Recently I was walking through one of my favourite stores and I came across a new line of cleaning products, method. Instantly I was drawn to the display and I found myself picking up each product to learn more. The packaging design is brillant with a clean simple design for the label and stylish curves to their bottles. The method product line stands out amonst the competition not only for branding and packaging but also for efficacy and impact on the environment.
It works!
I couldn’t resist buying one of the new cleaning products. I see the word �new� on a product label and I instantly buy the product. I guess you could say I am an early adopter to new products or perhaps a better way to describe me is a person that is easily fooled by marketing. What can I say, I like to try new things!
I am glad that I went with my instincts and purchased the new all-purpose surface cleaner, pink grapefruit. When I got home I started to clean my kitchen counters and table tops with the new cleaner and to my amazement it worked wonders. I had made a dish of gnocchi with a rich tomato sauce earlier in the evening and my white stove was covered in what appeared to be tomato freckles. Normally I would have reached for one of my industrial strength cleaners to clean the mess, however, I had my new eco-friendly cleaner in hand and was ready to give it a chance. A few sprays on the stovetop and a wipe with a paper towel and once again the stove is looking as good as new. I stood there in amazement, could this be true, a product that cleans well and is eco-friendly? The answer is yes…method cleaning products do work and they leave your house smelling great.
The all purpose spray, pink grapefruit, has a nice fragrant smell that is not overpowering and leaves a nice subtle smell in the air. I have now used the spray on tough to treat tomato stains, soap scum in the bathroom, wood coffee tables and floor tiles and without fail the product works.
I recently did a search on method products to learn more about the company and I found their website, www.methodhome.com. According to their website, their philosophy is:
To provide premium formulations that are safe for the environment, both in formulation, use and disposal. method achieves this in two ways:
1) by carefully choosing the ingredients in its formulations; and
2) by designed environmentally responsible packaging. The ongoing goal is to develop products that leave the smallest footprint possible.
method products are:
* Biodegradable
* Safe in the waste stream
* Derived from natural ingredients, such as soy, coconut and palm oils
method products contain no:
* Propellants, aerosols or other harmful vapors
* Phosphates
* Chlorine bleach
In addition, all of method’s packaging is recyclable, being either PETE 1 or HDPE 2 plastic.
I commend the founders of method, Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, for starting their company. It is inspiring to see people creating alternative solutions for a category of products we use on a daily basis. This is a great demonstration of high quality eco-friendly products that can easily become a staple in your cleaning cupboard and can replace some of the more toxic brands.
To the skeptics out there, give method products a try and see the results for yourself. My plan is to buy a few more method products this week and I will once again test, review and post the results on the website.
EcoSherpa was not paid to endorse method products. This product review was conducted independently by EcoSherpa.
Written by steve on July 31st, 2006 with 3 comments.
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Do you happen to have some vinegar and baking soda at home? (you should - these are very versatile products, not to mention very cheap!).
Rather than dumping a full bottle of Draino or Liquid Plummer down your drain, try 1/2 cup of baking soda then 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Flush with hot water, and repeat if necessary.
One word of caution - you probably shouldn’t try this if you have already tried the usual chemicals. Vinegar CAN react with certain household chemicals to produce toxic gases.
Written by Bentley on July 31st, 2006 with no comments.
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After recently sharing my composter building experience, I thought I might as well kickstart our “Green Living Tips” section with a composting related tip.
Do you throw out your empty toilet, paper towel, and wrapping paper rolls? Most people probably do.
Well instead of adding more bulk to your weekly trash, why not put this carbon rich resource to good use?
If you currently have some sort of composting or vermicomposting container this carboard will be a great addition, acting as a bulking agent to increase air flow (important for a proper composting process) and also helping to balance the C:N ratio in the bin.
For best results be sure to snip up the rolls before use, as this will increase surface area and thus facilitate the decomposition process.
