Find What You Need @ ecoEMPORIUM

You can find some fantastic products to help you live an environmentally friendly, sustainable lifestyle at ecoEMPORIUM in the Brickworks on the west side of Atlanta. The store is a beautifully designed showroom with just enough size to make it feel open while still keeping a cozy atmosphere. You can find everything from bedding to baby products in the store and virtually everything is earth-friendly, organic and/or non-toxic. Store owner Carol Held opened shop in September 2008 and although times have been tough she has managed to continue to do good business and her store is really the only store focused fully on green solutions for the home here in Atlanta. There are other locations that carry green products but you would be hard pressed to find one that compared closely to ecoEMPORIUM.

Their website states that "ecoEMPORIUM endeavors to make the world and our environment a better place to live by introducing our customers to earth-friendly products with style, regardless of your shade of green." From what I can see, they are doing a good job achieving their mission. Many of the products they sell are very unique and seem to be very useful. I was surprised to find a number of products that I have never seen before even being an avid environmentalist who has a chronic addiction to all things green.

Their product selection is great and includes the following:

• Air Purifiers
• Bath
• Cleaning Products
• Composters
• Pet Supplies
• Fabrics
• Fashion
• Gifts
• Kids & Baby
• Kitchen & Dining
• Linens
• Loungewear
• Mattresses & Pillows
• Paint
• Sustainable Furniture
• Toys

The store is also hosting a series of seminars by local non-toxic baby expert, Heater Tubbs, that will focus on how to set up a non-toxic baby nursery. See their website for more info on their events.

Ultimately, ecoEMPORIUM is an exciting concept and we're lucky to have it as part of the green business community here in Atlanta. I'd highly suggest that our readers stop by and check it out when the chance arises even if it's just to window shopping or look for a small gift.

iPhone Apps for GreenPeaches

Now, we totally understand if you don’t own an iPhone so we apologize in advance that this post is not dedicated to you. However, if you do, you will already know that it's not the iPhone that sets you apart, it's the apps you have on the iPhone.  We have been looking high and low for apps that can help you be green in Atlanta. Although there aren’t too many out there that are solely dedicated to green topics, there are a lot that really help even if they don’t know it. Here are four that we found that are either great in their current form or could be great with a little bit of work.

Seafood Watch from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium

This app makes eating seafood for the eco-conscious much easier. The app is the online version of their printable wallet card and is much more in-depth. It divides the country up into regions and has an alphabetized list of seafood in that area. It uses the following three classifications; Best Choice, Good Alternative and Avoid. When you view a specific type of fish, it will give you a brief reason for the rating then it will go into a consumer note followed by a summary. An added plus is that you get a picture of the fish so the app almost doubles as a field guide.

ATL Traffic

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to avoid it. So, the best thing you can do is know where it is and how long it’s going to keep you from where you want to go. The app taps you into the traffic cameras for all of the local freeways and streets (that have cams). You also can pipe into the road signs and see all of the local traffic alerts. This one is a must when you are on the road a lot. It will definitely help you avoid sitting helplessly in some traffic jams. We know, some of them are just going to be unavoidable.

Green Guide

We’re not too sure about this one yet but it is a great concept. The green guide takes consumer reviews and ranks thousands of consumer products on their environmental merits. Right now, they focus on Toys, Personal Care and Household Cleaners. They have ratings for over 60,000 products. The idea is great but I don’t know that the rankings are accurate. As an example, when comparing the top 5 Deodorants & Antiperspirants on the Green Guide to their respective rankings on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.org) we found TK that ranked in the Lower TK percent. The idea is great but the jury is still out on this one. It will keep you away from really bad products though.

Maps

The maps app comes standard with the iPhone and is a lifesaver. It is pretty normal as far as map functions go and it interfaces with Google Maps. What makes maps green is the fact that you can save gas and time by finding the best route before ever getting into your car. It has saved us on many occasions. The app also will pipe into Google’s transit and walking directions databases if you prefer to use those modes instead of driving.

