So what can you expect from the new Practically Green? A lot! But here are some of the best new features, which are available now to our more than 20+ companies we work with worldwide, and many will be available to all our users in the coming weeks.

Projects:

Employees can join themed projects with co-workers (reduced impact on business travel, zero-waste workplace) and work together to reach a collective sustainability goal. Projects can be created or customized for specific geographies and job functions.

Repeatable and One-Time Actions:

Employees can work on forming habits and measure progress for specific repeatable actions (taking public transportation, powering down their computer), or complete one-time actions, many with ongoing benefits (switch to an LED desk lamp, install solar).

Enhanced Social Features:

In addition to commenting and liking, you can post photos after completing an action and tag friends and co-workers to share tips and expertise.

Analytics Suite:

Clients can monitor and measure participation and engagement rates as well as environmental impact and financial savings.

We always love to hear feedback from our users, so get in touch here. If you think your company should be using Practically Green drop us a line and introduce yourself!

Here’s the complete list of products that made the top 20 picks in 2012:

1. Aquaflow ShowerTimer
2. Five Minute Shower Timer
3. Natracare Organic Cotton Baby Wipes
4. Water Pebble
5. The Honest Company
6. Coleman Organic Chicken
7. Ripple Water Saving Timers
8. EPA Household Emissions Calculator
9. Catalog Choice
10. Beauty Without Cruelty Natural Hold Hair Spray
11. Sodastream Jet Starter Kit
12. Maia’s Mineral Galaxy Cream Foundation
13. Unilever Shower Ballad
14. Envirosax 4 Minute Timer
15. iSi Soda Siphon in Brushed Aluminum
16. Gluckskafer Wooden Play Kitchen
17. PaperKarma
18. Starwest Botanicals Organic Fennel Seed
19. Berkeley’s CoolClimate Calculator
20. Wallet-sized version of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists

Do you use any of these products? Or have a favorite product you’d like to recommend? Tell us about it in the comments section below or leave a review on Practically Green.

Long lines at a Health Clinic in Jamaica Plains

Here in Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino just declared a public health emergency due to a serious flu outbreak, which got us thinking–what we can do to stay healthy this year? Turns out there are all sorts of actions on Practically Green that help keep the doctor away all while racking up the points on Practically Green!

Here are six tips for staying well and the actions to guide you:

1. Drink water

When it’s cold outside, an icy glass of water isn’t generally top of mind, but it’s important to stay hydrated in the winter too. How many times have you heard your doctor say “drink plenty of fluids”? So keep a reusable water bottle–or two–on hand when out and about (+10 points) or start making your own sparkling water at home (+10 points).

2. Eat a healthy diet

How you fuel your body is important too whether this means skipping the takeout for a night (+10 points), filling your plate with organic fruits and vegetables (+50 points) rich in vitamins and antioxidants, or switching to organic chicken to avoid unwanted chemicals.

3. Get outside

Studies have shown that 5 to 10 minutes of sunlight a day can provide all the Vitamin D our bodies need which may help reduce cancer, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and immune-system abnormalities–whew that’s a lot for some extra time in the sun! So get out and explore the great outdoors (+20 points) and soak up some rays.

4. De-stress

Stress can impact your immune system and reduce your ability to combat viruses. So how do you de-stress? We created a badge full of actions that reward you for taking a load off whether that means hitting the slopes, indulging in a spa retreat, or simply curling up at home with a good book. Ahhh.

5. Get enough sleep

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic recommend seven to eight hours of sleep a night and warn that your body is more susceptible to viruses when you don’t get enough sleep. So get some shut eye and for bonus points on Practically Green, consider switching to organic sheets (+10 points) or switching to an organic mattress (+50 points).

6. Wash your hands

During cold and flu season, keeping germs at bay is critical and washing your hands frequently is key. Turn off the water while you soap up for an extra 10 points on Practically Green or keep a natural hand sanitizer (+10 points) on–er–hand for when washing isn’t an option.

Have any other tips that you rely on to stay healthy? We’d love to hear about them in the comments section below. Be well!

