The focus on being Green is everywhere now. I am thrilled and amazed to see this. I read in Forbes magazine (February 11, 2008 issue) that the trend 10 years ago was software and telecom.... 2 years ago was the web... now its being GREEN. Of course, being a diehard Greenie myself, I don't want to see this just as a trend, but a new way of life.

More and more corporations are focusing on their Green/Natural side. I also see a lot of "GreenWashing". I consider the McDonalds ads greenwashing... we all know that McD's isn't healthy... but the recent TV ads show tons of fresh fruit and veggies. It is a pathetic attempt by the company to appear more healthy and natural during a time when consumers are focused on just that.

What are you seeing in the Green Movement? Are you seeing REAL changes or simply a lot of GreenWashing? Are you excited about what you see or do you think this is just a trend that will go away eventually? Are you becoming more green because it is a trend or for other reasons? Will you continue your green practices if the consumer trend goes away from it?

I, too, have been amazed at seeing almost every magazine that comes across my desk both at home and work focused on green in January/February. What I find most interesting about the movement is how it has evolved over the last year from a lot of preachy messages about how you should be doing more to change policy and change your entire life to more of a "just do what you can" message. On one hand, this shift in attitude toward green is a sign that it will probably lose steam, which is unfortunate. On the other hand, it makes being green more attainable for those of us who use disposable diapers and drive an SUV but put out more recycling on the curb that trash every week and have been buying local from the farmers' markets for years.

i think it will just become standard - people are tired of not knowing what is in stuff, and now that we know (and know how things are made, and how they affect thing) you actually have fun, invovative products that WORK so why wouldnt you use the ones that are better for you and the environment?

it's also going to stick around because a lot of it is just good busienss. When companies are saving money because they are taking energy saving measures - they dont have to lower the rates to you, but they can now say they are 'green' and pocket the difference. hell they can probably charge more! and pocke the profits! Look at Whole Foods! they are going to completely stop having plastic bags available. you think that is only a 'green good for the environment' measure? no way! it's just that now they know people wont stop shopping there if they do that and it's a great way to cut costs.

let's not kid ourselves and think that companies are doing a lot of the'greening' out of the goodness of their hearts - however, by rewarding them with patronage we can keep the 'trend' going and make it a standard which is better for ALL of us in the end!

I feel torn about this very issue. On the one hand, it's awesome to see companies taking any kind of responsibility for what they are putting out there, and it's great to see consumers respond to it. On the other hand, I worry sometimes that everything is moving MUCH too slowly, and we're doing too little too late. I guess I think that if we can get beyond using oil for our transportation needs, then this is not just a fad, and it will be much longer lasting. I don't know why I have chosen that to gauge this, but I have, and I guess we'll see.

All,
I think its great that companies are focusing on green as well. However for the focus to last I think we all need to do our parts in our homes and schools. We all know the saying "changing the world one person at a time". I am more focused on helping moms and families live a greener life!
How many of you use all natural products in your home? This is where we spend more than 50% of our time so we should make sure to use as many green products as possible.
I represent Shaklee Green Products and am amazed at the research they do and the facts that are available on all the toxins that we breathe or that get in our bodies through laundry detergent, water, air.......ect.

I agree! It just needs to be common place, one household at a time!

i have switched to 'Method' brand for a lot of products at home. i didnt even REALIZE they were green since their whole goal is to sneak into the market place with products that work well and look good doing it ;) they were listed as a top whatever number inovators by Forbes (details details, i forget the ranking but the article(s) were eye opening!)

i also knew it would be sustainable when my mom said she bought reusable bags and keeps them in the trunk for shopping so she doesnt have 'to deal' with the plastic bags. she is totally on board for the sake of convienence and a little feel good along the way! love it!

It's really great to see the confidence that this trend will hang around. I am green, not because its COOL... but because its BETTER. My kids are healthier, I am healthier and our own little part of the world is healthier. Hopefully that is making some impact on the bigger picture. I have opened the covers of four magazines this week... Better Homes and Gardens, Living Without, FamilyCircle and Good Housekeeping. Each and everyone has something about being green/natural in it! I have seen more ads for green products than ever before... I am reading letters from the Editor in Chief about making a green difference. It makes me giddy to know that the average person is being made aware... aware of the foods we put in our bodies... the chemicals we use in our homes... and ways to go green without busting your budget!

