Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

marcal

Marcal Paper Products - Recycled and Affordable - Who Wouldn't use them?

In our constant search to find a more sustainable affordable solution to the huge issue of household paper products, we have found a company in New Jersey called Marcal Paper to be the answer. Marcal Paper makes a number of lines of products including the commonly available Fluff Out brand of tissues, Sofpac toilet paper and Marcal brand of papertowels as well as others.

The company motto is "Paper from Paper not Trees." Marcal's products are 100% recycled most with a minimum of 30% post consumer recycled content many of their products have much higher PCW content (click here for a list of PCW content by product), are processed chlorine free and best of all are inexpensive.

We use Marcal papertowels, toilet paper and their Fluff Out Tissues and find them as good as any other major brand out there. Their products actually feel and seem more similar to the major non-recycled brands than most other environmentally friendly products we have tried. We all have tried green products that felt like sandpaper instead of toilet paper! Not these from Marcal.

To make their products, Marcal recycles more than 200,000 tons of paper products each year, much of which is generated from the community, businesses and schools. The company is a great example of taking community recycled paper goods and recycling them.

Where can you find Marcal? They are carried by Stop and Stop and Shaw's Supermarkets in the Eastern US, and at Staples office supply stores nationwide. Please feel free to post other places where you can get them.

Marcal products are inexpensive and the company is built on the idea of Paper from Paper not Trees, we think they are a great example of a company doing business in a forward thinking responsible fashion - and think they are the type of company we should support.

zensoy organic pudding

Zensoy Organic Chocolate Pudding

ZenSoy Organic chocolate pudding provides chocolate lovers like me a great tasting low fat way to get their chocolate fix that is also a source of protein. Made from organic non-GMO soybeans and organic cocoa - this pudding has a great chocolate taste. It is available in banana, vanilla, chocolate-vanilla swirl and chocolate.

If you are a dessert fiend like I am these provide a nice organic way to take care of your chocolate fix. Highly recommend them and the company ZenSoy is quality as well choosing to raise awareness to the giant panda (their company mascot) as part of their mission.

busha brownes pukka sauce

Busha Browne's Pukka Hot Pepper Sauce

Busha Browne's Pukka hot pepper sauce is hands down my favorite. I came across this five or six years ago and was hooked. What makes this all natural sauce great is its one of the few sauces based around the Scotch Bonnet pepper - which in my opinion is infinitely more favorable than the habanero pepper and still quite hot. If you like a sauce with a favorable heat (and it is pretty hot) then this one is my recommendation. There are plenty of sauces out there that are hotter but they lack the flavor of the wonderful Scotch Bonnet!

Made in Jamaica of Scotch Bonnets, vinegar and spices the sauce was originally developed as a table sauce for traditionally hot dishes. Personally I think the sauce is a great pairing with turkey (esp a turkey sandwich), soups, and chili. The pukka sauce is surprisingly hard to find. I used to have a source in Connecticut at a small tea shop that did mail order. When they stopped carrying the sauce I went with out it for a while. It is available from various specialty hot sauce stores on the Internet. Many places carry other products from Busha Browne but rarely have the pukka sauce. I am pleased to report I found the Pukka sauce just the other day at a Whole Foods store for $3.49 a bottle (far less than you'll find it on the net). Anyhow for years Whole Foods carried other Busha Browne products but not this. I am glad to find it there now as it is truly a winner. Check it out.

mychelle splash

Mychelle Splash Natural Toning Cologne

I discovered Mychelle Splash in Arizona about three years ago. It is a product I have been using since. Splash is a toning aftersave cologne it totally free of chemicals and all the junk in most commercial personal care products including phthalates and parabens. Splash is antioxidant rich, soothing on the skin and smells terrific.  Designed to tone and refresh your skin with ingredients such as organic aloe vera, shea butter, ginseng and chamomile. Bisabol and white willow bark are powerful anti-inflammatories that reduce sensitivity and soothe irritated skin.

Located in the Rocky Mountains in Frisco, Colorado, Mychelle Dermaceuticals makes a whole line of natural health and skin care products. I also use their So-Clean 4 in one shaving product which is a cleanser, bread softener, shaving foam and all-over body shampoo in one. I have also used their Sooth after shave balm – which is excellent as well. Take a look at their products, I have nothing but high praise and cost wise they are priced very well each around $15.