5 Things you should always buy green:

1. Paint: Look for low or NO-voc paint

2. Paper: Paper products with high post-consumer recycled content

3. Light bulbs: compact fluorescents

4. Appliances: Look for the Energy Star label

5. Fruits and Vegetables: Look for organic, local and in-season produce

10 of the Worst Corporate Criminals to Avoid:

1. Wal-Mart

2. Exxon Mobil

3. Coca Cola

4. Nestle

5. Monsanto

6. Sears Roebuck

7. Dominion

8. Citigroup

9. Sara Lee

10. McDonalds

Find out why these corporations are bad, visit http://www.coopamerica.org. Click on 'Responsible Shopper.'

10 Fair Trade Products to Look for in the Grocery Store:

1. Tea

2. Chocolate

3. Bananas

4. Sugar

5. Rice

6. Vanilla

7. Spices

8. Wine

9. Olive Oil

10. Coffee

10 Things You Should Never Buy Again:

1. Styrofoam cups

2. Paper Towels (I know it’s hard, so just start by minimizing usage!)

3. Bleached coffee filters

4. Teak & Mahogany Woods

5. Chemical pesticides & herbicides

6. Conventional household cleaners

7. Toys made with PVC plastic

8. Plastic forks and spoons

9. Farm-raised salmon

10. Raayon

To find out why visit http://coopamerica.org, click on 'unshopping'

8 Body Care Toxins to Avoid:

1. Mercury - also avoid the mercury preservative “thimerosal”

2. Lead - listed as “lead acetate”

3. Nanoparticles

4. Placenta

5. Hydroquinone skin lightener

6. Phthalates

7. Petroleum by-products ex. 1,4-dioxane

8. Fragrance

If you want to know more about any of these lists, visit http://www.coopamerica.org.  

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