In Living Without magazine... there is an article about cleaning your whole house with only a few simple things like vinegar, baking soda, Lemon Juice, vegetable oil, tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide and essential oils. Wowsa... I am so excited to try some of these out. Currently I use Ecos, Method, Mrs. Meyers, etc... I will post some of these recipes for cleaning in a different string.

I'm just impressed.

I just recently started to turn Green. I never thought about what was in the products that I used around the house. Until a friend showed me...Now I realize that there are more important things to do. Be aware of what is around you and what effect it might have on the children.

I was green before it was a color and am so excited to have more people interested in what we should have been doing all along. I have great ideas and love to share. not only is it easier alot of time it saves tons of money too,

For a couple of years I have purchased my cleaning and personal care products through Melaleuca, thinking I was being green, but there are so many more things that I need to be doing! When I come home from the grocery store, I have plastic bags coming out my you know what! We put them in the pantry, and reuse them but then after we reuse them, we throw them away... naughty, I know. My husband burns cardboard trash and I am trying to get him to STOP THAT and recycle it instead!! He's one of those "whatever" kind of people about that kind of stuff. It's hard.

I have definitely seen the trend for greener, but I don't think it's enough either. I think that grocery stores need to provide us with more options for bags. Maybe have some bags available for purchase that we can use and use and use for our groceries.

What do you guys use for groceries? Do you use canvas bags?? Paper bags?? I would need LOTS of canvas bags for my shopping... do you know of places I could get some at an affordable price?

This is an awesome discussion. It's very important that we TOTALLY go green if our kids are going to have a place to live.

Karen, I'm going to assume you mean to carry the groceries home. Try reusablebags.com. They have a huge selection of different bags. I like the acme bags, they hold a ton and are fairly sturdy. They cost about $5 a bag when you buy a batch. I don't like the canvas because they take up too much room in my teeny house. I like little ones that I can stash in my purse. And many stores are now selling their own bags. I know Kroger has them and Target does as well. I'm not a fan of advertising in that way, so I prefer to go generic.

And you need fewer than you think. Don't let those baggers who put every item in it's own little bag be your guide. You can get a lot into a single bag.

If you've got a ton of tees lying around and you can sew, you can convert them to shopping bags. Turn one inside out, smooth it out, sew the bottom shut. Cut off the sleeves and deepen the neck hole and ta da, a bag! Not sure how well they work as I haven't done it yet, but it's enough to get you started.

I was surfing around on etsy and found mesh bags for vegetables. That's my next sewing project. And wraps for sandwiches.

Last time I made a pan cake, I used a dish towel instead of plastic wrap to keep it fresh. It worked just as well. Better even, since was easier to reseal after grabbing a piece.

Cardboard is a great source of revenue for waste companies. I think China is a big customer. The things that bring recyclers big money are the cans and the cardboard. That money covers the cost of recycling other less profitable items. And don't forget about precycling. That's where you buy the thing that is best choice as garbage. I buy any eggs in cardboard and avoid plastic. I compost or recycle them when I'm done. And I buy Pidge's milk in returnable glass containers. I can't get Hubs (aka Dairy Boy) switched over to organic yet so he's on his own.

You know it is weird... I've always been into environmental stuff... I recycled, used cloth diapers (http://www.babykicks.com/blog) and as an engineer, I always try to use innovative designs in the neighborhoods I work on, but I have NEVER been in the store and looked at a box and said "Hmmm. I don't want to buy that because I have to find a way to throw that away". and I have never looked at those 100 Calorie packs or a case of soda and said "What a waste of energy and packaging" before.

BUT I DO NOW!!!

Something has SNAPPED in me, and I don't think I am alone.

This is really a wonderful thing for our world. Sounds corny- but very true.

Do you have friends that go to conferences? Like trade shows and such? Ask around... they always give those canvas bags out at conferences, and I know I have a CLOSET full of them from random places. I never had a use for them before now...

You might be surprised if you put up a sign at work or somewhere. I wanted a specific one from a certain conference I attended to use as a diaper bag (I was using the one I got as a computer case, and wanted a second) I put an ad up on my blog and I received a few in the mail. People just throw them under desks and in closets.