links-purchasing

Links

Purchasing Power

Center for a New American Dream
This website includes information on living consciously, buying wisely and making a difference. Junk mail, publications, books, institutional purchasing and even a back to school campaign are a few of the topics covered. Click here for an interactive set of pages great for teens that explains the importance of buying recycled.

Environmental Protection Agency Municipal Solid Waste
In 2005, the EPA published a curriculum guide titled, Quest for Less: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-8, which includes lessons on purchasing.

Good Stuff? A Behind-the-Scenes Guide to the Things We Buy
Have you ever wondered where chocolate comes from, if antibacterial soap is good for your family, or how to recycle an old computer? If you've had these or other questions about environmental and social impacts of the products you buy, this website contains tips, facts, and links to start making more informed purchases.

Grist magazine
Environmental news and commentary. The "Ask Umbra" column periodically deals with waste reduction, recycling and consumption issues, and articles and columns are available through the website archives. Check out these two great articles for a sampling of what you'll find: http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2003/11/25/consumption/ and http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2005/08/22/umbra-eitheror/.

Guide to Less Toxic Products
Everyday, most North Americans use beauty and cleaning products which contain hazardous ingredients. The objective of this site from the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia is to: 1) Provide information about potential health risks of commonly used products; 2) Help identify less toxic alternatives for personal care, household cleaning, baby care, and household pest control; and 3) Provide information to help viewers evaluate products not in their guide in order to choose the safest ones.

I Buy Different
This website designed for youth to help them understand their purchasing power and what they can do to reduce environmental impact. The site was developed as a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for a New American Dream.

RecycleWorks
This San Mateo County, California-based website has back-to-school eco-friendly shopping ideas.

Waste-Free Lunches
This website provides loads of information about how to participate or start waste-free lunch programs in schools. It includes a link to a potential waste-free lunch fundraiser for schools.

Website mission: Provide formal and nonformal educators with resources, lessons plans, and a forum for information exchange to facilitate education about waste in K-12 classrooms. Webmaster: Susan Salterberg, Center for Energy and Environmental Education, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0293; salterberg@uni.edu Last Updated: January 5, 2005; Copyright 2005 University of Northern Iowa. All Rights Reserved. http://www.uni.edu/ceee/wastereduction

Thanks to the Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the University of Northern Iowa and especially to their director, John Konefes, and to their webmaster, Jason Ebensberger, for assistance with this website. This website was prepared with the support of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Contract Number 04-G550-24. However, any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of IDNR. Funding support was also provided by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program (REAP CEP): Invest in Iowa , our outdoors, our heritage, our people. REAP is supported by the state of Iowa, providing funding to public and private partners for natural and cultural resource projects, including water quality, wildlife habitat, soil conservation, parks, trails, historic preservation and more.