Going Green Solutions is a family-run business that sells eco-friendly products. There is a website and a shop. They also have energy efficiency assessors.
Introduction
For more than 10 years, Going Green Solutions has been selling eco-friendly products to households around Australia. Customers in the Hurstbridge area can make a visit to their store, but for the rest of the country, their products are available through the Going Green Solutions website. Their website also provides a blog with articles about how to live more sustainably. As well as selling household products, Going Green Solutions specialises in sustainable packaging for caterers. They also offer assessments of the energy efficiency of your home through the Residential Efficiency Scorecard system.
What is Going Green Solutions?
Going Green Solutions is a family run business that was created by married couple, Sean and Lucinda Green, after the birth of their second child. When their first child was born, Lucinda had hoped to use cloth nappies and other eco-friendly options, but she was not able to easily access them. Lucinda created Rosy’s Garden during her maternity leave for her second child. Later Sean left his job and they started Going Green solutions. The aim and mission of the company is to provide eco-friendly products for ordinary households as well as providing biodegradable catering supplies.
“The desire to provide eco-friendly products for the home, as well as promoting the exciting possibilities of biodegradable catering ware, continues to create the unique story of Going Green Solutions. It’s not always an easy interface, but it’s all about making sustainable options easily available to EVERYONE, in their homes, businesses and organisations.”
goinggreensolutions.com.au/about_us
Where are Going Green Solutions based?
The company is based at 929 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road, Hurstbridge in the Shire of Nillumbik which is north east of Melbourne, about 30 km from the Melbourne CBD.
What do Going Green Solutions sell?
Going Green Solutions sells compostable and plant-based catering ware and packaging containers. For hot drinks, customers can purchase BioCups and Lids and for cold drinks, PLA cups and lids. They also supply takeaway boxes and trays as well as bowls with lids. Compostable disposable gloves are also available. Paper straws and cutlery and plates made from sugarcane and palm leaf are also sold by Going Green Solutions.
There are a number of different cleaning products including brushes and other equipment available. The company tries to provide grey water friendly options. Where possible cleaning products are plant-based and chemical-free. For customers who are able to visit the store BYO container refills for some products are available.
In the kitchen and bathrooms supplies category, you can find cleaning products and soaps. Bin Liners which are certified biodegradable and home compostable can be bought in a range of sizes and are available in bulk for offices and businesses. For more information about biodegradable and compostable products see this article. Many of their products are available in bulk.
Going Green Solutions also sells Fair Trade, handmade,or upcycled gifts. Visitors to the website can search by age, gift value or interest, which includes the categories of permaculture, gardening, waste-conscious, DIY food and drinks, and DIY arts and crafts.
Where do they ship to?
Going Green Solutions ships Australia wide using Australia Post.
What information can be found on their website?
The blog contains articles about the brands they stock, eg BioBoard and bioplastic PLA. It also features posts on ways to live more sustainably eg how to compost, the right to repair, and avoiding fast fashion
Does Going Green Solutions conduct Energy Assessments?
Going Green Solutions uses The Australian government’s Residential Efficiency Scorecard and has accredited assessors who can help you understand how efficient your house is in terms of energy and what you can do to make improvements. The assessments can take between 1.5 and 3 hours and the assessor will access your whole house and take photographic evidence of fixed appliances and home construction.
After the assessment, clients will get a 3 page certificate and a detailed report outlining how you can make your home more efficient. You will get a guide to work with details about upgrade options and how to do it. The assessor will also make suggestions about ways to improve the efficiency of your home with links to products and installers and suppliers.
Going Green Solutions has two assessors, Lucinda and Carl. You can find information about them on the Going Green Solutions website where you can also see videos about the Scorecard.
The website says that there is a weekly newsletter, but the link is not active.
Does Going Green Solutions have any physical stores?
There is a physical shop in Hurstbridge. It is called Going Green Solutions Eco Lifestyle
Advantages of using Going Green Solutions
● Going Green Solutions sells all kinds of quality household items from insect deterrents to paper straws and gifts.
● Going Green Solutions sells a number of reputable brands, so you don’t need to do research and compare different brands. It will save you time and effort.
● Going Green Solutions has accredited Scorecard assessors who can help you to make your home more energy efficient.
● Although you have to pay Australia Post shipping costs when you purchase a product, GGS does not charge extra.
● There is a customer reward programme where you earn points which you can exchange for discounts. By signing up you can immediately earn a $5 discount. For every $50 that you spend, you will be given 5 points. Once you have 20 points, you can claim a $5 discount. You will be prompted at the checkout if you have enough points.
“Passion for the planet is the bottom line – which is why Going Green Solutions is not only a retail business, it is also a Community Hub for recycling and other programs, and provides community education.”
goinggreensolutions.com.au/about_us
Disadvantages of using Going Green Solutions
● You have to pay postage on orders of less than $75. The cost usually depends on the weight and can vary between $6.95 and $10.95. This can significantly increase the price of your purchase. If your purchase is light but large in size it may cost more than you think since the price does not always depend on the weight.
● Points that you earn are only valid for 6 months, so you will need to shop with Going Green Solutions on a regular basis in order to use your discount.
● They are a small company, so, when you go to their website you may find that a number of the products that are listed are out of stock.
Is Going Green Solutions trustworthy?
Going Green Solutions has been around for more than 10 years, and it is B Corp Certified. This certification means that they demonstrate high social and environmental performance. For more information about certification, see B Corp Certification demonstrates a company’s entire social and environmental impact. Going Green Solutions offers workshops and presentations to councils, schools, and community groups.
The Going Green Solutions website has a number of testimonials, but as it’s a small company it is not possible to see many independent reviews. Nevertheless, Going Greens Solution is clearly a trustworthy company.
Conclusion
Going Green Solutions is a family run company on the outskirts of Melbourne. There is one store in Hurstbridge, but most of their sales are done through the website. They sell products that help people live more sustainably. They also sell products in bulk to businesses. They provide compostable catering materials for businesses. In addition to selling eco-friendly products, they run workshops and presentations for councils, schools, and community groups.
They also provide Residential Efficiency Assessors to help people make improvements to their homes to make them more environmentally friendly. For anyone who wants to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, it is worth going to the Going Green Solution website to see the products they have available.
You can also check out our reviews of:
HelloGreen Review – Plastic Free Living
Garden Tower Project; Innovative Gardening
Reference List:
1. Going Green Solutions. Accessed online at https://www.goinggreensolutions.com.au/ on 28 Dec, 2022.
2. ‘5 BioCup Myths Busted!’. Leah Maguero. Accessed online at https://www.biopak.com/au/resources/5-biocup-myths-busted on 28 Dec, 2022.
3. ‘What is PLA Plastic?’. Ashish Mittal. Published 24 Oct, 2022. Accessed online t https://plasticranger.com/what-is-pla-plastic/ on 28 Dec, 2022.
4. ‘What is Greywater: A Complete Overview To Everything You Need To Know’. John McCloy. 13 Sep, 2019. Accessed online at https://greencoast.org/what-is-greywater/ on 28 Dec, 2022.
5. ‘Biodegradable vs. Compostable: What’s the Difference?’. Kiah Treece. Updated 24 Sep, 2021. Accessed online at https://www.treehugger.com/biodegradable-compostable-difference-5094376 on 28 Dec, 2022.
6. ‘Residential Efficiency Scorecard’. Accessed online at https://www.homescorecard.gov.au/ on 28 Dec, 2022.
7. ‘About B Corp Certification: Measuring a Company’s Entire Social and Environmental Impact’. Accessed online at https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/ on 28 Dec, 2022.
