The Green Guide

	Photo: Amy Perl

    Living green and loving shopping may seem diametrically opposed concepts, but shopaholics don’t have to take a no-shopping vow. There are ways to make your shopping list greener. Here are 15 simple options to introduce green into your shopping style.

At Home

Reduce Your Energy Bill
    Go solar with panels from Borrego Solar. With the California Solar Initiative offering a rebate of up to 30 percent on the total cost of solar panel installation, and the federal government coughing up another $2,000 in tax rebates, utilizing solar energy may save not only the environment, but your hard-earned cash, as well.
    Borrego Solar, 727 Allston Way, Berkeley, (510) 843-1113, borregosolar.com.

Reuse Everything and the Kitchen Sink
    Visiting Urban Ore Ecopark is like taking a trip to a cheerfully jumbled family garage with all the stuff that Mom said we may use later. Everything from unwanted window frames to vintage ceramic pedestal sinks is for sale at this South Berkeley salvage yard, which aims for “total recycling.” The campus is pretty huge, and the goods range from “wow” to “why would anyone want that?” But if you’re willing to sift through the items here, chances are you’ll find a gem.
    Urban Ore Ecopark, 900 Murray St., Berkeley, (510) 841-7283, 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday, urbanore.ypguides.net.

Recycle What’s Under Your Feet
    Now what’s on your feet becomes what’s under your feet. The makers of the Flip Flop Mat take surplus foam rubber made from the production of the ubiquitous flip-flop sandal and create handmade, colorful doormats. On first glance, the mat’s provenance isn’t apparent, but the bright primary colors and the remarkably easy-on-the-tootsies feel of the material soon give it away. The Gardener in Berkeley’s Fourth Street shopping area offers a variety of shapes and sizes starting at $24.
    The Gardener, 1836 Fourth St., Berkeley, (510) 548-4545, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, www.thegardener.com.

Fashion and Beauty

Reduce Energy Use
    You can feel proud to shop at Aveda. Not only does the famed beauty line use fair trade, sustainable, organic and natural ingredients in its products (as well as recycled packaging), but it is also the first beauty company using 100 percent wind power. So come on in and sample Aveda’s lifting serum and firming face crème to fight all the free radicals out there.
    Aveda, 1846 Fourth St., Berkeley, (510) 849-0992, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, www.aveda.com.

Reuse Vintage Accessories
    Vintage buttons gain new life as glam jewelry at BellaVita. Buttons covered with rhinestones or flowers in metallics, prints or solids grace bracelets and earrings made by Southern California’s Vintage Joy. Each earring—$32 per pair—features one button, while the bracelets are more of a charming, multi-buttoned affair. And to tame your tresses, button-bedecked bobby pins by local artist Constance Clare are also on offer for $8 each or $12–$16 for a matching pair.
    BellaVita, 5407 College Ave. (510) 653-1637, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Thu.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sunday, closed Mondays, www.bellavitahome.com.

Recycle for a Cause
    Not only are silk pajamas bottoms made from recycled saris gorgeous, but sales of the PJs made by the Indian Princess Project, available at Atomic Garden, also go to help Indian prostitutes with medical testing and treatment, vocational training, counseling, micro-enterprise development and advocacy. Eventually, the pajamas themselves will be made by women trained in a new, self-sustaining field. They come in a variety of lovely patterns and colors for $35.
    Atomic Garden, 5453 College Ave. (510) 923-0543, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sunday, www.atomicgardenoakland.com.

For Baby

Recycle the Softness
    Only a baby could rock cashmere jumpsuit-style. Pick up your pick of suits—handmade in Berkeley and $55—fashioned with recycled cashmere and featuring button, denim and cashmere appliqué accents at Berkeley’s Waddle and Swaddle. Or if recycled merino wool is more your baby’s style of cute, pick up a groovy blue cardigan with sea-green arms and a funky off-center snap closure ($65) by Berkeley’s Earthly Arts.
    Waddle and Swaddle, 1677 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, (510) 540-7210, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, www.waddleandswaddle.com.

Reduce the Amount of Diapers in the Landfill
    Almost everyone has heard the oft-cited statistic that places paper diapers at the top of the heap when it comes to landfill space. According to some statistics, 99 percent less garbage is generated when parents choose cloth diapers over disposables, and the water used to clean them is relatively minimal. Cloth diapers are just a phone call away with home delivery service from Tiny Tots. Diapers are delivered to your front door once a week, then whisked away to be cleaned. Costs depend on how many diapers you use, but range from $17 to $27.50 a week.
    Tiny Tots, 138 Railway Ave., Campbell, (800) 794-5437, tinytots.com.

