Clean-up on Aisle Earth! This morning, while scrolling through the most recently launched blog in the Apartment Therapy family, AT: Green Home, I came across this great reader question:

I’ve recently become even more eco-conscious than before. I’m not just worried about recycling. I am constantly asking myself questions about every product I own, want to own, or need to own. One of those very things is groceries. I am curious, have there been any reviews that rate popular food brands in accordance with their earth-friendliness? If there is such a guide, I could grocery shop with a clear(er) conscious.—Robyn M.

Robyn’s question reminded me of a great book I found out about last weekend while visiting my best friend back in “the heart of it all” (read: our home state of Ohio). It’s called The Better World Shopping Guide: Every Dollar Makes a Difference, and its premise is simple—by ranking companies according to their impact on both people and the planet, the book aims to give socially concious shoppers an idea of how the organizations they’re buying from do business. The simple-to-navigate handbook has assigned school-style letter grades (from A to F) to more than 1,000 different companies and divided them into 75 categories that span everything from airlines to retail stores to wine. While the guide is by no means comprehensive, it’s a fantastic resource to turn to when making decisions on which companies to support (and which ones to avoid) when buying necessary, everyday goods.

Jen : Sustainable living
August 8th, 2007