Netting a Better Return
Date: August 26, 2008 | Category: Featured, Lifestyle, Office, Tech
The computer industry is in high speed trying to cater to those of us consumers that consider our footprint with every purchase.
Asus plans to sell a small desktop called the Eee Box which will feature an eco-friendly build while performing to the same specifications as similar conventional computers. (more…)
Join the Club Chair
Date: August 15, 2008 | Category: Green Building, Home Furnishings, Office, The Home
Marrying a love of sleek contemporary design with a reverence for the earth, Animavi has created a line of iconic chairs and ottomans that celebrate the timeless appeal of the curve. Fit for a museum (with a price-tag to match), the sinewy set is apt to run more than $6,000. But if your castle is in need of a new throne, the Animavi is the kind of heirloom you are unlikely to outgrow.
Available in a broad palette of elegant colors and three textiles-organic felt, vegetable-dyed leather and cow-hair- Animavi uses soy-based foam and wool liners. The cushions are fully biodegradable, which means they require less time to decompose in landfills and significantly cut carbon emissions. The metal frame and other stainless steel parts can be recycled. Animavi prides itself on supporting a triple bottom line (modeling their business on economics, sustainability and social responsibility). If you’re looking for a reason to rationalize this exquisite indulgence, keep in mind that a purchase could earn you points toward LEED certification!
Bamboo Worth Writing Home About
Date: July 22, 2008 | Category: Office, The Home
Inspired by a love of nature and artisanal printing, Smock Stationery transforms ethically harvested, “Panda-safe” bamboo from Thailand into luxury paper fit to invite royalty to your daughter’s first formal tea or your son’s black tie soiree. Incorporating European patterns and fresh, contemporary designs, Smock utilizes 20 antique presses and an historic European paper mill to create exceptional, pesticide-free stationery. The note cards are soft yet substantial, embossed with simple, elegant designs that coordinate beautifully with the interior envelope flaps.
The first company in the United States to print on luxury bamboo paper, Smock is a carbon-neutral company that is devoted to fair trade practices. Members of One Percent for the Planet, they also contribute to other environmental nonprofits. Surplus paper goods are donated to local public schools in Syracuse, New York. If I lived on the East Coast and was a few years younger, I’d enroll just to get my hands on some of this ecofab paper. Guess I’ll have to settle for escargot mail.
Green Bagging Eco-Swag
Date: July 15, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Office, The Home
Who doesn’t love goodie bags? It’s so much fun to get free gifts at events, right? But then what happens to the stuff we don’t want? I’ll give you a hint: Landfill. Now there’s an answer for earth-friendly business owners who hate to waste precious resources - an idea worth its weight in green.
Eco Imprints, based in San Francisco, produces the usual swag fare, but in organic, recycled fair trade form. Organic tees, pens made from recycled plastic, paper and wood, mugs made from repurposed electronics, water-powered calculators and wooden flash drives. All biodegradable and totally ecofabulous!
Brainstorming is Now Better for Your Brain
Date: June 4, 2008 | Category: Office, The Home
We recently acquired a used whiteboard here in the ecofabulous office. And as much as we welcome something that could bring more method to our madness, we were instantly plagued by memories of those toxic fumes emanating from the tips of our teachers’ whiteboard markers. Indeed that scent is indicative of the harmful chemical, xylene, which diminishes Indoor Air Quality in classrooms and workspaces - noted for its detrimental effects on the brain. That’s not to mention the millions of disposable markers made with PVC cylinders that clog landfills each year. Luckily, we didn’t have to forego the whiteboard. In fact, we found a refillable/100% recyclable alternative that’s non-toxic (no xylene here!) and fume free. AusPen whiteboard markers are also made using recycled aluminum, can go cap-free for 48 hours without drying out, and work really, really well. The AusPen from EcoSmart World is drawing up sketches for our next ecofabulous endeavors as we speak.
Have Your Chair and Sit in it Too
Date: May 19, 2008 | Category: Office, The Home
Over at ecofabulous HQ we spend copious amount of time sitting on our behinds (literally speaking), and though stressing comfort and ergonomic support is important, we certainly cannot get on board with a chair that emits Volatile Organic Compounds. Nor do we want to contribute to landfill waste. And of course we NEED to keep the office looking ever so chic, which is why the Think Chair is the official seat of ecofabulous. But there is a new chair in town
Packing a Punch
Date: April 15, 2008 | Category: Office, The Home, Transport
Here at the ecofabulous office, we’re often frustrated by the number of eco-products that arrive in boxes packed with styrofoam peanuts (though, happily we often we find out they’ve been reused). Nonetheless, these little foam culprits pack a toxic punch through the non-recyclable chemical compound, styrene, which has been linked to respiratory problems, central nervous system damage and cancer (not to mention how much space they take up in landfills). RecoCubes are an ingenious answer, made from recycled paper sludge, sugar, starches and B-12. When you’re finished unpacking, you can either reuse them (my kids think that they are brilliant for art projects) or just toss them in your garden to become compost for your trees and plants. Not only are they non-toxic and will never end up in a landfill, RecoCubes actually give back. Talk about sending a message of love!
Sign Up for a Paperless Office
Date: April 14, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Office, Tech, The Home
Every year, each American uses about 700 pounds of paper products (heavy duty). So DocuSign is not just a web-based electronic signature service that provides the simplicity, speed and security to electronically sign and store documents, it actually eliminates the need for a “paper trail” by replacing it with an “audit trail.” A decidedly eco-friendly service indeed, especially when factoring in transportation emissions. Since its launch in 2005, DocuSign has completed more than eight million signature events, 70% just in the last year. So there’s no question, this eco-practice is catching on. DocuSign can help you as you navigate the road to a wasteless office.
A Modern Take on Storage
Date: April 4, 2008 | Category: Home Furnishings, Office, The Home
In the newest from Izzy Design comes the Audrey collection - striking storage units that have countless possible configurations. Made from post-consumer recycled materials with non-VOC paints, the Audrey is GREENGUARD certified, meaning it’s ensured to not compromise your Indoor Air Quality. Consider how important that is given that people spend an average 90% of their time inside. To get organized in healthy, modern, and eco style, Audrey may be just the one for you.
Sniffing Glue, Italian Style
Date: March 26, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Office, The Home, Travel & Leisure
For a committed greenie, it’s the simple things that are often the most challenging. It can be difficult to find ‘everyday’ products that meet ecofabulous standards. Using toxic adhesives is so icky. We love Coccoina, an Italian school and office staple since 1927. Perfect for kid projects and anything archival – photo albums and crafting – Coccoina is non-solvent, non-toxic and acid free. Made from potato starch and almond oil and scented like marzipan, Coccoina is tempting to sniff and almost good enough to eat (but don’t do it…almonds are so fattening). We have long stuck with Coccoina because it works, but the design benefits don’t end there. It has that nostalgic beauty that designers adore and is available in a tin or a tube.
About EcoFabulous
Founded by green design guru Zem Joaquin, ecofabulous.com is the online destination for sexy, sustainable style.
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