Reuse Barely Worn Baby Togs
    All of us with kids know the feeling; you’re digging through your baby’s clothing when you stumble across a never-worn item—and it’s already too small. Since it happens to all of us, it’s no huge news that kids’ resale shops like Crackerjacks carry all sorts of never-worn and barely-worn baby and children’s clothing. Find brands like Polo, Sprockets, Baby Gap, Gymboree, Zutano and more at this cozy little shop. This store also offers maternity wear and used gear such as strollers and jumpers.
    Crackerjacks, 14 Glen Ave., (510) 654-8844, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday, www.crackerjackskids.com. 

Eating and Drinking

Reuse Your Bag
    While plain-Jane bags emblazoned with “Berkeley Bowl” are nice, why not supplement them with something with a little more pizzazz? Rockridge Home carries ingenious reusable floral-print shopping bags by Reisenthal. These “Mini Maxi Shoppers” fold down to a slight 5.5 by 2.5 and come with a little clip-on zippered pouch for cash, coupons, cell phone, what have you. At a small price, too—just $8.99. Choose from red, yellow, purple or white. Have bottles to lug home? Check out Reisenthal’s six-holster bottle shopper.
    Rockridge Home, 5418 College Ave., (510) 420-1928, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. daily.

Recycle Factory Excess
    Berkeleyan Josh Jakus utilizes leftover wool felt scraps to create functional art for your tabletop. His sculptural Eggflat uses the simple concept of the cardboard egg crate and leftover wool felt scraps to gently display fruit (or even eggs) on your tabletop ($54). Or if you’re the type who loses your glasses, your keys, your napkin holders, check out Jakus’ “Napkin Catch,” a recycled
rubber placemat with built-in holder.
    Purchase direct at joshjakus.com.

Reduce Paper Waste
    Reduce the number of paper coffee cups you use with a reusable Sigg coffee mug from Treehouse Green Gifts in Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood. These Swiss mugs ($22.95) come in space-age silver, red or blue and will look very sporting as you traipse over to the nearest coffeehouse. If you’re looking to keep things cold, Treehouse also carries insulated Sigg thermoses. And while you’re at it, buy something healthy for baby, too. Bisphenol A-and-phthalate-free baby bottles from Green to Grow ($14–$19.95) are just the things for the eco-warrior-to-be.
    Treehouse, 2935 College Ave., Berkeley, (510) 204-9292, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, www.treehousegreengifts.com/index.htm.

In the Garden

Reduce Your Water Consumption
    Be dry with succulents, cacti and California natives from the University of California Botanical Garden. The garden’s shop has a lovely selection of California buckwheat in all sorts of colors, an important plant for butterflies and a solid drought resistor. Or pick up some small cacti for $10 each or a 4-foot-high specimen for a mere $30. The sign sitting in front of the cacti spread says it all: “Do not water.” And while you’re there, you may as well check out the lovely selection of carnivorous plants, including Venus fly traps and North American pitcher plants.
    University of California Botanical Garden’s Garden Shop, 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, (510) 642-3343, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily, botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu.

Recycle Food Byproducts
    If you’ve had it with the plastic pots littering your organic garden, consider the 100 percent renewable pots made from rice husks, a natural byproduct of food crops, from The Gardener on Fourth Street. The pots—$10–$15 in a variety of sizes and colors—are fully biodegradable after five years but fully usable during their life span and attractive to boot. You can even toss them into your new compost bin when you’re done.
    The Gardener, 1836 Fourth St., Berkeley, (510) 548-4545, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday, www.thegardener.com.

Reuse Your Veggies
    Wait, don’t throw that turnip top into the trash. Instead, turn it into nice, rich compost to make your garden bloom with joy. And with Alameda County’s Stop Waste program, you can even save money while you’re putting your yard and table scraps to new use. County residents are eligible to purchase a swank Smith & Hawken top-of-the-line Biostack compost bin (the stacked design makes it easier to turn your compost than with other bins) for only $39—70 percent off—and/or a Wriggly Wranch Worm Bin (small and usable for those without outdoor space, so apartment dwellers have no excuse) for $29 (also a 70 percent discount). The Stop Waste Web site is also an excellent resource for green products and services.
    Alameda County’s Stop Waste Program, www.stopwaste.org.