What Are Lean To Greenhouses? 

A lean to greenhouse refers to a type of greenhouse built up against the side of another structure. The lean to greenhouse has only one sloped roof. It has three sides of its own, and uses the side of another structure for the fourth wall.  

• Lean to greenhouses can be made of metal, plastic or vinyl (commonly referred to as polyvinyl chloride or PVC). The plastic materials used in building lean to greenhouses are usually coated with various UV protective materials to ensure the safety of the people who use them and so they last a long time.
• Lean to greenhouses are small, versatile buildings that can easily adapt to various climates and weather conditions. They work well in various environments and landscapes. Like fully-built greenhouses, they’re also able to withstand extreme weather conditions.
• Wondering what kinds of materials to use, and what sizes and shapes are available? Swgreenhouses.co.uk has a nice range here of lean to greenhouses for you to choose from.

Where to Place A Lean To Greenhouse?

Now that you know what lean to greenhouses are, it’s time to learn where you should place yours. Here are three options

• Over An Existing Porch Or Near Your Kitchen If you’re eager to grow more vegetables and herbs to eat, installing your lean to greenhouse near your kitchen makes a lot of sense. No matter what the weather, you can dash out to your greenhouse to gather herbs and greens or pick cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables that can be grown in a compact space.
• Adjacent to Your Deck or Shed Accessibility is key. Place your lean to greenhouse in a spot you can easily get to.
• NOT Under a Tree! Never install your lean to greenhouse directly under tall trees because of the following reasons:
  • Trees will cast shade, encouraging growth of green algae. 
  • Tall trees block light, and their falling leaves and branches may cause damage to your greenhouse and block guttering. 
  • Also, tree roots could upset the greenhouse’s foundation and make planting into the beds tricky. 
  • In addition, honeydew from insects coming from the tree’s foliage can make the plastic or glass material of your greenhouse sticky and hard to remove.

NOTE: Position Your Lean To Greenhouse South-Facing

When placing your lean to greenhouse, take stock of how much natural light it will receive. It will be shaded by the structure it leans on for at least part of the day. You want the supporting side of the structure to be on its north side, so as much natural light as possible bathes the greenhouse from the south. Plan to supplement with lighting, and potential some heat, especially in colder climates.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to position your lean to greenhouse in your property. You can install your greenhouse over an existing porch or near the kitchen, or against an existing shed or garage. Just make sure to avoid installing it under tall trees to avoid mold growth due to light limitations and pest infestation. Also, it’s best to position your lean to greenhouse facing south for maximum sunlight exposure.

You can get more tips for building a greenhouse here.

NOTE: Paid partnerships and sponsors help us bring you the expertise you need to live the greener life you want. Our editorial positions remain our own. 

The post 3 Places to Put A Lean To Greenhouse So You Can Grow More Food appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Here’s a little more information about each of the sponsors for this giveaway:

SoapHope.com – Soap Hope is an online marketplace where you can order safe and healthy bath, body, beauty and other products, like cleansers and food canisters. Here’s what’s terrific about them: each time you purchase at Soap Hope, 100% of the profits – every single dollar – goes to empower women to life them, their families, and their communities, out of extreme poverty. The giveaway includes two Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottles, a reusable food storage container, and 4 cases of yummy RX bars. PLUS $100 in shopping credits to use on SoapHope.

EthicalBean.com – Ethical Bean is a fair trade, organic company that supports community groups at home and abroad in their efforts to educate kids and promote activities like Bike to Work Week. PLUS Fair trade is particularly important because it ensures that growers and producers are paid a fair wage that allows coffee farmers to “live in greater harmony with the land.” The giveaway includes a 6-pack of this delicious coffee.

MyGreenMattress.com – Now here’s a mattress you can rest easy on. It’s GREENGUARD Gold certified, made with organic cotton, and using wool instead of toxic fire retardants. PLUS The mattresses are made in the U.S., invented by a dad whose daughter was allergic to the mattresses that are commonly sold in mattress stores. She needed something better. He made it for her, and is now making it available to you. Giveaway includes the company’s Natural Escape Mattress.

