Articles Written by Beth Funari

It's certainly honorable for a fashion and apparel company to use sustainable and organic materials. But a company that is highly active in the pursuit of a healthier environment is by far cooler... Take United by Blue... United by Blue is a Philly based brand and apparel company specializing in organic t-shirts, jewelry and bags. UBB decided to go beyond selling green and take action to reduce ocean pollution. Why?

Making your home eco-friendly is a "green trend" we hope is here to stay. We're pleased that Helio Power Systems, a full service Solar Electric and Solar Thermal design and installation company, is getting in on the action.Founded by old friends Rene Ermilio and Gregory Katz, Helio's staff draws from property development experience business since 1999.

Phillies Pitcher Ryan Madson is making eco-friendly Philadelphia fans proud. He and his wife, Sarah, have decided to make their Wayne home greener. They purchased the house in April and have hired Main Line’s Caledonia Renovations to green the property....

While venue hunting for my wedding, I had a moment of pure disappointment while discussing stemware (of all things.)The wedding coordinator at an unnamed venue in South New Jersey informed me that they only use plastic cups for all beverages served at the open bar. What?! I'm certain my disapproval showed on my face, as the wedding coordinator announced she would direct this part of the conversation at my fiance. Here's the thing... I'm not trying to call any friends or family out but our crew will certainly toss back a few spirits at the wedding. Let's say we invite 150 people and each guest enjoys 3 beverages during the 5 hour reception - that's 450 cups! (Assuming that people don't reuse their previous cup and I certainly wouldn't expect them to remember to do so.) So, suffice to say that place was out of the running. As mentioned here re: save the dates my fiance and I - like many GPB readers - are trying to keep waste at a minimum. This interaction got me thinking ...When it comes to your food and bar menu what are the best options? Here's a few tips:

Welcome to Part I in a series we're featuring on greening the "Big Day" (as they call it.) As a recently engaged woman this subject is becoming high on my radar. My experience thus far isn't unique. I want the day to be exceptional, fun, beautiful and authentic to my fiance and I. But... I'd like to do what I can to keep the waste that can come along with a wedding at a minimum! One of the steps that comes fairly early in the process is the traditional save the dates. You book your venue, hem and haw over your guest list, point out that you have no clue who 10% of the people on your significant other's lists are and voila it's time to get crackin. So, how can you make this part of the process greener?

Do: Wash your car on the lawn – the rinse water will water the lawn & divert from storm drains. Don’t: Wash your car in the driveway. Water that runs from your car on the driveway easily enters storm drains and into rivers,...

Eco-fashion line Doie for Nimli is hosting it's summer sale NOW through Monday August 9th. Click through to check out Doie's line and get your coupon code for 30% off! Doie's line is wearable and feminine with staples that will take you through late summer to fall months in s-t-y-l-e. I'm loving the Sonoma Slip Dress and Mill Valley Trimmed Cardigan. Doie's pieces are made from sustainable materials like bamboo jersey, organic wool, organic cotton or 100% silk. Designer and founder Sara Kirsner studied under fashion faves Marc Jacobs and DKNY.

If you love ice cream but aren't so keen on tough to digest dairy check out some of my fav vegan ice cream options...

The recent heat waves have me humming Will Smith's "Summertime" and The Lovin Spoonful's "Hot Summer in the City" embarrassingly often... Now that I've gotten that off my chest it's time to share some summer appropriate bbqing advice... Grill wisely : Choose a electric or clean-burning propane grill over the charcoal variety. Charcoal is a major cause of poor air quality. If you must use charcoal go for brands harvested from sustainable forests. Feast on earth-friendly eats...