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Better World Books

08-Mar-10

Better World Books

betterworldbooks.com

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a person who loves books. Though I frequent the local library, I also love to add to my collection. Probably, the best known retailer of online books is amazon.com. But, it is important to remember that there are other options, such as Better World Books.

We were founded in 2002 by three friends from the University of Notre Dame who started selling textbooks online to earn some money, and ended up forming a pioneering social enterprise – a business with a mission to promote literacy.

We’re not a traditional company with an add-on ‘cause’ component. Social and environmental responsibility is at the core of our business. You could say it’s in our DNA.

We’re breaking new ground in online bookselling. We believe that education and access to books are basic human rights. That’s why books sold on BetterWorldBooks.com help fund high-impact literacy projects in the United States and around the world.

Better World Books sells a wide variety of titles. I wrote my name in the search box, and, sure enough, they sell all the books I have written, even the few that are now fairly difficult to find. Within the U.S., shipping is free. And, buyers concerned about their eco-footprint should know that because of offsets from Carbonfund.org, every order is carbon neutral.

Better World Books does more than sell new titles.

Better World Books supports book drives and collects used books and textbooks through a network of over 1,800 college campuses and partnerships with over 2,000 libraries nationwide. So far, the company has converted more than 25 million donated books into $7.3 million in funding for literacy and education. In the process, we’ve also diverted more than 13,000 tons of books from landfills.

Because we believe that most every book has lasting value and the potential to help change the world, we see our job as helping to find new homes for unwanted books. Thus far, we have donated 1.5 million books to partner programs around the world. Our five primary literacy partners are Books for Africa, Room to Read, Worldfund, the National Center for Family Literacy, and Invisible Children. Good company, no doubt.

Every book purchased from Better World Books contributes to individual literacy throughout the world and the promise of a better life. Clearly, we can’t do this work without our customers. That’s why we’re so passionate about trying to offer the best price, selection, customer service, and overall shopping experience.

Thanks for joining us in our mission to create a better world, one book at a time.

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Bella Lucce

21-Feb-10

Bella Luccè

bellalucce.com

About 10 years ago, Lela Barker’s older sister, Mimi, found tumors in her breast tissue.

Stunned by the discovery, Lela began a mission to unearth why an otherwise healthy woman in her 20’s had developed such maladies. During her research, she stumbled upon a recently released British study which indicated that a common family of cosmetic preservative was mimicking estrogen in women’s bodies, leading to the development of breast tumors. After scouring her bathroom for products containing the ingredient, she was horrified to learn that the dreaded ‘parabens’ were in everything from her shampoo to her body lotion.

Although Lela was able to find healthier alternatives at local health store, she found the selection “uninspired.”

Lela wanted to have her cake and eat it too… She envisioned healthy products like those found in her local organic market fused with the alluring aromas, decadent textures and beautiful packaging of department store brands. After a period of extensive research, she began mixing up batches of fresh skin care goodies in her tiny kitchen, giving them to her sister to use after surgery and sharing them with family and friends. They clamored for more, and Lela developed a simple collection of soaps, bath salts, and lotions that blossomed into a wonderfully creative outlet she truly enjoyed.

Hoping to create a wider range of products, Lela founded Bella Luccè in 2003.

Today, Bella Luccè extensive collection of exotic bath and body luxuries is featured in luxe spas, salons, and natural wellness centers in 48 states and more than a dozen countries… from Los Angeles all the way to Dubai. True to her vision, Lela’s products bridge the gap between the uninspired natural market and the opulent, but synthetic-filled products brimming from department stores. The Bella Luccè collection is at once both refreshingly natural and utterly luscious.

Among Bella Luccè’s bestsellers are Peruvian Chocolate Bliss Crème, Multifruit Regenerative Face Crème, Pink Grapefruit Foaming Cleanser, Pomegranate Polishing Crème, Vanilla-Coconut Whipped Shea, and Cranbury-Yuzu Sugar Scrub.

And, Bella Luccè is a very socially responsible company.

Though it all, Lela and Bella Luccè have remained true to the ideals upon which the company was founded – to create organic-infused luxury-kissed products worthy of the world’s finish establishments and to price them at a level which allows every woman the opportunity to feel beautiful. A commitment to responsible sourcing of ingredients and donating back to indigenous communities around the world still guides the company’s growth.

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Psychedelic Fur

04-Feb-10

Psychedelic Fur

psychedelicfur.com

In 2005, Lori Lambert, a New York City music industry executive, adopted a Havanese puppy. However, when she started searching for clothing for her little guy, she didn’t like what she found. And, so, she took the next step. She combined her love of music and dogs to form Psychedelic Fur.

With an expanding line of unique, whimsical, collectible and beautifully designed pet apparel and accessories, New York and Los Angeles based Psychedelic Fur celebrates the pup-ular culture of music…. Rock ‘n’ Rollover, Hip-Pup and everything in between!

