Cool Green Products

Audra: Tamara marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and we have been doing segments all week in its honor. If you are looking for some ways to go green, consumer reporter and senior editor of BehindTheBuy.com David Greg is here. He got some great green products that not only helps save the planet but also save money and also with talk about our health really right?

David: Absolutely a lot of people associate being green with saving the earth but if you save the earth it actually has a direct impact on your health. So even if you are not a believer in the earth is warming up, the fact is if you do things to protect it again, you are going to save yourself.

Audra: The first thing that bothers me is the water bottles. I am constantly looking for a place to recycle them but there is the landfills are filled.

David: 877 of these water bottles go into landfills every minute of the day across America. So you want to stop that from happening and the chemicals leaching off on these things into our own drinking supplies. Here is a new product actually it is from Cuisinart, it’s called the Clean Water Counter Tap Filtration System. You load it with your own water in your home and it filters the water all the contaminants so it tastes better and doesn’t smell.

But on top of that what’s unique about this particular one that it gives you an instant ON feature for instant hot water also cold and room temperature. It that has an energy saving feature where you push a button on the side, it cuts your energy consumption by 50% when it is not used.

On top of the fact that it is great for, if you got babies and you want to make baby food or oatmeal or tea right instantly at a touch of a button about $150.00 but a price worth paying to be able to save the environment.

Audra: I have seen this in the store too along with other brands but how long do these last?

David: Well that is a good question it is really the filter inside that you are changing. So every three months on the average depending on your average water usage, $20.00 for a new filter but again it’s much cheaper than buying bottled water and also you on saving landfills from getting filled with that stuff.

Audra: On this section here, you got a lot of companies are taking the old trade into doing something great with them.

David: Office Depot is retailer actually they should be commended on their promotion called Tech Trade and Trade Up. You can take your old tech like laptops or shredders or cameras or printers. Bring them in during the promotion and what you are able to do is get a new tech. Anywhere between $25.00 to $75.00 rebates that you can apply to new purchases and they are going to take at least 400 tons of E-wastes or Electronic waste and keep it out of landfills because most tech stuff has really bad things in it that get into out soil.

Audra: And it is tough and a lot of people don’t know what to do with it, now for paints this is the big issue here.

David: Now you got a baby on the way and of course you are probably going to be having a specific room for the baby. And you are going to paint that room and make it really look good. A warning for everybody if you are using non-VOC paints that is Volatile Organic Compound. You are potentially exposing yourself to carcinogens. Which obviously are cancer causing elements, here – let me just a quick smell test.

Audra: This is the non-VOC?

David: This is the non if you smell that tick

Audra: Alright Dave I am going to trust you.

David: You shouldn’t smell anything Audra. And of course I am just going to lift this very lightly and that is the VOC paint, Volatile Organic Compound. There is a big difference for a house to be dimmed green it is going to be painted with non-VOC paints. That is $10.00 to $12.00 more worth the investment again because it pays off in protecting your home.

Audra: It is costly giving off the chemicals and even after --.

David: You until after it dissipates you’re coating your wall in chemicals. So yes, it continuously stays in your house in that room.

Audra: Okay not good that is good to know though, now the cookware. I know there was a huge deal not too long ago about the non-stick cookware, what is it going on with it right now and why?

David: Teflon is a petroleum based product that used to keep the sticky properties out of your cookware. However Cuisinart has their green cookware right here and the green gourmet cookware. What makes it different is that it is coated with ceramic, now ceramic stays in the cookware. It doesn’t come off on your food. Also it got 70% the materials in the actual handle that is recycled. All of the packaging is recycled, so in the ink is soy based and on top of the fact because of the design itself it allows you to cook faster. Heat transfers faster therefore it is spending less time in the kitchen and using less energy.

Audra: You have enlightened me just with these products alone, thank you so much David good to have you here.

David: A pleasure.

Audra: I am going to remember that about the paint too. And David is kind enough to give away actually almost everything on this table right?

David: Actually everything including the GPS with the exception of the paint because obviously they are legal shipping issues related to paint.

Audra: Sounds good so you guys can go to our website then if you want a chance to win our website again if you don’t know, you should know BetterTV.com just click on the link and you can get all the information.