Keep food fresh and take a small step forward for the environment.

As the makers of Ziploc® Brand products, SC Johnson is committed to keeping your food fresh. But they have also committed to helping protect the environment by introducing Ziploc® evolve™ Sandwich and Storage Bags—they’re made with 25% less plastic and they are manufactured using wind power.

At home and on the go, Ziploc® evolve™ Bags keep all your meals and snacks fresh and tasty, so you can eat healthy while living a little greener.

You know that we here at Way to Go Green are strong proponents of wind power and reducing your carbon footprint, and we congratulate this forward thinking in big business as well as small.  Less plastic means that these bags will degrade a little quicker and still do their part to assist us with necessary food storage requirements.  Let’s all start looking for this product on your favorite grocery store shelves.

www.ziploc.com/

We all have oodles of used electronic equipment laying around in drawers and boxes and we all are going to sell them, or donate them, or recycle them, when we get a round tuit.

C’mon you know who you are.  We have actually sold a few items of  used electronic equipment on eBay and Craigslist but it is a hassle and then they go in the box, on on the shelf, in the drawer.  Out of site – out of mind.

Now Gazelle to the go green rescue!  Gazelle.com is a company that will purchase your; used computers, tv’s, mp3 players, iPods, cell phones, audio equipment and just about all types of reusable electronic equipment.  This is one of the best places for cell phone recycling and who doesn’t have a bunch of those lying around.

This company operates a very green business and we have heard nothing but good things about them.  You can select a category; fill out the checklist of items that you have to sell and give a description of condition and items that go with them, such as original packaging, manuals, original software, cables, etc.

Then you submit your entry online and they will make a cash offer for your used electronics.  Once you decide to accept the offer you can print out a label from their website and shipping will be paid by the buyer. OK you might get a little higher price if you sell directly to an end user, but this is the no hassle way.

They will notify you when the item is received, then it takes about a week for them to inspect it and approve that it meets your agreed to description and then they will issue you a check or pay you instantly through your PayPal account.

Gazelle goes one step further in the reuse – recycle – donation way of going green in that you may elect to have the payment made directly to your favorite charity.  Everybody wins!  So whether you want to get cash for your used electronic equipment and gadgets or if you want to recycle and donate at the same time we heartily recommend Gazelle.

Investment in renewable energy stocks is a move that not only will help our world have the needed energy resources the future needs, but also could make the investor money. The World Economic Forum published a positive statement on January 29, 2009. “Clean energy opportunities have the potential to generate significant economic returns. The report shows that even after a tumultuous 2008, an index of the world’s 90 leading clean energy companies had a five-year compound annualized return of almost 10%, unmatched by the world’s major stock indices.” This is a positive trend, which is the future of the world’s energy supply and well worth watching.

A good example of this trend is First Solar Inc. Their fourth quarter and fiscal year end results were reported with positive results. Fourth Quarter results were at $433.7 million, which is a rise from the third quarter of 2008 and fourth quarter results in 2007, of $348.7 million and $200.8 million respectively.  With revenue growth at over double in the past year from $504.0 million in 2007 to $1,246.3 million in 2008, this company is showing the way of the future and that they make money. In addition, First Solar broke the $1 per watt price barrier in the Fourth quarter of 2008. They now can manufacture their solar modules to have a 98 cents per watt cost by reducing their cost in the manufacturing process.

Solar power expert and columnist J. Peter Lynch wrote in his latest column that, “Investors can expect very erratic movements in the solar stocks until the overall market volatility starts to get back to the normal range.” “The next phase of development of the solar industry is the same phase that all new industries went through, autos, semiconductors, computers etc. it is the consolidation and shake out phase.” With this in mind, I know the renewable energy suppliers will come out on top after this recession as long as their business plan is solid. The renewable energy stocks are an investment in the future, for the future.

This is not a recommendation to invest in any particular funds or products and we do not give investment advice. This article is to promote awareness of renewable energy stocks.

Investing in an alternate energy funds is one way the individual investor cannot only invest in their own future but the world. Investment in anything right now, in these uncertain times should be done with caution.  But the future is coming whether we like it or not.

I like what I found at Firsthand Alternative Energy Fund. The funds performance is just off the S&P 500 performance for the past year, but there are some encouraging things that happens with this fund. Total assets are $3.7 million with 40 different companies. All dividends are reinvested in the funds and the investment advisor’s fee is limited to 2.10%, to name a few.

But what I really like is their diversity of investment. This fund has asserts in solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells and other sources to help the world reduce its need and reliance on the limited oils supply.  In addition this fund donates a portion of its management fee to non-profit organizations that help the environment and on renewable energy sources. The investors decide what portion goes to which group.

With the investment in alternative energy technologies growing from $27.5 billion in 2004 to over $70 billion in 2006, this is a viable growing industry. With investments in established technologies like hydroelectric, biofuels, wind and solar power along with hydrogen fuel cells the future of alternative energy sources will be funded.

This is a fund worth looking at. It has sponsors on its web site from the Sierra Club, The Audubon Society, The National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife and World Resources Institute.  With investments only in alternative energy, this alternative energy fund is well named.

You’ve done your part for the environment in your home, and have made changes to the way you live your life. But, do you know How To Go Green At Work? It doesn’t matter if you’re an employee with a major company, or running a small business, there are a lot of ways that you can save the environment while at work. It all comes down to asking yourself about How To Go Green At Work.

Save Electricity:
If you are one of the thousands of people who work in a cubicle, you might think that you can’t do much in the go green movement, but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, when leaving for the day, make sure to turn off your lights, computer, and other electrical items. Go one step further and unplug a few of these things. Even when you shut something off, it still uses electricity. But, when you take an extra minute to unplug something, you stop the electric flow and save energy.

Recycle Paper:
In an office, you probably use tons of paper everyday. Don’t throw out any memos or in-office letters. Many of these use only one side of the paper, and the other side can be used as scratch paper or be turned into make-shift notepads. When you have a small stack of papers, cut them into smaller squares, then staple at the top. You can use these sheets of scratch paper to jot down ideas, phone numbers, or even write down a few of the things you need to get at the market. You’ve just done your part by reusing something that would normally have been tossed out.

Did You Walk to Work, or Carry Your Lunch?
How many times have you ordered in because you couldn’t leave your desk for lunch? You can do a lot for the environment by taking your lunch to work. By placing your lunch in reusable containers, you have nothing to throw out when you’re done eating. Use regular utensils rather than plastic, and carry it all in a bag that you can reuse over and over again. This way, you can eat something healthy and have nothing to throw out in the end.

Responsible Business Owners:
As a business owner, there are a few things that you can do in order to do your part as well. For starters, save any shipping containers that you might get. Cardboard boxes can be reused for a number of things. Also, look into adding energy saving equipment into your business. They might cost a little extra in the beginning, but will save you a lot of money in the end. Plus, you’ll be doing your part in conserving energy.

Recycle Bins:
Another thing you might do is set out recycling bins for your employees. When they see that you are trying to do your part, they’ll be more than happy to do theirs. To save money, you can use regular large garbage receptacles with placards on the front telling what goes where. Once these are full, take them to your local recycling center and reap the rewards. For more incentive, let your employees know that all proceeds will go to a charity, or even toward the annual Christmas party.

Go Green:
Going green isn’t something that should only be done at home. As you think of How To Go Green At Work, remember that even the smallest endeavors can make a difference. When you work to do your part, you might find that others around you will try and do theirs as well. Before you know it, you’ve helped someone else join the “go green” movement.

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