So how does that work? It’s said to be as easy as searching for a bike, reserving one, then picking it up and riding. And the site has all kinds of advice on being safe. They even offer up to $5,000 if your bike is damaged or stolen during a rental period and the renter can’t reimburse you for the fair value of your bike.

If you’ve made the commitment to bike more—maybe to do your errands on the weekend (+50 PG points!)—but don’t want to go out immediately and buy a bike, if you prefer to wade in more slowly, what a great option! Well, maybe not a  if you live outside of the U.S. They’re currently only live stateside but have plans to expand soon and do accept listings from anywhere in the world.

Happy biking.

Time for a paper diet!

Even if you’ve purged in the past, chances are you could use a little spruce up. Catalogs have an odd way of slipping back in long after you’ve attempted to ban them. And even if you’ve adopted a no printing policy, sometimes old habits die hard. We understand.

Here’s our 5 step Paper Purge Boot Camp:

1. Get rid of bulk paper deliveries by cancelling your Yellow Pages (+10 PG points) and signing up for a catalog opt-out service (+20 PG points). Even if you have opted out before, it’s never a bad idea to do it again.
2. Sign up for e-bills—from banking to credit card to electricity statements. And don’t forget those bulky investment mailings (all are worth 10 PG points).
3. Ditch the printer—at home and at work. There are times when you might have to use one, of course. But it’s really easy to not print emails and save them digitally instead (+10 points).
4. Become a paper saver at work! Opt for direct deposit (+10 points), sign up for a service to reduce junk mail (+10 points), and reuse paper for notes (+10 points).
5. Use cloth instead of paper whenever you can (napkins, dish towels, reusable dusters and floor mops). If you can’t, choose recycled paper products.

We guarantee you will save more than a few trees and feel lighter and less cluttered instantly. If you want even more ideas, we’ve got a bunch right here. What’s your favorite way to minimize the paper overload in your life?

What’s less? Well it obviously depends on what your home life is like.

Photo Credit: Dieter van Baarle

The average family does six to eight loads of laundry a week. Maybe you’re above or below average. Maybe you don’t have a family. Either way, there’s always a way to do less. Try just washing the things that are next to your skin (underwear, tight fitting shirts) after one wash, and wearing everything else a little longer before dunking them in machine. Some designers have notoriously suggested (almost) never washing jeans and Levi’s recently began encouraging consumers to only wash them once every two weeks. Whether you’re willing to marinate that long is up to you, but know it does make the denim—and any fabric you wash less—last longer.

Washing less has other great benefits, too. It saves cash, water, and energy (especially if you currently wash in warm or hot water and use the dryer). And it is worth 20 PG points!

While you’re (re)considering your clothes and linens, we have many other actions to help anyone green up their laundry routine—from switching to natural detergent, stain remover, and dryer sheets to line drying. If you’re feeling the need for inspiration, it’s just a click away.

Poolside yoga with Lululemon.

In the event that you, like the majority of the world it seems come January, have decided to dedicate or re-dedicate yourself to working out—running, dancing, skipping, yoga-ing, swimming, whatever makes you sweat—have you also considered greening your routine?

We have ample suggestions on how to do this, not to mention a Green Fitness badge for added motivation. You can, for example, switch to PVC-free exercise gear (+10 PG points), especially great for the yoginis among us. You can unplug your routine (+10 points), head outside, and save energy (not to mention gym fees). And whatever it is you’re doing to get your heart rate up, you can choose eco-friendly exercise clothes (+10 points).

You can—and should!—also invest in a reusable water bottle (we have plenty of suggestions and you’ll go up another 10 points for making the switch) and fill it with (filtered—for ten more points!) tap water. Got old sneakers you want to replace? Recycle them (another ten points…).

As green as your gear may be, the most important step in this age-old New Year’s resolution is actually getting out the door and working out. We suggest getting a friend for family member involved. There is motivation in numbers. Choose someone you’d like to get active with and use our challenge feature to rope them in today!

See you out there.

Volunteers in action with The Food Project!

This time of year when you read something urging you to get active, it tends to mean go for a run, take up yoga, and generally make up for all of the cookies you ate last month. Don’t worry, we’re not here to tell you to sweat. Unless you want to. Our new Get Active badge is about, well, action. There’s no time like the new year to take steps to green your own life, but it’s also a perfect moment to get active in your community and to influence others in your life to take similar steps.

