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Contrary to popular belief, us consumers have a lot to say in terms of what companies manufacture and don’t manufacture. If we all stopped buying the poisonous cleaners that are churned out year after year, and start buying more earth friendly cleaners and products, those guys in their fancy chairs and lofty offices are going to have no choice but to get with the program.

Obviously there are some things we need that are not the most eco-friendly, but more and more green options are available and it’s our job to snap them up to send a message to the money grubbers that we care about the world and we want it to live and continue to support life a little longer.

But how can we tell which “green” products aren’t toxic to the planet?

If you live in Canada I wrote a similar piece about their Environmental Choice Eco-Logo and how that makes healthy household cleaners, detergents and the like. The list below takes things one step further.

It’s going to help you make the purchases that are better for the environment. Any product that has 2 or less checks on the list are a good choice, those that have more checks, not so much:

ONE- Is the item made using recycled materials?

TWO- Does it have recyclable packaging or is it made from it?

THREE- Is it made within 150 kilometres of where you live?

FOUR- On the packaging or bottle do you see a logo from a major environmental program, such as the Environmental Choice or Energy Star logo, or that of the Forest Stewardship Council or the Marine Stewardship Council?

FIVE- Is the product durable and able to be reused?

SIX- If there is anything left after use is it compostable or recyclable?

SEVEN- Does it do the work of several products? (eg. all purpose cleaners cuts the need to have so many bottles of cleaners around the house. Less use less waste)

EIGHT- Are replacement parts available so you can maintain the product without having to buy a new one?

NINE- Was the product manufactured using a renewable energy source? (eg. solar, wind or sustainable hydro)

TEN- Are the materials those that can be sustainably grown and harvested? (eg. bamboo is better than wood)

ELEVEN- Is the product free of toxic and/or harmful materials? (eg. volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, heavy metals, antibacterial chemicals or phosphates –lots of soap has phosphates)

Print out this handy check list and keep it in your purse or wallet and use it the next time you go shopping. It’s a fast and easy way for you to determine with household (and beyond) products are eco-friendly and actually not harmful to the planet.

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If you want to make a difference in the world and do your part to keep your carbon footprint as small as possible these 5 eco tips are going to help you do just that. Now, you may not be able to do them all but don’t worry, every little bit helps. If you can do even one of these things you will be helping the planet and yourself.

Here are some ideas you can use to live a greener lifestyle:

1) Consider alternative transportation
Bike or use public transit whenever you get the chance. Carpooling is another great idea that many businesses are doing these days. It cuts down the amount of pollution dramatically, you would be shocked.

2) Take care of your car and cut down on emissions
If you are going to drive, keep your tires inflated well and don’t speed. If you do these two simple things you will save not just the environment due to less emissions but you will save money too. You will use less fuel and goodness knows we could all do to save on gas. The prices are too high for me.

3) The 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
When you can reuse old packaging instead of buying new things. This actually saves more energy than recycling. The amount of packaging that comes with products these days is crazy so if you can reuse definitely do it. Think of the space the landfill would have if all that packaging didn’t make it that far. Get paper bags when you can but if you have to use plastic be sure to reuse them.

4) Compost kitchen scraps etc.
Approximately 30% of the trash that is thrown away is compostable. If you compost the leaves, grass, vegetable scraps and other miscellaneous food stuffs, you are saving energy and landfill space. You can use a regular old bin for composting or you can purchase special composters, they are pretty cool.

5) Conserve water
Don’t let faucets run. Never water your lawn at midday. Place a brick in old toilets. Take low flow short showers. Run the dishwasher only when it is full. Let grass grow longer. Plant native or drought-tolerant garden plants.

These 5 simple tips can make a big difference to the world, I know you’re skeptical, but it’s true. Share these earth friendly tips with your friends and get the whole gang going. By just doing one of these things you can set an example for others.

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Find all of your organic gardening solutions here, at Arbico-Organics.com

I don’t know about you but I want to live longer, live happier and healthier than my parents and their parents. I know the world is full of dangerous, toxic things but that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Nope. In fact there are all kinds of things you can do to avoid illness and even stave off the threat of cancer.

Research has clearly show that staying active through exercise is the key to living longer. it’s not like you have to do a major workout every single day or anything, just keep your body moving and get some good clean fresh air. You will feel better, guaranteed.

There was a Japanese study done with almost 80,000 adults, and in this report the researchers found that active women were 16 percent less likely to develop cancer–and this is any kind of cancer– over a period of 5 to 10 years. Males on the other hand lowered their risk of getting cancer by approximately 13 percent.

One of the most relaxing, yet healthy hobbies is gardening. By nurturing your green thumb you will be able to nourish not just the body but the soul as well.

There is a book that I recommend to everyone I know called The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. It’s written by Dan Buettner and he says about spending time working in the garden: “It’s a source of daily physical activity that exercises the body with a wide range of motion and helps reduce stress”

Take a little time, plant a garden, whether you choose veggies, berries or colorful flowers, it doesn’t matter.

