Around campus there seems to be a little more eco consciousness about drinking coffee – mostly in the form of more reusable mugs being used. But one gadget that doesn’t seem that green to me are those single-cup coffee makers. Fun and convenient, yes. And they may consume less energy per cup than a bigger machine, but the amount of plastic packaging winding up in landfills seems really wasteful. What’s your take on it?

Given that there are 150 million coffee drinkers in the United States today, I figured it’s worth taking a look at how we can green that cup of joe…whether you prefer an espresso, cappuccino, latte, or iced coffee. Here are a few earth-friendly tips:

• Choose wisely: select Fair Trade, certified organic and shade-grown coffee. Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming standards without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Shade-grown helps local flora and fauna remain intact and promotes natural indigenous diversity. Fair Trade ensures socially responsible working conditions and pay for laborers.
• Choose a reusable filter instead of disposable paper filters. (more…)

Honeydrop Beverages is a healthy line of teas and juices powered by honey. The Brooklyn, NY-based company is a leading producer of natural teas and juices made with a spoonful of pure wildflower honey, domestically sourced from regional beekeepers across the U.S..

Honeydrop recently announced their “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” initiative where a percentage of the profits from each bottle sold are donated to local beekeepers throughout the country to help battle Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), an epidemic threatening the global bee population. (more…)

Soft drink juggernaut Coca-Cola introduced their new PlantBottle in the UK this week. The PlantBottle is made of 22.5% renewable plant-based materials and up to 25% recycled plastic. The new design was initially unveiled during the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen and it has been slowly growing in distribution and popularity ever since. Currently, Coca-Cola produces around five billion PlantBottle packs in twenty countries.

Compared to Coca-Cola’s previous bottling versions the PlantBottle is more eco-friendly and fully recyclable. It is part of an attempt to lessen the brand’s reliance on fossil fuels. Given that worldwide consumers of Coca-Cola products guzzle 1.5 billion drinks per day, this initiative is beneficial from both an environmental and economic standpoint. (more…)

Now you can pour two cups of your favorite hot or cold beverage and take ‘em on the road, Bubba-style. Bubba Brands makes this sleek and handsome reusable drink container with all the right fixings:

• dual-walled food grade stainless steel, ergonomic body
• BPA-free
• vacuum insulated, keeps beverages cold for 12 hours and hot for 6 hours
• screw off lid features handy strap, and flip & sip top
• comes in orange, black, plum or our fave, brown
• made in the USA
• $9.99 @ bubbabrands.com.

We received a few samples of complimentary Indie Tea products for the purposes of this Tried and True Green Products Review…The free samples included an unusual item, a tea-based bath soak. Put to the test, here’s the verdict: whether you sip or soak, everything is aromatic and comforting – you drink in natural goodness…

Having sampled some of their hand-made teas previously, (December, 2010) I was no stranger to the Indie Tea scene. Each tea is a unique blend of certified organic ingredients – packed with tasty exotic flavors … now you may slip to far away places with each sip … or soak. (more…)

Exercise, stay hydrated and stash those little valuables … Here’s a nifty BPA-free, food grade stainless steel reusable water bottle that’s perfect for the exercise enthusiast: the lightweight Sport + Store 20-ounce water bottle is designed to keep you hydrated + stash your little vitals. The bottom compartment holds keys, credit card, id, cash, lip gloss and other valuables while you pursue your fab fitness routine at the gym, yoga studio, track, beach or park.

The Sport + Store comes in a few different styles – we like this shape, (above), now in array of 7 colors, including:  black, white or chrome … pick-up @ sportandstore.com $19.95. Stay hydrated, my friends:)

Dropping into a wine shop and picking up a bottle of wine isn’t what it used to be…bottles labeled: biodynamic, certified organic, organically grown, made with organically grown grapes, sustainable, and natural may confound the most intrepid shoppers — but don’t be confused.

The upshot is – don’t buy wine made from conventionally grown grapes because these grapes are sprayed heavily with toxic chemicals/pesticides. With so many reliable wine resources now at our fingertips, it’s getting easier everyday to become more informed about the issues and alternatives. A growing number of vineyards are employing methods that utilize more eco friendly farming practices; innovative packaging delivers a lighter carbon footprint; and production methods are resulting in healthier, and and often tastier libations. (more…)

What’s on tap? Here’s a quick and affordable tip for keeping your beer drinking eco-friendly. Invest in a half-gallon glass jug or two of what’s called, Growlers.

These reusable, refillable beer bottles are perfect for eliminating the usage of excess beer bottles. Available at many grocery stores and liquor stores, you can fill up the jug with any craft beer you’d like.

Growlers have been around for over 100 years but are just recently surging back into the market.

Whole Foods has set up a beer program on the East coast that includes over 1,000 beers.

Fill up your 64 ounce or 32 ounce growler to eliminate waste and enjoy your craft beers. Grab and go!

photo credits : nytimes.com and libertarianrepublican.net

A Tried and True Green Product Review … okay, we’ve given it a go, and here’s what we think of the reusable Hydros Water Bottle:

The concept is great: this BPA-free, made in America, reusable water bottle comes with a replaceable filter so you can turn on the tap, fill the bottle and stay hydrated while on the go. By now, we all know the planetary and monetary values of using reusable water bottles as opposed to disposable one-offs. If your pipes deliver inferior H2O, it’s key is to use a reusable bottle that will filter it.

Does it work? Well, yes, to a certain degree, and as far as I can tell. The filtered Hydros water tastes and smells fine. As stated on the company website: The new Hydros Fast Flow Filter™ reduces chlorine, chloramine, and particulates from tap water quicker than your pitcher filter. The filter is enhanced with natural, triclosan-free IonArmour® antimicrobial protection actively defending against the odor-causing bacteria found in other bottles.

Since a water testing meter was not provided, I used a TDS (total dissolved solids) digital water testing device that I happened to have (comes with the ZeroWater Pitcher) and compared 3 different glasses of water from my tap: (more…)