So we’ve created a badge to inspire you to be an influencer. You only need to take 5 of the suggested actions to earn it, but if you want to tackle more, be our guest. Choose from the likes of planting a neighborhood garden (+15 points), joining a community supported agriculture farm (+20 points), picking up litter or trash when you see it (+10 points), and attending a swap (+5 points). None of these up your alley? You could organize a neighborhood clean up day (+10 points), carpool regularly (+20 points), or join your school or office’s green team (+20 points). We have more ideas, too, so check out the badge.

Individual action is a powerful thing. Together our impact is that much greater.

So our challenge to you in this new year is to find your ONE next challenge and also keep an open mind that it might not just be a personal challenge.  You also have a way for your challenge to have a major ripple effect.

Here’s how:

1.  Find a Personal Challenge

Whether it’s a goal left over from 2012 or something new you’ve been wanting to tackle, now is a great time to find and commit to one new action.  If you need inspiration, check out the “Most Popular Actions of 2012” list or the fun list of all the actions that Team Practically Green has on our list for 2013.

2.  Challenge someone else to do it with you

Sometimes it’s easier to get something done when you do it with someone else or someone else challenges you to do it. Liana, one of our developers, has challenged me to get plants for the office. I’m getting ready to recruit for a 7 day “buy nothing” challenge. Remember: if your friend or neighbor is a member of Practically Green, you can issue the challenge online from any action. If they aren’t, invite them!

3.  Consider expanding the challenge to lots of people

Now this is where challenges start to get really fun.  For example, what would you want a bunch of your office colleagues or dorm mates to do? Your neighbors, fellow parents at a school or book club?  At Practically Green, we have a number of corporate clients with groups—and those groups are starting to issue challenges to multiple people. Some of our favorite group challenge ideas so far are to save 10,000 disposable Starbucks cups in 30 days; change 50 lights in a school from incandescents to LEDs; and to increase the number of “green commutes” at a company by 500 per week. What other ideas for group challenges do you have? We’d love to hear them and who knows, maybe your idea finds it’s way onto Practically Green!

So whether your challenge is big or small, personal or with others, we are sending good wishes for achieving all you want to do in 2013.  Because our actions DO add up!

Chances are you’re already recycling newspapers, magazines, aluminum cans, and glass as well as turning out the lights when you leave a room—all popular. But are you disposing of pet waste in an eco-friendly way (+ 5 PG points)? Have you installed a shower timer (another 5 points)? Donated clothes to a charity (+20 points) ? All top actions. And all easy to do!

We were thrilled to see so many PG users are avoiding idling their cars, unplugging their cell phone chargers when not in use (those are serious energy drains!), and shopping with reusable produce bags. Did you know your fellow users are also chewing a lot of natural gum, drycleaning less (or not at all), and using safer materials than plastic in their microwaves? We’re collectively using less paper at work and even recycling a lot of batteries.

It’s the sort of thing that makes us feel extremely positive about the collective impact we’re all making as we head into a new year. We can’t wait to see which actions will top the 2013 list!

Here are some of our favorites:

1. Sell a car and don’t replace it – 70 points
2. Volunteer at an environmental nonprofit organization - 20 points
3. Install LEDs or CFLs in most light fixtures – 50 points
4. Plant a vegetable garden – 30 points
5. And one resolution was actually a recommendation for a new action on Practically Green: Drink organic vodka. Pending!

Sidenote: Did you know that you can recommend healthy, sustainable actions to our editorial team? Just send us your idea and, who knows, you might just be the inspiration for the next action on Practically Green!

What are your resolutions for the New Year? We’d love the hear about them in the comments section below! Happy New Year!

We’ve had the typical winter crud circulate through the house in the past week — ear infections, strep, and various colds. We aren’t big over-the-counter medicine users, but we do rely on children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen. After four years of this “going healthy green thing” I realized I had totally overlooked the medicine cabinet.  Five minutes of reading labels and I was, well, stunned.

