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.