Great Green Goods

Oots! Lunch Box

A few months ago, the International Housewares Show gave me a free pass to their Chicago. Although I twittered my slog through the aisles full of gleaming pots and bright appliances, between conferences, writing projects, and school programs, I've been too busy to write a full-scale post on my visit. Only by playing hooky from an event this evening will I be able to cross this off my to-do list.

Anyone who's been to one of these shows can attest to how overwhelming and exhausting they can be. No matter how good your plan of attack may seem to be, it's never enough to conquer the cavernous hall and endless aisles. Even if you can't boast to have seen it all, you can sense trends especially in your microcosm of industry.

So what did I see? Lots of silicone and a surprising number of pressure cookers. I saw much fewer kids' cooking tools than I expected or had hoped for. I did, however, find some pretty cool legitimately green products. Here were my favorites:

Lifefactory Silicone Covered Glass Bottles:

Offered in three sizes (22, 9 and 4 ounce), the bottles are glass with a wide mouthes that can be fitted with a nipple. The bright colored liners are free of plastic and 100% non-toxic.

Oots!
On a similar note, Oots! offers adorable BPA-free and phthlalate-free polypropylene plastic-free lunch boxes. Stylish and roomy, even the coolest of kids would be proud to tote this around.

Fabrikators Scrubbing Gloves

Potato gloves and seafood gloves are a clean, effective way to get your ingredients scrubbed.

Goodbye Detergent!

This cleaning product from Japan, is made from recycled corn cobs and peach pits. Reusable up to 6 monthes, the spaghetti scrubs can be used to clean pans and vegetables without soap.

The Laundry Pod

Great for small apartments, college kids, or long boat trips, the laundry pod is compact enough to fit under a sink and uses zero electricity.

Scanpan

My very favorite booth was the Danish-owned Scanpan. Their cookware is induction-compatible - its ceramic-titanium, PFOA-free interior is non-stick and safe for metal utensils. Scanpan is not cheap, but it's a great product.