Businesses around the world are going green but not all of them receive the same recognition as General Electric, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart. These innovative businesses have earned their share of acknowledgement and it is about time they receive some.
Seahorse Power - Founder Jim Poss engineered garbage cans with solar-powered trash compactors that increase capacity and reduce the number of pick-ups required by Seahorse's municipal clients.
Voltaic Systems - This entrepreneurial business manufactures backpacks and messenger bags fitted with solar panels that can charge electronics, including cell phones and PDAs.
Interface - Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Interface uses recycled materials and biodegradable corn-based plastics to manufacture carpet.
Comet Skateboards - CEO Jason Salfi and company makes high-performance skateboard decks and wheels using only local, sustainable materials. They are currently experimenting with a soy protein polymer to hold the boards together.
Memorial Ecosystems - Westminster, South Carolina is home to the nation's first green cemetary. Memorial Ecosystems offers simple funeral services without the use of embalming fluids, other harmful chemicals, hardwood caskets or conventional headstones.
Konarka - This innovative business produces flexible solar cells from organic chemicals, rather than silicon, which have the potential to turn handbags, lampposts, and other everyday objects into clean power sources.
Teko Socks - Located in Boulder, Colorado, Teko Socks manufactures and sells socks made from organic cotton, recycled polyester, and wool from a farm that uses sustainable practices.
IdleAire - Based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, IdleAire wires truck-stop parking spaces with hookups for heat and air conditioning, along with Internet accesss, satellite TV, and movies on demand, to encourage long-haul drivers to shut off their engines.
Gridpoint - CEO Peter Corsell and company makes a refrigerator-size system that helps consumers monitor and manage energy created by their solar panel system or other renewable energy source. It also provides homes and businesses with backup power, allowing them to pick and choose the times of day their house pulls in energy.
Zipcar - Based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, this clever business manages a car-sharing service for as low as $7.50 an hour that has taken an estimated 25,000 cars off the road.
Nick Tart is the editor of four main sites for Worldwide Marketing Solutions. One of which is Great Earth News. GreatEarthNews.com provides information and tips to help you better the world. Please check out GreatEarthNews.com if you enjoyed reading this article.
