You've read all about Pure Play Kids and all of the awesome toys they sell.  Now, here's your chance to win one of their toys!

 

In order to enter, you must sign up to be on a Pure Play Kids mailing list.  To do so, fill out the following questions and email to crissiecee2000@yahoo.com.... read more

To continue my "ban the bag saga," here is a Company profile on ChicoBag, my personal favorite in the reusable bag sector.

Why its Keen:

ChicoBag has a very inspirational start-up story: "In early 2004, Andy Keller, now ChicoBag™ president, took a trip to his local landfill after spending the day landscaping his backyard. He was horrified by what he saw. Single-use bags were the dominant article at the landfill that day, blanketing the landscape in a thin mix of white and beige plastic. On his way home he began to notice plastic bags everywhere, caught in trees and on fence posts, half drowned in gutter puddles and blowing in the streets like urban tumbleweeds. That day Andy vowed to stop using single-use bags. Inspired, Andy dropped a few bucks on a second hand sewing machine and began sewing what would ultimately become the first ChicoBag™ brand reusable bag."... read more

Why it's Keen:

Crunchy Granola Baby, in Salem, Massachusetts, sells organic and natural items for babies and kids. From cloth diapers to skin care to room décor, Crunchy Granola Baby offers an alternative to the Babies R Us-type stores of the world.  They even have a baby registry.  You can shop at their online store or you can visit their location in Salem. 

Jennie Cudmore, owner, opened Crunchy Granola Baby in 2006. Not only is Crunchy Granola Baby a great store, it is also a community center of sorts for like-minded individuals. She says, “I realized how great it would be to create a place where families could meet other families and feel comfortable just hanging out and, of course, spreading the 'green' word.” Their store hosts a variety of events.

Why it's Green:

Crunchy Granola Baby offers green products for the eco-minded parent. There are plenty of cloth diapers, organic babywearing equipment, linens, eco-friendly toys (which are a must for a teething baby who puts everything in his or her mouth!) and so much more. It can be hard to find a place with a good selection of organic and natural baby products, but Crunchy Granola Baby has them!  ... read more

As I noted in an earlier post, the matter of figuring out the best way to dispose of human waste has been haunting mankind since the beginnings of civilization.   Current treatment of raw sewage results in large quantities of sludge which is not good fertilizer and is laden with toxic materials. Disposing of sludge is a huge problem for waste treatment plants.   Enter Micromidas, a finalist at the Clean Tech Open.  They have an idea - and it sounds like it's loadSludgeed with win!

Why It's Keen:  

Using Microbes, they are able to convert the CO2 in the sludge into polyhydroxylalkanoate (PHA) flakes which then can be turned into bio-plastics.  Bio-plastics can be used for plastic containers and function similar to synthetic plastics.   Finally, by capturing carbon that would normally be released into the atmosphere the process should result in carbon credits, mostly likely for the municipality who runs the sewage treatment plant.  If this turns out to be true, it could be a key element in turning this technology into a reality as it will make it easier to be economically as well as environmentally justified.  

Why It's Green:  

... read more