There are so many Green Directories around now days, what is the deal with this one?
Eco-shout hunts down and promotes truly grass roots sustainable businesses as our first priority. Many of the businesses you will find here were started by environmental campaigners and conservationists seeking to make change rather than just profit. We also include larger profit focused businesses when a smaller alternative doesn't exist, as long as they are doing really great stuff, such as making reams of recycled paper or designing greywater systems. Unlike some other directories that call themselves green, we DO NOT include businesses in unsustainable industries who are simply trying to decrease their impact.There are two other directories in Melbourne that we believe are also truly green. They are listed at the bottom of this page.
How can you tell if a Green Directory is genuine or full of greenwash?
Many corporations now undertake environmental reporting and state that "sustainability" is a goal of their business. This does not make them green. If your business is still manufacturing a product that is fundamentally unsustainable (such as vehicles that run on petroleum, fossil fuel electricity, energy intensive packaging materials such as aluminium, or mass produced disposable goods that people don't even need) your business will never be sustainable.Some Green Directories receive financial support from such corporations and therefore include them in the directory amoung truly sustainable businesses. These companies are made to appear green with statements to the effect that they recycle, are working towards decreasing their emissions, or support environmental conservation programs. This still doesn't make them green. Look for the real alternatives in truly sustainable industries. These industies are outlined below.
What you'll find in the Eco-shout Green Directory:
Alternative Energy and Transport
Solar, wind and other renewable energies that generate power without exhausting the source they use or creating harmful waste; services that provide consultation on alternative energy use and reducing energy consumption are included in this category. Transport options that reduce reliance on fossil fuels, such as bicycles and car poolign services.Alternative Health
Herbal and vegetal remedies for the treatment and prevention of illness that do not contain synthetic or genetically modified ingredients and are not tested on animals; people that provide alternative healthcare treatment and advice.Artisan
Hand crafted wares that are made from sustainable or reclaimed materials. Artisan craft offers a personalised and sustainable alternative to mass production resulting in less energy used in production, less waste produced and less packaging. It also allows a personal connection with the person who has made the object you buy.Chemical Free
Herbal and vegetal alternatives to high impact chemical products such as cleaning agents and personal hygiene products; services that utilise chemical free products and processes in traditionally high impact industries such as printing, building and cleaning.Co-operatives (food)
Food stores and cafes run collectively (under no management) and usually not for profit that focus on providing sustainably grown food with minimal packaging at a low price.Co-operatives (other)
Co-operatively run businesses other than food stores that are in an environmentally sustainable industry.Eco-friendly Retailers
Shops and online stores that offer a sustainable alternatives to a range of high impact products and/or raise money for environmental campaigns.Eco-graphic Design & Printing
Eco-graphic designers are experienced in the effective communication of environmental projects and incorporate sustainability into the whole process from design to print. This includes efficient use of resources, the use of recycled papers and vegetable based inks, and the lowest impact printing processes.Eco-tourism
Low impact, sustainably run tourist ventures that encourage participants to engage with their environment and offer information about environmental issues relevant to the area.Ethical Investment
Investment and superannuation funds that use your money to invest in sustainable industries such as alternative energy, and exclude unethical and environmentally damaging industries from all their portfolios (especially mining, uranium, weapons manufacture, tobacco and gambling).Fair Trade
Alternatives to products (such as coffee, cocoa and clothing) that have traditionally been produced through exploitative labour practices in developing countries, often involving high impact intensive agricultural practices and the displacement or exploitation of indigenous people. Fair Trade involves dealing directly with producers to ensure a fair exchange and sustainable agricultural practices.Hemp
Hemp is recognised as an alternative to high impact materials such as cotton that require large quantities of water and energy to produce. Hemp products are also usually absent of chemical dyes etc.Markets
Markets that provide fresh produce that is not wrapped in layers of plastic and packaging. Farmers markets consist of fresh produce and home made goods produced by local growers so that the high impact of transporting goods over long distances is also avoided. You can also find a lot of second hand and artisan (hand made) goods at markets that are an environmentally friendly alternative to mass production.Native Nurseries
