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.

Jewelery that Turns You Green

No, not cheapo jewelery that turns your skin green after wearing it. I'm talking about fine jewelery with an eco-conscious and people-friendly purpose.

There's been a lot of engagements and weddings going on around me lately. So, as with most things I don't feel like thinking about, there's been this constant stream of wedding and engagement info going on around me that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed. It always happens that way, right? I've seen TV segments on how to be a "green bride" and how to have a "green wedding," and lately I've even found some guffly engagement and wedding rings.

I found a store called greenKarat, an ecommerce jeweler of jewelery made in more ecologically responsible manner. The company has a strong philosophy and also goes deep on the issues surrounding gold and gems, like conflict diamonds and the impact of mechanized mining processes. Additionally, they go beyond taking issue with conventional practices and actually deliver alternatives. Each piece of jewelery they sell is evaluated on 8 characteristics:

1. Eco Metal: is it made of ecologically mined gold or platinum?
2. Eco Alloy: is the alloy a recycled metal?
3. Eco Findings: are the small parts of the jewelery comprised of recycled gold or platinum?
4. Eco Gems: are the gems ecologically mined?
5. Eco Other: are the other components of ecological origin?
6. Non-Eco: are there items used that are not ecologically responsible?
7. Eco Refinery: did the precious metal on the piece come from an ecologically certified refinery?
8. Eco Bench: did the jewelery maker use eco-friendly procedures in the workplace?

Using these guidelines, greenKarat gives each of its pieces a rating called a Green Assay Record. This allows the customer to view the characteristics of his or her jewelery, and understand how green it is. While they understand that each piece isn't ecologically perfect, because the system isn't yet perfect, greenKarat does pledge to be open and honest with customers about what goes into each piece of jewelery. Plus, the primary metal is every greenKarat design is recycled from another piece of jewelery.

greenKarat also has a section on their site called myKarat that allows customers to recycle their gold for store credit, to reuse their gold to make rings, or to donate their gold to benefit the environment. And with gold at premium value lately, now is the perfect time to start exchanging.

Crotch Appeal

What area of your body needs the most organic love? Yes, the good ol' goodies. In fact, I can't think of any part that I'd want to keep further away from pesticides and chemicals. That's why I began searching for good looking organic undies. I came across a brand you should know about. They are called Green Knickers, and they are based in the UK. I like Green Knickers because they are really cute, and most of their pairs are 100% organic, and 100% fair trade. Unless you want to pay for international shipping, you can find Green Knickers on the Green Leaves portion of Figleaves.com (a webstore with all intimates). Green Knickers' various styles retail for around $28 on Fig Leaves, plus $4.50 for shipping.

It's in the Bag

I love handbags - especially unique, unbranded, can't-find-it-at-the-mall bags that none of my friends can find anywhere (yes, I'm a greedy style hoarder). During my searching I found a shiny needle in the haystack of handbag internet shops. Asi Crecemos is fair-trade store with unique handmade bags from Columbia. The company, whose name means "how we grow," has a meaningful mission: "to help create economic opportunities for these Columbian artisans so that they can support their families. In addition to purchasing and marketing their handmade products in America, we assist them in becoming economically self sufficient through product training, technical assistance and market access."

By checking out the site you can see that this mission is more than just words. They have pictures of the producers and the village right on the website. This village they are working with is made up of about 60 families. They believe that within 12 months they will be able to generate enough business to get the producers and their families out of poverty level. The store just began this past January, and hopes to be fair-trade certified by the end of the year.

The handbags are made from a combination of leather and a fiber called fique, which is natural and native to the Andean regions of Columbia. All of the materials in the bags, other than the zipper, are biodegradable. The bags and totes range from $65 to $75.

Won't digging through the seemingly bottomless pit of your purse be way more fun when you have a bag that is cute and good for the world? Exactly.

Life's Not Fair...but maybe we can help

Growing up, one of the most common phrases to come out of my dad's mouth was, "life's not fair." This was usually after having heard me whine and complain about a rule or situation that I just didn't agree with. Over time, unfortunately, I've realized that my dad was right. However, as someone who cares about the world and the other people in it, I do my best to make things a little bit more fair. That's why I'm on the lookout for fairly traded goodies. And, like many of you, Jordan and I are looking for easily accessible information and products.

We know that we are interested in learning about products and practices that involve more sustainable means of production and benefit the producer equally to the retailer or distributor. I've researched some of the governing bodies of fair trade - including the Fair Trade Resource Network, the International Fair Trade Association, the Fair Trade Federation, and Transfair. These sites are great places to start looking for basic info on fair trade policy and practices. Likewise, if you dive a little deeper, you can find information on the tangible, actionable steps you can take to participate in fair trade.

First, I suggest starting with Transfair's 'Where to Buy' database. From searching within Michigan, this seems to be the most extensive list of retail shops with fair trade products. Second, try Coop America's list of Fair Trade Retailers. This list is organized by product type, so you have to search around a bit to see if anything is in your area. Next try the Fair Trade Federation's membership list. If you input your city and state and check the 'retail business' tab, you'll find any businesses in your area who are affiliated with FTF.

One exciting development in fair trade shopping is eBay's latest, Project Good. Like eBay, the marketplace will feature several different sellers with a wide variety of products. What makes Project Good different that eBay, however, is that the products will not be sold through auctions and will have set prices like a traditional eCommerece store. Not so sure eBay knows too much about fair trade? Well, I wasn't so convinced myself. However, the retail giant is partnering with World of Good on this project and, from what I have seen, it appears to be a genuine and authentic endeavor.

These options should give you a starting place for finding great products that are also fairly traded. If you know of any others, please leave us a comment!