Tylenol ingredient list

1. Parabens

Yup — those same ones I’ve been assiduously avoiding in my kids lotion because of concerns about potential endocrine disruption? I’ve been letting them eat the stuff. My kid’s medicine has butylparaben in it, which evidently affects the fertility of male rat offspring. I know, I know. Parabens are “Generally Recognized as Safe” by the FDA. According to the Chemical Encyclopedia on Healthychild.org however, parabens when ingested are “slightly toxic.” All I know is that I don’t want them in my medicine!

2. Artificial Colors

We try to avoid those too. I figure if warning labels about artificial colors went onto our European friend’s kids products, I’m avoiding them. As I was digging into the specifics of each color, I noted that one of the products contained Yellow #10, which isn’t allowed in food, but is allowed in drugs?! Oh, but not in Europe. According to ColorCon,

“Currently, D&C Yellow #10 is approved for use in drugs and cosmetics but is not approved for food uses. This material is not acceptable for use in foods or drugs in Europe due to a difference in the specifications of the monosulfonated and disulfonated components of the dye.”

3. Sodium Benzoate

I had to do a little research to remember why this common preservative set off alarm bells, but oh yes – sodium benzoate mixed with artificial colors can lead to hyperactivity in children, mixed with ascorbic acid there is concern about benzene formation (a known carcinogen), and a UK scientist recently noted in a lab that it affected the mitocondria of DNA.

4. Propylene Glycol

This compound might be the most confusing of the bunch. The Environmental Working Group gives it a “moderate hazard” rating (4) when used in cosmetics, but doesn’t mention food. The ether version (PGE) has been linked to increased allergies. Even the Material Safety Data Sheet says it is hazardous when ingested (assumedly in very concentrated amounts). But what about in medicine?  It is an additive that the American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns about, primarily because of adverse reactions that range from eczema to lactic acidosis especially when administered in large quantities. But the Center for the Science in the Public Interest doesn’t mention it in their food additive list, either as safe or one to avoid and they are usually all over this stuff. Hmmmm.

And then, just for that final insult to injury, throw in some high-fructose corn syrup and lots of other sugars, including sorbitol.

I decided to head to the pharmacy to see if it was possible to buy my pain reliever without all the yucky stuff. The poor pharmacy tech had no idea what hit him although I’m confident he is now way more familiar with inactive ingredient lists.

I did find a “dye-free” version of acetaminophen which gets out the artificial colors, but everything else is still there. I also found a few homepathic remedies, but realized I’m not ready to part with an active ingredient that I know works.  What I want is Tylenol or Motrin Free & Clear. But it doesn’t exist. So what’s a healthy green mom to do?

Fortunately, our friend [who is now PG's editorial director] Alexandra Zissu had addressed this question before in her “Ask an Organic Mom” blog on the Daily Green and I liked her advice. It felt very Practically Green:

It depends on your child, but in my experience, infants “need” Tylenol very infrequently. I haven’t found a child’s liquid pain reliever/fever reducer that didn’t contain a whole host of ingredients I would prefer to avoid. Someone should make one, surely there is a market. If there’s an ailment, I first suggest trying natural remedies, home remedies, or even homeopathic remedies (if you know and understand what they are, and are being advised by a trustworthy person). Talk to your pediatrician about what alternative remedies might be available. Nothing works better than honey to soothe a cough, for example, but it can’t be given to children under 1…If and when these don’t work, I do go to Tylenol or Motrin. Whatever you choose to give your baby, pay very careful attention to dosage guidelines and follow them.

So for now, we’ve settled on dye-free and even more prudent use of the stuff. But if anyone from Johnson & Johnson/McNeil Consumer Products is listening, you can do better and our kids deserve it. So when you finally do launch a Free & Clear version of your products, I want to be first in line.

We’re pretty excited about one of our newest actions—recycle your old CDs and DVDs—and not for the reasons you might think. We’re all about recycling, but at this time of year the way we prefer to use the odds and ends in the recycling bin as holiday decorations. Don’t worry; we’re not getting all Martha Stewart on you. Our decoration ideas are, well, practical and green.

