Top Green Products For Parents

PTPA has come up with another year's worth of winning green products. These are all green products that have stood up to tests by real parents and families.

Parent Tested Parent Approved, better known as PTPA, reviews products via a panel of moms in order to determine the real life value of the green products. Below are five of my favorites from this year's winners:

1. Organic Changing Pad - This all-natural changing pad from Naturepedic is made with organic materials, without the use of harmful chemicals. As a bonus, it's waterproof and non-allergenic.

2. Organic QuickZip Crib Sheet - This organic cotton crib sheet is brilliant. Just zip off the top for washing, instead of struggling with the cumbersome crib mattress and bumper pad for changes. I wish I had one of these when my girls were babies.

3. organicKidz Stainless Steel Bottle - These reusable baby bottles are made without BPA, lead, Phthalates and PVC. The stainless steel bottles come in three sizes and include a built-in measuring cup for formula. And did I mention they are very cute?

4. Baby Silk Cleansing Towelettes - These gentle baby wipes are green all the way through. With nothing harmful added, these eco -friendly wipes are perfect for sensitive skin. The line was developed by two pediatricians who just happen to also be moms.

5. SPF 30 Girl Sunscreen - This very girly sunscreen comes from KINeSYS, who uses ethical manufacturing to produce their products. KINeSYS is also Canada's first carbon neutral sunscreen and is completely recyclable, unlike many other sunscreen bottles. The green sunblock also contains no preservatives.

For more award-winning green products for parents, be sure to check out PTPA's website. You can also see last year's award winning green products for more great ideas.

5 Ways to Save Energy for Earth Day

Tomorrow is Earth Day and happily, there is no shortage of great ways to celebrate. In fact, this year, I was surprised at the sheer number of activities and earth-friendly programs that companies everywhere have implemented.

While everybody's efforts should be applauded and supported, I thought it was more important to focus on a few ways that everybody can easily contribute to greener living for Earth Day.

Here are five easy energy saving tips from Retrevo:

1. Turn off devices when you're not using them - especially game consoles and TVs. Large plasma TVs are the biggest hogs but game machines are a close second. Shutting down game players in the U.S. for just 24 hours would save enough energy to power the city of San Diego for a day.

2. Make sure they're really off - use a power strip and flip the switch. Many products draw power after they're turned off. If the charger in the wall socket is warm it's likely sucking power. Use a power strip and shut it down to insure gadgets are really off.

3. If you're going to leave your computer on, at least set them to Hibernate or Standby. Energy Star says the PC's Hibernate or Standby mode can save up to $75 a year in electricity. And, don't be fooled by screen savers - they're no help at all.

4. Unplug the gadgets you only use occasionally. If you only use them once in a while - fax machines, or peripherals attached to your computer such as USB hard drives for backup - unplugging guarantees they're off.

5. Use renewable energy to recharge small devices like iPods, cell phones and GPS. Inexpensive devices like the Hymini wind turbine, Solio's Hybrid 1000, Freeplay Freecharge, or Kinesis Industries combo are easy to use and get your gadgets going in minutes.

For even more tips, be sure to check out Retrevo's Twenty Two Tips for Greener Living with Gadgets or download their Guide To Greener Living with Electronics.

Enjoy Earth Day tomorrow!

Modern Design Meets Sustainable Gardening

What do you get when you combine sustainable materials, modern design and a desire to plant something green? You get a fun and funky sustainable product called the Graine de pot, designed by Francois Clerc.

I loved the Graine de pot as soon as I saw it. It's a brilliant combination of biodegradable plastic, seed and soil. But what makes the Graine de pot stand out is the clever all-inclusive kit that also satisfies even the toughtest design critics.

The sustainable growing kit comes with a biodegradable plastic pot that expands to look like a hip, plastic beehive. The soil comes compressed and dried, but soon grows to fill the sustainable pot. Add water and then wait for the annual plant to grow.

Did I mention that the design is brilliant? The entire sustainable pot is designed to last approximately nine months. After that, the Graine de pot can be discarded in the compost pile where it happily biodegrades. Suddenly annuals don't seem nearly so wasteful.

Via Design Spotter

Celebrate Green Champions And Win An Earthdrive

Earth Day is coming up next week and there are countless ways to celebrate. One company, ATP, is recognizing "green champions" by giving away one of their Earthdrives each week to one lucky treehugger who writes in with their green story.

Just what is an Earthdrive, you may ask? It's the first fully recyclable USB drive, made from recycled materials and biodegradable PLA (Polylactic acid). PLA is derived from renewable resources, making this the most eco-friendly flash drive around.

