Congressman Barney Frank Visits the bGreen Mobile Showroom

The bGreen Mobile Showroom was one of the main attractions at the Newton Harvest Festival Green Solutions 2010 yesterday in Newton Centre, MA.   The Showroom was open for business and drew a large crowd, including our first celebrity/politician visit.



Congressman Barney Frank, of the Fourth Congressional District of MA, took the time to stop by the bGreen Mobile Showroom and learn about our business and products.  It was great to have Congressman Frank in and he was quite interested in hearing how bGreen came to be.



Learn more about Congressman Barney Frank here.



Learn more about the bGreen Mobile Showroom here.

Boom! Boston.com video and article!

We have been featured in Boston.com's Innovation Economy section.  We visited Scott Kirsner, technology and innovation writer for boston.com, earlier this week to show off the bGreen Mobile Showroom.  Full article and video here.

The Floors are Done*

The floors in the bGreen Mobile Showroom are done.  Well, mostly.  All that's left is a good cleaning, and 4 coats of eco friendly urethane to seal and protect them.  We're really pleased with how they came out.  As you can see in the picture below, we have a beautiful cork floor with an espresso colored bamboo inlay.  Certainly not your typical installation (i.e. in a truck with materials of different thickness  - the cork is about 1/4" and the bamboo is about 5/8" - leveled with the subfloor), but we think the result shows exactly how versatile a cork floor is.  Some installation videos will follow shortly.

Agenda for next 3 days

We're busy

1. cooking class at Newton South



2. American Clay installation



3. cut sub floors



4. layout & cut out strips in sub floor



5. fasten subfloors



6. layout, cut & glue cork



7. urethane cork (2 coats i believe)



8. cut & install bamboo



9. cut & install marmoleum



10. cut & install tile



11. admire work

bGreen Weekly Deal will return July 1

We're taking a bit of a hiatus (really just 2 weeks) with the bGreen Weekly Deal.

We'll be back on July 1 with a new deal and a couple exciting changes.

Are there any products you'd like to see featured as a bGreen Deal? Just drop us an email or leave a note in the comments.

Stay tuned.

Video: bGreen Applies American Clay

Here is a quick video of our application of American Clay in the bGreen Mobile Showroom.  First step was to use a sanded primer on the walls to give the clay something to stick to.  After the primer, we applied a base coat of American Clay.  Once the base coat sets, we'll apply the finish coat.



httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypJzYsJu4l0



bGreen Applies American Clay

bGreen's Top Sellers Through 6/14/2010

We've been busy working on the bGreen Mobile Showroom and hope to have another progress update later this week.  (Hint: you might see some pictures of the bGreen team getting down and dirty installing some cork flooring, putting in eco friendly lighting, and doing clay plastering)  Rest assured our online store is still booming.  We've been adding more products and you can see some of them have already become top selling products!

• Chico Bags



• Solar Hybrid Flashlight



• BioBag Waste and Compost Bags



• Twist Loofah Sponges



• FlameDisk Charcoal Alternative

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Bamboo flooring

There are literally thousands of choice when it comes to bamboo flooring.  Aside from color, you can choose from flat grain or end grain.  You can choose from long plank or standard.  You can choose solid bamboo, strand bamboo, or bamboo veneer with a non-bamboo core. Prices vary dramatically.  bGreen recommends and carries only high quality bamboo.  You will not find any veneer in any of our projects and everything we offer is of the solid/strand variety.



When we acquired the bGreen Mobile Showroom, the kind owners before us had installed bamboo floors.  Awesome....kind of.  Upon further inspection, these weren't the high quality, durable bamboo floors that we are carrying at bGreen.  These were cheap, $1.50/foot, veneer with a plywood (or maybe cedar) backing that need to be replaced every couple years.  So we were torn.  The floors needed to be at least refinished to bring them back to life, but was that really what we wanted to do?



After considering our options, we decided to remove the original bamboo floors and replace them with a new, high quality eco friendly floor.  Unfortunately, much of the bamboo we removed as damaged beyond salvage, and we're looking into alternative uses for the scraps.  Rest assured, they will not just be getting thrown out.



