Hazelnut Kids carries natural crayons, pastels, and other supplies in its Arts & Crafts section.

Clay Calamity

Potential hazards abound in a potter’s studio. According to the EPA, certain ceramic glazes contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, and lead. Firing glazes in a kiln can further release harmful fumes into the air, says the EPA. In addition, the clay itself contains silica dust, a respiratory danger. As for popular children’s clay, be cautious with polymer “modeling” clay, for the reasons stated in the “Labels to Look For” section.

What to do: If you have a home kiln, make sure it’s properly ventilated outside. Working with wet clay minimizes the silica you may breathe in. Also, clean up with wet mops and rags to avoid spreading dust.

Keep children out of a pottery studio with an on-site kiln, and make sure they work only with wet clay to limit silica exposure. Check the labels of any glazes for an AP seal. When choosing play clays, stick with Play-doh types that dry when exposed to air, or make your own.

Find it green: Check Peek a Green's "Eco Art & Craft" section of its site for a variety of safe clay modeling kits, and other supplies.

Gluey Goodness

Many readers may remember using model glues and rubber cement as children—which are two of the most toxic kinds of glues available. Rubber cement is especially dangerous, as it contains hexane or heptane, potent neurotoxins.

What to do: That elementary school standby, white Elmer’s glue, is much less toxic than other kinds of glue. Yellow wood glue, white library paste, and mucilage glue are also good choices.

Finding Non-Toxic Art Supplies

Here’s what else you need to know to get the best possible art supplies for your family and the earth.

• Look for labels that state: renewable materials, natural dyes, recycled content and packaging, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, and no to low volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Look for the AP or CP seal.
• When possible, avoid products with a warning label of any kind.
• To find out which chemicals are in a given product, check its Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which lists ingredients and potential health hazards, and can be obtained from the manufacturer.
• By law, US schools cannot give art supplies with any hazard warning to K-6 school children. California provides a list of prohibited art supplies.
• Take a look around GreenPages.org to find more companies selling safe art supplies and tons of other natural products.

*After publishing this article it came to our attention that toxin refers to naturally occurring poisons such as snake venom or poison ivy oils. We've replaced the word toxin in this article with "toxicant," where possible, but did not alter this quote. Toxicant means manmade toxic chemical or poison, such as pesticide or solvents.

Updated September 2022

Suzanne Anich of Minneapolis, MN, has a morning routine similar to that of many women. She shampoos and conditions her hair with products that contain “natural ingredients,” according to the labels. She brushes her teeth, then washes her face with an upscale facial wash with the word “purity” emblazoned across the jar. Then, she applies a moisturizer and what she calls a “low-maintenance” selection of makeup.

Suzanne was surprised to find out that nearly all of the personal care products she uses on her face and body contain ingredients suspected of causing cancer; potential neuro-, liver-, and immunotoxins; and suspected hormone disruptors that could cause birth defects in any children she might havein the future.

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to find products that won’t endanger your health—and companies that do care about their customers’ well-being. Here’s what you need to know about the personal care products you may be using and what your alternatives are.

Are Cosmetics Regulated or Not?

Like Suzanne, many consumers may be surprised to learn that the US federal government doesn’t require health studies or pre-market testing on personal care products. Manufacturers are free to put just about anything they want into cosmetics—a far-reaching category used by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include everything from make-up and deodorant to lotions and mouthwashes.

Instead, the safety (or not) of the ingredients in these products is looked into almost exclusively by a manufacturer-controlled safety committee called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel. Consequently, “89% of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, nor any other publicly accountable institution,” says the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG). “The absence of government oversight for this $35 billion industry leads to companies routinely marketing products with ingredients that are poorly studied, not studied at all, or worse, known to pose potentially serious health risks.”

Without government surveys into chemical use in cosmetics, recent data is scarce, but EWG found that black women may be particularly at risk, with a 2016 analysis showing that less than 25% of products marketed for black women have low levels of potentially hazardous chemicals. 

Also of particular concern are the inclusion of phthalates—a group of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects that are used in many cosmetic products, from nail polish to deodorant. Phthalates are not listed as ingredients on product labels; they can only be detected through laboratory analysis. Two of the most toxic phthalates, DBP and DEHP, have been banned from cosmetics products sold in the European Union (EU). Phthalates are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the FDA and states like California, Vermont, and Washington have their own restrictions.

Another class of chemicals that’s gotten some press recently is parabens, short for “para hydroxybenzoate.” These preservatives are widely used in cosmetics, particularly nail polish. Recent studies have shown parabens in breast tissue, though more testing is needed to determine adverse health affects.

Though there isn’t always definitive evidence that a given chemical can cause adverse health affects, the fact that so few have been studied for safety is of significant concern. Plus, there’s the effect over time of all these chemicals we’re applying to our bodies to consider. The average person’s morning routine puts him/her into contact with over 100 chemicals before breakfast, according to Aubrey Hampton and Susan Hussey, founder and vice-president of marketing, respectively, of Aubrey Organics. The cumulative effect of all of the chemicals in these products can add up over time, and no one truly knows what the results are.

Is There Change on the Horizon for Cosmetics?

There are signs of hope that the cosmetics industry could be poised for a major overhaul, however:

• Major Companies Phase Out Phthalates: Cosmetics companies L’Oréal, Revlon, and Unilever have voluntarily removed phthalates DBP and DEHP from products sold in the US. Whole Foods and Target have removed or restricted personal care products with phthalates in their stores.
• California Bans PFAS "forever chemicals": Several states are making efforts to eliminate toxic chemicals from cosmetics. In 2022, California banned PFAS "forever chemicals" from cosmetics sold in California.
• The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: The CSC is calling on all cosmetics companies to phase out toxic chemicals. “Consumers have real power they’re not exercising,” Janet Nudelman of the CSC told Dragonfly Media. “We need to let cosmetics companies know we’re not going to buy their products unless they make a strong commitment to safety.”

How to Avoid Harmful Cosmetics

Here’s how to find the safest personal care products for you and your family:

• Be Suspicious of Labels: Though words like “natural” or “hypoallergenic” look reassuring, on some products, they’re basically meaningless. The FDA has no control over these labels. Products labeled “natural,” for example, may contain some natural ingredients, but they may also include synthetic dyes and fragrances. “Hypoallergenic” merely means that the most common irritants are left out, but other potentially problematic chemicals may still be in the mix. “Fragrance-free” means a product has no perceptible odor—synthetic ingredients may still be added to mask odors. The FDA notes, however, that if "fragrance" is not included on an ingredient list, phthalates are not included.
• Scrutinize Ingredients: The EWG's Skin Deep online database makes it easier than ever to check the safety of over 7,500 personal care products, from OPI nail polish to Aveda shampoo to Johnson’s Baby Oil. Some products even carry the EWG Skin Deep label on their packaging to let you know its safe when shopping in-store.
• Go Organic: Cosmetics that contain certified organic ingredients generally contain mainly natural ingredients, including those that have been grown without the use of toxic pesticides. Unfortunately, organic doesn’t necessarily mean problem-free. Even organic companies need to keep their products from rotting away on store shelves, in warehouses, and in your medicine cabinet. Some may turn to synthetic chemicals to keep their products fresh and useful. Be sure to check the ingredients list on your favorite organic products.

To find safe cosmetics and personal care products, visit EWG's Skin Deep Database and Green America's Green Pages Online.

Updated December 2022

When hair stylist Luis Alfonso and his partner Caroline Holley decided to start their own beauty salon, they knew they wanted to go green to lessen their impact on the environment. That’s why Swing Salon, located in New York City’s Soho neighborhood, uses truly natural and organic products.

Many of Swing Salon’s clients started going there because of the salon’s location, but Holley notes that clients can’t help but notice that they are in a different, healthier, type of hair salon.

“People are surprised to walk into a hair salon and not be hit in the face with the smell of ammonia,” she says. “They are so used to hair color treatments that burn their scalps that they are surprised to experience a healthier alternative.”

That surprise isn’t uncommon. Many people assume that if a hair or body treatment is used at a local salon, it must be regulated and safe for use. But they’re wrong—in fact, due to loopholes in the Toxic Control Substance Act (TSCA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to require companies to test products for safety, placing the authority with states instead.

As a result, consumers and workers are being exposed to dangerous toxins through salon products like nail polish, hair straighteners, and more. Fortunately, you can find healthy alternatives, either by finding a green salon or going green with beauty treatments at home.

Incomplete Ingredient Lists

Over-the-counter body care products are required by law to include a list of ingredients on their labels—the only exception being the chemical soup that goes into a given product’s scent, which can be hidden under the term “fragrance” as it’s considered proprietary information.

However, the loophole is bigger for salon products, says Jamie Silberberger, who works at Women’s Voices For the Earth’s National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance, a coalition of public health advocates pushing for better safety in nail and hair salons. “Products sold for professional use in spas and salons are not required to be labeled with ingredients,” she says.

Silberberger notes that while salon products often come with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that list “hazardous” ingredients, they don’t list all chemicals of concern, and they are typically only available in English. English fluency is not required to become a certified hair or nail technician. Keep yourself and your family safe by avoiding the worst treatments and products.

Hair Straightening

One salon treatment—the Brazilian Blowout hair straightening treatment—can be so toxic that it continues to expose customers and salon workers to toxic fumes for months after it is done. Brazilian Blowout and other straightening products contain formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen.

For salon worker Jennifer Arce, performing just one Brazilian Blowout treatment exposed her to what her doctor suspected was “possible chemical poisoning.” After suffering breathing problems and migraines, bloody noses, blistery rashes, and bronchitis, Arce moved to a salon that banned hair straighteners, but her trouble didn’t end there.

“Exposure to formaldehyde doesn’t end with the treatment—the fumes are reactivated every time heat is applied to the hair,” says Arce. “So when a client who’s had a Brazilian Blowout done elsewhere comes into the salon to get a haircut or color and has her hair blowdried, flatironed, curled, or processed under the hood dryer, the fumes that come out of her hair make me and several of my coworkers sick all over again.”

After hearing similar stories from other salon workers, Jennifer gathered letters to send to the FDA, and in the summer of 2012, she went to Washington, DC, as part of the National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance Week of Action.

Actions like these resulted in a victory in November 2012, when the California Superior Court ordered GIB, the makers of the Brazilian Blowout, to stop selling its product in California after finding that it emits smog-forming pollutants at levels higher than allowed by the California Air Resources Board. GIB was asked to present a new, reformulated product to meet California Air Quality Standards.

“This is a great victory, but certainly not the end of our work,” says Silberberger, “Brazilian Blowout is just the tip of an iceberg.”

What to do: Avoid chemical hair straightening treatments. Sign on to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ petition requesting that the FDA take greater action to get the Brazilian Blowout off US shelves by visiting SafeCosmetics.org.

Hair Dyes and Extensions

About two-thirds of conventional hair dyes in the US contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical banned for use in such products in Germany, France, and Sweden. Exposure to PPD can cause allergic reactions ranging from skin irritation to, in the case of a teenager in 2010, death from anaphylactic shock.

And an ingredient analysis by the Environmental Working Group found that many conventional hair dyes include known carcinogens in ingredients derived from coal tar. A 2009 report from the University of Santiago de Compostela reviewed studies examining the risk of cancer among hairdressers and related workers. They report that the 247 studies showed these workers having a higher risk of cancer than the general population.

Hair extensions can also be a point of concern. Many adhesives used on extensions may contain 1-4 dioxane, which is listed as a probable carcinogen by the US EPA, and styrene, a neurotoxin and suspected endocrine disruptor.

What to do: Look for a green salon that uses natural hair color treatments free from synthetic chemicals, ammonia, or PPD (see resources below). You can also
order your own from EcoColors.

Nail Polish

When getting a mani-pedi, beware of the “toxic trio”: dibutyl phthalate, formaldehydeand toluene. These chemicals, which are used to help nail products hold color, are linked to reproductive and development problems, as well as dizziness, eye and lung irritation, and more. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.

Facing pressure from consumer groups and salon workers, some polish companies are now producing “nontoxic” nail polish without the “toxic trio”—or so they claim. However, “nontoxic” labels are not verifiable. A 2011 study by California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control tested 25 nail polishes sold for salon use, 12 of which made claims to be free of toxic-trio ingredients; the study found that 10 of 12 products claiming to be toluene-free still contained toluene, and five of seven products claiming to be completely free of the “toxic trio” contained one or more of those chemicals.

“This is a perfect example of the failure of our regulatory system,” says Silberberger. In addition, nail polish and acrylic nails can contain other chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, and more, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

What to do: Bring your own less-toxic nail polish and make sure the salon is well ventilated. For New Yorkers, The Nail Belle is the first Green America-certified nail salon.

Find a Green Salon

Many conventional body products, like shampoos and massage oils, can contain a litany of ingredients that add to your chemical exposure. Visit a green salon, like Swing Salon, which makes sure all of their products are as low-toxicity as possible.

A large network of independently owned “concept salons” across the US are connected with Aveda, a national leader in developing hair and body products free from the most dangerous ingredients. More than 90 percent of Aveda’s essential oils and 89 percent of its raw herbal ingredients are certified organic.

“We review all ingredients from a personal health and environmental standpoint and are always working to increase the amount of our products that are certified organic,” says Marc Zollicoffer, Aveda’s director of spa education and sales.

If you’re going to the spa, look for a member of the Green Spa Network, a coalition of green-minded spas across the US that pledge to be energy efficient and sustainable in all their practices.

If there isn’t a green salon near you, bring your own nontoxic products to your salon if allowed. Buy from screened green businesses listed at greenpages.org, and visit the Skin Deep Database to find least-toxic products for at-home use

Kristen Suzanne started her green lifestyle years before her daughter Kamea was born. But Suzanne, a raw food chef, realized that “green” took on a whole new meaning when she became a mother—and became fully in charge of keeping little Kamea free from harm. One of the biggest steps she took toward that goal was to ensure she bought eco-friendly clothing for her daughter.

Today, Kamea’s closet is filled with organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo clothing from green retailers, says Suzanne, who looks for deals from green retailers [Editor's note: Parents can also find green bargains at Green America's GreenPages.org.].

“It’s important that I do everything I can to keep my daughter safe while preserving our home for future generations,” says Suzanne. “I don’t want chemical-laden materials touching my baby’s delicate skin, so choosing eco friendly clothing has eased much of my worry about what she is being exposed to.”

Most chemical finishes on conventional clothing fade away with multiple washings, so buying used is still a great way to save resources. But when you need new items, choosing sustainably grown, sewn, and finished children’s clothing made from eco-fabrics can help you protect your children’s health, workers, and the Earth.

Issues with Conventional Fabrics

Most children’s clothing is made of cotton, and if that cotton isn’t organic, it’s been sprayed with dangerous chemicals. For example, the pesticide Aldicarb is acutely poisonous to humans, yet it is still commonly used on cotton fields in 25 countries and the US, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

More than ten percent of the world’s insecticides and 25 percent of pesticides are used in cotton production. While pesticides are removed from finished clothing during processing, says author Debra Lynn Dadd (Toxic Free, Tarcher, 2011), they can harm farm workers and the Earth.

Children’s clothing is also made from other synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, which are made from petrochemicals that have significant environmental impacts. Nylon manufacturing creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas.

Another artificial fiber of concern is rayon. Since it’s made from wood pulp, old-growth forests are often cleared to make way for the pulpwood plantations. Also, to turn the pulp into rayon, it is treated with toxic chemicals such as sulfuric acid, considered a potential skin, organ, and muscular-skeletal toxicant by the National Institutes of Health—which affects those exposed during manufacturing.

Fearsome Fabric Finishes and Dyes

Green-living expert Annie B. Bond, author of Home Enlightenment (Rodale, 2005), notes that many conventional fabrics are coated with toxins for stain-, fire-, and wrinkle-resistance. These can affect both clothing workers and wearers.

Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, can be found in some permanent-press and fire-retardant clothing, says Bond—including children’s polyester sleepwear up to size 14, which is legally required to meet federal flammability requirements. Also, perfluorocarbons (PFCs), linked in several studies to hormone disruption, can be found in stain-resistant fabrics.

And heavy metals such as the carcinogens chrome, copper, and zinc are often used in conventional fabric dyes, says OTA spokesperson Sandra Marquardt. “For the consumer, the most toxic part of clothing comes from fabric treatments,” says Bond. “Chemicals that resist flames, moths, stains, soil, and wrinkles have been impregnated into the fabric and are often hard to remove through washing.”

Bond says that the “new” smell in clothing often indicates the presence of these toxins. She recommends soaking new clothes overnight in water and a small box of baking soda, then laundering as usual. If the smell doesn’t go away after washing, neither have the chemicals.

For more information about the toxins used in clothing manufacture, see the Detox Your Closet issue of Green American magazine (Fall 2015).

Labor Practices

Not only does conventional clothing harm the environment, but it can harm the people who make it possible for your child to wear denim jeans and cotton T-shirts.

Each September in Uzbekistan—the second-largest cotton exporter in the world—the government shuts down schools when the cotton season begins. Children as young as seven are forced to pick cotton by hand until the harvest is brought in. Uzbek workers receive little pay and poor quality food and water, and they are often punished if quotas are not met.

While many US retailers have pledged to stop buying Uzbek cotton, popular children’s and youth clothing retailers Gymboree, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Carter's only adopted similar pledges in 2011, after months of activist pressure on the issue, including from Green America.

Also, much of the cheap clothing sold in the US is made in China, where the average hourly rate for a factory worker was $1.36 in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, far below many of the country’s neighbors. Although the wage rate rose to $3.60 by 2017, according to Euromonitor, it is still comparatively low.

Sustainable Fibers

Items made from sustainable fibers are the safest and Earth-friendliest clothing for kids and adults. Here’s what to look for:

• Organic cotton: Organic cotton is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Be careful of cotton that is described as “undyed,” “untreated,” “natural,” or “green.” These labels are not regulated and are sometimes used to market conventional cotton. Also organic cotton may still be coated with toxic finishes.
• Industrial hemp: Rapidly renewable industrial hemp produces three times more fabric per acre than cotton, and it requires little to no pesticides or herbicides.
• Bamboo: Bamboo is a hardy plant that grows quickly and easily. However, toxic chemicals can be used to turn the plant into what is basically rayon. The US Federal Trade Commission mandates that companies using this process must label their products “rayon made from bamboo,” rather than just “bamboo.” Companies that use an eco-friendlier process may label their clothing as made from “bamboo.” Consumers should note that true bamboo fiber will not feel “silky smooth” like bamboo-based rayon.
• Recycled polyester: Recycled polyester is made from recycled soda bottles, cast-off fabrics, and worn-out garments.
• Wool: Wool is renewable, doesn’t need chemicals to grow, and is naturally fire-resistant. Animal rights activists, however, have expressed concern about “mulesing,” a surgical technique in which farmers remove skin around sheep's buttocks that can become dirty from feces. Farmers say mulesing helps prevent fatal blowfly infestations, but activists say the process is painful and ask shoppers to look for wool from sources that do not use this technique.
• Soy cashmere/silk: This fabric is made of the soy protein fiber left after processing soybeans into tofu, oil, and milk. Look for non-genetically engineered soy.

Other Top Qualities for Eco-Friendly Children's Clothing

Truly eco-friendly clothing will also display the following qualities:

• No chemical finishes: You’ll often have to take a company’s word that its clothes are not treated with chemicals, although as stated earlier, the “new clothing smell” is a common giveaway. One label to look for is the Oeko-Tex Standard, a certification system that limits the use of a list of toxins in everything from raw materials to finished clothes.
• Nontoxic dyes and inks: Most green companies will tout their eco-friendly dyes and inks on clothing labels, but you can call the company if you’re unsure. Another option is to look for “colorgrown” cotton garments, made of undyed cotton that naturally grows in shades of green, brown, beige, and ruby.
• Fair labor practices: Look for a union label to ensure that clothing workers had a voice on the job and earned fair benefits. You can also buy from companies that belong to the Fair Trade Federation, which ensures workers labor under fair, healthy conditions and use green production methods.
• The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): This standard sets both environmental and social criteria for clothing throughout the manufacturing process. GOTS requires that clothing wearing its “organic” label be 95 percent organic and have no toxic dyes or finishes. Manufacturers along the supply chain must comply with GOTS standards to minimize waste and to ensure that workers labor under key norms as established by the International Labour Organisation. Under the Nile and Levana Naturals sell baby clothes and Econscious sells clothing for adults with the GOTS label

We all find ourselves with clothes that have gone out of style, no longer fit, or look like they’ve seen better days. But think twice before gathering up your closet’s misfits and heading for the nearest dumpster. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that textiles make up approximately five percent of landfills. However, 99 percent of those textiles are reusable, and options for reusing old clothing abound. Read on for ways in which you can give new life to your old clothes.

DIY: Revamping and Repairing Old Clothes

Do you have a favorite item of clothing that you’re not quite ready to part with? The good news is: you may not have to. Old clothes can easily be revamped in just one sitting. For example:

• Revive a frayed collar by carefully cutting it off, flipping it over, and reattaching it for a look that’s good as new.
• Cut tattered or torn jeans to make a great pair of shorts, or patch them with colorful or patterned fabric.
• Disguise stains by embroidering or appliqué-ing a design over the top.
• Get creative! You may be surprised at how hemming or lengthening a skirt or replacing buttons on a shirt, can cheaply and easily liven up an item that you were planning to throw out.

A quick web search (try “revamping old clothes” or something similar) will turn up ideas and instructions for ways to breathe life into old clothes. If the task seems too daunting for the do-it-yourself approach, contact your local shoe repair or alteration shop. They may be able to resole that once-perfect pair of boots, fix a stubborn zipper, or otherwise salvage an article of clothing that you wouldn’t have thought you could wear again

If you need a ballgown, for example, check out designer Angela Johnson’s website. Johnson will take your old T-shirts (think travel, concert, or athletic shirts) and make them into a formal dress that’s both funky and surprisingly fashionable.

My Trash, Your Treasure

There are many options for getting clothes you don’t want into the hands of someone who can use them.

Consign old clothes
Clothes that are clean and in good condition but no longer fit or have been hanging untouched in your closet since you bought them are prime candidates for consignment shops. Consignment shops display your old clothing and give you a pre-determined fraction of the profits (usually between 30 and 50 percent) once your items sell. It’s an easy way to recycle and may even earn you a few dollars. When dealing with consignment stores, it’s always a good idea to call ahead. Some only accept specific items, seasons, and sizes, or require an appointment.

Other stores, like Buffalo Exchange will give you cash on the spot for in-season trends, instead of making you wait for it to sell. Anything they don't buy they may offer to donate for you.

Sell them online
Can’t find a consignment shop in your area? Try an online auction site, such as eBay or Shop Goodwill, to sell unwanted clothing from your home computer.

Swap them
Another great option for saying goodbye to old clothes is to host a swap party, a great way of merging reuse with socializing and community building. Invite friends and family to bring articles of clothing that they’re looking to give away but are still in wearable condition. Party attendees exchange items for a win-win deal: they rid their closets of unwanted items and take home new ones for free.

At Green America, we organize an annual clothing swap in our office. You and your colleagues can sponsor a swap at your office, house of worship, senior center, day care center, or community group.

Donate to Those in Need

Perhaps the most popular route for disposing of old clothing is through donation to charities. It’s the perfect deal: you get rid of your unwanted clothing while helping others in need.

Many homeless or women’s shelters are happy to receive clothing donations, particularly during the winter months. However, not all shelters can accept donations, and many are looking for specific items or sizes. Before heading over, call your local shelter to find out if your old clothes would be helpful. More often than not, if your needs don’t match up, they’ll be happy to direct you to another organization or shelter wanting what you have to offer.

Don’t forget Goodwill, a nonprofit provider of education and career training for people with disadvantages or disabilities, which accepts donations of clothing and household items to be resold at its 2,000 retail stores throughout the country. Its convenient pick-up program makes donation almost effortless.

For business clothing, Dress for Success, a nonprofit with chapters in 94 US cities, accepts donations of women’s suits, shoes, and briefcases, which are passed on to economically disadvantaged women entering the professional world.

Donate old clothes and household items to these organizations that support veterans: Clothing Donations.org and Vietnam Veterans of America. Men's Warehouse hosts the National Suit Drive for a month every year, which gives donations to at-risk men transitioning into the workforce.

And we all know at least one high-school graduate who nostalgically keeps old prom dresses in her closet. A number of organizations throughout the country solicit donations of used prom dresses, which they then provide or sell at greatly reduced prices to girls who would otherwise be unable to afford outfits for their proms. "Fairy Godmothers" is a popular name for such organizations, a quick search of it with "prom dress" will give local options.

Even your old athletic shoes can find new homes. One World Running, a Colorado nonprofit formerly known as Shoes for Africa, sends still-wearable running shoes and gear, soccer cleats, and baseball equipment to athletes in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and Haiti. More shoe-donating options here, at #18 of things you didn't know you could recycle!

Also, if you can part with your wedding gown, consider donating it to Brides for a Cause, which collects and resells gowns and donates profits to women's charities. Adorned in Grace collects dresses and wedding accessories and uses proceeds to promote awareness and prevention of sex trafficking and restoration for trafficking victims.

Too Worn to Wear

So you’ve unloaded at the consignment shops and sent off bags for donation, but you’re still left with a pile of clothing that’s simply too old, stained, or undesirable for resale, swap, or donation.

