Blog Archive
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- Dec 1 2009
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Cardboard Safari for the Holidays
Those of you living in Charlottesville have probably seen the latest Art in Park installation outside of the Blue Ridge Eco Shop - a life-size metal Robbie the Rhino, standing 6 feet tall!
Robbie’s new presence has raised awareness for all of the Cardboard Safari product. Made of 100% Recycled Cardboard, Cardboard Safari products are made just blocks away from the Blue Ridge Eco Shop!
They make great hostess gifts–try bringing the Recycled Snowflake Tree to your next Cookie Swap (only $12!).
They make great tough-to-find kid gifts, kids can color the Recycled Moose and hang on their wall.
They make great Mother-in-Law gifts, I bet your mother-in-law doesn’t have this Recycled Snowflake Wreath!
- Nov 25 2009
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Safe Toys For The Holidays
As another baby crib recall hits the media, I am reminded of the importance of buying safe, reliable products for our kids. (And for us as well!)
Toxins seem to creep everywhere in our children’s products. Lead in paints, BPA and phylates in plastics, flame-retardants in dolls and pjs, and the list goes on. These "everyday" toxins are one of the reasons I opened the Blue Ridge Eco Shop. I feel it’s our right as consumers to be able to trust in a product and know that we are not causing harm to ourselves, our children our our planet.
I hear daily how nice it is to find safe, green toys all in one place. Below are a few of customer’s favorite Green Toys. What are your kids favorites?
- Nov 5 2009
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DIY Home Winterization Tips
Come join me and the Habitat Store this Saturday, November 7th for the 4th Women With Nails Program!
10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Habitat Store of Charlottesville - 1221 Harris Street
Women and Men alike are invited!
Be sure to attend my 12:15 p.m. talk sharing Do It Yourself Home Winterization Tips. Inexpensive and easy updates to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient this winter.
For more infomation and to see the other workshops, check out the Women With Nails website.
- Sep 24 2009
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The Eat Local Challenge
Hey Cville–I know you already Eat and Buy Local–so why not prove it?
The Piedmont Environment Council has kicked off their 1st Annual Eat Local Challenge. It started this past Monday and runs through October 11th. The campaign is challenging us all to Eat 21 local foods in 21 days.
Food Scorecards are available at the Blue Ridge Eco Shop or download one here. Once you’ve hit your 21 foods, send in your scorecard and you will be entered to win one of many great prices including:
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A series of 3 seasonal cooking classes from the Charlottesville Cooking School
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Eat Local T-Shirt From Feast!
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$50 Gift Certificate from Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie,
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A Gift Certificate from Integral Yoga,
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$25 Gift Certificate from Revolutionary Soup,
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Gift Cards and T-Shirts from Blue Mountain Brewery,
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and my favorite, a $25 Gift Certificate from us, the Blue Ridge Eco Shop!
So far my list included:- Carter’s Mountain Janagold Apples
- Graves Mountain Blackberry Jam
- Bread Work French Bread
- Round Hill Farm Green Peppers
- Basil from my garden
- Twin Oaks Tofu
Chime in! What’s on your list? Have any meal ideas?
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- Sep 14 2009
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Exchange Your SIGG
It has been quite a headache since SIGG announced that their water bottle liner pre-August 2008 does indee
d have BPA. Although they never out-right said their water-based epoxy liners were BPA-Free, they did say their liners do not leach BPA. Which is still true. Many inferred, and were not corrected by SIGG, that this meant the liners were BPA-Free.To clarify, all SIGG water bottles are safe, and the old lining does not leach BPA which is found to leach out of many plastic baby bottles and polycarbonate water bottles.
Many consumers and retailers, myself included, feel duped. Check out the Huffington Post Article for the CEO of SIGG. Even though the old bottles are safe, I feel I was not given enough information to pass on to you the consumer.
