Boston - November 23, 2009

Shades of Green

Fall 2009 Green Guide

Going green takes time. Work up to tree-hugging status with help from some Massachusetts-based companies.

Sapling
Indulge your sweet tooth with gooey soy nut butter. Simple Foods’s five spreads are certified organic and peanut, gluten, and tree-nut free. Wash it down with a cup of Good 4 You’s herbal tea. Each variety (Simmer Down, Wake Up and Live, Could You Be Loved) is hand-packed from locally grown, organic (and/or fair trade) herbs and comes in a biodegradable bag.

Shrub
You’ve always been about BYOB (that Natty Light is mine!). Next time you hit the produce aisle, take your own Bite bag. The little machine-washable mesh totes have a handy drawstring and can be reused for everything from arugula to watermelon.

Bush
You’re looking to keep it natural, not stinky au naturel. Lather up with Just Soap, handmade, chemical-free bars made from vegetable and essential oils and organic herbs and spices in scents like oatmeal honey, cinnamon clove, and lemongrass ginger. Bonus points: Batches are mixed with a human-powered bicycle blender.

Birch Tree
Take your love of sustainability to the streets with Olive Green Apparel’s cute mittens and caps. The mother-daughter duo makes the one-of-a-kind accessories from recycled wool.

Great Oak
Extreme Mamma Earthers probably already know about Moon Loon Pads, the, um, reusable menstrual pads made from 100 percent organic cotton fleece and natural-colored flannel. They work like trusty disposables: Just slip in an absorbent insert and go. Everything is machine washable and made to last for years.

Nature’s calling.

Photos: Courtesy of Simple Food, Inc.; Courtesy of Sustainable Bite; Courtesy of Just Soap; Courtesy of Olive Green Apparel; Courtesy of Moon Loon Pads

  Do-Gooder, Ecofriendly