Known for an uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture and sustainable business practices, Mountain Rose herbs is raising their eco-efforts to new heights by launching a new program aimed at helping employees reduce their carbon footprint.

The new program focuses on preventing pollution caused by commuter traffic by offering cash incentives to employees who carpool and bicycle to work.  According to the Environmental Defense Fund, U.S. autos emit more than 333 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is more than one-fifth of the nation’s total carbon dioxide emissions. Thankfully, programs like the one offered by Mountain Rose Herbs, can make a real difference.

The program is easy to understand, track and offers tangible awards. It pays staff members who carpool to work 12-cents per mile for each passenger, and for those who bicycle to work, 20-cents per mile. In addition to the cash reward for each mile, Mountain Rose Herbs also offers a yearly $500 cash bonus to the staff member who has logged the most miles.

“We pay our employees in cash for carpooling and bicycling to work. To our knowledge, no other company is offering a cash incentive that reaches the same caliber as ours in the United States,” says Shawn Donnille, Mountain Rose Herbs’ Operations Manager & Director of Quality Control.

The carpool and bicycling to work incentive is just one program in a long line of forward-thinking sustainability programs from Mountain Rose Herbs. As a “Zero Waste” company, Mountain Rose Herbs goes to great lengths to ensure that materials which might be regarded as waste are recycled, re-used, composted, reclaimed, or brought back into the production cycle. Everything is collected and sorted for proper reclamation including the backs of labels, plastic bags, scrap metal from barrels, poly-woven bags, herbal refuse material, buckets, oil and much more!  When Mountain Rose Herbs adopted a “Zero Waste” policy, they went from producing about 3,300 gallons of waste per month (a normal amount for a processor) to producing between 80 to 100 gallons per month–the same as a typical four-person household.

To learn more about Mountain Rose Herbs, please visit www.mountainroseherbs.com.

We currently have dot-com, dot-net, dot-gov, dot-org, and even dot-biz; next up is dot-eco.  Two groups are currently going toe-to-toe in who is going to manage this new internet domain suffix  One group is in B.C., Vancouver, called Big Room , the other is located in Los Angeles, called Dot Eco.  Do we really need a dot-eco domain?  Nonetheless this will not only serve as a marketing tool for companies who wish to show their “green” side, but hopefully act as a fundraising tool as well.  Revenues generated from the sell of these domain names will go to environmental causes.

There is a small catch.  Once this new domain is launched, they say in 2010, not just anyone will be able to register for it.  In other words, there will be a set of eligibility standards applicants would have to meet.  One idea is having applicants set up a profile outlining their sustainability initiatives.  But this leaves the question, who will verify this?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Both companies have strong supporters.

10:10 is a clever and ambitious yet simple project which is aiming to get all sectors of the UK together, whether that’s businesses, individuals, organisations, educational institutions, to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Now, when I first heard about 10:10 I wondered why this project was any different to other carbon cutting ideas. Politicians were already discussing this and had agreed, to some extent, that emissions needed to be cut with targets in mind. However, as the 10:10 folks say:
“…while politicians argue about targets for 2050 and 2020, the scientists say world emissions must peak and begin to fall within the next few years. That means we need deep cuts in the developed world as quickly as possible. The longer we leave it, the smaller our chance of avoiding disastrous warming. 10% is approximately the right amount for Britain to cut next year if we are to play our part in keeping global temperatures from soaring out of control…”

That’s good enough reason for me, so today our web design business, Make Hay, joined the project.

Make it a Global Project

As we all know though, this is a global problem – the term ‘global warming’ kind of gives it away. So I was wondering even if the UK do cut its emissions by 10% next year how will that help with the bigger picture? Then I found this question on the 10:10 website:

What’s the point of just getting people in the UK to sign up when the country accounts for only 2% of world emissions?

and the 10:10 team say:
“10:10 is being launched as a UK campaign but scientists say it is the right target for the whole developed world. The hope is that the campaign will spread to other countries, and we’ll be making it as easy as possible for that to happen.”

So, because Green Girls Global is all about sharing news, views and ideas worldwide I immediately felt a responsibility to talk about 10:10 here.

The 10:10 team really want this project to roll out in other countries too. So, if you’re outside the UK you can still get involved. Get in touch with the 10:10 team and they’ll be delighted to do what they can to help get things going in your country.

