I’ve bought Eden Organics canned goods on many occasions in the past, mainly because I’d heard their can liners were BPA-free. But when I actually saw it on the side of the can, my heart leapt. No, really. I was THAT excited. Someday I hope we’ll see “BPA Free” on ALL canned foods.
High fives to Eden Organics for making my weekend just a little bit better—and to Canada for officially declaring BPA (bisphenol-A) toxic!!!
What: LunchBots
Features: Dishwasher safe stainless steel lunch containers that can be reused over and over for waste-free lunches.
Green Factor: They’re made from the highest quality stainless steel and contain no plastic, BPA, phthalates, or VOC’s and independently lab-certified to be lead-free.
Bonus: Use the following coupon code for 15% off an order from Lunchbots: BACKTOSCHOOL
Win It: One randomly selected winner will score a set of Uno and Duo Lunchbot containers! Just leave a comment telling us what you’d pack in a Lunchbot. Giveaway ends at midnight 8/27/10; $30 value. Open to US residents only. Official Rules.
Extra Entries: Tweet about this giveaway (be sure to include @greenmomreview in your tweet) and note in your comment that you tweeted the giveaway to receive an extra entry.
Non-Toxic Kids: Eco-Friendly Back to School 2010: Green Backpacks, Lunches, and Gear!
The Daily Green: Back to School Green Shopping Guide
Blisstree: Ten Green Back-to-School Supplies
Care2: Green Lunchboxes
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice: The 2010 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies
Inhabitots: Organic Nap Mats for Toddlers
Know of any other helpful posts about greening back-to-school time? Share them in the comments!
PS: Check back for a fabulous non-toxic back-to-school giveaway on Friday 8/20!!!
I snapped this photo while I was out getting the last of our school supplies. We did pretty good at getting most items in a green or at least green-ish capacity but this? Really triggered my greenwashing radar [more…] Read the rest of this entry »
I bought the Energizer Weather Ready Carabineer Crank Flashlight a little over a year ago for my daughter’s Brownie camping trip. We have a few other flashlights but they always seemed to be missing when we needed one and if you’ve ever let your kids use flashlights, you know they have a tendency to leave them on and kill the batteries.
Of course, we do have a ton of rechargeable batteries around here, but they’re always in use and I was tired of doing the battery shuffle every time we needed some so a flashlight that relied on hand power (because it’s pretty hard to misplace your hands!) seemed like a logical choice.
Well, over a year later, I’m here to tell you that our little hand-crank LED flashlight is still going strong. It’s never needed batteries plus it’s survived two camping trips, a road trip, many household adventures and well, it’s survived my kids, so I’m declaring it a very wise purchase on my part!
(Now, we got ours at Target and I saw them a few months back in my local store but I didn’t see this exact model on their web site so I’m linking to Amazon—but you probably can find them at Target or at a home improvement store.)
Find It Here: Amazon.com
What: The 2010 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies by The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ)
Features: Lists of the most common back-to-school supplies made out of toxic PVC and safer PVC-free product alternatives in over 20 product categories.
Green Factor: Many children’s school supplies, such as lunchboxes, backpacks and binders, are made out of PVC—a toxic plastic that is dangerous to our health and the environment. The CHEJ guide, in PDF format, helps you avoid it.
Bonus: Comes in regular and wallet-sized versions.
Find It Here: CHEJ
What: Set of 4 silicone ice pop molds
Features: Molds have a tapered design that makes ice pops easy to eat; 3.5 oz. size is perfect for little hands!
Green Factor: BPA, PVC and phthalate-free and you can use your own healthy ingredients instead of the high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors/flavors found in most store-bought ice pops and popsicles.
Bonus: Dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, and microwave safe and the silicone is naturally bacteria resistant.
Find It Here: The Soft Landing
What: 16 oz. reusable coffee cup
Features: Made of double-walled porcelain to keep beverages hot and has a matching silicone sleeve to keep hands cool and a silicone lid.
Green Factor: Bringing your own cup to your favorite coffee place or to work can keep a LOT of nasty styrofoam cups out of the waste stream and save trees by eliminating use of paper cups and sleeves and silicone features are non-toxic.
Bonus: They come in three cool graphic patterns and they’re reasonably priced.
Find It Here: Amazon.com
What: The Zero Charger from AT&T
Features: A charger that is compatible with a variety of small USB devices such as cell phones (excluding Nokia models), iPods, MP3 players, Bluetooth headsets, cameras and portable gaming devices
Green Factor: The Zero Charger is the first wall-based charger that turns itself OFF when not in use so you don’t have phantom energy-sucking going on when it’s plugged into your electrical outlet but not being used.
Bonus: For a limited time, you can get the Zero Charger for a whopping 40% off !!!
Find It Here: AT&T
When we bought our first home, many moons ago, I was very keen on the idea of having a lush green lawn and I’m ashamed to admit I used pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers with impunity. You see, I’d grown up in the suburbs, where having good grass is paramount. Additionally, as a new homeowner, I was slightly intimidated by the nastygrams from our HOA (home owners association)—they were sent immediately should one’s grass fall to the wayside and practically insisted we use chemicals on our property lest we be in “violation” of the sacred HOA rules.
In my ignorance, I believed the home improvement superstore employees who insisted those products were fine—that once you watered it in and it dried, your grass was safe. In reality, nothing could have been further from the truth. Read the rest of this entry »
Everyone in my household has sensitive skin to some degree and thus, I’m very picky about what kinds of soap I buy. The conventional deodorant soaps make my husband all itchy and both my kids will get little patches of eczema all over from anything that’s too harsh.
Aside from that, conventional soaps and body washes are typically heavily scented via phthalate-laden “fragrances” and contain a laundry list unpronounceable chemicals that have been linked to various health issues from cancer to hormone disruption to organ damage. You just don’t need all that junk to get clean. Read the rest of this entry »
