Vapur – Reusable water bottles are de rigueur nowadays.  Vapur takes it to the next level with their flattenable bottles.  With liquid inside, Vapur stands like a bottle.  When it is empty, you can fold, roll, or flatten the bottle, making it easier to slip into your pocket, purse, or gym bag.  The company calls it the anti-bottle – rightly so.  The flexible BPA-free plastic resembles an IV bag or an ice pack, which is great for weirding out people.   Vapur comes with a removable carabiner clip so you sporty-types can attach it and go.  It is freezable for those extra-hot days, and is dishwasher safe.  Plus, it is fun to play with.

Activeion Cleaning Solutions – This is one of those too-good-to-be-true products.  I did not test this product, so I will have to take the company’s word for it that this works. According to the literature, “The ionator is a new handheld appliance that uses advanced ionizing technology to convert tap water into a powerful cleaner, eliminating the need for chemicals or harmful toxins.”

Verterra – Here is an interesting one: dinnerware made from fallen leaves.  I’m gonna let that sink in for a minute. It is pretty much as ecologically friendly as you can get with single-use dinnerware.  Sometimes you just don’t want to do dishes after a big BBQ.  The leaves and stems are collected from the ground, so living plants are not touched.  No chemicals, binders, dyes, plastics, or bleaches are used in the creation of this dinnerware.  The plates, bowls, and trays are sanitized and formed with steam, pressure, and heat.  They a clean, simple look and shape, are remarkably durable, biodegradable, and compostable.  They are even microwavable and oven safe up to 350 degrees.  The downside?  Saving the environment doesn’t come cheap.  Depending on the size of plate you want, it can cost up to $1 per single-use, dinner-sized plate.

We checked out the eQua Plus towel, which is designed to be used on top of your yoga mat to provide a slip-resistant surface (and a handy way to dab the sweat from your brow). Interestingly, the material was more slip-resistant when damp – perfect for sweaty palms, but a little slick at the start of a workout. But the major selling point of the eQua Plus towel is in its sanitary properties. It is a poly/nylon blend with more than 25% of the fabric made from recycled coconut shells. These coconut fibers, mixed with active carbon, helps absorb and evaporate moisture (aka – sweat) quickly. The result? A towel that is not soaked or smelly by the time you are done with your workout. Plus, it is really soft (which may not be the best thing for me, who is easily distracted by soft things).

Manduka uses natural, recycled, biodegradable, and/or sustainable materials in all products, and support toxic-free facilities and fair labor practices. They offer a wide range of mats, towels, bags, and props to suit your every need.

Manduka.com

I hate Purell. I love the sanitizing quality, but it feels sticky and heavy on my skin. Luckily Burt’s Bees has a solution with their own, all-natural hand sanitizer. Utilizing ethyl alcohol for sanitation, witch hazel to soothe, and aloe vera to moisturize, this liquid spray leaves hands soft and clean without any funky residue. The only downside is that the 2oz spray bottle is not quite as convenient to carry in your purse (though I have had Purell leak all over my bag, and it wasn’t pretty), but I can live with that.

Best of all, Calypso Studios’s totes come in a variety of colors and patterns that change seasonally. At $10 per set, you can get patterns to match your every outfit and mood. “Safari” consists of three animal prints; “Trend” is a collection of mod patterns; “Cabana,” our favorite, is a bright orange collection of summery prints – that’s just to name a few.

The water-resistant polyester bags have a weight limit of 20 lbs., so you may want to reserve these bags for lighter shopping trips. I like to keep one in my purse for when I go clothes shopping.

To purchase, click one of the styles above, or visit CalypsoStudiosInc.com

The small, sleek appliance fits easily on the kitchen counter, and looks stylish. Simply fill the one liter bottle with cold water, hit the button a couple of times to activate the CO2 tank and carbonate your water, and add your desired syrup. No batteries or electricity required. No mess – just rinse out the bottle before making another batch. Fresh soda in seconds, less money, less waste, more deliciousness.

I just love this machine. So does Mr. Spork – he hardly lets me zap it with carbonation. He loves that he can over-carbonate his soda. I love that I can under-flavor mine (the syrups are a little too sweet, so I usually use a little less than half the recommended amount per liter). It’s quick, easy, and fun. Plus, when you release the carafe from the machine, it make a cool sci-fi vacuum sound. With over 25 different flavors of regular, diet, and caffeine-free sodas, energy drinks, and flavor essences, there aren’t many flavors you can’t get.

Save the Earth
• Carbonator cans are reused – send them back to the company, they will sanitize them, refill them, and send them back out.
• Carafes are reuseable and BPA-free.
• No excessive packaging to worry about.

Save Your Health
• Regular soda mix flavors contain less sugar, sodium, and carbs than leading national brands.
• Diet flavors are all made with Splenda – no aspertame anywhere.
• No lugging cases of soda.

Save Your Pennies
• Depending on the model you choose, the cost averages out to as little as $0.20 per liter of seltzer water and $0.57 per liter of flavored soda.
• Smaller bottles mean you don’t have to stock up on soda, only to realize it has gone flat. Mr. Spork and I will usually make a bottle and split it over a meal.
• Exchanged CO2 cans are nearly half the price.

Is there anything I am leaving out? I don’t think so: healthier for you, healthier for your wallet, healthier for the planet… so why haven’t you bought your own yet?