Drink and be Merry...and Guffly, too

I've been thinking about having a fiesta for 4th of July this year and of course I want it to be a Guffly experience for all. In addition to tasty organic food and drinks, I've been thinking about other little green touches to make it that much better. I found these bamboo drinking straws, and they might just be in my purchasing future. These straws are Guffly because they are reusable and keep regular plastic disposable straws out of landfills. Plus, in the event you do throw it away, they are made of a natural material that is biodegradable.

The straws pictured here can be found at Global Exchange. They come in a set of twelve and are produced by a company named Kopnoi, a fair trade business located in Laos. The set is $16.95 plus another $5.95 for shipping costs.

After you use the straws, you should cover them in water with vinegar, boil them for 20 minutes then lay them out to dry. Sure, this isn't as simple as throwing away a plastic straw, but I think it's a small price to pay for having your party guests impressed by your fancy drink serving skills.

Trashy.

Last night I talked with one of my most favorite people, my Aunt Kelley. Other than being totally awesome in general, she has been eating organic food, using organic products, and been an all-around guffly individual for some time now. She asked me if I knew anything about eco-friendly trash bags. This got me thinking. A lot of green people are using reusable bags for groceries and shopping, are recycling what they can, but are still throwing out their trash in icky, regular old plastic trash bags. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought about this before. Turns out there are some pretty simple options. Check 'em out:


1. BioBags - 100% Biodegradable and Compostable. "BioBags are GMO free, certified for use in organic agriculture and certified for restricted use of metals in our vegetable-based inks and dyes. Their products meet the ASTM D6400-99 requirements, which is the gold standard for compostable plastic. BioBags are shelf stable, just like paper towels, yet biodegrade quickly when exposed to nature's elements and micro-organisms, leaving no harmful residues behind." These bags can be found at Drugstore.com, $6.19 for 12 count 13-gallon bags.


2. Nature Value Eco Safe Bags - biodegrade in 12 to 14 months. They are made from 10-20% post consumer recycled materials, are certified Kosher, and the box they come is also made from recycled materials. You can find their various products on Lets Go Green where they are very reasonably priced in comparison; only $2.99 for 15 count 13-gallon bags.