Here is the packaging in which my “free” gifts arrived in from The Sierra Club…
And from the Nature Conservancy…
They both look like plastic bags to me (even though one is green – doesn’t the coloring make it eco-worse?). The SierraClub’s not only looks like plastic but smells distinctly of harshy chemicals. Walks like a duck, stinks like a duck, no?
Anyone got any leads on whether these orgs are walking *and* talking the walk and the talk?
revelgardener 
Some plastics are ‘green’ in that they decay fairly quick, but who knows what is used to make it. On occasion I get a package which is filled with old newspapers, but that doesn’t seem to happen with things from large companies. While the ‘green thing’ is a good idea, more often than not it is geared to simply make people buy more stuff they don’t need and feel good about doing it. Most of the ‘green’ stuff is made in China so it isn’t even supporting business in the states.
I try to keep an eye out for minimal packaging. I’m pretty much a stickler for buying things Made in America. I take the extra time to comparison shop pens, various household goods, etc. If it’s a couple pennies more, I’m happy to spend it to put my money into this economy. I heard a businessman being interviewed on NPR say that the reason more goods aren’t made in the U.S. is that people won’t pay the extra money for it. I’ve found that the difference in price is usually negligible, and that most folks I know would pay more for it. I’ve also noticed lately in stores that might attract politically conscious people, often the labels obscure where the item was made. I always make sure to ask, and make it clear why I’m not buying an item when they tell me it’s made in China.