BigGreenPurse.com – If you don’t have a copy of my popular book yet, now’s your chance to get one personally autographed from me to you. Find out why it’s called “the big green bible!” It includes over 400 pages of great info, tips, and resources you won’t want to miss. PLUS It takes the confusion out of going green and will make it easier than ever for you to live the green life you want, in a way you can afford.

Remember: You Have to Enter to Be Able to Win!

The post Enter To Win The Good Life Get Green Giveaway! appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Do you buy organic, sustainably grown food for yourself – but not give sustainability much thought when it comes to what you feed your pet? Annamaet Petfoods wants to change your thinking. They’ve launched “Annamaet Sustain” so your dog and cat can eat sustainable pet food without taking a toll on the planet.

We’re partnering with them on this post to suggest 3 ways you can incorporate sustainable pet food into your dog or cat’s daily diet. We also want to hear from you about what you already do!

Sustainable Pet Food Starts With …

Proteins

When it comes to food, choosing a healthy formula that provides all the nutrients your pet needs without including fattening or questionable ingredients is key. But if you’re also looking for food that meets sustainability goals, look for independent verification by third parties and the appearance of those labels on the products you buy.

Annamaet’s new Sustain formula includes fish from cod fisheries that have been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

How do you know? Each bag of Annamaet Sustain carries the MSC blue ecolabel.

The ecolabel is important.

It signifies that the product manufacturer actually meets independent standards that verify its product claims.

In this case, the ecolabel indicates that the cod were caught responsibly by a certified sustainable fishery.

Words like “natural” or “pet-friendly” or “planet healthy” mean absolutely nothing in terms of what is actually in the food you feed your pet (or buy for yourself, for that matter).

Look for ecolabels that back up the marketing claims companies make about their products.

Organics

The organic label is another label that you can use to verify a company’s claims. The organic label is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture here. In order for any product manufacturer to claim to be organic or to use the organic label, the company must meet federal organic standards and have its product independently certified.

Claims that your pet’s food are “all natural” or “biodegradable” or “planet friendly” are simply marketing claims that have no actual meaning. The organic label does.

No GMOs or GMO Free

Many consumers want to avoid genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, in their own food and that of their pets as well. It’s not clear if the presence of GMOs in grains, sweeteners, dairy products and other foods actually causes adverse reactions like allergies or worse. But mounting scientific evidence suggests that GMO plants could be taking a toll on birds, bees, and other insects and wildlife.

Some products seek certification through the Non-GMO label. Annamaet has gone one step further by getting EU (European Union) certified to contain no GMOs, salmonella or anthrax.

“We like to tell people, not only are we feeding your dogs and cats, we are also feeding our own,” says the company. “We single source our ingredients, meaning they are bought from the same suppliers each time…All of our meats and fishes are certified as fit for human consumption.”

Buying food for your dog or cat can be an extension of the green lifestyle you have chosen for yourself. That has certainly been a driving principle for Rob Downey, Annamaet’s founder.

Downey, who lives in Pennsylvania, named his company Annamaet Petfoods after his late mother, Anna Mae, pictured above.

“Since its inception,” he says, “the focus has been on giving pets the best nutrition possible, focusing on sustainable ingredients that also take care of the environment.”

At Annamaet, “we believe that sustainability and innovation really go hand in hand.” He says the company is linking into “new and original protein sources such as cricket meal and pea protein, which are also very sustainable.”

You can find AnnaMaet Petfoods online here.

You can also plug in your zip code here and find the nearest retailer to you.

Note: Partners and sponsors enable us to provide you with the information you need to live the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own.

The post 3 Ways to Include Sustainable Pet Food in Your Green Lifestyle appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Thinking about remodeling?  Doing so sustainably can be rewarding, cost-effective — and confusing! The word “green” used to be synonymous with environmentally friendly, but it’s now so overused that it’s seen as little more than a marketing ploy. Plus, wading through all of your options to come up with an eco remodel can be difficult.