Our products are made with care and durability in mind; we use quality materials and pay attention to the detail that we all expect from our own wardrobes.

Then, in 2008, as the presidential election began to build momentum, Lori partnered with Los Angeles-based Teri Hertz to launch a line of “paw-litical” tees and bandanas.

PetsVote.com products drew national and international media raves featuring specially designed campaign items for Bark Obama and McCanine.

Psychedelic Fur sells coats to keep your dog warm and coats that protect your dog from the rain. The business also sells a variety of non-political bandanas and dog T-shirts. Consider the Classic Psychedelic Fur Motorcycle Jacket:

The one and only. 100% leather motorcycle jacket with cool metal nail heads, belt and buckle, real snap and zipper pockets. Beautifully constructed of soft leather with yummy fleece lining. Easy and quick to get on.

Or, the City Slicker:

Yellow water repellant slicker with detachable hood. Coordinating bright yellow vinyl with black and white taxi checkerboard cotton trim and cotton lining. Velcro closure at neck and chest. Convenient, inconspicuous slot for harness/leash.

And, Psychedelic Fur is very socially responsible.

Partial proceeds from all Psychedelic Fur sales are donated to a rotating list of local and national animal shelters.

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Green Girl World

20-Jan-10

Green Girl World

greengirlworld.com

Are you tired of carrying around the same ugly bags? Have you been looking for bags that are eco-friendly and attractive? If so, you may wish to log onto this website.

At Green Girl, we believe in the power of one. Everyday, each of us has the opportunity to make small, simple choices that can have a big impact on our environment. Life can be hectic, but there are a million different ways we can carry out simple acts of green to make our world a healthier, more vibrant place in which to live, work, and play.

Many women and children buy Green Girl’s reversible, reusable eco-totes because of our hip stylish designs. We are thrilled our products make our clients look so good. But what we are most proud of is that by helping to save the Earth, our eye-catching eco-totes make customers like you feel more beautiful on the inside as well.

Among the products sold at Green Girl are canvas eco totes, lightweight cotton eco totes, organic cotton eco totes, eco jutes, tiny totes for girls and boys, zipper travel pouches, and snap travel pouches. Produce bags are coming soon.

Green Girl is a very socially responsible company.

As part of the company’s commitment to creating a cleaner, more vibrant world, Green Girl donates a portion of its net online sales to charities that help protect and preserve the environment.

American Forests:

Green Girl reduces our own carbon footprint by planting a tree for every canvas, lightweight and children’s eco-tote we sell on-line. To accomplish this, we have partnered with American Forests, a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science and practice of urban forestry, and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests.

David Suzuki Foundation

Since 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation has worked to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us. Focusing on four specific areas – oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and the Nature Challenge – the Foundation uses science and education to promote solutions that conserve nature and help achieve sustainability within a generation.

Natural Resources Defense Council

The Natural Resources Defense Council works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth. NRDC is the nation’s most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.2 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professions.

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Sibu Beauty

05-Jan-10

Sibu Beauty

www.sibubeauty.com

Have you been searching for ways to provide extra nourishment to your hair, skin, and nails? You may wish to consider Sibu Beauty supplements and skin care products that contain sea buckthorn berries.

High in the Tibetan Himalayas (12,000 feet above sea level) grows a tiny but resilient fruit that resists the harsh weather conditions and high altitudes. The sea buckthorn berry fortifies itself against the elements by producing an array of powerful nutrients. With over 190 bioactive compounds, sea buckthorn is an unsurpassed source of Omegas 3, 6, and 9. And, it’s a rich source of the elusive essential fatty acid, Omega-7, an essential fatty acid vital to collagen production and healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Sibu Beauty sells liquid and softgel dietary supplements, daytime facial cream, and facial soap.

Each Sibu Beauty product is packed with nutrients from the sea buckthorn berry to revitalize, renew, and replenish…. Its medicinal uses for healing and overall health and beauty have long been legendary.

Today, there are research studies confirming these benefits.

Sea buckthorn has been thoroughly researched in over 130 modern scientific studies that have found that this berry promotes health. Sea buckthorn contains more than 190 biologically active compounds that can nourish the body’s cells to protect the skin from free radicals and the natural aging process.

In addition, Sibu Beauty is a socially responsible company.

We are proud to offer an exclusive line of health and beauty products that will improve the way you look and the way you feel. But, we are also sensitive to the constant stress on our environment due to chemicals, overflowing landfills, and irresponsible management of our forests and other valued resources.

For these reasons, Sibu Beauty is also proud to announce a range of sustainability initiatives which respect the earth and the resources it provides. From our easily recycled plastic and our partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council, to our fair trade investing practices in Tibet and philanthropic outreach. Sibu Beauty wants to make a difference for your health and for the planet.

In 2001, Sibu Beauty founder Bruce McMullin established the Tashi Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic organization designed to provide financial and resource support for the impoverished people of Tibet, where Sibu sea buckthorn berries are exclusively harvested.

