We at GEN are undoubtedly animal lovers and for that reason are in the process of opening a cage-free boarding and training facility at our compound in Agua Dulce, CA. Seeing that we’re all about lowering our environmental impact wherever we can, we have been contacting many eco-friendly companies to try out their products for review. Enter P.L.A.Y — or Pet Lifestyle and You — a company dedicated to reducing environmental waste by recycling old bottles and turning them into pet beds. This awesome company offered to send us one of their swanky beds for large breed dogs. We tried it out and here is our honest opinion on their product:

Comfort-

This bed is SUPER plush especially considering it was made with recycled bottles. My husband decided to try it out himself and said that it is not only spacious enough for a person to lay on (in the fetal position, granted!) but its also provides ample cushion to keep him from sinking into our hardwood flooring. He also weighs about 200 pounds, by the way. It should be noted that my business partner purchased a few of Costco brand dog beds to cut costs, which are similar in size — and those beds don’t even come close to the padding that P.L.A.Y provides. Definitely a well made dog bed.

Durability-

About 4-5 dogs have already made their home on the P.L.A.Y bed, and every seam and stitch is completely in tact. In comparison again with Costco brand beds, P.L.A.Y is MUCH more durable – as the former already had snags at the seams before any dog even touched it. Since we’ve only been using the bed for about 2 weeks, it is too early to tell the true durability especially because we haven’t had too many dogs coming in and out of the facility yet. Photo below is comparing the cushion in the Costco brand bed (left) to the P.L.A.Y brand dog bed (right).

Design-

The style of this “Savannah” dog bed in the sepia/dark chocolate color scheme is absolutely stunning. The top of the bed features a glossy, almost elephant skin looking design, but colored to fit the African desert. They also have an ash grey/cool grey option that actually much more resembles elephant skin, but the brown tones were more appropriate for our indoor dog lounge area. This bed could definitely fit the more upscale home decor.

Eco-Friendly Factor-

The best part about P.L.A.Y beds, as we mentioned before, is the fact that they are made to help reduce the world’s environmental waste. An astounding 92 recycled bottles made their way into the polyfiber filling for this particular bed. Not only that, but all the tags on their products are made from F.S.C. certified paper. While it would have been nice to see the entire bed being made out of re-purposed materials, the filling is a good start.

All in all, we couldn’t find too many negative aspects about this bed. However, with a price tag of $189 USD, it seems to be more well suited for the sophisticated dog owner looking to lessen their environmental impact a bit while still considering style.

As required by the FTC: I received no monetary compensation for this review. I received a product sample for the purpose of my review. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

You can make a difference. Making the effort to be more environmentally friendly is easier and cheaper than you realize – and good for both you as well as the environment. Read on for 5 easy ways to do your part.

Recycle.

It is so easy and simple to recycle these days that it’s almost harder not to recycle. Your local council will have provided you with a recycling bin and a calendar so you know which days to put out your recycling.

Have you ever had friends over and they have been confused when they go to throw out something and discover you don’t have a recycling bin? Avoid potential embarrassment and change this as soon as you can!

Glass, plastic, cardboard or aluminum should be recycled wherever possible. If you are unsure, turn the item upside down and look for the green triangle that will let you know if it can be recycled.

Going one step further and making an effort to buy items that are in biodegradable or very little packaging is even better if you can.

Bike or walk.

Cars are the largest contributor to air pollution in the world today and while you can do your best effort to look after your car or invest in a hybrid or greener model, the truly best thing you can do is reduce your car usage altogether! This will save you money AND work wonders for your health.

Switching your drive to work in the morning for a bike will mean you get exercise, fresh air and also save time searching for parking or being stuck in traffic – as well as save you money on petrol.

If biking isn’t your thing, go old school and walk – set yourself a challenge or a limit: if a place is less than 20mins walk away, make it a rule to always walk rather than drive. The more you get used to walking, the easier it will be, the fitter you’ll get, and the cleaner your air.

Cloth bags not plastic bags.

Green bags are very widely available and there is absolutely no reason that you should still be using plastic bags.