To help you get started, here are 5 surefire strategies to get you the sustainable, chic remodeling project you want, thanks to our sponsors at AirControlAz.com, a company that specializes in helping homeowners install energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.

Sustainable, Chic Remodeling
1. Embrace DIY
2. Find a Qualified Sustainability-Focused Contractor
3. Renovate Strategically
4. Choose Eco-Friendly Materials, Appliances & Fixtures
5. Reuse, Recycle

1) Embrace DIY

One of the best ways to decrease waste and maximize efficiency is to complete as much of the project as possible without help from contractors.

This may seem counter-intuitive. Contractors generally have more expertise when it comes to highly technical work, like framing, wiring, and plumbing. They also get discounted rates on supplies. The downside is that, in an effort to economize on their time, they may overbuy paint, lumber, and other products to reduce the number of back-and-forth trips to their suppliers. That could lead to unnecessary waste.

I’m not suggesting you should frame or wire a room. I certainly couldn’t. But can you demolish or remove materials rather than have the contractor do it? Can you spackle dry wall, paint, finish floors, and install light fixtures?

Once you know the scope of your project, figure out what you can do, and what you need a contractor or sub contractor to do.

2) Find a Contractor Who is Committed to Sustainability

When the time comes to enlist help, find providers whose inclinations to reduce resource consumption, save energy, and limit your exposure to toxic chemicals match yours. Plenty of businesses brand themselves as green, but it is up to you to determine who really means it.

When you are getting estimates, quiz candidates about what makes them so eco-friendly. Ask for specific examples of how they’d make a greener choice. Check references, asking to talk with homeowners whose green renovations they oversaw. You can also check with the U.S. Green Building Council’s listing of builders and contractors to find sustainability-focused providers in your geographical area.

3) Renovate Strategically

Remodeling a home is a big task, and it will expend resources no matter how sustainable you are. It’s easy for a project to balloon out of control; once you get started, the “may as well do that, too” frame of mind can take over.

Keep as much of your home intact as you can. Rather than redoing everything, consider what areas will benefit the most from renovations.

If possible, consider first where you can improve your home’s carbon footprint, and then work on achieving the look you have in mind.

4) Choose Eco-Friendly Materials

Select materials that are produced sustainably. Almost anything you’d need, you can get in an eco-friendly form. For example –

• HVAC Systems – Choose the most energy-efficient furnace and air conditioner you can afford that will get the job done for your home.  EPA’S ENERGY STAR website links to efficient appliances, as well as a guide to help you figure out what systems to consider.
• Carpeting – Consider carpeting made from Marmoleum or wool
• Flooring – Get flooring certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to have minimal impact on forest eco systems.
• Plumbing Fixtures – Check with EPA’s WaterSense program to find new low-flow faucets, showerheads, toilets, and other fixtures
• Appliances – Check with EPA’s ENERGY STAR program
• Lighting – Again, check with ENERGY STAR, or review our guide to the best energy-efficient light bulbs for your home or apartment.
• Paint – Choose no-VOC paint to avoid the headaches, nausea and discomfort associated with more conventional paint

5) Plan to Reuse What You Can, Recycle What You Can’t

When I renovated my kitchen, I installed some of the cabinets I removed in the downstairs bathroom. The rest I donated to Community Fork Lift, a home-goods center that accepts donations of all kinds of household goods that can be re-used in construction.

When I replaced my carpeting with wood flooring, the carpeting and padding were recycled.

When I replaced my old refrigerator, my utility company not only picked it up for me, but paid me $50 to haul it away and recycle the parts.

The market for used household goods is substantial. Don’t throw anything anyway unless it is either dangerous to use or too broken to be of any good to anyone.

FINAL TIP

As with a contractor, you should discuss the specifics of sustainability with any suppliers you are considering doing business with.

If they are enthusiastic about sharing their earth-friendly methods with you, they may be a good choice for your project.

