Get (Online) Coupon Crazy

Looking for an eco-friendly way to save money on all those things you just can't live without? Quit wasting paper on coupons that can be redeemed online. According to Simmons Market Research Bureau, currently more than 40 million people nationwide are printing online coupons. While coupons are a great way for YBGers to save money, paper coupons equate to a staggering amount of wasted paper. Instead of printing and clipping, go green by visiting free online coupon code and deal site Coupon Craze (www.couponcraze.com) before you shop.

If you need more convincing, check out Coupon Craze’s top 5 reasons why you should stop clipping and start clicking instead:

BE A SAVVY SHOPPER: If each of the 40 million people printing online coupons replaced one paper coupon with an online coupon code, 80,000 reams of paper would be saved!
SAVE TREES: 500,000 trees must be cut down to produce each week's Sunday newspapers, including the massive coupon section. Why? When only 0.5 percent of coupons inserted in Sunday newspapers were redeemed in 2008
BE GREEN: The average household throws away 13,000 pieces of paper each year, most of which is junk mail consisting of printed coupons and promotions. Reducing paper use reduces greenhouse gases and using 40 million pieces of paper translates into 3,000 acres of pine forest absorbing carbon for a year
CONSERVE WATER: Who knew? It takes more than 1½ cups of water to make one sheet of paper – meaning that the 40 million people who have printed coupons have wasted 3.75 million gallons of water.
STOP WASTING: The United States alone, which has less than 5% of the world's population, consumes 30% of the world's paper. As if that were bad: Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper is thrown away every year in the U.S

So, visit Coupon Craze to find online deals and coupon codes that can easily replace those paper-wasting printed coupons. You can also shop the newly launched Coupon Craze Green category to find deals and codes for eco-friendly products.

PS - Yes, this is a press release from my friend Bailey at SHIFT Communications. How cool is it that I'm getting pitched by PR firms (even if it is by my friends)?

Eco-Fashion for Cheap

Ideal Bite beat me to this post...I had started writing it and everything, and then, what do I see in my inbox this morning, but the following (and being all about efficiency, why rewrite what's already been written, right? Thanks, IB!)...

Check out these under-$50 fashion-forward finds from stores you already know, like Target. So cheap, you can make like a thug (but not dress like one).

Check it out:
H&M - in addition to its plan of upping its organic cotton use by 50% over last year (note: it doesn't label most of its organic apparel as such), on Earth Day H&M will debut a line made partially from recycled plastic bottles (many pieces under $50)
Loomstate for Target - full line of limited-run men's and women's casual-cool clothes (jeans, dresses, even swimwear) from Loomstate; available starting Sunday, ending mid-May ($45 and under).
Zoe&Zac - Payless's new line of casual footwear, bags, and jewelry made with materials like hemp, organic cotton, and water-based glues; designed with help from eco-model Summer Rayne Oakes, available now. For every pair you buy between now and May 4, Payless will donate $1 to plant trees ($30 and under).
Urban Outfitters Urban Renewal - bid on hand-picked vintage clothing, many from big-name designers; available now with new stuff every week (starting at $10; note that items may get bid up beyond $50).

A Sale!

Just FYI...my fave online eco-fashion store is having a sale, and I wanted to pass it on to everyone. Let me know if you want me to forward you the email that can get you free shipping :)

I Can't Help It. I Love Target.

I know, I know...there are so many reasons to hate and shun the "Big Box" store, but I just can't help it. I love going there. Thankfully, Target is giving me one great reason to feel less guilty about my inevitable, non-local, impulse purchases. The store is now making its own eco-friendly clothing. And while that link only shows a few of the options, I saw many more cute t-shirts when I was over there during my lunch break today. Way to take a step in the right direction, Tar-jet!

Additionally, with a little research, I discovered that (at the time of this post) there are 8343 organic products sold in Target's online store. From baby clothes to home goods to beauty products, it looks like the store is making a real effort to give its customers more green choices. With even more research, I learned that Target is also making a significant effort to understand its environmental impact and continuously improve its business practices in many different areas. Seriously, check out that link to their corporate website. Their commitments are definitely more than just "greenwashing."

Maybe Target isn't SUCH a bad guy after all. While buying local is always better, we don't need to feel so bad about our wayward megastore moments.

Looking for a Green Deal?

White Apricot has an entire page devoted to deals at sustainable fashion and beauty websites. Using the coupon codes listed on the website, you can get up to SEVENTY PERCENT off of goods at the affiliate websites. Not a bad deal, I say. The interface at White Apricot is a little bit annoying because you have to scroll down, sorting through lots of capital letters, colors, and bold faced type...but if it means I can get 20% off at Nimli every time I shop there, well, I think it's a no-brainer.

Lesson of the day: being sustainably stylish doesn't cost any more than being unsustainably stylish.

Meet A New Favorite Website: Green Loop Apparel

I discovered Green Loop today, and I think I'm in love. Green Loop is "a style conscious, eco-retail company, specializing in sustainable apparel and accessories for men and women, grounded in good design." See that everyone! They are style-conscious and grounded in good design! No fuddy-duddy beige hemp bags or recycled patchwork skirts/shirts reminiscent of the trust-afarians lining Haight St in San Fran. No, no, no...Green Loop has really cute clothes and accessories for both men and women from designers like Simple, Grace and Cello, and jack&marjorie. While they don't always fit into the YBG budget (no, I can't afford that $1000 Vegan Queen hobo bag...but I can wish), their sale section has tons and tons of great stuff on it, like this great men's Loomstate jacket that's %50 off. Also, if you sign up for their e-newsletter, you get a coupon for %15 off your first purchase...only $850 to go on the hobo bag...