Un-salvageable items can be cut into rags for use around your home. They’re washable and reusable, and provide a perfect, eco-friendly substitute for paper towels.

A little-known option for clothing that’s too worn to wear is the nearest animal shelter. Many animal shelters, pet boarding kennels, and veterinarians will happily accept old clothes to use as bedding for animal cages.

And many large charities like Goodwill actually sell unwearable clothing they receive as donations to textile recycling centers (which generally do not accept donations from individuals). Call your local Goodwill to find out what it does with unwearable clothing. It may take your worn clothes off your hands—possibly in exchange for a donation of usable goods or money to cover any associated costs—for resale overseas or recycling.

Once you’ve tackled your own closet, help others with theirs. Consider organizing clothing drives, swap parties, or crafting events at your local school, neighborhood association, workplace, or place of worship. No matter which of these green options you choose, you’ll rest easy knowing that your clothing isn’t contributing to landfill waste.

Thinking of replacing your windows? You’re not alone. Many homeowners are concerned about the energy efficiency (or lack thereof) of their windows. As Barbara Campagna of the National Trust for Historic Preservation says, “You’re sitting next to a window, and you’re feeling cold, and your energy bills are high.” Windows are an easy-to-identify culprit.

The windows in many homes are candidates for repair or restoration—which saves resources and can save money over replacement. Many homes built before the 1980s have single-paned wood windows, which can be repaired to seal as tightly as new vinyl, aluminum, or wood ones. If your home has vinyl or aluminum windows, these can’t be repaired or restored, because they are all one piece. You’ll need to replace them entirely if they’re leaky—although you can try adding a storm window first. (See Step Three for details.)

Here’s a step-by-step guide to energy- efficient windows:

The Case for Repairs

Heat loss through windows actually represents a modest (10 to 20 percent) portion of a house’s energy leaks. If you have a limited amount to spend, adding insulation and sealing up major air leaks in the basement and ductwork should come before windows, says Jim Conlon of Elysian Energy.

But 10 to 20 percent is significant to your energy bill and carbon emissions, and drafts can affect your comfort. If you’re ready to do something about your windows, the first step is to understand what makes a window efficient, or not.

Most of the heat lost through windows is lost through drafts (air leaks), not through the pane of glass itself. Heat loss happens between the glass and the non-glass frame. Old wood windows can be repaired to seal as tightly as new ones. If they were made before 1940, they are likely made with old-growth heartwood, which has a much higher insulating value than vinyl, aluminum, or even new wood.

Old wood windows can last another 100 years or more with proper maintenance. Modern replacement windows, on the other hand, only last 15 to 20 years. Most replacement windows rely on a double pane of glass for efficiency, and if sealant around their double panes fails, the whole window has to be replaced. In addition, they are usually made from vinyl, a toxic substance to produce and dispose of.

If you’re not planning on window replacements, what do you do about your old, drafty windows? There are three major steps. ...

Step One: Repair or Restore

Cold air leaks in your windows from cracked panes, disintegrating glazing (the putty that holds the glass onto the frame), cracks in the frame, or drafts where the window doesn’t close properly. If your windows have been well-maintained, but have a few problems, such as a cracked pane or some crumbling glazing, you can probably get a lot of mileage out of a few targeted repairs. But if your windows are sticking, don’t shut tightly, or have years of deferred maintenance, a full restoration can make them weather-tight and weather-hardy.

In general, a full restoration should include: window removal, all paint stripped off, all cracks and rot addressed with epoxy or new wood, new sash cords (if needed), lock repair (if needed), reglazing, new glass if any is cracked, repainting, and reinstallation with an eye to tight fits and reduced drafts. Some paints and epoxies contain harmful chemicals, so search the “Paints” or “Construction Materials” on Green America’s GreenPages.org for less-toxic alternatives, and talk to your contractor about them.

If your window just needs a few repairs, many are easy enough for a DIY-inclined homeowner. Historic HomeWorks sells a report with detailed instructions for every step of the process, or check out the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 13-step retrofitting tip sheet.

Consider hiring contractors with historic preservation experience, even if your home isn’t in a historic district—they are more likely not to pressure you to replace your windows instead. Contact your local historic preservation organization for a list of recommended contractors. Be aware that the restoration process will be slower than simply replacing windows.

Please note that as soon as you say “historic preservation,” many people will warn you that your costs are going to skyrocket. But in fact, many homeowners find that when comparing the costs of window restoration and decent-quality replacement windows, restoration is often more affordable. Replacement windows can run anywhere from $200–$1,000 per window before labor costs, while window restoration generally ranges somewhere between $300–$400 per window, including labor. And that’s not even counting the fact that restoration lasts much longer. A full restoration will add 50 to 100 years to your window’s life, with minimal maintenance (such as painting every 15 to 20 years).

Step Two: Weatherstrip

To go that extra mile, or if your window is very drafty, weatherstripping—or adding strips of insulating materials to gaps in the window to seal air leaks—can make your window super tight. Since all types of weatherstripping are best installed when the window has been taken apart, it’s a good idea to combine weatherstripping with repair and restoration work.

Your local hardware store will carry most types of weatherstripping, or contact Architectural Resource Center.

There are three separate places to consider weatherstripping in a window: First, consider the top and bottom, where the sashes (the framed pieces of glass that move) meet the rails (or sills). You can get some benefit from weatherstripping here with a sticky-backed foam, but pros recommend a silicone and rubber gasket that conforms to the irregularities of your window.

Second, look at the spaces between the jambs, or the vertical surfaces that the window slides along. Pros recommend a strip of “spring bronze” that can be bent to cover any gaps here.

Finally, there’s the place in the middle where the upper and lower sashes meet. What you use here depends on how much of gap you have—more spring bronze might do it, or for bigger gaps of several millimeters, putting two interlocking, U-shaped metal pieces that meet on the sides of the sash can seal out drafts.

Step Three: Get a Storm Window

You don’t need a replacement window to get a double-pane effect and seal off drafts. All you need is a storm window, which is about one-sixth to one-eighth of the cost. In fact, just adding a high-quality storm, without changing the existing window at all, has an energy savings payback time of only 4.5 years, compared to 40.5 years for a regular replacement window, and 240 years for a low-e glass window (another type of window considered to be energy-saving). If your leaks seem minor, a storm window by itself may be all you need. If your window has been restored, a storm window will still double the r-value (resistance to heat flow), and an external one will protect your window from the weather.

There are four major types of storm window:

• Interior acrylic panel, with a magnetic seal: Acrylic (the most common brand is Plexiglas) is a better insulator than glass and is lighter weight. With these systems, a homeowner installs a small steel track around the indoor side of the window frame, and a magnetic frame around the outside of an acrylic panel. The acrylic panel snaps in place on the track with an airtight seal. These kits are sold by retailers such as Magnetite and Window Saver Company.
• Interior “insulated panel”: These windows are basically a double layer of clear plastic film with an insulating layer of air between the plastic panels, in a plastic frame. They fit snugly into the indoor side of the window frame and are held in place with small hardware. They may not fit in all window frames. You can find them at a store like Advanced Energy Panels.
• Exterior, triple-track aluminum: This has been the traditional storm window for decades, and they are easily available. Installed permanently on the outside of the window, they are made of two panels of glass—the bottom panel slides up, with a screen you can lower in its place.
• Exterior, wood: The traditional wood-framed storm window is enjoying a comeback both for durability and aesthetics. Choosing acrylic panes improves their insulating power. These storm windows do have to be removed and reinstalled from the outside at the change of seasons. Local craftspeople or contractors can custom-build them to each window, or you can order them from specialty stores.

Save Energy, Save Money

Jennifer Quinn, who owns a historic house in downtown Albany, NY, recently had all her windows restored and added interior storms. She spent less on the restoration than she would have on replacements, and she’s thrilled with the results: “They were leaking, rotting, some of them stuck, others wouldn’t stay open. Now they all open with one hand and close with one hand. Now we know for sure we have no lead paint. We have no more drafts. And I know we’re doing the right thing for the environment.” Best of all, the Quinns’ restored windows have also insulated them from rising energy costs.

You’re bound to have a few items around the house that can’t be laundered in the weekly wash. And while you may have detected the faint whiff of chemicals when you picked up your freshly dry cleaned sweater last week, perhaps you didn’t think much of it. But it’s something to be concerned about.

If you’ve ever taken your clothes to a professional dry cleaner, the likelihood that they were cleaned with dangerous chemicals is quite high. Fortunately, green dry cleaning is an option and there are ways to clean clothes bearing a “Dry Clean Only” label without harming workers, putting toxic chemicals into the environment, or bringing dangerous chemicals into your home.

Are Your Clothes Full of Perc?

According to the Occidental College’s Pollution Prevention Center, 85 percent of the more than 35,000 dry cleaners in the United States use perchloroethylene (or perc, for short) as a solvent in the dry cleaning process.

Perc is a synthetic, volatile organic compound (VOC) that poses a health risk to humans and a threat to the environment. Minimal contact with perc can cause dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, nausea, and skin and respiratory irritation. Prolonged perc exposure has been linked to liver and kidney damage, and cancer. Perc has been identified as a “probable” human carcinogen by California’s Proposition 65.

Perc can enter the body through drinking water contamination, dermal exposure, or most frequently, inhalation. This is not only a health hazard and environmental justice issue for workers in the dry cleaning business, but for consumers who bring home clothes laden with perc. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that clothes dry cleaned with perc can elevate levels of the chemical throughout a home and especially in the room where the garments are stored. Nursing mothers exposed to perc may excrete it in their milk, placing their infants at risk.

Perc is not only hazardous for people who work in dry cleaning shops or bring home dry cleaned clothes. Perc can also get into our air, water, and soil during the cleaning, purification, and waste disposal phases of dry cleaning, according to the EPA.

What Are Your Green Dry Cleaning Options?

The good news is that there are nontoxic, green dry cleaning alternatives that are just as effective as dry cleaning with perc.

You might be able hand wash your delicate items at home. If you're able to wash at home, you can take your washed clothes to a local cleaner for pressing only, to get a professionally crisp look without the poisonous chemicals. If you’d rather forego do-it-yourself methods, two alternatives rise to the top in terms of environmental and health impacts— professional wet cleaning and liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) cleaning.

There are no toxicity issues associated with either of these methods, says Peter Sinsheimer, director of the Pollution Prevention Center at Occidental College, who has been studying the effects of perc dry cleaning and its alternatives for over ten years. professional wet cleaning is a safe, energy-efficient method of cleaning “Dry Clean Only” clothes that uses water as a solvent—rather than chemicals—with a combination of special soaps and conditioners.

Wet Cleaning

When you have your clothes professionally wet cleaned, they are laundered in a computer-controlled washer and dryer that gently clean clothes, sometimes spinning as slowly as six revolutions a minute (a typical home washing machine may rotate clothes several dozen times per minute). These special machines can be programmed for variables such as time, temperature, and mechanical action, which allow cleaners to tailor the wash according to the type of fabric.

Noam Frankel, owner of Chicago-based wet cleaner, The Greener Cleaner, says there is no need for toxic chemicals in this cleaning process, where the key lies in knowing the pH level of the stain and treating the stain accordingly. Water-based stains, which he says make up the majority of the stains most cleaners see, generally come out with the standard wet-cleaning process. The remaining stains are oil-based and can be removed using specialized water-based pre-spotting solutions.

Because wet cleaning is free of VOCs, it eliminates health and safety risks, as well as environmental risks associated with traditional dry cleaning. As an added benefit, the equipment and operating costs are lower. While the biggest disadvantage to wet cleaning is that it produces waste water, Sinsheimer says it is still the most energy-efficient method. Unlike the other techniques, wet cleaning does not have an energy-intensive solvent recovery system. It also saves more water than dry cleaning. So, if wet cleaning is good for people and the environment, the real question lies in the quality of the wash.

According to Sinsheimer, just about every garment that can be dry cleaned can be wet cleaned. Occidental did a comparison study between dry and wet cleaning methods, performed by establishments that switched from dry to wet cleaning, and found no major differences in quality. While Consumer Reports tested this method in 2003 and was less than thrilled with the results, Sinsheimer notes that wet cleaning machines are more sophisticated today, and cleaners well-versed in proper wet cleaning techniques are more than satisfying their customers.

“We have helped over 60 cleaners switch to wet cleaning, and they are all growing very rapidly [due to happy customers],” he says.

Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning

Liquid carbon dioxide cleaning is a method that uses pressurized liquid CO2 in place of perc, in combination with other cleaning agents. CO2 is a nonflammable and nontoxic gas that occurs naturally in the environment. It becomes a liquid solvent under high pressure.

In this process, clothes are placed in a specialized machine, which is emptied of air. The pressure in the chamber is raised by injecting gaseous CO2, and then liquid CO2 is pumped into the mix. Clothes are rotated in a cycle that lasts five to 15 minutes at room temperature. The liquid CO2 dissolves dirt, fats, and oils in the clothing. At the end of the cleaning cycle, the liquid CO2 is pumped back into the storage tank, to be reused again, if possible. The remaining CO2 is released in the air.

While CO2 is a main greenhouse gas, no new CO2 is generated with this technology, so it does not contribute to global warming, says Sinsheimer. Liquid CO2 companies recapture the CO2 that’s already a by-product of several manufacturing processes, and they then recycle it into the liquid solvent for cleaning clothes. The main drawback is that, while the CO2 itself is both cheap and abundant, the cost of a CO2 dry cleaning machine is very high. Few dry cleaners are adopting this technique for this reason.

However, in the long run, these machines will save money by eliminating the disposal and regulatory costs associated with perc. With both wet and liquid CO2 cleaning, your clothes are also professionally finished, so you get a wrinkle-free pressing and an attention to detail that likely surpasses what you can do at home.

Wash, don't Greenwash

If your cleaner claims to be Earth-friendly, be sure to ask about the specific non-toxic dry cleaning methods and chemicals she or he uses. Some dry cleaners will advertise as “green,” “organic,” or “environmentally friendly” when they are anything but safe for the Earth.

Hydrocarbon cleaning methods are not green at all. Hydrocarbon is a petroleum-based solvent and carries all the environmental concerns of petroleum, including the fact that it’s a major source of greenhouse gases.

Some hydrocarbon cleaners claim their methods are “organic,” which Sinsheimer says is misleading. “It’s the same thing as petroleum,” he says. “It’s also a VOC, though it’s not as toxic as perc.”

You might also run into cleaners that use the GreenEarth method, which replaces perc with a silicone based solvent called siloxane or D-5, which is similar to the base ingredients in deodorant and shaving creams. D-5 degrades to sand, water, and carbon dioxide. It’s chemically inert, which means no chemicals mix with your clothes while they are being cleaned.

However, Dow Corning, D-5’s creator, did a study that revealed an increased risk of uterine cancer in female rats that were exposed to D-5, which has led the EPA to note that it may be a carcinogen. Also, manufacturing D-5 requires chlorine, which releases carcinogenic dioxin during its own manufacture.

Green Dry Cleaning For the Future

The shift towards green dry cleaning is headed by New Jersey and California. In 2007, the states committed to phasing out perc by 2021 and 2023, respectively. California has indicated that they are on track to compete the phase-out and held workshops in 2019 for dry cleaners to make the shift to wet cleaning. Illinois has also committed to getting rid of perc. Contact your representatives, and ask them to support efforts to phase out perc. Also, encourage your local dry cleaner to switch to CO2 or wet cleaning.

Next time you spill coffee on your “Dry Clean Only” sweater, remember that you don’t have to put your health, workers, or the environment at risk.

To find a certified green dry cleaner in your area, visit GreenPages.org.

When renovating a room or a piece of furniture, choose less-toxic, eco-friendly paints or stains and breathe clean indoor air while preserving the Earth.

Fresh, clean indoor air is the foremost priority for an ecologically sound home.

Of course, you might also want to enhance the aesthetic quality of your home or office by applying a fresh coat of cheerfully colored paint, or re-staining a battered piece of furniture to make it new again. Unfortunately, there are serious health hazards posed by this kind of project. A 2002 study by the National Cancer Institute found that men and women working in the painting trades had a “significantly increased” risk of cancer, a result that indicates that paints may be dangerous to your health, your family, and the environment. In 2011, a study for the National Center for Biotechnical Information found similar results. Since furniture stains contain many of the same chemicals in paint, you’ll fare no better with most stains.

Even if your furniture looks like it’s been through a tornado and the paint inside your home is covered with muddy handprints and errant smudges, it’s worth standing firm in your resolve to have clean air for your family. Attractive, simple-to-use non-toxic paints and stains are easier to find than ever before.

The Basics on Toxic Paints

The problem with most commonly available paints lies in their ingredient list, including:

VOCs

Many paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which refers to a class of chemicals that evaporate readily at room temperature. When these VOCs off-gas, a process that can last for weeks depending on the type of paint, they may cause a variety of health problems like nausea; dizziness; irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract; heart, lung, or kidney damage; and even cancer.

In addition to polluting our indoor air, they can make their way outside to contaminate outdoor air as well. More than two-thirds of the 176 million pounds of VOC emissions generated in California come from paints and coatings, according to the California Air Resources Board. Oil-based paints generally contain more VOCs than water-based paints, making up around 40 to 60 percent of the paint’s contents. VOCs are the main solvents in oil-based paints, meaning they are used to dissolve and disperse the other ingredients. Water-based paints use water as the main solvent, but they still often contain five to ten percent VOCs

Fungicides and biocides

Paints also contain toxic fungicides to prevent mildew growth, and biocides, which are used as preservatives to extend the full shelf life. Toxic biocides can be detected in the air five years after paint is applied. Like VOCs, fungicides and biocides contaminate both indoor and outdoor air. If paint is not disposed of properly, they can also seep into groundwater.

Pigments

Some of the toxic chemicals in paints come from the substances used to color them. Instead of chemical pigments, look for paints made with all-natural pigments.

Eco-Friendly Paints: What to Look For

Ideally, you’ll want to use paints that meet all three better health requirements—low VOCs, low biocides, and natural pigments. Keep in mind that many paints labeled “low-VOC” simply meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s minimum requirements—which call for no more than 250 grams per liter (gm/l) of VOCs in “low-VOC” latex paints and no more than 380 gm/l for “low-VOC” oil-based paints. There are paints available with even lower VOC levels (0-100 gm/l). To find the VOC level, check the paint can label, or call the company and ask for a material safety data sheet.
You’ll need to tailor your eco-requirements to whether you’re looking for an exterior or an interior paint as follows:

Eco-Friendly Exterior paints

All exterior paints have fungicides, and low-biocide paints are not available for exteriors. The best choice for an exterior paint is one that has zinc oxide as the fungicide. Next best choices are zero- to very low-VOC paints, acrylic or latex paints, and recycled water-based paint. Avoid oil-based paints because of their high VOC content, as well as paint from old cans that may contain mercury or lead.

Earth-Friendly Interior paints

Milk paint and natural paints are the first choice for commercially available interior paint. Natural paints are derived from substances such as citrus and balsam, as well as minerals. Although these paints are made with natural materials and are petroleum-free, they often contain terpenes, which are VOCs derived from plants. However, natural paints do not off-gas biocides and fungicides.

Milk paint, which is made with milk protein (called “casein”) and lime, was the interior paint of choice in colonial America. Milk paint is excellent for interiors and also gives wood a rich, deep color, allowing the grain to show through.

Latex paint with very low biocide and VOC levels is another top-tier choice. Again, latex paint is safer for the environment than oil-based paint, but it needs to be used with great care due to the strong terpenes.

Acceptable paints, although they contain biocides, include latex, acrylic, and recycled latex paints, assuming they don’t contain mercury or lead. Avoid oil- and solvent-based paints.

No matter which kind of interior paint you use, it’s best to keep the room well-ventilated during painting and for at least a few days following painting. Never use old paint that may contain lead. Lead-based paints are extremely toxic, especially to pets or children who may eat dry paint chips. If you suspect that your home contains lead-based paint, call a certified professional to inspect and, if needed, remove the paint. You can also buy test swabs cheaply online to test for lead paint.

Eco-Friendly Stains: What to Look For

Like paints, stains can also contain high levels of biocides, fungicides, and VOCs, which pose the same problems outlined in the paint sections above. Paint is preferable to stain due to the higher levels of pesticides in stain.

To avoid polluting your indoor air and outdoor environment, use water-based stains and sealants without biocides and added dryers, or those made with beeswax or carnauba wax. Acrylic urethanes manufactured without the addition of biocides are acceptable choices for those who aren’t chemically sensitive. So is shellac (the alcohol evaporates). Avoid epoxies and oil-based formulas with dryers.

Besides darkening wood, stains also protect wood from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. The more pigment, the more protection from UV light. Clear sealants without UV protection won’t last long when exposed to the sun. Clear stains are loaded with pesticides and wood preservatives. Darker stains and sealants tend to be less toxic.

Making Eco-Friendly Paint, Disposing of Paint

You can also make your own paints and stains with natural ingredients and pigments. The most important reasons to make your own paints and stains are to avoid biocides, minimize your exposure to VOCs, and ensure the use of natural dyes and pigments. Author Annie Berthold-Bond offers paint and stain recipes, as well as recipes for natural pigments and dyes, in her book, Better Basics for the Home (Potter Style, 1999).

When it comes time to dispose of your unused paint, do so responsibly. Buy only the paint you need so you can use it all, and then recycle the steel cans. If you end up with a substantial amount of paint left, save it—store the can upside down to create a tight seal around the lid. Or, donate it to a local theater, neighbor, or community group. As a last resort, take it to a local hazardous waste collection program.

The Best Eco-Friendly Paint and Stain Brands

To find the best paints and stains available, look for businesses in the National Green Pages. All businesses in our directory are certified green businesses with the Green Business Network and have gone through a rigorous process to guarantee green and socially just practices. 

Most of the information in this article comes from Better Basics for the Home (Potter Style, 1999). 

Your home is a place of warmth and comfort, and your lighting has a lot to do with that. Green America recommends choosing energy efficient light bulbs, which are good for your home, your wallet, and the planet.

Energy experts agree the incandescent bulb is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In fact, in 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which requires all light bulbs sold on the market to have a 30% increase in efficiency over today’s standard incandescent bulbs. Store shelves once stocked with only incandescent bulbs are now full of CFL and LED lights.

In the past decade, many consumers have shifted to using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs). Lighting can account for 15% of a home’s energy costs, and switching saves the average home $225 on the monthly energy bill.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) approved the phase out of incandescent bulbs in favor of LEDs and compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) in 2022. The DOE estimates that the new rule will reduce US carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years. That's roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by 28 million homes in one year!

Why Abandon Your Incandescents?

Invented by Thomas Edison in last quarter of the 19th century, modern incandescent electric light bulbs have been lighting much of the world for more than 100 years. Incandescent bulbs are lit by heating a wire tungsten filament until it begins to glow. Because approximately 90% of the energy generated in these bulbs is heat instead of light, they are extremely inefficient. The average incandescent bulb has a lifespan of about 1,500 hours—a fraction of what you can get from a CFL or LED bulb.

Halogen lights are a more efficient form of incandescent lighting because they last longer; however, they get hotter than regular incandescent bulbs and pose fire and burn hazards.

For nearly every incandescent bulb still in use today, there’s a CFL or LED light bulb that can replace it—saving energy and curbing carbon emissions. If you still have incandescents at work or home, it’s time to send them back to the Dark Ages.

CFLs: An Improvement on Light Bulbs

CFLs (and fluorescent tube lights) are lit by an electric current that is sent through a tube containing argon and a small of amount of mercury gases. This in turn generates an invisible ultraviolet light, which then stimulates a fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube, producing visible light.

Pros of CFLS

• Longevity—With an average lifespan of approximately 10,000 to 15,000 hours, a CFL bulb lasts about ten times longer than an incandescent bulb—which means they need to be replaced less often, making them convenient for those hard-to-reach light fixtures and lamps.
• Efficiency—“CFLs are about four times more efficient than the equivalent wattage of incandescent bulbs,” says Naomi Miller, the senior lighting engineer at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Portland, OR. “So if you take the wattage of the CFL and multiply it by four, that equals the incandescent bulb you would replace. So, for example, a 15W CFL is roughly equivalent in light output to a 60W incandescent bulb.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if every household in America replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL, the energy saved would be enough to light 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions from the equivalent of 800,000 cars.
• Price—CFLs have dropped dramatically in price since they were first introduced to the market in the 1980s. They still cost a little more than incandescents; however, they will pay for themselves after a year or two of use. Because they last so much longer than incandescents, you will continue to see savings on your energy bills throughout the life of the bulb.

Cons of CFLS

• Mercury concerns—Many people are concerned about the mercury in CFLs, and with good cause: mercury is a neurotoxicant. The amount in a CFL bulb, however, is smaller than the tip of a pencil. Increased use of CFL bulbs instead of incandescents actually reduces the amount of mercury released into the atmosphere, since the main source of mercury emissions are smokestacks from fossil fuel burning power plants, according to the EPA. CFLs pose little risk to your family if they break, but proper clean-up is important.
• Some usage limitations—CFLs are not dimmable, and they are not efficient in recessed lighting, where they waste about half of the energy they produce. To maximize their efficiency, avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures.

Best uses:

CFLs were a placeholder for LED lights, because LEDs are even more efficient. LED lights are readily available in both brick and mortar stores and online and come in all shapes and sizes.

