One organization with an innovative solution to the problem of connecting qualified workers with good-paying jobs is Samasource. The name comes from the Sanskrit word “sama” which means “equal,” and the organization seeks to “give work, not aid” by providing equal opportunities for women, youth, and refugees from developing companies in the global digital economy.

It achieves this goal by connecting qualified workers with companies who need to outsource small tasks, such as data entry, translation, Facebook application testing, and more. These small tasks – “microwork,” as they are sometimes called – may be too tedious or insignificant for workers in the developed world, but they offer a steady source of good income for third world workers. As a growing number of nonprofit innovators have found, the spread of mobile phones and reliable internet access makes it increasingly easy even for workers in remote rural regions to join the digital age.

How It Works

Samasource starts by identifying qualified service providers in a region. These may include small businesses, non-profits, and groups of home-based individuals, screened to ensure good working conditions for employees and ability to perform quality work for clients. Selected service providers are then provided with business training and connected to companies requiring microwork through Samasource’s official website. To date, Samasource has helped more than 1200 people find good work in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Pakistan, and Haiti.

Samasource differs from other outsourcing organizations because it focuses specifically on finding work for disadvantaged providers in rural regions, refugee camps, and other areas with significant but severely underutilized pools of talent, while many traditional outsourcing agencies work primarily in urban areas of China, India, and the Philippines. As a non-profit social business, Samasource is also able to provide a greater range of payment options to ensure that wages actually reach the worker.

One of Samasource’s earliest success stories was Marie Umar, a Pakistani woman living in a rural region controlled by the Taliban. Well educated but unable to find work outside the home, Umar was able to increase her income from less than $100 to more than $800 per month with the help of Samasource. Thanks to her success with Samasource, Umar was able to found her own firm to help other women find microwork to raise themselves and their families out of poverty.

How You Can Help

In addition to tax-deductible donations to support Samasource’s training programs, you can also support Samasource’s innovative work in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean by downloading Samasource’s Give Work iPhone application from the iTunes app store or searching for “Give Work” on your iPhone app store.

The Give Work iPhone app allows you to support the work done by Samasource service providers by completing short, on screen tasks. These tasks may help verify the work done by Samasource service providers to ensure accuracy and quality, or assist a Samasource provider with a task they have a question about. 100% of the revenue earned goes to the service provider.

Why Recycled Fashion?

The process of creating recycled fashion is often known as “up-cycling.” Recycling waste products saves natural resources, reduces air and water pollution, cuts carbon emissions, creates jobs, and saves space in landfills. Up-cycling waste products has all the same environmental benefits as recycling, while also turning what was once a discarded piece of garbage into a beautiful, fashionable, and functional work of art. Recycled fashion is often handmade by artisans in disadvantaged countries, so they even help fight poverty around the world. Recycled handbags are an accessory that you can truly feel good about!

What Are Recycled Handbags Made From?

Waste products used in designer recycled handbags are salvaged or donated and cleaned. An astonishing variety of products can be turned into recycled handbags.

5 Recycled Designer Handbags to Spice Up Any Wardrobe

These are some of my picks for the most stylish recycled designer handbags:

Chica Tutti Frutti Bag

1. Chica Tutti Frutti Bag

The Chica Tutti Frutti Bag is a bright, stylish clutch bag made from recycled candy wrappers! It is perfect for carrying keys, IDs, and other small things. The Chica Tutti Frutti Bag is handmade in Mexico and fair trade certified, which means that in addition to the environmental benefits, the workers who produced the handbag are guaranteed fair wages and safe working conditions.

Mandala Handbag

2. Mandala Handbag

For an offbeat look, the Mandala Handbag is a funky creation made from soda pop tops. The pop tops are hand crocheted into spiral patterns by Neide Ambrosio of Brazil for a unique and creative accessory. The handbag has a polyester lining and zipper top. It come in baby pink, black, blue, and terra.

3. Woman Warrior Purse

Woman Warrior Purse

Another of Neide Ambrosio’s glittering creations is the Woman Warrior Purse, a recycled designer handbag made from golden zipper pulls. The zipper pulls are woven into a mesh and linked together with aluminum rings and the purse is then lined with satin and closed with a secure lobster claw clasp. This eye-catching handbag is also available in a style called Silver Treasure, which features silver zipper pulls and a sturdy polyester lining.

4. Red Star Tote

The Red Star Tote (shown above) is a popular design made from recycled sailboat sails. This handsome tote bag is lined with blue denim on the inside and has contrasting bright orange trim, with an inside pocket designed to keep small stuff like keys, IDs, and cash organized and easily accessible. The orange nylon webbing strap is 26″ so it fits comfortably over your shoulder but is short enough to tote, and the back of the bag is decorated with a diagonal sail seam. The Red Star Tote is handmade in the United States.

5. Carriage Hobo Handbag

Carriage Hobo Handbag

The stylish Carriage Hobo Handbag is made from recycled auto seatbelts with an eco-friendly organic hemp lining and antique nickel hardware. The lining is silk screened with environmentally friendly water-based inks and has four internal slip pockets and one zip pocket. Designed by Harveys and made in the United States, each Carriage Hobo recycled handbag is completely unique and one-of-a-kind.

These are just a few of the amazing variety of beautiful recycled handbags available today. Other popular designs include handbags made from art posters, newspapers, truck tire inner tubes, carpets, skateboards, and even bamboo chopsticks! The creativity and skill that go into crafting recycled designer handbags is truly unmatched.

Green” is a term that’s thrown around a lot these days to refer to all types of things. From consumer goods to television specials to vehicles to lifestyle choices. Everyone’s talking green.

In a similar way green business definitions are just as broad. But when it comes to corporations, what does it really mean to be a green business? Sure, many businesses are talking the green talk, but are they really walking the green walk? Defining green business” is key to recognizing companies that truly have the environment in mind.

At the very core, green businesses choose to operate in an earth-friendly fashion. They work to adapt their policies, practices, and principles so that they produce a positive result for the environment–whether they’re trying to solve an environmental or societal problem, or they’re just attempting to produce a product that has a smaller footprint.

Green businesses produce green products

Let’s start by looking at how a business might change their manufacturing operations in order to build eco-friendly products. Many today talk about the triple bottom line” which is a phrase that was coined by john Elkington in 1994. Today, it is one of the benchmarks used to measure whether a business has adopted sound environmental policies and practices.

Essentially, the triple bottom line takes ecological and social performance seriously, building it into a three-part organization model that functions along three axes: people, planet, and profit. In other words, rather than considering only profit in measuring a business’ success, the triple bottom line gets companies thinking beyond money to social and environmental factors as well.

In practical terms, this may mean that a green business should consider the following environmental and society strategies:

• Water conservation: Green businesses understand that our fresh water supplies are limited and that careful conservation is required. At all steps in the manufacturing and distribution process, efforts should be made to reduce the consumption of water and the company should strive to produce products that consume less water during their lifespan as well.
• Energy conservation: In addition to concerns about water, another green business opportunity is energy conservation. Sustainable businesses recognize that climate change will have a profound impact on our world at all levels, including business success. Those green businesses that build energy conservation into their long-term plans will not only save money, they will protect themselves against the risk of rising energy costs, and will demonstrate to their constituents their interest in taking climate change seriously (which garners support). Again, for manufacturers, this will mean both energy savings on the factory floor as well as an emphasis on producing products that require less energy.
• Solid waste reduction and recycling: From start to finish, the quantity of waste produced during the manufacturing process should be limited. Processes the minimize waste from the start and that have plans in place for recycling and reusing any waste that is in fact created should be the cornerstone of any green business. And as always, the finished product should also reduce waste production.
• Pollution prevention: Finally, green businesses practices will also include pollution prevention. Many manufacturing processes use toxic ingredients and/or spew toxic effluent and waste into the environment (be it air pollution, water pollution, or ground pollution). A green business will work to reduce toxins going into their products, mitigate toxins at the end of the process, and create a product that functions toxin-free as well.

A really green business may wish to go above and beyond by working to give back to the environment by devising and producing products that actually help the environment. Whether a green business chooses to manufacture highly-efficient solar panels or engineer a new water filtration method, the world needs more products that will not only have less of an impact, they will actually improve the planet.

Green businesses conduct eco-friendly operations

But what if your company isn’t a direct manufacturer? How do you go about incorporating green business practices into your operations? Generally speaking, a green business that operates out of an office or distribution center will use the same principles as already outlined, but the practical applications will be slightly different. For instance:

• Energy conservation: A green office building will be constructed to as to minimize the energy consumed by its occupants. There will be energy efficient heating and cooling systems, low-energy lighting, and policies in place for purchasing energy efficient electronics and appliances and using them with the lowest possible energy. Additionally, company fleets can incorporate green business practices by empowering purchasers to look only for the most fuel efficient vehicles–whether they be delivery trucks or executive limousines.
• Solid waste reduction and recycling: Here again, a green business will apply resource reduction strategies to minimize the waste that is created. This could mean reducing packaging waste or ordering in bulk. It will also mean an office with policies to reduce and handle waste properly. Employees will be encouraged to use less paper and fewer disposables (cleaning products, kitchen waste, etc). And comprehensive recycling programs will be put in place.
• Water conservation: A green business will also work to reduce water consumption. From toilets to faucets to showers to clean-up, water reduction measures will be put in place.
• Pollution prevention: Here, a green business will work to reduce pollution by practicing eco-friendly landscaping methods, using green janitorial supplies, and perhaps even purchasing carbon offsets to mitigate any greenhouse gas pollution they create.

2 Green business profiles

Let’s look quickly at two green businesses that are making a difference for the planet.

Milk Paint Company
Entrepreneur Charles Thibeau wanted to create his own Colonial-style furniture made with old-fashioned techniques so he turned to milk paint. Devising a formula that consists primarily of lime, milk, clay, and earth pigments–all natural, readily-available ingredients–he came up with a product that can be used on walls, exteriors, and furniture.

After much demand for his creations, he decided this would be a good business venture and founded the Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company. Their products are not only made of sustainable, renewable ingredients (conventional paints are often made with petroleum byproducts which are not renewable), they contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical preservatives, pigments, or fungicides, all toxic ingredients common in conventional paints. It’s a truly green business that’s producing truly green products.

Recycline
Recognizing that millions of toothbrushes are thrown away in American homes every year, Eric Hudson decided to do something about the problem. So, he created a company called Recycline that would produce eco-friendly products, including the Preserve Toothbrush. Made with a handle constructed of 100 percent recycled plastic, this toothbrush is not only practical, it is green. This is especially true since Preserve Toothbrushes and everything else in their product line can be recycled with #5 plastics! That’s a true expression of the triple bottom line in action.

Lemons are a common ingredient in eco-friendly cleaning products.

Opening a green cleaning service is a great business opportunity for cleaning professionals who want to make a difference. Green cleaning services are increasingly in demand from private homeowners, eco innkeepers, and other green business owners concerned about the safety and environmental effects of conventional cleaning products.

Why Start a Green Cleaning Service?

Many conventional cleaning products contain dangerous chemicals such as chlorine, ammonia, formaldehyde, and hydrochloric acid. They can produce unhealthy fumes that contribute to indoor air pollution and can leave toxic residues on surfaces, including kitchen counters, bathtubs, and carpets. Some of these toxins are associated with respiratory diseases, skin conditions, neurological problems, reproductive problems, cancer, and poisoning, among other serious health concerns. These chemicals are especially dangerous for young children, pets, and adults with chemical sensitivities (an estimated 15% of the population). They can also hurt employees. Every year 6% of janitors and house cleaners are injured by cleaning supplies at least once.

Conventional cleaning products also harm the environment, especially when they are poured down the drain. Many water treatment plants cannot adequately treat household toxins, so they can damage the health of marine ecosystems or contaminate drinking water downstream.

What Kinds of Products Does an Eco-Friendly Cleaning Service Use?

Green cleaning services use cleaning products that are non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe for both human and environmental health. Many use only products that are Green Seal Certified. Green seal is an independent non-profit organization that certifies green products, including cleaning supplies, based on a rigorous set of standards designed to protect human and environmental health.

Popular green cleaning product brands include Seventh Generation, Earth Friendly Products, and Green Works. Other green cleaners mix their own products. These cleaning products are gentle yet effective and contain natural ingredients such as essential oils, citric acid, baking soda, vinegar, and glycerine.

Green cleaning services also typically use HEPA filter vacuums to improve indoor air quality and offer steam cleaning for rugs, a safe, chemical-free alternative to toxic chemical cleaners.

Eco-friendly cleaning services can go green in other ways as well, from using energy-efficient vacuums and other equipment, to printing brochures on recycled paper.

Three Successful Green Cleaning Services

The Maid Brigade is a nation-wide green cleaning service that not only offers a full range of eco-friendly cleaning services for private homes, it also has an extensive website called Green Clean Certified with educational videos and other information about the dangerous chemicals found in conventional cleaners and how they can affect your health. If you suspect you might be “house-sick” as a result of the toxic cleaners you use in your homes, the videos can help you find safer alternative cleaners to use.

Another popular nationwide green cleaning service is The Cleaning Authority, which uses Green Seal Certified cleaning products, HEPA filter vacuums, and microfiber rags, which are more durable than regular cleaning rags, reducing waste. Microfiber rags also clean better, because they capture dust and dirt particles in the fibers, rather than simply spreading them around. The Cleaning Authority uses an exclusive Detail-Clean Rotation System to ensure a spotless home.

An example of a successful local cleaning service is Green Hawaii Cleaning, based on Hawaii’s Big Island. The wet tropical climate of Hawaii requires special care to prevent mold growth, and Green Hawaii Cleaning offers power washing services as well as a standard repertoire of green cleaning services for private homes and small businesses. Because Hawaii is such an important vacation destination, Green Hawaii Cleaning also caters to the local community by offering check-in and check-out cleaning for vacation homes and rentals. In addition to Green Seal certified eco-friendly cleaning supplies, Green Hawaii Cleaning, also mixes some of its own products with essential oils such as lavender and tea tree oil.

The green economy is growing, and along with it, green websites and communities are sprouting up all over the webosphere.   Online communities, blogs and social networks aimed at connecting well meaning people with great causes (and each other) have exploded. Nowadays, it only takes an Internet connection to rally around issues like climate change, clean energy, or green collar jobs.

At the same time, with all the Green social networks out there, it’s hard to know which online community is worth the time investment. Because, face it, social networking takes time. Whether you are an individual activist seeking to meet other like-minded people or a social change organization trying to build community around your cause, choosing the right online community can ensure that you get the most impact for your efforts.

Top 15 Green Social Networks for Different Shades of Green

Face it, there are many shades of green…so which green social network is right for you? We’ve researched the top most influential, active, and interesting social networks for Green causes, and have categorized them, for your convenience, below:

Social Networks for the Carbon Footprint to Geo-Spatial Mapping Obsessed

Ready for a challenge? Carbonrally challenges you to… give your computer a rest, by unplugging your computer every night for one month. This is one of many do-able challenges members can take on – and not feel alone and dwarfed by the immensity of the Earth’s climate woes. Carbonrally aims to create a place where many people could discover and commit to small, positive actions over time.

If you are a natural team player and/ or somewhat competitive, Carbonrally is a great way for individuals and groups to have fun making an impact on energy consumption and climate change.

Check out their Total Impact Map for the amount of CO2 reduced by members across the globe. Trippy.

11thhouraction.com was inspired by popular documentary “The 11th Hour” (narrated by Leonardo Dicaprio). It’s environmentally focused social network aimed at empowering individuals and groups to engage in planet-saving actions.

Users can sign up, create a blog, create their own environmental action campaigns, or commit to a personal action, like carpooling or recycling more. Actions get plotted on a map, so you can view the community’s environmental activism across the globe, or locate an action group near you.

Social Networks for Cause Driven Activists

Care2 was started in 1998 by Randy Paynter who wanted to harness the power of the Internet to make the world a better place. Care2 originally started as a online email and ecard service that donated a percentage of revenues to environmental nonprofits. It has since evolved into an interactive online community with nearly 12M members. On Care2 you can support in a variety of social causes, from animal welfare to women’s rights, by donating to featured nonprofits, signing petitions, joining an interest group or simply staying informed.

Needless to say, the project has since outgrown Randy’s apartment and is now a company that has 50 employees, 9 million users and 400 non profit partners.

Change.org is the leading online community for social change. Originally Change.org provided a novel way for people to connect around positive social change – you would type in the change(s) you wanted to create in the world and you be able to find others in the community who were tagged with those same causes. The site has since evolved, providing daily news and information about important social issues, as well as the means for people to take action, and connect with nonprofits.

Change.org is a profitable social entrepreneurship venture based in San Francisco, CA founded by Stanford graduate Ben Rattray in 2005.

Social Networks for Socially Responsible Business Champions

If you are true believer in socially responsible business and social entrepreneurship, then you must check out Social Edge – NOW! Social Edge, a project of the Skoll Foundation for social entrepreneurship, is the global online community where social entrepreneurs and other practitioners of the social benefit sector connect to network, learn, inspire and share resources.

Here you can get expert advice, find funding for your social business, peruse job listings in the social enterprise sector, and discover incredible social entrepreneurs in their Social Entrepreneur Directory.

Justmeans is a social network for the business for good” community, a place where professional do gooders of all orientations, from activists to social entrepreneurs to CSR (corporate social responsibility) buffs and green marketing fanatics, can network, share information, and collaborate on making business better for people and the planet.

Social Networks for NGO & Policy Wonks

WiserEarth is a free online community space connecting the people, nonprofits and businesses working toward a just and sustainable world. It is a project of Paul Hawken’s Natural Capital Institute and built on a wiki platform that supports the world’s most detailed classification of issue areas related to social justice and environmental restoration. Here you will find the world’s largest free and editable international directory of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and socially responsible organizations (110,000 in 243 countries, territories, and sovereign islands) – wow!

In the spirit of Wikipedia, WiserEarth is open source, with content publicly available for use under the Creative Commons license.

If you are into serious, thoughtful discussion on sustainability issues with environmental policy wonks, you may want to join the conversation happening at Connect2Earth. Connect2earth is global green on-line community set up by two of the world’s largest environmental organizations – the WWF and IUCN.

Here, you can debate green issues with world’s top experts – for real –   share your thoughts, videos, and photos, AND be rewarded for your contribution. If you are a top contributor, you are eligible to win a solar charger for your cell phone, or better yet a trip somewhere cool, like the     UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen that happened this past December,   as part of the official WWF or IUCN delegation.

