Green Tip: Staying Warm while Stopping Global Warming CleanFlame Firelog

By Summer:

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. Okay compared to what we’ve had this winter the weather really isn’t currently frightful, but I do appreciate a cozy, warm fire to cuddle up to with my husband … ok let’s be realistic, we’re watching a movie and both working on our computers. But it is a nice start to the evening to be ultra-clean while burning a 100% recycled CleanFlame firelog.

Here’s the deal, I was a skeptic about CleanFlame’s green claims. I had to do my research to find out why these logs were claiming to be environmental. Well, CleanFlame proved themselves to me!

CleanFlame is made from 100% recycled waxed corrugated boxes which aren’t readily recyclable. However, these boxes are vital to our vast produce delivery as these boxes are used for transportation as they are water-tight, high-quality, FDA-approved food-grade, waxed-box containers. (Tongue-tied? Read it again! I’m not trying to trick you but be honest about the true environmental nature of these firelogs.) Though these wax boxes are great for produce they’re not great for the environment as the wax would just sit in a landfill for up to 50 years waiting to decompose.

CleanFlame uses a special system called CleanCycle^TM  since wax boxes can’t go through the regular recycling procedure and could actually contaminate the whole process of recycling a batch of plain cardboard. There have been attempts to chemically strip the wax off those boxes but as you can imagine how polluting this is. Though wood is a renewable resource these waxy boxes need to be recycled as over 95% have been going into landfills, about 1.5 MILLION EACH DAY. So in doing this recycling, ClearFlame not only makes clean firelogs and firestarters but they save over 100,000 trees each year. Win-win!

In addition to all this green construction procedures, ClearFlame does NOT use palm oil from plantations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea to make their logs as they have been linked to human rights abuse, rainforest destruction, and polluting which threatens highly endangered species including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephants and the Orangutan. (In fact other companies are taking notice of these palm oil plantations too; Whole Foods Market will not be selling products with palm oil starting in 2012 without third-party certification that the oil has been sustainably harvested.)

I was so impressed by what I found about CleanFlame. Not just in their manufacturing procedures but CleanFlame is also green enough for cooking and heating. CleanFlame logs are safe enough to cook over as they do not incorporate the toxins found in other brands. The FDA-approved wax boxes they use burn at a high-BTU (British Thermal Unit) that is hot and clean with very mild, candle-like smoke. In an independent test conducted by Omni Consulting Services, Inc. they confirm CleanFlame logs, “burn cleaner and yield greater flame optics and heat per pound than either firewood or other manufactured firelogs.” Due to CleanFlame’s log composition it is even safe to burn more than one log at a time.

For all this green talk, let me share some more green news — you’ll be saving green … YES CASH! Believe it or not CleanFlame is cheaper than other firelog brands. CleanFlame gets their recycling raw materials for a reduced rate and pass that savings onto YOU! You can find Clean Flame retailers on their site; for more information you can also check them out on Twitter @CleanFlame.

So cuddle up or make your s’mores with your CleanFlame blazing!

Summer received samples from CleanFlame in order to create this review. All opinions are her own.

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.