Category: Buying Green

Now I’m sure you’ve heard of low-VOC paints. Unlike most paint found at Home Depot, low-VOC paint has a fraction of the toxic chemicals that are released into the air and into your lungs, not only while the product is in use but long after the paint has dried. Real Milk Paint has zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and is your alternative to even a low-VOC option. The paint is actually made from milk cultures that are then combined with pigments “harvested in a traditional manner and are completely safe, eco-friendly, non-toxic, lead free and not radioactive.” Headquartered in Quakertown, PA, it’s easy to order over the phone and will arrive within 2 days. Woodcraft off Cromwell Blvd. in Towson also carries a selection of milk paint.

Biggs and Featherbelle is body care with a health-conscious mission. Their handmade products are free of synthetic fragrances, dyes and additives. Started by 2 sisters with a recipe for soap they retrieved from a magazines article Kelly and Kasey now sell their products at more then 50 locations up and down the east coast, the west and mid west.

Most Dry cleaners use a chemical called perchloroethylene , or perc, as a solvent to remove organic matter from clothing. The chemical is classified as toxic waste by the EPA and will not only contaminate the soil after it’s been flushed down the drain but has been proven to affect the nervous system in cases of high exposure. Dry Cleaning Station , located on Solomons Island Rd. in Annapolis, uses GreenEarth Solvent, a silicone-based (sand) solution which has been shown to clean garments more thoroughly and gently with no hazardous effect to you or the environment.

Headquartered in York, Pennsylvania, GreenLine employs eco-sensitive policies in its paper-producing business – selling only recycled or tree-free paper, paper whitened without chlorine, and products with only trace amounts of post-consumer waste; reusing shipping cartons; and packing cartons without Styrofoam "peanuts" or excess packaging-materials. In addition to office paper, tissues, and towels, GreenLine also sells select organic food items, cleaning products, and recycled kitchen and restaurant ware.

Buy Local is an educational and marketing campaign encouraging Baltimore area residents to shop at local independently-owned businesses. They educate the public on how supporting locally owned business keeps up to three times as much money in the community, supports and strengthens local jobs and businesses, and preserves and enhances Baltimore’s unique neighborhoods.

Eco Supply Center is a green building furniture manufacturer for commercial and residential interiors. Headquartered in Richmond, VA, it is family-owned and was founded in 2005. Their work has been featured in Inspired House, Dwell, Elle Décor, and Metropolitan Home. Using 100% post-consumer and reclaimed agricultural fiber such as bamboo and sorghum, products range from countertops, flooring, paint, furniture, and more. Headed by wooddworker Anthony Brozna, their Ecoline collection incorporates Brozna’s quality workmanship with environmentally-responsible materials like storm-salvaged hardwoods, eco fabrics, and non-toxic finishes. Their website features Eco Supply Center’s various products, services, and Ecoline collection.

Bluehouse sells eco-friendly, sustainable household supplies and products that meet strict criteria for environmental, social, and health concerns. They also employ green practices in terms of how they function as a store and business, like recycling their paper and bottles, cleaning the store with environmentally friendly products, and filtering both their air and water.