Dr. Greenbee Selling a 'Green' Way of Life in Kent

Maureen Drinkard isn't just selling green products. She's selling a way of life.

Of course you'll find the usual suspects for sale at her new downtown Kent store, Dr. Greenbee. There's rain barrels and make-your-own rain barrel kits, several different methods of compost bins and shelves stocked full of nonchemical-based household cleaners.

But you'll get more than just a product at Dr. Greenbee. You'll get advice on how to use it effectively.

Drinkard, who got her bachelor's degree in conservation from , is now pursuing a doctoral degree in ecology just a few blocks from her home, which isn't far from her store.

She moved to Kent in August 2010 for a number of reasons, but one of the most important was the community's passionate involvement in meaningful causes.

"Kent was the only place in Northeast Ohio I would ever consider living," the North Carolina transplant said. "I sort of have a very liberal, free-thinking mindset. And Kent is the only place I've found that tolerates that kind of behavior."

Drinkard said the idea of opening a store packed with environmentally friendly products grew naturally out of her education and a desire to have time in life to do what's important to her — like raise her kids while working part-time teaching at Kent State.

Through her studies, Drinkard realized there is "a real gap" between what people know about how the Earth's natural processes work and what they can do to minimize their effect on the ecosystem.

One example? The store's laundry products.

Dr. Greenbee sells soap nuts, which are the husk from a tree nut that contains a natural soaping agent when the nuts are submerged in warm water. Rather than add laundry detergent, four or five soap nuts tossed into a washing machine will clean four or five loads of laundry. The nuts are all-natural, so they're particularly good for cleaning delicate fabrics and aren't harsh on people with sensitive skin. They're also good for traveling or camping.

The nuts come in a muslin bag, which is biodegradable, and the nuts themselves can be tossed into your compost bin when they're "cashed out," Drinkard said.

"It's really easy to have zero-impact laundry," she said.

If you buy a rain barrel or rain-barrel kit, you'll also get an explanation from Drinkard as to how the barrel pays for itself. Drinkard said the barrel, which is sold for $100 (kits are $33), saves you from turning on the hose and paying for water when you want to wash the car or water the garden. And, the rain water keeps the chemically treated municipal water from spotting cars and covering vegetables with chemicals like fluoride and other additives.

The same goes for compost bins. The store has several options ranging from a worm composter that produces no odor and you can keep inside, small composters for apartments and large, outdoor compost bins.

"If you're a gardener and like to grow your own food, compost is like gold," Drinkard said.

Their biggest seller is the household cleaning products, which they're having a hard time keeping on the shelves. Different types of Charlie's Soap, a vegetable-based, biodegredable cleaner, can clean everything from greasy car engines to furniture and carpets. And like all of Dr. Greenbee's other products, it's made within 500 miles of Kent.

The store, at 223 N. Water St. next to , also offers a number of workshops for everything from making soap and beer to beekeeping.

Drinkard said right now they're testing products to see what sells and what people aren't interested in. Eventually, they'd like to expand the current store or move somewhere larger downtown to include a green home improvement line of products.

"For the average person to be transplanted from their home to an Earthship totally off the grid isn't going to happen. And I don't know that it should," she said. "The whole idea of the store is being organic and healthy."