Not only are they reusable: they are also convenient. You can fit a lot more in cloth bags, including heavier or sharp items that just tear through plastic bags, and you can use them for pretty much anything.

Make a habit of keeping one handy at all times: there’s nothing more frustrating than heading to the supermarket and realizing you have left these bags at home. Constantly buying enviro bags is just as bad – if not worse – as constantly using plastic bags, and defeats the purpose.

Support eco businesses.

While it’s very easy now for businesses to practice greener habits, to recycle, to buy and stock environmentally friendly products and use eco promotional bags: it’s typically not the cheapest option for them.

Those businesses that are environmentally responsible are making a conscious effort and investment – and we are consumers are responsible in helping make their efforts worthwhile.

There are still so many businesses out there that, no matter what, will always choose the cheapest and easiest option because they only care about the bottom line.

The more we demand that businesses turn green, support those that do and avoid those that don’t, the sooner businesses will relent to pressure and start introducing more environmentally friendly practices.

Encourage your friends.

As one individual you may not think that your efforts alone can have a significant effect: but if you spread the word to your family, friends and all others you know, you can create a ripple effect and soon there will be an extra 100 or 1000 people practicing eco-friendly habits – all thanks to you!

Lead by example and become conscious of how others might be inspired by your habits – and encourage them to do the same.

Almost 4 billion trees are cut down each year to make paper. The average American uses more than 748 pounds of paper per year. Many times paper is used, unnecessarily, to sign documents. What do you do when you get a request to sign a document in your email inbox? Chances are you print the document, sign it with a pen, and fax it back. If you don’t have a fax machine, you get in the car and waste gas driving to the post office to overnight the signed document. The signature requester gets your document, scans it back into electronic format, and then shreds the paper version. This is a waste of resources. There is an environmentally friendly way to sign documents. You can save trees and money by signing electronically. In other words, sign and send documents from your computer or mobile device.

What is an electronic signature?

It is “an electronic sound, symbol, or process logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record” according to the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. There are mobile applications and e-signature web services that enable you to sign electronically. Many of them are free or low cost. One such application is SimplySign by Vignature.

Here is how to sign and send a document from a mobile device with Vignature:

1. Open the document from your email inbox or from Dropbox.
2. Tap to sign, and pose for a live image capture.
3. Email the signed document to yourself and/or another recipient.

Signing documents electronically is a great way to save trees. It keeps documents in digital format from beginning to end, eliminating the need for paper. Try using an e-signature application the next time you need to sign a document. Video below is a demonstration and review of the Vignature app on iPhone. There are also reviews available for Android users by visiting Best Android Apps Review.

Article by Kelly Spradley, Cofounder of Vignature

SIM Publishes 2011 Winners of its Annual Contest in Green Building-

Sustainable Industries Magazine recently introduced its winners of the sixth annual Top 10 Green Building Products award. The winners were chosen by an expert panel of judges from more than 100 entries based upon design aesthetic, environmental performance, innovativeness, scalability/market impact, as well as value and compatibility using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system. “The green building industry has seen unprecedented growth and change in the six years that Sustainable Industries has produced the Top 10 Green Building Products awards. This year’s winners reflect the diversity of exciting opportunities in the green building space,” says Brian Back, Founding Editor & Publisher of Sustainable Industries. Selected winners are as follows:

1. Adura Wireless Lighting Controls, made by Adura Technologies, slashes lighting-related energy costs by up to 70 percent using a system of sensors and controllers that creates a network to turn off unneeded lights while offering consumers complete control over their electricity through a unique web interface.

2. Breathe Living Wall, made by DIRTT Environmental Solutions, improves air quality and conserves energy by relieving the load of ventilation systems. The system fits any flat wall or vertical building surface. Plants are watered at one point at the top of the wall, and as the water moves through the trough system, wicks from other pots bring water up to the plants.

3. Greensulate, made by Ecovative Design, uses mushroom roots to make its innovative insulation and packaging material. The company doesn’t need any light to grow their fungi and only uses heat during the final drying process – making this product almost entirely sustainable.