If you happen to have a small container for food scraps under your kitchen sink, this shredded cardboard can also serve as an excellent “false bottom”, helping to maintain air flow and wick excess moisture pooling in the bottom. I personally prefer shredded egg cartons for this task, but these are not always available.
Written by Bentley on July 30th, 2006 with no comments.
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Well I FINALLY built my own composter this year - something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time! Those who know me well, know this is a pretty major accomplishment for me given the fact that I’m the furthest thing from a “handy-man” you’ll ever find! Add to that my penchant for procrastination and it truly becomes a remarkable feat!!
It DID take awhile before it was completed. I started with a simple hole in the ground, which I filled with old straw, cardboard, food waste and the contents of several worm bins I’d kept inside over the winter.
My hole-in-the-ground served as my composter for several months (did I mention that I like to procrastinate?), but I finally started working with my building supplies. Speaking of which, I’m sad to report that much of the wood I used to build the composter was brand new, from the lumber yard. If you can build a composter from old scraps of wood you have lying around thats definitely a better option.
Anyway, I must say I was pretty pleased with the way the composter turned out! Doesn’t look half-bad, and gives me a little more confidence in my building skills.
In preparation for my new composter building project this year - and much to my wife’s dismay, I might add - I started stockpiling cardboard boxes in our shed so I would have LOTS of Carbon-rich feedstock. Here is the view from my shed after I pulled most of them out in preparation for shredding. I’m sure it must have been quite the sight for my neighbours!! Luckily I completed the job in less than 24 hours.
I’ve found that composting worms (red wigglers) absolutely love brown cardboard, and of course it’s a great way to keep things balanced in the bin once all the sloppy wet N-rich waste materials (aka kitchen scraps) start getting added. It really helps speed things up if you can moisten it early on - I accomplished this by leaving the composter open during some rainstorms, and occasionally adding some water with a watering can.
Whats amazing is that I was eventually able to get ALL the carboard seen in the picture above into the composter!
Thus far the bin seems to be well on its way to becoming a lean, mean, composting machine!!! I’ve added lots of kitchen scraps and green debris from my yard work, and recently also another thick layer of rotting straw on the top to help keep the moisture in.
More updates to come as my continuing new-composter saga unfolds!
Cheers
Bentley
Written by Bentley on July 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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As oil prices soar to record highs, the demand for alternative energy solutions that are also environmentally friendly is quickly growing. Increasingly people are searching for new solutions and becoming educated on companies that offer alternative solutions. Green tecnhology investor portal www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com remind investors and industry to participate in the current “Green Technology Investor Contest.
Tom Djokovich, CEO of XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB: XSNX), provider of technologies for solar energy explains, “As the demand and price for oil continues to increase, the transition to the use of renewables becomes inevitable. Raising public awareness, through contests such as this, is a valuable step in adopting and understanding new ways of creating and utilizing energy.”
The contest, which officially started June 19th, gives investors $200,000 in virtual dollars to invest in green companies of choice from a list provided by RenewableEnergyStocks.com�. Current sponsors and prizes include a ZAP� (NYSE: ZP) www.zapworld.com Electric Car, and Electric Scooter, plus prizes from MicrocapTrade www.MicrocapTrade.com, Energy Hedge Fund Center LLC www.energyhedgefunds.com and eco friendly children’s products, Wild Heart Ranch www.WildHeartRanch.com.
Registration is Now Open: http://www.greentechinvestor.com/sign_up.aspx
List of Green Stocks to Trade: http://www.greentechinvestor.com/stock_list.aspx
Written by steve on July 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Indeed Wal-Mart is the retailing giant, but what about their sustainability initiatives? Wal-Mart CEO, Lee Scott, would like us to believe Wal-Mart will invest $500 million in sustainability projects and will become the leader in green retailing. It is one thing to sell green products to the masses. What about their business practices? Wal-Mart is already the leader in organic milk sales and is the largest buyer of organic cotton. But how are these products and supplies shipped to their suppliers and their stores? A company can’t simply offer to sell green products and call themselves eco-friendly.