Nurseries that provide native seeds, seedlings and plants and advice on which plants are indigenous to a particular area. Nurseries that offer advice on organic and sustainable gardening methods.Organics
Food that is produced without pesticides, chemical fertilisers or any other chemical inputs, using non-intensive agricultural practices. Not only do we get to eat food free of substances known to be poisonous in large quantities, but environmental impacts such as chemical run-off into waterways, land degradation and salinity are decreased. Animals raised to produce organic dairy products are not fed anti-biotics, hormones or chemicals and are raised on pastures free of pesticides and other chemicals. Bio-dynamic food is organic food that is produced with a holistic view to growing in harmony with the land and its cycles. Organic clothing is made from materials which are grown organically. You can't necessarily eat them ;-).Publications
Magazines and journals that provide information on environmental issues, campaigns and environmentally sustainable living and practices, usually printed on recycled paper; and places you can find them.Recycled and Reclaimed Materials
The use of materials that would otherwise have been discarded to create new wares. Recycled products, such as paper, are made from materials that are broken down completely and then manufactured into a new product. Things made out of reclaimed materials, such as clothing and furniture, are not completely broken down, but are re-designed to become a new product that is often beautifully hand-crafted.Recycling
Services that involve collecting used materials and making them into something that can be used again reducing land fill; services that incorporate the use of recycled products and thereby avoid the need to cut down more trees, find more metals, create more chemicals etc.Re-usable
Re-usable alternatives to disposable products that avoid the high environmental impact and waste that comes from producing something, using it once and then throwing it away. Re-usable alternatives are spreading in new areas all the time. Some of the biggest hits include Rad Pads re-usable menstrual pads and cloth nappies.Revegetation
Businesses that propagate and plant native plants on a large scale, reducing erosion and land degradation, providing habitat for native animals and a better outlook for our atmosphere.Second Hand
Shops that re-sell second hand goods that would otherwise have ended up as land fill. By buying second hand, the resources that would have been used to manufacture a new product are also avoided. Op-shops are a category of second hand shops that raise funds for different causes and therefore sell things at a far lower price than commercial outlets.Sustainable Building and Design
People who design and build structures to minimise their environmental impact, taking into consideration things such as maximising natural heating, cooling and light, utilising gray water systems and renewable energy sources and using sustainable materials to build the structure. Sustainable Building and Design includes architectural services that provide sustainable designs, building services that use sustainable materials, and retailers that sell sustainable building materials.Sustainable Communities
Work that focuses on relationships between people and their environment, group dynamics and designing public space for social and sustainable living. In this section you will find facilitators who specialise in running workshops and meetings through consensus building, and organisations that focus on community building, designing sustainable communities and public spaces.Sustainable Gardening
People who design and create sustainable gardens and provide advice to others on how to make their own garden sustainable; alternatives to chemical based high impact gardening products. Creating a sustainable garden involves planting plants indigenous to the local area that are well suited to the environment (ie don't require excess water and fertilizers) and provide habitat for native birds and other animals, using organic alternatives to gardening chemicals, creating a compost, growing vegetables and minimising water use.Sustainable Living
Businesses that provide information and services that enable people to reduce the environmental impact of their every day life. We also put things in this category that don't fit anywhere else but promote sustainability through their service (ie Green Canary provides environmental products and services to schools and organisations so they can raise money in an ecologically responsible way).Vegan
Alternatives to products that traditionally include ingredients made from animals, and/or the manufacture of which involves the exploitation of animals. The main focus for vegan alternatives is on food, alternatives to leather goods such as shoes and belts, and alternatives to things usually tested on animals such as cosmetics, health care and personal hygiene.Vegetarian Eats
Cafes, restaurants and take away places that make vegetarian and vegan food. Providing meals that don't include meat or eating foods that contain animals (such as most cheese, gelatine based sweets, and many processed packaged foods) is better for the environment in so many ways its hard list them all here. Less animal grazing means less land degradation, less land clearing, less energy and water use and no animal cruelty.back to top
Other Directories:
Sustainable Living Foundation(for organisations and businesses working towards sustainable development)
The Green Directory
(for eco friendly products and services)
