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I don't know about you, but nothing bothers me more than styrofoam. In 2013, there's no reason to use something so horrible for the atmosphere. And plastic, disposable packaging isn’t a much better choice. That's why companies like Be Green Packaging are so awesome. Be Green Packaging LLC creates alternatives to the ordinary plastic (and styrofoam) crap you find for takeout or picnics. All of their items are made from... Find out more, after the jump!

With local outposts in the Philadelphia area, TD Bank is helping to improve our quality of life with trees. TD Bank’s missions include TD Tree Days and Green Streets, increasing urban forests and green spaces. TD Tree Days Partnering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the US, they’ve protected 1846 acres (1420 football fields!) of trees and helped with tree planting. Launched in 2010, Tree Days will plant over 45,000 trees with volunteers in over 165 communities. You can volunteer during the TD Tree Days too. Find out more about TD bank's sustainability efforts, after the jump!

Curious about cloth diapering? Look no further than Cloth, the new hotspot on East Passyunk in Philadelphia. Did you know an estimated 18 billion diapers are thrown into landfills every year? They take 500 years to decompose, are expensive... and disposable. Plus, some diapers contain dangerous chemicals dioxins, VOCs and possibly carcinogens. Do you want your precious baby in that? Angela and Shai Halperin recognized that parents new to cloth diapers often must buy online. As two working parents, they had a lot of online successes (and failures) with cloth diapers. Plus, the closest store was 30-40 minutes outside of Center City Philadelphia. They recognized the need more and more for a Cloth Diaper store. Cloth was born. I stopped by Cloth to talk with Angela about more about the store. Find out more, after the jump!

This sponsored guest post comes from Akil Marsh from Solar States, who discusses solar energy advantages with more energy than a Lady Gaga concert. Solar panels are increasingly popular as we can see them pop up on rooftops and sides of businesses. But it's not for you, right? The advantages of solar energy may convert you to a new look for your home or business. Solar energy doesn't seem convenient - In fact, it's the punching bag of right wing political pundits. Are you even able to afford solar panels on your roof? Here's the 5 biggest lies (and advantages!) of solar energy:

Have you made the switch to clean energy yet? It’s an easy solution to buy local and renewable energy: with Choose PA Wind. In Pennsylvania, we basically have two options of powering our homes. The first is natural gas, which is extracted through hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Supposed job growth or not, the side effects of fracking  in PA are plentiful enough to steer away.  Plus, those ‘secret’ fracking chemicals are toxic and scary enough to steer us away. The other option is a sustainable option: renewable energy, typically wind and/or solar. Pennsylvania has 24 (Find out more about this renewable energy option, after the jump!)

Massages and a trip to the spa are the time you want to relax and let go of all worries. It's also the last place you want to contemplate what chemicals are being used on your body. Eviama Life Spa is the original, natural Philadelphia spa. Need proof? Owner Penny Ordway genuinely "got" the natural movement before it was even a blip on most people's radars. From the moment you step foot on the second floor, green space through the window and Buddhist statues set the calming tone and remind you how an urban structure can coexist with the surrounding environment. As Penny explain's Eviama's mission: (Find out more about Eviama, and how to get into their VIP party! You won't want to miss this...)

Plastic pollution increasing by land and by sea. Barrels of oil wasted.  BPA. High transportation costs. False advertising. Low regulations. Money wasted. Bottled water has a stigma these days. And sitting around the office “water cooler” (or perhaps ‘larger caskets of bottled water’) doesn’t have the same pizzazz that it used to, eh? We already know that plastic water bottles don’t make sense financially or sustainably. We bring our own stainless steel water bottles to fill up, but working for 8 hours a day leads to an inevitable refill or two. Those large plastic jugs you’re filling up with at work or the gym are still made of plastic, and therefore have the same green consequences as those single-sized bottled waters. A business based in King of Prussia, Quench USA, recognized this environmental conundrum of the ‘larger’ water bottles and came up with a better solution. (Find out more, after the jump!)

Unless you’re exceptionally handy it’s pretty darn frustrating when your household appliances go kaput. A dishwasher, microwave, washer or dryer on the fritz can be incredibly inconvenient. But, just because an appliance isn’t cooperating doesn’t mean you need to rush out and buy new. PartSelect.com allows consumers to figure out if their problem can be fixed by replacing a part. More often than not this is the case. This means saving a boatload of money, and allows you to sustain the life of your purchases. This process makes doing-it-yourself so simple. How does it work? Find out after the jump!

Wilson's Soap is an example of how one idea can morph into another and do it well. Don Wilson's initial business model was based on promoting the concept of a BioDiesel Plant in Philadelphia. But, when the economy went downhill Wilson found himself with a whole slew of equipment, and "nothing to do with it", he says. Wilson discovered that soap and BioDiesel are more similar than one would imagine. Some soap is actually a byproduct of making BioDiesel. As a man whose hobbies included soap-making starting a company where he could combine a craft and utilize his machinery seemed a natural fit. After thousands of tests to get the formulas just right Wilson's Soap Co. was born.