Environmentally & Socially
Responsible ProductsThis page is a work-in-progress and new resources are being listed every week--please check back! For information about recycling and sustainability, check out our links on the Respect our Earth page.
Vermont and Upper Valley businesses are marked with an *.
Building Supplies
Recycle North*If you find yourself in the Burlington, VT area, be sure to check these guys out! They operate both a household goods store (kind of like a Salvation Army warehouse) and a recycled materials building supply center. Recycle North's goals are poverty relief and environmental sustainability. Prices are really, really low on most items. Pluses include huge cabinet sales every month or so; frequent computer and monitor sales (OLD equipment, though); every kind of sink and toilet known to humankind...
Home
Abundant Earth"Abundant Earth offers a wide variety of environmentally sensitive products and services for people who want to make a difference in the world. We also assist our communities, in the very broadest sense, through our charitable giving program, where we donate a portion of our profits toward worthy causes." Check out their beautiful and easy-to-assemble furniture.
Greenline Paper
Did you know that styrofoam-type burger boxes can be made out of biodegradable sugarcane waste fiber, or that standard whiteout has chemicals in it that contribute to depletion of the ozone layer and you should shop for ozone-safe and low-odor whiteout? Buy these products, plus 100% recycled paper, CDs with recycled packaging and jewel cases, and much more at this site. I also like the low-key education they provide as part of their marketing blurbs.
Heart of Vermont*
Natural, hand-made mattresses and linens made from organic cotton and wool.
Lifekind
"Lifekind's mission is to provide both information and products to help you reduce your daily exposures to unnecessary and hazardous chemicals. We offer certified organic and naturally safer® alternatives to products made using unhealthy and toxic ingredients." Lifekind offers a variety of products but is best known for its bedding and linen; they operate the only third-party certified organic mattress factory in North America.
Northern Naturals*
Another Vermont company specializing in natural and organic bedding. They provide a very reasonably priced least toxic (but not organic) futon which actually might be in the price range for most of us in the less financially well endowed category... They also sell Tibetan Gogi berries, whatever the hell those are--sounds like something from Lost Horizon, James Hilton's excellent and dreamy novel about Shangri-La.
Rawganique
Beds and linens plus lots of other cool items: not cheap, but definitely primo.
Recycle North*
If you find yourself in the Burlington, VT area, be sure to check these guys out! They operate both a household goods store (kind of like a Salvation Army warehouse) and a recycled materials building supply center. Recycle North's goals are poverty relief and environmental sustainability. Prices are really, really low on most items. Pluses include huge cabinet sales every month or so; frequent computer and monitor sales (OLD equipment, though); every kind of sink and toilet known to humankind...
Environmentally friendly fire starters for grill, woodstove, etc. to replace toxic liquid fire starters.
Reduce light pollution and increase stargazing opportunities.
Clothing
Blackspot Shoes"Earth-friendly, anti-sweatshop, cruelty-free, and pro-grassroots, Blackspots are the only rough-and-ready shoed designed to give toxic megacorporations what they truly need the most: a swift kick in the brand. