9/24/12

Here's a simple way to clean up a dirty secret in the shower: Choose bar soap over body wash. Liquid body washes are packaged in plastic bottles that -- even if they are recycled -- are made from petroleum sources. Bar soap is usually minimally packaged in paper. The No. 1 ingredient in body wash is water, which adds significant weight to the package, which requires more fuel to ship from factory to store. Even if the body wash is an all-natural or organic brand, bar soap has it beat as the greenest choice.

9/23/2012

Always Buy Organic: potatoes. America's favorite vegetables have been found to contain up to 35 different pesticides. Since pesticides are sprayed on the ground, they can seep into the earth over time -- directly where potatoes are growing. More crops mean more chemicals building up in the soil. If you can't find organic potatoes, look for sweet potatoes -- they are grown with significantly fewer chemicals because they are naturally more resistant to insects and crop disease.

9/22/12

Always Buy Organic: coffee. Almost all coffee is grown and harvested outside of the United States, and most of it is done in countries with lax environmental regulations. A USDA-certified organic roasted coffee means the beans were grown following strict U.S. laws prohibiting the use of any chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Remember, since it's impossible to wash coffee beans before brewing, whatever is left lingering on conventional beans will likely end up in your java.