Here are some others that might be worth checking out:

Carbon Footprint

GreenMeterp

pConsumpt

MeterRead

Get Green

ShopGreen

Green You

Growing Up Green

Green Lemur

iLocovore

Gas Buddy

iGreen

Recycler

The GreenPeaches Holiday Shopping Guide - Clothing

Since it's that time of year when everyone is concerned about shopping, we figured it was about time to get on the bandwagon.  Our next few posts will be about where the eco-concious shopper can go to find some good presents for the holidays or even just pick up some things that they have had their eyes on for a while. 

We're going to start by taking a look at where you can go for some eco-friendly clothing.  When looking for clothing there are too many choices and ethical decisions to worry about for us to get into in this post.  We'll leave that to some of the other sites out there to debate.  This is how we frame our purchases: new vs. reused/vintage, organic vs. conventional and fair trade vs. exploitation. 

I'd love to buy a good looking reused suit that is made from organic sustainably farmed cotton that was originally purchased at a fair price from the supplier and manufacturers but that's a tall task even in this day and age.  We hope that this quick hit guide around Atlanta will help you find some threads that are at least a bit more sustainable than going straight to Abercrombie or J.Crew to buy the latest cargos or shirts.

Today, we'll take a look at where you can land some great used clothing around Atlanta.

Plato's Closet is a personal favorite of mine.  They have 8 locations in the metro Atlanta area.  Each store has  a different selection and you can find some great deals on casual or work clothes.  Personally, I have found several of my favorite pairs of jeans there and I wear a couple of the shirts I have bought at Plato's Closet to work regularly.  They tend to cater toward the younger crowd but in my 30's I can get by.  You can find Abercrombie, Guess, Banana Republic, Quicksilver, J.Crew, Express, Hollister, and clothing from most regular mall retailers in the store.  They also purchase clothes if they are in good condition meet the store's inventory needs.

Goodwill is always an option if you are looking for used clothing but it is much more hit or miss and you will likely spend a lot more time looking than a more focused reseller like Plato's Closet.  There are around 40 metro area locations listed on their site so you will probably be able to find a location near you.  Goodwill also sells a number of other types of items so you are bound to find something of use for that person you are shopping for.  Don't forget that after you get new things over the holdidays you can donate your old things to Goodwill and you will also get a tax deduction. 

If vintage is what you're looking for, Psycho Sisters is where you might want to look.  You can find great unique items from the 60's, 70's and 80's at each of their three locations as well as quality clothing from today.  You'll find them in Sandy Springs, Little 5 and Cartersville.  Psycho Sisters has been open for 15 years and has been voted Atlanta's #1 Consignment Store for 10 years.  Another reliable option is The Lucky Exchange on Ponce might be the right place. 

Unfortunately, it is impossible to mention all of the quality stores around town and I'm sure you have your own personal favorites.  Feel free to add any in the comments.

Look forward to our next post on Holiday Shopping in the GreenPeaches Holiday Shopping Guide.

Energy Star and WaterSense Tax Free Weekend

Today marks the beginning of the 4th annual tax free weekend here in Georgia for Energy Star products.  They have also expanded the program to include WaterSense products as well.  It began today and will end on Sunday night.  Most products priced $1500 or less that have one of these labels qualify.

So, if you have been in the market for an energy efficient fridge or another appliance, this might be your lucky weekend.  Check with your local retailer to see if they are offering additional incentives as you may be able to get an additional 10% off on top of the sales tax discount.

An added bonus for Atlantans is that Energy Star has selected Atlanta as the site of one of its six Change the World: Start with Energy Star  exhibits.  It will be at the Lowe's Edgewood location on Saturday & Sunday.  You will be able to walk through a custom built house that showcases Energy Star products and educates on how those products can save money and help preserve the environment.

If you are interested in what qualifies for the holiday, here are details from the GA Department of Revenue website:

The energy efficient products eligible for the exemption are as follows:

air conditioners	ceiling fans
fluorescent light bulbs	clothes washers
dishwashers	windows (including skylights)
refrigerators	programmable thermostats
dehumidifiers	doors

The water efficient products eligible for the exemption are as follows:

bathroom sink faucets	faucet accessories (such as aerators)
showerheads	high-efficiency toilets
high-efficiency urinals	weather or sensor-based irrigation controllers