4. HydroRight Dual Flush Converter, made by MJSI Inc., created a “drop-in” service for already existing toilets which offers water conservation up to thirty percent. To boot, it only takes about 7 minutes to install.

5. Indow Windows, made by – you guessed it! – Indow Windows, uses thermal inserts that can achieve 94 percent of the energy savings of double-pane replacements at a fraction of the cost. The inserts plus installation run about $13 per square foot, so refitting a house with 14 average-sized windows costs about $2,400.

6. Juice Bar, made by Green Garage Associates, (although not exactly a green building product) is an electric vehicle charging station that can either be bought or rented by property owners. The product is considered sustainable by the judges in that it will encourage more widespread purchases of EVs.

7. Mobile Solar Power System, made by Pure Power Distribution, designed its Mobile Solar Power System to replace dirty, noisy diesel generators, which create air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide, particulate matter and carcinogenic compounds. The company also makes a hybrid system that combines solar power with a biodiesel generator that kicks in when needed.

8. Modlet, made by ThinkEco, aims to cut power wasted by plug-in appliances when they’re not in use. For an office or building that plugs in modlets throughout its facility, that could mean a reduction in overall energy costs of about 10 percent – or a cut of up to 80 percent in the amount of power used by each plugged-in device, according to the company.

9. SageGlass, made by SAGE Electrochromics, offers a unique product using electrochromic glass that can change from clear to darkly tinted using a simple light switch. The good news? It offers a significant reduction in energy savings, lowering peak demand by as much as 24 percent.

10. SmartSlope Living Retaining Wall, made by the Furbish Company, took its inspiration from the tightly-populated central European landscape where buildings are designed vertically rather than horizontally due to the lack of space. Using concrete blocks with a cavity for plant roots, the hollow centers offer space for various plants to take root and, apparently within months, covers up the wall with natural growth. It can be built in open spaces near buildings, highways and other not-so-aesthetically-appealing areas while encouraging the growth of carbon-eating plants. And while concrete isn’t exactly environmentally-friendly, it does offer a structural soundness that other building materials don’t. Longevity is definitely sustainable.

It’s a fallacy that running an eco-friendly business and turning a profit are mutually exclusive goals – there are, in fact, many financial benefits to going green.

Why go green?

As environmental issues assume an increasing importance in all our lives, the concept of ‘going green‘ has really started to take off in many people’s personal and business lives. The world has finite natural resources and, with the global population expected to rocket from its current figure of just under seven billion to an estimated nine billion by 2050, the implementation of sustainable living and working practices has never been more crucial. Add concerns about global warming, pollution and wildlife conservation and it’s no wonder the green revolution has started to gain such momentum.

Many individuals consider the adoption of a greener way of living to be more of a moral obligation than a mere lifestyle choice. Many business owners would doubtless agree – but in difficult economic times, when the financial bottom line can be far too close for comfort – they may also feel that, while they’d like to adopt greener practices, actually doing so is far down their list of priorities.

The fact is, though, greener working practices do not necessarily have to cost more, and in many cases can actually reduce business costs.

Travel alternatives

Traveling can be one of the most costly aspects of any business, in terms of both financial expense and a business’s carbon footprint. Not all travel can be avoided, but with advances in communications technology, virtual meetings are increasingly taking the place of face-to-face.

There are certainly times when face-to-face meetings are beneficial or even crucial but, equally, you may want to consider whether putting a dozen people on different flights for a two hour meeting is really the best solution.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software such as Skype, traditional telephone conference calling, instant messaging and email conferencing all offer far cheaper and greener alternatives.

Similarly, employees could also be given the option to work from home, whether on a permanent or occasional basis. Again, this depends on the situation, but in many cases, and for many tasks or projects, individual employees could accomplish just as much without making the daily grind to the office. Furthermore, reducing your need for a physical office space not only reduces your resource consumption, but also dramatically reduces your company’s regular costs.

Consider trains over planes

When traveling within your country or region, trains offer a greener and ultimately more productive experience than flying. While a short flight is always more attractive than a longer train ride, a train journey gives you the opportunity to continue working during the time you’d be either checking in, queuing or traveling to and from the airport while flying – and the carbon footprint for train travel is significantly less than flying.