With careful planning and help from like-minded professionals, you can successfully complete your renovations with both style and sustainability in mind.

NOTE: Sponsors Like AirControlAZ.com help us provide expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

The post 5 Sustainable, Chic Remodeling Moves appeared first on Big Green Purse.

I’ve got two words for you: Live. Green.

Living green is probably one of the fastest, easiest ways to save money.

√ You spend less because you end up buying less, which lets you save more.

√ The shifts you make to greener products and services improve your quality of life and are better for the planet – saving energy, saving water, reducing pollution, and creating a healthier environment.

Here are 13 of the easiest, quickest shifts you can make to start saving money right away, with thanks to the Trust Deed Scotland, our sponsors for this post.

 13 Ways to Save $5,000 a Year

• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb ………………………………… $5 – $10/yr/per bulb
  (shift from incandescent bulbs to CFLs or LEDs for electricity savings)

• Reusable Water Bottle ………………………………..…….………………   $250 – $500/yr
  (shift from throwaway bottled water to a reusable bottle you refill at home or out)

• Take Lunch to Work ………….……………….……..…..………………               $1560/yr
  (shift from buying lunch in throwaway packaging to taking lunch in reusables)

• Programmable Thermostat ……………………………..………………                 $150/yr
  (automatically set your heating & cooling temps to save money summer & winter)

• Low Flow Shower Heads, H2O Saving Toilets ………..………………         $72/yr
  (reduce the amount of water you use by installing water saving faucets, toilets)

• Smart Power Strip ……………………………………..…………..………………   $94/yr
  (save electricity by turning off all electronics plugged into the same power strip)

• Window and Door Weather Stripping ……………………………………     $129/yr
  (reduce heat loss by sealing leaks around doors and windows)

• Improve Car Fuel Economy ……………………………..…………………… $1780/yr
  (get a tune up, replace air filters, keep tires pumped up & drive the speed limit)

• Skip One Driving Trip Each Week ………………….…………………           $225/yr
  (telecommute, car pool, use mass transit, walk or bicycle)

• ENERGY STAR Washing Machine …………$50/yr on energy, 7,000 gallons H2O
  (Use less energy, save water using an ENERGY STAR washing machine)

• Make-at-Home Non-toxic Cleansers ……………….…………                  $500/yr
  (make your own basic cleaners out of baking soda, H2O, & fragrance-free liquid soap)

• Total ……………………………………………………………..…………….       $5,070/yr

Source: Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World

Simple shifts make all the distance. A sponge instead of paper towels. Buying gently used rather than brand new. Sharing rather than buying new. The savings will mount the more you do!

What’s your favorite way to live green and save money? Please share!

NOTE: Trust Deed Scotland helps people who are struggling with their unsecured debts. It creates an opportunity for people in debt in Scotland to freeze interest on their debts, then make one affordable monthly payment to reduce debt over time. For more information, contact TrustDeedScotland. 

The post 13 Ways to Save $5,000 a Year Living Green appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Green living doesn’t need to stop when you take a vacation. An increasing number of properties are available that offer close-to-nature lodgings that tread lightly on the earth. 

Our sponsors at Perfect Stays, a UK-based rental or “letting” agency specializing in unique homes for holidays, special occasions, and short breaks, has drawn our attention to the green holiday rentals at The Emerald, a five-acre estate in England’s Cornwall district that has achieved the UK’s highest level of sustainability (code level 6).

GREEN HOLIDAY RENTALS

The properties include five different rental homes (including “Fern,” pictured right) and several additional facilities (like an indoor swimming pool and a gym) powered by solar energy, to the point that the entire property is carbon neutral. Rainwater is captured from the roof, while grey water from the kitchen sink, bath, and shower is recycled to maximize water conservation and ensure water is abundantly available for the landscape as well as the house. Waste paper is recycled on the property. Lights are illuminated with energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs, though the properties are also designed to maximize use of sunlight indoors to minimize the need for electricity. Appliances are energy efficient and save water. Each house is cleaned with products free of toxic chemicals and compounds.  

