GreenHomesGalore.com Blog

 By Joseph Tarnowski

Whole Foods Market has launched its Eco-Scale Rating System – a set of tiered, green household cleaning standards – to help shoppers make smarter, greener choices for their homes and the planet.

“Shoppers have a right to know what’s actually in the products they use to clean their homes,” said Jim Speirs, global VP of procurement for Whole Foods. “We’ve always carefully monitored ingredients. Now, with Eco-Scale, we’re able to help shoppers buy eco-friendly products with confidence and provide safer alternatives for their households and for the planet as a whole.”

Whole Foods Market is the first national retailer to provide its own comprehensive, color-coded rating system for household cleaners (think of a “Guiding Stars” programs for household cleaners.). Under the new evaluation system, products will be rated—red, orange, yellow or green—based on the specific set of environmental and sourcing standards each product meets.

The company is committed to working with vendors to evaluate and independently audit every product in its cleaning category. Each product will be required to meet – at the very minimum – the new baseline orange standard by Earth Day, 2012. Red-rated products do not meet the Eco-Scale standards and will be reformulated or phased out of Whole Foods.

Currently, the U.S. government does not mandate full disclosure of ingredients on cleaning products. Under the Eco-Scale Rating System, Whole Foods’ household cleaning vendors will be required to list every single ingredient on product packaging. To ensure compliance of the company’s strict standards, all products will be audited through an independent third-party for verification before they are color-rated and labeled on shelves.

According to a Whole Foods survey conducted online in April among 2,483 U.S. adults aged 18+ on its behalf by Harris Interactive, almost three out of four (73 percent) adults falsely believe that the government requires household cleaning products to provide a list of ingredients on the label. Another two-thirds (64 percent) believe that many household cleaning brands opt to disclose the full list of ingredients on packaging, when, in fact, few provide this information on product labels.

The survey also confirmed that many adults understand that there are risks involved with common household cleaning products. When asked if they agree or disagree that common household cleaning products are not harmful to the environment, two-thirds (66 percent) disagreed. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the chemicals found in some cleaning products can cause health problems, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, as well as headaches. Using green cleaning products and practices may avoid these health effects.

“With Eco-Scale, we’ll be able to offer more solutions for eco-conscious shoppers, and those with sensitive skin and allergy concerns who often reach for natural cleaners first,” said Speirs. “Now parents and pet owners can also rest assured that they know exactly what ingredients they are using in the company of their loved ones.”

Several national cleaning products have already been rated – from liquid laundry detergent and fabric softener to all purpose, glass and toilet bowl cleaners. The lineup includes 14 of Whole Foods’ store brand cleaning products, as well as a total of 34 products from natural cleaning brands Better for Life, Ecover, Greenshield and Method.

Shoppers will ultimately, be able to easily identify products’ environmental impact and safety based on the red-orange-yellow-green color scale. The orange rating represents the baseline of acceptable standards that the yellow and green standards build on, with green labeled products topping the tier.

All orange-rated products must be third-party verified to meet the following criteria:

* No ingredients with significant environmental or safety concerns, such as phosphates**, chlorine***, or preservatives that have the potential to release formaldehyde.
* No artificial colors
* No animal testing

In addition to the criteria above, yellow-rated products must also meet the following requirements:

* No ingredients with moderate environmental or safety concerns, such as DEA, TEA or MEA surfactants (surface acting agents that can act as foaming agents) that have the potential to contain nitrosamines and other impurities
* No synthetic thickeners made from non-renewable petroleum-derived sources
* 100 percent natural fragrances

Green-rated products represent the highest level of Whole Foods Market’s new standards and meet all the requirements of the orange and yellow products, but also contain only 100 percent natural ingredients and contain no petroleum-derived ingredients at all.

For more information on Whole Foods Market’s Eco-Scale including prohibited ingredients for
each tier, visit: wholefoodsmarket.com/eco-scale.

Source: Progressive Grocer

Republished from http://www.doityourself.com

Solar kits are ideal for those of us who are looking to save money on our electric bills. You can buy solar kits for things such as your home or even your RV.
Home Solar Kits Can Be Complicated
You will first need to decide what size kit to buy. You will need to consider how much you plan to power with your solar kit. The more you want to power, the more expensive it will be. Your kit will come with all of the equipment you will need as well as step by step directions. When you have decided that you are going to buy a solar kit, you have many other things to consider before you can install it. You may be required to get permits from the city; in fact in most all cases you will need a permit or even multiple permits.