Social Networks for Youth Activists

DoSomething.org encourages teenagers to take positive social action, without the supervision of adults. This fun, teeny-bopperish site encourages kids to get out and do something through volunteerism, and also offers small grants to help teenagers to start their own projects. And if you want to start a club, all you need are 5 friends to apply, and DoSomething.org will provide resources, online infrastructure, opportunities to do good, and even fund your projects. Who needs grownups?

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Taking It Global is another youth oriented social network with a mission to transform teenagers and young adults (ages 13-30) into young leaders of today.

Taking It Global provides a collaborative learning community that allows youth across the world access to global opportunities, cross-cultural connections and meaningful participation in decision-making. In addition to being an online social network, Taking It Global provides tools for educators, and helps facilitate research and learning opportunities through workshops and webinars for its members.

Since their inception Taking It Global has reached 14 million young people across 12 languages.

Social Networks for Hippies

Holistic Local is a social network with a LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability) orientation, that focuses on connecting people who are into spirituality, health, the environment and conscious living locally. You can discover transformational workshops, participate in their holistic marketplace, access articles & e-books, and connect with thousands of crunchy-feely new age members.

The Gaia Community claims to be different from other a social networks. Firstly, you have to “apply” to join, although “applying” is no different than registering for free as on every other social network. Before you are allowed in, you must also click on this affirmation “I recognize that Gaia is creating an online sanctuary for personal development and, in the spirit of this, I commit to honoring the Terms of Use.” The Gaia Community aims to inspire and empower you to realize your own brilliant purpose and discover who you truly are. In addition to finding and connecting with other spiritually aware members, participating in conscious, planet affirming discussions, on Gaia, you may even find your soulmate.

Social Networks for LOHAS & Green Lifestyle Afficionados

Greenopolis needs a site revamp badly, because it’s not really clear what the site is about from the first glance. Is Greenopolis primarily a Green Rewards site? A green blogging community? Or a Green news and lifestyle site? It seems to try to accomplish all in a patchwork kind of way. They do appear to have members, but how exactly can members connect with each other in a meaningful way is not clear to me.

However, in spite of the overall confusion of their home page, Greenopolis does appear to be encouraging more recycling through their GreenOps Tracking System – a product-specific and consumer-driven recycling program that combines the infrastructure of Waste Management, the GreenOps Tracking Symbol and Tracking Stations, online information at Greenopolis.com, and Think Green Rewards (whatever that means). Watch the video explanation.

Lime.com – is all about healthy living with a green twist. The online community is operated by Gaiam, a green lifestyle company that provides information, goods and services to customers who value the environment, a sustainable economy, healthy lifestyles, alternative healthcare and personal development. Lime TV features videos from holistic health luminaries like Deepak Chopra and celebrity yogis like Rodney Yee. You can also listen to wide selection of Green lifestyle podcasts on topics such as herbal remedies, fitness, and meditation. Who would have thought that online Enlightenment was possible?

Social Networks for the Complainers

The nag is a tongue in cheek UK based site lightens up on the earnest, do-gooder mentality that plagues environmental activists and makes eco-activism fun. First you start by ranting – get it off your chest. After you’ve let it all out, then you suggest solutions. After that, get out and do something! So while you’re ranting about the evils of bottled water in restaurants, it may actually occur to you in the midst of it all to ask for tap?

Tree planting in Haiti

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, devastating the capital city of Port-au-Prince, killing more than 200,000 people, and leaving an estimated 1,000,000 homeless.

The catastrophic earthquake is only the latest in a long line of problems that have afflicted the impoverished island nation. In 2008, the island was hit by three hurricanes and a tropical storm, leading to devastating flooding. Tropical storm Jeanne struck four years earlier, killing more than 3,000 people in flooding and mudslides.

Many of these mudslides and floods were caused by deforestation. Less than 2% of Haiti’s natural forest cover remains, the rest logged to pay national debts or burned to produce charcoal for the people. Deforestation has also resulted in severely degraded soil due to erosion and soil depletion, making it even harder for rural Haitians to grow enough food to feed their families, let alone earn a stable income from farming. The rural crisis in Haiti over the last few decades contributed to the devastation of the 2010 earthquake, as penniless farmers fled to cities in search of employment, often ending up in overcrowded slums built from rubble and other unsafe materials.

Efforts are currently underway to rebuild Haiti after the earthquake, and green technologies developed by non-profit innovators and social entrepreneurs offer some of the best solutions to rebuilding Haiti’s shattered infrastructure and ensuring a better future for Haiti’s people.

5 Green Projects You Should Support

The U.S. Green Building Council has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help meet one of Haiti’s most immediate needs following the earthquake: safe housing for its people. The two organizations are already on the ground handing out emergency shelter kits and assisting with the removal of debris. They plan to replace destroyed homes with traditional shelters and core houses that are earthquake-safe and meet green standards.