If you adopted CFLs as replacements for incandescent bulbs go ahead and use them until they stop working; just make sure they are disposed of properly at the end of their life cycle.

LED Lights: The Energy Efficient Light Bulb

LEDs were first introduced to the market in 1962. They work by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. Initially, LEDs only emitted red light, so their uses were limited to indicator lights and lab equipment. Now, however, they are available in the visible, ultra-violet, and infrared spectrums, which means they now have a much wider variety of uses, including inside your home.

Pros OF LEDs

• Longevity—With a lifespan of approximately 25,000–35,000 hours, an LED bulb lasts 2 to 4 times longer than a CFL, and 25 to 35 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb.
• Efficiency—While incandescent bulbs and CFLs generate most of their energy in heat, LEDs are cool to the touch—which translates into less wasted energy. It also means your air conditioner won’t have to run as high in hot weather. LEDs are more efficient than even CFLs: A 16.5-watt LED bulb is equivalent to a 20-watt CFL and a 75-watt incandescent. A report from the DOE states that LED adoption saved consumers $14.7 billion in 2018.
• Other benefits—LEDs have other advantages over incandescent lights, including a smaller size and greater durability and reliability. Unlike CFLs, LEDs can also withstand extreme temperatures, and they do not contain mercury.

Cons of LEDS

• Color quality—Some users may find LED light a bit stark as compared to incandescents. “LEDs are most efficient when they emit a blue-white color, but many homeowners prefer a warmer (yellower) color of light,” notes Naomi Miller. When selecting an LED bulb, look for a ‘Lighting Facts’ label on the box, she says. It includes a spectrum bar that will indicate whether you’ll get a yellowish or bluish light. There are more and more LEDs with warmer colors available, and for people worried about LED light impacting their sleep, there are LEDs that are specifically designed for nighttime use that do not emit blue spectrum color.
• Expense—LED lights are more expensive up front, but provide substantial energy savings over time.  So, you may want to swap out your light bulbs over time, rather than changing all the bulbs in your house at once.

Best uses:

LED lights are now available for all uses—overhead and recessed lighting, lamps, and fixtures. They also make great indoor and outdoor holiday lights. 

The Bottom Line

LEDs are your best bet for an energy efficient light bulb, reducing your utility bill, eliminating toxic mercury, and protecting the planet.

Updated September 2022

EPA studies have shown that indoor pollutant levels can be two to five times higher than they are outside. To find the source of many of these pollutants, just glance down. New carpet and flooring can fill the air with hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including known and suspected carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene. It can take years for these substances to dissipate. Additionally, carpets are often treated with toxic chemicals for moth-proofing or to repel soil and moisture. Carpeting is also notorious for trapping toxic lawn chemicals, VOCs, and allergens tracked in from outside.

There are several sustainable, eco-friendly flooring options that can minimize indoor pollution and mitigate health problems caused by toxic carpets. You can now choose from a rapidly growing line of carpets and flooring made from recycled and eco-friendly materials. Durable, stylish, and often less expensive than conventional floors and carpets, these sustainable options provide a responsible and healthy way to enhance your home.

Eco-Friendly Flooring: Roll Out the Green Carpet

The environmental and health costs associated with carpeting extend from the time of your purchase until your carpet’s disposal. Here are some ways you can minimize those costs:

Fast and cheap fix: If you are experiencing health problems that could be caused by your carpet, there is a cheap solution. Try a nontoxic, eco-friendly carpet finish like SafeChoice Carpet Seal, available from American Formulating & Manufacturing. This product forms an insoluble water- and odor-resistant barrier that prevents chemicals from offgassing from carpets for up to five cleanings or one year.

Carpet: There are a wide range of sustainable carpets and rugs sold at competitive prices across the nation. Look for carpets made from natural fibers with little or no chemical treatment. Also, purchase carpets with natural-fiber backing attached with less-toxic adhesives.

Padding: Many carpets and carpet paddings contain plastics made from petroleum, an unrenewable and energy consumptive resource. Choose a carpet with lightweight backing that requires no additional padding, or use padding made from recycled materials. Look for 100 percent recycled cotton padding or recycled “rag pads.”

Installation: Finding the right carpet is just the beginning of your journey toward eco-friendly floors. Next, you’ll need to have your carpet installed, a process that often involves chemical-based glues that have been linked to respiratory problems and other health issues. Tacking carpets down is a safe and easy alternative to gluing that eliminates many potentially hazardous pollutants. However, if you do decide to glue, you can take steps to minimize your ecological footprint. Look for water-based, low-VOC glues to install your carpets.

Disposal: Eventually, all the cleaning in the world won’t save an old and tattered carpet. But, when you finally decide to say goodbye to an older carpet, remember that every year people send 1.8 million tons of rugs and carpets to local landfills, and that most carpets will last up to 20,000 years. Instead of adding to that total, try to purchase flooring from companies that will recycle or donate your old carpet.

Few carpet recyclers exist who will take any and all old carpets off your hands. Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a nonprofit created to oversee the recovery, recycling, and reuse of post-consumer carpet. CARE’S database helps you locate carpet donation and recycling partners in your area.

Another way to minimize your ecological impact is to install carpet in tiles, if possible. This method allows you to replace smaller parts of it when they become worn down or damaged, rather than replacing the entire thing.

Finally, a professional carpet repairer can give your old carpets new life by mending, reweaving, refringing, and dying your old carpets. To find a carpet repair expert, consult your local yellow pages under “Carpet & Rug Repairing.”

Ranking Your Rugs

Rugs are a great way of adding style and comfort to any of your home’s floors, but they, too, can carry a steep environmental cost. Like conventional carpets, rugs frequently contain nylon and other petroleum by-products. To minimize the use of these resource-intensive ingredients, look for eco-friendly rugs made of natural fibers. For a list of companies that sell eco-friendly rugs or other flooring options, consult the GreenPages.org. 

Many hand-woven rugs are made overseas, where labor restrictions regarding workers’ rights and child labor are much looser than they are in the US. This second problem can be solved in one word—Goodweave. GoodWeave (formerly Rugmark) is a nonprofit founded in 1994 to end child slavery in the handwoven carpet industry. GoodWeave conducts independent audits of carpet weaving factories to ensure no child labor laws are violated. To date over 11 million GoodWeave-certified rugs have been sold. More than 3,600 children have been rescued from carpet looms and the certification has deterred the employment of thousands more.

Other Eco-Friendly Flooring Options

While carpet and rugs can be responsibly purchased and installed, the most eco-friendly flooring option is often avoiding them altogether. Here are some of the best alternatives:

Hardwood Floors

For home-owners sold on traditional hardwood floors, the Forest Stewardship Council can make sure that your lumber comes from sustainably managed forests. Dozens of types of wood are produced in FSC-certified forests in which the trees are regenerated, biodiversity is conserved, and air and water quality are preserved. FSC-certified wood flooring comes in hundreds of different shades and styles. To find other sources for FSC-certified wood, visit the FSC Web site and database, or for certified green businesses that sell flooring, search GreenPages.org.

Cork

While softwoods are rarely considered ideal flooring material, cork is an excellent choice for many reasons. The natural elasticity of cork makes these floors especially comfortable; the wood provides thermal and acoustic insulation; and the durable floors recover well from marks left by furniture or high heels. The floors are also hypo-allergenic, so they won’t attract dust; are fire-resistant; and can even serve as a natural insect repellant. Better yet, the floors are produced using the bark of the cork oak tree, which grows back every three years.

Bamboo

Bamboo, a popular green flooring option, is 13 percent harder than maple and 27 percent harder than northern red oak, so it lasts longer and can withstand more use than conventional hardwood floors. The floors are naturally resistant to water, mildew, and insects, and they are sustainable since bamboo grows quickly and abundantly. 

Tile and Linoleum

You can add life to any room with a colorful floor made of recycled glass tiles, which are ideal for modern bathrooms and kitchens. Natural linoleum floors are also hypo-allergenic and biodegradable.

It’s easy and cost-competitive to choose eco-friendly flooring when your old floors need upgrading. All you have to lose are some pollutants. Check the Green Business Network for green flooring businesses.

If you’re concerned about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in your food, brace yourself. A number of GM crops and animals currently sit somewhere along the US government’s research and approval process, meaning new GMOs could be coming to a store near you in the coming months. Since no laws require companies to label them, you might not even know when they show up in stores.

Many of the concerns surrounding GM crops are the unintended and unmeasured consequences of altering, inserting, and/or removing one enzyme or protein. There are also major concerns regarding the impacts these engineered varieties can have on existing species and biodiversity. The issues that engineered species aim to “fix” are often linked to poor resource management and could be addressed by an increased focus on sustainable practices and better management.

Salmon

Status: Approved by the USDA and FDA in 2015. The FDA announced a ban on the import and sale of GM salmon until the agency can publish guidelines on how it should be labeled—a process that could take years. (Editor's Note: In April 2019, the FDA lifted the ban on importing GM salmon into the US. This decision was made after the USDA agreed in 2018 to place labeling on bioengineered salmon.)

Type of GMO: Atlantic Salmon engineered with a growth-hormone-regulating gene from a Pacific Chinook salmon and a growth promoter from an ocean pout to make it grow to a larger size at a faster rate.

Who is behind it: AquaBounty Technologies

Concerns: GE salmon are farmed and bred so that all the females are sterile. But should any females develop the ability to breed and escape into the wild, this could have major impacts on wild salmon and ocean biodiversity.

So far, hundreds of retailers, including Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, H-E-B, Meijer, Hy-Vee, Marsh, Giant Eagle, Safeway, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Kroger have committed not to buy GE salmon. See the full list here.

Arctic Apples

Status: Deregulated by the USDA and approved by the FDA in 2015. Headed for field trials in 2016. (Editor's Note: Arctic Apples first appeared in grocery stores in the Midwest in 2017, and advocacy organizations have noted that the GMO labeling is limited.)

Type of GMO: The apples are engineered to be non-browning.

Who is behind it: Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc.

Concerns: The natural enzyme that causes apples to brown also helps fight diseases and pests, so Arctic apples may require increased pesticides.

These apples have not yet entered the marketplace, but when they do, they are likely to be sold in fast-food restaurants and prepared-food products.

Some companies, such as Gerber, have stated that they do not intend to purchase the Arctic Apple.

Oranges

Status: In development.

Type of GMO: Engineered to resist citrus greening, a disease that is affecting the Florida orange crop.

Who is behind it: Southern Gardens.

Concerns: The rapid spread of citrus greening is a result of monoculture and unsustainable growing practices. The introduction of GE oranges would only delay the disease’s spread while putting the trees at risk to other diseases. A better strategy would be to increase the biodiversity of the orange plantations. Like any new GE crop, GE orange trees pose a risk to biodiversity, particularly since fruit seeds are easily moved by birds and other animals.

Golden Rice

Status: In development. (Editor's Note: In 2018, the FDA approved golden rice for US markets, but it has yet to reach stores.)

Type of GMO: Engineered to be dense in beta-carotene (Vitamin A).

Who is behind it: International Rice Research Institute/ Golden Rice Humanitarian Board/ Syngenta.

Concerns: Golden Rice has been in development for over 15 years and has yet to be approved or commercialized. Golden rice is often cited by the industry as an example of why GMOs are needed to feed the world. But this is a fiction. Golden rice is not delivering on its promise of vitamin-A enrichment. There have been a number of problems with its development, including the amount of rice that someone would actually have to consume to receive nutritional benefits from it.

This GM crop is aimed to aid developing nations where Vitamin A deficiency often results in childhood blindness. This problem is rooted in poverty and an imbalanced diet, and resources could be better used to alleviate poverty, improving supply chains and food access.

Trees

Status: In field trials.

Type of GMO: Eucalyptus, poplars, and loblolly pines are being engineered
for industrial purposes and to have traits that would tolerate colder temperatures and include “terminator” technology, meaning they would be sterile.

Who is behind it: ArborGen.

Concerns: In 2009, the USDA approved field trials for GE eucalyptus tree and had previously approved other field trials. ArborGen has applied to commercialize its eucalyptus trees, and the USDA is considering the environmental impacts as eucalyptus trees are not native to the US and are considered an invasive species. Eucalyptus trees require a heavy amount of water and burn very easily, both concerns considering the severe drought across the US and rising temperatures due to climate change. Here, too, biodiversity would be the better strategy.

Innate Potatoes

Status: Approved for commercial planting by USDA in 2014 and approved by the FDA in 2015.

Type of GMO: Potato engineered to produce less acrylamide, a compound suspected of causing cancer, which is released when potatoes are fried.

Who is behind it: J.R. Simplot.

Concerns: J.R. Simplot is a major provider for fast food chains, including McDonald’s. The Innate potato is most suited for high-temperature frying, such as for French fries and hash browns. While McDonald’s and a few other fast-food chains have vowed not to use it, to avoid this potato, it is best to purchase organic whole potatoes and organic or Non-GMO-Project-verified potato products.

Zucchini and Crookneck Squash

Status: Commercialized in 1995.

Type of GMO: Engineered to protect against disease.

Who is behind it: Monsanto.

Concerns: There is a very small amount of GE squash and zucchini being grown in the US. But due to the lack of GMO labeling, the only way to avoid purchasing GM zucchini and squash is to buy organic.

Wheat

Status: In development

Type of GMO: Research is focused on developing varieties of wheat engineered to be resistant to pesticides such as glyphosate, dicamba, and 2,4-D.

Who is behind it: Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, and others.

Concerns: If GE wheat enters the marketplace, it will be close to impossible to prevent it from contaminating the entire supply chain. GE wheat will likely be included in many processed foods and will be hard to avoid. The best way to avoid purchasing it will be to buy organic or Non-GMO-Project-verified ingredients and products.

GMOs focused on pest- and weed-resistance have started to fail, as the pests are adapting to GMOs and related chemicals, evolving into superbugs and superweeds

—Anna Meyer is Green America’s food campaigns coordinator.

For more information on GMOs, visit Green America’s GMO Inside campaign, GMOInside.org, and read our Green American article, “GMOs & the Case for Precaution".

Running out of room to store things you don't really need anyway? Sell it off at a blow-out yard sale.

Summer is here, which probably means that the piles of clutter you discovered during spring cleaning are still, well, cluttering. Before you give in to the temptation to haul it all out to the dumpster behind your house, consider giving it a second life. You do what you can to recycle your paper and aluminum cans, so why not recycle your clothes, your old records, that vase your mother-in-law gave you three years ago, and the kids’ old toys—and make a little money while you’re at it?

The EPA found in 2017 that every day, Americans throw away an average of 4.51 pounds of garbage per person. Holding a yard sale can be your chance to keep reusable items in circulation. So gather your clutter and check out these easy steps to making your yard sale a smashing success.

Getting Started
The first step to throwing a great yard sale is assembling your merchandise. This is the time to go through your closets, cabinets, basements, attics, and cupboards. Make a night of it—have everyone in your household bring things down from their rooms and go through them together (to keep the peace, let the final decision to sell be up to the owner of the item). This will give you a chance to spend time together while reliving old memories stimulated by some of your belongings.

But watch out—once you unearth some of your old stuff from the depths of the closet, you may suddenly want to keep it. Before you put that long-unused item in the “keep” pile, ask yourself: How long have I lived with this in the closet? How often did I need it? How often will I use it now? Odds are, any item you dragged out of your closet will end up back there soon—why not give it a chance for a new life with someone else?

The More the Merrier
You probably aren’t the only household in your neighborhood looking to de-clutter your home. Check in with your neighbors and friends of the family to see if they want to join you and make it a multi-family sale. Live in an apartment? Check with fellow tenants—if you join forces and have a bigger sale, you’re likely to draw more potential buyers. Plus, tending to the yard sale is a great way to get to know your neighbors.

A Variety of Options
Even if you throw the best yard sale ever, no one will know about it if you don’t get the word out. The most effective way to advertise your yard sale is to place a listing in a local newspaper. Some local papers allow you to place a listing for free; others charge a fee. Keep in mind that the small cost of placing a classified in your daily paper may be worth the added exposure.

You can also hang up announcement flyers (on recycled paper) seven to ten days before the sale around your community. Online posting is also an option—websites like craigslist.org and garagesalehunter.com let you post ads for free.

On the day of the sale, make sure that large, bright signs are in the neighborhood to lead buyers to you. Instead of buying poster-board to make your signs, re-use pieces of cardboard from old boxes. (Make sure to take down the signs and flyers and recycle them when the sale is over.)

Cindy Skrzynecki, author of 50 Ways to Make the Most Money Having a Garage Sale, notes that “shoppers tend to equate the size of a sign with the size of a sale, so a few large, well-placed signs may draw more people to you than several smaller signs.”

When you have your sale could affect your buyer traffic. Skrzynecki says that holiday weekends or weekends that coincide with popular local events are excellent for holding sales, because “you’ll have virtually no competition and provide a fun activity for people who stay in town.”

Setting Up the Sale
How you set up your items could make the difference between selling them and hauling them back inside your house to darken your closets once more. Here are some tips to make your old stuff as attractive to buyers as possible.

• The cleaner the better. Make sure your items are presentable. Yes, they’re all used, but you’re more likely to sell that old vase if a buyer can see that lovely shade of blue, instead of a thick layer of dust.

• Place items where people can see them. Arrange a display that is both catchy and organized. To get your items in your buyers’ view, use tabletops and bookcases when you can; if you’re short on tables, an upside-down bucket with an old piece of plywood on top will work just as well.

• Display clothing effectively. Put clothes on hangers if possible, rather than folding them in piles that will soon get messed up. They’ll be more attractive to customers and not as easy to miss.

• Does this thing work? Have an extension cord handy so people can test electrical appliances, and provide a measuring tape for furniture and other large items. You may even want to have a set of working batteries on hand for people to test items like flashlights or electronic games. But don’t feel limited to selling only working items. You might have a buyer who knows how to fix a broken blender, or who wants to take that old radio home for its parts. Just make sure to label items that don’t work.

• Ensure the price is right. Make sure all of your items are clearly priced: buyers will quickly tire of asking you the price each time they’re interested in an item, and odds are you won’t remember what you said from time to time. Write the price on a small sticker, and place it on the item. If you’re having a multi-family yard sale, use a different colored sticker for each family, take the stickers off as you sell items, and use the totals from the stickers to divide the profits at the end. If you’re unsure how to price your items, check out other yard sales in your area the weekend before. A little preparatory snooping will you help get ideas for pricing and for displaying things.

• Use creative labeling. Have some items you’re afraid won’t sell? Help buyers think up uses for them. “If you have a bookcase, mention its use as a boot rack in the mudroom or basement,” writes Sunny Wicka in her book Garage Sale Shopper(currently out of print). “Sales can actually be made solely by suggesting a novel use.” Spark the shopper’s imagination by combining art supplies—like old magazines, papers, markers, paints, and knick-knacks—on a table that’s labeled “Great for Art!” or by placing household items, crates, and blankets together with a label that reads “Going Away to College?”

• Prepare for early birds. If you’re lucky, your advertising will bring yard sale gurus flocking to buy your stuff. These are the pros who will arrive early (Be prepared!) and scour your sale for the best deals. You’ll be lucky to have these enthusiasts at your sale, but you’ve got to be prepared to bargain with them over prices. If such haggling makes you uncomfortable, just make it clear that prices are fixed with the placement of a few friendly signs.

Once the initial rush is over, do consider accepting bargain offers. Replace those “no haggling” signs with ones that say “willing to bargain” or “make an offer.” During the final hour of your sale, consider cutting prices in half.

Ready, Set, Sell!
Summer and early fall are the times for yard sales, so why not make yours the best on the block? Make it a place where people will have fun and want to hang around (more browsing time often means more purchases). Pull out that radio and play some upbeat music, set up a play area for children, and maybe even have a lemonade stand. Having cool drinks on hand will keep your shoppers refreshed and cheerful; also, if children are involved in the sale, staffing a lemonade stand will give them a chance to get in on the action.

If there is a shy artist or a clever craft-maker hiding inside of you, use your yard sale as an opportunity to share some of your homemade items with your community. Do you have a green thumb? Try filling old jars with pebbles and water and using them to sell plant cuttings of that philodendron in your kitchen, or sell some cut flowers from your garden. Invite your children to hand-paint a few clay pots and use them to sell herbs and other small plants. These personal touches will take your yard sale above and beyond.

Dealing With the Aftermath
Your tables are almost empty, your lemonade supply is drained, and the last car full of your old stuff is driving away. What to do with your leftover sale items? Arrange a charity donation pick-up at your home ahead of time. Some charities will arrange a pick-up time with you: simply call ahead and schedule the pick-up to move your unwanted, but still useful, items into needy hands.

If you find that you enjoy throwing yard sales, consider organizing charity yard sales in your community. Join forces with your local place of worship, neighborhood association, or school to help people recycle their old stuff while also making money for a worthy cause.

Recycle Electronics Responsibly
While you can easily donate many items that you don’t unload at your garage sale to your local Goodwill or homeless shelter, electronics may be trickier. If they’re unusable or close to it, they could end up in a landfill, where they’ll leach harmful chemicals into the environment. Even if you try to do the right thing and recycle them, some so-called “recyclers” may ship them to developing countries like China, where they’re dismantled by hand by workers who lack protective equipment, and they end up poisoning people and the environment abroad.

To see your electronics responsibly to the end of their useful lives, recycle them through a certified e-Stewards recycler. These companies are independently certified by the nonprofit Basel Action Network to ensure their e-waste is not exported to developing nations, disposed into landfills, or recycled using forced or child labor. Your local Staples store is an e-Stewards enterprise, or you can find other local e-stewards outlets here.

Living Room

Furniture

Most furniture is awkward to move and generally requires Aspirin to do so. Usually the endpoint is to just get rid of the thing. But that approach can be bad for our environment as even the most minimal pieces can include a number of materials that need to be disposed of differently.

First, look into donation to shelters. Some schools or universities may be able to use wood or metal pieces for various woodworking or metalworking shops. Give them a call too!

If it comes down to it and you really need to just get rid of the thing, here are a couple of responsible places to check out:

• How to Recycle Furniture
• What to do with Furniture
• 7 Creative Ways to Recycle Furniture and Reduce Environmental Waste

Light Bulbs

Disposing of light bulbs is tricky because various types of glass and different filaments need to be carefully recycled, or else they end up in a landfill. Figuring out what is in each light bulb is one challenge, removing the filament on your own is a skill Thomas Edison would be proud of but that’s not enough of a reason to learn how.

If you’re crafty, turning typical light bulbs into terrariums can be a fun project. The little ecosystems are an upgrade to any room and can enhance its fragrance and air quality.

Here's a zip code search to find a location that helps sort light bulbs by variety in order to most effectively recycle.

Also, Batteries Plus stores and The Home Depot have become good drop-off centers for light bulbs as well.

CDs/DVDs

There’s a lot to be said about the negative impacts of technology moving at hypersonic speeds. With most of our music and films digitized, the collection of CDs and DVDs we once thought impressive are now collecting dust.

The backs of CDs and DVDs have always fascinated me. Maybe because as children we’re taught to be fascinated by shiny objects, but the artwork on front can be even more interesting (if you’re past the phase I’m still stuck in). Whichever phase you’re in, cutting some up or pressing a rolling pin over them to create texture can make for unique looks for coffee or end tables.

However, if you’d rather not let anyone know of your secret Barry Manilow obsession, CD Recycling Center of America and Green Disk have a responsible disposal processes.

Bathroom

Magazines

These can go in your curbside recycling bin. Often, paper products can get contaminated in single-stream recycling (where all the materials go in one bin)…a great way to make sure your magazines arrive at the sorting facility in a clean state is to put all of them in to a paper bag and staple it. This will help keep the magazines from being dirtied so that they can be re-made into high quality paper!

Shower curtain

Your old shower curtains are sadly NOT recyclable. But there is good news! They can be repurposed into a variety of things: a painting cloth, a cover for outdoor furniture during the off season, an added layer under your tent when camping, or a way to keep your car trunk interior clean.

Garage

Old Tools

Find out if your community has a free tool library (a place to donate and borrow tools). If not, consider starting one with your neighbors! Tool libraries are great for saving money, community building, and encouraging self-sufficiency. If your local library doesn’t need the tools you are trying to clean out, you can donate to Tools for Self Reliance, an organization that sends needed tools to India or Africa, helping people help themselves.

Batteries

These are not recyclable and some landfills still have bans on alkaline batteries (although newer batteries have far less mercury than they used to, so your city landfill might accept them). You can take them to the hazardous household waste pickup in your community (this also goes for disposing of old smoke alarms).

Office

Ink cartridge

To create less waste, the best idea is to reuse your ink cartridges—Walgreens and Costco will refill ink cartridges, or if you are looking to discard, you can donate to Cartridges for Kids—a program that allows schools to collect cartridges and receive funding in return.

Books

You can donate these books to your local library or if the books are damaged and the library will not accept, you can recycle them in your curbside bin. Check earth911.com to make sure your city doesn’t require the hardcover to be removed, due to the glue on the book spine.

Moving

Packing peanuts & bubble wrap

These are not recyclable in your curbside bin. There are some shipping locations that accept plastic bubble wrap and packing peanuts. Call your local UPS store to determine if they will take your used moving materials. You can also reuse bubble wrap in your garden to protect plants from frost damage, or insulate your shed with it, cutting small holes to allow for ventilation.

