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Interview With A Green: Green Businesses

Question: Let’s talk more about this last point.  We all have to buy goods, so where do we find these green companies??  There aren’t that many of them around, are there??   And aren’t they often quite expensive??

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There are actually quite a few if one knows where to look.  Almost any product one has a need for can be found somewhere in a more natural form made by a green (at least to a larger degree than the mainstream) company.  I would say the best place to locate them is through the National Green Pages, a directory published by the non-profit Green America, found online at Green America.  This catalog is almost a half inch thick, and is full of names and contact information of green businesses all across the country.

But then again, I also often find sources simply by using a browser search.  For example, I was recently looking for a door mat, which none of my more frequented vendors carried.  I didn’t even think about a coco mat being all natural.  I just searched for “natural doormats,” since the natural alternative, if there is any, is always foremost in my mind.  When seeking flooring for the house I was building, I learned about cork tiles that way.  Harvesting cork does no harm to the tree, and the tiles are warm on the feet and toxin-free.

True, the cost of these products is generally higher.  This is partly due to the fact that they pay for their carbon footprint, dispose of their wastes properly (not just legally), use more sustainable practices in general, and so forth.  And this is exactly what I was talking about before – you are paying up front for the true cost of producing the goods instead of hiding it.  The only problem is that everyone else is not doing the same thing, so you are also still paying higher taxes for the damage they are causing, and thus paying for it twice.

But the higher cost is also in part due to the economics of supply and demand.  If more people would make the choice to follow this path, it would soon become much less expensive.  Once again, we each have to decide at what level we are comfortable and what is achievable for us individually.  I cannot afford to buy all my groceries at Whole Foods, so I have to make choices as to what is more important to eat organically if I can’t grow it myself. 

But even though I am not well-to-do by any means, I can and do buy most of my products from green companies whenever I can.  Besides, most of those corporations who do not make the news for such atrocities as I previously described continue to invest in projects and promote practices that most Greens do not approve of, so there is a moral obligation to support green businesses despite the additional cost.

So what are some of the green companies that I support??

Well, for one thing, I buy only organic shade-grown coffee from fair-trade dealers.  This is because coffee was traditionally grown in the shade of the forests.  But once again our greedy corporations came in and decided they could make more profit by growing it in the hot sun where it would ripen faster.  So down came the trees, and gone are the songbirds.  Workers now have to toil in the heat of day.  Pesticides now have to be applied, and without the detritus of decaying material to fertilize the plants, artificial chemicals are dumped on in massive quantities.  The fair trade part comes in because the growers are not paid enough by the mainstream dealers to survive and raise a family.  Is it any wonder some choose to export something more profitable, like cocaine and heroin??  Green companies like Thanksgiving Coffee, Grounds For Change, and Tree Frog Coffees partner with fair trade organizations to ensure the farmer gets a lot more than just the usual penny or two for that cup of coffee selling for $5 at Starbucks.

I also look for any opportunity to purchase hemp products I can.  Hemp is a very durable material and, being a weed, is very sustainably grown.  It was widely used by our ancestors before the government got paranoid in the ‘60s and banned it.  Even our Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper!!  One can purchase shirts, pants, jackets, hats, socks, duffle bags, coin purses, sandals, wallets, checkbook covers, mouse pads, and more made of hemp.  I actually use a hemp backpack, and even have a pair of vegan work boots with hemp uppers that have lasted for years…made 100% from recycled materials, even down to the metal eyelets.  In addition, hemp seed is high in essential Omega-3 oils, so it makes for some very healthy food products as well.  I buy my vinaigrette and dijon salad dressings, hemp flour, cooking oil, and carob brownie mixes from green businesses listed on my Resources page.

Many people think of cleaners when speaking of green household needs, but Seventh Generation also makes laundry detergent, bleach, and softener.  They carry a full line of paper products such as recycled unbleached napkins, paper towels, and recycled toilet paper.  Check out their bio-degradable sandwich and trash bags!!  For baby’s needs, from organic baby food to cleanup of the aftermath, one might try Earth's Best. When it comes to home woodworking projects, a huge selection of non-toxic and milk or water-based paints and stains can be found at BioShield.

Have you ever looked for rechargeable batteries at Office Max, Staples, or the local grocery store – or even at Best Buy where electronic merchandise is sold??  With that huge battery aisle you’d think they could stock at least a few!!  Well, you can get ‘em online at Green Batteries.  And as for the alternative energy arena, one can stock up on solar panels and inverters, on radiant barrier, CFLs, and more at Real Goods.  I was the very first person to buy Real Goods stock online way back in the early '90s!!

And speaking of stocks…the general public may not be aware of it, but there are opportunities for green investing as well.  Calvert and Parnassus, to name a couple of firms I am familiar with, offer social-conscious funds.  Their mutual fund candidates are evaluated on numerous enviro-social criteria before being included in the portfolio.  Believe it or not, there are even several green banks…at least one of which offers a credit card.  Flash that at the register and you have an automatic segue to discussing your green ideals!!

Afternote: For a more comprehensive list of my favorite green companies and their web sites, visit my Resources page.

This page was last updated on February 12, 2023

Always remember to "Think Green" because good planets are hard to find!!  

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