Nature Maids – Eco-Friendly Maid Service

17. April 2008 · Write a comment · Categories: Green Companies · Tags: , ,
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Nature Maids have a unique selling point, which helps differentiate them from others in a crowded field. The Dallas, Texas based maid service has based its’ principals on being eco-friendly.

The service is run by Olga Douglas, who spent her childhood in Siberia, where she learned about being eco-friendly.

“They are more familiar with environmental issues there,” she says. “I know the climate is changing because my family sees it.”

The Texas Christian University computer-science graduate says she was tiring of her software development job and saw an opportunity to offer a more environmentally friendly maid service. She researched the business options and launched the company last May. Now Ms. Douglas and her team of two cover a 30-mile radius around Richardson. They bring their own biodegradable, nontoxic, natural cleaning products, which she says are better for indoor air quality than the more typically used chemical cleaners.

The main problem so far for her business have been prices. Of course eco-friendly cleaning products cost much more than chemical ones. So far, though, customers have been willing to pay more to ensure their house is clean, but their environment is safe. Sounds like a great idea whose time has come.

Honest Tea Goes Big

16. April 2008 · Write a comment · Categories: Green Products · Tags: , ,
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Honest Tea is a company that has built its’ reputation on making an eco-friendly product and on being socially irresponsible. Therefore, it comes as a surprise that they’d be going into business with a company that has no such no such reputation. But that’s exactly what happened when Coca-Cola pumped $43 million into the much smaller company.

Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea doesn’t think there’s a conflict.

Honest Tea uses cane sugar and honey in its “lightly sweetened” drinks and makes some that aren’t sweetened. It buys “fair trade” teas and encourages sustainable farming practices. It buys bicycles for its workers. It operates from a “green” building with recycled tea crates as tables, bamboo floors, desks from a used-furniture store and an exposed-brick wall made of bricks from an old Baltimore church.

“I understand there are concerns,” Goldman, who calls himself TeaEO of Honest Tea, said in a recent interview. “I’ve gotten the e-mails. And I know there is risk attached here.”

Of course the idea has plenty of critics. It’s not hard to think that companies such as Coca Cola, which have never shown that great of a sense of responsibility to anything other than profits, are jumping into deals with smaller “green” companies in order to capitalize on hot markets, not to help people

In the end, it can be argued, none of it matters. The fact that healthier drinks will he offered on a large scale should be good for consumers.

Eco Friendly Taxis Debut In Worcester

15. April 2008 · Write a comment · Categories: Eco-Friendly Development · Tags: ,
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There’s a new cab company in Worcester and unlike many other cab companies, they’re bringing a green flare to their business model.

Jonathon Harris with his eco-friendly taxi cab.

They are the first cab company to use a small fleet of Toyota Prius hybrid cars that operate on both fuel and electricity. These taxicabs will operate off of electric batteries while they’re waiting in traffic or traveling at slow speeds.

“There are so many taxis on Worcester’s roads now, and they’re all pumping out a lot of emissions,” said company owner Jon Higgins.“It’s much better for the environment to have cars running around giving out no emissions at all.”

Of course, Mr. Higgins has come up against some red tape with local councilmen, but hopefully the benefits of no emission cabs will outweigh the doubts the locals might have.

Fresh air benefits everyone, after all.

Apple Getting Eco Friendly

09. April 2008 · Write a comment · Categories: Green Products · Tags: ,
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Computer companies have generally enjoyed a poor reputation when it comes to the environment, but some of them are trying to change. Apple has announced plans to change both the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Of the two, the 13-inch consumer MacBooks will undergo the most significant metamorphosis, shedding their plastic enclosures for ones constructed from more eco-friendly materials such as aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, people familiar with the matter say.

The move, which makes good on a promise by company chief executive Steve Jobs to push towards a “greener Apple,” will also mark an end to Macs that come clad in the now tawdry looking white enclosures that began with front face of original iMac nearly a decade ago.

Of course, actual details concerning implementation are scarce at this point in the project, but overall, you have to applaud Apple’s effort.

G-8 Meeting To Showcase Hybrid, Eco-Friendly Vehicles

07. April 2008 · Write a comment · Categories: Green Living · Tags: ,
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The Group of Eight is meeting in July, and the event is expected to attract a lot of attention. Attendees will be escorted around the event in 100 eco-friendly vehicles contributed by auto makers.

Toyota Motor Corp. and other carmakers will provide about 100 eco-friendly vehicles to transport participants at the summit meeting. The carmakers aim to promote their environmental technologies to world leaders and other key figures at the summit, where environmental problems will be one of the major topics.

Toyota will provide about 80 hybrid cars–including its luxury Lexus model–minivans and compact cars for participants making short trips around the venue. The company also is planning to provide hybrid electric cars that can be recharged via household electrical outlets. It is working toward the commercialization of its rechargeable electric car by 2010.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will be holding test-rides of its iMiEV battery-powered car at a location near the press center. Mazda Motor Corp. has expressed its willingness to provide a hydrogen-fueled sports car at the summit. Honda Motor Co., which is in fierce competition with Toyota over low-emission cars, is thinking about providing hybrid and fuel-cell cars.

The vehicles at this event will represent some of the greatest eco-friendly technology currently going.

Pinehurst Inn Named As A Top 10 Eco-Friendly Bed & Breakfast

06. April 2008 · Write a comment · Categories: Green Living · Tags: ,
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Pinehurst Inn, a Bed & Breakfast located in Bayfield, Wisconsin has been named as one of the top ten eco-friendly Bed & Breakfast’s by Bedandbreakfast.com

“We looked for inns and B&Bs that take being ‘environmentally friendly’ to the next degree,” explained Sandy Soule, Editor and Marketing Vice President of BedandBreakfast.com. “Each of the inns mentioned in BedandBreakfast.com’s top 10 eco-friendly inns list, including Pinehurst Inn went beyond offering optional towel programs and recycling. We’re proud of the efforts made by Pinehurst Inn to help their guests offset their carbon footprint with eco-friendly getaways,” finished Soule.

Pinehurst was recognized because they use a “grease car” that runs on used vegetable oil. The Inn also uses locally grown organic foods and was the first inn in Wisconsin to be carbon neutral through purchase of “green tags” that offset CO2 emissions.

To find out more about this eco-friendly bed and breakfast, please visit Pinehurst Inn.

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