Guest guest Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Hi All, My significant other and I are moving into a new place. Being minimalists, we don't own very much stuff. Out of necessity, however, we'd like to invest in 1) a sofa, 2) an area rug and 3) a kitchen table. This is the challenging part: We'd like the items we purchase to be a) eco-friendly (sustainable materials, no chemicals) and b) cruelty-free. Unfortunately, most of the rugs I've seen touted as eco-friendly and natural have been made of wool.... Does anyone have any good sources (either online or local shops) who sell these types of things? Thanks so much! Namaste, Andrea jaigopalkaur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 Glad you asked, Andrea! I just discovered this really amazing (online) store that sells everything from furniture and lighting to birdhouses and other outdoor stuff. It's called Green Culture http://www.eco-lights.com/ and http://www.greenculture.com/, and one of the reasons we love buying from them is because of their mission statement: "GREENCulture's Goal is to promote products that are designed or manufactured with the planet in mind. Our products are eco-friendly because the items are made from recycled materials or come from renewable or sustainable resources. We also feature Enlightened Products which may not be manufactured with 100% eco-friendly ingredients, but we do carry them because they are products which are much better for the planet than the products which currently exist in the marketplace." I can't find it on their site now that I'm looking again, but they also had this whole statement about not using materials from animals, because they cause harm to animals (wool, silk, etc.), so they're really committed to sustainable AND nonviolent products! We bought a few things from them, and the quality is top-notch. Best, Colleen ---------------------"Be Kind to Animals...Don't Eat Them." Colleen Patrick-GoudreauFounder & DirectorCompassionate CooksP.O. Box 18512Oakland, CA 94619510.531.COOK (2665)colleenhttp://www.compassionatecooks.com Compassionate Cooks is dedicated to empowering people to make informed food choices and to debunking myths about vegetarianism through cooking classes, nutrition workshops, farm animal sanctuary tours, and cooking DVDs. --------------------- Join our mailing list http://www.compassionatecooks.com/join.htmCheck out our vegetarian cooking DVD http://www.compassionatecooks.com/video.htmRegister for our vegetarian cooking classes http://www.compassionatecooks.com/reg.htm - jaigopalkaur Wednesday, May 10, 2006 1:00 PM green and cruelty-free furniture? Hi All,My significant other and I are moving into a new place. Being minimalists, we don't own very much stuff. Out of necessity, however, we'd like to invest in 1) a sofa, 2) an area rug and 3) a kitchen table.This is the challenging part: We'd like the items we purchase to be a) eco-friendly (sustainable materials, no chemicals) and b) cruelty-free.Unfortunately, most of the rugs I've seen touted as eco-friendly and natural have been made of wool....Does anyone have any good sources (either online or local shops) who sell these types of things?Thanks so much!Namaste,Andreajaigopalkaur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2006 Report Share Posted May 10, 2006 The most sustainable way to shop is, of course, second-hand. That way you're not supporting the additional consumption of any raw materials. There are tons of great thrift stores all over the Bay area with used furniture, clothes, even building materials, etc. I've found great stuff at the " Recycle town " out at the dump here in Sonoma County too. Best wishes for your homemaking! Steve On Behalf Of jaigopalkaur Wednesday, May 10, 2006 1:00 PM green and cruelty-free furniture? Hi All, My significant other and I are moving into a new place. Being minimalists, we don't own very much stuff. Out of necessity, however, we'd like to invest in 1) a sofa, 2) an area rug and 3) a kitchen table. This is the challenging part: We'd like the items we purchase to be a) eco-friendly (sustainable materials, no chemicals) and b) cruelty-free. Unfortunately, most of the rugs I've seen touted as eco-friendly and natural have been made of wool.... Does anyone have any good sources (either online or local shops) who sell these types of things? Thanks so much! Namaste, Andrea jaigopalkaur ____ BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a non-profit 501 ©(3) community organization for veggies to network, find support and promote veg*nism. Events Calendar - http://bayareaveg.org/events Newsletter - http://bayareaveg.org/news Veg Mentor Program - http://bayareaveg.org/mentor Ultimate Guide - http://bayareaveg.org/ug Veg Food Finder - http://bayareaveg.org/finder Charter & Post Guidelines - http://bayareaveg.org/charter Compassionate Living Program - http://bayareaveg.org/cl Map It Veg - http://www.frappr.com/baveg ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 IKEA has pretty impressive environmental and social responsiblity practices. Check out this site: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/social_environmental/the_ikea_way.html and the PDF brochure on that site. One thing that I really like is that they state if one country's laws and regulations become more stringent than IKEA's current practices, IKEA will adopt the new laws and regulations for every country they do business in. That means that while US has a track record of repeatedly rejecting new standards while weakening existing standards, IKEA will follow those countries that are moving in a forward direction. Not all their products are animal-free, though, but their prices, selection, convenience, and workmanship are hard to beat. Cheers! Matthew , " jaigopalkaur " <jaigopalkaur wrote: > > Hi All, > > My significant other and I are moving into a new place. Being > minimalists, we don't own very much stuff. Out of necessity, however, > we'd like to invest in 1) a sofa, 2) an area rug and 3) a kitchen table. > > This is the challenging part: We'd like the items we purchase to be a) > eco-friendly (sustainable materials, no chemicals) and b) cruelty-free. > > Unfortunately, most of the rugs I've seen touted as eco-friendly and > natural have been made of wool.... > > Does anyone have any good sources (either online or local shops) who > sell these types of things? > > Thanks so much! > > Namaste, > > Andrea > jaigopalkaur > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 This may be a bit late, but for carpets and area rugs, check out InterfaceFLOR. Interface is a pioneer in green and sustainable business, featured prominently as case studies in the book Natural Capitalism. Their products are also very fashionable, with rich colors and textures, for those of us who believe in sustainability and animal rights but resent unbleached hemp. They use only 100% recycled artificial fibers, so they're perfect for vegans. http://www.interfaceflor.com/ Or to read more about their approach to sustainability: http://www.interfacesustainability.com/ Interface has been moving heavily into retail within the last couple of years, so you should be able to find them in various shops around SF. Off the top of my head, I know that Echo Furniture in Noe Valley stocks them. On May 10, 2006, at 1:00 PM, jaigopalkaur wrote: > Hi All, > > My significant other and I are moving into a new place. Being > minimalists, we don't own very much stuff. Out of necessity, however, > we'd like to invest in 1) a sofa, 2) an area rug and 3) a kitchen > table. > > This is the challenging part: We'd like the items we purchase to be a) > eco-friendly (sustainable materials, no chemicals) and b) cruelty- > free. > > Unfortunately, most of the rugs I've seen touted as eco-friendly and > natural have been made of wool.... > > Does anyone have any good sources (either online or local shops) who > sell these types of things? > > Thanks so much! > > Namaste, > > Andrea > jaigopalkaur > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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