Housewares trends lean toward green living with a caffeine chaser

CHICAGO — Pillows made of soy-based oil. Rugs made from bamboo. Reduced-chemical cookware.

At the International Home and Housewares Show here last week, it was hard to find products that weren't calling themselves eco-friendly.

"Probably the biggest trend I'm seeing is the whole green or environmental movement," said Lisa Casey Weiss, lifestyle consultant for the International Housewares Association. "A lot of companies are focused on doing whatever they can to make their products more environmentally friendly."

While Casey Weiss acknowledged that so-called "green washing" — putting the eco-friendly label on not-so-friendly products — does happen, she said for the most part "people are trying to do what's better."

Going green

One exhibitor who has replaced his entire product line with an eco-friendly counterpart is Tony Tracy, chairman and CEO of Perf Go Green, Inc.

Responding to increasing concerns about the environmental dangers of plastic bags, Tracy said he's the first to manufacture garbage bags, kitty-litter liners and lawn bags that are 100 percent biodegradable.

"The problem we have with landfills is the (plastic) bags don't break down for thousands of years," he said. "Our bags can break down in 12 to 24 months."

Kim Baker, president of Gouda Inc., had the same concerns about plastic bags in mind when she created the GreenShopper line of reusable bags.

The GreenShoppers come in several shapes, sizes and materials, including washable nylon, post-consumer plastics, organic cotton and bamboo. They fold down into pocket-sized squares for storage.

"There's a huge demand," Baker said. "Even the people in the shops are saying, 'You don't want a plastic bag, do you?' ... It's sort of embarrassing."

At the Housewares show's "Going Green" pavilion, highlighted products included Obus Ortho-Pedic Pillows made of soy-based polyol, a material the company says produces less emissions during manufacturing; Bamboo Shag Rugs made by Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co.; and Cuisinart's GreenGourmet Cookware, which claims to use energy-efficient manufacturing techniques.

Caffeine

If you think you're going broke from a daily latte, wait for the $2,300 coffee maker.

High-end coffee makers had a strong presence at the 2008 trade show, with several companies rolling out premium models in kitchen-friendly colors or stainless steel.

Among them was Italian manufacturer Gaggia, debuting its Platinum line of coffee and espresso machines with prices topping $2,000. The machines do nearly everything, from pulling in the desired amount of water to grinding and compacting the beans.

"People nowadays want to be able to have touch-button technology," said Tracy Schafer, national account executive for Gaggia. "They don't want to have to learn how to make that latte or cappuccino, they just want it to happen for them."

On the other end of the technology spectrum were the Wisdom Wands coffee and tea makers — glass products novel for their simplicity. The Java Wand is a mini French press with a glass straw that brews coffee "instantly" in the cup, said inventor Nancy Raimondo, adding that the Tea Wand does the same for loose tea.

"Let's face it, how many times can you afford to spend 3 or 4 dollars every time you want a cup of coffee?" Raimondo said. "With this, just ask for hot water and you have the ability to make a fresh cup no matter where you are." The wands are $19.95.

Even the coffee and tea makers at the show bragged of environmental consciousness, noting that their devices use less water and energy and use few to no filters. Still, many of today's popular coffee pods encase single-serve portions in plastic.