Kitchens in the houses can be stocked with locally-sourced food, including milk, eggs, bread, and cheese. If you want to venture into the beautiful Cornwall region rather than hit amusement parks or shopping malls, you can go kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and paddle boarding at one of the nearby beaches. Or if you prefer, bicycle along the coast. Fine dining is available at local pubs rather than chain restaurants. Enjoy the region’s history at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, or at Pendennis Castle.

Even if you’re not traveling to Cornwall any time soon, the properties at the Emerald will give you an idea of what to look for in a holiday rental home or apartment — an abode that:

* uses energy wisely

* helps save water

* allows you to recycle

* reduces your exposure to toxic chemicals

* supports the local economy

RELATED POSTS:

Swap Houses for the Holidays to Help You Stay Green

The post “Green” Holiday Rentals Powered by Solar Energy appeared first on Big Green Purse.

 For example, I could swap a stay in my home, which is just outside Washington, D.C., with someone who lives in London (or with this gorgeous house in Bali, pictured above). I would stay in their house, and they would stay in mine.  Usually, the stays last about the same amount of time, but they don’t have to occur simultaneously. I have friends who regularly swap houses with people all over the world. If their guests want to visit at a time when they’re not traveling, they decamp to their kids’ house or to a neighbor’s or friend’s. It has worked so well for them, they have managed it in Maryland, San Francisco, Seattle, Paris, the Dordogne region in France, Italy, Belgium…you get the picture.

Though you may pay a small fee to list your house on a swapping site, generally, if you swap with another homeowner, neither of you pays the other any rental fee. So first and foremost, house (or apartment) swapping is a terrific way to save hundreds of dollars (or pounds).

But beyond the economic value of house swapping, what appeals to me about it is the opportunity to lower my “environmental footprint” by staying in a house or flat that matches my lifestyle, rather than in a hotel that takes a bigger environmental toll. That means no sheets and towels being changed every day (which saves lots of energy and water), non-toxic soaps and personal care products I can supply myself (rather than rely on the conventional products most hotels use), fewer electricity demands (you won’t find elevators in most houses!), and the opportunity to recycle on the premises (most hotels don’t offer guests in-room recycling). Plus, I love having access to a kitchen when I travel so that I don’t need to rely on restaurants and fast food joints for meals. I can skip the carry-out trash in favor of buying locally grown food I can prepare with minimum impact myself.

Most home swap sites actually offer a few different options. For example, at Love Home Swap, homeowners can either swap with each other, rent a home they see on the site, or earn points they can apply to different houses (for example, I could “swap” my house to a couple from Scotland, but instead of going to their home, I could use swap points to go to Australia).

Another advantage of home swapping is that it allows you to share your green lifestyle with others who may be new to eco living.  By giving visitors the opportunity to see what you have done to save energy and water and minimize waste, you’re providing your guests with a first-hand opportunity to see how rewarding it is to live green.

It only takes a few minutes to join a home swapping site. Many of them offer a free trial period to test it out and see how you like it. Whether you’re planning an extended vacation or a short-holiday, home swapping can be a terrific way to enjoy your destination while minimizing your environmental impact. What do you have to lose?

Have you tried home swapping before? How did it work for you? Let us know!

DISCLAIMER: Sponsors like LoveHomeSwap.com pay a small fee for a guest post like this one. Those fees helps us bring you expert content, but at no cost to you. All sponsors meet our strict criteria for environmental accuracy and in no way affect our editorial judgement. Thanks!

The post Swap Houses for the Holidays to Help You Stay Green appeared first on Big Green Purse.

How about hand lotion made from argan oil and shea butter?

Looking for a non-toxic way to ward off termites?

Or safe and healthy cleansers you can use without getting sick?

Maybe you just want a dose of inspiration to keep you living the green life, or working in your community to make it better.

You’ll find all this, and more, at the annual Green Festivals put on by Green America and Global Exchange, two non-profit organizations committed to creating a greener, more just world.