Our new floor features four eco friendly flooring materials.  We'll be using cork, bamboo, marmoleum, and recycled glass tile.  We're really excited to showcase these materials.

bGreen's top sellers through 6/2/2010

It's always a little tough to get back in the swing of things after a nice long weekend.  As such, our bGreen Weekly Deal and our Top Sellers lists were delayed a couple days while we get back in the groove.  So, without any further delay, here are our top selling products through 6/2/2010.  And if you want a look at us doing some construction on the bGreen Mobile Showroom, click here. (yes, we're recycling everything that's coming out of the showroom, but sadly most of it is not in reusable condition)

• Chico Bags



• F. Rock Bags - Custom Men's Carryalls



• bGreen Gift Certificate



• Vers 1.5r iPod Player



• Vers 2x iPod Player

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Update on the bGreen Mobile Showroom

Dear bGreen friends, followers, customers & future customers,



We want to provide you with an update on the much awaited bGreen Mobile Showroom.  Things are moving along!  By now you've all seen pictures of the outside of the showroom and maybe even seen the truck around Boston.  The reaction has been nothing short of awesome.  People love the paint scheme and concept.



We're happy to report that we are making progress on finishing the inside of the showroom.  The materials have been ordered and have started to arrive.  The plans have been finalized, tweaked, and finalized again!  As we're learning, even the best laid out plans and schedules change, so we're working hard to adjust accordingly.  We're anxious to get the inside finished and bring you the latest and greatest eco friendly building materials.



It won't be long now.  In the meantime, why not try our bGreen Home Consultation?  Let us come to your home and discuss how you and your family can live a more eco friendly lifestyle.  If you're considering a home renovation or just want to incorporate more green products into your daily routine, we can help you.  We've got the knowledge and expertise to help you make smart, healthy choices for you and your family.  If you're interested, please contact us via email or at 617-910-0880.  We appreciate your support and continued business.



-The bGreen Team

Your counter is made of what? Part 1 - Material Selection

[caption id="attachment_699" align="alignleft" width="148" caption="Maggie the Dog"][/caption]



A short time ago, we posted a video about our first bGreen building project.  This being our first major project, everything has been a learning experience.  From establishing a relationship with our fabricator to realizing home construction scares Maggie the bGreen dog into pooping in the house.  All in all this process has been a tremendous learning opportunity for bGreen.  So how did it work out?  What was the process and what can you expect if you choose bGreen for you next home renovation project?



[caption id="attachment_700" align="alignright" width="197" caption="Old Kitchen Counter (excuse the mess)"][/caption]



Let's start with the basics; define the project.  We wanted new counters. Our apartment in Boston's North End came with plain white Formica counters.  They had no character, were hard to clean, and worst of all, ugly (no offense Formica people).  The Formica counters were put in by the builder solely based on the fact that they were cheap.  At bGreen we are big believers that you can have nice looking materials in your home and not have to break the bank. This is  a topic for another post, but there is no real advantage to using cheap materials in a home project.  The bottom line, quality products will last you longer.



[caption id="attachment_701" align="alignleft" width="152" caption="Richlite - Chocolate Glacier"][/caption]



We settled on counters from Richlite.  Richlite is made of compressed paper that comes from pre/post consumer waste and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified lumber.  Richlite is stain resistant, heat resistant, and denser than some wood counter tops.  It also comes in a variety of great colors.  We went with Chocolate Glacier - yes, it sounds more like something you'd want to eat on but it's a nice looking counter.  Look-wise, you can compare it to slate or soapstone - really stunning.



Prior to our project, the walls in the kitchen were just painted.  We wanted to do some sort of back splash throughout the kitchen to set it apart and because it is easier to clean then a painted wall.  Luckily we had leftover subway tile from a previous project.  The actual title is not green in any way.  However, using leftover materials is green.  If you are starting from scratch obviously we think you should use all green materials, but if you have something you want to reuse bGreen won't stop you! In fact, we'll help you figure out how to reuse what you already have and incorporate new green materials into your projects.



Now that the materials have been selected (Richlite counters and a Subway Tile back splash) we move onto the next step, Part 2 - Templating/Fabrication/Sink & Faucet selection.

bGreen's Word Cloud

In our travels on the interweb we came across a great site, wordle.net, that creates word clouds from content of your choice.  You can enter in text, a blog, or a RSS feed.  Out comes the word cloud.  Very cool stuff.  Below is the word cloud for the home page of bgreenlifestyle.com.

