A while back, the folks at Project7 reached out to me to talk about their great charity.  ”Project 7″ produces “products for good” are directs them to one of seven charitable missions, including:

• Heal the Sick
• Save the Earth
• House the Homeless
• Feed the Hungry
• Quench the Thirsty
• Teach them Well
• Hope for Peace

Overall, I highly recommend these products. If you happen to see a tube sitting at the checkout counter of your local Walmart, be sure to pick one up and you’ll be doing a world of good. If you like the mints, you can also order a bulk package from Amazon.

We’ve highlighted charity shopping bags before on this site dating back to 2007 when we highlighted the FEED Bag. As people become more environmentally conscious, they’re getting into the habit of eschewing the paper or plastic at the grocery store or drug store and bringing their own bags. This saves landfills from being polluted, and saves you from having to deal with disposing of the bags.

Since then, there’s been a veritable explosion of companies introducing their own versions of reusable shopping bags. But too often, reusable shopping bags are mass produced and really, really ugly. In some cases, they’re so cheaply made that they get thrown away, ironically resulting in even more waste. The New York Times even reported that some bags made in China contained lead. Not cool.

I was really happy to hear from a company called Envirosax. Here’s a company that really, really gets it on a lot of levels.

It was founded in 2004 by Belinda Coker and now sells bags all over the world. The concept is a simple one: they produce reusable bags that are strong, environmentally friendly (not just in their use but in their manufacturing as well), fashionable and FUN. All at a very affordable price point.

Unlike your run-of-the-mill reusable shopping bags, these bags are really beautiful and make a fashion statement, despite being. If you look at the designs at Envirosax.com, you’ll see a beautiful range of designs and colors, as well as some licensed characters (the Sesame Street bags are super-cute, and a great way to help educate kids about conservation).

The bags are available in high-end retail stores from Bloomingdales to Neiman Marcus to Saks Fifth Avenue (you can also find a selection on Amazon).

I had the chance to try out a sample bag. The bag arrived folded into a compact little bundle about the size of a deck of cards, which fits easily into a purse or even a pants pocket (very convenient when going grocery shopping). The material is similar to material you find on the outside of an umbrella (in fact, they are water resistant), as is the snap button that holds the bundle together.

Unfolding it revealed a beautiful bag. While the material is lightweight, it’s really, really strong. I was able to put about 30 pounds of groceries in mine with no problem (the label says that it’s tested for up to 44 pounds). The material is easily washable, and the design doesn’t fade when you wash it.

Unlike other companies that mass produce cheap bags, Envirosax is a eco-friendly (and safe) company, from the manufacturing of their bags (using water-based sublimation printing which is better for the environemnt) to working with manufacturers to ensure that fair trade and sustainability principles are met, to ensuring that its products are free from lead and toxic chemicals.

The concept has really caught on. It’s not uncommon to see celebrities from Justin Timberlake to Jessica Alba to Jennifer Garner to Naomi Watts sporting the bags. Funny thing is, these things are really cheap (each bag costs under $10), but they really make a fashion statement just as much as any $400 dress or purse makes. More importantly, they also serve as a reminder to us all to take care of our planet.

Envirosax takes this message a step further. A percentage of all sales goes to three conservation charities located in three of the main countries Envirosax has offices: The Surfrider Foundation USA (protecting oceans, waterways, and beaches in the US), The Australian Marine Conservation Society (protecting marine environments in Australia), and The Royal Forest and Birth Society of New Zealand (protecting native plants, animals, and wild places on land and sea in New Zealand).

Not only do these bags make good shopping bags, they also make a great substitute for gift wrap. Instead of paper which will be used one time and then torn to shreds, why not “wrap” your gift in one of these reusable bags?

A few weeks ago, Honest Ade did something pretty fun. As part of the Honest Cities campaign, they set up stands of Honest Ade drinks in twelve cities around the United States. Then, they put a donation box where people who took the drinks were asked to deposit a dollar.

The results are in. In the irony to end all ironies, Chicago turned out to be the most honest with 99% of people paying. Of course, it was possible for people to stuff the ballot box with extra money to raise their percentage, something Chicago is very good at (I kid ya Chicago, I love ya, with your Wrigley Building and Union Stockyards).