A recent visit to the union funded website, walmartwatch.com, I found the following stats. “The company is the biggest private user of electricity in the U.S.; each of its 2,074 supercenters uses an average of 1.5 million kilowatts annually, enough as a group to power all of Namibia. Wal-Mart has the nation�s second-largest fleet of trucks, and its vehicles travel a billion miles a year.” Before we begin to praise Wal-Mart for their environmental initiatives we must look at the full picture.
Critics will point out that Wal-Mart’s same-store sales are down, trailing companies like Target and Costco. As well, since Lee Scott took over in 2000 as CEO the company stock price has declined 30%. Is Wal-Mart’s new green initiative real or simply a marketing ploy to wake the retailing giant’s sales?
I view Wal-Mart’s green rhetoric as a mere marketing ploy they are using to capitalize on the trend in green living. If fuel costs were not soaring and the heightened awareness on global warming not present, would Wal-Mart be interested in saving the world? Where were these initiatives 10 years ago? The bottom line is Wal-Mart’s business is selling products and they are always looking for new trends to capitalize on. In a recent article, posted in Fortune, it states, “The bigger idea here is that poor and middle-income Americans are every bit as interested in buying green products as are the well-to-do, so long as they are affordable.” I am all for people having access to green goods and I strongly feel that we need more eco-friendly choices that are both readily available and affordable. However, I have a strong issue with companies who are simply trying to cash is on the emerging green trend.
Companies like Wal-Mart have an enormous influence on the world, their suppliers, their employees and their customers and should look to provide education and leadership in ways to reduce waste and conserve energy. There is no doubt about the power and influence of Wal-Mart and I truly believe they can make a positive difference in the world. My only concern is their motives for turning green, is it dollar signs or ethics? We can only wait and see what the almighty giant will do next. Come back to EcoSherpa for updates on Wal-Mart and their push for greener pastures.
Written by steve on July 26th, 2006 with 1 comment.
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Tesla Motors is turning that dream into reality as it prepares to launch its first vehicle, the Tesla Roadster. A two-seat sports car powered by a motor with only one moving part, the Tesla Roadster is capable of 135 mpg equivalent, and going from 0-60 mph in about four seconds. Tesla Motors is turning that dream into reality as it prepares to launch its first vehicle, the Tesla Roadster. A two-seat sports car powered by a motor with only one moving part, the Tesla Roadster is capable of 135 mpg equivalent, and going from 0-60 mph in about four seconds.
With its electric motor producing zero emissions, the Tesla Roadster is breaking the link between traditional automotive performance and oil consumption.
Tesla Motors co-founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning have brought together a team of automotive industry veterans as well as Silicon Valley electronics and software engineers to bring the Tesla Roadster to life. With its electric motor powered by a proprietary Energy Storage System consisting of 6,831 lithium-ion cells, the Roadster has the capability of driving more than 250 miles on a single charge.
To learn more about the Telsa Roadster, go to Telsa Motors.
Written by steve on July 25th, 2006 with no comments.
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HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish engineers have poured pig manure into a contaminated pond next to an old mine, saying the bacteria in the slurry will clean up metals in the water.
Mining company Outokumpu dumped 450 cubic meters of pig slurry into the waste water near the closed Kangasjarvi mine, which once produced zinc, copper and sulfur.
“Pig slurry contains bacteria that bind metals that are in the mine water and they will sink to the bottom. We have used this system to clean mine waters at various mines,” Eero Soininen, Outokumpu’s mine reclamation manager, told Reuters.
“Around 15 years ago we noticed mine water got cleaned by itself at our Foldal mine in Norway. We studied the water and found bacteria that eat sulfides.”
It takes around 2 to 4 years for sulfide-eating bacteria to get their job done.
Written by steve on July 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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