In order to prevent additional deforestation, Haitians desperately need more sustainable sources of energy and cooking fuel. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s D-Lab is among the organizations working to provide green energy to fuel Haiti. One of its projects is charcoal made from begasse, the waste product fibers left after the juice has been extracted from sugarcane. Sugarcane charcoal is easy to make, uses a plentiful local waste product, and can help relieve pressure on Haiti’s remaining forests. It also burns more cleanly than wood charcoal, reducing respiratory problems caused by indoor use.

Another energy project in Haiti is the Solar Electric Light Fund‘s partnership with Partners in Health, one of Haiti’s most respected humanitarian organizations. SELF plans to install sustainable solar electric panels on all PIH’s clinics. In the short term, this will provide a reliable source of electricity for the clinics as they provide medical care to victims of the earthquake; in the long-term, it will serve as a foundation for building a sustainable health infrastructure in Haiti.

One of the most urgent long-term needs of Haiti is a massive reforestation effort designed to halt erosion, prevent flooding and mudslides, improve soil quality, and provide a sustainable source of income for rural Haitians. Among the organizations working for this goal is Operation Green Leaves, a tree planting and environmental education organization. Working closely with Haitian citizens in Haiti and the United States, OGL’s Trees for Life program has planted hundreds of thousands of fruit and forest trees within Haiti over the last 20 years. OGL also establishes local tree nurseries, provides environmental education, and donates kerosene stoves to local communities in an effort to relieve pressures on remaining forests.

The Lambi Fund also focuses on reforestation and sustainable development projects within Haiti. Their many excellent programs include tree planting, sustainable agriculture education, education and funds for livestock farming, community cistern and irrigation infrastructure development, microcredit lending services, seed banks, and more.

Green solutions such as these will play a vital role in rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake and helping it achieve a prosperous and sustainable future.

What are natural handbags made from?

Lotus Organic Cotton Handbag

Natural handbags are made from a variety of plant materials. The most common include organic cotton, hemp, jute, and bamboo.

Cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. Though it is grown on only 2% of the world’s arable land, it consumes 10% of all pesticides and 22% of all insecticides sprayed annually around the globe. In addition to environmental damage, an estimated 20,000 cotton workers die every year from pesticide contamination. Organic cotton, in contrast, is grown sustainably, relying on crop rotation and other natural methods to control pests. Certified organic cotton is also free of hazardous dyes, bleaches, and other chemical processing residues.

Jute Islet Handbag

Another common fiber used in natural handbags is jute. Jute is a type of shiny, strong vegetable fiber grown most frequently in India and Bangladesh. It is biodegradable and recyclable, and can be woven into beautiful, durable, and eco-friendly handbags.

Bamboo Cube Handbag

Hemp is a strong and durable material that has been used for clothing and other textiles for centuries. It is an extremely environmentally friendly fabric because it requires no pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, or other chemicals to grow.

For a unique and eye-catching natural handbag, consider a handbag made from bamboo. Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, growing up to four feet per day. As a result, it is one of the most sustainable natural fibers. It is almost always grown organically and is 100% biodegradable.

Organic cotton, hemp, jute, and bamboo are merely the most popular of a wide variety of natural fibers that can be used to create eco-friendly designer handbags. Even the most discriminating fashionista will find a natural handbag to love.

Natural Eco-Friendly Designer Handbags That Will Turn Heads

These are some of our picks for the most eye-catching and stylish natural eco-friendly designer handbags:

Organic Cotton Kenji Snow Handbag

The Lotus is a beautiful example of an eco-friendly organic cotton handbag. Inspired by the lovely bloom of the lotus flower, this coral-colored handbag features a simple-yet-classic design and is made from US grown, certified organic cotton and sustainably harvested rubber from the Amazon rainforest.

Another handsome organic cotton handbag is the Kenji Snow Handbag, a stylish black and white handbag with a bottom made from recycled tetra boxes. The handbag is decorated with non-toxic dyes and inks, and is 100% cruelty-free. No animals products were used in the making of the bag and no products were tested on animals.

Hemp Orange Sun Sling

The Orange Sun Sling is a bright and stylish sling perfect for everyday use. The Orange Sun Sling is made of hemp   and produced by women’s cooperatives in Nepal, which improve life for disadvantaged women by providing them with benefits such as fair wages, health coverage, and retirement plans.

The Jute Islet Handbag is made by women’s groups in India and it combines natural jute fibers with animal-friendly pleather trim. As practical as it is stylish, the Jute Islet has several pouches and zippered pockets inside, and metal feet on the bottom to protect it against direct contact with surfaces.

An example of a chic and fashionable bamboo handbag is the Bamboo Cube Handbag, which has a canvas lining decorated with cubes of bamboo. A Bamboo Cube Clutch, perfect for carrying small items such as keys and IDs, is also available.