Sadly, New York City ended up finished dead last at 86% honest. To defend my home city, we’re a city where you are constantly rushing from one place to the next, and don’t have time to stop and read signs or see that cameras are filming you. And it’s not uncommon to get free stuff (Long time readers of the blog will know I’ll occasionally mention free stuff I get on the streets of Manhattan, including some delicious Snapple Troparocka I got a while back).

Anyway, congrats to Chicago and to Honest Ade for a fun campaign. Aside from being fun, the “honest dollars” across the country were donated to some great causes, including:

• City Year – 2,779 (56% of the vote) will receive $5,000
• Share Our Strength – 1,451 (29% of the vote) will receive $3,000
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy – 750 (15% of the vote) will receive $2,000

While on Honest Ade’s website, I noticed they have other great programs. For one thing, they have a kid’s drink that comes in convenient pouches. I always feel bad when I use drink pouches like Capri Sun; after three sips, the drink is gone and there’s a big foil pouch that’ll clog up a landfill somewhere.

With their Drink Pouch Brigade, users can collect drink pouches and send them back to be made into cool products like this Messenger Bag. In addition, Honest Kids will contribute $0.02 per Honest Kids drink pouch you collect to the charity, school or non-profit organization of your choice. If you’ve got all the kids in your organization drinking these things, this can add up quickly. Not to mention that the drinks themselves have less sugar and are produced to be healthy and organic. So you can buy Honest Kids Drinks in Pouches and start collecting those pouches!

Nordstrom has a number of very stylish boxers for men by PACT. And a lot of them are marked down for a limited time, so get them while you can!

PACT is an interesting company whose slogan is “Change starts with your underwear”. That’s right, it’s a company that produces men’s and women’s fashion underwear. The company was started in 2009 in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This is not your Froot of the Loom or Hanes boxers and briefs. It’s literally designer wear, with artistic patterns designed by industrial designer Yves Behar, the founder of the San Francisco design studio fuseproject.

The underwear is a bit pricey, but when you consider that it’s made with environmentally friendly and fair trade tactics, and made of very, very comfortable organic cotton, it becomes worth it. More importantly, portions of every purchase from PACT go to charity–in the case of these, proceeds will go to Oceana, an international organization focused on ocean and marine conservation.

Here are some links where you can check out different designs and purchase from Nordstrom:

PACT Solid Boxer Briefs

PACT ‘Clear Sky’ Organic Stretch Cotton Trunks Blue Medium

PACT ‘Clear Sky’ Organic Stretch Cotton Boxer Briefs Blue Medium

One of the biggest practical jokes perpetrated upon college students (and parents) is that of the college textbook. After paying the equivalent of several cars-worth of money for college, the poor student (and parent) finds out during orientation that they have to pay $100 for a book that anywhere else wouldn’t cost more than $5. Oh, and the professor says you must get that particular one. Because I wasn’t the strongest student in the world, some of those expensive textbooks went uncracked all year.

I graduated from college about two decades ago. Because I’d paid a few thousand dollars for them, I couldn’t get myself to throw away my textbooks for years. “Maybe they’ll be of use,” I’d tell myself. But as the years went on, I realized that I never cracked one of those books open again. Of course I couldn’t sell them more than two years later, because they were worthless. And they couldn’t be accepted for recycling. So into the trash they went, to fill some landfill somewhere. I mourned for those trees that gave their lives for such an ignominious end.

This is why I LOVE the idea of Chegg Textbook Rentals. It breaks the monopoly of the local college bookstore, letting you receive new and used textbooks by UPS. Whether you rent from them or buy a used textbook, you’re going to save a TON of money.

One great thing about Chegg is that for every textbook you buy or rent from them, they’ll plant a tree, ensuring that the planet will have enough oxygen for you to help you stay awake during those long lectures.

Another college textbook rental website is collegebookrenter.com, which works very much the same way–you can rent, sell, or buy textbooks much cheaper than at a college bookstore.

What’s cool about these folks is that they donate a portion of their proceeds to the American Heart Association every semester!

Finally, there’s BookRenter.com. Like the other two services, BookRenter.com supports multiple schools.

And they do have a charitable component as well–for every order on BookRenter they’ll make a donation to First Book to put new books in the hands of children in need.

