About

The eco-friendly products organization, Gaia Guy, was born from a burning need to:

• remove the environmental angst of consumption
• provide a meaningful livelihood from regenerative solutions & renewable materials
• find a tribe of like-minded people who uplift each other

What follows is an effort to detail what that means to both of us. You will be rewarded in more ways than one after you kindly allow these words to skip through your mind.

A Cure for the Environmental Angst of Consumption

This feeling of angst or eco-conscious strain comes from consuming things that don't align to your ecological principles. Many of these purchases are necessary for daily life, yet at times they don’t get nearly the equivalent careful consideration that many put into agonizing over ingredients on an organic paleo protein bar.

For example, you probably used a toothbrush at least once today, right?  It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that you’ll use one again, agreed? A safe wager would be on you using one for as long as you have teeth, would you say?   

Right, so shouldn’t we give that seemingly inconsequential purchase the same consideration as other products we put in our mouths?

Who likes or would recommend to someone putting plastic in their mouth at all, let alone #everydamnday? Not too many is a safe guess. And throwing “away” an Oral B toothbrush or whatever conventional plastic one every few months, should make you feel about as good as the following picture does.

The facts are that only a small fraction will get recycled into plastic lumber or some other object and that comes after some large energy inputs.

However, the vast majority (nearly 500 million, yes that’s half a billion), in the USA each year end up in landfills. A few million or more make their way to the ocean to degrade down to tiny and deadly microplastics.  

So, bring on the bamboo toothbrush as a start to this ecological regenerative enterprise based on renewable materials. It’s not a new idea given the history of the toothbrush, yet it is immensely powerful given the scale of this industry.

Imagine each time you hold that light and sturdy bamboo brush, you can be reminded of an action you took to support your ecological values. You could have turned a blind eye, but you said, "Nope, not this time. There's a better way." 

Pivotal Point and Persistent Passion

Of course, that is just a starting point, isn’t it? The passion for producing products made of natural materials is nearly as intense as the desire for people to support them. This is no surprise given the shocking state of the health of people and planet. The time to do better is now.

Look around and see all the plastic and other nonsensical items our species has cleverly created.  It could feel overwhelming to imagine replacing all this pervading plastic overnight. And it’s OK to inhabitant that space.

However long you stay there though, be sure to move on to the juicy creative design headspace that will inevitable arouse solutions. Simple and perhaps obvious inventions like replacing all plastic drinking straws with a reusable glass straw. And to more complex ones that replace plastic, toxic chemicals and other pollutants with bio-based ingredients.

Gaia Guy is committed to contributing more natural solutions that serve the well-being of the earth and earthlings. It isn’t presumptuous to state that you also want to see more truly good goods replacing those environmental angst inducing ones, right?

An eco-friendly prepared, packaged and produced product that reflects the best of our historical harmony with the natural world and embodies our shared environmental ideals is the design brief.

This is the chance to vote for our shared ecological principles by putting our financial energy to work for good. Hey, you're going to buy a toothbrush at some point, right? Why not brush better with a bamboo toothbrush? 

It Takes A Tribe To Thrive

An ecological business must make a profit to sustain and evolve. It’s like a healthy forest that produces surplus material in the form of biomass to feed the soil and in turn all members of that ecosystem.

Just surviving isn’t going to make a ripple of difference in the titanic-size toxic goop and plastic that gets dumped in the ocean daily.

A thrive mentality and the strength of a loyal tribe is the only way to stay alive. Together we can compete amongst the giant corporations. From the outright baddies to the masters of greenwashing, who masterfully market their wares through feats of manipulative marketing that mesmerizes us into thinking they deserve our money!  

If it weren’t for the sun providing energy to that forest it couldn’t continue to be. You are the sun that shines on Gaia Guy. Your energy comes in the form of:

• shining other beams of light (your friends) to our eco-friendly ways through social shares, kind reviews and recommendations
• your financial energy that directly contributes to supporting the types of organizations you want to see thrive in the world
• feedback that reminds the ecosystem of the roots of its creation and what lifeforce allows it to be in the first place

It's more than a passion, or something nice to do once a week at a farmer's market. It's an imperative that we as a tribe share and care for.