Besides being an environmentally responsible product, a portion of the proceeds from Earthdrives actually helps to replant trees. ATP has partnered with American Forests to donate part of the profits to reforestation projects here in the US and around the world.

So what does all of this have to do with Earth Day? This year, ATP wants to hear from you. Write to them with a story of great green achievement - about yourself, your friend, your boss, etc. - anything that shows a commitment to the environment. The winners will receive a 2GB Earthdrive and the winning stories will appear on their site.

Consider it a pat on the back for caring enough to act on your beliefs.

Thank The Cows For Green Motor Oil

Cows are going into the green motor oil business with the help of Green Earth Technologies. The company created G-Oil, an environmentally friendly, completely biodegradable alternative to petroleum based motor oils.

Instead of using a petroleum base for the oil, the green G-Oil is made with a biodegradable bio-base, better known as tallow or animal fat. While not pleasant to think about, the tallow is considered entirely sustainable, originating as a byproduct of slaughterhouses.

According to Green Earth Technology, one cow actually yields 110 quarts of oil. In fact, approximately 50,000 cattle go through the rendering process within 150 miles of the company plant each day. That's enough to make all the motor oil this country needs.

Clearly the green motor oil makes much better use of resources. While a barrel of petroleum-based motor oil requires three barrels of crude oil, a barrel of G-oil requires only one barrel of tallow. The other materials added to G-Oil are non-toxic and earth-friendly.

The packaging for the green motor oil follows the sustainable mantra of the company, with bottles that are made from recycled plastic and fully recyclable. Even the labels are environmentally friendly, using water based inks and recycled paper.

Compare that to traditional petroleum or synthetic motor oil that can be toxic to individuals and the environment. According to the US EPA, a whopping 40% of petroleum-based motor oil is disposed of improperly, creating havoc in the environment.

In addition to motor oils, Green Earth Technologies applies their amazing technology to home and garden, marine and household products. Their green products have gone mainstream at retailers like Home Depot and Amazon.

Eco Canteen Reusable Bottle Review

By now, we all know the dangers of plastic bottles (leaching chemicals), their lengthy lifetime in landfills (over 700 years) and the toxic production methods (air pollution). There are a lot of options out there for reusable water bottles and everyone seems to have their favorite.

Admittedly, my favorite reusable water bottle is Sigg, but I recently received an Eco Canteen to review. And while I like the Eco Canteen, I don't love it.

First, Eco Canteen is made of food-grade stainless steel, which is a huge improvement over any type of plastic. While Sigg bottles are made of aluminum, the Klean Kanteens are also made of stainless steel, which is a naturally bacteria resistant material.

The Eco Canteens come with a wider mouth than some of the other reusable water bottles. This is a great feature if you want to add ice to your drink and certainly makes it easier to wash. While some may disagree with me, I actually found it just a little annoying.

One aspect of the Eco Canteen that I loved was the easy-access top. The top screws on and off the bottles quickly and easily, as opposed to the Sigg, which takes a full minute to completely unscrew.

Another great feature of the Eco Canteen is the carabiner that comes with each bottle. The clips make the reusable water bottles ideal for clipping to a gym or beach bag.

Lastly, the Eco Canteen reusable water bottles are much cheaper than the other brand name counterparts. In fact, it's about half the price of a Sigg or Klean Kanteen, so it's a great value for a stainless steel bottle.

Overall, I like the Eco Canteen and think it competes easily with the other options on the market. As with everything, it just comes down to personal preference.

Ryan Frank's Surprising Sustainable Designs

Ryan Frank is one of those designers who consistently creates intriguing sustainable designs in unusual materials. Based in London but originally from South Africa, his work displays a strong connection to the environment while maintaining a more contemporary urban feel.

Known for designs that embody sustainability, the London designer uses a number of interesting materials in his designs. He makes brilliant use of mundane materials, reclaimed woods and other salvaged pieces.

Look at his Isabella stool and you'll find a stool that is essentially made from straw, with a felt covering for comfort. Place them individually for a striking, sustainable addition to any room. Or stack them for a sculptural creation that really makes a statement.

Or check out his Strata line of sustainable furniture. The Strata pieces are made from salvaged wood that comes from old office furniture, as well as FSC birch plywood. Somehow, the combination of reclaimed wood and chipboard comes together beautifully in the contemporary designs.

If you take the time to look through his products, you'll find every design has an interesting combination of materials and unusual provenance. And every time, he manages to make the old and forgotten beautiful again.

Via Eco Age