I spent this weekend at “my” Green Festival in Washington, D.C., browsing the food booths, trying on organic cotton sweaters, slathering my hands with natural cremes, meeting other entrepreneurs, and being reminded why Ralph Nader is still “the man.”

FOOD

I always go hungry to Green Festival because there’s so much good food there to eat. Vegan restaurants set up kitchens in a sort-of restaurant row, offering delicious bean empanadas, gazpacho, various stir fry dishes, and a variety of organic juices. But there’s no need to buy a meal. Throughout the event, which is spread out over one entire floor of the D.C. Convention Center, companies offer tastings of their delicious recipes. On the chocolate front alone, I sampled several of the choices I could also find at Whole Foods or my local food co-op, including toffee crunch from Equal Exchange, salted dark chocolate from Salazon (YUM!), and new all-organic chocolate granola-type bars from Kit (in the Clif bar family).

Elsewhere, you could sample a variety of snack foods made from hemp, plus coconut cookies, organic baby food, and yogurt-based power drinks. O Organics of Safeway was handing out free shopping bags and boxes of its organic chocolate milk. (In case you didn’t realize it, Safeway now carries over 300 products in this USDA-certified organic line.)

ENERGY AND HOME DESIGN

Several companies focused on renewable energy were on hand to answer questions about wind power, solar, and home insulation. Habitat for Humanity was there, too, recruiting volunteers for its various homebuilding projects in D.C.’s Maryland and Virginia suburbs, while Community Forklift was making a gentle pitch to donate reusable home goods – like windows and used paint – to the warehouse they run to provide a market for low-cost building materials. Bill Hutchins, a thoughtful and spiritual architect who also happens to be my wonderful neighbor, explained the unique approach his firm, Helicon Works, takes to ecological design. Just down the aisle, the folks at Sustainable Design Group showed off the custom zero energy homes and additions they are building across the D.C. metro area.

CLOTHING AND FASHION

I loved the fashion options I saw at this year’s Green Festival, particularly the organic cotton yoga wear made by Lila Organics and the Cowl Neck Tops created by Mod Kham. (I bought the one pictured here – $40 on sale at Green Festival). You could also find beautiful turquoise necklaces made in Nepal with Fair Trade labor, and a variety of other jewelry, scarves, belts, bags, t-shirts, skirts, and pants.

CLEANING AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Karmalades is one of my favorite green cleaning lines. It’s made by Cynthia Brevil, a bold entrepreneur whose lemon lavender all-purpose cleaning spray works like a charm and is available for only $8.00 at her Etsy store. Go there, and you’ll also find various scubs, room refreshers, and some delightful products for babies, including a heavenly unscented baby butter and lavender onesie wash.

Skincando was there, too. Sara Damelio, the founder, makes balms, lip balms, soap bars and bug repellants that are so effective yet safe, they’re being shipped to our troops overseas as well as being bought everyday by people like me (and you?).

Shea Terra Organics Tammie Umbel was on hand to explain the benefits of her face and body care products and hair treatments. Some of her secret ingredients include argan oil, African black soap, and acadia honey.

Soap Box, with their slogan “soap=hope,” was handing out free bars made from shea butter, sea salt and lavender to promote its cause: for every bar you buy, the company donates a bar to a child in need. Reads the box: “More than 3,000 children’s lives could be saved every day with something as simple as a bar of soap and clean water.

RALPH NADER, STILL THE MAN!
My legs wore out just about the time Ralph Nader was due to take the Festival’s Main Stage. Luckily I got a seat in the audience; a capacity crowd turned out to hear America’s Number One consumer advocate and by the time he started speaking, it was standing room only. Nader launched right into his concerns about the threats facing everyone in the U.S. except the rich and super-rich: lack of health care, extremely low wages, pollution, and unfair labor practices.

