We work with lots of bloggers, mostly “mommy bloggers” who are just moms who blog about a variety of topics-kids, dogs, food, clothing, life, cool products-you name it, there’s a blog for it. These bloggers are great to work with! We send them products that we think their readers might enjoy learning about-like Reduce WaterWeek-and the bloggers honestly use the product and write a review; we don’t pay for any reviews. If they don’t like the product, they most likely will let us know, include the comments in their post, or just declined the review. But that’s never happened to us! We haven’t met a blogger yet who doesn’t see the benefits of a product like Reduce WaterWeek.
In our on-going journey through the land of blogs-we love “green” blogs as well-we are constantly amazed at what inventive, interesting and caring people are out there sharing their voice with others. There is so much to read and discover (and so little time), that it’s worth exploring. Find one you like, and then you’ll uncover the blogs they like, and before you know it, 2 hours have past by! But, if you’re like me, you’ve learned about a great new product for your kids, husband, dog, you, whatever; you’ve laughed a lot (there are some funny women out there); and you may feel a little more connected to others. Start your
discovery at places like http://www.cafemom/ or visit some of the blogs that have supported us over the last year. Have fun!
With all the awards shows on TV this time of year, I thought it would be interesting to post the top green corporate “winners” according to Newsweek Magazine. They call this their “exclusive environmental ranking of America’s 500 largest corporations”. I’ve listed the top 10 (500 is overkill) but you can see the rest at http://greenrankings.newsweek.com/top500.
What makes a company green? It might seem difficult to determine, depending on the industry, such as paper making vs. banking, but Newsweek takes that into consideration when they calculate the greenest of the green. Each company gets a Green Score, based on their environmental impact, their green policies and reputation. For instance, H-P is number one because it has strong programs in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Dell uses all renewable energy at its headquarters. And #10 Starbucks encourages suppliers to protect water supplies, and it uses recycled paper products and organic and shade-grown coffee.
At ReduceTM, we develop products that help you become more environmentally friendly in your own home. And we also create products, like our MelabooTM and Wild BambooTM, made of extremely sustainable materials; that go easy on the environment. We are trying to do our small part to help us all live a little more “green”.
What’s great about this list is that it covers so many different industries and does the homework for you. If you’re like me, you might find this list very helpful-especially if you need to replace a laptop, buy a running shoe or choose a morning latte´.
We just got back from showing our Reduce line of products at an eco-friendly product event for the media in NYC. Wow! There are a lot of really innovative green products out there.
Our line created a lot of interest–the Compactor Can is like nothing else. When we show people how simple it works–just push down on the lid to smash down your garbage–people invariably reacted with amazement. It does have that cool factor.
And our Melaboo bamboo kitchenware is so colorful that it often stopped the press in their tracks. Not easy to do, I might add. Who says eco-friendly can’t be eco-chic! Our stuff looks good.
What struck me was that eco is not going away anytime soon….it’s here to stay. There are endless ideas to be vetted and problems to be solved that will eventually lead to products or services that will help us all lead more environmentally responsible lives.
But be careful–everything seems to be called green these days! There are varying shades of green, so-to-speak. Some products help us replace a bad eco-killing habit (like how our WaterWeek bottles help you ditch the disposables). And some items are made of eco-friendly materials that are gentler on our environment (like our colorful Melaboo kitchen products, made of highly sustainable bamboo). And some just really aren’t that green at all….
So enjoy all the eco products on shelves today, and get ready for a whole lot more. All useful, we hope. Definetely if they’re from Reduce.
Bamboo is really amazing. It has been around forever, yet, we have just begun to tap into its amazing abilities. Companies are incorporating bamboo into housewares, flooring, furniture and even clothing! Our Reduce™ Melaboo™ line of kitchenware is a mixture of bamboo and melamine, making it highly biodegradable and eco-friendly. And we just launched another bamboo product called Wild Bamboo™, a natural crushed-bamboo line of plates, bowls and serving ware. This relatively new process gives the pieces a raw and natural look, with light and dark shades of bamboo—no two pieces are alike!
Wild Bamboo Melaboo
Bamboo is so much more than just Panda fare. It is a tree-like grass, actually a woody perennial evergreen plant. There are over 1000 species of bamboo, with many in the U.S. Because it is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, it is extremely renewable and when treated, it becomes a durable and lightweight wood.
Here is a lowdown on why we should support bamboo-based products:
Bamboo is VERY eco-friendly. It is highly sustainable, which means it grows quickly, takes less energy to grow than similar plants, and the grass can be harvested over and over from the same plant.
Bamboo is durable and lightweight, making it ideal for housewares, home furnishings and flooring.
Bamboo is versatile—some uses include clothing, building products, home furnishings, kitchenware, food, medicine, carpeting and the list goes on.
Bamboo is inexpensive to use because it regenerates so often. Unlike other types of wood, bamboo can even grow from cut stems.
Bamboo, because it is so fast growing, generates a lot of oxygen, which positively impacts other crops around it.
Bamboo is allergy-free, which is a great benefit when used in products that come in direct contact with people like clothing, building products, housewares and carpeting.
So it is easy to see that it makes sense to buy bamboo-based products. It’s good for our environment, our checkbook and our quality of life. Check out http://www.americanbamboo.org/ for more info on bamboo.
Have you heard of 1% for the Planet℠? It is a bit different from your typical charity. It is a not-for-profit organization whose members pledge to donate 1 percent of sales to environmental causes. As a member, you can choose some well-known causes, and/or smaller local ones that may often get ignored.
We became a member in 2010 and will donate a portion of all Reduce brand products to support green causes. Of all the many cool things we have planned for 2010 (new products, international trade shows, etc.), this is the coolest in my opinion.
We chose this organization after looking at a wide variety of options. And what convinced us was the opportunity to make a difference not just on a broader scale, but also at a very local level—to impact the community outside our back door, so-so-speak.
Begun in 2002 by the founder of Patagonia, 1% for the Planet (1% FTP) is made up of over 1,000 businesses that donate over $12 million annually to environmental groups worldwide. Since it began, the group has raised over $42 million–not shabby! As our sales grow, we’ll help that total grow as well. And another benefit or joining 1% FTP is the opportunity to get to know other like-minded companies and share information on how we can all be better environmental stewards.
We developed the Reduce line of products because we wanted to make it a little easier for people to reduce their carbon footprint and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Take Reduce™ WaterWeek™—it is a very simple solution to a nasty problem. Keep the set of five water bottles chilling in your fridge ready to grab when you need it and you are no longer likely to buy the disposable water bottles (of which only about 25% end up recycled, the rest are washing up on shores across the world). It’s not rocket science, but it is a small step that if taken by many, results in significant change for the environment.