And we’re not alone. A quick tour on our dear friend Google shows that there are people all over the world making wreaths, ornaments, door decorations, even Christmas “trees,” and more out of CDs and DVDs they no longer use. We’ve also seen them used as glittery coasters for candles and holiday libations. They’d make a cool ice-like bed for a centerpiece of yard-gathered pinecones, don’t you think? Imagination is the only limit.

It just makes sense to reuse them. Where else are you going to find something similarly shiny and durable that’s free? And since they’re not the easiest things to recycle (made from #7 polycarbonate plastic and embedded with aluminum, they’re not typically accepted by local recyclers) and they do scratch and break not infrequently, it’s a great use of them. It’s far better than just tossing them in the trash where some 50 tons wind up every single month.

Decorations not up your alley? Give them to a friend who will string them up as shiny eco-friendly holiday garlands! Or you can always Freecycle or donate your old discs, or take them to a big box store; some of them have bins for CD recycling.

There’s no time like the present to tackle or at least commit to completing our latest action: Switch to natural sweeteners and eat less sugar (and earn 10 PG points). We’re all for indulging in the spirit of the season but did you know that in 1822 Americans consumed the sugar equivalent of a 12 ounce can of soda every five days. Fast forward. Today’s average consumer eats that much every seven hours and somewhere between 100 and 156 pounds of sugar every year!

We’ll spare you the lecture on skyrocketing obesity rates and instead suggest a few tasty but not overly sugary ways to get through the rest of this traditionally sweet season. If you’re planning a menu, instead of baking a dessert, consider fruit. Depending on where you live and what is in season, try a refreshing grape “salad” with lemon juice and zest. And why not fill your candy bowl with easy-to-peel clementines instead of easy-to-unwrap chocolates?

When you’re in the mood for a baked good, sweeten it naturally. Opt for honey, maple syrup, date sugar, and even agave nectar. If organic is an option, even better. We promise it will be tasty.

Weleda's cleansers, toners, and lotions revitalize and rejuvenate skin with a blend of pure plant-based botanicals and essential oils.

We have a lot of cosmetics related actions on Practically Green so we felt it was high time to create a Natural Beauty Badge to award people for taking them. While most of the actions are individually worth 10 PG points, consider that the average adult female uses 12 products per day. According to The Environmental Working Group, teenage girls use more than that—17!—and at a time when they’re more vulnerable to potentially harmful ingredients than grown ups. No matter what age you are—or even if you’re male—the health points can really pile up.

So go ahead, dig in. All you need to so is complete five actions to earn the badge. Choose from the likes of visiting an eco-spa (told you this wasn’t going to be difficult!), switching to natural face cream, or swiping on some natural lipstick. Never fear; we don’t leave you in the lurch by telling you why to swap what you’re currently using but not what to swap to! Sift through our ample product listings. There truly is an effective natural alternative to every cosmetic, ointment, or moisturizer on the market—even your favorite hairspray you swear you could never give up. We promise. Our curated suggestions don’t contain unsafe or even potentially harmful chemicals–we’re talking parabens, synthetic fragrance, formaldehyde, and more. Filling your cabinet and makeup bag with safer, more natural options couldn’t be easier.

Your skin will already be thanking you and then some, so earning the badge will be proverbial icing for cleaning up your beauty regime. We suspect you’ll look as good as you feel.

Which is why we’re overjoyed that a crop of sharing sites appears to be popping up to answer our queries. Take the recently launched yerdle, billed as a magical place where people share things with friends. Its founders are the former Sierra Club President Adam Werbach and Andy Ruben, a former Walmart executive. Launched on Black Friday, a few of our Facebook friends are already on it so we’ve been able to witness exactly how cool this model is and can be. Currently many of the items on the site are in San Francisco, where it has its headquarters. We can’t wait until everyone we know is on it.

There’s also TradeYa.com, marketed as the easiest way to get anything you want without buying it. Here you can swap services as well as stuff—their homepage example is that someone wants a dog sitter and has a bike and someone else wants a bike and can dog sit—so they trade. We’re sure there other new sites that aren’t yet on our radar. Have you heard of any? Let us know. Yerdle.com states that sharing is more fun than shopping. That sounds about right.

