Barkwheats…We Don’t Even Eat this Well!

• Baked with certified organic dark buckwheat flour
• Free-range organic eggs
• Safflower oil
• Ginger
• Parsley
• Sea vegetable
• Chamomile

This list of ingredients has us salivating.  And it’s not from the local 5-star restaurant…its the mighty fine bones of Barkwheats dog treats.  And those are on the Ginger and Parsley, we also carry their SeaVeg and Chamomile.  Our pooches love these treats (yeah yeah – dog’s love just about everything edible), but we know that these are actually healthy for them, which means we’re doing what our canine can’t do for themselves…eat right.

Healthy dog treats

These treats are grain (and gluten) free, sugar-free, salt-free and preservative-free, 19 calories per biscuit (Fido is watching that muffin top) and there are approximately 40 biscuits in each box (227 grams).   As well, Barkwheats actually scavenges heavy metals from the blood and promotes healthy digestion so your dog’s ‘toots’ won’t chase you from the room.  Sea vegetables contain many micro-nutrients essential to a healthy life and chamomile is a popular treatment for anxiety and sleeplessness.  We also love the fact that Barkwheats uses compostable packaging.

So throw your mongrel a new bone with some wicked healthy ingredients and see how it makes her a new dog…one with exotic tastes!  Peace…ecosumo

ecosumo Gets Some BMore Love…

Thanks B magazine for the COVER STORY about ecosumo!

And HAPPY EARTH DAY everybody!  We hope you’ll all mark today the way you would New Year’s eve and firmly commit to some resolutions that benefit your health and the health of Mother Nature.  Don’t forget to check out our LIST OF 10 THINGS you can do to reduce waste (stop using disposable plastic bottles), conserve energy, and go Green without going broke.

Plastic Water Bottles and Leaching

We’re going to take a break from our Green-ing the supply chain topic to return to the topic of disposable and reusable water bottles. As we kick that peanut around during conversations and reading more and more about it, we realize that this is one ENORMOUS issue that WILL have profound positive effects on multiple industries and ecologies.

Today we’re talking about Leaching and plastic water bottles. Leaching is, quite generally, “the extraction of certain materials from a carrier into a liquid (usually, but not always a solvent).”  We got that definition from the Wikipedia article on Leaching which, although its not robust by any means, had the clearest and most precise definition we found in our research.  So, if you’re drinking out of a plastic bottle, Leaching is a concern.  As we’ve written about before on this blog, there are certain bottles you don’t want to drink from (DING: DISPOSABLE ONES!!!!!!  Terrible for you AND Mama Earth so PLEASE STOP DRINKING FROM DISPOSABLE WATER BOTTLES) and there are those that are healthier for you.

First thing you want to stay away from is BPA (Bisphenol A).   Many plastic bottles made with polycarbonate plastics may leach BPA.  Bisphenol A is what is known as an Xenoestrogen (dun! dun! dun!), a known endocrine disruptor, which means it disturbs the hormonal messaging in humans.  Synthetic xenoestrogens can cause breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in the fellahs, and are DEVASTATING to babies and young children.  For more of the science on the effects of BPA on our endocrine system etc. see these studies: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal.  ecosumo provides BPA-free reusable water bottles for on-the-go folks, stylish/around the office type bottles, and active lifestyle needs such as hiking and biking.

Reusable water bottles - KOR Hydration Vessel

Earth Day Approacheth…

On Planet ecosumo, it’s always Earth Day.  However, most of the humans on planet Earth get together only twice a year to officially represent the Love for Mother Nature.   One of those days is April 22nd (the other is a United Nations affair celebrated on the March Equinox).  Being that April 22nd is next week on Wednesday, ecosumo would like to encourage you to plan ahead.  We’ve provided a list of ten things that you can do ALL WEEK LONG, rather than just Wednesday, to show appreciation for environment.  Our list is below.  (You can read up about Earth Day at earthday.net, Wikipedia, and a zillion other sites by typing EARTH DAY into your favorite Search engine.

Tips:

1. NO MORE DISPOSABLE WATER BOTTLES!!  Promise yourself to get a reusable water bottle and use that genius device to hydrate yourself.  Disposable water bottles are POISON for the planet, eat up massive amounts of fuel in transportation, and create millions of tons of plastic waste every year.  Plus, with a reusable water bottle, you BUY ONCE!!  ecosumo makes it easy for you – we have 15 choices of water bottle on the site.

2. Replace indoor and outdoor bulbs with Compact Flourescent Light-Bulbs (CFL’s).  They last on average about 4 years longer than standard bulbs and use 75% less energy.

A Better Way to Bottle Feed Your Baby

Keeping in line with our non-disposable water bottle theme, we’re going to talk a bit about the Adiri Natural Nursing feeding bottles we have at ecosumo.com.  Now, it’s no secret that neither of us are women and that we don’t have children…however, we do have moms and sisters and female friends.  We asked them to judge the product and let us know their thoughts.   One of the biggest compliments these baby bottles received from real mothers was the way it resembled a real breast, rather than the multitude of bottles that are cold hard plastic.  That’s a ringing endorsement in our book.

And the Adiri was designed to have that realistic feel.  Their nurser bottles are designed by a team of doctors, lactation consultants, and most critically, mothers.  These nursers are also 100% polycarbonate-free and bisphenol-A free.  With the Fill, Twist and Feed system, the Adiri’s are designed for caregivers in mind so that preparation can be quick when on-the-go with a hungry baby requesting noursihment.  Adiri’s nipple design also enables babies to feed with low air ingestion which reduces the chances of colic (the bottle’s twist-on cap lets air flow slowly into the bottle as the baby drinks, preventing the nipple from collapsing.)

The bottle has a cover design that protects the nipple from getting dirty and leakage.  There are 3 different models designed for different flow stages with each stage holding 8 oz. of fluid.  And these nursers are dishwasher safe and can be boiled or sterilized using a basic sterilizer.

Think about it, not only are you using a well designed, healthy, and eco-conscious alternative to plastic bottles, you’re contributing to the reduction of displosable water bottle landfill waste.  Give yourself a pat on the back, Mom’s…and don’t forget to burp.

Peace…ecosumo

1 Year Later…Whole Food and Reusable Bags

We’re avid readers of Whole Foods blog, The Whole Story.   Being that it’s April – the month within which Earth Day is celebrated (we’re pushing for it to be every day) – and also the month where a year ago Whole Foods completely discontinued using disposable plastic bags in their stores.  We recently wrote about the topic here on the ecosumo.com blog and just wanted to give a nod to Whole Foods for reducing waste and helping its customers make their shopping as Green and eco-conscious as possible.  Check out the full article by clicking “see more”:

“It’s been a year now since we eliminated disposable plastic grocery bags in our stores. (Feel free to insert lame joke here about time flying.) We thought customers would support this move but we’ve been blown away by how much: reusable bag use has tripled and we estimate that together we’ve kept about 150 million plastic bags out of landfills since last Earth Day….” <see more>

Thoughts About the Shipping Industry – How to Get Some Green in There

Recently we’ve spoken about the contexts of disposable bags and disposable water bottles.  We also spoke in our recent product post, Turn Your Laundry Green, about how Dropps literally lightens the load for the shipping industry, thus lowering all sorts of Green antagonists – exhaust, fuel waste, wear/tear on automobile parts (necessitating more car parts/waste of former parts), et cetera…  So in this post we’re going to touch upon a related topic that will probably span a few posts – the shipping part of the supply chain and how it relates to being eco-conscious.  Over time we want to talk about the many individual parts of the supply chain and how to make them Green.

The purposes for businesses to Green their fleet are multiple.  Let’s talk straight first – it SAVES MONEY, and businesses have that responsibility to their share holders.  However, when Wall Street closes, the environment doesn’t…  So, okay, the piggy bank is plump, let’s focus on the planet that your business needs in order to do any business at all.  One great purpose for diversifying the fleet into fuel efficient machines AND to make the product lighter to reduce multiple forms of waste during shipping is to have LESS of an impact on the surrounding environment.  This is more than good public relations – this is an act that proves to surrounding communities (typically comprised of people who work for you) that their quality of life is important.  As well, being innovative in Green ways often leads to efficiency and reduced costs – that builds reputation and a credible business model.

Let’s take a look at Executive Order 13423, passed in 2007 (doesn’t it sound ominous?)  Truth is, it’s a governmental order for the federal government to get moving on “advancing the nation’s energy security and environmental performance” (you can read all the nitty gritty at this link at the Environmental Protection Agency site).  Essentially, EO 13423 regards a list of 11 areas that federal agencies must reduce waste in, including 1) Vehicles, 2) Energy Efficiency, and 3) Greenhouse Gases.  The order is meant to have federal agencies not only obey stricter laws about waste and pollution in the way they ship items (as well as build, maintain, purchase, et cetera), but, more importantly, to set the example and standard for the private sector.  ecosumo likes to believe that leadership by example will work, and we’re researching to find statistics on the positive effects of EO 13432.  One issue with EO 13432 is that 2015 is the year federal agencies must abide by to change their practices…that’s a bit long in the tooth for our tastes.

