green companies

Act With Your Wallet: Do Business With Green Companies

jplatt — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Every home and business in America relies on technology. But picking the right technology -- and the right technology provider -- can be a daunting challenge.

But if you're serious about acting green, it doesn't hurt to insist that the companies you do business also act in an environmentally responsible manner.

Sometimes that's easy. If a product is specifically marketed as "green," you have at least a few facts that you can use to help make your decision to buy it or not.

But sometimes the decision is harder, like when you're looking beyond an individual product to a company's entire environmental philosphy. Toward that end, here are just a few questions you can start to ask that can help you come up with an answer:

Do they use reclycled or recyclable materials?
Do they ship their products in an environmentally friendly manner?
Have they made any commitment to using renewable energy sources?
Can their electronic be recycled with a minimum of poisonous e-waste?
Are they involved in any causes, or do they donate to any environmental charities?

You can also rely on information that others have come up, such as these lists of "green companies":

Meanwhile, you can also look beyond your technology devices to find out if any company you buy products or services from is truly acting green. Think about your banks, grocery stores, local restaurants, etc., etc., etc.

Good information makes better green consumers. So start your research, and if you have any other criterial you use when selecting a green business partner, post a response here and let us know!

The Greenest Cellphone Company in America: CREDO

jplatt — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

How happy are you with your current wireless provider?

No matter how you answer that question, you might want to check out CREDO Mobile, the self-described "greenest phone company in America." While CREDO (formerly Working Assets Wireless) doesn't have coverage across 100% of the U.S., it does provide one of if not the most environmentally friendly alternatives out there, and the company runs itself in a greener manner than anyone else.

For one thing, CREDO donates 1% of your charges to "progressive" nonprofit groups, including such green causes as the Center for Biological Diversity, the Organic Farming Research Foundation and Greenpeace. CREDO and its parent company have donated $60 million since 1985, including more than $3.5 million just last year.

As a company, CREDO has also made some smart, green decisions. Their bills are printed on 100% post-consumer paper, and they have planted 2.5 million trees to offset their paper use. They buy carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org to offset both its company energy use and the cost of shipping its phones to customers. They have also committed to recycling old cell phones, and have collected 22,000 of them since 2002.

As for its customers, CREDO offers you a way to go greener. Right now, when you buy an LG 150 flip phone from them, they'll throw in a free Solio™ solar charger, which you can use to power your phone or just about any other portable device.

Think about all of that the next time you charge your cell phone -- or look at your bill!

New Green Stereo Sound System Uses Less Energy

jplatt — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Audiophiles and music lovers -- are you looking for a greener alternative to your current stereo system? You might want to start your quest with NuVo Technologies.

Nuvo, a relatively new player in the home-audio arena, recently received a big recognition for its efforts to go green. This March, the Consumer Electronics Association gave Nuvo its 2008 TechHome Mark of Excellence Award for Best Environmentally Friendly Product, Service, or Corporate Policy.

That's one really long award name, but it recognizes NuVo's efforts to develop devices that use less power, especially during standby mode, when most competing home electronics suck way too much electricity from the wall.

NuVo’s Essentia E6G, which uses less than one watt of of power in standby mode, was the first whole-home audio system to earn the U.S.'s coveted ENERGY STAR® rating. It uses energy-efficient Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) for its control panels, and is manufactured with a low level of heavy metals. The company has also submitted several other new devices for ENERGY STAR qualification, and ships its products using only biodegradable packing materials.

You can look for other ENERGY STAR qualified audio products here.