Lavender and other essential oils are important ingredients in many eco-friendly beauty products

As awareness about the health and environmental benefits of green living rises, a growing number of people are seeking to go green in all aspects of their lives.

One trend that has become increasingly popular in recent years is green hair salons. Conventional salons often use harsh chemicals and other treatments that are bad for the environment and may be dangerous for customers’ health, especially those with chemical sensitivities. Green salons seek to provide the same great service as traditional salons while also protecting the environment and the health of their customers.

Opening a green salon is a great business opportunity for eco-minded salon professionals.

What Is An Eco-Friendly Hair Salon?

The most common way salons go green is by choosing eco-friendly hair products and other beauty treatments. It is estimated that the average woman is exposed to 200 chemicals every day from beauty products alone, including neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are especially dangerous for young children, pregnant women, and people with chemical sensitivities. Most eco-friendly salons use gentle, natural hair and body products chosen to minimize impact on human health and the environment.

Reduce, reuse, recycle is a way of life for many green salons. Whenever possible, green salons use products in reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable packages, and most print brochures and other promotional materials on recycled paper with eco-friendly ink.

Many eco-friendly salons protect customers and staff from fumes and other hazardous substances by installing air filtration systems and using building materials and furnishings that minimize VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). In addition to building materials and furnishings, some eco salons also use sustainable equipment, such as bamboo brushes and combs, and green cleaning services or products.

These are just a few of the many ways salons can go green while offering the best quality services and products.

Three Eco Salons That Care For Your Hair and the Planet

The Swing Salon in New York City is an example of an eco salon that uses all-natural and eco-friendly products. Their hair and body product lines include Modern Organic Products, KEVIN.MURPHY, and Moroccan Oil. These salon-quality beauty product lines are created from natural ingredients such as essential oils and plant extracts, and they are gentle yet effective. They are not tested on animals and are paraben and sulphate free.

green. in Portland, OR has a unique way to recycle: hair donations! The salon offers a free cut and style to people willing to donate their hair to Locks of Love, a charity that provides wigs for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. They also donate everyday hair trimmings to Matter of Trust, a San Francisco-based organization that uses mats made from hair and other natural fibers to clean up oil spills.

Nori’s Eco Salon in Encino, CA is a model of sustainable building. Walls use 0 VOC paint over non-toxic, sustainably made drywall. The building’s insulation is recycled denim. Floors are covered with eco-friendly natural linoleum made from linseed oil and jute, and the salon uses energy efficient lightbulbs and wind-powered electricity.

These three successful green salons can help provide ideas and inspiration for anyone considering starting an eco-friendly hair salon.

 

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]]> http://www.greenmarketing.tv/2010/03/19/how-to-start-an-eco-friendly-hair-salon/feed/ 3 http://www.greenmarketing.tv/2010/03/18/5-inspiring-green-business-blogs/ http://www.greenmarketing.tv/2010/03/18/5-inspiring-green-business-blogs/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:04:38 +0000 Green Marketing TV http://www.greenmarketing.tv/?p=1305 ]]> As environmental awareness rises around the world, the “green sector”, which includes clean energy, social entrepreneurship, and other sustainable businesses, is expected to see explosive growth. A report by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas estimated the green sector may add up to 1.3 million new jobs every year by 2030! Established businesses are also seeking new ways to save money and increase profits by going green.

Green business blogs are among the media outlets tracking the expansion of the green sector.

Why Read a Green Business Blog?

Green business blogs are great ways to keep a finger on the pulse of the green business world. In addition to helping stay on top of the latest news from the green sector, they also offer ideas and inspiration to help both new and established businesses go green. They are great sources of information about sustainability best practices for everything from designing products to which cups to stock in the coffee room. And they are a great resource for advice about how going green can save money and improve your business’s bottom line.

5 Must-Read Green Business Blogs

These are some of our picks for the best green business blogs on the web:

1. Triple Pundit

Triple Pundit is a great general green business blog that focuses on improving what it calls the Triple Bottom Line – People, Planet, Profit – for businesses and entrepreneurs of all types. Triple Pundit is written by a collection of correspondents from all levels of business with hands-on experience building profitable environmentally and socially responsible companies.

2. BusinessGreen.com

BusinessGreen.com is a UK-based blog that covers green business news and sustainability best practices with a focus on helping companies interested in becoming more environmentally responsible while protecting – and even improving – their bottom line. The blog includes both analysis of current events and practical tips for improving sustainability, as well as reviews of green tech innovations and a UK green jobs board.

