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Earth-friendly Travel Product Guide
Green
Travel has blossomed into it's own booming industry.
Fueled by conscientious consumers and the need
for recycled, reusable products, "green"
travel products, and "green" travel
itself, have popped up everywhere, from Costa
Rica's moist jungles to your favorite travel
depot down the road.
Too
kind to scream, "I told you so!" from
the rooftops, Sustainable Travel International,
who goes by the motto "leave the world a
better place," is silently nodding in approval.
To help spread the word, the eco-friendly travel
organization has recently launched its first Annual
Green Gear Guide. Filled with resource efficient,
recycled and organic goods, the Green Gear Guide
promotes products offered by distributors that
gain fair prices for the local producers of their
goods.
Says
STI President Brian Mullis, "Outdoor equipment
and clothing are enormously popular. Unfortunately,
many products are produced under oppressive
labor conditions, through energy or resource
intensive processes, or with harmful toxic materials."
To
keep yourself and the environment healthy, check
out some of ROAD & TRAVEL's favorites from
the Green Gear Guide, or visit the complete
guide here.
All
Terrain Sunblock for Soaking Up the Rays
Free
of DEET and other harmful additives, All Terrain
Sunblocks, like AquaSport performance sunblock,
keep your skin safe with all-natural ingredients
and are formulated for the adventurous traveler
in all of us. An added perk, everything is packaged
in recycled and biodegradable containers.
Vulcana's
Large Messenger Bag
Made
completely out of recycled rubber tires, Vulcana
is dedicated to Earth-friendly, animal-friendly
and people-friendly products. With an adjustable
shoulder strap, large side pocket for easy access
to passport or plane ticket and sturdy handle
top, this messenger bag will carry all of your
belongings stylishly and economically.
Clif
Bars for the Adventure Traveler
Clif
Bar makes all-natural energy and nutrition foods
and is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability
and corporate social responsibility. Their energy
bars feature 70% (or more) organic ingredients.
Display boxes contain 100% recycled paperboard,
with 50% post consumer content. In addition,
Clif Bar's office and bakeries are powered by
wind energy offset credits, they plant trees
to offset their staff's daily commute, and they
pay their staff to volunteer time to non-profit
projects.
Patagonia
Fleece for Winter Weather
Patagonia,
who has been producing products containing recycled
and organic content for over a decade, recently
discovered a way to use recycled Patagonia-wear
in its Capilene fabric. Old garments are broken
down into polyester raw material and made into
new Capilene garments. Available next year,
the new Capilene line will incorporate a minimum
of 50% post-consumer recycled content, and silk-weight
items will contain 100% post-consumer recycled
materials.
Sturdy
Splaff Flip Flops for A Quick Getaway
Splaff
Flopps are hand-made using recycled race car
tires and bicycle inner tubes, hemp, and Regupol,
a cushioning material made from used tires which
have been chipped and pressed into mats. And
they're produced in a 100% waste free, earth-friendly
process in which all leftover materials are
either reused or recycled.
For
additional company ratings on social and environmental
issues, look to Co-op America. Also look to
The Fair Trade Federation which lists companies
that provide fair wages and good employment
opportunities to economically disadvantaged
artisans and farmers worldwide.
(Source: Sustainable
Travel)
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