Bedroom

Mattresses

In many ways mattresses are more annoying to get rid of than furniture. It’s well known that mattresses left on a curb tend to disappear…eventually. Properly disposing of them, however, is much safer for the environment.

Plug in your zip code to Bye Bye Mattress and they’ll likely have a facility nearby that can assist you.

This guide has information about donations near you, or recycling them if they're very worn.

If you’re in DC, these good folks will come to you AND do all of the heavy lifting.

Old linens/Bedding

These are important items that eventually we all replace; usually through a move or the sudden realization that Spiderman sheets are no longer appropriate because you’re 35. In any case, getting rid of bedding and linens can seem weird. It isn’t, and here’s why: Thee are so many options to repurposing or donating these items! These can be used as patches for clothing (so you can still support Spiderman, just more discretely), can become quilts of their own, or cut up and used as cleaning rags. In addition to donation places like the Salvation Army or Goodwill, this site takes bedding and gives it to the homeless. Or you can cut out the middle man, drive around, and hand them out to those in need. Also, many animal shelters can put most any piece of fabric to good use

Kitchen

Pots & Pans / Appliances

A lot of pots and pans are a combination of metal, Teflon, and/or ceramic. This stuff can be hard to dispose of and if tossed into a landfill, ensuring it’ll be at its most toxic when left to entropy.

If you’re handy or artsy enough, removing handles and adding flowers, rocks, or anything else of your choosing can transform some pots or pans into centerpieces.

However, like with bedding, these can be donated to a variety of shelters. A lot of soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and women’s shelters need pots, pans, and appliances to help maximize their service. Also, you can find other recycling options here.

K-Cups

OK, I don’t want to make coffee lovers feel terrible, but these little machines have created a disastrous recycling problem. Even though Keurig is promising to make the K-Cups out of 100% recyclable material by 2020 (why weren’t they from the beginning?), that still leaves us with four years and the average American 2.1 cups of coffee per day. That math adds up to a number that is very, very high.

So, until then, however, the millions in use every day pose a large problem. It can be curtailed by looking for areas close to you which recycle #5 plastic. Or check with your nearest waste management facility to see if they accept #7 plastic (sadly, most don’t). However, once you have a minimum of 50 of these little guys, Keurig has a recycling program which allows you to send them back so they can dispose of them properly.

Got a small patch of earth, but a big craving for fresh, organic food? Patti Moreno, a.k.a. “the Garden Girl,” wants you to know it’s easier than you think to grow that food yourself, even if you live in the city. It's called urban gardening.

Moreno is the face of and the brains behind GardenGirlTV.com and the web magazine Urban Sustainable Living, both of which offer articles, tips, and how-to videos detailing Moreno’s tried-and-true methods for creating a home garden and an organic lifestyle “designed to fit into your busy home, not take it over.”

With those impressive credentials under her belt, it’s easy to believe that Moreno has always had a magic touch with plants. Moreno has also contributed to Home and Garden Television and has cohosted the PBS show Growing a Greener World. Not so, she says. “When I first started 12 years ago, I was a serial plant killer,” she admits. “I had no background in gardening—it was just something I wanted to do. Nothing I planted grew, and I felt terrible that I couldn’t do this.”

Determined to stop “murdering plants,” she read everything she could about gardening, but what she found assumed she lived in the country with acres of space. Nothing gave her all the information she needed to make things grow in small spaces in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood.

So she started experimenting, and the rest is Garden Girl history.

Getting Started with Urban Gardening

If you’ve wanted to grow your own food but haven’t started because you think you don’t have the time, the gardening talent, or the space, Moreno encourages you to think again.

“There aren’t a lot of people in their 30s and 40s who are gardening, but anyone can do this,” she says. “What’s unique about the way I do it is that I’ve taken a lot of the work out of
gardening.”

Which leaves busy city-dwellers to enjoy the most pleasurable parts of gardening—eating fruits and vegetables at the peak of their freshness, getting a healthier, organic diet free from toxins, and saving money by growing your organic food yourself.

Raised Beds Are the Answer

When you talk to Moreno about how to overcome a “black thumb,” she invariably turns to the topic of raised garden beds.

Raised beds are basically extra-large planters, generally made of wood, brick, or stone. Moreno likes four-ft. by four-ft. beds, because they keep everything planted in the bed within arm’s reach. Her own urban garden is made up of 30 raised beds she constructed herself.

Raised beds have many advantages, says Moreno. You can never be sure of what’s in your soil when you live in the city, so raising the garden beds gives you more control of the dirt, ensuring that it’s healthy and free from chemicals.

Because the beds are raised up from the ground, they help prevent back strain, since you won’t have to bend down far to tend your plants. Their height also discourages garden pests. And they have excellent drainage by design, so Moreno says you can “never overwater them.”

Although you can purchase ready-made raised beds, making your own can save money—and ensure that all of the materials are as good for the planet as your garden.

Moreno makes her own beds by first spreading out 2-3 inches of gravel over the area, for drainage. Then, she constructs a 4x4 bed out of two pieces of 2x10x8 lumber, cut in half. She fastens chicken wire to the bottom to keep out pests, and the bed is complete.

“I’m five-foot-nothing,” she says. “If I can build my own beds, anyone can!

Start with the Simple Stuff

Once you’re ready to plant, Moreno suggests trying out plants with which you’re sure to succeed.

“Start with surefire plants that you’re not going to kill—those are herbs,” says Moreno. “Herbs don’t have any natural pests or viruses, so those are easy to grow, especially mint. Mint will come back year after year and will spread like crazy. It smells amazing, you’ll have success with it with little care, and you can use it in so many things.”

Fruit trees and berry bushes that grow naturally in your geographic area will also generally flourish without too much intervention from you, she says.

Once new gardeners have literally tasted that success, they’re often motivated to move on to new types of produce. The important thing, says Moreno, is to not be discouraged by mistakes.

“Realize that you’ve never grown something before, and it might not make it. There are things beyond your control that can happen,” she says. “You’re not this horrible person if you don’t succeed right away.”

Then Have Some Fun

Once you’ve gotten comfortable with growing basics, Moreno suggests giving each of your raised beds a “theme.” She groups many of her beds by cuisine, including a bed that features Asian greens.

“Asian greens are so easy to grow, and it’s one of those instant-gratification gardens,” she says. “Within three to four days, you’ll see little sprouts come up. Within a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to start picking baby greens. And in a month, you’ll have three- to four-inch leaves to make a great stir fry with.”

Moreno grows Siamese stir fry greens, Asian eggplants and hot peppers, lemongrass, Thai basil, and Vietnamese cilantro (“which tastes different than regular Italian cilantro”) in hers. Because these greens grow so quickly, she simply plants more as her family eats them, winding up with about three rotations of Asian greens during the growing season.

Another one of her favorite themed garden beds is the Native American “Three Sisters” garden, which originated with the Haudenosaunee tribe, according to the University of New Mexico.

The three sisters are squash, pole beans, and corn, grown in a symbiotic way. Gardeners put the corn in the middle of the bed, plant the beans around the corn, and plant the squash in between.

“The corn depletes the soil of nitrogen, and the beans add nitrogen,” says Moreno. “The beans will use a stalk of corn as support, and they also give the cornstalk extra rigidity to withstand high winds or rain. The squash grows close to ground, so it will cover soil and keep it moist underneath, while keeping the weeds out.”

Since the three sisters grow together so well, they’re ideal for beginning gardeners. Moreno has added a small twist—she also plants edible nasturtium flowers, which won’t disrupt the three sisters and are a nice addition to salads.

Build Community, Save the World

As her first garden grew 12 years ago, Moreno was surprised to find that her ties to her Roxbury community also grew. She was outside in her yard more, and curious neighbors often stopped by to say hello.

When she eventually grew more produce than she knew what to do with, she put out a handmade sign that read “organic garden” with an arrow pointing to her house.

That sign ended up serving as an icebreaker as she met the “interesting and diverse” group of people in her community: “I met everyone from an older man who lived here all his life and wanted heirloom tomatoes to a homeowner who had just moved in and was showing his parents around,” she says. “Families with kids would come, because I have chickens and rabbits. And local chefs would come to buy ingredients.”

In addition to helping her make friends, Moreno’s garden has inspired others to start their own—and she feels that everyone who plants a garden can be part of that positive chain reaction.

“Roughly 70 percent of world’s population in next 10-20 years is going to live in cities. And cities drain the most resources out of any place to live. Everything has to be brought to them,” she says. “I’m fighting to change that mindset by showing people how to grow their own healthy food, organically. Everyone can set that kind of example.”

Watch More Here:

Most of us have been using immunity boosting medicinal herbs all of our lives without even realizing it. Just take a quick peek inside your cupboard or refrigerator, and you’re likely to find spice jars filled with garlic, curry, cloves, cardamom, cayenne, and turmeric. Certainly your crisper, at one time or another, contained fresh foods such as parsley, ginger root, citrus, red peppers, green peppers, or horseradish. All of these items pack an herbal wellness punch, and many of them can be grown in your own garden.

The best herbal medicines are those plants that we can easily grow near home, rather than having them shipped from thousands of miles away. Many herbs can be grown in one 3’ x 6’ raised garden bed or on a small garden plot.

Although your backyard medicinal garden is not going to cure all cold and flu evils, it will help hold symptoms at bay as you strengthen your immunity. Heading to your garden for your first line of defense could save your family the expense of over-the-counter medicine and, hopefully, a trip to the doctor.

Consider those issues that plague your family the most during the winter—and sometimes warmer—months, and then plant the herbs you need for those recipes. Make that garden organic to benefit your health and the Earth.

Herbs that Boost Immunity

It’s important to find a variety of ways to introduce herbs to our bodies that we enjoy. Don’t try to get your partner to become a tea drinker if s/he has never enjoyed drinking tea. Your children will not suddenly become thrilled about herbal salves if they dislike the greasy feel or the smell of essential oils. Each person will choose his/her own avenue for remedies.

There are many ways to administer herbal remedies; some of those include infusions, teas, tinctures, syrups, salves, balms, and simply eating fresh foods, herbs, and spices.

Study the herbs that you can grow in your area, how to harvest them, and how to properly store them. The healing herbs listed below grow abundantly, with ease for organic gardeners in a variety of zones.

• Catnip (Nepeta cataria) The leaf and the flowering top are typically used as a traditional cold and flu remedy. It is a diaphoretic (sweat-inducing) plant, which is helpful when suffering fever symptoms. Catnip is generally consumed as a tincture or as a tea drunk three times per day.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions reported with the use of catnip.
• Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) is grown for its fruit, and tones the circulatory system. It is beneficial in warding off colds at the first sign. Cayenne is best consumed as an infusion that is then combined with hot water to drink as needed.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions reported with the use of cayenne.
• Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) is commonly called purple coneflower and is useful to ward off infections of the upper respiratory tract, including the common cold, at the first sign. It can be taken as a tea or tincture. Remedies are best prepared using all parts of the plant. Echinacea is not intended to be used daily but at the first signs of an acute infection. Harvest echinacea leaves, stems, and flowers during the summer months; Echinacea roots will have the most potency during the fall months when the plant’s energy moves downward.
  Safety precautions: Do not consume echinacea if prone to allergies from the Asteraceae (aster, daisy, sunflower) family or if you have auto-immune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) or black elderberry have compounds that shorten the duration and complexity of flu symptoms. It is typically consumed as elderberry syrup or as a tincture.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions. There are varieties of elderberry that are toxic and should not be consumed, including Red Elderberry. Cook elderberries before consuming, or they may cause stomach upset.
• Garlic (Allium sativum) is a common garden bulb that many people grow and eat for sheer culinary flavor. Garlic cloves have a volatile oil that helps battle colds and flu, particularly when eaten raw.
  Safety precautions: Garlic taken in large doses can irritate the mouth and mucous membranes.
• Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale) is a rhizome or spice that can be purchased at any grocery store. It increases circulation and promotes perspiration. Ginger tea can be gargled for sore throat relief.
  Safety precautions: The use of ginger may influence bleeding. Ginger root may enhance the effects of anti-coagulant drugs. Pregnant women should not use in large doses without consulting a doctor.
• Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) or white horehound is used by consuming the dried leaf and flowering top. Horehound is best known for its ability to promote mucus production as an expectorant. It can be prepared as a tea or tincture, as well as syrup or cough drops.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions.
• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is harvested using the dried or fresh aerial (i.e. above-ground) parts and is high in oils that are beneficial in the treatment of the flu. Lemon balm is best consumed as a tea each morning and night as needed.
  Safety precautions: Lemon balm may interfere with the action of thyroid hormones. Consult your doctor before using if you have a thyroid condition.
• Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is a rampant-growing and sometimes invasive herb. Harvest the aerial parts of the plant. When inhaled, the volatile oil provides temporary relief for stuffy nasal passages and tension headaches. Peppermint is consumed as a tea and used in salves and balms for chest congestion.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions.
• Rosehips (Rosa canina) are those bright red fruits you find in the fall once a rose bush had dropped it blossoms. They are a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C when made into an infusion. Harvest them from your rose bushes after the first frost, and remove the prickly center of the hips before consuming.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions. Do not harvest rosehips from ornamental bushes unless you are certain they have not been treated with pesticides or herbicides.
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is easily grown. Harvest the leaf and flowering top. Thyme is an excellent cough remedy and, used as a gargle, eases sore throat pain. It is best consumed as a tincture or as a tea drunk three times a day and is typically used in balms and salves.
  Safety precautions: There are no known side effects or drug interactions.
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) The aerial parts of the yarrow plant are typically used as a fever remedy. Drink yarrow-leaf tea hourly when feverish.
  Safety precautions: People that are allergic to plants in the Asteraceae family should avoid it, as should pregnant women, as it’s an abortifacient.

Do Your Research

Before you use any herbal remedy, consult your doctor, and always read at least three sources of information when using one either topically or internally. Also, use caution if you have any other medical conditions that could be impacted by the use of herbs, especially pregnant and nursing mothers, those with heart, kidney, or liver conditions; diabetics; and those who have blood-thinning concerns. Have fun turning the herbs you grow into home remedies. There is something very satisfying about knowing you are providing your family with Earth’s bounty and, hopefully, reducing the occurrence of illness in your home.

Emily Moore of Minneapolis was having problems with Citibank. No, they weren’t pulling any of the common predatory foreclosure tricks on her—they hadn’t wrongfully foreclosed due to a processing error, or used predatory fee-padding techniques, or strategically misapplied her payments.

Moore’s problem was that they were doing one of these things to her friend Rose McGee. A longtime Minneapolis community leader, McGee was unable to make her payments after being laid off from her job at a local nonprofit.

With her financial situation changing drastically, McGee immediately approached Citibank, her mortgage holder, hoping to work with the bank on a payment solution that could keep her in her home of 18 years. While it entered into mortgage modification negotiations with McGee, Citibank simultaneously started taking steps to foreclose on her home unbeknownst to her—a practice known as dual-tracking, which was recently made illegal after it was used extensively by banks during the mortgage crisis. The bank sold her home without notifying her.

“I was outraged to know that it was the same bank that I had a mortgage with,” says Moore. “It made me feel like I needed to do something.”

So Moore contacted the Citibank loan officer who had previously helped her. She called customer service, and she wrote and faxed letters asking the bank to provide better service to McGee.

After receiving no meaningful response, Moore began to look into taking her own mortgage away from Citibank. She knew that every mortgage payment she made to Citibank went to lining the pockets of the institution causing her friend’s suffering—and undoubtedly that of others.

“The failure of CitiMortgage to communicate effectively with Ms. McGee … makes me question whether I can continue with CitiMortgage myself,” Moore wrote in a letter to the bank. “I expect more from my mortgage company.”

Instead of financially propping up a bank that was hurting people, Moore wanted to support a financial institution that benefited her community.

If you haven’t refinanced in the last few years, now is the time to consider it and break away from Wall Street banks. And if you’re thinking about becoming a new homeowner, consider getting your mortgage through a community development bank or credit union that will use your money for good. Obtaining or refinancing a mortgage loan from a community development financial institution (CDFI) has several benefits: These institutions exist to support communities and the environment, so your money will help people and causes you care about, rather than building coal-fired power plants or financing mountaintop-removal mining. They strive to provide individualized, top-level customer service, rather than unfairly foreclosing on mortgageholders. And you’ll enjoy an interest rate competitive with what you’ll get at one of the mega-banks.

“CDFIs model the kind of banking we need more of from coast to coast,” says Fran Teplitz, Green America’s director of social investing. “These institutions are committed to grassroots economic prosperity, and they give hope and opportunity to individuals and neighborhoods that are either ignored or exploited by the big banks.”

Better Banking

CDFIs are certified by the US Department of the Treasury as having a “primary mission” of promoting community development, which means they have a federal mandate to provide loans and other financial services to historically underserved populations. They also often have community programs to help their loans succeed—such as financial advising, small-business counseling, low-income tax clinics, and mortgage foreclosure mitigation programs.

Hope Credit Union, for example, is a Gulf Coast CDFI that has a number of counseling programs to help both members and non-members stay in their homes. Hope has foreclosure-prevention services for people facing financial difficulties, as well as preventative counseling for new homeowners to help their home loans succeed.

“We are here for what is best for [our members],” says Hope’s Shirley Bowen. “They’re not just a person coming in, getting an immediate decision, and being sent on their way. We want to know what is best for them, and we want to put them in the product that is best for them.”

After years of working with a big bank, learning about what CDFIs are doing in your community could infuse a good dose of optimism into your life.

“We have affordable housing initiatives, we have business lending so we can invest in loans that do job creation,” says Dave Prosser, vice president of community development at Freedom First Credit Union, which offers mortgages throughout Virginia. “We try to live up to our slogan in all aspects of our business: ‘Where people bank for good.’”

Thinking of Refinancing?

Are you considering refinancing an existing mortgage to get it out of the hands of a mega-bank? According to conventional wisdom, it can be financially advantageous to refinance when you can reduce your interest rate by at least two percentage points, says Carol Chernikoff, chief lending officer at Alternatives Federal Credit Union. However, she cautions, everyone’s case is different.

“Refinancing generally costs money because of the fees involved, so it’s important to make sure you are reaching your financial goals when spending that money,” she says.

It’s possible to save money in the long term when refinancing but be hit by heavy closing costs up front. Refinancing a mortgage generally costs $4,000 to $9,000 in closing costs, depending on your state, financial institution, and home. This amount includes both third-party costs—like the cost of an appraisal and government taxes and fees—and in-house fees, which are what the bank or credit union charges for its services. It’s important to shop around, as rates can vary greatly by institution, and these in-house fees are often negotiable.

Here’s what you need to know to put your mortgage money to work for communities through a CDFI: Four Steps to a Better Mortgage

1. Find a CDFI: The best option is to find a CDFI that is working in your city, county, state, or region. Community development banks and credit unions exist in and serve areas all across the country. If you can’t find a CDFI in your region, a community bank or credit union is a good second option (see resources below).

2. Contact the CDFI: Intrigued? Call or visit your chosen CDFI to find out how to obtain or refinance a mortgage.

“We generally meet with people before they’re even ready to apply to give them a sense of what [the mortgage or refinancing process] means,” says Carol Chernikoff, chief lending officer at Alternatives Federal Credit Union.

You’ll want to discuss comparable interest rates and fees—which are the numbers that will help you decide whether a new or refinanced mortgage makes financial sense for you.

“The difference with coming to a [CDFI] in general is you will have more personal attention paid to your individual situation,” says Chernikoff. “You won’t just have numbers punched into a spreadsheet without any discussion on where the person wants to be in one years, five years, or ten years.”

During this initial discussion, be sure to ask the loan officer about whether the CDFI will keep your mortgage “in house,” as opposed to selling it to a larger—and potentially less socially responsible—company. Just because you’re banking with a CDFI doesn’t mean they won’t sell your mortgage off to another entity.

3. Fill out an application: The loan officer won’t be able to speak to your specific situation in detail until after you’ve turned in your new loan or loan refinance application. Many financial institutions allow you to apply online. You will need to provide basic information on income and assets, and give permission for them to pull your credit report.

4. Start the relationship! With your application in hand, the loan officer will be able to help you get down to the nuts and bolts of what moving your mortgage will mean for you. If you do decide to obtain a new loan or refinance with this institution, the officer may need additional information, such as an appraisal on your home in the case of a loan refinance.

Your process will depend a lot on the financial institution you work with and your financial situation. Your credit score will help determine the interest rate you can get, for example. If you’re refinancing, the appraised value of your home will show you how much your home has gained or lost in value since you took out your first mortgage, which factors into your refinance eligibility.

Regulations may vary by state, which means that there are relatively unique laws and loan options affecting you and your financial institution.

“One of the things about mortgages is that they are like snowflakes—there are never two alike,” says Prosser.

CDFIs: Willing to Stick By You

Once closing costs are taken into account, refinancing with a CDFI may or may not get you a better deal than the loan you already have. Keep in mind, however, that if you get an in-house mortgage with a CDFI, they will be much more likely to work with you should you ever have trouble making your payments, instead of jumping to foreclose as the mega-banks often do.

“When someone has trouble paying, we directly contact them—we don’t just send notices,” Chernikoff says. “We try to stay in personal communication. We have them come in and explain what the financial challenges are.”

The credit union then works with the borrower to find a mutually agreeable solution, she says.

For example, Shannon Sullivan, past Alternatives member and part of the Naval Reserve notes that she “really found out how caring Alternatives is” after she was called up to active duty after Hurricane Katrina.

“Navy pay is only a fraction of what I make as a nurse practitioner,” she writes, which caused her to panic over how she’d pay her mortgage on a reduced salary. So she called the credit union. “In 24 hours, Alternatives had arranged for me to pay interest only on smaller loans, and to forebear my mortgage until I returned from active duty… Because of Alternatives, I still have my home,” she writes.

This kind of teamwork attitude towards resolving payment issues is a far cry from the nightmare that Emily Moore’s friend has gone through in Minneapolis. Moore was able to move her own mortgage away from CitiBank in protest and chose Affinity Plus Credit Union, a local institution. “I was able to fold in a couple of other loans, and still my payment is about $100 lower than what I was paying to Citi- Mortgage,” Moore says. “I feel absolutely wonderful about having moved it.”

CitiBank sold Rose McGee’s foreclosed home to Fannie Mae, and she is still fighting to get it back. “I have been employed since January 2012 and am willing to pay,” she wrote in a letter delivered to Fannie Mae in April of 2013. “Why then would CitiMortgage and Fannie Mae choose to take my home and have it sit empty, further reducing [the] property value of the neighborhood?”

Choosing foreclosure over sincere payment negotiations is not something you would likely see a CDFI do.

The money you put into your home represents a huge investment on your part. Obtaining or refinancing a mortgage through an institution with strong ties to your community can protect that investment from predatory practices, while also strengthening your local economy. When it’s time to obtain or refinance a mortgage, consider a CDFI or green bank, instead of a mega-bank that has likely caused some of your neighbors to put up foreclosure signs.

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2. BETTER: Independent, Certified Green Businesses

If you need a new clothing item, you can’t do much better than an independent green business that strives to make every aspect of its clothing sustainable, from the fields where the fibers are grown to the factories that assemble and dye the clothes to the retail or online store in which they’re sold. The following companies are just a few of the “deep green” businesses that specialize in sustainable clothing. Each is certified by Green America, meaning we screened them in all aspects of their business to ensure a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

A member of the Fair Trade Federation, Mehera Shaw ensures a living wage and healthy workplace for the people who print, dye, and sew its boho-chic women’s clothing. The company specializes in women’s clothing made with dazzling hand-dyed, artisan fabrics—including GOTS-certified cotton and other natural fibers.

Circle Creations offers casual, comfy clothing, underwear, and accessories for men and women, made from hemp, organic cotton, Tencel, soy fiber, and locally milled wool. The company ensures workers throughout its supply chain aren't exploited and receive fair benefits.

Stay Vocal’s founder Alex Eaves points out that the average T-shirt requires 400 gallons of water to grow the cotton to make it. To save resources and promote reuse, the company searches out old and factory-discarded T-shirts for men, women, and children—which are then printed with clever designs and slogans touting the benefits of reuse.

Started by four former executives from major brands Ann Taylor, Lands’ End, and Macy’s, Fair Indigo sells Fair Trade, organic clothing and accessories for men, women, and children. As such, the company offers all of its employees, from Madison, WI, to Lima, Peru, a living wage, fair working conditions, and excellent benefits. Many of the items are made from ecofriendly materials.

All of the above and more can be found in the clothing/accessories category of our greenpages.org.

Find more options: Good, Better, Best.

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Garbage. Americans produce more and more of it every year, when we need to be producing less. Even the most waste-conscious among us can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers and compost bins can handle. We've spent a lot of time investigating the state of waste management in our country, so we can explain how to get serious about the three R’s – reducing, reusing, and recycling — and divert more waste away from landfills. (To download the entire recycling issue of Green American, visit our archives page.)

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them.

2. Batteries: Try Battery Solutions to buy a product to put batteries in to ship away. Staples also has a national battery recycling program for individuals or your office. Some Ikea stores have recycling stations for them as well.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they can use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to CDFixers for refinishing, and they’ll work like new.

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding. Consider holding a clothes swap at your office, school, faith congregation or community center. Swap clothes with friends and colleagues, and save money on back-to-school clothes, Halloween costumes, or any season you want.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Call your local Ikea store--many have units for recycling florescent bulbs, along with batteries and conventional recyclables. Earth911 has a great tool where you can enter your recyclable and zip code and it will give you a list of places that will accept that item.

7. Compostable bio-plastics: Compostable bioplastics include those cornstarch utensils and specially marked cups, which won't break down quickly in your home compost bin like your food scraps do. Find a Composter has a tool for finding municipal composters for these types of items.

8. Computers and electronics: E-Stewards has a tool for finding responsible recyclers for computing waste which can be toxic and hard to break down.

9. Exercise videos: If you've done the same workouts a million times, swap them with others at Video Fitness. If you're done with them forever, contact your closest e-waste station and see if they will accept them. Policies change frequently and the magnetic tape in VHS makes them particularly difficult to recycle.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need. Often eye doctors' offices will collect them, or even local libraries. Glasses are most often donated as-is to someone with a similar perscription. Reading glasses and non-perscription sunglasses can often be donated as well.

11. Foam packing: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.org will pay a few cents for your old ink cartridges, up to $1 depending on the brand. If you bring your old cartridges to Staples, they will give you a $2 voucher you can use towards your new ink. Also, Best Buy accepts ink cartridges, as they have a large recycling program.

13. Oil: When the oil is being changed in your car, it can be re-refined and made into motor lubricants and other petroleum products. Earth911 has a tool to find which autoshops you can use to recycle oil in your zip code.

14. Phones: HopeLine is a program to provide cell phones to domestic violence survivors. Bring them to a Verizon or mail them in to donate. Office phones and corded phones can be recycled through Staples or another e-waste recycler.

15. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet or at Goodwill.

16. “Technotrash”: Staples' e-waste program will take iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm pilots, and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $11.95, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box (or you can use your own) in which you can ship them up to 25 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees.

17. Athletic and other shoes: MORE takes donations of lightly used running shoes which are resold to fund sustainable farming programs. Soles4Souls was founded after Hurricane Katrina, which gives shoes as a measure of disaster relief and to create micro-enterprises with a low cost product.

18. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Preserve, a brand sold in many pharmacy stores as well as online. The company makes its products out of Stonyfield Farms yogurt cups and will take back its products to be made into plastic lumber. Bins that collect these and other products with the number 5 recycling symbol are collected in Preserve's Gimme 5 bins, which are placed in 250 locations nationwide. They can also be sent in by mail.

19. Tyvek envelopes: Those tough, plasticky envelopes you get in the mail, those are Tyvek. The material is broken down and made into new plastics without consuming more oil resources. Quantities less than 25: Send to CFS Recycling, 337 A Industrial Drive, Petersburg, VA 23803. Quantities larger than 25, call 1-800/44-TYVEK.

20. Miscellaneous stuff: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv.

21. Crayons: If you have broken crayons, or old mis-matched ones that are missing the box, send them to Crazy Crayons. This program collects crayons from around the country, melts them down, and sells 100% recycled crayons (in cute shapes and containers, too!).

Many pet owners will attest that having a cat or dog to cuddle can brighten your day. What they may not know is that it may also improve your health. A 2010 study from the University of Missouri School of Veterinary Medicine found that positive interactions with animals can raise levels of the hormone oxytocin, which helps encourage healing and new cell growth.

Since pets can be exposed to harmful toxins in their food, litter, and flea medicine, bringing green-living values to pet ownership may help extend the life of your beloved animal companion. Meanwhile, your pet-related purchases will also support the green economy.

If you don't have a pet yet, adopting from a shelter is the most sustainable option. If you do have one, make sure to spay or neuter it-- it helps to reduce the number of animals that end up homeless or living in shelters.

Here are Green America’s top five high-impact ways to green your dog or cat:

1. Put Your Pet on a Low-Carbon Diet

Just like a human, omnivorous cats and dogs eat food with a significant greenhouse gas footprint: namely, food with beef or lamb in it. The Environmental Working Group’s “Meat Eater’s Guide” notes that beef produces 13 times more greenhouse gases over its life cycle than vegetable proteins, and the carbon footprint of lamb is 50 percent higher.

Poultry produces four to five times as many greenhouse gases as vegetable proteins, so choose poultry-based foods for your omnivorous pet that contain no animal by-products or artificial preservatives, like the chicken and vegetable options in the Life’s Abundance and Natural Life lines of cat and dog foods.

Even better: Some companies make organic vegetarian and chicken-based pet food, which helps ensure that no synthetic pesticides have been sprayed on the food. The Honest Kitchen makes organic pet foods, and Onesta Organics sells organic raw food treats for cats and dogs. Bixbi’s Organic Superfood line of food for active and older dogs is made with turkey and free-radical-fighting “superfoods” to promote digestive, joint, or immune-system health.

Many veterinarians say that cats should not be fed a vegetarian diet; they need more protein and other nutrients found in meat than humans. However, dogs can go vegetarian, though it’s best to make the switch under the supervision of a vet to ensure proper nutrition.

V-Dog LLC offers vegan dog food. In addition to its omnivorous foods, Natural Life has a Vegetarian Formula for adult dogs. If you have the time and inclination, you can also make your own organic and vegetarian dog food. Find recipes at organicauthority.com.

2. Use re-purposed doggie bags

After diet, pet waste is where your dog or cat has the most impact on the planet. No truly responsible pet owner takes a dog out for a walk without a plastic bag for pet waste tucked in a pocket. There are a lot of pet-waste bags out there that trumpet the fact that they’re “biodegradable” or “compostable” on their packaging, but since most bags of poo are destined for the landfill, the biodegradable label doesn’t mean all that much. When buried in a landfill and cut off from oxygen, even a biodegradable or compostable bag won’t degrade aerobically and turn into compost; instead, it’ll degrade very slowly and odoriferously, with the help of anaerobic bacteria.

A better option is to repurpose the plastic bags that were used to package your clothing, food, or junk mail. Perhaps the best option, however, is to forego the bags altogether and actually compost your pet’s waste.

3. Even better, compost it

You don’t want to add dog or cat waste to the compost pile destined for your garden, because it can contain pathogens that aren’t safe on your food. However, you can set up a separate compost system for it that will reduce the volume of your pet’s waste by at least 50 percent, kill off most of the pathogens, and add nutrients to the soil, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture has step-by-step instructions for a separate pet waste composting system. It involves drilling holes in a small, lidded garbage can, burying it with the lid sticking out, and dropping pet waste inside, as well as a packet of nontoxic enzymatic septic starter (available at your local hardware store) and a liter of water every month. The site says you should only need to empty the can every two to three years.

You can safely compost an herbivorous pet’s waste in your garden compost (i.e. rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, etc.).

4. Choose better litter

Conventional cat litter—clumping and non-clumping—is made from bentonite clay, which is extracted from the Earth through environmentally damaging strip mining. In addition, clay litter contains crystalline silica, a known carcinogen according to the World Health Organization.

Clay litter is also near the end of its decomposition cycle, so if you try to compost waste with clay litter mixed in, the litter will just sit there.

The solution: natural, non-clay litters. To avoid silica dust, try World’s Best Cat Litter, which is made from 100 percent US-grown corn, or Swheat Scoop, which is made from wheat. Both corn and wheat are naturally clumping and odor-controlling.

If you’d rather not buy cat litter made from a food crop, try Feline Pine, which is made from reclaimed pine shavings and guar bean gum, or Yesterday’s News, made from recycled newspaper.

While it’s best to buy litter from a smaller green company, Arm & Hammer’s Essentials line of clumping litters may be easier to find in a pinch: the company claims it’s made from corn fibers, baking soda, and plant extracts.

5. Prevent fleas naturally

Fleas are itchy nuisances, but flea collars and conventional flea shampoos usually contain pyrethrins and organophosphates, which are suspected neurotoxicants and carcinogens.

To keep fleas at bay, tend your pet with a flea comb weekly. And use nontoxic shampoos like the organic, ayurvedic products from Dr. Desai Soap. Dr. Desai also sells a nontoxic neem oil flea and tick repellent for pets.

If you’re experiencing a full-out flea infestation in your home, head to your local home improvement store for a bag of food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE). It’s made of the skeletons of deceased diatoms, a type of algae. Don’t be troubled that food-grade DE contains amorphous silica—it’s crystalline silica (found in pool-grade DE) that has been linked to lung toxicity and cancer.

Annie Bond, author of Home Enlightenment (Rodale Books 2008), recommends doing the following:

• Though food-grade DE is safe for plants, pets, and humans, cover your mouth and nose and your pet’s to prevent uncomfortable inhalation.
• Then, rub it all over your pet’s fur, starting with the spine and working your way down. The fleas should die within 24-72 hours, though you may need to repeat every three days until they’re gone.
• Sprinkle DE across floors and carpets and surfaces. Leave it sitting for four days (best if you can leave the home), and then vacuum. Repeat if needed.
• Spread DE on lawns and outdoor surfaces to kill fleas outside, too.

6. Sustainable pets are always in style

There are numerous green products available for your everyday pet needs. Find collars and leashes made from hemp or dog and cat toys from organic fibers, organic pet beds, and even reclaimed cotton dog sweaters, from certified green businesses at GreenPages.org. 

Perhaps you want to bike more, but you don’t actually own a bike and would rather not shell out the money for one. Bike-sharing programs are a convenient, low-cost alternative to buying a bicycle that also build community.

Bike-sharing programs are generally either bike shares or bike libraries. With bike shares, there are typically multiple kiosks of bikes throughout the city, and people rent bikes for short day-trips. In a bike library, people check out bikes for longer periods of time. At some, members can borrow bikes for as long as two weeks at a time and also have access to a repair shop.

Co-ops now serve as a collection point for used, broken, and old bikes—as well as those abandoned by college students forced to leave them behind when they can’t find a way to transport them home at the end of the school year. Members pool their bike mechanic skills to refurbish the donated bicycles, which then go into the bike-share fleet. Eric Cornwell, an avid cyclist from Athens, OH, visited Austria last summer and was inspired by a bike share program he saw in Vienna. He was already a member of the Athens Bike Co-op, a student group at Ohio University aimed at encouraging students and community members to bike more and drive less. When he came back from his summer vacation and told the co-op about Vienna’s program, and they all agreed to start a bike share of their own. (Note: since the publishing of this article, Athens Bike Co-op was renamed to UpCycle Bikes, but still serves the same purpose and is run by Cornwell)

Their initial goal for the bike share was to start with at least 25 bikes. They had just started pounding the pavement, asking local citizens and businesses for donations, when the manager of an off-campus apartment complex provided more than enough abandoned bikes to start the program. Cornwell estimated that it took eight hours and about $25 to $30 to refurbish each bike. Some local businesses helped by donating their services, such as Athens Paint and Decorating donating sheets of coroplast, which Cornwell used to make the bikes’ baskets.

Some bike-sharing programs are solely based on trust and don’t require a fee for bike rental—a fleet of specially marked bikes are simply parked around a city for people to use at will. However, to prevent bike vandalism or theft, many have introduced a mechanism—such as a fee, deposit, or electronic kiosk that can track the bike sharer’s credit card—to regulate bike use. Some bike shares customize the design of the bike fleet with unique wheels or frames that aren’t compatible with any other type of bike, making them useless to thieves looking for parts.

The Athens bike share’s yellow bikes are chained to various bike racks around Ohio University’s campus, all with uniform locks. For a $10 membership fee, bicyclists get a key that unlocks any of the bikes. The bike share currently has about 20 to 25 members on and off campus (including the city’s mayor), who can unlock any yellow bike they see, ride it to their destination, and then lock it to the nearest bike rack for another member to use.

Cornwell says that the program was fairly simple to launch. “There’s no requirement that you have to have some special instruction to do this. People can pretty much figure it out for themselves,” he says. “It basically takes the will to want to do something like that, and the rest follows.”

In the year that it’s been operating, the Athens bike share still has all of its original bikes in working order, and the co-op continues to gain a lot of positive buzz. “People I don’t even know will tell me what a great thing it is, and what a valuable resource it is for the community,” says Cornwell.

When the Betz-Essinger family sits down for dinner in Birmingham, AL, it doesn’t take the children long to identify the provenance of their meal. “Is this a Caroline?” they ask, “or a Leigh Fran?”

Caroline and Leigh Fran are not brands of frozen dinners—they are the two friends with whom Ruthann Betz-Essinger has shared the preparation of weeknight meals for more than a decade. Ruthann’s children “know how each of us cooks,” she laughs.

Through an arrangement known as “cooperative cooking,” the friends each prepare a single, large meal that will feed all three families, and package it up. One share goes into their own refrigerators, and on Sundays, the women meet at Betz-Essinger’s house to give each other the other two shares. So in exchange for cooking one meal, each family gets three meals—which, with leftovers, is often enough to provide dinner for every weeknight.

“When you get your sack, it’s got everything in it, with directions about what to do, and how long it will take to cook or reheat,” says Betz-Essinger.

On busy weeknights, when Betz-Essinger gets home from work, she and her children open the refrigerator to find a “Caroline” or “Leigh Fran” meal already assembled. “It’s like eating at a restaurant every night,” says Betz-Essinger, “only you take whatever the chef is making.”

From college campuses to apartment buildings, and from suburban neighborhoods to cohousing communities, many busy people have found that cooking cooperatively, especially for the after-work dinners on weeknights, can save time and money, and deepen connections with family and community—all while supporting healthy, green food choices. Though cooking co-op arrangements vary, they all take advantage of the fact that cooking one meal for a crowd, once a week, requires less money, less planning, and less time than cooking five to seven different meals for one’s own family.

In the process, cooking co-ops also ensure food variety; minimize the temptation to go out to eat or purchase expensive, highly processed convenience or fast foods; share food traditions among members; and inspire participants to try out special recipes. And co-op cooking can free up some room in your food budget to shift to greener food choices.

How It Works

Cooking co-ops across the country have established a range of systems for sharing
the cooking of family meals.

A potluck group may ask participants to contribute a component of the meal each time, and then eat together on a specific day of every week or month.

A meal group may rotate the preparation of a meal among the participants, and gather regularly at the host’s home to eat together.

The residents of the Eastern Village Cohousing community in Silver Spring, MD, do both. They begin the week with a standing Monday evening potluck, which anyone can join by bringing a dish to share. And they close out the weekend with a rotating Sunday meal group, in which each participant takes about two turns every three months to make dinner for 12 others.

As with Ruthann Betz-Essinger’s group, the members of a “pick-up” cooking co-op share cooking responsibilities but do the eating at home, with their own families.

In Bakersfield, CA, Jan Limiero organizes ten friends once a month to each prepare one recipe, for ten families, that will freeze well; each family takes home a freezer’s worth of different meals ready to reheat and serve. In Occidental, CA, six families stop by a member’s home from 6–7 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays to pick up a meal that one member has prepared for the others, according to the Sonoma County Independent. In Berkeley, CA, Laila Ibrahim is one of six adults in three neighboring households who have each rotated cooking, six nights a week, for more than seven years. The family that cooks delivers a meal to each of the others by 6 p.m.

All three types of cooking co-ops have a wide range of policies about what participants make for dinner. Betz-Essinger’s group in Alabama, self-identified “foodies,” endeavor to rotate entrees every week, and to never repeat a recipe. The Berkeley co-op is free to cook anything, but always in a way that accommodates vegetarian families. The Bobolink co-op in Rutledge, MO, eats organic, local, and vegan. And most of the student-organized dining co-ops at Oberlin College come to consensus at the start of each semester about the sourcing of the food they will cook for each other.

Benefits of Cooking Cooperatively

Co-op cooking saves time and money at every step: When planning and shopping, purchasing for a single meal in quantity is less complicated than purchasing for a week of different meals. It saves time in the evenings, when families don’t have to cook after work and can instead spend more time talking to and enjoying each other. And it saves clean-up time, since the kitchen only gets really messy on the night when the meal is cooked there.

Co-op cooking also saves money.  On the Oberlin campus, students save $4,000 a year by cooking cooperatively rather than eating in the dining halls. Ruthann Betz Essinger estimates that she saves 25 percent at the supermarket compared to cooking all of her family’s meals herself. And Amy Seiden at Bobolink, a food co-op at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, says the members manage to eat a delicious lunch and dinner for just $6 per person per day. In addition to purchasing fewer ingredients, families in cooking co-ops can save money by purchasing food on sale or in bulk for the one meal they plan to make in quantity.

By rotating the planning of meals among a large group of households, each with their own favorites recipes and food traditions, cooking co-ops also enjoy a much greater variety of food than isolated families cooking for themselves.

“We can’t get into a rut, because we don’t eat the same thing over and over again,” says Betz Essinger. “It was an amazing thing for our children. They were exposed to a huge variety of food that if I had been the only one cooking for them, they would never have tried.”

Cooking co-ops help families save money and eat more healthfully in other ways: They eat fewer meals out, including fast food. Consequently, they’ll save energy and resources, and reduce waste—no styrofoam take-out containers and foil wrappings, fewer car trips, and more room in their dinner menus for local, organic food.

Co-op cooking builds community. Becca Rosen says her responsibilities as a student member of the Oberlin cooking co-ops built connections with more than just her meals: “I built my social life around food,” she says. “I made my closest friends at Oberlin because we ended up cooking together.”

Co-ops that dine together build connections over shared meals and lively group conversation, and celebrate diverse family food traditions through the dishes they serve to each other. Even a “pick-up” co-op builds long-term connections when neighbors pick up or drop off meals, often exchanging friendly greetings and checking in on each other in the process. All forms of cooperative cooking mean less time that each person spends cooking and cleaning up, and more time spent talking, laughing, and connecting over food with family and friends.

Making It Easier to Cook Green

One of the best perks of co-op cooking is that the money you’ll save can make it easier to afford to green your food choices.

“Cooking co-ops are a perfect example of the ways that greening a whole category of our purchasing can work,” says Alisa Gravitz, Green America’s executive director. “An organic, local apple may cost more than a conventionally grown apple, and Fair Trade Certified™ vanilla may still cost a little bit more than conventional vanilla. But if you cook cooperatively, then the savings on your food budget from buying in bulk can make it possible to green your remaining food purchases. By thinking about the whole category of food holistically, you can eat greener, healthier, more varied meals—at the same cost as your old way of eating.” (See below for a sampling of Green America’s resources for eating green.)

Some cooking co-ops, like the Bobolink and Oberlin co-ops, establish green guidelines about preparing local and organic foods, or emphasizing vegetarian and vegan menus. Co-op cooking lends itself to making use of the bounty of seasonal vegetables or fruits that a farmers’ market or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box can offer. Making a large meal for a co-op crowd can help singles or small families put a box of CSA produce to good use before the next share arrives.

Tips for Forming a Cooking Co-op

What would families who have cooked cooperatively for years recommend to those considering forming their own cooking co-ops?
 

• Pick families who make it very easy to get the food to them, either through a common drop-off/pick up point, or by forming a co-op with neighbors or coworkers. Set up delivery times that fit with everyone’s schedule.
• Find people whose families are similar sizes, because it makes portioning easier.
• Find people with similar food tastes and practices.
• Establish clear guidelines for what the group expects each member to make when it’s his/her turn. A planning calendar can help to ensure a variety of foods.
• Find people who are prepared to accept and eat whatever is served, but are also willing to share honest feedback. “We might send a note with a meal we’ve made, saying, ‘This is hideous. I won’t ever make it again,’” laughs Betz-Essinger. “And sometimes I’ll get calls that say, ‘That wasn’t so bad.’ But sometimes they’ll call and say, ‘You’re right. Don’t ever make that again.’”
• Package foods in containers that can be both frozen, reheated, and then reused, such as Pyrex baking dishes. Secondhand stores such as Goodwill can be an inexpensive way to acquire additional containers. If you’d like to eat well, save time and money, and build community in the process, consider forming a cooking co-op.

“I love the co-op,” says Laila Ibrahim in Berkeley, whose family recently enjoyed a tasty pasta with onions, capers, and salmon delivered to their door, along with bread and a salad. “It makes our lives so much better. Cooking a nice meal once a week is just perfect.”

For Susan Gunn, it all started with a haircut. New to her home in Washington, DC, with a young daughter, a working husband, and no extended family nearby, Gunn found scheduling her much-needed trim to be a logistical nightmare.

“I just couldn’t find the time to get away go to the salon,” recalls Gunn. “We were young and on a budget, and hiring a babysitter was out of the question.”

At the same time, the Gunns were seeking out friends in a similar stage of life, with whom, as Susan Gunn puts it, “we could share in the ups and downs of everyday parenting.”

Some online research introduced Gunn to babysitting cooperatives—an arrangement between several families where parents exchange babysitting responsibilities for each others’ children, giving everyone the break they need with no money passing hands.

“What a great concept!” Gunn thought at the time, “I could get a haircut, my child could play with other kids, and we might make friends with other parents.”

So Gunn circulated a proposal at local playgrounds, eventually organizing a planning meeting at her home. Now, nine years later, the Meridian Hill Coop is still thriving, providing members not only with free child care, but with friends and a sense of community.

Care cooperatives are becoming increasingly popular—and they don’t have to focus on child care. You can set up a similar arrangement to watch over elderly parents, adults with disabilities, or pets. Consider starting a care cooperative of your own to build community and resiliency while saving money.

Getting Started
Most successful care co-ops involve a written agreement, a point system for earning and spending care hours, and community building within the co-op to encourage communication and fun.

First, gather families together. Think about the size of the cooperative you want to form. Too few members will mean not having enough people able to help, but too many could mean losing the community feeling of a care cooperative. Many care co-ops have found the “sweet spot” at 12-20 families.

Then, take the time to talk about, and write down, your expectations.

“Setting clear expectations is key to any sharing arrangement,” says attorney Janelle Orsi, coauthor of The Sharing Solution (Nolo, 2009), which guides people through sharing everything from child care to a car or a house. “A common problem in sharing arrangements is thatpeople disappoint each other.”

Orsi’s book contains a list of 20 questions to ask in any sharing arrangement, such as: How will we make decisions? How will we divide expenses and manage money? How will we bring new people into the group?

Orsi also recommends covering other ground particularly relevant to sharing care, such as: Are there ground rules about what kids eat/drink while being babysat? How are disciplinary matters with children approached? What are the ground rules for watching TV/ movies? How will medication be handled for children or adults? Do you want to exchange care for elderly parents, or share a hired caregiver?

And don’t forget to talk to the people receiving care as well, whether its your child or an elderly parent or friend, to ensure their comfort in any arrangement.

There are also stickier questions, says Orsi, like what to do if there is a conflict between families. Orsi recommends having good conflict-resolution procedures in place, perhaps even taking the time to get trained in nonviolent communication. The Center for Nonviolent Communication has primers on resolving conflicts peacefully and a schedule for formal, local trainings at cnvc.org.

Establish a Record-Keeping System
In any care co-op, you need some way to keep track the hours people are earning and spending. Gunn’s babysitting co-op uses a point system. Each new family starts with 20 points. One hour of babysitting is worth four points. A sitter earns two extra points for each additional child and two extra points for coming to the family’s home.

In some cases, families dole out tickets, tokens, or even popsicle sticks to signify how much “capital” they have to use in the co-op, but it’s also easy to keep track of points electronically.

You can record points in an online spreadsheet like Google Documents, which allows many people to view files. Several online systems also exist to help coordinate a care co-op of all kinds, including BabysitterExchange.com and BabysittingCoop.com.

Orsi says it’s a good idea to appoint an administrator to help keep the books, and your co-op may need some other organizational roles as well. Gunn’s co-op has a secretary to track points, a chair to manage applications from new families, and a social secretary to plan monthly get togethers for members. These roles can rotate every few months, or come with the perk of earning extra points to entice people to hold onto them.

Get it in Writing
Once you’ve established your ground rules and procedures, put it all in writing for members of the co-op to sign.

“We aren’t necessariliy talking about a legally binding contract,” says Orsi, “but a written agreement that ensures everyone is on the same page.”

You can also use this agreement to create an application process for new families who want to join the co-op. Orsi’s book contains a sample agreement, and many are also available online at the Web sites mentioned above.

Start Caring
Let the caring and sharing begin! The way members request care will vary depending on how you set up the co-op, but the basics are the same. When you need caregiving, you send out a message stating your needs (some groups use an e-mail listserv, like Yahoo Groups or Google Groups; others use online services that manage communication), and other parents respond if they can take the job. You’ll also receive requests from other parents—and you’ll earn points when you babysit their kids. Or if the care you need help with occurs regularly, like checking in on an elderly parent or dropping off meals to a home-bound friend, members of the co-op can use an online calendar to schedule care.

Build Community
Establishing good lines of communication is essential for a successful co-op. That’s why it’s a good idea to schedule regular get-togethers, like a monthly potluck meal, where co-op members can talk about any issues that may have come up. And getting together regularly doesn’t just let the co-op get its business done—it helps build a community of support and friendship. While Susan Gunn has valued the time and money saved through participation in the Meridian Hill Co-op for almost a decade, it’s the close community that she values most.

“Our children have great friendship with kids in the neighborhood and feel close to lots of adults,” says Gunn.

“There’s a closeness that comes when you share in caring for each other’s children that feels really wonderful.”

