It is no secret that I heart REI. They make and sell great gear. The sales people are extremely knowledgeable. Their online store is great. Plus it is a co-op that you can join, and at the end of the year you receive a dividend check. Well, if you like giving your greenbacks to green stores, REI is the retailer for you. And they continue to get greener!

While getting my green on over at treehugger.com, I just read that not only does REI now use ecologically sensitive labeling to indicate products that are designed to have less impact on our planet, they are also building green stores too. I call that a green double up!

Now you can shop easily for eco gear made with sustainable and recycled materials bearing the eco-sensitive label in a store designed to minimize REI's carbon footprint. The new REI store opening soon in Boulder, CO, is their green prototype store that uses solar energy to reduce its electricity consumption by 20 percent and its water usage by 30 percent.

If you can't make it to the Boulder store, you can always shop their eco labeled products online.