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greenliving


Biz Bagz, dog waste bags made in America from bio-based resins and recycled plastics. He notes the genesis of their idea: “Landfi lls are anaerobic, so biodegradable bags don’t get the oxygen required to break down. Compostable bags are available, but few places provide composting services. We offer a cleaner alternative.” Another pet-inspired idea


was spawned when Kevin Li, of Manhattan, New York, left his puppy home alone for the fi rst time. He invented an app-operated remote control ball with a camera called PlayDate (Tinyurl.com/ RemoteBallApp).


Planet-Friendly


and Profi table The Rise of Ecopreneurs


by Avery Mack W


hether it’s a sideline or full time, fl ourishing small businesses stimulate the


economy. The U.S. Small Business Association found that between 2009 and 2013, companies with fewer than 500 employees accounted for 60 percent of net new jobs. Technology allows new commercial ventures to be launched from home, yielding huge savings in startup costs. Owners have found ways to fulfi ll needs by leveraging their past job experiences and personal interests.


House and Garden When the economy faltered in 2008, Dave Marciniak, owner and lead designer at Revolutionary Gardens, in Culpeper, Virginia, offered eco-friendly services. “I focus on a few key points


and design to make the outdoors a place where people want to be,” he says. Even for urbanites, fresh garden herbs are available thanks to ecopreneurs like Andy Avramenko, who created TrendyThing, in New York City. “The edible plants our bike messengers distribute come from local farmers,” he explains. Basil, parsley, dill, lettuce and other herbs and greens are available for all fi ve boroughs; potted plants arrive fresh weekly via subscription. In addition to cleaning homes, Debbie Sardone, owner of Speed Cleaning, in Lewisville, Texas, saw an opportunity to manufacture her own green cleaning products. They’re part of a full-line online catalog. Ryan Riley and his wife, Ashley Spitz, of Los Angeles, own and operate


Personal Care People- and planet-friendly personal care products address other ongoing customer needs. Nitya Gulati, founder of Sugarloom Cosmetics, in Ashburn, Virginia, specializes in American-made, vegan, cruelty- and toxin-free nail polish. She advises, “Look for ‘fi ve-free’ on the label, which means no formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, toluene and allergens camphor and formaldehyde resin. Watch out for guanine, made from fi sh scales, found in glittery polishes. Oleic acid, a thickener, is animal fat. Vibrant reds may contain carmine, made from boiled, crushed beetles.” She warns that products tested by a third party can obscure animal testing during product development. Amelia Swaggert and Elizabeth Ripps, co-founders of California Scrub Company, in Los Angeles, upcycle coffee grounds into a natural facial scrub. They’ve eliminated plastic at every step of production from sourcing to packaging. They’re also helping to keep the world’s oceans from becoming plastic soup by supporting the Beat the Microbead campaign. (BeatTheMicrobead.org/en). Maintaining a professional look while living green can be a challenge. OneSavvyMother.


22 Central Florida natural awakenings


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