cool unique eco-friendly products & deals - greenshopaholic

School is back again and your kids are now spending tons of time and money investing in course materials for their classes. Not only are textbooks expensive but think about all the trees that had to be cut down in order to produce one 400 page biology textbook.

Technology has allowed for new environmentally-friendly solutions to our paper consumption problems. Check out CourseSmart, the largest single source of electronic textbooks anywhere. With over 6,000 college “e-textbooks”, Coursesmart offers a viable alternative to the college bookstore. Since these books are digitally accessed, the price are much lower than printed books. Plus being on a college campus, students have nearly full time Internet access, meaning they have access to their textbooks anywhere and anytime.

Lower prices, easy access, and saving trees are all great reasons for your kids to switch to e-textbooks. They’ll definitely be one of the smartest and eco-friendliest kids in school.

Patagonia is having their 2009 Summer Sale! Save 40-60% off selected merchandise both in-store and online. There’s tons of eco-friendly clothing, bags, luggage, and more on sale.  Sale ends 8/20/09.

Often big box companies are very wasteful when it comes to the manufacturing of their products. As consumers become more informed, they are starting to demand more eco-friendly products and production methods.

This week we spotlight Patagonia and one of their efforts that keeps the environment in focus while developing high performance clothing and gear. Established in 2005, the Common Threads Recycling Program was started by Patagonia to take unusable, used garments to create new ones. What better way to not deplete the earth than make the goods we consume more sustainable.

Some examples of recyclable garments include Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece clothing from any manufacturer, Patagonia Cotton T-shirts, and other garments with the Common Threads tag.

It’s extremely easy to give back. Recycling can be done through the mail, at a local Patagonia Retail Store, or at a Patagonia Performance Baselayer dealer.

Check out this quirky video by Patagonia which promotes their mission to recycle in a truly unique way:

Patagonia Common Threads Garment Recycling Video: Mission Recycle

Patagonia’s 30% off sale is ending today. Last chance to pick up lots of select outerwear, shirts, shorts, bags, and more both in-store and online. Most products are recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program and many are made with recycled and eco-friendly materials.

Keen creates great stylish products that fit what they consider to be a hybrid life. It aims to combine an outdoor lifestyle with great innovative design, all while giving back to the community and environment. These core elements makes Keen ideal to be featured on our site and to be dubbed our Green Shopaholic Company of the Week.

One of their newest products is the Keen Harvest MJ. It pops out due to its distinctive look and colorful personality. Made from reclaimed rice paper, the Harvest MJ features a footbed made from recycled polyurethane and cork. Since the shoe’s upper is woven from strips of rice bags, each shoe is unique and one-of-a-kind. Perfect for strolling around town this summer.

For more Keen shoe styles, conduct a search on our friends, TheFind.com.

New July Gaiam Promo Codes. All expire 7/31/09.

• $20 Off Orders of $100+. Use link to automatically apply discount or use code AFGRN7 at checkout.
• Free Shipping on Orders of $49+. Use link to automatically apply discount or use code AFSHP7 at checkout.
• 10% off $75, 15% off $100, or 20% off $125. Use link to automatically apply discount or use code AFSUN7 at checkout.

New Gaiam.com July 4th Promo Code – Get free shipping on ALL orders. Use code AFREESHP at checkout. Expires 7/9/09.

Topo Ranch, creator of stylish super soft organic cotton tees, is offering free shipping for Father’s Day. Use code FATHERSDAY2009 at checkout. Expiration unknown.

2 New Gaiam Coupon Codes for June. Use links to automatically apply the discount to your cart. Both expire 6/30/09.

1. Save $20 off any order of $100+. Use code AFGRN6 at checkout.
2. Free shipping on any order of $49+. Use code AFSHP6 at checkout.

New Gaiam.com Promo Code -  Get free shipping on orders $49+ with code AFSUMMER at checkout. Expires 6/15/09.