We’ve been so occupied here in the shop that writing has been nigh on impossible…  Too busy opening boxes & getting new products on the shelves.

It’s like one long birthday week here at Green in BKLYN.  And since we’re now two whole months old, maybe it really is a birthday celebration.

So, what has the birthday fairy brought us… & you?  All sorts of treasures:

– Bamboo compost pails & stainless steel ones, too
– Replacement filters for said compost pails
– Clocks that run on water (& just a squeeze of lemon)
– All glass nail files (they really do work)
– Gun metal knitting needles (you knit with these)
– Vintage knitting needle bangles (you accessorize with these)
– Hypo-allergenic dryer balls
– Dr. Bronner’s pure castille soap (also hypo-allergenic)
– Groovy sports tops for Klean Kanteens (no more Spilly the Kid for me!)
– More & more heartfelt cards – & snarky ones, too
– Reusable metal coffee filters (so you’ll never run out of filters again!)
– SUNBLOCK
– HAND SANITIZER
– RUBBER PACIFIERS
– Oils & lotions for expecting mommies
– Shave foam, soap & after-splash for dads (& other shaver types)
– An expanded line of recycled glasses from beer bottles (including Red Stripe, Corona & Rolling Rock)
– And soooo much more

Many of these new products came via our wonderful customers referrals & requests.  And we’re so glad they’ve been speaking up.  We think we’ve got a better selection than ever.  Let us know what you think!

We had a huge delivery of new products yesterday (of which I’ll write tomorrow), so I wasn’t able to follow up on my PowerUP! Business Plan Competition blog from the day before.  However, now that today is here (if you’ve followed any of this up to here), the story will continue.

The PowerUP! Business Plan Competition offers prizes to entrepreneurs based on their business plans & their presentations.  The Competition is sponsored by CitiFoundation & the Brooklyn Public Library’s Business Library Council.  It offers a grand prize of $15000 & two second prizes of $5000.  In addition, a number of  in-kind prizes are included (including consultations & services).  The Competition is held every year & last year more than 400 people applied.

Since PowerUP! is heating up (with the deadline to submitting business plans fast approaching), the Library is offering a number of classes for entrepreneurs & Competition entrants.

Elissa Olin (L), Amanda Jones (C) & Nzinga Knight (R)

On Tuesday night, I spoke as part of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Entrepreneur Series.  As a second place winner for the PowerUP! Business Plan Competition, I was included in the evening with Amanda Jones of Brooklyn Fudge (the grand prize winner) & Nzinga Knight of Nzinga Knight International (the other second place winner).  All three of us entered the competition last year & were asked to return to talk about our experiences with PowerUP! & the development of our respective businesses.

If you’re in the process of starting your own business or just beginning to dream about it, the Brooklyn Business Library’s a great place to get assistance, attend (free) lectures & do research…  It was, I think, just as interesting for me to hear Amanda & Nzinga’s stories as it was for the audience that attended the series.  Sharing stories, listening to other people’s ideas, their experiences & creative problem solving is a wonderful way to learn about running a business as well as growing one that’s already in existence.

Part of my own story is on Green in BKLYN’s About Us website page.  But for people interested in starting their own business, it only tells a chapter…  Perhaps in future blogs, I can go into more detail…

Until then, check out Nzinga & Amanda’s websites (at http://nzingaknight.wordpress.com/ & www.brooklynfudge.com, respectively).

Oh, also check us out at www.greeninbklyn.com!  The dream can become a reality!

For those of you reading this today, my apologies… We’re closing early today.

But why, you may (or may not) ask?

Well… Blessedly, I was one of last year’s recipients of the Brooklyn Public Library’s PowerUP! Business Plan Competition & tonight we begin the process of passing the torch to the upcoming competition winners…  I’ll be speaking, along with two other award winners, at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Business Library in about half an hour.

