Buy Green: Eco-Friendly Manufacturers of Favorite Brands

Whether it's cleaning supplies, personal care, or grocery items, chances are you are using more "green" products than you think. In the heat of the moment, large companies jumped on the band wagon, and began recycling years ago. From packaging to product, consumers buy green, whether they know it or not.

Manufacturers are constantly developing new materials that break down easily, making them earth friendly. They are using proven methods to reduce waste, and the energy needed to create products. In the process, they are allowing consumers to purchase environmentally safe products with little to no awareness.

While all of this research and advance technology takes place behind the scenes, earth friendly entrepreneurs are lining their pocketbooks with extra cash by selling items marketed for their purposes. Without much prodding, people receive the guilt message just for buying toilet paper.

Indeed, right next to your favorite brand, the one that never irritates your sensitive skin, is that rough abrasive brand broadcasting its claim of being made from 100% recycled materials. As if making you feel guilty for catering to your comfort weren't enough, the price for buying green is usually more expensive. After all, too many people just aren't concerned enough with the environment to make it worth their while to produce earth friendly materials at a reasonable price.

Truth be told, you don't have to search high and low to buy green. You don't even have to quit purchasing your favorite products. Many manufacturers have heard your concerns about the environment, and they too, just like their friendly entrepreneur competitors, want to cash in on the green rush. Green makes green, and no one, not even your favorite brand companies, wants to miss out on the opportunity to earn cash for being concerned with the environment.

The next time you are at the store, take a close look at the packaging surrounding the products you purchase. Paper, glass, and aluminum packaging is usually made from recycled materials. It can also be recycled readily. Whitney, a consumer representative from Colgate/Palmolive says, "The higher the number goes, (referring to the recycling code on the bottom of the package), the less likely you can recycle it."

"Most of our packaging is made from recycled materials," she adds. That means that cleaning supplies like Ajax cleanser, Murphy's oil soap, dish soap, soft soap, and a host of other products made from Colgate/Palmolive are sold in environmentally friendly packaging. Just be sure to look at the recycling code. If the number is high, it means that mixed materials were used to produce the packaging. This indicates that it probably was not made from recycled materials.

Large companies like Church & Dwight, makers of Arm & Hammer products, including household and personal care items, are aware of the need to conserve and recycle. "We have compacted our formulas to two times concentrated which means smaller packaging," says Sheila, a Consumer Relations Official. In fact, right on the label of a box of baking soda, it reads, "Box made from 100% recycled paperboard."

Kraft Foods has also joined in consumer efforts to recycle and cut down on waste production. "We do try to use recyclable materials in the majority of our products," says Sandy, a Customer Service Representative. She proceeds to explain that most of their metal, glass, paper, and even plastic packages are produced from recycled materials.

By far the most impressive answers came from the Coca Cola Company. "Currently we're using 10% recyclable plastic in 75% of the bottles produced in the US and Canada," Jared from Consumer Resources tells me. "Our aluminum cans are made from greater than 50% recycled material." Jared had statistics readily available regarding the eco friendly ways of Coke.

Recycling is an important part of energy conservation. However, we must consider the process of recycling, as well as the end result. Sometimes, it takes more energy to break waste product down into recyclable material, than it does to simply use smarter items beforehand. That's one of the reasons the code on the bottom of containers is so important. It is better to purchase products with low numbers that can be broken down with minimal energy and fuel.

While many factors must be considered in efforts to save the environment, not all of them need to be reinforced with fear and guilt. Consumers do not need to give up using their favorite products, or feel bad when they throw away their trash. We just need to think about our purchases.

Large packaging creates more waste. It also requires more energy to recycle it. If at all possible, purchase items with minimized packaging. While it is important to recycle our own trash, it is just as important to purchase products that use recycled materials, including packaging. If you have questions about the supplies used to make and package your favorite items, simply call the 800 number on the label and ask if they use recycled materials in their products. You may end up very surprised by what they tell you.