3. GreenBiz.com

Like BusinessGreen.com, GreenBiz.com focuses on helping mainstream companies plan and implement green initiatives to improve sustainability and environmental responsibility. GreenBiz includes green business news and opinion, practical advice for companies, and a huge library of information resources covering all aspects of green business. It also hosts a US green jobs board and its annual State of Green Business Report, which focuses on the environmental impacts of the green economy and the real impacts companies are making (or not making) with the green initiatives they implement. The report is a great tool for businesses hoping to maximize the effectiveness of their green initiatives by learning from the successes and failures of others.

4. Ecopreneurist.com

Rather than focusing on helping mainstream companies who are trying to go green, Ecopreneurist covers news and advice especially for social entrepreneurs and other green sector start-ups. Ecopreneurist includes coverage of green trends, best practices and more, as well as doing regular profiles of successful green companies and products.

5. Sustainable Business Design

Sustainable Business Design offers a useful monthly directory of sustainable business-related webinars in addition to green business news and events coverage, and in-depth profiles of successful sustainable companies.

 

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]]> http://www.greenmarketing.tv/2010/03/18/5-inspiring-green-business-blogs/feed/ 1 http://www.greenmarketing.tv/2010/03/17/5-silicon-valley-green-entrepreneurs/ http://www.greenmarketing.tv/2010/03/17/5-silicon-valley-green-entrepreneurs/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:01:28 +0000 Green Marketing TV http://www.greenmarketing.tv/?p=1193 ]]> While Silicon Valley remains the birthplace of some of the best tech start-ups, what’s good about the valley (and North California in general) is that has one of the highest levels of eco-consciousness.

I’d like to point out 5 such entrepreneurs who’re running successful green tech companies in the valley, and making us all proud.

1. Tom Skazy & Jon Beyer Terracycle:

The brain child of Tom Skazy and Jon Beyer, Terracycle deals with one of the world’s most pressing ecological problems: Waste disposal.

Skazy and Beyer’s idea was to recycle the waste and turn it into products. While it may sound impossible, he found a way to do it successfully. By using a composting method called vermicomposting, they managed to turn the waste into organic fertilizer for plants.

Terracycle, established in 2001, had very modest beginnings where Tom and Jon collected waste from local restaurants and university dining halls. Now they run campaigns at schools and colleges to collect waste from them.

Apart from organic fertilizers, they also make urban art pots from crushed computers and fax machines, as well as furniture, bags, pencil cases etc. Because of the success of their venture, they’re now expanding their operations overseas.

2. Lyndon & Peter Rive Solar City

Solar City is a clean tech company that provides solar panels as an alternate source of energy. Brothers Peter and Lyndon managed to set up Foster City in California powered by solar panels.

Since being in the valley means being “closely watched by VCs”, Elon Musk (co-founder of Paypal) invested $10 million in the company.

The aim of Solar City is to make the installation of solar panels as easy as ordering a satellite dish for their roof.

The company encourages customers to pay for the initial capital to set it up and then just rent it out (instead of buying it). Now that’s a serious commitment to providing sustainable energy, and giving people incentives to finally make the switch.

Their current customers include home owners, schools and universities, US government departments as well as corporate giants such as Intel, British Motors and eBay.

3. Harrison Dillon & Jonathan Wolfson – Solazyme

Founded in 2003 by college friends Harrison Dillon and Jonathan Wolfson, Solazyme is a biotech company that comes with a lot of difficult scientific terms to describe what it does.

To put it (rather) plainly, Solazyme processes algae to produce oil which is then passed onto other green bio-tech companies to turn into fuel. Their aim is to create substitutes for diesel and crude oil.

The company’s focus is on engineering and processing algae to produce bio fuels. Under the leadership of Dillon and Wolfson, Solazyme left its competitors biting the dust when it came up with a cost effective way to produce algae oil in sufficient quantity.

The company caught the interest and imagination of Silicon Valley VCs who’ve invested heavily in them, giving them the funds to strengthen and grow their company.

4. K. R Sridhar – Bloom Energy

Dr. Sridhar founded Bloom Energy after he designed a solid oxide fuel cell while working for NASA. The solid oxide fuel cell is emissions-free, making it a natural ally of green technology.

Bloom Energy was raising $150 million in funding earlier this year, and is now working on producing regenerative fuel cells. It is backed by a very prominent venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, who’ve been the leaders in investing in green technology.

5. Dick Swanson & Tom Werner Sun Power

The company was founded by Dick Swanson who is the company’s President and Chief Technical Officer, while the CEO of Sun Power is Tom Werner who was brought in 2003 to run the business side of the company and head it’s growth.

Sun Power is a solar cell and panel producing company. They claim that their cells and panels produce 50% more power than conventional solar technology.

Their solar cell technology has been used in some high profile projects such as the NASA helios solar powered air craft.

More and more green entrepreneurs are making headlines with innovative products that solve complex problems. Who is your hero?

 

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