Once you have taken all of those steps, you will then be ready for solar installation. Keep in mind that installing a solar kit can be a complicated process. You may want to consider getting some help from a local company. Assuming that you have already purchased a kit, they will only charge you for labor. Installing a solar kit can be a do it yourself kind of job, however the home installation kits are a bit too complicated for the average Joe.
RV Solar Kits Are Easier to Install
Solar installation kits for recreational vehicles are a much easier project to complete that the home installation kit. You will again need to research the amount of wattage you will need, but after that it can be an easy task. The kits come with the panel, converter and battery attachments and can be installed in less than a day. You can find them at multiple online stores and they usually run between two thousand and three thousand dollars. After a few years of use, you will make your initial investment back.
Purchase and Warranty from Reliable Company
When purchasing your solar kit you need to make sure you purchase from a reliable company and preferably one that has been in this business since day one. You can do enough research to know whether or not you are buying from a quality company. Solar kits can be expensive; you may want to consider whether you can afford one, before doing all the research and investing the time it takes to research thoroughly.

Find stores that are reputable and watch their website patiently. You may be able to catch a deal that is unbeatable. If you do come across that deal, your next step is to ask for a warranty, always ask for a warranty. Warranties may cost extra but you will be glad to have it should your system ever fail.

In an effort to remind you that the new 2010 Prius was created from the loins of Mother Nature herself, Toyota is rolling out an unusual, but highly effective form of brand advertising: giant solar-powered flowers that can charge your laptop and give you free WiFi.

According to the company, these  high-tech Daisies represent the Prius theme of “Harmony between Man, Nature, and Machine.” Boston is the first to witness the promotion followed soon by New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

There are very simple steps you can take to start turning your life green. I will try to break some of those simple steps below.

1. Start recycling - This may seem like a no-brainer but I am always amazed at how many people say they are interested in being green but don’t know where to start. Start with recycling at home and then carry it to your office and onward.
2. Grow some vegetables - When you grow your own vegetables you cut down on the carbon emissions from harvesters, packing plants and trucks shipping the veggies to the store. I have a 20′x10′ garden that produces a few cucumbers, a few zucchini, 10 or so tomatoes and peppers each week.
3. Get a 55 gallon drum to store rain water for your garden - You can find drums for as low as $20 on ebay or other shopping sites (will be available on GreenHomesGalore.com shortly) which you can put a valve on which will allow you to run a hose to your garden.
4. Get a few cloth bags for groceries - I found several free bags at convention/seminars and other sources like promotions which I use to haul my groceries in. Once I bring them inside I set the bags by the door for me to remember to put back in my vehicle. Even if you are using paper bags to cut down plastic you still have one more step to go as paper bags still need to be produced (emissions thing again) and then recycled (emissions thing again) which could be completely eliminated.
5. Donate unused or unwanted clothing - Not only are you helping others by donating old clothes but you are keeping the clothes out of the landfill.

Now these are by no means the only way to start greening your lifestyle but they are 5 easy steps to introduce the practice of implementing green practice in your life.

 Make relocating to your next home even more eco-friendly

By FrontDoor.com | Published: 3/27/2008

Choose a moving company that will help you make your relocation as eco-friendly as possible.

If you’re one of the 40 million Americans who move every year, here are some solutions to make your next move more eco-friendly.

Plan ahead

Have you ever waited until the last minute to pack for a trip, only to take half of your wardrobe along for the ride? Well, packing up to move at the last minute is like that, but to the extreme. You’ll discover things you haven’t seen since your last moving day, so don’t wait until the van is on the way to address your excess stuff.

If you start packing a few weeks in advance, you’ll have time to get rid of things you really don’t need. Be realistic: If you haven’t worn a pair of jeans since the summer after college graduation, it’s probably time to part with them. Have a yard sale or donate extra belongings to a charity. You’ll use less fuel if you transport only the things you actually use.

Hire an eco-friendly moving company

While you’re searching for a reputable company to help with your move, look at their environmental credentials, too. Does the company use gas-guzzling trucks or biodiesel rigs? Does it sell recycled boxes? Will the movers help you pack and organize to use the fewest possible boxes?

You’ll have enough to worry about on moving day, so hiring an eco-friendly mover will make it easier to be green.

Stock up on packing material

Buying boxes from your mover can be costly, but you can likely get them free around your community. Ask local businesses about giving you their packing boxes; most stores throw away their materials after they unload the contents.

You can also save your own bubble wrap, boxes and envelopes for your move. A little planning can help you save money, and you’ll save some boxes from a landfill fate.

