Packaging is one of those things that, once you start noticing it, you can't stop. Why does cereal need to come in a bag inside a box? Does that DVD really need to be shrink wrapped? And don't even get me started on wasteful individual serving packaging, like Starbucks Via.

I just read about an exciting development in liquid container packaging, over at Triple Pundit. Ecologic Brands is a new company that goes by the tagline, "packaging the Earth can live with" -- and it could change everything!

Ecologic created a recycled paper/plastic pouch "hybrid" bottle that can be recycled and composted. The outer shell -- the paper part -- is made from old cardboard boxes and can be composted. The inner pouch is made of highly recyclable #4 plastic and uses 70% less plastic than a traditional plastic jug.

It's practically a post-holiday tradition: averting your eco-eyes as you drive past piles of non-recyclable, non-compostable, non-reusable trash crowding the curb, waiting for a ride to the Landfill of Non-biodegradeable Limbo.

Don't look away! Things can be different. We can use that trash for good!

Waste to energy plants take solid trash like non-recyclable plastic, and incinerate it, capturing the energy produced by the burn and sending it into the grid to heat homes and supply electric power.

A miracle occurred on Christmas Day: According to UPI, Amazon's digital books outsold the old school, printed paper versions for the first time ever. Granted, it was only one day, and a predictably unpredictable online retail day at that. Still, was December 25th an anomaly, or a glimpse into the future of the written word? More importantly, are digital books greener than the analog variety?

Not only are e-books flying off the digital shelves, but e-reader sales in 2009 exceeded their expectation by 50%. According to Forrester Research, approximately 3 million e-readers were sold in the US in 2009, opposed to an ambitious (at the time) sales forecast of 2 million. The same group estimates that 6 million e-readers will be sold in 2010.

To make it seem even more impressive, Amazon has announced that the Kindle is officially "the most gifted item in Amazon's history." Obviously, digital reading isn't going away, even if it is just a trend fueled by the lust for new gadgets.

Over the last few years, wind and solar proponents have been battling it out to take the top spot in the clean energy discussion. However, when it comes down making a purchase on a smaller scale, solar is king. Solar panels are smaller, more discreet and, most importantly, they're a proven commodity.

Still, that doesn't mean they're always the best option. According to Earth2Tech, the "small" wind turbine market is expected to double by 2013. By the way, I put "small" in quotes because were talking small in terms of output (100KW or less), not size. Look at the 100KW turbine in the picture and you'll see what I'm talking about.

A small wind system might not be as suitable as solar panels for your condo, but it might be better for you condo complex. Likewise, small wind's not ideal for your house in the burbs, but it might out-compete solar at your warehouse, or your farm, or whatever. Says David Link from Pike Research: "Small wind energy is less expensive than solar on a cost per watt basis which is driving more and more businesses and rural consumers to give it a second look."

If you are a dedicated recycler and composter like I am, you've probably experienced the maxi-green level of waste management guilt: plastic wrap remorse.

It's what happens to The Eco People when we remove all of the recyclables and food waste from our trash. The only things left are dirty ziplock bags that no one will ever convince me to wash our and reuse, and a bunch of the flexible plastic that covers things like paper towels and toilet paper. When waste is segregated like that, you get a very visual understanding of what you use, and how much you're sending to landfill.

Kimberly-Clark (fresh from their lovefest make-up with Greenpeace) is teaming with "upcycling" geniuses TerraCycle to save us from this guilt, and more importantly, to divert all of that plastic wrap away from a pit in the ground.

I do my best to avoid drinking bottled water, but every once in a while, I find myself someplace where the tap water just tastes (or smells, or looks) bad. But I have a solution now -- EcoUsable Ech20 filtered water bottles.

The stainless steel bottles aren't just BPA-free -- they also have a personal filtration system, so you can take icky, gross water and turn it into clean, tasty agua in seconds (seriously, I took part in a demo of this at Surf Expo and the water went from brown to crystal clear, and tasted great).

They offer multiple sizes and colors, and are priced reasonably -- the 18 oz. filtered water bottles are $34.99, and the 25 oz. version is $39.99. Replacement filters are offered on the site as well, for $24.99. Bottoms up!

GreenDaily's new Green Toolbar is here, it's awesome, and it's available to download. And I know, you're wondering how a toolbar is supposed to help you be more eco-conscious, right?

Easy peasy. It includes the Green Wizard Utility, which is an optional component that will help you fine-tune your computer to save energy. Additionally, it'll give you daily eco-tips, right there in your browser -- getting your green on was never so handy.

Go on and download it today -- it's fast and free, and a great way to make the time you spend on your PC echo the way you live the rest of your life!

GreenDaily's new Green Toolbar is here, it's awesome, and it's available to download. And I know, you're wondering how a toolbar is supposed to help you be more eco-conscious, right?

Easy peasy. It includes the Green Wizard Utility, which is an optional component that will help you fine-tune your computer to save energy. Additionally, it'll give you daily eco-tips, right there in your browser -- getting your green on was never so handy.

Go on and download it today -- it's fast and free, and a great way to make the time you spend on your PC echo the way you live the rest of your life!

