Environment, Organics, Fair Trade & Recycling at Big Green Purse

Bats Aren't Zombies - and Other Reasons Why You Should Love Bats!

Bats get a bad rap on Halloween. They're the ultimate symbol of spooky, creepy creatures that most people would rather not come across. But that's not fair! According to Christina Kocer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Region, bats are among the most valuable animals on the planet. Christina says why, in this special guest post for the Big Green Purse community:

 It’s almost Halloween, and that means zombies, witches and images of bats silhouetted against a full moon abound.

Encountering a zombie does not sit well with me, but bats are a different story. Despite their spooky image, bats are far from terrifying, and I can assure you, they really don’t want anything to do with your hair.

 

What DON'T bats do?

 

As long as we are clearing the air, bats will not fly into your hair; will not suck your blood; will not try to eat you alive; and will not chew through your siding, your shutters, or your attic vents. The claim that all bats are rabid is yet another fear perpetuated by popular media.

Does Your Mascara Contain Mercury? Probably.

Mercury's not safe enough for light bulbs, batteries, thermometers and various medical devices.

 But your eyes? That's another story, at least according to the United Nations Minamata Convention, so named because thousands of people in Minamata, Japan suffered mercury poisoning from contaminated industrial wastewater.

The UN convention last week decided that companies can use mercury in mascara and other make-up until safer alternatives can be found. B why use mercury in the first place? Evidently it's an effective preservative and germ-killer. However, it's also a powerful neurotoxicant that can cause kidney damage and serious neurological effects. If you're pregnant and exposed to mercury, your baby's brain could be affected.

Organic Halloween Candy Tastes Good, Too!

Organic Halloween candy is all the rage this year, and for good reason. It's sweet, flavorful, and free of the artificial dyes found in conventional candy. In fact, even though this candy is being marketed for Halloween, it makes a better alternative any time of the year.

Organic Halloween candy is easy to find online, but increasingly, neighborhood grocery stores and food coops are carrying it, too. Here's what to look for before the globlins and witches show up at your door Halloween night. Everything we've listed is made from organic ingredients and is free of artificial dyes and colors, artificial sweeteners, GMOs, and high fructose corn syrup. (NOTE: We sell most of this organic candy in our store to make it easier for you to shop. Remember that we earn a tiny commission on purchases, which helps us bring you expert content and product recommendations for free.)

YummyEarth Organic Lollipops - Buy a few bags of these "suckers" and you'll be set for the night. In eight luscious flavors:Yumwatermelon, blueberry, sour apple, pomegranate, mango, grape, strawberry and cherry.

Surf Sweets Gummy Bars - In addition to being made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners, the company donates 1% of the sales of its products to several environmental organizations, including Climate cycle, Healthy Child Healthy World, and EcoMom Alliance.

 Divine Chocolate - Buy these mini organic chocolate bites in either dark or milk chocolate.

Endangered Species Bug Bites - Choose from organic milk or dark chocolate Bug Bites and Chimp Mints.

Want a Discount? Buy in Bulk to Save Money, Cut Trash, Shop Smart

  Buying in bulk is a smart shopping strategy for anyone looking to save money and cut back on trash. To raise awareness about the benefits of bulk buying, the Bulk is Green Council (BIG) is sponsoring National Bulk Foods Week this week. 

Why Bulk?

For starters, buying in bulk is one of the best ways to save money on groceries. Why? Larger sizes deliver the same amount of product using less energy and materials than the equivalent number of smaller packages.

The next time you go shopping, browse the snack aisle and compare the difference for yourself. When you buy one large box of cookies, all you pay for are the cookies and the one box. But if you buy a "snack pack" of ten or twelve small bags, you end up with all those individual bags, plus the display box they came in and the cellophane wrapped around them. That's a lot of excess packaging - and all that extra wrapping costs you more money.

Top 10 Cheap, Green Halloween Decorations You Can Reuse and Recycle

  Here's a list of my Top 10 green Halloween decorations. What's so green about them? They minimize plastic and trash, use less energy, can be easily reused or recycled, and save money. No doubt about it, shifting your spending to greener Halloween decorations helps protect the planet as well as your pocketbook. How can you beat that?

#1 LED Lights - These energy-saving lights have become all the rage for Christmas; now, you can use them at Halloween, too. Available in orange, purple, and white. Wrap them around your porch rail or door frame, or use them to light dark paths and stairs.

Green Halloween Costumes - Swap Before You Shop

Between now and Halloween, we're doing a series of posts to help you put the "eco" in EEK! Please send ideas for information you'd like us to cover. We're starting today with a post on Halloween costumes. Come back soon for our tips on non-toxic face paint, organic and natural candy and other treats, plastic-free decorations, and the ten best ways to use a pumpkin after Halloween is over.

 Halloween costumes give all of us a chance to be someone or something else. But this spooky holiday leaves its mark on the planet. Most costumes are treated as disposable, which means they end up in the trash when the partying and trick or treating are over. Commercial costumes (and decorations) can be expensive, too. All together, we Americans spend over $5 billion annually for this one-day celebration.

Here are some cheap, green alternatives:

EcoCentric Mom Box Delivers Non-Toxic Make-Up & Cleaning Products

This month's EcoCentric Mom Box arrived just as I was tackling a big kitchen cleaning project. Cupboards, countertops, light switches, walls - the works. Fortunately, the job was made easier with Tru All-Natural Multi-Purpose Cleaner, made from purified water, botanicals from organic citrus, and food-grade carbonates. My box included a travel-size spritzer, but you can buy it in a concentrate that will make 128 fluid ounces.

 Also in the cleaning category: Eve Organics "Dirty Hands" Hand Sanitizer. I'm personally not one to use hand sanitizers, but if you are, take a look at this one. It contains essential oils of lavender, lemon, peppermint and tea tree, and promises not to promote drug resistant "superbugs" as more conventional hand sanitizers do.

After cleaning the kitchen, I needed a great moisturizer for my hands. Turns out, Eve Organics also makes a terrific skin cream: light, non-greasy, and full of therapeutic essential oils.

For a snack, I munchedon Beanfields Bean and Rice Tortilla Chips - gluten free, vegan, Non-GMO Project verified. Very crunchy, too.