Buy recycled boxes

Don’t have the time to scrounge around town for boxes? Let someone else do it for you. UsedCardboardBoxes.com collects boxes that are on their way to the dump from businesses around the country. They also use some new boxes that are factory misprints and overruns. Then, they pack them into handy kits complete with tape, packing paper and markers. Select the number of rooms you need to pack up and the boxes will be shipped to you in one or two business days.

Although it’s cheaper than buying brand-new boxes, the convenience is still going to cost you. For instance, the three-bedroom home kit costs $154 from UsedCardboardBoxes.com. The same setup would be $212 and $238 at U-Haul.com and BoxBros.com, respectively.

Use these recycled plastic boxes and then send them back

If you don’t want to create any moving waste, Earth Friendly Moving has a solution with Recopack (short for Recycled Ecological Packing Solution) boxes. The company rents the reusable moving tubs made from recycled materials for “a buck a box a week.” The totes are delivered to your door in a biodiesel truck, and you pack, stack and move them yourself. When you’re done with the boxes, they’ll come pick them up. The company also sells eco-friendly packing material: recycled paper cubes that can be composted after the big day.

The only catch: Earth Friendly Moving only delivers in Southern California right now, but look out for their products nationwide in a couple of years.

Start packing in containers you already have first

You’ll probably need a few boxes to tote your stuff in, but pack as much as you can in containers you already have. Haul out your suitcases and plastic bins and fill them up. Use pillows — not paper — to package fragile items. This will consolidate your stuff with zero waste.

Make the fewest trips possible between the two locales

Pack up your car to reduce the number of van runs between the new and old house. However, you should hire a van rather than using your car for several cross-town trips. Plan your trip to use the least fuel possible.

Recycle your packing materials

No matter where you get those moving boxes, make sure to recycle them after the journey. Find a friend or fellow mover to give them to, or advertise online to find a taker. At the least, take them to the recycling center — not the trash bin.

By Kathryn Lively

When you hear the suggestion to buy a “green” home, bear in mind it doesn’t mean you should buy a house that is physically painted green. Living green these days refers to being more mindful of the environment and working to lessen your carbon footprint. If you have the opportunity to move into a new home, why not consider making a fresh start by doing everything you can to create an environmentally-friendly place to live? You’ll find it’s not expensive to do, and it can help reduce clutter and increase homeowner satisfaction when you discover how much money you can save.

Searching for a Green Home

As real estate agencies become more knowledgeable on green living, you may find it easy to spot the most important elements needed to make an environmentally-friendly house. As you tour potential residences with a Realtor, look for the more obvious signs:

The exterior: What does the house look like? An eco-friendly home will be covered with paint that is low in toxicity and therefore doesn’t release deadly toxins into the air, or use a “green” style of siding. Fiber cement siding, for example, expends less energy in manufacture than vinyl, and is less toxic.

Insulation: In school we remembered the three R’s. When buying a home, you just need to know the R factor. This calculates how quickly heat is conducted across a surface. A home with little to no insulation is more likely to absorb the heat, moisture and cold air from outside, resulting in a low R factor. When looking for a home, you want to be certain the insulation rates at a high R factor. A well-insulated home protects you from the elements, and can help reduce heating and cooling bills.

Also, check the windows. Are they double-hung, insulated, and installed correctly? If so, not only will the windows reduce the amount of UV rays filtered into the home, but they also provide for easy use and natural ventilation. The larger the windows in the home, the better the opportunity for natural lighting, which lessens the needs for electricity.

Flooring: Definitely check for hard-surface flooring in the homes you visit. Eco-friendly hardwood and similar styles are simpler to clean and maintain than carpet, and do not absorb as much moisture. Should something spill on a carpet, chances are it will remain there even after cleaning, and increase the risk of mold. However, if prefer a carpeted home, you may wish to look for carpets made without artificial dyes and installed with non-toxic glues.

Plumbing: It’s a fact that the less water you use, the lower your bill. Low-flow plumbing fixtures are also eco-friendly, as they require less energy to use and prevent waste. You may also want to see if the home has a tankless water system, which allows for instant heating of water so you don’t waste time waiting for water to heat when you need it.

Your home is your castle, and the planet is a vast kingdom that needs to be preserved for future generations. As you search for a new home, take the time to ask about environmentally friendly features. A green home not only helps to conserve energy and natural resources, but it can also preserve your own “green.”

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia Beach real estate and Norfolk condos for rent.