LIVING GREEN

HOW TO BE A GREEN CONSUMER

• Co-Op America's National Green Pages

  This book is the largest annual directory of socially and environmentally responsible businesses. It works like the Yellow Pages. (800)58-GREEN

• Mothers and Others Green Guide

  This newsletter is a detailed resource guide on current environmental consumer issues. (888)ECO-INFO

• Real Goods

  This catalog carries more than 3,000 items-some functional, some whimsical. (800)762-7325

• Good Wood Directory

  The Certified Forest Products Council publishes this catalog of certified wood products, manuafacturers, and distributors.(503)590-6600

• Harmony

  This catalog offers a wide range of environmental and health products, including environmentally responsible paper and cleaning products previously available through the Seventh Generation catalog. (800)869-3446

• Go Organic

  Learn about organic products, discuss issues relating to organic products, and buy organic products on-line.

• Help Ban PVC

Learn about alternatives to PVC plastic in construction.

• Global Recycling Network

  GRN is a free-access public site dedicated to recycling-related information.

• Plastics Conservation

  Learn about plastics here.

• Earthplace

  The greenest home and garden place on earth.

GREEN LABELS

Look for green labels when shopping. Here are some reliable labels and certifiers:

• Green Seal

  The Green Seal of Approval goes to products that meet industry standards for environmental claims or that "cause less harm to the environment than similar products in the same category". (202)588-8400

• Scientific Certification Systems

  SCS certifies such environmental claims as recycled content, biodegradability, and energy efficiency. (800)ECO-FACTS

• Energy Star

  Products that carry the Energy Star logo meet energy-efficiency standards set by the EPA. (800)STAR-YES

• Forest Stewardship Council

  FSC is the international accreditor for wood-products certifiers and the international governing body for forestry labels. (802)244-6257

• Smartwood

  This certification is for wood products that come from forests harvested in ways that do not degrade biodiversity. (212)677-1900

• Eco-OK

  This certification signals that bananas, coffee, and orange juice meet standards in conservation, cultivation, and community relations. (212)677-1900

• Organics

  National organic labeling standards are in the works (USDA proposed disappointing rules, which organic farmers and sustainable-agriculture activists are trying to strengthen). IN the meantime, look for these labels or logos: California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Certified Organic, Farm Verified Organic(FVO), Northeast Organic Farming Association(NOFA), Midwest Organic, and Organic Crop Improvement Association(OCIA).

• Marine Stewardship Council

  The MSC label, which will appear in stores by the end of 1998, will certify that frozen and fresh fish come from healthy fish stocks and ecosystems. 011-44-171-350-4000

• TCF and PCF

  The Chlorine Free Products Association's Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) label is reserved for virgin-fiber papers that do not use pulp produced with chlorine or chlorine-containing compounds, such as bleaching agents. The Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) label is reserved for recycled paper with a minimum of 20% postconsumer waste content.(847)658-6104; cfpal@ibm.net

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Copyright 1998 Bill and Cathy Strahm.
Last revised: January 15, 1999.