Going Zero

I am a fan of buying by the case--more bang for my buck and I'm always well stocked.

I like to use earth friendly cleaners, and I recently bought a case of Seventh Generation dish soap from Gaiam.com.

Gaiam looks very, very fancy and thus too upmarket for me. But they had a pretty good price on a case of dish soap, so I placed my order.

At checkout, I was given the option to Go Zero--cancel out the carbon footprint that the shipping of my item makes by inviting me to pay/donate two bucks to plant trees. The trees offset the carbon dioxide emissions that result from shipping the order, helping to make a difference in the race against global climate change.

It is, apparently, the nation’s first carbon-zero order shipping program.

I live in a rural location and buy MUCH online: wine, cleaners, books, clothing. I hope other online retailers (Amazon, Wine.com, Sierra Trading Post) will also offer such carbon-neutral programs.

My case of soap arrived today, nicely packaged (no leaks) along with a certificate informing me that I am an official Hero of Zero. Which makes me feel good. And nudges me to shop with Gaiam again.