Let’s take a look at UPS Green Fleet biz model.  This is the 9th largest business fleet in the world with 282 aircraft and UPS operates the “largest private alternative fuel-fleet in the transportation industry, including hybrid electric and hydraulic hybrid, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, fuel cell, and electric vehicles.”  They optimize the amount of time their auto-fleet is moving by having proprietary software that limits left turns which statistically take longer than right turns.  They even had some of their packaging redesigned to “eliminate bleached paper and increase the use of post-consumer recycled content.”  Check out the link provided at the beginning of this paragraph to read much more about UPS’ initiatives to make themselves a Green company worth emulating.  We’re thinking perhaps the federal government can speed up EO 13423′s effects by consulting with UPS – how about you?

Ultimately, this issues comes down to customers shopping from companies that implement daily business procedures to reduce waste in shipping (and other areas, of course.)  We know you’re busy, but if you have some extra minutes, take a look at the websites of companies you buy products from.  See what they do to reduce waste in the shipping process – and if you don’t see anything, write to their customer service or marketing departments and ask for information about how they reduce waste.  There are more-often-than-not alternative companies that work to reduce waste who are willing to sell you similar products.  We also recommend checking in on the Environmental Protection Agency to see what their doing to make it easier for businesses to go Green.  And if you receive a package from a company that has a box that is way too large for the product and is filled with paper/styrofoam fillers, let the company know in an email (or, even better, on a blog) that you won’t be buying from them anymore unless they change their shipping methods.

And NEVER forget, you can reduce your shipping waste by 1) buying products online at sites like ecosumo, 2) using reusable bags and bottles, 3) having a reverse osmosis system installed so you don’t have to buy water in bottles anymore, and 4) either riding a bike or carpooling to the market with a friend or neighbor.  If you have feedback about this article or any of the opinions or facts in it, please comment using the blog and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Peace…ecosumo

Did You Know Your Skin is Your Body’s Largest organ?

It’s often neglected that our skin – the epidermis and flesh combined – are our largest organ.  And that organ needs lots of care with quality products or else all sorts of miseries may ensue.  At ecosumo, you know we’re always thinking about your individual health and that of the environment collectively.  That’s why we’re carrying a whole line of skin care products that will have you feeling great, looking great, and sharing your secret to amazing skin with friends.

Let’s start at the top: your face. First you’ll want to clean up, and with nine different choices of all natural ingredient soaps – including Pyrenees Lavender & Cardamom and Oatmeal with Italian Bergamot – you’ll have a new fresh scent for each day of the week…and beyond!  These soaps are made entirely without synthetic preservatives, sulfates or detergents and you can plant the biodegradeable packaging in the garden!  Not only will you be clean, but so will Mother Earth – that’s extreme eco-consciousness!

Next, refresh your face with these 2 0z bottles of facial cream are designed with the fact in mind that facial skin is thinner and more delicate than the remainder of your body.  With five exotic aromas, including Italian Red Mandarin with Rose and French Chamomile & Orange Blossom, these creams are hand-crafted, absolutely pure from the source, and made without synthetic preservatives, petrochemicals or parabens.  When your done soaking up the cream, try the Toner, an herbal extract that refreshes and nourishes (and doubles as a body sprays!)  Comes in a 4 oz size and 3 different scents.

And for entire body – whether you’re at home, work, or on the town – we have a selection of hand & body lotions in unique blends such as Egyptian Basil & Mint orArgentinian Tangerine & Thyme.

Add on top of all that liquid hand soaps, luxurious shower gels, gentle facial scrubs, and exquisite facial masks and you’ve got countless combinations of lush scents to clean and pamper yourself  with.  And by shopping at ecosumo, there’s no need to waste time or gas driving all over town to find the top-shelf of skin-care products.

What is the Deal With Disposable Plastic Bags?

Remember that line from The Graduate, where one of Dustin Hoffman’s father’s friends tells him “The future is plastics”?  Well, for better and worse, that man was delivering some serious knowledge, even though script writer Buck Henry was being metaphorical.  What do we mean by “for better and worse”?  Well, we don’t want to demonize plastics in general – they do provide some benefits such as serving to reduce the use of other resources such as glass, aluminum, and steel.  They also make a variety of products flexible, durable, and lightweight, thus creating new industrial methods, business, and scalable economies where before there were none.  On their Packaging and Consumer Products page, the American Plastics Council provides some statistics and general information about plastics in regard to recycling, reuse, reduction, and recovery.

However, we’re speaking specifically about disposable plastic bags – those you take home your groceries in and wrap sandwiches in.  Ultimately, our stance is that industry will not take money out of its own pockets and reduce the harmful effects of their product to the environment without we-the-people encouraging them to, mainly by boycotting these products altogether. IT IS EXTREMELY EASY TO DO – for your grocery shopping, use reusable bags constructed from natural products such as cotton or bamboo; for sandwiches, wrap them in a paper napkin or a reusable piece of tin foil.

YOU TELL US…WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER TO SEE?

Here are some reasons and statistics WHY you should boycott disposable plastic bags and even ask your local grocer to discontinue carrying them.

