Buying Green: Products for Sustainable Living
Flashlights that power themselves, bags that dissolve, and more
Buying Green: Products for Sustainable Living
- 9 Kill A Watt - electric meter
www.p3international.com
Is your old refrigerator energy-efficient? Does your TV draw standby power and, if so, does it draw a lot? The Kill A Watt portable electric meter from P3 International can tell you. Just plug it into the wall, then plug your appliance or electronics into the meter; the gauge will display in kilowatt-hours how much power is being consumed. You can also input your electricity rates and calculate how much it is costing to run the device. The meter, and others like it on the market, can check the quality of your electricity supply, too, by monitoring line voltage and frequency, indicating possible line problems. $18–$20 in stores. - 8 gDiapers - biodegradable diapers
www.gdiapers.com
Twenty billion diapers end up in U.S. landfills every year, and some of their materials can take centuries (no exaggeration) to decompose. gDiapers have a cotton outer diaper and a biodegradable liner. The liner can be flushed down the toilet and will dissolve; the cotton outer "pant" can be washed for repeated use. Alternatively, the company says the soiled liners can be composted and will break down in less than 150 days; explaining that ripe pile to the neighbors is up to you. Starter kit, $26.99; 128 liners, $52. - 7 Biokleen - dishwashing detergent
www.biokleenhome.com
Dishwashing machines use about half the energy and a sixth of the water as scrubbing plates by hand with the water running. But most dishwasher detergents contain phosphates, which can throw water ecosystems out of whack by encouraging too much plant growth (think: lakes choked with algae). Biokleen's phosphate-free detergent uses an eco-friendly cleanser (sodium percarbonate) and grapefruit seed to cleanse pots and pans. And Consumer Reports recently rated its cleaning power as best among so-called biodegradable cleaners. See Web site for retailers. - 6 Moixa Energy - rechargeable batteries
www.usbcell.com
Rechargeable batteries might be environmentally preferable to disposables, but because of their inconvenience (recharging them takes too long and requires a specialized charger), many people stick with tossing spent AAs into landfills. Moixa's USBCells, however, can be handily recharged through the USB port of a computer or game station while those devices are on. The nickel-metal hydride AAs ($17.95 a pair) get fully juiced in about five hours and can be recharged hundreds of times, according to Moixa. The company plans to expand into cell phone batteries, too. - 5 Dr. Hauschka’s - petroleum-free lipstick
www.drhauschka.com
Lips don't have protective oil glands, so women who want to keep their lips moist and lovely often turn to lipstick, which is commonly made from petroleum or its by-products. Instead add color and conditioning with Dr. Hauschka's Lipstick Novum ($19.95), available in four shades. It has shea butter and rose wax to protect dry lips. In addition, the lipstick features nutrient-rich argan oil, which Moroccan women harvest sustainably from the thorny evergreen ironwood tree. The argan oil market helps to preserve both a fair trade economy and the forests of southwestern Morocco. - 4 Seventh Generation - recycled garbage bags
www.seventwww.seventhgeneration.comhgeneration.com
Our planet doesn't need more plastic bags in landfills, but some brands are less burdensome than others. Seventh Generation’s kitchen bags are indeed plastic but are made of 55 percent recycled material. Retailers can be found online. - 3 BioBag - biodegradable garbage bags
www.biobagusa.com
BioBag's sacks are constructed from cornstarch and other ingredients and will reportedly break down in your compost pile or the local dump. BioBag says its material even allows kitchen trash to breathe, cutting down on accumulated odors. Check the Web for retailers. Cost varies by store. - 1 Eton - human-powered radio
www.etoncorp.com
Go off the grid plug-free, wire-free and battery-free with people-powered devices, ideal for camping, emergencies and daily use. Eton's Microlink ($30) merges a portable radio with an LED flashlight and a cell phone charger, all powered by a hand crank. The gizmo comes equipped with an earphone jack for quiet listening and a USB port for those who just can't leave their wires behind. Cranking for 90 seconds provides 30 minutes of radio use.