Nurturing it along the way as more products that you feel good about placing in your cart and sharing with your friends and family. This is one of the driving forces behind Gaia Guy as we rid your purchase decisions of environmental angst.    

Together this regenerative enterprise can continue to offer renewable, non-toxic and biodegradable products that are fairly sourced and reasonably priced to its tribe.  We do not want to add to the already toxic load that we all see, feel, smell and, sadly even taste. 

There shouldn’t be any eco-conscious strain either at the end of a products useful life. This is a vital goal that all Gaia Guy products return to the soil. Mimicking nature in perhaps the most important principle of creating no waste. Eco-friendly products that are biodegradable, recyclable, upcyclable and ultimately made from earth and for earth.

These environmentally-friendly goods should feed the health of our tribe members, the planet, and not hurt any of its inhabitants. Also, Gaia Guy the organization needs to be fairly fed. Not just merely survive, but have a surplus that can be redistributed to worthy people and causes. Looking at you, right now. 

Vision Quest

Provide eco-friendly products that people need. Earth friendly products that are non-toxic, from renewable resources and at fair prices. 

• Products that partner with natural systems and resources
• Pricing that respects and compensates all involved, while offering value
• Profits that return to the first two principles above

Yes, organizations planting trees is awesome, but how about building up a system where surpluses are returned to you or directly to where you want them. Not just another charitable organization that inevitably succumbs to Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy:

“In any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always get in control and those dedicated to the goals the bureaucracy is supposed to accomplish have less and less influence, and sometimes are eliminated entirely.”

To be frank, you're the marketing department, PR manager and head of keeping this whole eco-system in balance so you should receive a bonus each year. This could be free goods for you or for you to gift to friends. How about we send you a tree from a local permaculture plant nursery? Let's talk more later. 

Yes, you do deserve it, because you are obeying your ecological conscience.

No plastic single use crap for you. You not only found an alternative bamboo toothbrush and reusable glass straws but you put your money where your mouth is (quite literally).

So, go ahead and fully enjoy that green smoothie with a friend through. They're crystal clear and so is your environmental conscience.

Gaia Guy is here to provide more green products that you can feel good about supporting. It's the guiding vision and the mission. And with you here, all the above and more is possible.  

And we thank you deeply for your support. 

A Mighty Forest Starts With a Seed

Gaia Guy, the mindful mercantile sprang forth quite literally this spring in 2016.

The founder, Ian, is just a guy, another person on the planet like you who had enough of creating waste and enough of toxic products.

Of course, it wasn’t just plastic straws and toothbrushes, but you see the growing concern. Using a disposable plastic straw and a plastic toothbrush just doesn't make sense on numerous levels, right?  

The idea was to share eco-friendly products and services that you could add to our toolkits as we all strive to support our health while respecting the planet and all other inhabitants.

A zero waste planet is the one Mother Earth birthed for us. Sadly, we have deviated insanely far from that world. Thank goodness moms have huge forgiving hearts and the path home is right in front of us. Just put one foot forward and realize you are not alone but with friends.

You can take massive action for change by choosing products that support ecological principles and simple observable natural laws. This is truly proactive. Demonstrations have their place but lack that immediate impact of putting the tangible financial energy behind the direction of change you want to see in the world. 

Adding eco-friendly products to your cart empowers change. A change in your well-being and the planet's. It looks like a small almost insignificant act but remember a mighty oak grows from an acorn. 

As more like-minded folks gather, this eco-friendly movement grows more robust and resilient. 

The move towards truly earth friendly products becomes the norm. All producers and makers get the message you are sending.

It isn't being idealistic. It's always been the design. We just needed a little redirection back to our Earth Mother – Gaia.

Thank you for choosing bio-based products from Gaia Guy and other ecological principled purveyors.