1. Plastic bags are made from petroleum…yup, that precious resource THAT ISN’T RENEWABLE which we use for so many other things.  That’s just ridiculous and we all know it.  Why waste precious resources when we have other options for reusable products?
2. Plastic bags are not biodegradable.  Certainly, they break down, but only into smaller parts that end up in our water supply and even in our soil.
3. Have you ever thought “Awww…that plastic bag is so beautiful blowing through my neighborhood”???  We bet not.  Litter is just awful and plastic bags are one of the biggest culprits (well…it’s humans who are responsible; plastic doesn’t throw itself away.)
4. This is a GLOBAL dilemma.  Other countries have taken massive steps to curb the spread of disposable plastic bags, yet the United States is dragging its feet.  Check out some examples below (and much thanks to natural-environment.com, earthresource.org, BBC news, and National Geographic for doing the reserach and publishing the data to inform people.)

• In Asia, the bags were banned in 2002 in Bangladesh after they were considered to be major factors in blocking sewers and drains and contributing to the severe flooding that devastated the country in 1988 and 1998.
• In 2002, Ireland imposed a 15-cent tax on bags, which led to a rapid 90 percent reduction in use. Ireland uses the tax to help fund other environmental initiatives. Bags are also taxed in Sweden and Germany, and are set to be banned outright in Paris this year.
• 30 rural Alaskan villages and towns have banned plastic bags.
• The city of San Francisco became the first major municipality to ban the use of plastic bags, and nearby Oakland has followed suit, but not without controversy and litigation from industry groups.
• In the European Union, member countries require manufacturers/producers of plastic bags and other plastic waste to take them back and recycle them.
• In Taiwan and South Africa, both countries prohibit the thinner plastic bags – this encourages people to bring their own bags since retailers can’t afford to provide the more expensive, thicker plastic bags for free.

Compelling enough for you?   Then check out ecosumo.com for some reusable bags that were designed not only to be sturdy and eco-conscious, but provide some stylish solutions that fit the colorfulness and creativity of your Planet-Saving personality.  We carry a variety of reusable bags, some made from Hemp, others made from cloth, all made with durability, style, and Green living in mind.  And most of them are waterproof and hold more than double the standard disposable plastic bags.

Here are some final action items you can use to help rid our environment of the waste and poison that is disposable plastic bags:

1. Get some reusable bags and use ‘em!
2. If you don’t have a reusable bag yet, ask for paper – they hold at least 4 times more than disposable plastic.
3. Talk to/write to the store manager (or even the corporate headquarters) about promoting the use of cloth, reusable bags to their shoppers.
4. Spread the word!  Tell friends and family and even strangers about how they can soooo easily help out.

Washing the Dog! Washing the Dog!

Couldn’t resist the Mike Judge reference.  But we’re serious that giving the dog a bath (and other activities with our pooches that help keep them healthy and happy) seriously rock.  It’s a thrill ride just getting the son-uv-a-gun into the tub, and from there each minute is unpredictable.  And when we get wet and wild, we use either the Sparkle & Shine Brightening Shampoo or Comfy Dog Oatmeal Shampoo that we also sell on our site.  The oatmeal shampoo contains colloidal oatmeal and botanical extracts of peppermint, burdock and comfrey, all of which are natural ingredients that bring an itchy dog relief.  The Sparkle & Shine does what it promises – brightens up Fido’s coat while pearlescent brighteners add luster to the coat, refreshing not only the color but the silky texture.  Both are made for easy rinsing so the shampoo doesn’t overly lather.

We also know that you can’t be WASHING THE DOG each day.  Sorry, life just isn’t all fun and games.  So, we dig Dry Dog Instant Clean!  It’s an all natural formula that cleans without water, rinsing or mess.  An all natural ingredient called Ordenone traps and eliminates the odor causing proteins.  This one works wonders after your hound has a go at the trash to tell you you’re putting in too many hours at the office.

We’re also big fans of keeping our pooch’s eyes healthy.  We love Eyemunity Dietary Supplement to combat tear stainswhich are a symptom of a deeper systemic problem, a yeast infection called epiphora produced by bacteria.  Without boosting your pup’s immunity to epiphora, your only fighting symptoms, not the cause.

Finally, sometimes our dog’s get stressed – we see it, but rarely can do much beyond a big hug and some table scraps to try and curb it.  Check this out – Sleepy Tonic Herbal Elixir.  Formulated exclusively by Robert McDowell, the world’s leading authority on applying western herbal medicines to canine health problems, this tonic “combines herbs and homeopathic medicines so that the metabolic and nervous system imbalances are all addressed together.”

We have a bunch of other dog care products – insect spray, eye packs, butter balms, smog remedies…  ecosumo has them all and they’re all natural and guaranteed to keep you smiling while Fido pants with glee.