You could say that there is an upside to our culture’s never-ending hunger for the new: the “old” ends up in thrift stores, where it may be found by conscious consumers with a little patience and effort. About 99% of my wardrobe came from yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops. Nearly everything in my kitchen: plates, pots, and silverware, once belonged to someone else. Thrifting fits in with my ideals: it makes sense to reuse these perfectly good items rather than fit in with the throwaway culture that sloughed them off.

During tough economic times, even the most committed conscious consumer may begin to question which green goods are the most important to buy and why. One product I urge you to splurge on is environmentally preferable dishwashing detergent. The reason I’m such an advocate for this product is because conventional dishwashing detergent contains high levels of phosphorus. Phosphorus gives glasses their shine and helps to remove food particles, but its presence in our water can also cause an excessive growth of algae. Algal blooms rob the water of oxygen which fish need to survive. Plus, they smell bad.

I take this problem seriously since I live in Maryland, home to the famed Chesapeake Bay. The harsh fact is that every time someone in our region uses a conventional dishwashing detergent, they are contributing to the slow death of the Bay. If you live near a waterway (and many of us do), you can help keep it healthy by switching to a green dishwashing detergent. You’ll be happy to know that Consumer Reports ranked dishwashing detergents in September of 2006 and found that four enzyme-containing, phosphate-free alternatives – Ecover’s tablets and powder, Trader Joe’s powder and Method Dish Cubes tablets – all rated very good to excellent in overall quality. They are a little more expensive but that’s primarily because environmentally preferable dishwashing detergents make up such a tiny share (approximately 1%) of the overall market.

Environmentalists were able to get phosphates removed from laundry detergents nationally in the mid-1990s after a number of states passed laws requiring manufacturers to reformulate their products. This patchwork state-by-state method is working again. The State of Washington was the first to pass a law banning the sale of household dishwashing detergents containing more than 0.5% phosphorus. The ban takes effect statewide in July of 2010. Other states, including Vermont, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Maryland have followed suit. Although The Soap and Detergent Association opposed this type of legislation in the past, their members (such as Proctor & Gamble) now understand that it’s to their benefit to get one type of bill passed so that they can create one reformulated product for sale nationwide. So it looks like we’re going to have (basically) phosphate-free automatic dishwashing detergents available nationally within the next two years. In the meantime, please make the personal change to green alternatives (I strongly prefer Ecover powder myself) and let us know your results.

UPDATE: Click here to read “Fresh Scent May Hide Toxic Scent: Innocuous-sounding ‘perfume’ in detergents, air fresheners made with dangerous chemicals” from the SeattlePi.com

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Monique Tilford is the Deputy Director at New American Dream

Reusable shopping bags have come a long way. Efforts like New American Dream’s Carbon Conscious Consumer campaign have made great strides in touting their eco-advantages over disposable bags. As a result, the same big-name grocery stores whose clerks gave me funny looks for bringing my own bags are now prominently hawking reusable bags in the checkout line.

But don’t feel like you have to drop a bundle of cash for these trendy totes in order to be green. As a reusable shopping bag veteran and aspiring frugalista, I’d like to share some free and inexpensive ways to get on the reusable bag bandwagon:

• Raid your closets for backpacks, tote bags, and duffel bags. The greenest, cheapest reusable shopping bags are the ones you already have!
• Keep reusing your old plastic and paper bags. The paper grocery bags with handles are surprisingly durable and can be reused many times. To get even more use from them, I’ve been known to repair them by taping up small tears and stapling handles back on!
• Ask your friends for their extra paper and plastic bags. Even after kicking the bag habit, many people still have more bags than they can possibly use.
• Look for inexpensive tote bags at thrift stores and garage sales. Since tote bags are such a popular promotional giveaway item, thrift store shelves are loaded with them. Sturdy, well-made, almost-new bags can be had for a song.
• Make your own bags from scrap fabric.
• Instead of buying a special insulated hot/cold shopping bag, use your picnic cooler. As a bonus, this greens your drive - since you don’t have to rush home with your perishables, you can do more errands in a single car trip.
• Many stores will refund you a few cents for every bag you bring. Over time, a reusable bag can pay for itself!

Forget your bag while shopping? Don’t fret! Instead of buying a new one or giving in to the “paper or plastic” refrain, try these tips:

• For small purchases, carry the items home in your hands or pockets.
• Grab a bag from the recycling bin outside the store door. Don’t worry, these are usually clean. Plus, you can feel virtuous because bag reuse is a lot greener than bag recycling.
• Unload your shopping cart directly into your car trunk.

If you do buy a reusable shopping bag, be a conscious consumer and consider the following:

• Where was it made, and under what working conditions? Was sweatshop labor used?
• Is it made of sustainable materials, such as recycled plastic or organic cotton?
• Can you get it secondhand? Used goods consume the fewest resources.
• Is it durable? Avoid cheap bags made with flimsy materials and construction. If it rips after a month of use, it’s still waste.
• Does it stand upright when unfolded? Your bagging clerk will thank you!

Visit the Conscious Consumer Marketplace for more tips on reusable shopping bags.

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Contributing author Kathryn Benedicto is a long-time New Dream member, online activist, and thrifty consumer.

Being from Texas, I’m no stranger to the summer barbeque. I grew up on coleslaw and sweet tea, and when our family gathered in the summertime, we did it around a grill. Our seasonal celebrations even led my dad to write a song called “Backyard Barbeque,” which is still a family classic.

We didn’t always stay in the backyard, though. A perfect summer afternoon could be made at a neighborhood park, a local swimming hole, or any place with an outdoor grill and some water to splash around in. We’d swing a hammock around a couple of trees and find a shady place to play cards or read a book while my dad dutifully stood over the grill, spatula in hand.

Needless to say, I was feeling a little deprived when summer rolled around this year and I was thousands of miles from my Texas home.

There is something scary lurking behind our walls while we’re sleeping! Vampires…Vampire plugs, that is. Sometimes called “phantom loads,” “standby power,” or “leaking electricity”), it’s the electricity that seeps from your electronics when they are turned off, but still plugged into the wall. The pennies and dimes and dollars are slipping into the hands of the power company as you sleep.

Some of the worst culprits are VCRs, TVs, and sound systems Thankfully, the ENERGY STAR program has certifying new products that reduce phantom loads, because current estimates indicate that residential consumers in the U.S.