Bicycles - The Ultimate Green Mode of Travel

It's easy to get caught up in the Green potential of new technologies - like a rechargeable battery that can hold its charge for a year.

But the truth is that sometimes the Greenest products are the ones that have been around for decades.

The humble bicycle has been getting people where they need to go with sufficient speed and style since the 19th Century.

Nowadays, bicycles are getting jazzed up and electrified, but if you're most concerned with a mode of conveyance that's durable and relatively easily repairable the world over, it's probably better to stick to an old-fashioned human-powered bike.

That's what our friend Alana Conner did on her recent trip through Tanzania. You can read the story of Alana's journey on her beautifully-written blog, Actual Miles.

Have you ever taken a bicycling vacation? If so, what was the experience like and would you do it again?

Orlando Eco-Travel Report

In our continuing mission to highlight and praise green initiatives around the country and the world, we're pleased to share the following news from Orlando:

• Did you know that the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is installing a one-megawatt rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system? The Center says its solar cell system will be the largest PV project in the Southeast.
  

• All the trains at the Walt Disney World Resort reportedly run on 100% biodiesel fuel.

• Epcot grows more than 30 tons of food in its Land Pavilion to help supply the Disney restaurants.

• SeaWorld Orlando is experimenting with two Hydrogen-fueled shuttles. The SeaWorld resort is apparently also home to the largest manatee rehabilitation facility in the world.

• Orlando's NBA team - the Magic - are hoping to get LEED certification for their new new arena - the Orlando Events Center, set to open in 2010. Besides using energy-efficient HVAC systems, the new stadium will sport a light-colored roof designed to reduce the building's heat load in Orlando's tropical climate. The arena will incorporate recycled materials and send its own construction waste to be recycled elsewhere. Some suites will sport bamboo flooring, while low-VOC sealants, adhesi ves, paints and carpeting will be used throughout the facility.
  

• The swanky Ginn Reunion Resort has an extensive recycling and composting program for paper waste and leftover food. Items that cannot be recycled (bedding, partially used shampoo and conditioner bottles, furniture, dishare) are donated to local shelters. Low-flow faucets and CFL bulbs encourage efficient use of energy and water. Little guests even have access to organic baby food! In the near future, Ginn plans to use reclaimed water for irrigation purposes and boost its recycling program by adding bins to its conference spaces. The resort is a participant in Florida's Green Lodging Program.

• Update 3/12/09 - Several other Orlando hotels - the Rosen Shingle Creek, Rosen Centre and Rosen Plaza - recently joined a select group of only 11 hotels to achieve the second level Two Palm rating in the Florida Green Lodging Program. The Rosen hotels have not only implemented measures to save water, energy and reduce waste, they also provide recycling bags in individual guest rooms and recycling containers in public areas. The hotels have full capabilities for hosting Green meetings.
  

• The Palisades Resort is another participant in the Green Lodging Program. Opened just last summer, Palisades impressed us with its extensive recycling program. We'd encourage other hotels to take a lesson from Palisades and supply eco-minded customers with recycling bins in the hotel's public spaces. The resort's manager of Green Programs says that many incandescent bulbs in the hotel will be replaced by next year with energy-efficient CFL bulbs as the property strives to receive a higher level of green certification. For families on a budget, we found that the Palisades offers plenty of space and consistently pleasant service at a reasonable rate.

• Like many American cities, Orlando is built for automotive travel. But that's not to say you can't find more eco-friendly modes of getting around. We hopped on the West Orange Trail with bikes rented from West Orange Trail Bikes and Blades (407-877-0600). Rentals start at just $6 per hour and this paved biking and jogging trail currently extends more than 20 miles through communities such as Winter Garden and Apopka. The trail is mostly flat, although we did encounter a few hilly spots. Florida planners planners say that the West Orange Trail will eventually be linked with other Central Florida bike trails into a 200-mile loop. For what it's worth, the League of American Bicyclists has given Orlando a Bronze level award as a biking friendly city, but we hardly saw any cyclists on the city streets. We applaud the West Orange Trail and other city trails like Cady Way Trail (which we did not have a chance to experience), but encourage Orlando to expand its network of bike lanes and perhaps look into creating some protected cycle tracks like New York City has begun creating.

• Kudos to restaurants Primo and Houston's Winter Park, both of which source veggies from their own organic gardens.

• Loved the Harry P. Leu botanic gardens, a 50-acre tropical oasis now owned by the City of Orlando. If you're a fan of camellias or roses, get three to the Leu! (And if you live near Orlando or happen to be in town on Wednesday between 3-5 p.m., feel free to stop by the Leu's free walk-in plant clinic where a Master Gardener will give advice on overcoming horticultural issues. The plant clinic info comes from the Leu's website, but you might want to call in advance - 407-246-2620 - just to make sure the plant doctor is in.)