College textbook rental is a service whose time has finally come. I just wish they’d been around when I was in school. I do like how all the services incorporate search features on their Web site to let you choose books by your school, and even the specific class or professor you have. And I really like how each of these companies donates a portion of their profits to a worthy cause.

Barnes and Noble and Amazonhave similar programs, but something tells me these scrappy new startups will give both of those massive booksellers a run for their money, as long as they focus on a great experience for shoppers. If you have experience with any of these services, I’d love to hear comments comparing them.

Bottom line, what’s great about these sites is that they let you avoid the scam of buying new college textbooks. The publishers know that students are going to pay through the nose because they fear that if they don’t do things the “traditional way”, their grades will somehow suffer. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if you get that shiny new copy from your college bookstore, if you rent a shiny new copy from a college textbook rental website, or even if you get a “previously loved” version. Just read it when you’re supposed to, and your grades will be fine!

If you know someone in college who could use a little savings, “Like” this post or share it on Facebook!

Every year, my post about Christmas cards is always a very popular one, and so we’re back for 2012. Some of my favorite nature Christmas cards are from the National Wildlife Federation. From now until the end of the month, they’re offering a deal to Get $7 off per box of Christmas cards (exp. 8-31). for individual purchases. And if you’re buying for your company or corporation, you’d better hurry to lock in the best prices (They’re offering a special of Get 50% off B2B Holiday Cards and Calendars. for bulk purchases).

Each year they outdo themselves with stunning nature photography, and this year is no different. But hurry–Christmas 2012 will be upon us sooner than you think!

Kauzbots are ridiculously cute robots where 10% of the purchase price goes to help various charities. Pictured here is Karthy Kauzbot, which helps support Talk About Curing Autism, an organization providing resources to provide information, help, and support to families affected by autism. Karthy’s green sister Kale is dedicated to helping the environment, with proceeds going to help The Arbor Day Foundation. Their blue brother Kale supports Lifewater International, which helps provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education to developing countries.

The whole family is available on Amazon. Not only are these little critters extremely cute and go to help great causes, perhaps most importantly they serve as reminders to the three very important charities, who need lots of attention and your donations.

On the right of CharitableGiftGiving.com, you’ll see eBay auctions for mostly used stuff where a portion of proceeds will go to charity through eBay’s “Giving Works” program.

But did you know that eBay runs another site called World of Good? This is an incredible site that features brand new items crafted by artisans around the world. Your purchase on this site does two things: you get brand new, high quality goods, including handcrafted artwork, for an incredibly low price. But more importantly, every single item for sale on World of Good helps a worthy cause, whether it’s helping Artisans in developing areas, helping environmental causes,  helping animal causes, or supporting non-profits.

You’ll find items on World of Good that are truly unique, not like the cookie-cutter mass-produced stuff you find in discount store and department stores. And if you’ve suddenly discovered that every single item in your house is made in China, you’ll be happy to know that items for sale here comes from diverse places like Bali, Thailand, and Kenya.

Do you have some old electronics lying around? eBay is going green by encouraging you to sell selected old electronics.

Until April 30, check out their special site at green.ebay.com. You can search their online tool to see if the electronics item you want to sell is on their list. If it is, enter the condition of the electronics, as well as any accessories you plan to include with it. You’ll be given an instant quote for how much you’ll get paid.

The offer price is probably a little less than what you’d get on eBay, but making up for it is the fact that you don’t have to pay any eBay nor PayPal fees. In addition, you’ll be able to print a shipping label to ship your item for free. Also, the recycler will remove any personal information stored in cell phones, PDAs, and laptops. Finally, you’ll get a $5 eBay gift card, and a $5 donation will be made to Global Green USA, a national environmental non-profit headquartered in Southern California.

This Sari Scarf from Uncommon Goods is available in blue, cinnamon, or red/cream color. It is an incredibly beautiful silk scarf, handmade in India.

The process these scarves are made with is fascinating. Fine vintage saris are selected, cut into strips, and hand-stitched together with others to create beautiful, unique patterns (it’s almost like “quilting” using silk). The scarf is moistened, twisted, and wound around a bamboo pole. The result is a truly unique, eco-friendly, comfortable, and stunningly beautiful fashion piece that can be wrapped around your shoulders or your head.

Not only is the “upcycling” of the saris eco-friendly, the vendor will also plant 10 trees via the non-profit organization Trees for The Future.