Published by Martha Danly under Retail, Sustainability, Sustainable Products

Happy New Year! Break out the champagne and party hats! Welcome to the fresh, new face of Green by Design!

With the launch of our new site, we’re spreading the wings of Green by Design, where we aim to make it easier for people to go green. And by easier we mean simpler, more fun, and more inspiring.

Up until now, Green by Design has been serving you a blog that ranges over a wide territory of green subjects, from the benefits of hypermiling to the economics of LED lighting, to why recycled glass countertops are the bomb, and how a letterpress print shop can operate sustainably.

We also talk to leaders of the green movement—such as designer Michelle Kaufmann, TreeHugger founder Graham Hill, visionary architect Sim Van der Ryn, and prefab polymath Charlie Lazor, to mine their thinking on important issues of the day. You’ll see them featured in the Inside Design section of the homepage.

Today’s big addition is the Green by Design Shop where we bring you cool, handpicked products for the home and garden. We’ve been very selective, choosing only the meanest and greenest goods we could find—wooden toys made without toxic glues or VOC finishes, a biodegradable USB drive, a gorgeous bowl made of pressed fruit. Come take a look at the range, from sofas to kayaks, from affordable, everyday items to one-of-a-kind splurges.

Besides providing this great selection, we tell the simple truth about every product we offer—not a vague label that says ‘ecofriendly’. We’ve researched each product (rejecting countless others that didn’t make the grade) and given it a Green Scorecard that works a lot like a nutrition label: it distills important features that make the product green. After we do the digging, we share what we find, via a format you can scan in a New York minute:

• Materials — recycled, reclaimed…or new
• Materials — natural, organic…or toxic
• Manufacturing process
• Recyclability
• Company’s business practices
• Country of origin

The green revolution is a tsunami, bringing us more information than we can possibly absorb, some of it contradictory and conflicting. That’s where Green by Design comes in—we’re your filter, your framer, and your advisor – a smart, trusted friend who can give you the Cliff’s Notes on what’s what. To that end, we’ve added guides on how to shop for and use key household items that can have a big impact on your carbon footprint. The first six guides, launching today, cover linens, paints, lighting, water filters, water heaters, and insulation. Look for the next bunch to arrive soon.

We emphasize ways to reduce consumption and maximize fulfillment. Of course, being green is a lifelong process, not a one-time event. It’s clear we can’t shop our way to a sustainable planet, but if we follow educated choices with consistent action, we’ll find a way collectively to beat global warming.

Green by Design’s true goal is to be the place you come to, time and time again, to be stirred (and sometimes cajoled) into being more green. We want this to be The Place where you can get education, entertainment, and inspiration all at the same time.

You’re an important player in what makes Green by Design work. Dive in; give us feedback. Share your enthusiasm for a great new product, suggest a blog topic, and turn us on to what you care about-because that’s how we’ll change the world, together.