Anyone who is familiar with the Austin-based store, Whole Foods Market, knows that they promote natural and organic foods and are committed to sustainability. This 30+ year old company has created the first retail cleaning product standards: the Eco-Scale Rating System for household cleaning products.

At Fortune magazine’s Brainstorm Green conference in Laguna Niguel, California, contributing editor Marc Gunther raised the question: “Will American consumers ever go green?” H. Fisk Johnson, CEO of SC Johnson, believes the current answer is “no”. Their cleaning product Windex is currently being offered in a small concentrated pouch version. The environmental benefits include reusing the original spray bottle, minimizing packaging, reducing transportation impacts, lowering manufacturing energy and emissions, and reducing landfill waste. In addition, some of the reduced manufacturing costs are passed along through lower prices to the consumer. It’s a win-win situation, unless you live in the U.S.

Spring is here. Outside tulips are blooming and birds are chirping. Inside millions of Americans are busy with the annual event of cleaning. According to the recently published Rasmussen Report, this year 72% of respondents in the U.S. plan to partake in this spring cleaning ritual. If you’re planning on some spring cleaning yourself, instead of putting on the rubber gloves and face mask, you may want to check out the variety of safe non-toxic green cleaning options that are now available. You can still open the windows while cleaning if you like.

With so many products claiming to be green or friendly to the environment, it is hard to know what truly constitutes an eco friendly product these days. Whether they are called green products, sustainable products or environmentally responsible products, these eco friendly products cause minimal harm to people and the environment. The manufacturing and/or consumption of these goods have a minimal impact on the environment. Although there are no universal certifications or standards to deem a product as eco-friendly, there are some questions that you can ask when trying to buy green.

With the popularity of renewable energy and going green, many companies these days are looking for ways to offset their carbon emissions. From this demand multiple voluntary producers of renewable energy have emerged to sell their carbon offsets in the unregulated renewable energy market. Thankfully, various independent organizations are here to help consumers know which green power products actually come from certified renewable energy sources.

It seems that here in the United States, we’re getting hit with green from all sides. These days, we hear green murmurs in international conferences, from the federal government, in the media, and through advertising which all trickle down into the general population. Nearly 60% of people who pick up a newspaper and magazine find themselves reading a green article. And over 30% of consumers go into stores and realize that they are now buying more green products. How has all this green snuck into our lives?

Every little effort to live green adds up and there are so many different things that you can do. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Here are a few simple steps that you can take toward a greener life. This short list is a place to start if you’re in the early stages of going green or it may just be a checklist to refresh your memory. Either way, every effort adds up to a more eco friendly future.

Having a precious little bundle of joy in the house is truly delightful for any family. Generally, baby preparations begin months before the baby arrives. Cribs, rompers and strollers are purchased. Light sockets, cabinets and sharp objects are secured. But, what about the air that the baby breathes or the floor that the baby crawls on? This article will help you get your ducks in a row before the baby comes.

Whenever we enter someone’s home or a different building, we take in décor, the ambience and the smell. No one wants to be in a stinky place. For 75% of consumers, room air fresheners are an obvious choice. However, in an attempt to improve the indoor air quality, we may be polluting our indoor air with harmful chemicals and toxins.

Many of us try to eat the suitable food to promote a healthy body. If our fruits, vegetables and whole grains are grown in depleted or contaminated soils, how much good are we really doing for our bodies? It's likely you have also heard the term soil depletion, but what does it really mean to the average consumer?