So what is being done about it? SIGG water bottles manufactures post-August 2008 have a new-powder coating lining that is BPA-Free. SIGG is cleaning up their mistake by taking water bottles back and exchanging them with new lining bottles for those who would feel better with a new bottle. If you purchased your bottle from the Blue Ridge Eco Shop, bring it back to the shop and we will exchange your bottle free of charge and handle the return with SIGG. As we have had many customers make the exchange, our selection may be limited. We will continue to get in new bottles and you will receive a new bottle.
If you did not buy your bottle from the Blue Ridge Eco Shop, you can either go back to the establishment you purchased your SIGG water bottle from, or send you bottle back to SIGG Directly. SIGG will issue a credit to buy a new bottle on their site. Here is the form for sending them in on your own.
This program through SIGG will go through October 31st. The Blue Ridge Eco Shop take back program will go through October 28th, to allow for us to ship back to SIGG.
- Sep 9 2009
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Vote For Your Favorite Green Company
This year’s People’s Choice Best Green Business voting has begun! There are 10 great companies that have been selected–most on the West Coast. (Let’s change that next year!)
Congrats to one of our favorites–To-Go Ware.
Vote Today!
- Aug 20 2009
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Five Charlottesville City School Buildings Earn ENERGY STAR
(Courtesy of ChamberBits, Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce)
Five Charlottesville City elementary school buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR® for Superior Energy Efficiency. These are the first local school buildings to earn the designation. Only ten other buildings in the Charlottesville area have received the ENERGY STAR® since 2003.
ENERGY STAR® schools and scores are: Johnson Elementary (94); Clark Elementary (82); Venable Elementary (83); Burnley-Moran Elementary (78); and Jackson-Via Elementary (77). Greenbrier Elementary and Charlottesville High School applications are being processed.
City schools are maintained by the Facilities Maintenance Division of the Charlottesville Department of Public Works. Staff members from both organizations-administrators and building principals to custodians and maintenance workers-have collaborated for years to identify ways to maximize energy performance at all schools. Only 33 other schools in three other school divisions are ENERGY STAR schools.
Energy conservation efforts initiated at Charlottesville’s schools have included utility tracking and monthly analysis of all school facilities; upgrading to energy-saving lighting fixtures and low wattage lighting; installing occupancy sensors; re- commissioning and upgrading less energy efficient HVAC system equipment; utilization of building automation for lighting and HVAC systems (including after-hours set-back operations on all building temperature controls); and installation of low-flow and automatic flush valves.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awards the ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection, to signify that a building’s energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide. Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. The scoring system not only accounts for energy use and size, but also the building’s usage, the number of people in it, type of equipment, and hours of operation.
- Aug 10 2009
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Happy Birthday!
Today marks the Second Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Eco Shop!
We’re feeling grateful to our loyal customers for supporting us these past two years.
In celebration of turning TWO, print out this Blog Post and receive:
$5 off any purchase of $25 or more
Coupon good throughout our Birthday Week
(Valid Monday, August10th through Saturday, August 15th)
- Jul 31 2009
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Free Composting Class
By popular demand, I am doing it again!
FREE Composting Class!
This weekend at the Albemarle County Fair, the Blue Ridge Eco Shop will be offering two FREE composting classes. Saturday, August 1st at 3 p.m. and Sunday, August 2nd at 2 p.m. come join Paige Mattson and learn how to compost!
The Free class will be held in the Backyard Revolution tent, next to the Eco-Tent at the Albemarle County Fair. For more info and other events taking place this weekend at the fair, check out the Backyard Revolution website here.
- Jul 28 2009
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$59 Rain Barrel!
Our New 55-Gallon Rain Barrels have been flying out of the store this week. And for $59, I don’t blame my customers!
This Week’s Annual BIG Garden Sale has the 55-gallon rain barrel going for $89 in the shop, plus the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle’s $30 Rain Barrel Rebate, that means you can have a rain barrel (up to two!) for $59 each!
Say Hello to our newest Rain Barrel:
