Erin Ely runs Ely Organics which sells certified organic personal care products. She lets us know about insisting on products with ingredients good enough to eat, buying your food locally and why “body burden” wears us all down.

How do you eco?

I’m passionate about everything organic. I started as an online business selling Miessence Certified Organic products. I became interested in these products as I was learning about chemicals in personal care products. Miessence products have third party organic certification (USDA & ACO) which verifies the products organic claim. This is the highest level of organic product verification. I run my business from home. I purchase carbon off-sets through Native Energy for all my operations, in addition to the everyday things like recycling, using recycled paper, low energy light bulbs, and using green cleaning products.

Why did you go eco?

I’ve been eating organic and local food for over 15 years. Having children really pushed me even farther into the eco world. I have a big concern about chemicals in the environment and the effects of cumulative exposure to chemicals, something known as “Body Burden”. This made me more aware of not only what we eat but also what we put on our skin every day and then wash down the drain. I believe chemical pollution is one of the major threats to healthy living today.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

Buy local food. Source your food locally as much as possible. Minimize buying packaged and prepared foods. Even if the food is not organic it is better to support your local farming economy. Buying local food and supporting small farmers is critical to maintaining a safe and reliable food system.

EcoLinks

• Ely Organics

Dr. Nammy Patel
Green Dentistry
sfgreendentist.com

Dr. Nammy began her San Francisco-based green dental practice three years ago and moved into her new LEED Gold certified digs earlier this year.

We talked teeth on the beautiful, 21 year-old family heirloom office couch and what it means to be a green dentist.

How do you eco?

We try to think of everything. We work in partnership with our clients to make them feel comfortable. From private consultations, a personal office tour, relaxing music, herbal shoulder wraps and organic lip balm, we try to relax our clients. We want you to feel comfortable.

We also want to make sure we don’t contaminate, but still re-use our resources as much as possible. We have a mercury amalgam separator, so old fillings don’t just go down the drain and back into the water system. Most dentists don’t even know about it.

When we designed the office, we wanted to create a completely sustainable space, using materials that are least toxic, including recycled sheetrock and PVC-free vinyl flooring. Our furniture is FSC-certified. Instead of plastic, throw-away seat covers, we use reusable organic cotton. Our office is completely digital, and we work with sustainable merchants, such as Dharma Merchants, who donate 10% of their profits to non-profit organization.

Why did you go eco?

I wanted to combine my profession, lifestyle and religion into one.

I’m from a small village in India. There were trees all around us. I grew up in San Francisco, so I’m a natural treehugger.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

I’m all about minimalism.

Floss, brush your teeth, brush your tongue. Use Recycline’s Preserve Ultrasoft toothbrushes. You can send them back to the company, and they’ll recycle them into a new toothbrush.

EcoLinks

• Recycline
• Dharma Merchant Services
• Green Dentistry