RODALE NEWS, ANAHEIM, CA—Last weekend's Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim had record-breaking attendance despite a down economy, drawing more than 56,000 attendees scoping out new organic and green products to sell and market. A mix of food, personal-care items, and other products, the show is the largest of its type, and gives people in the industry an inside peek at what's up and coming in 2010. Some of the products just became available to consumers, and some will be released later this year.
Here are some of the coolest new green products on the market. (And one that didn't pass the green test.)
Reusable Goods
• ChicoBag ($5 to $20, ChicoBag.com)
We live in an age of throwaway plastic, and it's filling up our landfills and even our oceans, where marine animals and birds often mistake the plastic for food and wind up dying. To avoid all the evils of plastic garbage, ChicoBag became one of the first companies to turn soda bottles into reusable grocery bags. The company has since expanded, using other sustainable materials, too, such as hemp, and now offers messenger bags, slings to carry water bottles, and even customized reusable produce bags that help keep your produce fresher longer. Its produce bags are the first reusable bags designed to prolong the life of fruits and vegetables by helping to maintain optimal humidity and airflow. The hemp-cotton bag is best to store leafy greens, grains, and green beans, while the mesh recycled plastic bag works well for apples, oranges, and potatoes. The recycled No. 1 plastic bag is best for keeping squash, broccoli, and carrots fresh.
• Lifefactory Glass Beverage Bottle ($21.99, Lifefactory.com)
We've all heard about the dangers of chemicals in plastic bottles. Lifefactory decided to expand on its popular shatterproof glass baby bottles, and created full-size glass beverage bottles for grown-ups, too. The bottles come in a silicone sleeve and can be cleaned in a dishwasher. (We've dropped them, they didn't break.)
• Klean Kanteen Coffee Thermos ($25, KleanKanteen.com)
In an effort to protect themselves from carcinogenic chemicals that leach from Styrofoam, many people have opted to go back to using thermoses. This new Klean Kanteen model comes in 12-, 16-, and 20-ounce sizes, the same sizes coffee shop cups come in. It's made of food-grade stainless steel, just like the company's incredibly popular water bottles (which are now available in a range of bright colors).
Keep reading to find out about organic coffee, healthy snacks, and organic underwear.
Food and Drink
• Marley Coffee ($12.99, select Whole Foods stores, MarleyCoffee.com)
At Natural Products Expo West, we also found the perfect thing to put in that thermos. We taste-tested and loved the new organic Marley Coffee from Rohan Marley, the son of legendary singer Bob Marley. The organic Jamaican coffee is grown in the shade, which protects bird habitat and biodiversity. Many other coffee companies clear-cut rainforests to grow coffee, so choosing organic, shade-grown coffee is a great way to start your day.
Healthy Snacks for You and Your Kids
It's a good idea to use whole foods to cook healthy meals at home as much as possible, but let's be real. Most people don't have time to make their own healthy yogurt and granola bars. So here are two great organic store-bought alternatives from companies that truly care about the health of people and the environment.
• Nature's Path Snack Bars
This organic healthy breakfast-food company is now offering delicious bar snacks that fit your mood, whether that be a craving for dark chocolate or something sweet and salty. They're a great snack to send to school with your kids, too.
• Stonyfield Organic Yokids
This yogurt doesn't contain artificial dyes and ingredients the way other kid yogurts do, and it's organic, so it doesn't contain antibiotics or growth hormones, either. It will be available later this year, just in time to be a healthy summertime snack option.
Kids' Corner
• Clementine Art supplies ($5.49 to $27, Clementineart.com)
Speaking of kids, children are the most sensitive to harmful chemicals in our environment, which is why it's important to not only feed them organic food, but also make sure their toys are safe, too. That's not always so easy, since lead, cadmium, hormone-disrupting plastics chemicals, and other toxins are routinely found in toys. Clementine Art was the first natural art products company to list ingredients on every package, and the company uses plant-based materials, so your kids can express their creativity without sacrificing their health.
Greenwashing Alert!
The organic industry is growing as more people demand safer products. But unlike food products, any personal-care product can have the word organic in its brand or name without hewing to organic standards. According to Organic Consumers Association, unless a product is USDA Organic certified, its main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are likely include synthetic and petrochemical compounds. For example, Nature's Gate Organics shampoo does contain some organic ingredients, but it also has harsh chemicals linked to hormone disruption as ingredients.
If you're looking for truly organic personal-care products, look for a USDA-certified organic seal on the product label. One good example is the Dr. Bronner's brand. Its versatile, fair trade, organic soap can be used as a hand soap, body wash, shampoo, and even a household cleaner! Also topping our list is Organic Essence lip balms and body creams ($4.99 to $24.99, Organic-Essence.com). The owners invented biodegradable packaging made of recycled paper that you can compost in your garden!
For more information on finding safer personal-care products, read Keep Your Hands Off Greenwashed Soap!
Other Favorites from Natural Products Expo West:
• EVOL Burritos
Rodale.com bumped into Brendan Synnott, a young entrepreneur and former contestant on Survivor: Toncantins. His latest venture involves EVOL Burritos (that's love spelled backwards). He is also involved with promoting PACT brand organic underwear (wearpact.com) line, though he admitted he wasn't wearing any—or any underwear at all, thanks to a laundry mix-up. (Editor's note: TMI!)
• Bob's Red Mill Soup Mix
This new, cheap, healthy, fiber-packed soup mix does require some cooking time, but you can add your own favorite spices to customize the flavor. Plus, you won't get all those nasty chemicals (chiefly, BPA) found in metal food cans.
• Green happy-hour option
This St. Patrick's Day, why not try a different kind of green beer? We taste-tasted and wholeheartedly endorse Lammsbrau, a USDA-certified organic Bavarian beer. Because it's certified organic, the company uses organic whole leaf hops, organic barley, wheat, and spelt, and yeast that's not genetically modified, and you can really taste the difference.