How You Can Be Earth Friendly For Less
(Prosperity - Laura E Kirkpatrick) Going green is the new black, brown, and red. Everybody’s talking about it, from iVillage’s iGoGreen – content developed with GE’s EcoImagination group – to John McCain’s endorsement from the League of 
Conservation Voters (his hero is Theodore Roosevelt, the creator of the national parks system).But in the words of the great sage Kermit, it’s not easy (or cheap) being Green.
Before you know it, you are using $5 eco friendly recycled paper towels to clean up a spill from your $6 venti soy fair-trade-from-some-country-you-couldn’t-find-on-a-map latte . Ever notice how being green can cost you more green? It doesn’t have to.
So we’ve done a little bit of research to find ways to save you green while going green. For more tips on saving cash while saving the environment, check out our resource guide.
- Caveat emptor. You may notice we stress this alot. Here at Prosperity we’re a big fan of being aware of the power of your money. We want to keep you and your green together. Green products, like those created by Seventh Generation - probably the best-known ‘green’ brand because it’s carried by Whole Foods, Shoprite and most local bodegas in my neighborhood in Brooklyn - can cost slightly more than other brands at your local supermarket. I went online to see if the cost differences were the same when overhead (location, distribution and merchandising) were removed from the pricing structure. I found that in general regardless of the site, Seventh Generation cost 60 percent more than a name brand like Fantastic, and hovered around 33 percent higher than other environmentally friendly brands like Method and Ecolever.
According to a Seventh Generation spokesman, this inflation is driven in part by the research and development costs but also by marketing. That is, they have the prettiest label. But demand also plays a role, as Seventh Generation’s control of the market and wide distribution allows them to charge more. (For more on on quick, green and cheap cleaning, check out the Green section of the Resource Guide.)
Not all green products will bleed you dry. You just have to know where to shop. Wayne Miles’ Go Green store in Brooklyn, NY, carries seemingly nameless bathroom paper for $.85 a roll – the same price as a single roll of Charmin, and 32 percent less than the $1.29 price of the Seventh Generation roll. While the packaging isn’t as nice, it still does the job it was intended for. If you’re brand-loyal, and looking for best deals on Seventh Generation online, I found them at drugstore.com and freshdirect, if it delivers in your area.
“People are becoming more conscious to the environment, elevated by the ’go green‘ trend in the media,” says Miles. “I try to carry the best values for my customers and the earth, but these are not necessarily the brands most associated with this trend.” Finding a conscientious retailer makes the difference. (If you know of one in your area and want to let others know, send it our way and we'll add it to the resource guide)
- Unplug. Yeah, just like MTV in the 90s.
Each electricity bill is roughly 20 percent lighting, and 80 percent appliances. “Any electrical device that is instant on/off,” Chris Olert points out, “is drawing electricity 24/7.” Unplug appliances when they are not in use and you can save up to 30 percent, according to Olert. You can find more tips to conserve energy and save money here.
- Lightbulb gone on yet?
It turns out the guy in the Graduate was wrong. It’s not plastics, but light bulbs. That’s at least where you can see some of the greatest savings. Standard incandescent bulbs use up to 20 times the energy to produce the same amount of light as compact fluorescent bulbs (CFB) or compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). A CFB shedding roughly 100 watts of light uses only 26 volts of energy, and can last up to 15,000 hours (over 13 years). Incandescent bulbs use 60 volts of energy to produce 100 watts of light, and their life spans are generally 750 to 1500 hours.
The number of volts to watts is important in judging the value of a light bulb. The number of volts (the current along which electrical charges move, in really basic terms) multiplied by amperes (the amount of electric charge per second) gives you the number of watts. So the lower the number of volts, and higher the number of amps, the more efficient the light bulb.
Upfront CFBs do cost more - Fresh Direct sells them for $5.49 each and Amazon sells a 3 pack for $15.99. But they save more over time – both in amount of energy consumed and in cash. Replacing a $1.38 light every year costs for the 13 year life span of the CFB ads to more than 200 percent increase over the cost of one CBF. Plus, you may see up to 20 percent off your utilities bill, according to Chris Olert, a spokesman with energy company Consolidated Edison. The United States Department of Energy estimates a lifetime value savings of $400 and up with the use of CFBs.
- Concentrate
Another way to the double green bottom line, according to Miles, lies not just in more efficient light bulbs but also in concentrate cleaning supplies. For example - BioKleen’s All Purpose Concentrate costs $8.29 for 32 ounces at Go Green, but it creates 320 ounces of product when mixed with water. Roughly ten sprays of Fantastic ($2.99 for 32 ounces) are equal to one capful of BioKleen diluted in water.
“This solves three problems,” maintains Miles. “You are getting a greater value for your money, disposing of less non-biodegradable bottles and putting less petroleum based product in landfills, while creating a healthier environment in your house.”
So with a little more energy on your part – going a little farther than the corner store, replacing light bulbs, turning off and unplugging appliances and charging green (check out the sidebar for more on this) – you can save both the environment and some hard earned cash. Enough, at least, so that you won’t have to cry over that spilled venti cinnamon soy latte.