You don’t have to belong to a worker-owned co-op to get the benefits. Cooperative models can also help you lower costs and build community at home. Here are our seven favorite ways to save money with cooperatives at home:

Share goods

Items you don’t use every day make great things to buy together and share with your neighbors, to save money and reduce clutter. Consider sharing things like: tools, vacuum cleaners, small cooking appliances like juicers or yogurt makers, yard tools like lawnmowers or snow and leaf blowers, video cameras, camping gear, large sports equipment like kayaks, extra tables and chairs, and more. Each neighbor could contribute an item, or you can pay for them together. Keep them in a shared shed or location to which everyone has access. For practical and legal advice on starting up informal sharing groups, read Janelle Orsi and Emily Doskow’s book The Sharing Solution (Nolo, 2009).

Share child, pet, or elder care

Many groups across the country have banded together to swap care hours. Most track hours on a shared spreadsheet, like those available at babysitterexchange.com and babysittingcoop.com—so if you spend two hours caring for someone’s toddler, for example, you can get two hours of babysitting for your ten year-old in return from someone else in the co-op. Find out more in our article,“Caring for Children and Elders, Cooperatively.”

Share a car

Live in a city where you don’t need a car every day? Car-sharing programs across the country provide access to a fleet of cars when you need them, for much less money than you’d have to spend buying and maintaining your own car. Find a car-sharing network near you via carsharing.net, or see if you live in one of the 50+ cities or 250 college campuses across the US that has a Zipcar.com car-sharing program. Prefer to keep your car but share rides on occasion? Our article “Carpool for the Climate and Community” has valuable tips for you. Or, get advice to start a bike share here.

Share food

Meal cooperatives help busy people eat healthy, home-cooked food more often with less time required in the kitchen. Participants either agree to bring an item for a regular potluck, or take turns cooking meals for each other—usually on a weekly basis, with coworkers in the office or with neighbors at home. Meals can either be shared together, for an added sense of community, or dropped off, for a low maintenance sharing of labor. For more details, see our article, “Cook One Meal, Eat for a Week.”

Share solar power

Solar buying co-ops are popping up across the US as people join together to share in the pre-purchase research and to negotiate lower group rates for solar panels. Several report shaving from 50 to 80 percent off the cost of their solar home systems. Consult our article, “Solar Buying Co-ops,” to learn more.

Share tools and home repair

Need to do some repairs or energy-efficiency retrofits on your home? Chances are your neighbors do, too, but are balking for the same reason you are: the costs. So pool your home repair knowledge while saving lots of money as you fix up each other’s houses. Find out more in our article, “Neighborhood Home Repair Teams.”

Save money at your local co-op

The stories of cooperatives here focus on models that are transforming local economies in significant ways. But co-ops can transform the contents of your pocketbook, too, by helping you save money on green necessities.

Many food co-ops offer a program where members can volunteer a couple hours a week in exchange for a discount on organic food and body care items. At People’s Food Co-op in Portland, Oregon, for example, member-owners can opt to work in the store in exchange for an up-to 15 percent discount on their purchases. Since the co-op’s mission is to provide good food to its members at the lowest cost, its prices are already lower than what consumers would see in the organic section of a chain grocery store.

If you don’t have a food co-op nearby, save money by gathering five friends and form a buying club with Frontier Natural Products Co-op. Frontier provides everything from organic foods and body care items to Fair Trade herbs and essential oils. The worker-owners of this national co-op have committed to prioritizing “purity and quality, environmental responsibility, and respect for the people involved in growing the products,” says CEO Tony Bedard.

Buying clubs enjoy wholesale prices (35 to 50 percent off) when shopping by paper catalog or online, and they save shipping costs and reduce related climate emissions, too.

First time here? Check out the most recent and updated version of this article: Bottled Water VS. Tap.

It seems like the demand for bottled water in the US will never run dry. In 2015, the equivalent of 88.4 billion bottles of water were sold in the US (equivalent because of different-sized bottles). When we first published with story, we reported 2005's record-high use of 29.8 billion bottles in a year vs. 3.8 billion in 1997. Container Recycling Institute (CRI). That enormous rise in bottled water consumption wasn’t just more expensive for consumers—the Container Recycling Institute says those consumers pay 240 to 10,000 times more for bottled water than tap. That water also comes with hefty social and environmental costs.

Here’s why bottled water isn’t worth the price many pay for it

No safer: A four-year study conducted by the nonprofit National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 1999 found that “bottled water regulations are inadequate to assure consumers of either purity or safety.” Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees tap water standards. FDA testing for bottled water is more lax than EPA testing for public water—tests are conducted less often, and for fewer contaminants. For example, the FDA does not mandate testing of bottled water for cryptosporidium, a parasite that poses a serious health threat to those with weakened immune systems and the elderly. Tap water is regularly tested for cryptosporidium. The NRDC study authors also tested 1,000 bottled water samples from 103 brands, and found that one-third contained contaminants that exceeded FDA-mandated levels.

Not always from a pristine source: The NRDC found that one-fourth of bottled water is actually just tap water, with or without extra filtration (labeled “from a municipal source.”) FDA rules allow bottlers to label their water “spring water,” even though it may be treated with chemicals or mechanically pumped to the surface. And there’s no guarantee that the spring itself is a pure one: One brand of spring water traced to its source by the NRDC came from a spring that bubbled up into an industrial parking lot, adjacent to a hazardous waste site.

Worse for the environment: The production and transport of bottled water unnecessarily uses large amounts of fossil fuels. (Fiji-brand water, for example, is transported to the US from Fiji, over 6,000 miles away.) And the plastic water bottles Americans use and toss in one year use up more than 47 million gallons of oil, the equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the road and removing 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, says the CRI. Sadly, about 84 percent of those bottles aren’t even recycled.

Bad for human rights: Today, more than one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. Bottled water corporations are exacerbating the world water crisis by privatizing aquifers around the world and pumping them dry. For example, Nestlé has been criticized by activists for heavy water extraction in areas of Pakistan that suffer from severe public water shortages. For more on how specific bottled water companies affect communities—and how to join consumer campaigns fighting this practice—visit ourResponsibleShopper.org database.

First time here? Check out the most recent and updated version of this article: Bottled Water VS. Tap.

Beverage companies have made a fortune on marketing bottled water on the premise that it’s “pure,” from “pristine, natural sources,” and thereby safer than tap water. Bottled water marketing campaigns have been so successful in making people suspicious of their tap water, that sales skyrocketed 700% between 1997 and 2005. And from 1999 to 2017, per capita bottled water consumption ballooned from 16.2 gallons to 42.1 gallons.

Skyrocketing as well—the environmental degradation, landfill waste, and human rights abuses associated with bottled water. Plus, studies have shown that it’s no safer than tap water. The EPA notes that bottled water, like any water, can be expected to have some contaminants, although that does not make it unsafe.

There’s a much better option for ensuring that the water you and your family drink is as safe as it can be: water filters. Putting a safe water filter in your home is less expensive and far less environmentally damaging than bottled water. And if you choose the right filter, you can minimize or eliminate the contaminants of the highest concern in your area. Here’s what you need to know:

How Safe Is Public Water?

Under the Safe Water Drinking Act, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for setting national drinking water standards. The EPA regulates over 80 contaminants—including arsenic, e-coli, cryptosporidia, chlorine, and lead—that may be found in drinking water from public water systems. While the EPA says that 90% of US public water systems meet its standards, you may want to use a water filter to further ensure your water’s safety.

A 2015 study by the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that due to a combination of pollution and deteriorating equipment and pipes, the public water supplies for 18 million Americans have lead violations or other EPA-restricted contaminants (either legal limits or unenforceable suggested limits) and may pose health risks to some residents. So even though it may test fine at its source, public water may still pick up contaminants on the way to your house.

Contaminants that snuck into city water supplies studied by the NRDC include rocket fuel, arsenic, lead, fecal waste, and chemical by-products created during water treatment.

“Exposure to the contaminants [sometimes found in public and private drinking water] can cause a number of health problems, ranging from nausea and stomach pain to developmental problems and cancer,” notes Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) in its booklet, Drinking Water: What Health Care Providers Should Know.

PSR estimates that up to 900,000 people get sick and 900 die in the US per year from contaminated public and private drinking water. Despite the problems with public water, it’s still just as safe as bottled water, despite the billions of dollars beverage companies spend to make you think bottled is better.

Step One: Assess Your Tap Water

There isn’t a one-type-fits-all kind of safe water filter: not every filter type will eliminate every contaminant. You’ll save money and ensure that you’re targeting the contaminants of concern in your area by doing a little research upfront.

“Most people purchase the wrong equipment because they skip this very important step, and then they’ve wasted money and resources on a system that isn’t making their water any safer,” says James P. McMahon, owner of Sweetwater, LLC, which provides consulting and products for people wanting to purify their air or water.

To start, check your water utility’s “Consumer Confidence Report,” which it must mail to you each year before July 1 by law. The report details where your drinking water comes from, what contaminants have been found in it, and how contaminant levels compare to national standards. You can also call your utility and ask for a copy, or see if it’s online.

While your report can tell you what’s going on with the water in your area, only a test of the water coming out of your tap will tell you what you and your family are drinking for sure.

If your water comes from a private well, it’s not regulated at all by the EPA, so you should have your water tested annually in late spring (when pesticide runoff will be at its worst), and anytime you notice a change in the color or taste of your water.

Step Two: Find the Best Water Filter

Water filters come in a dizzying variety, from plastic pitcher filters and built-in refrigerator filters, to faucet and under-the-sink filters, to whole-house models that combine a variety of media types and treat all of the water in your house. What type you want depends on your needs.

If, after examining your Consumer Confidence Report (or, preferably, your current and several past reports), you find that your water regularly tests better than EPA levels, you may just want a filter that can remove the chemicals your local utility uses to treat the water.

These chemicals may or may not show up on your report. Call and ask your utility if it uses chlorine, which can cause neorological and respiratory harm, or chloramine, which can be harmful to circulatory and respiratory systems. Chlorine combines with organic elements during the water treatment process to produce carcinogenic byproducts.

The best type of filter to remove chlorine and its byproducts is a combination carbon/KDF adsorption filter (which is a different chemical process than absorption), which range from shower and faucet filters to sink and whole-house filters, like those from Sweetwater. A regular carbon filter won’t remove chloramine, so look for a catalytic carbon filter instead.

If you only have one or two contaminants, a smaller unit, such as a countertop or under-the-sink filter, may meet your needs. To find a filter certified to remove the contaminants you’re most concerned about, visit the NSF’s online database.

Finally, if you find your water has serious safety issues, consider a multi-stage filter that can tackle a variety of contaminants. Many combine a variety of filter types. Sweetwater sells multi-stage whole-house or sink filters, for example, that combine KDF and carbon adsorption with ultraviolet light, among other steps—and it also sells customized filters.

Step Three: Look at the Labels on Water Filters

Some experts recommend looking for a water filter certified by NSF International, a nonprofit organization that conducts safety testing for the food and water industries. NSF tests and certifies water filters to ensure that they both meet NSF safety standards and are effective at removing contaminants as claimed by the manufacturer. Underwriters Laboratories and the Water Quality Association also offer similar certification, based on NSF standards.

NSF has different certifications, so when you read the label, first make sure it says the filter will remove the contaminants you’re most concerned about. A filter certified by NSF to remove chlorine isn’t going to be helpful if you need it to remove nitrates. Then, look for the NSF seal, Underwriters Laboratories’ “UL Water Quality” mark, or the Water Quality Association Gold Seal for added assurance that your filter will actually do what the box claims.

Safe Water for the Future

Filters aren’t perfect—they can be expensive and energy intensive, and the filter cartridges are nearly impossible to recycle. But when you compare throwing away a couple cartridges to the billions of water bottles we toss each year, filters are a preferable option. When it comes to ensuring better water for the future, here are the most important steps:

First, we need to stop drinking bottled water. It’s not any safer than tap, and it wastes a mind-boggling number of resources.

Then, we need to ask companies to take back and recycle their cartridges. Besides using up resources, filter cartridges trap and hold contaminants. If the cartridges are not disposed of in a sealed landfill, those contaminants could end up right back in the environment.

Brita—which sells a popular carbon adsorption pitcher filter, faucet-mounted filters, and cartridges for refrigerator filters does accept recycling shipments of Brita products. If you buy from another manufacturer, research whether their products can be recycled or email them and say you would like them to implement a recycling program.

Finally, US water treatment and distribution systems date back several decades, and they need repairs and upgrades to make water safer for for human and environmental health. While the EPA won’t attach a dollar amount, Dale Kemery, a former EPA spokesman, says more money is needed to make these upgrades. Food and Water Watch is demanding that Congress increase funding to secure our public water system.

That said, public utilities will be using treatment chemicals well into the future, and our systems may never be perfect. Take responsibility for your family’s health by carefully considering whether you need to take additional steps to make your water the healthiest it can be.

FEATURE ARTICLE - JULY/AUGUST 2007 (Updated 2023)

To find more screened green companies offering water filters, search "water purification" in the National Green Pages™.

One of the simplest pleasures in life is coming home from a stressful day of work and lighting an aromatherapy candle with a special scent intended to make you feel calm and relaxed. Unfortunately, that seemingly harmless candle could be filling the air in your home with harmful pollution and supporting the fossil fuels industry.   

Alternatives to toxic aromatherapy candles abound. For example, beeswax candles and soy candles are safer, greener options. With very little effort, you can fill your home with soothing scents without filling it with toxic gases. 

Is Something Wrong with My Candles?

The biggest issues with candles are petroleum-based wax and air pollution. 

Burning Oil, Now Inside Your Home

Avoid aromatherapy candles made of paraffin or gel, both petroleum byproducts. In all things, avoiding the fossil fuel industry when you can makes sense for living a green life. Just like if you don’t have to drive a car to get to your destination, don’t; if you don’t have to burn a petroleum-based candle, don’t.  

Vegetable-based waxes are becoming more and more common and are a great substitute for paraffin or gel wax. Because being greener is a selling point for many customers, it will usually be labeled—soy, vegetable, coconut are common labels you’ll see. Beeswax candles are also natural and renewable, and often smell great even without added scents. If the label says blend without noting what has been blended, or is unlabeled as to what type of wax, skip it, as it’s likely paraffin. Plant-based waxes burn at a lower temperature, meaning they will last longer and come from renewable sources.   

Polluting Indoor Air

One often-cited 2014 study concluded that “under normal conditions of use, scented candles do not pose known health risks to the consumer,” and even that carcinogenic chemicals that were released by burning the candles, including benzene and formaldehyde, were still less than half the recommended limits set by the World Health Organization. That study was peer-reviewed, but it was carried out by scientists who had affiliations with candle manufacturers, including SCI Johnson & Son, and Procter & Gamble.  

A 2015 study by university-affiliated researchers in South Korea found that scented candles release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) both before being lit and while lit, concluding that scented candles “should act as potent sources of VOC emission in indoor environments.” 

Exposure to VOCs can cause headaches or irritation to eyes, nose or throat, nausea, and even damage to the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system. Some VOCs are suspected or proven carcinogens. That means if you do choose to light candles in your home, be sure to vent the space after with a fan and/or open window, as you would for other VOC-emitting items, like a freshly painted room or gas stove.  

Besides endangering your health, soot from candles can cause damage to your walls, appliances, ductwork and even your personal “ductwork.” Soot can look like a black film around the top of the jar, on your walls, or even inside your nose if you have the candle lit too long and fall asleep, for example.  

Experts recommend trimming the wick of your candle to 1/8 or ¼ inch before every use, not using petroleum-based candles (which create more soot than natural wax candles), and not burning the candle for longer than recommended on the label—usually 3 hours. 

Do Scents Make Sense?

Many people are sensitive to synthetic scents—if that’s you, either skip candles altogether or go with unscented or naturally good-smelling, like beeswax, candles.  

In the New York Times, odor perception and irritation researcher Dr. Pamela Dalton says that human noses are more sensitive than we might think, and candles use concentration levels of fragrance chemicals in the equivalent ratio of a teaspoon of chemicals for an Olympic-sized swimming pool.  

What About the Wick?

Once upon a time, many scented candles on the market contained lead-core wicks. Fragrance oils soften the wax, so the manufacturers used lead to make the wicks stand firm. A candle with a lead-core wick releases five times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution standards for outdoor air, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Exposure to high amounts of lead has been linked to hormone disruption, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and numerous health problems. 

Lead wicks were banned by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2003, but by 1974, the National Candle Association members had all voluntarily agreed to stop using lead wicks, including major brands like Yankee Candle.  

If you do have a candle from before 2003 in your home, you can still test for a lead wick by rubbing the tip of the wick of an un-burnt candle on a piece of paper. If it leaves a gray mark, like a pencil, the wick contains a lead core. If you have already burned a candle you suspect might have a lead wick, toss it out.  

Find safe candles from certified green businesses at our GreenPages.org.

Candle-Free Aromatherapy

If you can’t find the right nontoxic aromatherapy candle to get rid of tension headaches or rejuvenate your tired body, you may want to try using pure essential oils. Pure, organic oils can give you the same aromatherapy benefits as scented candles, and you can choose and blend your own scents. 

Essential oils are derived from plants and have been used for hundreds of years. That does not mean they are completely safe—some can be poisonous when absorbed through the skin or if aspirated. 

Many people love using essential oils in their homes for the scents they provide. They should be stored away from children and pets and used with caution around those family members and by pregnant people. 

Be sure to consult a reliable website, reference book, or qualified aromatherapist when bringing essential oils into your home. Once you’ve chosen your favorite oils blends, there are a few ways to release the scents in your home: 

• Use a diffuser. These are simple containers—most often made of glass, marble, or ceramic—which release the scent from essential oils when heated either with electricity or a small tea light candle. Usually, six to ten drops of essential oil in a diffuser is all it takes to scent a room. 
• Use a ring burner. These metal rings have a reservoir that holds a few drops of essential oil and will fit around a lightbulb, using the heat to disperse the oil’s scent. 
• Take a bath. Add five to ten drops of essential oils to a warm bath. Close the bathroom door and soak for 15 minutes. Remember, essential oils can mark plastic bathtubs, so be sure to clean the tub when you’re finished. 
• Make a spray. Blend ten drops of essential oil in seven tablespoons of water. Shake well before filling the sprayer. 

Whether you choose to go candle-free or opt for a nontoxic candle like 100% beeswax candles, you can relax knowing that these healthier alternatives will be easier on your lungs and the air in your home. 

In summary, to safely use scents at home:

• Skip oil-based paraffin and gel waxes and burn plant-based and beeswax candles only 
• Trim the wick to 1/8 or ¼ inch before every use 
• Don’t burn the candle longer than recommended 
• Diffuse essential oils at home for aromatherapy without the air pollution 
• Read up on essential oils’ safe use before bringing them home 

Along with helping you live green, for over 40 years, Green America has been working for safe food, a healthy climate, fair labor, responsible finance, and social justice.

My colleagues Martha van Gelder and Tracy Fernandez Rysavy have been sharing their experience with kicking the sugar habit on this blog for the past week or so.

We’ve all been delving deeply into sugar issues recently, working to prepare “Sickeningly Sweet,” the latest issue of our Green American magazine, all about the American sugar habit, and its effects on our bodies and our health.

For my part, I confess to being a little stunned at the amount of sugar Americans consume per capita, partially because I don’t tend to consume that much sugar myself. I don’t keep any sugar-boosted foods in my house — no soda pop, no sugary breakfast cereals, no sweet treats like boxed cookies or or ice cream, and no processed snacks with hidden sugars. I don’t even put sugar in my coffee, and if a recipe calls for a bit of sweetness, I’m likely to either leave the sugar out, or replace with a few drops of organic honey, maple syrup, or molasses.

All that being said: I do have sugar in my house. I share an apartment with two other housemates, one of whom loves to bake. Among the staple foods lining the shelves of our kitchen, we’ve got a big metal can full of sugar. And while there are many staples that rarely cross our threshold unless they’re Fair Trade certified — coffee, rice, and olive oil come to mind — I’d never made a Fair Trade commitment for the sugar in my house until I researched the sugar supply chain for the Green American.

While much of the sugar consumed in the US was grown here, much of THAT sugar is controlled by Monsanto, and its patented genetically modified herbicide-resistant sugar beet. I don’t really want that kind of sugar in my home. Plus, sugar production worldwide can be tainted with various environmental and social ills, from the destruction of the Everglades in Florida, to labor-rights abuses in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Looks like I’m going to need to add another Fair Trade choice to my household’s shopping list.

And while Fair Trade sugar can cost a little bit more than a conventional bag of cheap sugar from the supermarket, you know that the extra premium embedded in the price of that sugar is going to provide a decent living for farmers, environmental protections for their communities, and a better life for the children of farming families. Plus, if you’re trying to cut down on sugar for your health, paying true-cost for a bag of sugar can be a blessing. You could spend no more per month on sugar than before, but resolve to purchase only fairly traded, organic, GMO-free sugar. Your budget will go untouched, you’ll bring somewhat less sugar into your house to start with, and your spending will benefit people and the planet.

Here are some sources for Fair Trade, organic, & GMO-free sugar: Alter-Eco, Dean’s Beans, Frontier Natural Products, Grain Place Foods.

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Dean Cycon (center right) of Dean’s Beans poses in the sugarcane fields in Peru with Esperanza Castilo (manager of the Pangoa cooperative), and with sugar farmers Miguel and Raul (far left and far right)

A small bit of light came out of Bangladesh today in the wake of the Rana Plaza building collapse that has to date killed at least 244 people—most of them garment factory workers making clothes for US retailers. The CBC reports that 40 people have been found alive, and local rescue workers hope that number will rise as their efforts continue.

Perhaps the worst part of this story is the fact that police had ordered the Rana Plaza building to be shuttered a day before the collapse, due to deep, dangerous-looking cracks in the building’s structure. But the garment factory owners on the fourth floor of the building ignored the police instructions and ordered their more than 2,000 workers back inside to sew.

According to the CBC, the fourth-floor garment factories made clothes for American retailers including Walmart, The Children’s Place, Dress Barn, and Benetton.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of workers lost in this tragic event,” Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, told our allies at the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF). “It must be said, these tragedies can be prevented by multinational corporations like Walmart and Gap that operate in Bangladesh. Because of these companies’ negligence and willful ignorance, garment workers are in danger every day because of the unsafe working conditions. … The largest retailers in the world hold tremendous power to transform conditions for garment workers—mostly young women—in Bangladesh. Today’s news is yet another reminder that multinational companies must immediately sign onto and implement the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement, a legally-binding program with worker representation and fair pricing for mandatory building repairs and renovations. This safety agreement is the first step toward ensuring no more lives are lost.”

Green America has joined with the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity and the ILRF to call on US clothing companies to sign the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement. Support our action asking Gap clothing to sign the agreement—which it had publicly promised to do but then reneged on that promise. 29 workers were killed at a Gap supplier garment factory in Bangladesh in 2010. Where Gap goes, other companies may follow to avoid public pressure.

Meanwhile, we’re urging Green Americans to direct their clothing budgets to responsible companies that are committed to protecting workers all across the supply chain. In our July/August 2012 issue of the Green American, we ranked some of the top choices as follows:

GOOD CHOICES: If you need something new in a pinch, perhaps for a gift, national retailers Hanna Andersson, Nau, Patagonia, and Eileen Fisher have made strong commitments to fair labor and environmental sustainability. Eileen Fisher, for example, makes more than a quarter of its products from eco-friendly fibers like organic cotton that’s certified less-toxic by Oeko-Tex and certified both less-toxic and made through fair labor by GOTS. (Click here to learn more about eco-fabrics and certifications.) Its Peruvian cotton products come via a supply chain that adheres to Fair Trade Federation standards. And it has a program to take back gently used Eileen Fisher clothing for resale.

BETTER CHOICES: Certified Green America Green Business Network (GBN) members go the extra mile to protect workers and the planet. ShariBe makes soft, lovely women’s clothing (in regular and plus sizes) from eco fabrics like organic cotton in sweatshop-free facilities in the USA. And Stay Vocal takes in used and remaindered T-shirts, prints sustainable-minded messages on them, and resells them (including a men’s large navy T-shirt in which 100 percent of the profits will support those most affected by the recent bombing in Boston). Go deeper, and you’ll find all of the clothing companies listed at GreenPages.org to be deep green throughout their operations. A purchase from a GBN member business supports the US economy at its best and greenest.

BEST CHOICES: Buying used saves precious resources, keeps old items out of landfills, and saves you money, making it the best option of all when it comes to restocking your wardrobe. In addition to resale clothing boutiques, secondhand stores like Goodwill, and garage sales, there are several options to help you buy used. One of my personal favorites is ThredUp.com. You can send them a bag of used children’s clothing (still in good shape), and the ThredUp staff will assess the clothing’s value and send you a percentage of the sale. You can find high-quality used items to buy on the site at garage-sale prices, as well. Adults in the market for new-to-them clothes can consult sites like Refashioner.com, DignSwap.com, Swapstyle.com, and more.

To find out everything you ever wanted to know about the problems with conventional clothes and how to find the best options, including more resources for buying used, check out the “Green Fashion” issue of the Green American. In fact, as a happy spring present, here’s a FREE link to the entire digital “Green Fashion” issue.

We also have our popular Guide to Ending Sweatshops for more on what you can do prevent labor abuses and support workers around the world.

To get the Green American regularly—in either digital or paper format, or both—join Green America here.

Last Friday, the US State Department released its 2014 Global Trafficking in Persons Report—an annual report that documents human trafficking around the world and each country’s efforts to combat the issue. In this report, State downgraded Thailand to Tier 3, demonstrating that the Thai government is not compliant with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, particularly with regard to its treatment of migrant workers. This is especially evident in the fishing sector.