Check out the website at 1010uk.org

In our pursuit of a more sustainable world there are very distinct differences between huge corporations, large companies, small businesses, and micro businesses. The very size of a business can impose not-so-green sensibilities that conflict with earth-friendly efforts.

Smaller businesses are able to address environmental issues that bigger companies and mega corporations simply cannot. Big box stores and agribusinesses not only have operating requirements that cannot be altered, they have a drive of increasing quotes.

The issues are transportation, distribution, shelf life, and surplus inventory. The depth of these issues change with the size of a business.

Much of the product placed on a container ship is not a necessity. So much is made in high volume with the aim to market it to you. Not all containers on a ship make it to their destination; many fall off the ship in stormy seas and break open to spill the contents. We cannot ignore the stories of new products rolling in on waves to rest on pristine beaches. Or, all the plastic remains of garbage gathering in the Pacific Ocean (the size of Texas x 2) ; a patch filled with “stuff” we used for a moment.

Second, distribution centers are large facilities with miles of shelving. The amount of energy used to cool or heat these buildings is immense. On the shelves products sit. Many products, like food and personal care items, need chemical preservatives while they sit waiting to get to you. Once shipped to a retail center the products sit again. Next time you hold a product in your hand try to guess how long it took to journey to you. Imagine the route and you will start to realize that the journey can take not only weeks but perhaps months.

Once stuff has been bought – mass produced products marketed to you – there are always product remaining. What about the all the time and energy spent to make a T-shirt that doesn’t sell? So often it ends up as a rag or shipped again to yet another country. There is something very wrong here when it comes to resources and energy use.

If you are part of the green movement SIZE DOES MATTER. The truly green consumer admires small, family run, single owner, micro businesses! Hand-made, locally made, organically grown, direct to consumer, is lower impact and earth-friendly. Supporting smaller establishments, precious products made with purpose and a human touch, is a leading force in defining our sustainable earth-friendly future.

I’ve been expecting a green backlash for a long time. To be honest I thought it would happen sooner and be much more aggressive. Of course there are still the ‘climate sceptics’ and we could all think of individuals who simply refuse to believe that doing their bit can help change the world but I consider encouraging them to think differently as a work in progress.

What I didn’t expect was a backlash from people who are supportive of environmental issues!

This is a very specific backlash I speak of; one towards green and ethical business. Although, as I type ‘green’ and ‘ethical’ I get a sinking feeling. It seems these and others like them have become dirty words.

Here are a few real examples of conversations I’ve had and discussions I’ve read.

“100% Green Hosting? There’s no way it can be 100% green!”

“Look out for greenwash – terms like eco-friendly”

“I don’t play up the whole green and ethical side of things because I don’t like what the big businesses are doing”

Am I behind on what is the appropriate terminology? Or am I observing a green sickness which has been caught by even the most dedicated eco enthusiasts?

It is true that many big businesses seem to be taking advantage of customers’ demand for more responsible products and services – This keen reaction to the market is probably one of the reasons that they are big business. It is also true that not all of these businesses are as genuinely committed to being environmentally friendly as they’d have us believe.

But why let the proliferation of these terms affect your decisions as a consumer?

I use these terms all the time but not without the knowledge that they are completely subjective. I use them to briefly label the multitude of things we do to try and run our business in a responsible, caring and sustainable way. One person’s view of green or ethical is likely to be very different from then next person’s view but just because some may be using these terms to name some questionable practices doesn’t mean we all are.

This is where we need to be smarter consumers, don’t assume green is good but don’t assume it’s dirty either. Ask yourself, does the business describe their so called green and ethical practices? If they do then you can make an informed decision about whether their version of green and ethical is good enough for you.

Short of inventing new words, what more can us green and ethical business owners do?

Take a look at my series of articles “How can a web design company be green and ethical” to see how we sum Make Hay up with these two words.

Don’t worry, it’s not an environmental disaster! No, a new green festival ‘Green Wave’ – billed as ‘The Eco Family Fun Weekend’ – is headed for Brighton on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July.

You’ll be able to experience all the fun of the green fair in the beautiful setting of Preston Park with eight different interactive Zones, from the Earth Zone – where you might find wormeries, composting ideas and a mini eco farm – to the Energy Zone, for products harnessing sustainable energy, ranging from mobile phones to solar powered cars, and an Energy Play Area or eco circus for children. (click on the image to the right to see the flyer full size)

The emphasis is very much on our favourite watchwords: biodiversity, eco-friendly, Fairtrade, homemade, locally produced, low carbon footprint, recycled and sustainable!

