Ideal Bite

IDEAL BITE’S NEXT IN GREEN AWARD

We’re sorry! The voting is now closed (sigh), but check back on December 5, 2008, to find out which of our esteemed nominees was chosen by our Biter community as the most deserving recipient of the Next in Green award. This special category recognizes an up-and-coming eco-preneur doing extraordinary things on the eco front. To that end, the winner will receive a $10,000 cash award to help bring their great, green ideas to the mainstream market.

But, you can still check out all of our do-gooder nominees below.

NOMINEES   TRU Organic Vodka

This LA-based spirits company was founded in 2004 by husband-and-wife team _ Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew. All TRU Vodkas are certified-organic, packaged in 100% recycled, recyclable or biodegradable packaging and, in keeping with their motto "Drink it. Plant it.", the company plants a tree for every bottle sold. It is not only TRU's solid commitment to the environment that makes them an Ideal Bite fave - their yummy, flavor-infused line of spirits makes for killer cocktails...believe us, we know.

Why it matters >> If 10,000 Biters enjoy two organic vodka drinks instead of ones made with conventional vodka, we'll avert eight martini glasses' worth of pesticides from pouring into the environment.

FISH LIPS Paper Designs

Kimi Rutkin founded FISH LIPS after she asked her boyfriend the loaded question "How much do you love me?" Thankfully for her, his answer was - "I love you more than fish do this" - followed by a fish face. And so, this unique paper company was born! FISH LIPS products are printed with soy-based inks and are made from 100% recycled paper which is manufactured using wind power. Their designs are fresh and hip, and put a new spin on traditional wrapping paper. FISH LIPS also arms their customers with unique tips on how to reuse their products to reduce waste.

Why it matters >> If 10,000 Biters wrap a gift in 100% recycled paper, we would save about 64 trees.

EarthLust

EarthLust's funky, earth inspired designs are the work of founder, Allison Tryk. Her one-of-a-kind, stainless steel bottles come in three sizes (to fit any purse or murse), and each vessel sports minimalist, nature-inspired graphics-decorated with non-toxic paints, of course. Founded in 2007, Allison was inspired by the birth of her son to create a different kind of bottle that didn't compromise her clean drinking water or contribute to more waste. EarthLust is made in the U.S., and before recently, operated out of Allison's living room. EarthLust's commitment to the environment shows, donating a portion of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide.

Why it matters >> 1.5 million barrels of oil is used every year to make disposable water bottles.

Mohop

Mohop's sultry sandals are perfect for any finicky fashionista who wants to live large, but on a shoestring budget. Handmade by founder, Annie Mohaupt these "infinity sandals" sport soles crafted from sustainably sourced wood and feature interchangeable ribbons that give you hundreds of different looks in one shoe! We love these stylish eco-friendly kicks almost as much as the moolah we're saving buying just one shoe with thousands of possibilities.

Why it matters >> If 10,000 Biters picked up a pair of wooden or recycled rubber shoes over regular sandals, we'd conserve 158,500 gallons of petroleum.

Josie Maran Cosemetics

Josie's makeup makes us feel as gorgeous as the company's famous founder (well, almost). Coined "beauty without the baggage", each product is made with organic ingredients rather than petrochems or parabens. And since every good Biter knows that our skin absorbs nearly 60% of what we put on it, we love that every product in this eco-friendly line is made with ingredients we can pronounce. The packaging is pretty too - and you can recycle or compost all of it. Even the display units at her retail counters have been constructed from sustainable materials.

Why it matters >> If 10,000 Biters use five paraben-free lipsticks instead of regular each year, we'll keep over 10 pounds of cancer-linked chems off of our bods.

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