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Wagging Green

20-Dec-09

Wagging Green

www.wagginggreen.com

Since we have two dogs, Goliath, a four-year-old Toy Manchester Terrier, and Dakota, a two-year-old yellow lab, I am always looking for innovative dog products. And, Wagging Green certainly has some of the most innovative items I have ever seen.

It all began six years ago when Sonya and Sean Ryan brought home a red headed Jack Russell puppy named Gidget. Though they purchased a wide variety of collars for Gidget, they all of them made her itch. Eventually, Sonya made a collar from flannel fabric.

One turned into ten, as friends and family started asking for them, and her first company, If It Wags, was born. For five years, Sonya handmade soft, comfortable collars for dogs and cats, using cotton fabrics and webbings to create stylish, fun designs. And, yes, Gidget stopped itching.

In 2008, Sonya and Sean decided to switch to bamboo, a sustainable material.

It’s organic, renewable, soft, strong, bio-degradable, naturally antibacterial, and hypoallergenic. The only problem? It was not possible to buy quantities of bamboo webbing because it didn’t exist. With more research, Sonya was able to understand the process of making bamboo into a fiber, and fiber into a webbing material. Sonya now works with a factory that owns the necessary equipment to produce webbing and has created the first bamboo fiber webbings.

After solving the bamboo webbing issues, Sonya and Sean wanted to create “perfect designs.”

One night, while dreaming, the idea came to Sonya. She woke up and sketched a rough city, a sun and a bee and wrote, ‘give back – environmental causes, environmental designs’ into her dream journal. It was perfect, exactly what we need to make the line stand out. We could be original, cute, fun, and at the same time give back to our earth and educate our customers about the importance of caring for the environment…. We feel that our product is on the cutting edge of the next phase of the merchandise revolution because it’s not just eco friendly, it is also sustainable and has less impact on the environment than traditional petroleum and cotton based products without giving up style and strength. Every product and company can be more conscientious and still be profitable. Saving the Earth one dog at a time. That’s what we are all about!

Among the products sold at Wagging Green are a wide variety of dog and cat bamboo collars, ID tags, and dog T-shirts. And, Wagging Green is very socially responsible. Five percent of the profits are donated to organizations “working to care for the planet.”

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Goodbyn

09-Dec-09

Goodbyn

Goodbyn.com

Right now, we don’t have any family members in need of a lunchbox. The day care center that our grandson attends provides lunches. But, in a few years, when he is in elementary school, we will certainly want to buy him the unique Goodbyn, a lunchbox, “reinvented for kids, parents, and our planet.” These lunchboxes were created by a small company in Seattle called Byndoo. The company “had a little idea to reinvent the way kids eat lunch – making lunchtime easier, more inspiring, and fun for both kids and parents.”

The dishwasher-safe Goodbyn, which is BPA and phthalate-free, has five individual compartments and a lid that ensures that the applesauce in one compartment won’t mix with the sandwich in another compartment. Thanks to a specially-designed handle, the Goodbyn is easy for kids and their parents to hold. And, without adult assistance, kids readily open the Goodbyn at school. Each Goodbyn comes with an 8.5 ounce bottle (which eliminates the need for juice boxes) and three sheets of stickers, “so the kids can make each lunchbox their own.”  

All of Goodbyn’s products are manufactured in Michigan at Cascade Engineering. Cascade was Byndoo’s choice from the beginning because of their capabilities in engineering, an impressive client list, and high-volume manufacturing capacity. Byndoo also preferred Cascade because of their transparency in labor and environmental ethics. Cascade has garnered innumerable awards and certifications for their stewardship to the environment, their employees and community — setting a new standard by which all other companies will measure themselves in the future.

Byndoo chose to use a local printer in Washington state, because they offered local quality with corporate efficiencies. They are FSC-certified and are very much in-tune with their waste and recycling procedures. Byndoo utilizes their unique printing expertise with vegetable-based inks, recycled materials, and water-based solvent adhesives. Byndoo also uses their warehouse to store, assemble and fulfill orders for Goodbyn. They’re the last link in the chain before Goodbyns reach their next destination: the store shelves and really excited kids.

As a member of 1% for the Planet, Byndoo is a very socially responsible company.

Byndoo contributes 1% of sales to multiple environmental organizations, donating directly to the nonprofits via 1% for the Planet.

I could not help but wonder about the origins of the unusual names Byndoo and Goodbyn. It turns out that the name Byndoo is from the Sanskrit work, ‘bindu,” which means “a small element in a larger plot,” like the ripple effect of a drop of water. And, the name Goodbyn?

Goodbyn started as a line of lunchbox containers for children, and the ‘byn’ migrated from Byndoo…. We think of Goodbyn as a product design and manufacturing company that will begin to change the way people think about food, nutrition, waste, and the planet’s health. It started with lunchboxes, but we hope to extend the vision to encompass the way we collect, transport, and dispose of what we use as a society, responsibly and prudently.

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