Ebay's 30 Days of Green Challenge

Earth Day is coming up very soon - April 22nd. There are many ways to get involved in improving the environment and many functions to attend for Earth Day. One cool initiative is the Ebay 30 Days of Green. The point of this initiative is to encourage buyers to shop for items that already exist on earth, in an effort to save energy and resources. For those who take the Green Team Challenge, ebay will protect one acre of forest in exchange. You can visit this site for more info: http://www.ebaygreenteam.com/

Here are some guidelines for shopping green on ebay:

1. Look for pre-owned products. When you choose to reuse an item, you aren't asking the planet to come up with the raw materials required to make a new one. Extending the useful life of an item is one of the most sustainable choices you can make. In most cases, the greenest product is the one that already exists. 2. Check whether an item is sustainably made. Products that are made from sustainable materials - organic fibers, renewable materials like bamboo, or "upcycled" from found or salvage items - are always a great choice for the planet. Also, selecting items that support micro-entrepreneurs and help develop local communities can really make a difference. Labels like "organic", "natural", and "Fair Trade" are helpful here in identifying products that generate a positive impact. 3. Choose products that save energy and other resources. Whether you're selecting an Energy Star rated appliance or something reusable that replaces a disposable - water bottle anyone? - resource-saving products leave a lighter footprint on the planet.