Now that we’ve added a few posts explaining what we’re all about, introducing you to our illustrious author, and even given you five swell reasons to stick around, we thought it might be a good idea to give you a better idea of what we believe makes something “ecocheap.”
First, we believe that ecocheap solutions reduce consumption and waste. The financial practicality of reducing consumption is obvious. Generally, the less you use of something, the less you spend on that something.
But most people are oblivious to the fact that reducing waste is one of the greenest things you can do. Not only does reducing waste necessarily reduce consumption, thus decreasing the drain on your bank account, reducing waste diminishes environmental impact exponentially.
Allow me to explain. By reducing garbage, we reduce the mass of stuff that ends up in landfills. I won’t bother spouting off about why it’s good to reduce the amount of stuff that ends up in landfills because I think it’s pretty obvious. But by throwing stuff away, we also set off a chain of events that create needless waste of resources at every level.
There are garbage trucks and the fuel required to run them transporting our trash. Waste water must be treated before it can be used, requiring not only energy expenditure, but also requiring chemical applications and treatments. By using inefficient insulation and appliances in our homes, not only do we waste energy, we contribut to carbon gas emission and global climate change.
Obviously, the consequences of wastefulness are vast. Thus our feeling that reducing consumption and waste top our list of criteria for ecocheap solutions. Not only will you save money, you’ll make a significant reduction in your environmental impact.
Second, we believe that ecocheap solutions are sustainable and minimize environmental impact. I hope you’ll forgive us for using loaded terms like “sustainability” and “minimal environmental impact” here on our blog. We realize that these have become highly politicized and thus, highly controversial issues in certain circles.
We’ll discuss sustainability and minimization of environmental impact in future articles. But for the purposes of ecocheap, when we reference “sustainability,” we’re only talking about the fact that the best ecocheap solutions are the ones that minimize our effect on the earth, and can be sustained indefinitely. Or at least, as long as possible. 
At ecocheap, we believe that the very best solutions are customizable and scalable. In our experience, people are best able to maximize environmental benefit with financial practicality when they are able to customize a solution precisely to fit their needs. Likewise, really great ecocheap applications are scalable: the practical benefits of the solution remain regardless of the size of the application. Examples of customizable and scalable ecocheap solutions include: reduction of consumption and waste, composting, and solar water heating.
Now that we’ve discussed what makes an idea or solution ecocheap, we’d like to set in type a few important caveats:
1. Not everything works for everybody. Though the best solutions will most anywhere and everywhere, the fact that it won’t doesn’t negate its value. Likewise, just because an idea seems great doesn’t mean it will work everywhere.
I saw a great example of this in action on an alternative energy forum recently. A particularly passionate poster espoused the universal practicality of swamp coolers as replacements for traditional air conditioning systems ad nauseum, with complete disregard for the fact that swamp coolers are useless (and dangerous) in humid climates (particularly the southeast United States). Though she likely meant well, all she did was alienate posters who truly couldn’t avail themselves of her solution.
2. Some things are ecocheap some of the time, but not all of the time. More than anything, this is a derivative of the previous points. This point is best explained by example. Environmentalists often espouse the benefits of cloth diapers over disposables. But what if you live in an area where there is a serious water shortage? Is it better to use disposable diapers, or 50 gallons of water a day rinsing, washing, and sanitizing diapers?
So, there’s a good start on what makes something ecocheap. Feel free to make suggestions for additions to the list!