Photo credit: The Content Wrangler

There’s nothing like this tree trimming and wrapping-presents-time-of-year to make us think about redoubling our efforts to save paper—and trees. While we have many great and doable actions anyone can take to do just that all over the site, including signing up for e-versions of your telephone bills (+10 points), switching to greener business cards (+10 points), and using cloth instead of paper towels when out and about (a staff favorite and worth 20 PG points), we’re pretty excited about a new action we just added to the mix: Sign up for electronic versions of retirement account and investment paperwork (+10 points).

It’s one thing to have e-bills for your monthly one or two page electric or credit card statements, but if you’re lucky enough to have a retirement or investment account, you know these account summaries can be pages and pages long. And this is before you even consider all of the annual reports, disclosure statements, proxy forms, and other paperwork that these accounts generate. Apparently they have to send all of these reports because of federal law. But you can step in and ask for it all to be sent electronically instead.

Can you think of ways to save more trees this season and beyond that we have yet to add to the site? Let us know in comments. We’re all ears.

VZ Wraps for easy eco-friendly gift giving!

If you’re done with your holiday shopping already, good for you. Try not to gloat! For the majority of us who are still making our lists, we’ve created a helpful Holiday Giving Guide that really covers the gamut if we do say so ourselves.

From sending e-cards (+15 PG points) or making your own cards instead of buying new ones (+5 PG points) to walking or biking to do your holiday shopping (+50 points!), it’s full of ideas. In the true spirit of giving, while you’re out there purchasing, say, clothing made from organic cotton (+10 points), we also have suggestions on where you can donate gently used items to a local charity (+20 points)—and even some thoughts on how to wrap that clothing in an eco-friendly fashion (+5 points).

If you’re prefer to only give experiential gifts (+10 PG points), we have plenty of ideas for those, too. And if you’re at a loss for what to give kids—your own, your relatives, or the ones that wrote a Dear Santa letter you’re answering—check out our CEO Susan Hunt Stevens’ great suggestions over at Abe’s Market. You’ll be glad you did.

Photo credit: Amazon

There are ways to deck the halls and still be green. Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, which begins this weekend, or just lighting candles to set a festive mood, an excellent way to revamp your holiday tradition is to burn natural candles (and earn 10 PG points).

The reasoning behind this great switch? Many candles are made of paraffin wax, which comes from petroleum. The American Chemical Society says burning paraffin is like burning gasoline—both emit the carcinogenic compounds toluene and benzene, pollute the air—indoors and out—and can cause asthma. These same candles are typically scented with synthetic fragrances that may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals.

The EPA also warns that some candles—generally imported ones—have lead-core wicks, which release lead into the air when burned. Some candles can produce up to 100 times more soot than others! That doesn’t sound very festive, does it? Thankfully there are far safer beeswax and/or soy candles for any celebration, including ones that will fit in a menorah.

Photo credit: Holiday LEDS

If you’re partial to electric lights, ‘tis the season to try an LED strand (and watch your PG score go up 20 points). They can use over 80 percent less energy than their inefficient incandescent counterparts and last up to 10 times longer! All of this is great news for your energy bill. And you can spend what you save on natural candles!

Photo credit: Arizona Snowbowl

It turns out this story, like the water itself, is shades of gray. The basics are that the Arizona Snowbowl will use 100 percent sewage effluent to make snow this season. Ski areas can be a big financial boon to the local economy. So snow making, especially in arid Arizona, has become both necessary and normal. The plan has set off a number of complaints as well as a lawsuit, which frames using sewage as an environmental issue. The U.S. Forest Service owns the land and contends the water is treated and meets standards just below drinking water, according to The New York Times. It’s already in use at public parks and golf courses. There’s also a cultural concern; local Indians who pray and hold ceremonies on the mountain worry the wastewater will ruin both the ecosystem and ground they deem sacred.

Whether you’re pro or con using gray water for skiway snow making, it’s good this conversation is happening. Most of us don’t consider impacts when whizzing down the slopes, but creating and operating ski slopes isn’t the eco-friendliest experience. If you’re choosing between slopes to hit this year, why not look them up on The Ski Area Citizens Coalition’s scorecard, as we suggest in the action ski at an environmentally sensitive ski area (+10 PG points). You’ll be glad you did.