Each of us will talk about our business plans, our experience in the Competition & how our businesses are progressing just a few months after finalizing our plans…

Gotta go now.  But I’ll write more about the evening tomorrow…

There’s lots of talk about safe & unsafe plastics, how to recycle them, why or why not use them & so on.  So, as my grandpa would say, what’s all this with these plastics?

Well, many of the plastics we use (water bottles, take out containers & so on) have a number on them that not only directs recycling but can help you avoid bisphenol A (or BPA), which is a chemical that’s been linked to breast cancer.

The plastic coding system can help you identify the safest options, which are typically opaque & not known to contain carcinogens or hormone-disrupting chemicals.  These are the plastics that are numbered 2 HDPE, 4 LDPE & 5 PP.

What you want to avoid are number 7 plastics, which contain polycarbonate, the hard plastic that can potentially leach bisphenol A.

One way to avoid BPA is to use a stainless steel water bottle (like the Klean Kanteens we carry at Green in BKLYN) instead of using plastic water bottles.  That way you know BPAs are not leaching into the water you’re drinking.

Plus, it keeps plastic water bottles out of our landfills.

And, now we carry Klean Kanteen’s nifty new Sport Cap 2.0, which has a loop, dust cover & sport top.  Very convenient, very klean & very cute (see?).

The information below details plastics even further (with thanks & a nod to Natural Home Magazine for the info)…

Number 1 (PET, PETE or polyethylene terephthalate):

– Found in soft drink & water bottles, boil-in-bag & condiment containers
– Recycling = most curbside recycling programs
– Recycled into fleece & other fibers, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling

Number 2 (HDPE or high density polyethyylene):

– Found in milk jugs, personal care bottles, trash & shopping bags, butter & yogurt tubs, cereal box liners
– Recycling = most curbside recycling programs
– Recycled into detergent bottles, pens, floor tile, pipe, lumber, outdoor furniture, fencing

Number 3 (V, PVC or vinyl or polyvinyl chloride):

– Found in cleaning product bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, medical equipment, siding, piping
– Recycling = rarely recycled but accepted by some plastic lumber makers
– Recycled into decks, paneling, mudflaps, gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats

Number 4 (LDPE or low density polyethylene):

– Found in grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, squeezable bottles, tote bags, clothing, furniture, carpet
– Recycling = not often recycled thru curbside programs; shopping bags can be recycled thru many stores
– Recycled into trash cans & liners, compost bins, shipping envelopes, lumber, landscaping & tile

Number 5 (PP or polypropylene):

– Found in syrup & ketchup bottles, yogurt containers, drink lids, caps & straws, medicine bottles
– Recycling = recycled thru some curbside programs & can be sent into places like Preserve (!) to be reused
– Recycled into streetlights, battery cables, brooms, rakes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks &… Preserve toothbrushes, razors, bowls & cups (found at Green in BKLYN!)

Number 6 (PS or polystyrene):

– Found in disposable dishes, meat trays, egg cartons, carry out containers, medicine bottles, CD cases
– Recycling = recycled thru some curbside programs
– Recycled into insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, rulers, foam packing, carry out containers

Number 7 (miscellaneous including polycarbonate):

– Found in “bullet-proof” materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod & computer cases, signs & displays, food containers, nylon
– Recycling = traditionally not recycled; some curbside programs now take them
– Recycled into plastic lumber, custom-made products

Busy, busy here at the shop… Working to expand our offerings in general & specifically to the needs of our customers.  So… what does that mean today?

Wrap-N-Mat & Snack Pouch: Well, we’ve got Wrap-N-Mats & their friendly cousins, Snack Pouches.  These rockin’ mat/pouch things are a sustainable product that “offers an intelligent alternative to the millions of disposable sandwich & snack baggies used each day.”

As the instructions state, simply fold the Wrap-N-Mat & Snack Pouch  around sandwiches, veggie sticks, even cookies then fold the cotton wrapper closed, secure with the Velcro® closure & food stays put.