Ralph encouraged the crowd to avoid membership in the “American Society of Apathetics” by becoming passionate advocates for heatlh, safety and justice. Taking a page directly out of the Big Green Purse playbook (or was it the other way around?), he urged people to support the green economy by voting with their dollars and shifting their purchases to many of the eco-entrepreneurs exhibiting at the festival. “I’ve never been inside a Wal Mart, a McDonald’s or a Starbucks,” he boasted, “And I get along!”

He urged his fans to start their own consumer watch dog groups. “Infuriation is the solution,” he reminded us, essentially saying: Get Mad, then Get Even!

For more information on exhibitors and when a Green Festival may be coming to your city, visit GreenFestivals.org.

The post Green Festival Offers Great Way to Try Living Green appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Sure, you have a lot of eco choices if you have the time, not just to order online, but to wait for delivery. But if you’re in a hurry (and who isn’t?) and you’re already at the market or the local convenience store, you’ll probably be out of luck.

If Beth Radow has her way, that will change, at least in her Mamaroneck, New York neighborhood. That’s where Beth has mobilized women to meet with store managers to encourage them to make “going green” easier for anyone who wants more eco-friendly options.

Beth (tall woman in blue in center of photo) is the president of the Larchmont-Mamaroneck League of Women Voters Chapter. A passionate environmentalist and a concerned parent, Beth is also an attorney with a “can do, must do” attitude about social change. In fact, the theme for her presidency at the League is “We, The People,” because, she says, “I want to empower people to be agents of social change.”

With social and environmental change in mind, Beth recently marshalled a force of about 15 women aged 17 to 92 to meet with representatives of their Trader Joe’s, Stop-and-Shop, and A&P. This “Supermarket Sweep” was organized against the backdrop of theGulf oil disaster. Said Beth in inviting people to participate, “Gas guzzling semis truck in goods to our stores on a regular basis from near and distant points. How might our stores save on fuel? As professionals and heads of households, we make seemingly unending car trips to and from the store and elsewhere. It all adds up.”

Beth invited folks to walk to the stores with their own shopping carts or reusable canvas bags in order to drive home their concerns about energy conservation, noting “This Walk to the store behind a cart instead of a wheel puts a focus on what we ourselves can do to walk the walk when it comes to reducing fuel consumption.”

Beth also made copies of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World available as a primer on the clout women can have when they decide to make their money matter.

Prior to the “Sweep,” we brainstormed a list of questions Beth and her group could ask the store managers when they met. How is the store saving energy? What steps are being taken to sell locally-grown food? How can the store reduce excess packaging?

Beth also took the opportunity to suggest that stores reward shoppers who walk to their establishments the same way they reward shoppers who bring their own bags by giving them a nickel/per bag credit.

Beth said she and the other women in the group didn’t know what to expect when they got to each store. They were pleasantly surprised to find that the store managers, particularly at Trader Joe’s and Stop-and-Shop, were eager to hear what they had to say. Local news reports glowingly featured the “Sweep,” the first of its kind in th region.

“We got a wealth of information…about the way the stores work,” Beth concluded, pronouncing this first foray a success. “The customer has a lot more clout than I think we realized.” (That’s what Big Green Purse is all about!)

Beth will be conducting follow-up meetings with each store in August, when she hopes to inspire the stores to offer customers who walk or bike an energy credit of some sort.

Meanwhile, if your local group wants to stage a Green Supermarket Sweep, send me an e-mail: Diane@biggreenpurse.com.

The post Want to Change What Stores Stock on Their Shelves? Go Meet With Them. These Women Did. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Every two weeks, it offers just what you need to make your environmental choices a little clearer:

* unbiased product reviews

* money-saving tips

* links to helpful resources

* profiles of readers who have joined our One in a Million campaign and are shifting at least $1,000 to greener products and services

* reports on my own experiences trying to live in greater harmony with people and the planet.

It will only take you five minutes to read, but will save you hours of time when you're trying to figure out what to buy or do. 

Remember: It costs nothing to sign up, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

The post Free E-Newsletter Clears Up the Confusion About Green Living & Shopping appeared first on Big Green Purse.