For general travel tips on Orlando, visit the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau website.

Tidbits - Hilton Arc de Triomphe, Scandle, Earth Essentials Room Mists, Vespa S-50, Vectrix VX-1, Zipcar, Pizza Fusion, Preserve Gimme 5 and More!

Here are some eco-friendly product and destination Tidbits that caught our eye this month:

• Ah springtime in Paris! If you're visiting the City of Light, why not opt for an eco-friendly hotel. We've heard that the Hilton Arc de Triomphe is a leading participant in Hilton's We Care European Environmental Programme that emphasizes water efficiency, energy efficiency and waste reduction. The hotel may be functionally sensible, but it's also quite stylish. When we stayed at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe last September, we found that the hotel has a slinky, jazzy Art Deco feeling reminiscent of a 1930s ocean liner. If you're a member of Hilton's HHonor program (or if you've got the dough), try to swing an upgrade to the executive level where you'll have access to a super tasty morning-to-night buffet in the top-floor lounge. Kudos to the hotel for providing some relaxing green space via its lush, tropical and beautifully landscaped Andalusian courtyard.

• Looking for clothing that's comfortable, stylish, classy and organic? Sounds like a tall order, but actually Stonewear Designs has you covered on all counts with its Spring 2009 collection. A member of the Organic Exchange (a nonprofit working to promote organic agriculture), Stonewear Designs offers a range of comfy and flattering tops and pants perfect for yoga, jogging or just lounging around the house. The Stonewear website doesn't have a separate section for organic clothes, but if you browse the site, you'll notice that several stylish items including the Twister Top and Echo Sleeveless Top contain 90% organic cotton content.

• Like candles? Like body oil? Get the best of both worlds with The Scandle(R) Body Candle. As the candle melts, it produces a warm massage oil. It sounds a little painful, but actually feels quite relaxing. Scandle says all its candles are made with 100% natural ingredients like soy butter, shea butter, jojoba, vitmin E and essential oils. The 10-ounce candle ($24.95-$25.95 MSRP) comes packaged in a re-usable ceramic container. You can then purchase additional candles on their own at www.abodycandle.com and insert them into the container. The travel size 4-ounce candle ($12.95 MSRP) comes in a metal tin made from recycled materials. FYI, Scandle says its petroleum-free candles use a 100% cotton wick. Purchase Scandle online or search for a store near you.

• It's nice to see eco-friendly products make their way further into mainstream stores. The most recent evidence of this trend: CVS has begun selling its own brand of Earth Essentials(TM) Aromatic Room Mists. Packaged in recyclable 7-ounce aluminum cans, the room mist uses a non-aerosol spray to disperse essential oils. The mist itself is apparently non-toxic, fully biodegradable and has not been tested on animals. The mists are available in CVS stores nationwide and at CVS.com for $3.99. Interestingly, I've been reading lately how essential oils have excellent antimicrobial properties, which suggests that using essential oils to freshen the air could kill nasty bacteria and viruses at the same time... (Here's another related story on the potent power of peppermint essential oil from Discovery.com...)

• Did you shiver through last winter? Or are you looking for a way to lower your cooling bill this winter? Maybe more home insulation could save you money and make your home more eco-friendly by cutting down on the energy required to heat and cool your house. Johns Manville claims to be ahead of the curve in completely removing formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, from its fiberglass attic insulation. Johns Manville also says that it uses the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled glass (20% percent) among all fiberglass insulation makers. Click on the Where to Buy link on Johns Manville's homeowner website to find a contractor near you who carries Johns Manville insulation.

• Alternative eco-friendly and chic transportation option #1 - The Vespa S-50 (MSRP $3,199). Introduced late last year, this scooter offers classic Italian styling, top speed of 39 mph and sips gasoline at 85-90 mpg. Available now at a Vespa Dealer near you.

• Alternative eco-friendly and chic transportation option #2 - The 100% electric 2009 Vectrix VX-1 (MSRP $10,495). An update of the first Vectrix scooter introduced in late 2007, the 2009 VX-1 is highway-legal with a top speed of 62 mph and an approximate range of 35-55 miles. Since Vectrix scooters burn no gasoline, they're much better for the environment than vehicles with internal combustion engines. If the price seems a little steep, look out for the VX-2 (30 mph top speed, 40-50 mile range, MSRP $5,195) scheduled to arrive in Vectrix dealerships by this coming June.