Even better, these reusable wrappers unfold into place mats & the FDA-approved food-grade lining easily wipes clean & is certified to be totally BPA, phthalate & lead-free.

Plus, they’re just so darn cute with the sandwich wrappers in red & white gingham, blue & white gingham & an eco-friendly print.  The snack wrappers come in complementary red, blue & green solids as well as black, orange & pink.

What else?

Produce Sacks: We’ve expanded our very popular Baggu Bags line with the introduction of their produce bags in two sizes.  And… surprise!  One is small (9″x12″) & the other is BIG (12″x16″).

It’s generally agreed among those in the produce-sack-know that the small holds no less than a bunch of green beans, 4 oranges or 6 lemons & the BIG is just right for at least one head of lettuce, a dozen apples, a bunch of bananas or some kale.

Plus, they’re nylon & machine washable.  Which means they’re also hand washable.  Which isn’t bad if there’s no machine to do the washing!

And, finally…

More Mrs. Meyers: Every once in a while (often) a customer recommends a product or products with all their heart & soul.  So goes it with the Mrs. Meyers Lavender Scent Dryer Sheets & Stainless Steel Spray.  Adamantly declared as “amazing” by a couple of folks, I was highly encouraged (begged) to get them both in.  And so, I have…

As always, the Mrs. Meyers products use naturally occurring, hard-working-yet-gentle cleaning agents & essential oils & smell no less than amazing.

Regarding the lavender aspect of it all… for ages, this lovely herb has been valued for its wonderful relaxing scent that’s soothing & believed to relieve fatigue.  As the folks at MM say, “What more could you want from an herb?”

Any other requests?

Well, you know you’ve been in one spot for a while when your second art show gets hung…

In our opening day blog (April 22, 2009), I wrote about some students from Brooklyn’s High School for Global Initiative that are involved with a project called PhotoVoice.  Their photography show, here at Green in BKLYN, was a first for both them & us.  Very exciting, beautiful & a wee bit sentimental (at least on my part), it being the premier both of us & all that.  So, when it was time for their photos to come down, it felt a bit sad…

The solution?  A beautiful new series of photos by Orrie King.  Another local Brooklyn gal, though this one’s graduated from college & all that.

As you can see from the photo, her work is beautiful.  I told her that some of her pieces make my heart ache a little bit.  Elisabeth Sussman of the Whitney Museum of American Art put it a little more poetically:

“King’s images are straightforward & sensual.  The intimacy of these encounters captured in King’s photographs builds on the fine examples of other photographers.  I am thinking of Nan Goldin, Sally Mann & Joanne Verburg.  King reminds us of how the experience of being in these apparently simple states is both sensual & profound.  Her photographs impart a quality of well being, as if to say, such experience is available to everyone, at any moment, anywhere.  King is their trusted cohabitnt of that moment, as she records a shared particular space & time.”

Come share with us… It’s a wonderful space & time she’s created!

Over the time that we’ve been open (nearly six whole weeks), we’ve encouraged our customers to tell us what they want, need, use…

We’ve introduced about a dozen new products since opening based on customers’ questions & requests.

One problem that seemed to descend upon our neighborhood was an infestation of  ants.

Researching options with a customer, we found a product called Orange Guard.  It’s a water based insecticide made from d-Limonen (or orange peel extract), which can be used around food, humans & pets, indoors & out.  And the list of the bugs it kills & repels not only includes ants (hallelujah) but roaches, flies, silverfish, dust mites, aphids, fleas & (drum roll, please) MOSQUITOS!  Oh, & snails too.

My best buddy from college called today & said she had a dream that I was a super spy in a futuristic action adventure…  Flattered as I am by her imagination, I pass the mantle on to… Orange Guard.  Kicking & repelling bug butt across this grand country of ours through the power of magic oranges!  Mantle passed.

Besides, it was never really mine to begin with.

It seems that most folks who stop in the store already have an idea of what it means to be green for themselves, their families & friends.