In fact, there are an estimated 3-4 million migrant workers in Thailand. The majority of them, 80 percent, came from Myanmar and work in the most dangerous, dirty jobs, including seafood harvesting and processing, manufacturing, and domestic work.

This decision came after Green America and our allies sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, urging him to make this decision so that economic sanctions could be imposed to influence the Thai government’s efforts in preventing human trafficking.

You can read the original letter we sent to Secretary Kerry as well as the thank you letter we sent with our allies on Friday applauding this decision.

While it’s not good news that Thailand has fallen to Tier 3 status, we hope that this decision will lead to urgent action in Thailand to improve the situation for migrant workers.

In the last year, reports from, CNN,BBC,Reuters, The Associated PressandThe Guardian have drawn unprecedented attention to the issue and consumer pressure campaigns have also launched to push companies to be accountable as well.

We believe the Tier 3 ranking, as well as the research and recommendations contained in the report, will be an important informational tool for international and Thai institutions, companies and investors that continue to press Thai authorities to move beyond their current approach. Its our hope that by next year Thailand can be revoked of its Tier 3 status.

When you shop for new clothes, a number of factors can affect the social and environmental impacts of your purchases. For example, about 14.2 million workers worldwide are trapped in forced and exploitative working conditions, including those in clothing manufacture, according to a June 2012 report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Also, toxic pesticides can harm farm workers and the Earth; clothing dyes may contain heavy metals (look for low-impact dyes); and many companies apply toxic finishes to promote fire-, wrinkle-, and stain resistance. Clothing made from petroleum-based polyester has a high carbon footprint, and clothing made from rayon requires a toxic chemcial soup to turn wood pulp into fabric.

To find the greenest clothing when you shop, look for these fabrics and labels:

Look for These Eco-Friendly Fabrics

Bamboo: This hardy plant grows quickly, generally with few chemical inputs. However, toxic chemicals may be used to turn the plant into fabric. The Federal Trade Commission mandates that companies using this process label their products “bamboo-based rayon” rather than just “bamboo.”

Organic cotton: More than 25 percent of the world’s pesticides are used in conventional cotton production. Organic cotton is grown without toxic, synthetic chemical inputs.

Industrial hemp: Hemp is rapidly renewable and requires little or no pesticides.

Recycled polyester: This fiber is made from cast-off polyester fabric and soda bottles, resulting in a carbon footprint that is 75-percent lower than virgin polyester. Recycled polyester contains toxic antimony, but some companies are working on removing it from their fabrics.

Soy cashmere/silk: This fabric is made from soy protein fiber left over after processing soybeans into food. The soy may be genetically engineered unless noted on the label.

TENCEL: Like rayon, Tencel is made from wood pulp. The difference is that it uses Forest Stewardship Council certified wood pulp and less-toxic chemicals in a closed-loop process.

Wool: Wool is renewable, fire-resistant, and doesn’t need chemical inputs. Look for chlorine-free wool from humanely-treated animals.

Look for These Labels

BLUESIGN
Ensures that a piece of clothing is not exposed to harmful chemicals throughout the supply chain, from raw materials to finished product.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Ensures that thec clothing's raw materialswere grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Does not prevent toxic finishes.

GOTS ORGANIC
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) requires clothing be 95 percent organic, with no toxic dyes or finishes. Supply chains must comply with GOTS' waste and labor standards as well.

OEKO -TEX
This independent certification system limits the use of toxins in everything from raw materials to finished clothes.

SA8000
A designation from the non-governmental organization SAI, which is applied to factories and farms to show they meet standards for social responsibility and labor rights.

UNION-MADE PRIVATE LABELS
These labels indicate that your clothes were made by workers who were allowed to organize and advocate for better wages and working conditions.

FAIR TRADE
(Fair Trade Certified, FLO International, Fair Trade Federation, IMO Fair for Life)
These independent certification and membership systems ensure that workers who grow raw materials or who make clothing earn a living wage, labor under healthy conditions, and earn a premium for community development

During WWII, the British Ministry of Information released a pamphlet titled “Make Do and Mend.” It provided tips on how to be both frugal and stylish in times of harsh rationing. Readers were advised to create pretty “decorative patches” to cover holes in warn garments, unpick old sweaters to reknit into new styles, turn men’s clothes into women’s, as well as darn, alter, and protect against the “moth menace.”

Times have changed. We’ve lost those skills—seven out of ten young adults don’t know how to sew on a button. Often, clothes end up in the discard pile because they need a simple mend.

If you are one of the seven, Martha Stewart has an extended list of how-to tutorials on marthastewart.com under “Homekeeping Solutions.” The site has tips on sewing on a button, patching a hole, fixing a hem, even darning a sock.

iFixIt.com has repair manuals for almost every item in your closet.

Alternatively, your neighborhood dry cleaner is also usually a tailor who can do repairs at affordable prices.

Here are some online salvage and repair services that can help preserve the life of your favorite pieces of clothing:

• Cashmere: Stella Neptune—Sells iron-on cashmere patches in unique shapes and styles for self-mending.
• Denim: Denim Therapy— Ship them your favorite jeans, and they will repair and reconstruct.
• Knits and Sweaters: Alterknit New York—Mail them your treasured knits or sweater to have moth holes, burn holes, and tears repaired by reknitting. Other types of damage like snags, runs, and breaks in seams are also repaired.
• Leather Coats and Jackets: Leather CARE Specialists—will repair, re-dye, and restore all jackets.
• Shoes: NuShoe—are masters at handcrafted shoe or boot renewal; they also rebuild shoes.

Think your garment is beyond repair but you are loath to part with it? What about a refit? These designers and brands that will help you reshape existing pieces into new treasures:

• Deborah Lindquist (also in Special Occasions) will take your cashmere sweater and design a unique, reincarnated, bespoke sweater for you, your child or a beloved pet.
• Shannon South (also in Handbags) runs Remade USA, a custom service that repurposes individual vintage leather jackets into handbags.
• Project Repat will help you wrap yourself in your T-shirt memories. Send them your collection of T-shirts, and they’ll send back a quilt or blanket.

image: Magnifeco book cover

Kate Black has lived and worked in the major fashion centers of the world and written over 1,000 articles about designers and ethical fashion from her global perspective. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Magnifeco.com, the digital source for eco-fashion and sustainable living. Kate is also the founder of EcoSessions, a global platform bringing together designers, industry, and consumers to discuss sustainable change.

Adapted with permission from Magnifeco,Your Head-to-Toe Guide to Ethical
Fashion and Non-toxic Beauty, by Kate Black (New Society Publishers, Gabriola
Island 2015).

This spring, Green America’s End Smartphone Sweatshops campaign, in partnership with China Labor Watch (CLW), called on Apple to remove toxic chemicals including benzene and n-hexane from its supplier factories in China. Only five months into the campaign, Apple announced in August that it would “explicitly prohibit the use of benzene and n-hexane” at 22 of its final-assembly supplier factories.

“If you’ve ever wondered if signing a petition can really make a difference, now you know. With 23,000 signatures since March of 2014, we’ve been able to push one of the biggest companies in the world to change its practices,” says Elizabeth O’Connell, Green America’s campaigns director.

A known carcinogen, benzene can cause leukemia, a blood cancer, and leukopenia, a dangerously low white blood cell count.The chemical n-hexane is a neurotoxicant that can cause nerve damage and paralysis after long-term exposure. As reported in the April/May Green American, workers in electronics supplier factories—including those making Apple products—use both chemicals to clean touch screens. Undercover CLW representatives have found such workers using little to no protective equipment, with inadequate safety training.

In a statement released August 13th, Lisa Jackson, former EPA Secretary and current Apple vice-president of environmental affairs, stated that Apple had investigated 22 final-assembly supplier factories that make iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Mac computers, “and found no evidence of workers’ health being put at risk from exposure to [benzene and n-hexane].”

O’Connell, however, says the campaign’s work is not over. “Benzene and n-hexane are still allowed in factories that produce the components for iPhones and iPads,” she sas. “Beyond benzene and n-hexane, there are thousands of chemicals used in electronics manufacturing—some which are largely untested—and many chemicals used by Apple suppliers remain undisclosed. Apple needs to do more to protect workers.”

With production set to ramp up this fall with the release of the iPhone 6, Green America and CLW are now calling on Apple to extend the chemical ban to substances other than benzene and n-hexane, and to all of its supplier factories, including early-production facilities where chemical usage and safety measures are less controlled.

In July, the campaign also began targeting Samsung, after news broke that five children below the age of 16 and many minors between 16 and 18 were found working in Shinyang Electronics Co., Ltd., one of its Chinese suppliers. Workers are also exposed in Samsung’s factories to toxins like benzene and n-hexane.

Sign our new petition to Apple, as well as our petition to Samsung and demand they take action to protect all workers across their supply chains.

Green America and China Labor Watch (CLW) today released the findings of an undercover investigation we conducted in August 2014 at one of Apple’s 2nd tier supplier factories: Catcher Technology in Suqian.

Recently, Dan Watch and Electronics Watch released Winds of Change, a report which details the harsh working conditions of the electronics manufacturing sector, particularly the problems caused by occupational exposure to dangerous chemicals.

The report compiles all known cases of occupational illness among people who have worked at Samsung since 2006/2007. The total number of illnesses is likely much greater due to the fact that unlike work-related accidents, the symptoms of the illness will present over a long time span, making it difficult to pinpoint the specific time and place where the cause of health deterioration was encountered.

Victims of occupational illness in South Korea

• 289 South Korean workers in the semiconductor industry who were diagnosed with various forms of leukemia, multiple sclerosis and aplastic anemia.
• 233 of the cancer patients were employed at South Korean Samsung subsidiaries, while the other 56 worked at other electronics manufacturers.
• 119 have died.
• 98 of the workers who died have been employed at Samsung subsidiaries.

(Data collected by SHARPS)

In addition to these illnesses, workers have encountered reproductive problems. One worker profiled, MiYeon Kim, had difficulty getting pregnant and later got cancer and had to have an involuntary abortion because of cancer complications. Kim worked at a Samsung semiconductor plant for 15 years and 2 months.

The report also included the unfortunate, but not uncommon, story of sick employee from Shenzhen, China who was handling toxins without adequate protective equipment. (His suit and mask only protected the product, not the person.) This 21 year old was hospitalized for ten months after being exposed to n-hexane on the job for six to seven months. Within his workshop of 16 people, who made iPhone screen replacements, 5 were poisoned and hospitalized.

Winds of Change is the latest revelation of the severe health and safety risks effecting workers in the electronics manufacturing sector. Beyond health problems, it also sheds light on the the weak or absent ability for workers to organization in this sector.

Read the full report>>

Take action to push Samsung to improve worker health and safety>>

Finding Fair Trade products has never been easier. Not only has the steady growth of the Fair Trade market brought more and more products into supermarkets and local retail stores, but the internet has brought almost every possible Fair Trade product within the reach of a mouse click.

Below is a list of Fair Trade retailers in the United States. The companies on this list are either part of our Green Business Network selling Fair Trade Certified™ products (and listed in our National Green Pages™), a member of the Fair Trade Federation, or both.

FRUIT

Oké USA/Equal Exchange,
West Bridgewater, MA
774/776-7400, www.beyondthepeel.com

Interrupcion* Fair Trade, Brooklyn, NY
718/417-4076, www.interrupcionfairtrade.com

Visit www.FairTradeUSA.com to find a local food co-op near you offering
Fair Trade fruit.

RICE

Alter Eco,
San Francisco, CA
415/701-1212,
www.altereco-usa.com

Eighth Wonder,
Ulm, MT
406/866-3340,
www.heirloomrice.com

SPORTS BALLS

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store,
San Francisco, CA
800/505-4410,
www.globalexchangestore.org

SUGAR

Alter Eco,
San Francisco, CA
415/701-1212,
www.altereco-usa.com

Cocoa Camino/La Siembra Cooperative, Inc.,
Ottowa, Ontario, Canada
613/235-6122,
www.cocoacamino.com

Dean’s Beans,
Orange, MA
800/325-3008, www.deansbeans.com

Equal Exchange,
West Bridgewater, MA
774/776- 7400, www.equalexchange.coop

Food for Thought,
Honor, MI
888/935-2748, www.foodforthought.net
(sells organic jams made with Fair Trade sugar)

Frontier Natural Products Co-op,
Norway, IA, 800/669-3275,
www.frontiercoop.com

SPICES

Frontier Natural Products Co-op,
Norway, IA, 800/669-3275,
www.frontiercoop.com

VANILLA

Frontier Natural Products Co-op,
Norway, IA, 800/669-3275,
www.frontiercoop.com

WINE & SPIRITS

FAIR.
www.fairtradespirits.com

OLIVE OIL

Alter Eco,
San Francisco, CA
415/701-1212,
www.altereco-usa.com

Canaan Fair Trade
Camas, WA
360/980-2580
www.canaanfairtrade.com

Holy Land Olive Oil,
Berkeley, CA
510/830-8804
www.holylandoliveoil.com

Interrupcion* Fair Trade, Brooklyn, NY
718/417-4076, www.interrupcionfairtrade.com

COFFEE

The following list includes roasters and local coffee-shops that offer online ordering; many of them offer Fair Trade tea • and
chocolate • as well.

Alter Eco,
San Francisco, CA
415/701-1212, www.altereco-usa.com • •
(also sells Fair Trade sugar, rice, quinoa and olive oil)

A&E Custom Coffee Roastery
Amherst, NH
603/578-3338 www.aeroastery.com

Bean North Coffee Roasting Company,
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
867/667-4145, www.beannorth.com • •

Café Campesino,
Americus, GA,
888/532-4728, www.cafecampesino.com •

Café Fair,
Madison, WI,
800/876-1986, www.cafefair.com

Café Mam/Royal Blue Organics,
Eugene, OR,
888/223-3626, www.cafemam.com

Caffe Ibis Coffee Roasting Company,
Logan, UT, 888/740-4777, www.caffeibis.com

Coffee and Tea, Ltd.,
Minneapolis, MN
612/920-6344, www.coffeeandtealtd.com •

Coffee Exchange, Inc.,
Providence, RI,
401/273-1198, www.coffeexchange.com •

Conscious Coffees,
Boulder, CO,
800/365-8616, , www.consciouscoffees.com

Conscious Cup Coffee Roastery and Café,
Crystal Lake, IL,
815/356-0115,
www.consciouscoffees.com

Cooperative Coffees,
Americus, GA
229/924-3035, www.coopcoffees.com

Dean’s Beans,
Orange, MA,
800/325-3008,
www.deansbeans.com •
(also sells Fair Trade sugar)

Earth-Friendly Coffee,
Denver, CO,
866/807-6089 , www.earthfriendlycoffee.com

Equal Exchange,
West Bridgewater, MA,
774/776-7400, www.equalexchange.coop• •
(also sells Fair Trade sugar and bananas )

Equator Estate Coffees and Teas, Inc.,
San Rafael, CA,
800/809-7687,
www.equatorcoffees.com •

Fair Trade Coffee Company, Westfield, NJ,
800/909-8575, www.fairtradecoffee.org

Frontier Natural Products Co-op,
Norway, IA,
800/669-3275,
www.frontiercoop.com
(also sells Fair Trade sugar and vanilla)

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store,
San Francisco, CA
800/505-4410,
www.globalexchangestore.org • •
(also sells Fair Trade crafts and sports balls)

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters,
Waterbury, VT,
866/639-2326,
www.greenmountaincoffee.com

Grounds for Change,
Poulsbo, WA,
800/796-6820, www.groundsforchange.com •

Heine Brothers’ Coffee, Louisville, KY,
502/802-9803, www.heinebroscoffee.com

Higher Ground Roasters,
Leeds, AL,
800/794-8575, www.highergroundroasters.com

Higher Grounds Trading Company,
Traverse City, MI
877/825-2262,
www.highergroundstrading.com •

Just Coffee,
Sonora, Mexico,
011-52-633-121-60-42, www.justcoffee.org

Larry’s Beans,
Raleigh, NC,
919/828-1234, www.larrysbeans.com

Moka Joe Certified Organic Coffee,
Bellingham, WA,
360/714-1953,
www.mokajoe.com

Montana Coffee Traders, Whitefish, MT,
800/345-5282, www.coffeetraders.com

Mother Earth Coffee Company,
Kansas City, MO,
913/722-5711,
www.motherearthcoffeeco.com

New Harvest Coffee Roasters,
Pawtucket, RI,
866/438-1999,
www.newharvestcoffee.com

Peace Coffee,
Minneapolis, MN
888/324-7872, www.peacecoffee.com

Philly Fair Trade Roasters
Philadelphia, PA
267/270-2563
www.phillyfairtrade.com

Providence Coffee,
Faribault, MN,
507/412-1733, www.providencecoffee.com • •

Pura Vida Coffee Company, Seattle, WA,
877/469-1431, www.puravidacoffee.com

Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting,
Watsonville, CA,
888/ 725-2827,
www.santacruzcoffee.com

Thanksgiving Coffee Company,
Fort Bragg, CA,
800/648-6491,
www.thanksgivingcoffee.com

Traditions Café & World Folk Art,
Olympia, WA
360/705-2819, www.traditionsfairtrade.com

CHOCOLATE

Alter Eco,
San Francisco, CA
415/701-1212,
www.altereco-usa.com

Bean North Coffee Roasting Company,
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
867/667-4145, www.beannorth.com

Camino,
Ottowa, Ontario, Canada
613/235-6122
www.lasiembra.com/camino

Dean’s Beans,
Orange, MA,
800/325-3008,
www.deansbeans.com

Divine Chocolate USA,
Washington, DC,
202/332-8913, www.divinechocolateusa.com

Equal Exchange,
West Bridgewater, MA,
774/776-7400, www.equalexchange.coop

Global Exchange
Fair Trade Store,
San Francisco, CA
800/505-4410,
www.globalexchangestore.org

Grounds for Change,
Poulsbo, WA,
800/796-6820, www.groundsforchange.com

La Chiwinha,
San Juan, Puerto Rico
787/925-0707, www.lachiwinha.com

Madecasse,
Brooklyn, NY
917/382-2020, www.madecasse.com

SERRV International,
Madison, WI
800/422-5915 , www.serrv.org/divine

Shaman Chocolates,
Soquel, CA,
877/990-3337, www.shamanchocolates.com

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates,
Petaluma, CA,
707/775-2434,
www.sjaaks.com

Taraluna,
Eureka, CA, 877/325-9129,
www.taraluna.com

Travel Chocolate,
New York, NY,
718/841-7030, www.travelchocolate.com

Theo Chocolate,
Seattle, WA,
206/632-5100, www.theochocolate.com

TEA

Aha-Yes!,
Mountain View, CA
650/641-0003,
www.aha-yes.com

Alter Eco,
San Francisco, CA,
415/701-1212, www.altereco-usa.com

Choice Organic Teas/ Granum, Inc.,
Seattle, WA,
206/525-0051,
www.choiceorganicteas.com

Coffee and Tea, Ltd., Minneapolis, MN,
612/920-6344, www.coffeeandtealtd.com

Davidson’s Organic Tea, Sparks, NV,
800/882-5888, www.davidsonstea.com

Eco Teas,
Ashland, OR,
866/972-6879,
www.ecoteas.com

Equal Exchange,
West Bridgewater, MA,
774/776-7400, www.equalexchange.coop

Equator Estate Coffees and Teas, Inc.,
San Rafael, CA,
800/809-7687,
www.equatorcoffees.com

Frontier Natural Products Co-op,
Norway, IA, 800/669-3275,
www.frontiercoop.com

Garuda International,
Salem, OR,
www.garudainternational.com

Grounds for Change,
Poulsbo, WA,
800/796-6820, www.groundsforchange.com

Higher Grounds Trading Company,
Traverse City, MI,
877/825-2262,
www.highergroundstrading.com

Honest Tea,
Bethesda, MD
800/865-4736, www.honesttea.com

La Chiwinha,
San Juan, Puerto Rico
787/925-0707,
www.lachiwinha.com

Lake Champlain Chocolates
Burlington, VT
800/465-5909,
www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/

Light of Day Organics,
Traverse City, MI,
231/228-7234,
www.lightofdayorganics.com

Numi Organic Tea,
Oakland, CA,
888/404-6864 ,
www.numitea.com

Rishi Tea,
Milwaukee, WI, 414/747-4001
www.rishi-tea.com

SerendipiTea,
Manhasset, NY, 888/TEA-LIFE
www.serendipitea.com

Taraluna,
Eureka, CA, 877/325-9129,
www.taraluna.com

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea,
Ojai, CA,
800/448-0803,
www.gypsytea.com

APPAREL
The following businesses specialize in Fair Trade apparel. Throughout the “Home Décor, Etc." section (below) you will find businesses that offer apparel selections as part of a broader product line.

Ananse Village,
Fort Bragg, CA
877/242-4467, www.anansevillage.com

Avatar,
Santa Cruz, CA,
800/443-7668
www.avatarimports.net

Casa Bonampak,
San Francisco, CA
415/642-4079, www.casabonampak.com

Cheppu Himal,
Carmel Valley, CA
831/659-0390, www.cheppu.com

Colores del Pueblo,
Houston, TX,
432/247-1407, www.coloresdelpueblo.org

eShopAfrica.com,
Accra, Ghana,
www.eShopAfrica.com

Fair Anita,
Minneapolis, MN,
612/524-9570
http://www.fairanita.com/

Fair Trade Winds,
www.fairtradewinds.net

Fibre Athletics,
https://fibreathletics.com/

Ganesh Himal,
Spokane, WA
509/448-6561,
www.ganeshhimaltrading.com

GREENOLA Style,
Chicago, IL
888/331-0553,
https://greenolastyle.com/

Global Mamas,
Minneapolis, MN,
800/338-3032, www.globalmamas.org

Just Apparel,
Boston, MA,
203/903-2879, www.justapparel.org

Kusikuy,
Brattleboro, VT,
866/587-4589,
www.kusikuy.org

Lanart International,
Huntersville, NC,
877/257-2228,
www.lanart.net

MadeFAIR,
Denver, CO
www.lanart.net

Mata Traders,
Chicago, IL
773/944-5418, www.matatraders.com

Oliberte,
Ontario, CA,
905/901-3660,
www.oliberte.com

Raven + Lily,
Austin, TX
737/209-1072
www.ravenandlily.com

Rupalee Exclusifs,
Wyncote, PA
215/576-7188,
www.rupalee.com

Sakaad,
Alexandria, VA,
866/499-4995,
www.sakaad.com

Sevya,
Charleston, SC,
303/440-4900,
www.sevya.com

Taraluna,
Eureka, CA,
877/325-9129,
www.taraluna.com

Traditions Café & world Folk Art,
Olympia, WA
360/705-2819, www.traditionsfairtrade.com

Unique Batik,
Raleigh, NC
919/856-0448, www.uniquebatik.us

Yellow Label Kids,
San Rafael, CA,
415/847-6901, www.yellowlabelkids.com

HOME DÉCOR, JEWELRY, HANDICRAFTS, AND MORE
The following businesses offer a wide range of products, including jewelry, accessories, textiles, toys, home furnishings, baskets, artwork, stationery, and more. Businesses offering apparel (•), greeting cards (•), sports balls(•), and musical instruments (•) are marked as such.

