Conscious Consumer: Your Guide to Eco-Friendly Shopping

Ski companies, like Kingswood and Karhu, and snowboard makers Arbor and Venture are making sustainability a priority.

The latest sportswear features jackets and shirts made from soybeans, coconut husks and recycled soda bottles, and shoes made of recycled tires with vegetable waste laces.

The school lunch menu is under serious revision to include healthier options with the help of angry moms and nutritionists.

With biodegradable plates, cups and cutlery, picknickers can enjoy eating outdoors without leaving a lasting reminder in the local landfill.

Grocery shopping in greener pastures saves the environment from an onslaught of pesticides, hormones and other pollutants. Using simple strategies, you can make sure to reduce your footprint the next time you purchase food.

Originally associated with disgruntled teens, blogs have grown into a legitimate form of online news and entertainment, covering an array of subjects from fashion and politics to the environment. And now the "eco-blog" is gaining in popularity.

There are few hidden chemical threats in a natural futon. A simple version is just puffy cotton or wool, sometimes certified organic, within a cover made of cotton or other material. Layering several futons on the floor and storing them in the closet can save space. You can also buy a wooden futon frame, which gives you a couch during the day and a bed at night.

Since the 1950s, multi-level marketing (MLM) companies like Amway have sold billions of dollars worth of products to consumers through independent individual distributors, who take a cut on every sale they make as well as on the sales of other "downline" distributors they have recruited. These days, a new crop of green companies has adopted the MLM business model to sell various types of environmentally friendly merchandise.

Even if you have shunned the big, pricey Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in favor of a discounted competitor, you may not realize that you can have low prices and a greener Internet experience.