Every once in a while, however, a “newbie” wanders in & it’s great to hear their questions about products & practices & to witness how the information affects them.  We’ve hosted a few groups of students, too (from 7 to 17), & they’re the most exciting & excited. But then, I’m partial to kids.

Anyhooo… since in reality we’re all students wandering this big blue planet of ours, I offer up a dozen “Did You Knows” – ways & means for saving & conserving our resources.

Will you send us your own best & favorites?

DID YOU KNOW?

1.  Turning down your thermostat by one degree can cut 8% off your fuel bill.

2.  An energy efficient washing machine will use a third less electricity for each wash, which could save you more than the cost of the appliance.

3.  If every household replaced one roll of regular toilet paper with one recycled post-consumer waste roll, 424,000 trees would be saved.

4.  Every three months, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the nation ’s commercial air fleet.

5.  The energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a television for three hours.

6.  The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.

7.  Recycling a glass bottle also causes 20% less air pollution & 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.

8.  Recycling & reusing the material in “tin” cans reduces energy use by 74%, air pollution by 85%, solid waste by 95% & water pollution by 76%.

9.  It takes 75,000 trees to print a Sunday Edition of the New York Times.

10.   The amount of wood & paper Americans throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.

And two more for recycling inspiration…

11.  If Americans recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save 25 million trees a year.

12.  Producing one ton of paper from recycled pulp saves 17 trees, 3 cubic yards of landfill space & 7000 gallons of water. It also reduces air pollutants by 60 pounds, saves 390 gallons of oil & conserves 4200 kilowatt hours of energy – enough to heat a home for half a year.

We got a beautiful mention in Ideal Bite in Today’s New York City Tip, which included shout outs to a bunch of our products (Qassa Soy’s Tupac/Biggie Votives, skinnyskinny organic soaps, LOOP Organic Cotton Towels & Blue Q Recycled Plastic Shopper Bags).  Most of those are local companies & all of them have great products.  How much sweeter does it get?

Well, I’ll tell you…

The same day Matt Hickman came to interview us for Ideal Bite, Sarah Tobol also came in for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.  She wrote another lovely feature & included lots of information about Green in BKLYN’s start.

RePlayGround & New York Blips also included us in their blogs this month…  So sweet!

And, tonight (now?!) we’ll be included in a story about the Brooklyn Public Library’s PowerUP! Business Plan Competition on CBS.  The business plan for Green in BKLYN won second prize in last’s year’s PowerUP! Business Plan Competition.  The prize & the experience ensured we’d be ready to open on Earth Day this year.  Without it, Green in BKLYN might still be a lovely thought instead of a wonderful reality… Shout out to the Brooklyn Public Library!

PS – Get a library card.  It’s free & it’s a blessing for everyone!

For those of you who know me, I have Big Hair.  Gilda Radner – Rosanne Rosannadanna kind of hair.  It has-it’s-own-life-&-is-under-consideration-for-its-own-zip-code big.  And now I have big & long hair.  Voluminous, lengthy & so ready to make its contribution to society…

Just as soon as I have a chance to break away from the shop, I’m gettin’ my hair cut & sending it off to Locks of Love.

For those of you who haven’t heard of them before, Locks of Love is a wonderful charity that uses donated hair to create free wigs for kids who’ve lost their hair from alopecia areata, cancer & other medical conditions.

Their mission is “to return a sense of self, confidence & normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children.”

I’ve donated to them before & the process is pretty simple.  Ten inches from tip to tip is the minimum length for donation.  Hair has to be clean, in a pony tail or braid & sent to their address in Florida.  Details are on their site at http://www.locksoflove.org/donate.html.

There are a couple of other organizations doing similar work including Pantene Beautiful Lengths & Wigs 4 Kids.  I’m not as familiar with their organizations but their missions & guidelines are similar so I wanted to give them a shout out too.

Soooo… For those of you with way too much hair or just enough for a charitable change, here are some options.  Let me know if you take the leap! – Elissa