• Alternative eco-friendly transportation option #3 - Scooters aren't ideal for carrying huge loads (although they can manage in a pinch, apparently).
  If you only need a car occasionally, why endure the enviromental waste and expense of owning your own vehicle when you can share a fleet of cars with a bunch of other folks in the same situation. That's the premise behind various car-sharing services including Zipcar, U Car Share, Mint (NYC only) and Connect by Hertz. Save money on parking, gasoline (generally included in the car-sharing hourly rates), insurance, maintenance and more while still having access to a car when you need it most.

• Pizza Fusion is a chain of pizza restaurants with locations in 13 states using organic ingredients in its pizzas, delivering pizzas in hybrid vehicles, offsetting 100% of its energy use with renewable energy certificates, serving food in containers made from corn starch, providing utensils made from potatoes and generally adhering to a lengthy and extremely impressive list of environmentally-friendly practices. How about the taste? It generally gets good reviews on sites like Yelp, particularly from folks who like the vegan and gluten-free options.

• Looking for a way to recycle #5 polypropylene plastic (used in many containers for yogurt, cottage cheese and other dairy products)? Many municipal recycling programs do not accept #5 plastics. That's why Preserve, Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm have teamed up with Whole Foods to let customers drop off #5 plastics in "Gimme 5" bins at a growing list of Whole Foods stores. Preserve then recycles the plastics into a wide array of kitchen and bath products -- some of which we have previously reviewed here on 1GreenProduct.com.

• There are lots of hip (and often expensive) organic cotton shirts out there, but sometimes you just want a basic long-sleeve organic cotton t-shirt. For those occasions, Macys delivers in spades with its Field Gear Organic Long Sleeve Tee (MSRP $39.50, but we've seen the sale price fluctuate between $9.99 and $14.99). Given the sale price, we found the shirt is surprisingly comfy and well made. The cotton had a substantial, almost sueded feel and even a couple of grommets under the arms for ventilation.

• Men looking for white organic cotton underwear have an option with the Calvin Klein Naturals collection available in boxer brief, trunk and classic brief styles. (Note - The underwear is technically available in black and willow colors too, but when we tried ordering some black briefs from Amazon.com, we received the white underwear by mistake. When we returned the product and tried again, we got the white underwear the second time too. That's why we think you can have any color you want, as long as it's white.)

• Not satisfied with the expert eco-friendly reviews here at 1GreenProduct.com? You can get loads of reviews from consumers like yourself at Buzzillions.com, a site where verified purchasers write reviews about products they've bought. Buzzillions has lots of non eco-friendly products, of course, but they've also got sections on Energy Star products, products made with recycled materials (more than 300 reviews on the Keen Ventura Canvas shoe!) and organic products. Don't be surprised if a given product, like that popular Keen shoe mentioned above, shows up in more than one category. FYI, Buzzillions said they would monitor this blog and would be happy to get comments/feedback on how 1GreenProduct.com readers like their site. This is your soapbox! Feel free to speak out.

• Should every business strive to be a Green business? In the sense that being Green means reducing waste and figuring out how to improve efficiency, the answer is probably Yes. If you're a small business owner looking for some practical ideas on making your business more eco-friendly in the hopes of saving some money, improving customer loyalty, boosting employee motivation and having a lighter impact on the planet, you might glean some useful information from Daniel Sitarz's new book, Greening Your Business. (FYI, publisher EarthPress says it prints on 100% recycled post-consumer waste paper using soy-based inks and offsets its carbon emissions with the purchase of wind-energy credits used to subsidize the construction of wind turbines on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.)

My Earth Too! Pajamas

We spend a significant portion of our lives in bed.

(Some of us wish we could actually hibernate and spend months in bed, but that's another story...)

But even the sleep deprived among us spend a good chunk of each day between the sheets.

Hopefully those sheets are made from something eco-friendly like these JC Penney organic cotton sheets that we reviewed last year.

But even if your sheets are made from organic cotton, you don't really want to sleep in cotton pajamas made from crops that were treated with synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, do you?

We certainly don't. That's why we were so happy to find these cute 100% organic cotton sleepshirts and pajamas from My Earth Too! (on sale now for just $13-16 each). Since organic fashion is often priced for the affluent, we really appreciate the fact that My Earth Too! has made organic sleepwear that can fit within almost anyone's budget.

Apparently, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all My Earth Too! sleepwear gets donated to the Chuckie Goodnight Foundation For The Environment, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing environmental education for children and preserving green space.

Unfortunately, these organic PJs are currently available only in women's sizes and styles.