The paperless office

Few businesses can operate without a stationary cupboard of some sort, but vast amounts of record-keeping and communications that used to clog up desks and filing cabinets alike can now be done entirely electronically.

Going as near to paperless as possible will not only make things easier to organize, but can also save on the basic costs of materials and on postage, which can often add up to a surprisingly hefty expense. Important documents should, of course, be backed up to the hilt, and hard copies will often have to be made, but there are savings to be found in the day to day management of most offices.

Energy grants and initiatives

Many countries are now offering incentives for businesses to use greener working practices, and to off-set the costs of changing working practices. In the US, there are a range of national and state energy initiatives encouraging businesses to move to more sustainable energy sources, such as the US Treasury grant Program 1603 for businesses installing solar, wind or hydro energy generators. For an easy one-stop resource to find all available green grants, try the North Carolina State University’s Database State Initiatives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) search engine.

Some business owners may claim there are many pressing reasons in today’s climate (pun most definitely intended) for them not to go green. But with green issues taking on ever greater importance to customers and employees alike, and with clear financial benefits to many green practices, business owners are better off asking themselves if they can afford not to change to a cleaner, greener way of working.

About the author:
Christian Arno is the founder of professional translation services provider Lingo24, experts in the foreign language internet. Launched in 2001, Lingo24 now has over 150 employees spanning three continents and clients in over sixty countries. In the past twelve months, they have translated over forty million words for businesses in every industry sector, including the likes of MTV and World Bank. Follow Lingo24 on Twitter: @Lingo24.

New Initiative Will Save Roughly 20,000 Trees in One Year-

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Office Depot now offers its delivery customers the choice between paper bags or cardboard boxes when shipping their orders – a move that the company hopes will prevent millions of pounds of paper waste. Its GreenerOffice Delivery Service program was a huge hit – with 90 percent of eligible customers voluntarily opting in. The company says it will be able to replace around 4.5 million pounds of cardboard boxes with approximately 0.9 million pounds of paper in the first 12 months of the program based on the test rates – saving roughly 20,000 trees! The switch from boxes to bags will also reduce the company’s use of plastic air pillows, a petroleum intensive and hard-to-recycle filler. To boot, the bags used will contain 40 percent post consumer recycled materials. “Office Depot’s material footprint from cardboard use is significant,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, director of environmental strategy for Office Depot. “This program, championed very effectively by our Supply Chain team, delivers a triple win: our customers win because the paper bags are more convenient to open and recycle; Office Depot wins because we continue to enhance our environmental leadership; and the ecosystem benefits because fewer materials are needed, and less waste ends up in our landfills.”

The Resort Giant Will Contribute Fuel Made from Waste Vegetable Oil-

For the third year running, Caesars Entertainment Corp. is again sponsoring the Big Green Bus tour across America. Operated by students from Dartmouth College, the Greyhound bus was converted to run on recycled waste vegetable oil (WVO) and will travel across the country to help cause a buzz around the importance of sustainability. The journey will take place through an 11-week period and will travel 12,000 miles through 31 states. The bus will make refueling stops at Caesars resorts — including Harrah’s New Orleans on July 23rd, Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino on August 3rd, Harrah’s Rincon Hotel and Casino in North San Diego on August 5th, and Cleveland Thistledown on September 3rd — along with other scheduled locations around the U.S. “Having Caesars Entertainment as a sponsor has given us great insight to its compelling sustainability practices,” said Nicholas S. Devonshire, Big Green Bus Fundraising and Logistics Coordinator. “With its broad reach, the company has shown us how caring about the environment can translate into large opportunities for innovation and resource savings.” The sponsorship initiative by Caesars Entertainment will help foot the costs of this “classroom on wheels”, offering the public a unique opportunity to receive the hands-on experience of working with a converted alternative fuel vehicle as well as education on the significance of conservation in today’s world. Every year, Caesars recycles 640,000 gallons of oil from its resort and casino restaurants around the globe with 123,000 gallons coming directly from the Las Vegas Strip. The veggie oil is actually recycled at the resorts, or removed and re-purposed for use in biodiesel and other products. “We are very proud to power the Big Green Bus and support these driven students in their quest to spread the message of sustainability across the country,” said Gwen Migita, Corporate Director Sustainability and Community Engagement for Caesars Entertainment. “Caesars employees are excited to take part in the many events scheduled at the resorts across the country.”

