Earth Friendly Shopping

Seen on Toys for the Eco Kid.   This incredible new eco friendly toy recycle truck is way cool.

Green Toys(TM) uses recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials to make toys that are a total blast to play with and way good for the earth. Using 100% recycled plastic saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and minimizes our carbon footprint. On average, every pound of recycled plastic used to make Green Toys saves enough energy to run a laptop computer for a month!

Environmental Packaging
Green Toys environmental mission even extends to the packaging. Green Toys strives to minimize packaging, and all of the boxes use as little material as possible. Boxes are printed with soy ink. All Green Toys products are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. So, not only are they earth-friendly and ready for your recycling bin, they are really easy to open for those little fingers just itching to get at the toys!! Less frustrating for parents too.

This year,  our daughter will be reverse trick or treating.  When she goes to the door to get some candy, she will also hand the adult a piece of fair trade, organic, vegan chocolate, with a note from Global Exchange explaining the importance of Fair Trade

A pleasant surprise will greet nearly a quarter million people distributing candy at their door, when youth reverse the Halloween tradition to hand adults a sample of vegan-friendly, Fair Trade dark chocolate
The chocolate will be accompanied by a card informing recipients of poverty and child labor problems in the cocoa industry, affecting mainstream candy enjoyed at Halloween and around the year, and how Fair Trade certified chocolate provides a solution.

Every choice we make has consequences far beyond the immediate choice.

Almost  half the chocolate produced each year comes from the Ivory Coast in Africa.  In these unstable, almost lawless areas, boys ages 12-15 are sold into slavery.  In 2002, a report from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) estimated that 284,000 children  were

working on cocoa farms in hazardous tasks such as using machetes and applying pesticides and insecticides without the necessary protective equipment.

While many of the children working on these farms were family members of the sharecroppers, a significant portion, particularly on the larger plantations, have no family ties, and many of these may have been sold into slavery.

Only 30% of the children involved in cocoa production are enrolled in school, perpetuating the poverty of the region.

Fortunately, we do have a choice.  Fair Trade certified chocolate.

Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.

Fair Trade is much more than a fair price!  Fair Trade principles include:

• Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
• Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
• Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
• Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
• Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification

• Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

There are several brands of Fair Trade chocolate available.  Green and Black,  Sweet Earth, and our favorite (both because it is yummy and because we sell it) Sjaak’s Organic Fair Trade Chocolate

And now, another option for your Green Halloween.

Besides,  Organic Lollipops, you can also get tubs of Sjaak’s Organic, fair trade chocolate bites.

Sjaak's Fair Trade, Organic Bites

These incredible, delicious bites come in 4 drool worthy flavors:  Organic Chocolate Orange (perfect for Halloween) Organic chocolate caramel, organic chocolate mint,  and organic chocolate acai.

Organic Chocolate TASTES better! Conventionally grown chocolate uses intense amounts of pesticides.  The pesticides end up being stored in the cacao fat, and becomes part of the chocolate.  YUCCH  - make ours organic.

Each tub is 1.5 pounds and contains 93 bites.  Available at Kate’s Caring Gifts.

Post sponsored by Kate’s Caring Gifts