(Photo by Getty Images)

I've had my iPhone for more than a year, but I've been slow to load up on apps, mainly depending on my friends to tip me off to hidden gems.

Then last week I saw an Earth Day commercial for green iPhone apps (or a commercial on Earth Day for iPhone stuff ... it could have been a coincidence) and suddenly had an urge to find out more.

At this point there's no good way to search the iTunes store -- or if there is, I'm not smart enough/young enough to figure it out. Instead I did some internet research and read a bunch of reviews. These are some of the highest rated green iPhone apps, with the biggest buzz and in some cases the most potential to grow:

• greenMeter ($5.99) -- do you know how fuel efficient your car is? How about your driving? This app measures how much fuel you're using, and your driving style. Then it gives you feedback to help you reduce your fuel consumption and impact on the environment.
• Get Green ($.99) -- get daily reminders delivered to your phone every day.
• iGreen ($.99) -- all the green news, all in one place, right when it happens.
• GasBag (free) and GasBag Pro (a little faster, no ads, $.99) -- find the closest and cheapest gas station in your vicinity. Worth it if you've ever driven around outside of an airport, looking for a gas station before dropping off a rental car. It will also help you avoid the extra emissions and gas guzzling of making the rounds of your local gas stations.
• 3rdwhaleMobile (free) -- a location based directory that helps you find green businesses. You can also rate and add reviews. It's in beta, but it's the kind of app that has a lot of potential as it grows.

FYI, I didn't include any of those dumb apps that let you grow a tree on your phone, and they plant one (!) tree when you buy it. That just seems dumb. If you want to donate money to plant a tree, go right to the source and donate to something like the Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees. Your phone doesn't need to get involved.

Sure, iPhone apps are cool, but sometimes the old fashioned way still works best.

(Photo by Ed Yourdon on flickr)

Ideally, to celebrate Earth Day, I'd have my computer turned off and unplugged. However, like many of you, that's just not a possibility -- my job sort of calls for a computer to be used all day, every day, you know? But there is something really simple you and I can do to green our machines.

AOL's new Green Toolbar is here, it's awesome, and it's available to download. And I know, you're wondering how a toolbar is supposed to help you be more eco-conscious, right?

Easy peasy. It includes the Green Wizard Utility, which is an optional component that will help you fine-tune your computer to save energy. Additionally, it'll give you daily eco-tips, right there in your browser -- getting your green on was never so handy.

Go on and download it today -- it's fast and free, and a great way to make the time you spend on your PC echo the way you live the rest of your life!

As CFLs continue on the path towards mass adoption (or bridging the gap until LED bulbs become more affordable) prices are going down, bulbs are being mass-produced, and consumer groups are complaining that the quality standards are deteriorating rapidly. Has the aggressive push to make CFLs more affordable hurt quality and therefore damaged some of the CFL's hard-earned reputation?

It's finally here, Tesla's first foray into affordability and practicality -- and it looks/sounds pretty awesome. The annoying car cover from that teaser photo was thrown off today at Tesla's press event today in Hawthorne, CA, where the Model S -- which seats seven, charges in 45 minutes, and has a range of up to 300 miles -- made it's first public appearance.

How can a drain make your water heater more efficient? Well, it's actually pretty simple. The Eco Drain recaptures your refreshing morning shower's excess hot water and uses it to reduce the load on your water heater. With no moving parts and a supposedly clog-proof coating, the hot water from your drain is channeled into a mixing valve which transfers heat from your sudsy waste water to incoming municipal water.

If you're like me, you're probably wondering about exactly how the heat is exchanged between the two water sources. Apparently, the design maximizes the surface area of the two channels, allowing heat transfer as the water runs through the Eco Drain. According to Eco Drain, the waste water and fresh water are separated by a "double wall," so there's virtually no chance for them to mix. By their estimations, this completely sanitary heating method could cut your water heater use by up to 40%. Nice.

Now, to tackle the dilemma of whether or not to turn your water heater down below 140°F.

[via Inhabitat]

There are so many good things going on with small-scale wind turbines -- they're a beacon of good intentions, affordable, and now super easy to install -- it's a shame that in practice, micro wind's benefits are infamously dubious. Potential counter-productiveness aside, the Jellyfish Wind Appliance is bar none the coolest and weirdest-looking micro turbine to draw major league attention -- and that's saying something.

You know what they say: money is the root of all evil and power corrupts. So, you might as well start educating your children about both at an early age. Coming in at second place in this year's Greener Gadgets Conference is the Power Hog -- a toy that teaches children how annoying it would be if everything in the world was coin-operated. Just kidding, of course, the Power Hog is designed to teach children about the energy costs associated with their electrical devices.

This gadget is basically a energy-monitoring piggy bank attached to an extension cord that requires a donation to power your child's TV, Nintendo Wii, etc. As long as children feed the piggy meter, their device stays on and the dollar sign on the side glows green. As the Power-Hog begins to run out of funds, the dollar sign flashes red faster and faster. Kinda weird, right?

Look, everybody's got their own parenting style, and that's cool -- but something about making your kids pay to play Wii really makes me bust out laughing. On the upside, it's a sneaky way to force your children to supplement the electric bill with their allowance.

[via DesignMilk]