Comments for This recycled newspaper dog costs way too much money

This recycled newspaper dog costs way too much money

2009-11-06T20:55:42Z

This dog from Viva Terra is made with recycled newspaper. But for $100, you can make a real pup pretty happy.

As soon as Halloween was over, I saw the Christmas/holidays stuff appear instantly at stores around Chicago.

Our consumerist culture doesn't take a breather, does it?

Unfortunately, this buy buy buy mentality is just as bad amongst the eco-friendly crowd lately ...

It's funny, isn't it, how things go from being a great cause to something that's commercialized?

Now, consumers are encouraged to buy products with green labels and flowers instead of doing the actual eco-friendly thing, which is not buying some of this stuff at all.

Stores set higher prices on bamboo furniture and bedding, hemp accessories, coasters made of recycled tires. Companies push supposedly eco-friendly versions of their cleaners and containers using 10% less plastic.

Yes, fine, these are good steps--in theory. Unfortunately, it seems to me that there's more of a make-money mentality pushing the subject forward than education and the attempt to actually make a difference.

Does this annoy the hell out of anyone else? The hypocrisy of it all? The fact that the only thing companies seem to care about is money, and the fact that they spend millions of dollars trying to figure out how to convince us to buy this stuff?

Argh. This whole holiday spirit thing doesn't work on me when holiday spirit is defined by a lot of glittery things at Target.

I'm not beyond stuff, of course. I like to have new, pretty, fun things. And those eco-friendly products with pretty packaging pulls me in too. In fact, you'll see a gift guide with green gift suggestions coming from me very soon. But we have to have our limits.

We're convinced that we need all this stuff, when in reality, going green is all about the lack of stuff. Refinishing furniture from a yard sale, making your own cleaners, growing food on the porch--essentially, putting less stuff in the landfills and showing a general kindness to the Earth.

Despite the rampant nature of this consumerist culture, I'd still like to think there's room for change. I love it when I see kids at the farmers markets, compost bins outside schools and more and more people turning down bags at the store.

But I think, especially around the holidays, it helps to be reminded that it's not all about the stuff.

Comment from Jen on 2009-11-09

2009-11-10T03:06:31Z

It's sad that the green movement has become so commercialized, and an easy way to make a profit, but there's definitely positive ways in which we can spend our money, as you know. Places that sell not only eco-friendly but also fair trade items are a great place to get some great Christmas gifts, and make a difference with your money, like Ten Thousand Villages in Oak Park or GreenHeart in Wicker Park (that I volunteer at too!)I think that by giving back in small ways by choosing Fair Trade it somewhat lessens the crappiness of the buybuybuy mentality that surrounds the holidays.

Comment from Supriya Doshi on 2009-11-09

2009-11-10T04:28:21Z

Agreed! I love Ten Thousand Villages and Greenheart--they both offer lots of great products that really help people are contribute to fantastic causes.

Fair Trade is definitely a good way to give back to these communities and know you're supporting actual people, as opposed to a big corporation.

Comment from Kim on 2009-11-10

2009-11-10T16:43:37Z

I recently saw a morning show segment that described how there is no oversight on how companies use terms like "green" and "eco-friendly". Apparently there are a few reliable certification systems, but most "green" products don't use these more rigorous systems. Wish I could remember the details on the real certification programs!

Comment from oates on 2009-11-10

2009-11-10T19:01:55Z

After reading through some of your blog posts I think you'd be really interested in this organization called Live Green. Live Green is a group that finds green options for the everyday products and services we are buying anyway like food, clothing and transportation, and then we negotiate discounts to make them more affordable. It's discounts with a purpose: they save you money while helping the green economy thrive. Live Green rigorously scores businesses to determine whether they are suitable to be a "Green Spot." They launched in DC and after a year of successful operations, decided to expand to Chicago. Greenheart is actually a Live Green Spot!

If you want to learn more check our their website www.livegreen.net. They are also throwing a launch party on December 10th in Chicago, here's that website too: http://www.livegreen.net/?access=events.

Comment from Supriya Doshi on 2009-11-11

2009-11-12T02:44:35Z

Yeah, it's very unfortunately that there's no good way to tell what products are really eco-friendly and which ones are just playing the part--unless, of course, you really know how to read those ingredient lists.

I think you're right about the reliable certification systems, though I bet those are hard to ID in a lineup of a bunch of other stuff also bearing natural, eco-friendly, environmentally safe, organic and green claims.

Hopefully, there eventually will be more of a standard for everything. Until then, just remember that simpler is often the way to go.

Thanks for the great comment!