For further information about the 2011 Big Green Bus tour, its crew and sponsors visit www.thebiggreenbus.org.

For additional information about Caesars Entertainment’s sustainability efforts visit http://www.caesars.com/corporate/environment-sustainability.html.

Nissan’s Newest Campaign Envisions a Future with Zero Emissions-

While Nissan isn’t the first auto company to release an all-electric vehicle, it certainly is the pioneer in making sure that they are permanently available to everyone. In its newest campaign, the auto maker highlights the significance of “zero” in today’s ridiculously excessive way of life. Imagine a world with no breathing problems because of polluted air; a planet without scorching temperatures and skin cancer attributed to a depleting ozone layer; a day without spending your entire paycheck on gas. Now as most of you know, despite the missing tailpipe, electric vehicles are not truly zero-emissions since mostly all power plants burn coal. With renewable technologies continuing to develop and become more cost effective, however, that could certainly change as time goes on. A zero emission-powered planet is a lofty goal, but its encouraging to know that the individuals behind large corporations like Nissan are doing all they can to make that dream a reality. Enjoy the video and please share with friends and family!

World’s Largest Casino Group Goes Green

Las Vegas, NV- The Las Vegas Strip isn’t exactly a destination you usually think of as being “green,” but when a city known for decadence and overindulging shuts off their lights for an entire hour… the world watches. For the third consecutive year, Caesars Entertainment Corporation (formerly known as Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.) participated in the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Earth Hour by shutting off non-essential exterior lighting and marquees at more than 40 of its worldwide resorts and casinos from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time on March 26, 2011. “Caesars’ leadership in the gaming industry and its steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship are reflected in our resorts’ continued participation in Earth Hour,” said Gary Loveman, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Caesars Entertainment. Two days prior to the Earth Hour event, Caesars announced their EPA approved plan to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon inventory by 10 percent from 2007 to 2013. “During the past seven years, our environmental stewardship has evolved into a momentous sustainability effort including more than 110 energy reduction and conservation programs implemented daily by our dedicated employees in our 39 domestic casino resorts,” Loveman added. Since 2003, the casino group has invested more than $60 million in energy efficient retrofits and programs that have resulted in cutting carbon emissions by some 106,000 metric tons.

Caesars is the first company in the casino entertainment industry to join the EPA Climate Leaders Program and to make an EPA-approved commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent in absolute numbers by 2013. The company has been awarded the “EPA WasteWise Gold Achievement New Partner Award,” “EPA Regional Environmental Quality Award”, Virgin Holidays “Partner in Sustainability Award”, and is the only company to win seven “Travelife Gold Awards for Sustainability in Tourism” from the Federation of Tour Operators.

Grant Marks $230M in Funding for EV Project Charging Infrastructure-

Finally, some good news for those who are thinking of buying an EV! This month, ECOtality North America received a $2.87 million grant from the city of San Francisco to establish charging stations throughout the U.S. The company is set to develop over 15,000 of their Blink charging stations in 16 cities throughout Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Tennessee and Texas – as well as the District of Columbia. To boot, owners of the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF who meet the criteria to participate in the EV Project will be given a residential charger at little to no cost. Just last year, ECOtality North America was given $99.8 million in grant money from the DOE to launch the EV Project. An additional $15 million was awarded in June 2010, so this $2.87 million grant marks a total of approximately $230 million in funds toward the Project. Data provided from the charging stations will be used to analyze the efficiency of local charging infrastructure and if the pilot program is successful, EV Project partners expect to include more charging facilities at additional locations. Map below highlights specific U.S. cities that will receive Blink charging stations.