green shopping in Greenland

Traditional plastics take thousands of years to biodegrade. Considering that consumers in the United States discard billions of plastic shopping bags per year into the environment, it’s a bit unsettling to realize that those bags will never go away.

But there’s good news. A growing number of products are available made from plastic alternatives that break down in a matter of weeks. Many of these products can be found at Green Options, a new retail store on Route 33 in Greenland. Operating under parent company Greenland Bioplastics, the store opened its doors last weekend and will hold a grand opening event on Friday, Nov. 28.

Greenland Bioplastics offers soup bowls, dinner plates, grocery bags, cutlery, cups, lids take-out boxes and garbage bags—all made from corn starch, sugar beet and other renewable crops. “They’re all sustainable, 100 percent biodegradable and compostable,” said Mike Wallace, owner of Greenland Bioplastics. 

The company will focus on getting grocery outlets, university campuses, hospitals, manufacturers and other industries to replace traditional plastic and Styrofoam containers with biodegradable alternatives. Meanwhile, Green Options will offer shoppers a variety of environmentally friendly and energy efficient products.

The store has solar-powered cell phone and iPod chargers, shoelaces made from recycled bottle caps, pencils made from recycled currency and soy-based insulation for sealing cracks in windows. There are notebooks and bathroom tissue made from recycled paper, all-natural household cleaners, soy-based candles, natural creams and soaps in biodegradable containers, energy efficient light bulbs and BPA-free water bottles.

Currently, the store also carries green options for holiday gifts and décor, including energy-efficient Christmas lights, recycled wrapping paper and children’s toys that promote recycling.

According to company president and CEO Doug Siegel, Green Options is the only business of its kind in the nation. Some on-line distributors focus exclusively on green items, he said, but he is not aware of any others that have physical retail locations.

But Siegel and his partners agree that businesses like Green Options are likely to become more prevalent in the near future. He attended a recent presentation by UNH professor Ross Gittell, who referred to the “green economy” as a rare bright spot in the current economic picture.

“I really do believe this is the way of the future,” said store manager Mark Loomis.

A Hampton native, Wallace currently lives in Naples, Fla., where Greenland Bioplastics’ main office is located. He said he decided to open his new business in Greenland largely because the town’s name seemed fitting.

“Greenland’s attitude toward green businesses, their support of green businesses, gave us the inspiration to come here,” he said.
Wallace noted that the United States imports foreign resources to make petroleum-based plastic bags, and landfill space to hold those bags is in short supply. Enormous quantities of plastic waste wind up in the oceans, swirling in massive sea dumps. But corn-based products, which utilize the same type of corn used to produce ethanol, begin to biodegrade within 90 days of being placed in landfills or composting facilities. They can also be used in home and garden composting bins.

While many European countries have already turned to eco-friendly products, the United States is behind the curve, Wallace said. He admits that his products are slightly more expensive than traditional items, “but cost is kind of secondary when you think about the negative impact” of plastics, he said.

A grandfather of three, Wallace said he opened the business with future generations in mind. “I want to give (my grandchildren) a better world than where we’re heading right now,” he said. 

Green Options and Greenland Bioplastics are located at 759 Portsmouth Ave., Greenland, 603-686-9545. For more information, visit www.greenlandbioplastics.com.

new keepers for Whaleback Lighthouse

During violent storms, it is not uncommon for waves to crest over the top of the 50-foot granite lighthouse beacon at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. That being the case, tending to Whaleback Lighthouse might seem like a daunting task. But that’s exactly what the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse aim to do after recently taking ownership of the 136-year-old structure.
The U.S. Secretary of the Interior recently agreed to transfer ownership of Maine’s southernmost lighthouse from the U.S. Coast Guard to the American Lighthouse Foundation, putting it in the hands of the ALF’s local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. The group applied to obtain the lighthouse after the federal government declared it excess property last year under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

Projecting from a small island of rock off the coast of Kittery, Maine, Whaleback Lighthouse was constructed in 1872, replacing the original 1830 structure. The stone tower’s light was automated in 1963, negating the need for a full-time keeper, but its light and fog signal remain active aids to navigation.

The Coast Guard will continue to help maintain the lighthouse, but Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse will work to restore and preserve the historic tower, also offering educational programs for the public. Tending to an offshore lighthouse located on slick rock will be difficult, but the new owners look forward to the challenge.

“Whaleback Lighthouse is one of the most familiar and beloved icons of the region,” said Jeremy D’Entremont, founder of the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, in a press release. “It stands as a memorial to the people who lived and worked on Whaleback Ledge for well over a century. Its past is rich with stories of great sacrifice by its keepers and their families.”

The American Lighthouse Federation is a national organization headquartered in Rockland, Maine, that cares for 20 historic lighthouses throughout New England, including Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. For more information, visit www.lighthousefoundation.org or www.portsmoutharborlighthouse.org.