Green Right Now Reports

Chicago’s Greenheart Shop is declaring that Black Friday will be Green Friday this year at their store, which sells Fair Trade, eco-friendly and socially conscious gifts, food, clothes and accessories.

Greenheart, a non-profit cultural exchange and storefront (at 1911 W. Division) will be serving free Fair Trade wine, cocoa and snacks to shoppers. Visitors can also see a make-your-own gift wrap demonstration. The event, on Friday, Nov. 27, will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those who can’t attend can still buy Greenheart products online.

The goodies sold at Greenheart benefit disadvantaged workers, coops in developing nations and support ecologically sound growing methods, like shade-grown cocoa. They include:

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By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Ornamental gourds (Photo: Cooksgarden.com)

If you’ve cruised the produce section at the grocery lately, you probably stopped to eye the small, colorful, oddball gourds near the pumpkins and winter squash.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

We’ve been munching on some new creations from Dr. Kracker, an artisan cracker company that uses whole grains, seeds and healthy oils.

Dr. Kracker’s new Culinary Crisps come in some intense flavors – Hummus Maximus, Fire Roasted Crisps, Apple Crisps and Cherry Semolina. They work wonderfully with hummus, tahini, bean, veggie and cream cheese dips, as well as hard and soft cheeses; dipped in olive oil; topped with cucumbers, apples or avocado. You get the idea. You’ll run out of crackers long before you run out of concoctions.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Paper plates are not just paper anymore – they’re made of recycled plastic, or PLA-plastic derived from vegetables, or bamboo, or birch wood.

Now there’s a new entry, Earth Shell paper plates made of potatoes. How do you like them paper plates? You may not know yet, they’re just rolling out in regional groceries like Kings Super Markets and Wegmans in the Northeast; Meijer in the Midwest; HEB in Texas and Smart and Finals in California.

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By Sommer Saadi
Green Right Now

As I unloaded my groceries onto the conveyor belt, I realized I was buying more than could fit in my reusable bags.

“Can you try to fit everything in these?” I asked, handing over my assortment of canvas totes.

“I can try,” the cashier answered. “But it’s no big deal, I can just use plastic bags for whatever we can’t fit into the ones you brought.”

“Oh no,” I said. “No plastic bags. Please.”

She stared back at me. She had already stretched out a plastic bag and was ready to load.

“I have this thing,” I told her. “I just really hate plastic bags.”

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From Amazon

Earth Day 2009 is April 22, and Amazon is launching Earth Day Savings at www.amazon.com/earthday, where customers can save on organic groceries, home products, CFLs and more. Additionally, learn how to go Extreme Green, Ease Into Green, or be Eco-Chic.

Amazon and ENERGY STAR will also host the Earth Day Sweepstakes. Five first-place winners will receive two ENERGY STAR-qualified powerhouses: a Toshiba laptop and a Brother multifunction printer. Fifteen second-place winners will receive the Brother printer. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter here by April 22, 2009. See Official Rules for details.

You can also celebrate with recycled and repurposed wood and plastic toys. Shop our large selection of eco-friendly toys from Spring Toys, Green Toys, Plan Toys, and more.

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Product Description from Amazon.com

Pura Vida Whole Bean Coffee, French Roast, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
Fair Trade Certified; Certified Organic; Shade Grown. The origin of Pura Vida Coffee goes back more than a decade to a small coffee shop where we first dreamed of using business as a means to help at-risk children. And because Pura Vida specializes in Fair Trade organic coffee, you help farmers sustain their families and protect the environment with every cup you drink. When you buy Pura Vida, you get more than a great cup of coffee. After searching the world for our premium beans, we carefully roast our Fair Trade coffee in small batches for unsurpassed flavor and fullness. We know and work directly with the farmers who grow our beans, and select only their best.

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Product features from Amazon.com

Marques De Paiva Medium Roast, 100% USDA Organic Decaf, Swiss Water® Process Ground Coffee, 10-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)

• Case of four 10-ounce bags of organic medium roast decaffeinated ground coffee (40 total ounces)
• Made with high-grown, 100% premium Arabica beans
• Sweet-toned, intense aroma with walnut and chocolate notes and a hint peach
• Produced chemical-free with Swiss Water process
• From coffee harvested in Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Product Description from Amazon.com

Organically grown Highland coffee. Freeze dried instant coffee. USDA Organic. Made from 100% finest organic coffee. This fine coffee has been carefully selected and separately harvested. The processing to freeze-dried coffee is also achieved without the use of any form of preservatives or additives. Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee (6 pack of 3.53-Ounce Jars) is the first certified organic freeze dried coffee in the world. 100% Organic certified by EcoCert in accordance with the organic standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This delicious coffee is of the highest quality, mild and naturally rich in flavor. Our coffees are from plantations of the best cultivation areas of the world. These highland coffees are quarantined to be organically grown without the use of any artificial chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers. Packed in Germany.

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