Men want organic sleepwear options too! We're hoping that My Earth Too! expands their offerings or that some other fashion companies will step into the breach so that we can drift off to the Land of Nod in organic comfort.

Where to buy:

You can find My Earth Too! sleepwear through Kohls.com and offline at select Kohl's locations in the West and Northeast.

Envirosax and Rebagz Review

For those of you who already have a reusable shopping bag, you know one of the biggest challenges is remembering to take it with you to the store.

(Another challenge is washing the bag after you use it to carry home fish from the seafood counter...)

That's one reason we like the bag selection from Envirosax. Available in a mind-boggling selection of styles and colors, the bags in Envirosax Graphics Series weigh just 1.4 ounces each and are designed to carry to 44 lbs. (That's a lot of tomatoes - or whatever other groceries you need to carry home...).

As you might expect from a bag that's so light, the Envirosax bags can also be folded into an extremely small bundle and then secured with the integrated snap strap (sort of like the closure mechanism on a portable umbrella). Since they're made out of polyester, the Envirosax Graphics bags are waterproof with reinforced seams for durability.

We have to admit that the idea of buying polyester bags does give us pause since polyester is basically a petroleum-based plastic, but an Envirosax rep that we spoke with gave us a persuasive explanation of polyester's benefits - light, waterproof, compressable, durable, etc.

The point is that Envirosax Graphics bags should ideally last for years and allow you to skip hundreds or maybe thousands of disposable plastic bags, thus abrogating the need for the petroleum products that would have made those disposable bags and keeping the disposable bags out of the wastestream. Durability and longevity should be important considerations in the mind of any Green shopper trying to move beyond disposable consumer culture.

If you'd rather buy a bag made out of natural materials, Envirosax can accommodate you with its Organic Series of bags made from bamboo, linen or hemp.

(By the way, did you know that linen came from the stem of the flax plant? I had no idea.)

Be warned that the Organic Series bags are not quite as compressable, but they do come with a handy little carry sac. They also weigh a tiny bit more (2.14 ounces) and are designed to carry only 22 lbs.

Which bag is best for you? The Graphics bags are so tiny and light that they can be slipped into a pocket or purse as part of an everyday routine. I have a feeling that the waterproof quality and durability of the Graphics bags also gives them an advantage.

On the other hand, the biodegradability and natural cultivation of the bamboo Organics bags makes them appealing too. Well, whichever one you choose, you'll know that you're making an eco-friendlier choice than using and disposing of dozens or hundreds of throwaway plastic bags.

FYI, Australia-based Envirosax supports several charities, including the Surfrider Foundation that seeks to protect oceans and beaches.

* * * *

Meanwhile, on the fashion front, we're pleased to highlight a beautiful series of Rebagz totes produced by a progressive company called Half the Sky Designs (R).

Rebagz makes handbags, totes, messenger bags and more in the Philippines from two types of recycled materials - woven juice packs (like the Nahui Ollin products we featured last year) and rice sacks.

The juice packs are cool, but since we'd seen that before, we were honestly most excited about the use of rice sacks. We love companies that figure out a way to take something that would ordinarily become trash and turn it into treasure.

Back on the question of durability, the rice sacks material seems incredibly tough -- after all, these rice sacks once had to safely hold 50-100 lbs worth of rice! You don't have to worry about spilling something on these bags either because you can just clean them with a damp sponge.

Build quality on the Rebagz Magnolia Clinchy Tote ($95) we sampled seems excellent, with super sturdy handles, solid stitching, smooth zippers and several nice pockets on the inside. We have every confidence that this bag would last one heck of a long time. Plus, the beautiful image on the outside is a surefire conversation starter.

The designs on the bags are so beautiful that we had a hard time choosing our favorite among the Magnolia, the Lion, Golden Fortune or the limited edition Stallion.

Just as beautiful is the fact that Half the Sky Designs says it is "committed to working only with people who are paid and treated fairly." Founder M

arty Stevens-Heebner personally visits the company's manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, where the company asserts that workers are paid "a really decent wage".

Where to buy:

Order the Envirosax of your choice from the company's website. Choose from bags in the Graphics Series ($8.50 each or a 5-pack for $37.95) or Organic Series ($24.95 each). Activate eco-thinking in young whippersnappers with the suitably silly (but still light and sturdy) Kids Series ($8.50).

You can order Rebagz directly through the company's own online store. You'll find bags made from artistic rice sacks in various categories including laptop carriers ($145), wallets ($45), runaway backpack ($75), messenger bags ($72) and cinchy totes ($95).

Prefer to try before you buy? Use the Store Locator to find a Rebagz retailer near you in the U.S., Canada, Costa Rica or Panama.