Seven Hopes United - Fair Trade Gifts

San Diego, CA
347/746-7378
www.sevenhopesunited.com

7 Loaves,
Grand Blanc, MI,
734/786-8223,
www.7loaves.com •

A Thread of Hope,
Brookline, MA
617/308-7026, www.athreadofhope.org

African Market Baskets,
Boulder, CO
800/766-6049, www.basketafrica.com

Ananse Village,
Fort Bragg, CA,
877/242-4467, www.anansevillage.com • •

Asha Imports,
Harrison, AR,
888/549-3416, www.ashaimports.com

Au Lac Designs Ltd.,
Hanoi, Vietnam
(84) 4625 81474, aulacdesigns.com

Basket Africa,
Broomfield, CO,
800/766-6049, www.basketafrica.com

Baskets of Africa,
Albuquerque, NM
800/504-4656, www.basketsofafrica.com

Baskets of Cambodia,
Lynnwood, WA
866/774-8800, www.basketsofcambodia.com

Bead for Life,
Boulder, CO,
808/339-5901, www.beadforlife.org

The Blessing Basket Project,
St. Louis, MO
888/618-1503, www.blessingbasket.org

Bridge for Africa,
San Francisco, CA,
415/244-0604, www.bridgeforafrica.org

Cadeaux du Monde,
Newport, RI
401/848-0550, www.cadeauxdumonde.com

Cards from Africa,
Kigale, Rwanda
www.cardsfromafrica.com •

Cebra,
Norfolk NR231HF, UK
www.cebraonline.com

Clean & Green Trading Co.,
Felton, CA,
888-873-4800, www.cleangreentradingco.com

Cojolya,
Doral, FL,
www.cojolya.org •

Community Friendly Movement,
New Delhi, India,
www.whycfm.org

Corazon Fair Trade,
Houston, TX,
713-526-6591, www.corazonfairtrade.com •

Crossroads Trade,
Arlington, MA,
617/975-2001, www.crossroadstrade.com •

Didi Bahini,
Chelsea, QC,
819/827-3066,
www.didibahini.ca • •

Dsenyo,
New York, NY
720/224-8649,
www.dsenyo.com

Dunitz and Company,
Hollywood, CA
800/870-4042,
www.dunitz.com

dZi: The Tibet Collection,
East Hampton, MA,
800/318-5857,
www.dzi.com

Eastern Art Arcade,
Rolling Meadows, IL
800/443-1334, www.easternartarcade.com

El Quetzal,
Seattle, WA,
206/723-1913,
www.elquetzal.com •

Eternal Threads,
Abilene, TX
888/487-4549, www.eternalthreads.com

Expo Peru Collection,
Norwood, MN,
612/414-3851, www.expoperucollection.com

Fair Anita,
Minneapolis, MN,
612/524-9570
http://www.fairanita.com/

Fair Earth,
Chicago, IL
630/532-7050, www.ourfairearth.com

Fair Trade Winds,
Bar Harbor, ME,
207/288-0056, www.fairtradewinds.net • •

Gifts With a Cause,
San Diego, CA
858/334-8308, http://www.giftswithacause.com/

Gifts With Humanity,
Edgewater, FL,
866/468-3438, www.giftswithhumanity.com • •

Global Girlfriend, LLC,
Seattle, WA
888/355-4321, www.globalgirlfriend.com

Global Goods Partners,
New York, NY,
212/461-3647, www.globalgoodspartners.org

Global Hands—A Fair Trade Shop LLC,
Lake Geneva, WI,
262/248-6920 www.globalhandsfairtrade.com

Global Sistergoods,
Portland, OR,
503/285-6780, www.globalsistergoods.com •

Good Weave,
Washington, DC
202/234-9050, www.goodweave.org

Greenheart,
Chicago, IL,
312/264-1625, www.greenheartshop.org • • •

Jamtown,
Seattle, WA,
888/526-8696, www.jamtown.com •

Karma Market,
San Diego, CA,
619/501-1206, www.thekarmamarket.com

Kindred Handcrafts,
Santa Rosa, CA
707/579-1459, www.kindredhandcrafts.com

Kizuri,
Spokane, WA
509.464.7677, www.kizurispokane.com

La Chiwinha,
San Juan, Puerto Rico
787/925-0707, www.lachiwinha.com

Lucia’s Imports,
Lexington, KY
859/537-6502, www.luciasimports.com

Lucuma Designs Folk Art Gallery,
Sarasota, FL,
800/952-1810, www.lucuma.com

MacroSun International,
St. Louis, MO,
888/962-6278, www.macrosun.com •

Malia Designs,
Chicago, IL
773/857-0779, www.maliadesigns.com

Mango Tree Imports,
Ballston Spa, NY,
518/288-3554,
www.mangotreeimports.com

Matr Boomie,
Austin, TX
512/535-5228, http://matrboomie.com/

Matur Suksema,
Kenmore, WA
206/718-3029, www.matursuksema.com

Manos de Madres,
Memphis, TN,
901/680-9889, www.manosdemadres.org •

Mariposa Indigenous Art,
Friday Harbor, WA,
360/378- 9425, www.mariposaimports.com

Maya Traditions,
San Francisco, CA,
415/587-2172, www.mayatraditions.com

MayaWorks,
Chicago, IL,
312/243-8050,
www.mayaworks.org

Mercado Global, Inc.,
New Haven, CT,
203/772-4292, www.mercadoglobal.org

Mira Ethnicity LLC,
Pittsburgh, PA
412/849-0893,
www.shopmira.com

Mountcastle International Trading Co.,
St. Pete Beach, FL,
800/343-5844
www.mountcastleinternational.com

Mr. Ellie Pooh,
Brooklyn, NY
701/746-1489, www.mrelliepooh.com

My Bolga Baskets,
Orange City, FL,
386/801-4513, www.mybolgabaskets.com

Ojoba Collective,
Lopez Island, WA,
888/510-7432, www.ojobacollective.com • •

The One Eyed Turtle LLC,
East Windsor, NJ
609/865-2070, www.theoneeyedturtle.com

One World Projects,
Batavia, NY,
585/343-4490, www.oneworldprojects.com

Otavalito,
Saugatuck, MI
269/857-7199,
www.otavalito.com

Paisley Valley,
Sterling, VA,
703/636-6368, www.paisleyvalley.com •

Partners for Just Trade,
St. Louis, MO,
314/ 707-2831,
www.partnersforjusttrade.org

Pueblito,
Toronto, ON,
888/326-5395,
www.pueblito.ca

Puresa Organics,
Boca Raton, FL,
561/ 826-7527, www.puresa.org

Rishashay,
Missoula, MT,
800/517-3311,
www.rishashay.com

River Jhelum Handmade Wool Rugs,
Concord, MA,
978/621-6073
www.riverjhelum.com

Rupalee Exclusifs,
Wyncote, PA,
215/576-7188, www.rupalee.com •

Rwanda Basket Company,
888/ 893-9914,
Bellevue, WA, www.rwandabaskets.com

Sanyork,
Denver, CO,
800/754-2583,
www.sanyorkfairtrade.com •

SERRV International,
Madison, WI,
800/422-5915,
www.serrv.org

Shanti Boutique,
Helena, MT,
415/354-0798, www.shantiboutique.com

Shiana LLC,
Bangkok, Thailand,
www.shiana.com

Siempre Sol,
Mill Valley, CA,
916/663-9512, www.siempresol.org

Simple Peace Bags,
Corona del Mar, CA
949/720-8092,
www.simple-peace.com

Singing Shaman Traders, Newman Lake, WA
208/773-5616, www.singingshamantraders.com

Sol Fair Trade,
Seattle, WA
206/307- 1738, www.solfairtrade.com

The S.P.I.R.A.L. Foundation,
Pacific Palisades, CA,
310/459-6671,
www.spiralfoundation.org

Susan Hebert Imports, Inc., Portland, OR,
503/248-1111,
www.ecobre.com

Sustainable Threads,
North Brunswick, NJ,
732/940-7487, www.sustainablethreads.com

Sustaining Cultures,
Taos, NM
575-613-3490, www.sustainingcultures.org

Swahili, Inc.,
Eugene, OR,
541/684-0688
www.swahili-imports.com •

Taraluna,
Eureka, CA, 877/325-9129,
www.taraluna.com

Ten Thousand Villages,
Akron, PA,
877/883-8341, www.tenthousandvillages.com
(see Web site for more
than 150 store locations
in North America • •)

Terra Experience,
Madison, WI
608/231-1247, www.terraexperience.com

Unique Batik,
Raleigh, NC
919/856-0448, www.uniquebatik.us

Upavim Crafts/Mayan Hands, Ijamsville, MD,
301/515-5911, www.upavimcrafts.com

Virunga Artisans,
Orinda, CA,
925/254-0358, www.VirungaArt.com

Women of the Cloud Forest,
Pittsburgh, PA,
412/475-8580, www.womenofthecloudforest.com

Women’s Work,
Poughkeepsie, NY
845/849-1858, www.womensworkbw.com

WorldFinds,
Westmont, IL
800/609-9303, www.worldfinds.com

Yoga Nine LLC/Buddha Body Fair Trade Store,
Smithville, NJ,
609/404-0999 www.yoganine.com

Zambian Soap Company, Boulder, CO,
720/323-5975, www.zambiansoap.com

Fair Trade is a system of exchange that honors producers, communities, consumers, and the environment. It is a model for the global economy rooted in people-to-people connections, justice, and sustainability. Businesses such as Equal Exchange and Ten Thousand Villages pioneered this model of connecting consumers to producers and supporting worker-owned co-ops. They are the leaders of Fair Trade, and many of them are members of Green America's Green Business Network.

When you make Fair Trade purchases you are supporting:

A Fair Price for Products

The rise in interest in Fair Trade led to the development of Fair Trade certification. Certifications like Fairtrade America and Fair Trade USA (formerly known as TransFair USA) certify parts of a company's supply chain/product line to ensure that minimum standards related to labor, sustainability, and more are met. Fair Trade prohibits forced labor, child labor, and discrimination, and protects freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. If child labor should surface, remediation guidelines are in place. Certified farmers are guaranteed a Fair Trade floor price for their cocoa beans as well as a social premium. Individual farmers In order to use the Fair Trade label, 100% of the primary ingredient must be certified. Although a helpful tool for responsible shoppers, it is important to note that certification alone is not enough to solve all fair labor issues within a supply chain.

Fair Trade Invests in People and Communities

Many Fair Trade producer cooperatives and artisan collectives reinvest their revenues into strengthening their businesses and their communities. In addition, for each Fair Trade product sold the cooperative also receives a set amount of money, called the social premium, which is invested in community development projects democratically chosen by the cooperative. Examples of projects funded through Fair Trade include the building of health care clinics and schools, starting scholarship funds, building housing and providing leadership training and women's empowerment programs.

Environmental Sustainability

Fair Trade farmers and artisans respect the natural habitat and are encouraged to engage in sustainable production methods. Farmers implement integrated crop management and avoid the use of toxic agrochemicals for pest management. Nearly 85% of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee is also organic.
Learn more about Fair Trade's environmental standards »

Fair Labor is Economic Empowerment for Small Scale Producers

Fair Trade supports small scale producers, those at the bottom of the economic ladder or from marginalized communities, that otherwise do not have access to economic mobility. Fair Trade encourages and supports the cooperative system where each producer owns a portion of the business, has equal say in decisions and enjoys equal returns from the market.

Direct Trade

Importers following the Fair Trade model try to purchase from Fair Trade cooperatives as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Ideally, the certification also secures long-term, stable relationships between producers and importers; however, as Fair Trade certifications expand to include larger companies, some supply chains contain more steps than as described in the ideal chart (above).

Recently, Direct Trade companies have started becoming an alternative to Fair Trade certification, primarily within the artisinal coffee and chocolate markets. These smaller businesses work directly with farmers and cooperatives to source their ingredients. Due to their relatively recent entry into the American market, there isn't a Direct Trade certification body.

Fair Labor Conditions

Workers are guaranteed freedom of association and safe working conditions. Fair Trade also encourages women's participation in and leadership of cooperatives. Human rights and child labor laws are strictly enforced.

Learn about Fair Trade products and the farmers that produce them »

Promote Fair Trade in your community!

In the U.S., about 80% of consumed sugar is produced domestically. However, what is imported often comes from impoverished sugarcane farmers in the global south. Fair Trade Certified™ sugar protects sugarcane farmers against the volatile world marketplace, hazardous working conditions, and environmental degredation.

Fair Trade Sugar Cooperative

ACOZC

Paraguay

photo and profile provided by TransFair USA

La Asociación de Cañicultores Organicos de la Zona Central (ACOZC ) is a 60 member co-operative formed in 2002 by sugarcane farmers of Guarambare, Paraguay. The farmers cultivate about 10,000 tons of sugar cane per year on their 8-10 hectare plots, and a local sugar processor transforms the cane into about 600 tons of raw sugar. The small-scale, family farmers favor traditional techniques, cultivating 100% organic sugar.

Since their Certification in 2004, Fair Trade has provided for:

• Productive Investment: The co-op provides free technical assistance and organic certification services to its members. Television programs tailored to quality improvements are broadcast throughout the community on Visión Rural por Telefuturo.
• Credit Program: ACOZC provides low-interest loans to members.
• Health: ACOZC created a social security medical program, which provides healthcare to members at a reduced cost.

More about sugar:

• Large amounts of herbicides and pesticides are commonly sprayed on to sugar cane crops. Burning and processing of sugar crops can also cause serious pollution of the ground, waterways, and the air.
• On Fair Trade farms, producers must adhere to strict standards regarding the use and handling of pesticides, the protection of natural waters, virgin forest, and other ecosystems of high ecological value, and the management of erosion and waste, according to TransFair USA.
• Following the success of Fair Trade Certified™ sugar in Europe, the sugar became available in the U.S. in March of 2005

As word spreads about the dangerous chemicals used in electronics manufacturing, we have been getting asked “well, what phone should I buy then?” (Would you prefer to view this graphic as a PDF? Click here to open)

For smartphones and other electronics, the best way to ensure your next phone does not contribute to worker abuse is to buy a used or refurbished phone. Before you make the choice to buy though, you may try to fix the phone you have (if broken) or simply pledge not to upgrade needlessly. Phone manufacturers and service providers like to encourage customers to upgrade their devices at least every year, but phones can in fact work for much longer.

FIX:
iFixit is also a great resource to learn how to repair your electronics and order needed parts.

BUY USED:
There are many vendors out there for used or factory refurbished phones, which help to divert phones from ending up in landfills.

RECYCLE:
If and when your phone does stop working, recycle it with an e-Stewards recycler.

e-Stewards recyclers are certified monitored by the nonprofit Basel Action Network to ensure that they recycle e-waste responsibly and do not ship it overseas where workers in scrapyards are exposed to dangerous work with without protection.

Green Americans know that when we make purchases we are voting with our dollars, and we want to know that our spending does not finance unsafe working conditions or unfair treatment. By pledging to fix your phone, not upgrading, or buying a new phone, you are helping to curb the ever-growing demand for new, exploitative phones.

Do you have any other tips for choosing electronics responsibly?

Cocoa is a $16 billion a year industry, but the average annual revenue the cocoa farmers receives is between $30 and $110 per household. The Fair Trade certification for chocolate has given over 42,000 cocoa farmers in West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas a decent price for their crop. Since 90% of the world's cocoa is grown on small family farms of 12 acres or less, Fair Trade cocoa is directly improving the standard of living for cocoa farmers in the poorest regions of the world.

Fair Trade Cocoa Cooperative

Kuapa Kokoo

Ghana

Photo and profile provided
by TransFair USA

Kuapa Kokoo is a 35,000-member cocoa producer cooperative founded in Ghana in 1993. It represents a unique empowerment effort that enables small cocoa farmers to have a voice in government and attain more information regarding their dealings with cocoa buyers. Kuapa Kokoo is made up of village societies that elect committees and representatives at a regional level, who in turn elect representatives to the National Union. This Union represents farmers’ interests to government and industry bodies, and shares information that is beneficial to its members.

Kuapa Kokoo owns 33% of the Day Chocolate Company that in turn sells Fair Trade Certified™ Divine and Dubble chocolates in the UK and US. This unique venture allows Kuapa Kokoo’s members to increase their profits from their cocoa and enhance their knowledge of the western chocolate market.

“A bite of Fair Trade chocolate means a lot to peasant farmers in the south. It opens the doors to development and gives children access to healthcare, education, and a decent standard of living.” —Mr. Ohemeng-Tinyase, Managing Director of Kuapa Kokoo

More about chocolate:

• West African countries are dependent on cocoa. The six largest cocoa producing countries are the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and Cameroon. In Ghana, cocoa accounts for 40% of total export revenues, and two million farmers are employed in cocoa production. The Ivory Coast supplies 43% of the world's cocoa, according to Global Exchange.
• In many families, the children work on farms with their family members. In the Ivory Coast, 66% of cocoa farmers have never attended school.
• Trafficked child labor and child slave labor are also problematic in this industry. According to a USAID and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) study in 2002, "an estimated 284,000 children are working in cocoa farms on hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides and insecticides without the necessary protective equipment. Many of these children work on family farms...but about 12,500 children working on cocoa farms had no relatives in the area, a warning sign for trafficking".
• Many Fair Trade producer cooperatives use their Fair Trade premiums to invest in community projects such as construction of schools and health clinics, as well providing organic agriculture training.
• Over 50,000 cocoa growers in eleven countries are members of Fair Trade cooperatives. Fair Trade cocoa is grown in Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, Cote D’Ivoire, Nicaragua, and Peru.

The Cocoa Barometer is a biennial report on the current state of sustainability in the cocoa farming industry.  In 2015, the report found that West African cocoa farmers were living well below the global poverty level of $2/day; chocolate company mergers are increasingly consolidating most of the power to just a handful of chocolate companies; and younger farmers are less interested in cocoa farming, leading to an increase in the average age of cocoa farmer. Since the publication of the 2015 report, much has changed in the cocoa industry.

In 2015, Tulane University, under contract with the US Department of Labor, published a report revealing that the number of children working in cocoa fields increased over the 15+ years companies, governments, and activists have been working on this issue. Then, beginning in 2016, farmers were hit with record low cocoa prices as well as an oversupply of cocoa in the market. However, since there is little transparency or accountability in the industry, it is unclear what the true size and scope of the problems are, and how effective current approaches to addressing farming income and child labor are.

In light of these updates, the 2018 Cocoa Barometer notes that continuing with ‘business as usual’ is nowhere near sufficient to address all of the pressing problems that face farmers and the industry.

Some key points from the 2018 Cocoa Barometer include:

• Scale of problem is larger than solutions: Although chocolate companies and producing governments have been working together to try to address sustainability in cocoa supply chains, their efforts have not matched the size of the problem. Most sustainability programs only effect a small percentage of cocoa farmers, and due to a lack of publicly available information, it’s unclear how much of an impact these programs have made. Meanwhile, certification, although a helpful tool for both companies and consumers, has not reached as many cocoa farmers in West Africa as industry and activists once hoped it would, and on its own cannot solve the underlying structural issues related to poverty that farmers face.
• Low cocoa prices and a need for living income: The price of cocoa dropped significantly in 2016, from above $3,000 to below $1,900 in a matter of months, and has not fully recovered. Due to low cocoa prices, companies are saving billions of dollars in purchasing costs; meanwhile, farmers are hit hard by low market prices. Cocoa farmers were already living below the poverty line before the crash, and the fall in income makes clear that more needs to be done to ensure that cocoa farmers can earn a living income from their work.
• Large scale deforestation: Over the past year, deforestation has been a hot-button topic in the cocoa industry. Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana have lost most of their primary forest areas to legal and illegal deforestation. At this point, more than ninety percent of West Africa’s original forests are gone.  An estimated 30-40% of cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire comes from illegal plantations in deforested areas. In 2017, the global cocoa sector announced the Cocoa and Forests Initiative, a multi-stakeholder commitment to combat deforestation in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. Although this is a promising first step, it is crucial that the non-deforestation commitments are expanded to other cocoa producing regions as well.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS

Although some progress has been made in the cocoa sector, overall, the entire industry still has much to do to achieve companies’ stated sustainability goals and support farmers. Some recommendations from the Cocoa Barometer include:

• Implementing prices that provide farmers a living income;
• Prioritizing elimination of structural poverty as a sustainability commitment;
• Expanding current deforestation commitments to a worldwide moratorium on deforestation;
• Developing and implementing transparency and accountability mechanisms in cocoa growing countries and throughout the cocoa supply chain.

It’s clear that current sustainability efforts will not fix the problems plaguing the cocoa industry. Companies and governments need to reevaluate their current programs and commitments, and approach new solutions with an increased sense of urgency and ambition. While some of the major companies have announced investments in new sustainability programs, others still lag behind in sharing what their plans are.  One of the biggest laggards in the industry is Godiva.

The cocoa industry is at a crucial turning point right now. Join us in asking Godiva to not only step up their commitments to meet their competitors’, but to become a leader on this issue – take action today!

Read the full Cocoa Barometer here.

The Cocoa Barometer is published by the VOICE Network, an international consortium of NGOs that work in the cocoa sphere. Green America, International Labor Rights Forum, and Oxfam America are American members of the VOICE Network.

Summertime would not be the same without picnics, potlucks, and cookouts. Some would say it would not be the same without the common dishes we all whip up to bring to these events, such as potato salad, coleslaw, and deviled eggs. All of these dishes have something in common: mayonnaise*. Health-conscious people avoid it and few people admit to using it, but it is everywhere. Made mostly of oil, eggs, and vinegar, not only is it used as a dressing, some people even mix it with ketchup and put it on hot dogs and burgers, or use it alone on French fries.

It is likely that either Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise, which holds 31 percent market share in the US (and 52% in Canada), or its close competitor Kraft Miracle Whip will likely be the brand in your potato salad. Other similar culprits may include Duke’s, Best Foods, Kraft Real Mayonnaise, and Heinz. We recently reported that Hellmann’s launched a mayo option made without genetically engineered (referred to as GE or GMO) ingredients. We are now asking Kraft to go above and beyond this commitment by removing GMO ingredients from Miracle Whip, as well as the GMOs in the animal feed that produce the egg ingredient.

Miracle Whip was introduced as a cheaper alternative to Hellmann’s during the Great Depression. The main difference between the two products at the time is that Miracle Whip used powdered instead of whole eggs; therefore, it was designated a salad dressing rather than mayo due to a technical definition that “real” mayo could only contain whole eggs, vinegar, and olive oil. The rivalry between the two products is staunchly still evident; you are either a Miracle Whip person, or a mayo one, and likely Hellmann’s (known as Best Foods in some parts of the country). Despite Hellmann’s best efforts, Miracle Whip soared in popularity and remains a direct competitor today.

What is the Problem with Miracle Whip?

While Miracle Whip originally used powdered instead of whole eggs, the ingredients used in the original product were far simpler than today. Now, the product is made with less-than wholesome ingredients produced in ways that put people, animals, pollinators, and the planet at risk. Half of the ingredients are likely produced from GE crops. The eggs are also sourced from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), commonly referred to as factory farms.

The actual list of ingredients in Kraft Miracle Whip are (those that are likely directly or indirectly GMOs are in bold): water, soybean oil, water, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, modified cornstarch, eggs, salt, natural flavor, mustard flour, potassium sorbate as a preservative, paprika, spice, dried garlic.

Greenwashing Alert: Before Kraft replies claiming it is making more natural products as well, we would like to alert readers to one of its product lines created to appeal to consumers seeking better food made with better ingredients: Pure Kraft Mayo. The company said an original recipe inspired it. The first ingredient listed is soybean oil, which is most likely GMO. The ingredients also include sugar, which is most likely from GMO sugar beets. Other ingredients that are likely directly or indirectly GMOs are vinegar and eggs. Sorry, Kraft, but we are not falling for this greenwashing marketing technique.

Concerns about GMOs in Miracle Whip

GMOs and growing herbicide resistance have increased the use of toxic chemicals on crops, polluting our soil and water and posing a significant negative environmental impact. Corporate control ofGMOs hurts small farmers. The biotech and chemical corporations spend millions to support anti-labeling efforts and keep consumers in the dark about their food. There are also health risks. GMOs are not yet proven safe for human health—the FDA does not require independent testing of GE foods, allowing for many of the studies on GMOs to be industry-funded and heavily biased. Among the list of ingredients in Kraft Miracle Whip, the following products are of particular concern:

• Soybean oil: 93 percent of soy in the US is GMO
• High Fructose Corn Syrup: Made from corn, of which 89 percent is GMO
• Vinegar: Also made from corn
• Eggs: Laying hens (egg-producing chickens) are fed GMO corn and soy
• Natural flavors: A nebulous term that includes many ingredients that people don’t consider to be natural

Additional Resources GMO Inside released an updated mayonnaise scorecard showing how various major brands measure up in terms of GMO ingredients, prevalence of eggs from CAFOs, and sustainability. Within the scorecard you will find better alternatives and highlight which brands to avoid. We also posted recipes for making homemade mayonnaise to give consumers the ultimate ability to control the quality of ingredients used to make the ever-present spread.

Read Part 2 of this series here.

*For our purposes, the term mayonnaise includes mayonnaise and mayonnaise-like products known as salad dressings that contain either whole or powdered eggs.

You may be asking, “Why Starbucks?” when you see GMO Inside's “What the Starbucks: From Crop to Cup” infographic covering the impact of sourcing industrial conventional milk.

Why focus on one company and the milk it is using when there are so many pressing environmental issues going on in our country and around the world, like the drought in California? It is estimated that CA’s wells only have 1 year’s supply of water and that the snowpack the state depends on is only 8 percent of what it should be. These are concerning facts considering that CA produces 50 percent of the nation’s fruits and veggies, including 90 percent of the grapes, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts. Yet Starbucks milk is more connected to the CA drought than it appears.

Considering CA’s drought, dairy production is one of the most pressing issues, yet it receives very little attention. California is the top dairy producer in the nation, with nearly 1.78 million dairy cows. The USDA calculates that dairy farms require 150 gallons of water per cow per day. Industrialized dairy cows are fed a diet of GE crops made up of corn, soy, alfalfa, and cotton. Alfalfa is California’s most water-intensive crop; none of that production goes directly to human consumption.

Overall our goal is to open up the conversation to discuss the deeper issues within the dairy supply chain: animal welfare, pollinator health, antibiotic overuse, and the environmental and health impacts of CAFOs. Starbucks milk provides us with an excellent lens and connecting point to do so. Dairy and meat are large contributors to environmental problems but there are so many deeper issues that need to be discussed. This campaign creates a meeting point to discuss them all in connection to one another since they are ultimately all interconnected. In order to create a more sustainable food system it is important that we address all of the impacts of dairy and other forms of industrialized agriculture.

We call on Starbucks specifically because it is one of the largest purchasers of milk in the US, purchasing over 140 million gallons of milk each year. This volume of milk is expected to grow as the company plans to add 1 store every 6 hours over the next five years. It is a powerful company and has the ability to create systemic change by guaranteeing contracts for farmers, a necessary incentive to move beyond the industrialized system toward more organic and sustainable practices. Starbucks is also a visible company that cares much about its public perception and being seen as an agent of good. Read more about our specific Starbucks plan for change and reasoning.

So yes, while the campaign is targeted at Starbucks, it really is about so much more. To learn more about the industrial convention milk supply chain read the full report that accompanies the infographic.