Take a stand!

If you are a Sussex-based ethical business, charity or NGO there is still time for you to take a stand at the fair. Charities and NGOs are eligible for free stands, and there may even be a few free stands available for small ethical businesses that add value or pure fun to the event!

If you are interested in this opportunity, do get in touch with the organisers:

Frank Jay on 01273 323 200 or 07721 633 233 or at frank@neweraassociates.co.uk

Or Jacqui on 01273 323 200 or 07740 201194 or at jac.cuff@talktalk.net

Or simply download the Green Wave booking form and return it to them.

It should be a fantastic event!

Take care,

Katie
Ethical Weddings

For an invention that has been around for less than a century, the Internet has quickly risen to be one of the most innovative developments of the 20th century. Most businesses have their own websites, most adults have their own email addresses, and even most children have their own computers.

Whether we like it or not, the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, and its prevalence can be used to our advantage. Instead of going to the store, you can shop online, and instead of picking up the phone, you can shoot someone an email, all with the click of a few buttons. With all the convenience the Internet provides, you’d be hard pressed to come up with even more reasons why we should reap its benefits.

But I have at least one more reason to add to the list, not just saving us time, but helping save the planet. As an entirely online resource, the Internet can be used to share information across the world, without ever having to waste natural resources. Online bank statements reduce corporate mailings, while websites like www.photobucket.com allow us to share our pictures without making eco-costly prints. When shopping online, using credit cards and online order confirmation, we save the paper and ink that would other wise be used to print cash and receipts, and without making the trip to the store, we’re reducing our carbon footprint in the process.

So with the prevalence of the Internet, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with an entirely Internet based company, almost completely eliminating any environmental impact. Enter businesses like Nvohk (pronounced “invoke”), the first eco-friendly clothing company managed entirely online! And this company can do one better, providing a chance to become part of a team working not only to manage their own clothing line, but also for the greater good of the planet, with 10% of the proceeds going to an eco-friendly charity of the members’ choice!

With the prevalence of the Internet, and newly formed Internet-based companies like Nvohk, we can make a significant impact on the environment right from our own homes. As an advocate for going green, whether it’s driving a hybrid car, or switching to more energy efficient light bulbs, I’m always looking for ways to lower my impact on the environment. And as more and more companies like Nvohk are going entirely online, I’m finding it much easier to reduce my impact, and get my fashion fix at the same time.

About Nvohk: Recruiting since December 2007, Nvohk now boasts over 2,800 Members worldwide, and the company will officially launch its site this June. The cost of membership is just $50, and using sustainable materials like bamboo, and allowing its members to take the drivers seat in all major business decisions, Nvohk is prepared to bring their eco-conscious viewpoint to the fashion industry. Benefits of membership include a limited edition Nvohk co-founder t-shirt designed by Robb Havassy, an exclusive member sticker, and a “plant-a-tree” seed pack. For more information, or to become a member, please visit www.projectnvohk.com.

I’m such a lucky Green Girl. How often do you get to sample beautiful, sustainable clothing without having to go shopping? Well just recently Elwood Clothing gave me the opportunity to do just that.

Now I have to confess that this is breaking a bit of a fast for me. At the New Year I said I would only stick to second hand or hand made clothes in an aim to R, R & R in the wardrobe. However, I don’t need to feel guilty about these clothes because they’re made by a company who supports green fashion big time.

Gorgeous Clothing
The more I find out about Elwood Clothing the more I like them. Firstly, the clothes, made from organic cotton, hemp and bamboo; I received the Pamela Pants, the Whitney Dress and the Simone Poncho.

Having never worn bamboo fabric before I couldn’t believe how soft these clothes are, so comfortable and so flattering at the same time. The Whitney dress can be worn either as a cute little evening dress or as a top over jeans and it is the kind of classic style and shape that allows it a long life span. All the same is true for the Simone Poncho too, giving a lovely luxurious feel.

The organic cotton Pamela Pants are like your favourite pair of jeans except they’re brand new. The really great thing is that these pretty, feminine clothes are also tough and made to last. Elwood Clothing guarantee that if any of their products fall apart they will be repaired or replaced for free – Now what does that tell you?

