Products made out of recycled or reused materials are really exciting from an environmental point of view. Usually, there is very little environmental cost to a recycled good, and virtually zero environmental cost for a reused good. Because these products are so great for the planet, and since it is sometimes hard to find these items, this post will list a few places where you can find recycled/reused products online.

Uncommon Goods [www.uncommongoods.com] – This vendor has many types of products listed, some good for the environment, some not so good. They do however, have a pretty large selection of recycled goods in their “recycled collection.” This online vendor has a physical location in Brooklyn, NY for those of you who live nearby the Big Apple.

Green Home Environmental Store [www.greenhome.com] – This online store features a plethora of environmentally sustainable products as well as a mixture of recycled products. They have been written up in the New York Times for their impressive array of goods.

MSN Green Shopping [green.msn.com] – You all know about MSN and their seemingly endless reach into everything on the internet, but did you know that they are also trying their hand at providing green centric information on their website? They have a number of products ready for your appraisal.

Great Green Goods [www.greatgreengoods.com] – Great Green Goods is a self-professed “green shopping blog.” Blogs like this one are a great way to get a more personalized, and in-depth review of specific green products. Check this one out and you could try looking for more of them around the internet if you like what you find.

Thanks for joining us on THE GREEN BLOG, we hope you enjoyed the post. Please consider commenting on this post and including recycled goods stores that also deserve attention.

TORONTO, Ontario, Canada, September 8, 2008 (ENS) – Contrary to the idea that environmentalism is a youth movement, consumers over 55 years old are the most prolific users of green products in the United States, according to survey results released Saturday by ICOM Information & Communications, a Toronto-based marketing communications company.

ICOM conducted the household products survey in March and April 2008 with 6,036 people responding from across the United States.

The poll shows that despite higher costs, more than six in 10 U.S. homes now use environmentally friendly household products.

Both male and female groups 55 years and older reported above average usage of environmentally-friendly home goods.

How green is your home? (Photo
courtesy The Company Store)

Leading the way are 55-59 year old females, who are more than twice as likely as the average consumer to use green products, the survey shows.

Males 65-69 years old are second, more than 1.7 times as likely to use green products than the average American.

“The data is very telling for marketers,” said Peter Meyers ICOM vice president of marketing. “There is incredible interest brewing for sustainable products.”

“While the numbers show that significant inroads have been made with the older demographics, they also suggest untapped potential in prime younger consumer groups to engage them with eco-friendly products,” said Meyers.

Showing the penetration of green products into American homes, 61.9 percent of survey respondents said that they do use some type of environmentally friendly product.

When asked why they elect to purchase eco-friendly goods, a leading 33 percent of the group said it “makes me feel good about myself.”

When asked why they elect not to purchase or use green products, 50 percent of non-adopters cited high prices as the main factor.

The next most common reason selected for avoiding green goods was, “I do not believe that they are that much better for the environment,” said 17 percent of respondents.

Of those that said they do not use environmentally friendly products, both male and female demographics aged 25-34 years old were among the “least likely to use” eco-friendly products when compared with the national average.

“Younger demographics are still green, that is, inexperienced when it comes to engaging with environmentally friendly goods,” said Meyers.

“The data suggests that targeting these groups with more calculated offers – such as at slightly more aggressive price points, appealing to their personal values or reinforcing the true benefits for the environment,” he said, “could introduce green products to a new, promising consumer base.”

View This Story On Eco–mmunity Map.

Zem Joaquin knows the value of green products. She runs a website company that supports designers who create sustainable products which are also designed impeccably. Her company, Ecofabulous.com [www.ecofabulous.com], caters to people who love innovation and who have an all-consuming addiction to beautiful objects. Featuring categories of design such as beauty care, fashion, kids, lifestyle and the ever popular eco-chic tours, you can find many kinds of information on this fabulous internet destination.

Why does a focus on well-designed sustainable products make Zem Joaquin an ECO HERO? The answer may be found in an example from art history. Design and style elevated the work of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, and that work of art distinguished him from his peers. His art took people’s breath away and replaced it with a sense of inspiration. In some people, this inspiration transformed into a desire to create beautifully designed works of art themselves. It is a bit like watching an Olympic athlete do something completely amazing, and suddenly feeling the urge to get up and do something amazing oneself.

In the case of sustainably manufactured products like those that Ms. Joaquin’s Ecofabulous website covers, a consumer might initially buy one item based on the merits of its design; after using the product, they may then become more conscious of sustainability by also discovering the environmental benefits of that product. This new awareness of environmental considerations may lead them to buy other sustainable products in the future. Hence, the net result of Ecofabulous.com is that it has supported greater consumer support for products that preserve the healthy ecosystem of the planet.

Check out the ECO HEROES video with Zem Joaquin.

In order to get a geographic appreciation of Ecofabulous.com, make sure to check out Zem Joaquin’s Map Marker [www.sundancechannel.com] on Eco-mmunity Map.

Feel free to comment on this post and discover More ECO HEROES using the links below:

Jonathan Demme [www.sundancechannel.com]

Ira Ehrenpreis @ Technology Partners [www.sundancechannel.com]

Jerry Fiddler @ Solazyme [www.sundancechannel.com]

Sarah Gitlin @ Dalton High School [www.sundancechannel.com]

Shai Agassi @ Project Better Place [www.sundancechannel.com]

Sherry Strong [www.sundancechannel.com]

Zem Joaquin [www.sundancechannel.com]

Adam Green [www.sundancechannel.com]

Robert Thurman [www.sundancechannel.com]

Joanna Opot @ Starting Bloc [www.sundancechannel.com]

James Wells @ Sustainable South Bronx [www.sundancechannel.com]

THE GREEN mini-site is proud to announce that the majority of the Eco-mmunity will be launching by week’s end. The Eco-mmunity is the community driven portion of THE GREEN, and is intended to support people as they grow into more sustainable lifestyles. No matter how well-intentioned people are, you always need practical tools to achieve results. The Eco-mmunity fuels exchange of knowledge about green ideas, energy saving techniques as well as a place to find testamonials on sustainable products. For example, if you wanted to learn how to attach a solar panel to your house’s electric grid, who better to ask than a farmer who has been running his homestead off solar for the past 5 years. The Eco-mmunity aims to bring people together.

In other news, one major tool which supports the Eco-mmunity has launched. Green Consultations has launched in the Sundance Channel Discussion boards. This topic is a free-form communication platform that helps people lead greener lifestyles. If you want to be green but just do not know how, this is the place for you to go. We encourage experts in green products, green tips and other sustainable activities to make posts in this thread and see how much they can help those in need.