There's an organic or all-natural version of everything these days, from toilet paper to T-shirts. But while organic foods are prominently displayed at every major supermarket, 'green' shopping beyond the kitchen requires some extra effort -- at least, that's the perception.
We asked three of our Store Troopers who don't usually shop green to give it a try. They were given $50 each and a list of five items to buy, including a recycled paper product, a chemical-free cleaner and a fair-trade item -- meaning the workers who produced it were paid fair living wages.
Our consumer volunteers weren't aware that many of these items can be found at the stores they usually shop -- for example, Lunds and Byerly's sell recycled napkins and natural cleaners, while some Target stores have Tom's of Maine all-natural toothpaste.
"Because grocers and larger retailers are selling more natural and organic food products, they realize those customers are also interested in buying environmentally friendly paper and cleaning products. They're giving customers what they're looking for," says Katherine Mullen, spokeswoman for the Blue Sky Guide for sustainable living in the Twin Cities (www.findbluesky.com). And as interest in eco-shopping rises, more specialty shops are opening around the Twin Cities, selling environmentally friendly and fairly traded clothes, linens, even cosmetics.
Our Troopers did most of their shopping at natural food stores and cooperatives. Still, it proved to be an eye-opening experience: All three found environmentally friendly cleaning products to be a good value. Two will consider buying recycled paper products again.
"I do think it costs more to do environmentally conscious shopping," says Store Trooper Chou Eyberg of Oakdale. "But there are a lot more stores than I originally thought that sell these products. It's been educational."
STORE TROOPER SUE DALLMAN OF SHOREVIEW What she bought: Seventh Generation napkins, $3.79; Enviro-Rite multipurpose cleaner, $8.99; Avalon Organics lotion, $9.99; Maggie's Functional Organics socks, $6.99; Peace coffee (fair trade), $10 Where she shopped: Fresh & Natural Foods (1075 W. Minnesota 96, Shoreview, 651-203-3663; www.freshandnaturalfoods. com); coffee purchased at White Bear Unitarian Church.
What she learned: This was the first time Dallman had purchased recycled napkins, but it won't be the last. When she read on the label that replacing virgin fiber paper with recycled paper could save trees, landfill space and water and cut down on pollution, her 17-year-old daughter asked, "Why would we use anything else?" Even though the napkins were more expensive than her usual brand and lack "cute little pictures," Dallman says, "They will be the only napkins I buy."
Dallman also was impressed by the Enviro-Rite cleaner's mild scent and said it could replace several cleaners because it works on counters, ceramic, vinyl and wood. The lavender lotion was nice enough, and the coffee was fine, just not her husband's favorite flavor. She was less impressed with the socks, which she says are too tight.
STORE TROOPER HEATHER PROSKEY OF APPLE VALLEY
--What she bought: Seventh Generation toilet paper, $4.99; Restore glass cleaner, $4.99; Giovanni Organic Cosmetics shampoo and conditioner, $7.99 each; Maggie's Functional Organics socks, $7.25; Green Field Paper Co. note cards, $2.99 each (for three) Where she shopped: Valley Natural Foods (13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, 952-891-1212; www.valley naturalfoods.com) What she learned: Proskey was a bit put off by prices on green goods. The organic cotton socks, for example, felt like any pair of socks. "I was expecting a little more from them" for $7.25 a pair. Recycled toilet paper seemed pricey as well, but "statistics on the packaging convinced me that this was a worthy cause." The hair products were comparable to her usual brands, and she loved the scent and scalp tingle of the Tea Tree Triple Treat. She fell in love with the fair-trade Grow-A-Note cards that have seeds imbedded in the paper. And she was most impressed by the glass cleaner, which she says leaves no streaks, is reasonably priced and allows her to save 44 cents by refilling the bottle.
OF OAKDALE
--What she bought: Seventh Generation toilet paper, 99 cents per roll; Seventh Generation dishwashing detergent, $5.69; Avalon Organics lotion, $8; Maggie's Functional Organic socks, $6; Vietnamese-made ceramic relish trays (fair trade), $30 Where she shopped: Whole Foods (30 S. Fairview Ave., St. Paul, 651-690-0192; www.wholefoods.com), Mississippi Market (622 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-310-9499; www.msmarket.coop) and Ten Thousand Villages (867 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-225-1043; www.tenthousandvillages.com) What she learned: "Before the assignment, my perception of environmentally friendly shopping was inconvenient and not a lot of products to choose from," Eyberg says. She did some research online and discovered everything on her list was easy to find -- except for organic cotton apparel. She found a few organic cotton T-shirts at Lizze's (1856 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-699-4585), and several shops referred her to Birch (2309 W. 50th St., Minneapolis, 612-436-0776; www.birch clothing.com), but she settled on sock "booties" at Mississippi Market, which she found to be more comfortable than the ones she had at home. She plans to return to Ten Thousand Villages, a fair-trade shop that supports artisans in Third World countries. She was impressed by the quality and price of the organic lotion and plans to continue purchasing Seventh Generation's biodegradable, nontoxic dishwashing detergent. But she's not ready to switch to recycled toilet paper. "It just doesn't stack up to the brand I usually use," she says.Pioneer Press