Buettner make some great points in his book, such as:

* Free built in food: If you choose to grow vegetables you will be able to reap the benefits in terms of healthy eating as well. Grow Organic and you’ll know that your home grown foods are not poisoned with toxic fertilizers or polished to a hardwood floor shine with disgusting body clogging waxes. You (and your family) can lose weight and feel better all around when you grow your own food.

* Sunlight and Vitamin D: When you spend time outdoors on a sunny day, whether you are gardening or hiking, your body is producing Vitamin D. This happens when you are exposed to sunlight and it’s a powerful vitamin. It affects everything from the strength of your bones to your mood. It is great for helping the body to fight cancer as well.

* Consider growing some spices: Mugwort, ginger, and turmeric are big parts of Japanese gardens and foods. They are all great for helping you live longer and they have proven medicinal qualities.

Being healthy and able to enjoy life to the fullest is the best thing you can do for both you and your family. Get outdoors and get active, even if it’s mild exercise it is going to help your body improve literally everything about yourself both inside and out.

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Grow Plants from Seed
Accelerated Propagation System Kit

If plant gardening is your thing then you are going to want to get your hands on this Accelerated Propagation System Kit. It has everything a gardener needs to grow plants from seed.

This APS growing kit comes with all the following gardening essentials:

# Two self-watering APS-24 seedstarters
# Two “greenhouse covers” for faster germination
# 9 quarts of Germinating Mix
# 24 wooden seedling markers
# Two water-level indicators
# 2.5 oz of Plant Health Care for Seedlings fertilizer

Plant gardening has never been simpler than with this seed growing kit. It’s easy, relaxing and most of all fun. This is the perfect way for both new and experienced gardeners to get a leg up on spring.

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This exclusive tomato planter, the Gardener’s Revolution™ Planter, can only be found at Gardener’s Supply Company store. It hangs upside down and makes growing the tastiest, healthiest tomatoes so easy anyone can do it, even me.

As you can see this is an upside down tomato planter, you are probably wondering why someone would want a planter that hangs that way, right? Well, it turns out this is the easiest way to grow tomatoes. You even avoid rot because no tomatoes will sit on the damp soil.

Growing tomatoes upside-down is the only way to go in my opinion because this way you never have to worry about weeding, staking or tying your plants, you leave it all to gravity. And considering this upside down planter hangs from above it takes up no space at all.

They all it the Gardeners Revolution Planter and it’s the perfect name because this truly has revolutionized the way people grow tomatoes. It has a 1-gallon water reservoir on top, which helps to ensure perfect moisture in the soil at all times.

Here are some more details about this upside down tomato planter:

* Sturdy polyethylene-coated steel cage with soft synthetic fabric liner
* Planter is 8″ diameter x 16″ H
* Holds 17 quarts of container mix
* 1-gallon water reservoir
* Moisture-level indicator and capillary matting
* Swivel chain and hook

If you love tomatoes then you will love this tomato planter, it’s perfect and it makes growing these tasty treats as easy as 1-2-3.

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Gardener’s Supply Company – 15% off orders of $25 or more on eco-friendly options!

Start living a greener lifestyle today

When you shop at the Gardener’s Supply Company you can save big bucks. Whether you are spending money on a composter like the Easy-Open Composter pictured above or you are more interested in buying smaller items like Enameled Compost Pails that make it easy to take composting material from the kitchen to the backyard, you can save on them at this store. Living a green lifestyle is easier than you think.

Right now they even have a sale that you can take advantage of. You can get 15% off orders of $25 or more when you shop at the Garden Supply Store.

They sell everything you need to live a greener lifestyle. Their eco-friendly options are effective and there are green supplies for everyone. You don’t have to take living green to the wall, you can start small and see how it goes. Every little change you make for the better helps the planet stay healthy. If we all did just a little bit to lessen our footprint, the world would be a better, safer, healthier place for us all to live on.

You can take advantage of the sales that Garden Supply Store is always having to make a change for the better and begin to do your part to keep the world healthy for the next generations. You might want to check out their Clearance section as well. It is chock full of great deals on eco-friendly options.

Technorati Tags: greener lifestyle, eco-friendly options, Garden Supply Store

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If you are an eco-friendly gardening junkie then you have to take a look at the Gardener’s Supply Company and their secret summer sale. It is huge and everything you need to keep your garden looking fantastic all year is there for super cheap prices.

This is your chance to get cheap gardening supplies that are effective and ones that are good for the environment. You don’t need to poison the ground and our water table to keep your garden healthy and bountiful. Nope, you can do it with eco-friendly gardening options from the Gardener’s Supply Company.

Their eco-friendly gardening supplies are the best on the market and the price is amazing when at their normal prices but when you make use of their Gardener’s Supply’s Secret Summer Sale you save ever more!

Get what you need to prepare your garden for winter if you are in a cooler part of the country, or if you happen to live in a warm place like Southern California, go on and stock up on the eco-friendly garden supplies you need to keep your flowers blooming their best all through the seasons.

Technorati Tags: Gardener’s Supply Company, cheap gardening supplies, eco-friendly gardening, eco-friendly garden supplies

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