Word cloud courtesy of wordle.net

Top Sellers Through 5/17/2010

As always, we present to you our top selling items for the prior two weeks.  Enjoy a 10% savings on these items (and everything else) using code BLOG10 at checkout.  We look forward to your business!

• Skoy Cloths



• F. Rock Bags - Custom, Sustainable Men's Carryall



• HYmini Wind and Solar Charger



• Klean Kanteen 27 oz. Bottles



• Vers 1.5r iPod Player

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Costa Rica is an eco-tourist's heaven

Due to a certain volcanic eruption in Europe, we had the good fortune of having a European trip turn into a Costa Rican trip.  If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica (just a short flight from Boston via JFK, Atlanta, or Houston), we highly recommend you make the trip.  The weather is great, especially during the dry season (December - May), the people are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, the food is outstanding and fresh, and it's an eco tourist's dream.



We could write for pages and pages about our trip, but the purpose of this post is to highlight one particular aspect of Costa Rica.  Costa Rica recycles.  They recycle everywhere, even in the most remote locations where running water and electricity seem like they might not exist.  Recycling is just a part of life in Costa Rica.  The Ticos and Ticas are concerned with the environment and doing what they can to protect it.  Recycling and environmental consciousness is  just a way of life in a country where tourism remains their main industry.



It is inspiring to see a country commit itself to environmental responsibility.  They have been able to recognize the need for environmental protection and as a result they have had tremendous success in the eco tourism industry.  Costa Rica should be used as an example for the rest of the world regarding recycling and environmental issues.



If you've been to Costa Rica or are just a fan of recycling, leave a comment below.  We'd love to hear about your experiences.

Suggest a product to bGreen

We get asked all the time about carrying new and exciting eco friendly products.  We work hard to make sure we keep up with the latest products and trends, but occasionally we'll miss something totally awesome.



So, we've decided to make it super easy for you to suggest a new product to us.  If you're a manufacturer, salesman, or just a fanboy/girl, we want to hear from you!  Simply follow the link below, fill out the required information, and we'll be in touch.



SUGGEST A PRODUCT HERE!

F. Rock in Boston Globe's Innovation Economy

F. Rock, our favorite maker of men's bags, was featured in today's Innovation Economy article in the Boston Globe. We're thrilled for Nicole' and F. Rock.



Remember, order your bags by May 15 to guarantee delivery by Father's Day on June 20.

What's the deal with SKOY Cloth?

We've been using this great product called SKOY Cloth for a while now.  We use it instead of paper towels and even as an alternative to our Twist Sponges.  The beauty of SKOY is that they're reusable.  You can use it, wash it, use it again, wash it again, and so on and so on.  You can use a SKOY cloth for up to 1 year.  Imagine, an entire year without using paper towels.



Once your SKOY has out lived it's useful like in the kitchen (maybe it's too dirty, maybe it's a little worn), just downgrade your SKOY to rag status.  Use it in the bathroom, the garage, or even the car.  Once it's done there, it's time to consider sending it to that big SKOY apartment in the sky.  Simply toss it in your compost heap or toss it in the trash.  Either way is perfectly fine.  SKOY Cloths are biodegradable.  So have no fear.



Want to know how to care for your SKOY Cloth?  It's really easy.  Just rinse it out with a little soap and warm water after each use.  If it's getting a little grungy, just toss it in the dishwasher.  It'll come out looking as good as new.  If your SKOY starts to smell a  little, just wet it, and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  Really.  But make sure it's wet!  We don't want you burning your house down.



So ditch the paper towels and stock up on SKOY Cloths.  You'll wonder why you didn't make the switch sooner.

How long does it take...

Our good friends at Practically Green wrote a post today about the Boston Water Crisis and the Gulf Oil Disaster.  It's a good piece, and I suggest you give it a quick read.  One paragraph really grabbed my attention:

How long does it take to form a healthy habit? I estimate it has taken me a year to switch to using cloth bags for grocery shopping 100% of the time, without a second thought. How many times did I spank myself and trudge back to the car to get the bags (“the walk of shame,” one friend calls it).

What I found troubling was how quickly people bolted for the grocery stores to load up on cases and cases of bottled water.  We've all worked so hard to break the habit of using bottled water and switch to reusable bottles.  It doesn't take much to fall off the wagon.



We're happy to say we made it through the water crisis with only one 6 gallon water cooler of clean water.  We didn't buy any individual bottles of water, and we didn't have to boil any water either.  Good thing we had a lot of Klean Kanteens to get us through the mess.

F. Rock Bags for Father's Day

F. Rock Bags make the perfect Father's Day gift.  They're stylish, functional, and made with reclaimed leathers and fabrics in Massachusetts.  They're custom made to your specifications.  Oh, they're also an incredible deal.



Orders placed by May 15 will arrive in time for Father's Day on June 20 and ship free!



So what are you waiting for?  Your dad deserves to look good.

Top Sellers as of 5/3/2010

It's been a very busy few week at bGreen.  We celebrated Earth Day with a week long discount of 20% off everything we sell.  The promotion was so successful that we extended it for a second week.



We attended the Boston EcoTweetup at Cafeteria on Newbury Street.  The EcoTweetups are always great events, and we were lucky enough to win one of the raffle prizes (thankfully not our own gift certificate that we donated!).  Be sure to check our blog often for details about the next event.



We brought our bGreen Mobile Showroom to the Sustainable Milton Home Fair.  We received a great response to the Mobile Showroom, our sample products, and our bGreen Home Consultation service.  If you want to learn more about what bGreen can do for your home, please email us.



As always, here are our Top Selling products:

1. Bite Reusable Bags



2. Chico Bags



3. Freeplay EyeMax Radio



4. HYmini Wind & Solar Charger



5. Klean Kanteen Insulated

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BostonEco TweetUp

We're going to be at the BostonEco TweetUp Wednesday. Are you? We have attended all of the BostonEco TweetUps and highly recommend you do too! It's a great chance to check out a new Boston venue and connect with eco minded people. In fact, it was at a BostonEco TweetUp that we found our Mobile Showroom. So come by and maybe you'll leave with a 27ft truck...



To sign up click here



For more information on the event click here



Where: Cafeteria Boston

279a Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02116



When: Wednesday April 28th



Why: Stop asking so many questions

Twitter Follow Friday 4/23/2010

This week, we want to highlight some of our favorite Boston local Twitterers for our weekly Follow Friday post.



@lotuspad - Lotuspad Yoga Mats are the best eco friendly yoga mat you can find.  Lotuspad's tweets are entertaining, enlightening, and geared towards self-betterment.



@fiskers - Another local favorite, @fiskers is the voice behind Bite Reusable Produce Bags.  We use the bags every trip to the grocery store, and encourage everyone to have a set of Bite Bags handy.  Her tweets range from business-y to comical.



@frock_men - F. Rock Bags.  These are the messenger bags that we carry around all day, every day.  Made from reclaimed leathers and fabrics, these bags stylish and eco friendly.  They're made in Massachusetts, and are completely customizable.

Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! Yes today is actually Earth Day. It's hard to know exactly when it is because Earth Day seems to have turned into Earth Week. Which is just fine with us. In fact, we think there should be Earth Year...maybe that's taking it too far. We might run out of events to go to. Speaking of Earth Day events, how about a recommendation? If you will be downtown tomorrow make sure to check out 9.25 The River's Earth Day concert on the Greenway. You can read more about it here.



By now we are sure you've heard the news but just in case, here's a friendly reminder. For this week bGreen is offering 20% off the entire site for Earth Day.







We thought about making a dance video featuring the "bGreen dancers" and some tips on how to make your Earth Day (and life) more green. Then we realized that we were the bGreen dancers. So rather than subject you all to us dancing, we are going to offer 20% off the whole site! No coupon necessary. Just place your order and you will be given 20% off.



Don't worry. One day you'll see a video of us dancing and sharing green tips but for now enjoy your 20% off at bGreen.



Also, make sure to look for the bGreen Mobile Showroom around Boston on today. Honk or say hello if you see us.

bGreen TV, Episode #7 - Factory Tour

Here is quick tour of the factory in Medford, MA that is handling the majority of the fabrication for the bGreen Mobile Showroom and will be doing most of the wood-based fabrication for our bGreen Building projects.  It's not every day that you get to see exactly where your FSC cabinets will be made or your where Plyboo counter tops shaped and cut to size.



This shop has an amazing amount of technology and machinery, enabling them to work quickly and efficiently on nearly any size project.  We're happy to provide you this brief glimpse behind the factory doors.  Oh, and it's REALLY loud in there, so we've added some soothing music to try to disguise the noise.  Enjoy!







Can't see the video or prefer to watch in HD?  Click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_hSSRXBEKU

Sustainable Milton Home Fair

Come see us on Saturday, April 24th (tomorrow). The town of Milton is holding a fair to give you the latest information on how to green your life. We will be outside with the mobile showroom. Come say hi!







Date: Saturday, April 24

Time: 12-4 PM

Location: Cunningham Hall

75 Edgehill Rd, Milton MA

Twitter Follow Friday 4/16/2010

Every Friday, a popular trend on Twitter has been to recommend people to follow.   It's gotten a bit overwhelming, with Tweeters tossing in as many people as possible.  How do you figure out who's legit and why you might want to follow them?



Each Friday we're going to post three or four of our favorite Twitterers on the blog with a quick reason why we think they're worth following.  So here goes!

@PlanetGreen - Great shows and tips on living green.

@AmericanClay - Awesome natural plaster with amazing colors and finishes.  Look for it in the bGreen Mobile Showroom shortly.

@BostonCommon - An excellent local Boston coffee shop with green on the mind.  (P.S. try the Coconut Creme coffee and "The Hanover" Panni)

Some Thoughts on Tax Refunds

We were mentioned in an article on AOL's WalletPop today, written by Kelly Phillips Erb.  Kelly was inquiring about what people are planning to do with their tax refunds.  Of course, we're planning something green.  Give the article a read to find out exactly what's in store.

How will you spend your tax refund? We've got some ideas

Washington DC Plastic Bag Tax

Washington DC taxes you for using a plastic (or paper) bag at the grocery store.  That's right, ladies and gentlemen.  It's 5 cents per bag.  The tax, which was instituted in January, has already raised $150,000 of revenue.  This money is being used to clean up the Anacostia River.  Plastic bag use in the District has dropped from 22.5 million bags per month (the 2009 monthly average) to just 3 million bags in January!  That is a truly staggering change in behavior.



According to the Washington Post:

The tax, one of the first of its kind in the nation, is designed to change consumer behavior and limit pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Under regulations created by the D.C. Department of the Environment, bakeries, delicatessens, grocery stores, drugstores, convenience stores, department stores and any other "business that sells food items" must charge the tax on paper or plastic bags.

We fully support this new tax and look for many more States to follow suit.  One of the first moves we made towards living a greener lifestyle was using a reusable bag whenever we went to the grocery store.  It's a simple, mindless change of behavior.  Simply grab a few ChicoBags, toss one in your purse, one in your gym bag, and one in the trunk of your car.  They come in all sorts of patterns and colors.  You'll never be without a reusable bag.  Such a small gesture can have an incredibly large impact, as shown by the good citizens of Washington DC.

Shop bGreen's selection of reusable bags here.

Replacement Products vs. Specialized Products

There is a misconception that eco friendly products are "specialized" products that only serve a niche market.  We are here to convince you that our green and eco friendly products should be treated as replacement products, not specialized products, and can be easily integrated into your daily life.



Let's start with bottled water.  What's best about bottled water?  The taste?  The convenience?  As far as we can tell, the water tastes a little plasticy, and it's not that convenient to schlep to BJ's or Costco or Sam's Club, buy a case of water, and lug it home.  We advocate replacing your bottled water with a Klean Kanteen.  They're practically indestructible, the water tastes great,  and you'll save time, money, and the environment!



Next, let's discuss bringing your lunch to work or school.  Why not replace your zip-lock sandwich baggies with a reusable snack bag made by Plum Creek?  They're great for everything from a PB & J to some mini carrots.  An easy replacement product that again saves money and is great for the environment.  You could even pack your entire lunch in one of our Laptop Lunch Bento Sets.  This puppy replaces your sandwich bags and your plastic food containers.



Lastly, it's getting to be cookout season.  We all know it's a lot easier to BBQ in the backyard if you can use plastic plates and silverware.  No cleaning up, no fuss, no mess.  Replace your traditional plastic ware with our biodegradable offerings from Trellis Earth.  We promise you won't be able to tell a difference.



So the next time someone suggests that green products are only specialty products, send them our way.  We'd be happy to set the record straight.

Boston Design Center

We visited the Boston Design Center on Friday.  The Boston Design Center (BDC) is a huge building in South Boston that houses over 75 showrooms for a variety of building and design resources.  There are tile showrooms, furniture showrooms, kitchen showrooms, office furniture showrooms, and even a sports marketing agency.  It's really an awesome place...if you can get in.



Conceptually, we LOVE the concept.  Get all these awesome products and design showcases under one roof and let the public have at it.  You can browse a variety of products and design styles under one roof.  It's a great place, except the public is very rarely allowed to visit.  We do not love this.  If you're a member of the public, the only way to get in is to be accompanied by someone affiliated with the BDC, work with a designer, or sign up for an expensive membership.  This doesn't work for most folks.  In our experience, the majority of people working on their homes do not work with designers.  If you're an industry professional, you can get it in, but you need to have already established three accounts at the design center.  Clearly this method has been successful, as there are similar design centers in most major cities and the target audience for the BDC is obviously designers and architects.  We just wish there was a way to expose the public to these amazing showrooms more easily.



What we're doing with the bGreen Mobile Showroom certainly borrows from the concepts put forth by the design centers.  We're getting a variety of products under one roof.  Flooring, cabinetry, lighting, etc.  Only in our case, we want the public to see it just as much as we want design professionals to see it.  Read more about the bGreen Mobile Showroom here.

bGreen Mobile Showroom Photo Spread

We wanted to share with you some pictures of the bGreen Mobile Showroom.  You will see the showroom on the streets of Boston and beyond.  If you happen to see the showroom on the road, Tweet or Facebook our location to your friends!  Read more about the bGreen Mobile Showroom here.



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Green Travel to NYC

We were in New York City last weekend.  Man, that city is expensive, busy, and makes me feel happy we live in Boston.  Getting there is not easy, especially if you're considering traveling green and making smart fiscal decisions.



The cost debate:

• Amtrak: $450 round trip for two people.  Acela on the way to NYC, Northeast Regional back to Boston.



• Flying: Prices vary by day/time/weekend, but generally it's not much cheaper than Amtrak. To fly on a weekend mid-April it's $336 per person on JetBlue.  Plus the cost to get into the city.



• Bus: Amenities are nice (bathroom, wifi, etc), and cost is relatively cheap (approx $80 for two people round trip).  Time is the issue.  Last time we took the bus on a Friday night it took nearly 6 hours!



• Driving:  If you've already got the car, it's simply the cost of a tank of gas and tolls (about $75 total).

Generally speaking, the rail systems are going to be your most eco-friendly transportation.  They're transporting a large number of people at once, and operate on a fairly energy efficient system.



A similar debate can be made for flying - transporting a large number of people, fairly efficient.  Short haul flights (Boston to NYC) are mostly on par with rail for emissions and efficiency.



Driving is probably the next best alternative, especially if you can carpool or drive a hybrid.  Kudos if you can do both!



Finally, the bus.  We really don't like the bus.  Depending on your time of travel, the bus can be either one of the most efficient or least efficient methods of transport.  Couple that with the bus being loud and the longest of the travel methods, and we think you're best to just avoid it.



In conclusion, if you're a big spender, go with Amtrak.  You'll love it.  If you're like the remaining 99.99% of the population, we suggest driving from Boston to NYC.

Introducing the bGreen Mobile Showroom

Fresh from the paint shop, we present to you the bGreen Mobile Showroom.  More pictures coming soon!  Thanks to Signs by J for the slick paint job.







Got a green and eco friendly company?  Are you interested in featuring your company's logo and products in the bGreen Mobile Showroom?  Please contact us to explore these opportunities.  Email, Twitter, or old-school phone at 617-910-0880.

Getting Creative with the 3Rs

This is the first entry by our Interior Designer-In-Residence, Janna.  She'll be blogging occasionally about green concepts, products, and of course, design.  We are really looking forward to her contributions on the blog and to bGreen.



--

So many of us equate the idea of living green with a method of disposing our trash - the green bin for recyclables and the blue bin for trash (Newton residents are blessed with single-stream recycling).  Living green goes far beyond the way we trash things...  Remember the 3Rs?  That's Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle for those needing a refresher ;)



Recycling is a given - that's the easy part!  Reducing and reusing aren't as easy, but they're higher in terms of waste hierarchy.  I'm amazed at the innovative ways people go about reusing...







via http://www.foldschool.com

Cardboard furniture hand-crafted by none other than - YOU, the consumer!  Architect Nicola Enrico Staubli is inspired by bringing together product and user at an affordable price.







via http://www.paulvillinski.com/

Artist Paul Villinski breathes new life into found beer cans from the streets of New York.  He hand cuts the aluminum trash and creates these airy gorgeous installations - amazing.







via http://www.gizmodo.com/

This is more theory than anything... but creativity credits galore to the hungry nerd who thought this one up!







via http://www.treehugger.com

Not to be tried at home because this one is definitely not up to building code.  Nonetheless, this image is just a glimpse as to how we can reuse just about anything in architecture and design.  Us designers are in the forefront, and often leaders, of the green movement.







via http://www.casasugar.com

Where do these go once their ink runs dry anyway?  Trash.  Unfortunately it's well known that BIC tests on animals, but if you happen to have some of these empties lying around (and are a master glass blower) then go for it!

Top Sellers as of 3/22/2010

Spring is near!  Now is the time to stock up on eco friendly cleaning supplies, prepare for those awesome spring barbecues, and make sure you've got a stock of reusable bags on hand.  Many of our bGreen Top Sellers are prefect for spring.  Check them out below, and you can save 10% off your order using code BLOG10 at checkout.  Happy shopping, and bGreen!

• Skoy Cloths



• EcoDiscoveries Cleaning Kits



• RePETe Chico Bag



• BioBag 45 Gallon Superliner



• Trellis Earth Biodegradable Plates

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Green Mixer Tonight in Boston

Tonight is the first Green Mixer in Boston, being hosted at Cafeteria on Newbury Street.  The Green Mixer is geared towards bringing together Boston's local sustainably oriented companies (like bGreen) with eco conscious consumers around town.  The event looks like it will be a great success.



Unfortunately, we are unable to attend tonight, as we have a prior engagement.  HOWEVER, we have donated two $25 bGreen Gift Certificates for the raffle.  So we'll be there in spirit, and look forward to hearing all about the event.  Oh, and we look forward to the lucky winners having a nice mini shopping spree at bgreenlifestyle.com!

Confessions of a former SUV Owner, Part Deux

Well, a week has gone by and I have a car. It was a stressful process but I found the perfect car for my life right now. I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Mini Cooper. It had every extra feature I could have ever wanted and was right in my budget range(15k max). The first week in my Mini has been great. I've fit into parking spots I wouldn't have even taken a second look at with my Jeep. Best of all though,  the MPG is unbelievable! It seems  like I'll never have to fill this car up.



I have learned a lot from this car search. In fact, I think it has changed the way I will shop for a car in the future. I did the majority of my shopping online and only went to see a car if met my needs, which made car shopping so much easier. Rather than spending a day going in and out of dealerships,  I could see everything in an hour right from my desk. I was also shocked when I was able to negotiate the price over email. It made my visit to the dealer a much more pleasant one!  (Yes, I still tried to get more off at the dealer, who wouldn't?). The bottom line? Well,  there's a few things:

1. The online world is still changing the way we shop and will continue to do so (we like this and are trying to change the way you shop for home products)



2. Think about your lifestyle BEFORE you get a car. I went from an SUV to a Mini and it hasn't changed my life adversely at all. Why did I need all the space? In retrospect, I have absolutely no idea – possibly helping friends move. Guess what friends? Move it yourself (I still love you and will give you rides in my Mini but I am no longer the guy with a big car).



3. Be smart about the big purchases you make in your life. If you're spending a lot of money on an item, you have every right to be sure you feel comfortable about what you purchase. I walked out on more than one salesperson who was trying to bully me into a car I didn't want. Can't help but think about bGreen in this regard. One of our main goals is to give you the best shopping experience. We want you to be happy with what you buy!

For some perspective, check out this photo/sticker of my old car and new car.