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Carolyn D wrote: I'm always looking for these kinds of recomendations- thanks Kate! Anyone know of a good company that recycles old laptops? I know there are some out there but I've heard that not all of them are as green as they seem. posted 9/2/2009 at 1:50 PM

Joshua H wrote: Two more companies that are sweet, Osprey, http://www.ospreypacks.com/, guarantee their packs and will fix anything that goes wrong on them for free(and they are a Colorado company that started with two people wanting to make sweet packs). Also, another product is Chaco sandals. They have a lifetime guarantee on their soles and will replace them if they wear out. posted 9/2/2009 at 3:45 PM

Betsy L wrote: Here are 50 people who like good stuff. http://www.utne.com/2008-11-13/50-Visionaries-Who-Are-Changing-Your-World.aspx posted 9/2/2009 at 4:06 PM

Brett E wrote: All my stuff is good. posted 9/2/2009 at 10:40 PM

Mikkel Q wrote: While ‘greenwashing’ may now be in vogue for corporations from all walks of life, there are (as aforementioned) a plethora of companies (esspecially those targeting a crunchier consumer demographic) that really seem to be acknowledging their environmental and social responsibility in the sustainability (or lack thereof) of our world. That being the case I would like to highlight shoe manufacturing--this may come as no surprise for those for you who know my shoe fetish. Brooks, a popular running shoe company, has been pioneering technologies know under the label BioMoGo for over three years. Additionally, several hemp cobblers have been around for ages (these are easily found online). There are also multiple variations on the biodegradable and/or recycled sandals; perhaps the most interesting being either sandals hand made for personal usage for old worn-out automobile tires (they take some getting used to, but they are virtually indestructible) or the shoes that literally biodegrade bead by bead of plant food as the get worn down. All is well and good with biodegradable shoes (when compared to those that are –well, not so much biodegradable), but the truth is that more likely than not, it becomes time for a new pair before the old pair have fully disintegrated around your foot. Therefore, at some level even the perfectly biodegradable (and post-consumer) products we feel great about buying may be more likely to end up in the traditional waste disposal horror Story of Stuff than in our organic compost piles. Shoes, therefore, are a particular enigma for me since the cycle of consumerism is so much more rapid than some other products. In another vein of socially responsible vanity, Toms Shoes is a pretty cool company. They don’t build particularly good shoes, but they do have a certain VISTA quality to them. They seek to inspire social change by example. They market themselves as capacity builders and claim to practice sustainability. They are simple shoes (which some may call cheap). They are the same in the United States on your feet as in the third world on the children’s feet which your pair financed.—and their slogan is “shoes for tomorrow”; talk about sustainable goodness! Shoes unfortunately do not regularly have lifetime warranties—and when they due it just means they will repair your shoes for at no cost, not that they will last a great deal longer. Either way, shoe companies that are at least considering their social environmental impact are likely better than those which are not. That said in various ways Brooks, LL Bean, Patagonia Footwear, Splaff, Simple, Birkenstock, Chaco, Toms and just about any shoe with Vibram soles are “The Good Stuff.” posted 9/8/2009 at 9:02 AM

Brett E wrote: When I started reading your post I wondered if you would mention Tom's shoes. Seems like a pretty cool operation =) posted 9/8/2009 at 10:11 AM