Checking out the other products online, both men’s and women’s, you can see that all of the pieces are cool and casual. Wave goodbye to your ideas of green, affordable fashion being scratchy and unflattering, these clothes are soft and sexy.

Company Credentials
Sustainable fashion is about much more than the clothes, right? How else is the company doing their bit for the environment? I hear you ask. Well I’ll tell you.

Elwood Clothing are involved in 1% For the Planet and use innovative ways to recycle old Elwood products. To celebrate Earth Day they held an event to collect old jeans which were then donated to an organisation who uses them to create insulation for green homes. Those who donated an old pair of jeans received a new pair from Elwood.

Their past environmental and ethical schemes include donating profits to Global Green and other social projects and charities. Future plans involve further work with 1% for the Planet and supporting the work of Rational Animal, an organisation which helps homeless and working animals and wildlife in NYC.

Skateboarding Roots
I can’t talk about Elwood without mentioning their biggest love and influence, Skateboarding. In fact, if you know about skateboarding you’ll be impressed to learn that the Elwood team includes Kenny Anderson, Anthony Pappalardo, Silas Baxter-Neil and John Rattray, who are involved in the design of the clothing.

Music is also a large part of Elwood and last year these two passions went hand in hand with the company releasing their first skateboarding and music video called 1st and Hope. You can watch the video trailer at the Elwood website and enjoy the great Beck soundtrack (one of my favourites).

Elwood also tell me that they support and dress music artists such as Money Mark from the Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson, The Shins, Tristan Prettyman, Rogue Wave, Mt. Egypt and many more.

Have you ever seen so much cool and green all in one place?

Check them out at www.elwoodclothing.com

As great green girls you probably already know all about this but just in case…!

The Federation of Small Business has just launched a national petition which calls on the Government to pay special attention to securing the future of independent shops across the UK.

You can sign here on the 10 Downing Street website. It takes less time than it takes to eat a locally made organic choc chip biscuit!

The FSB has also launched a Small Business Manifesto which urges local authorities to take specific steps to champion small businesses.

It’s our duty as green girls to do all we can to support the distinctiveness of our unique, independent businesses! Also take a minute to check out Brighton-based uniqueto.co.uk – who alerted me to this petition – their site offers the easiest way for locals and vistors to find unique local businesses.

And if you’re in London, you could also consider investing in a Wedgecard - the local shop loyalty card. Am hoping these cards make it to Sussex soon!

Katie
www.ethicalweddings.com

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is very easy reading, its thought provoking and offers fun, realistic and practical tips to make changes and re-think your lifestyle. The book is a neat pocket size and has a nice feel to it, it explains why it is in book form and advises the reader of where the materials have come from to produce it.

The first chapter ‘Green Glossary’ is written for the layman, which is great. We all hear green terminology and don’t always understand what they mean, this chapter provides a quick, concise explanation of each, for everyone to understand, without blinding them with science.

I particularly like the information in chapter two, it breaks down all the statistics and makes them relevant to everyday life. One of my favourites is ‘dry time’ which makes perfect sense. Leave your hair to dry naturally and then finalise it, not only does it save energy but is better for your hair. Many of the sub chapters were of a similar nature and I found them very easy to put into practice. Another favourite which I have tried is the ‘cool wash’ which is to cold wash your laundry. To my surprise this works! And now I am converted.

The book doesn’t go overboard and lecture, it just says it how it is and leaves you and your conscious to decide whether to make changes.

There is a theme that runs through the book which is basically not to buy into commercialism, don’t spend on unnecessary items and be confident enough to revamp and design yourself and your home without compromising style.

‘Green women don’t get fat’ – what a quote, its so true, even without eating organic, just to eat local produce and fresh fruit and vegetables, take a walk instead of the car will keep you in check. Its not difficult and it makes perfect sense, true of many of the tips in this book.

Favourite quote ‘Buy only what you truly need or love’. There are many other topics and quotes but if I quote them all it wont be worth you reading the book!

For me the book was like having a conversation with a friend, easy and comfortable, sharing experiences and knowledge without any pressure to take forward any of the topics discussed, but as with advice from a friend you will find yourself taking it on board and making changes.

‘Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style’ by Christie Matheson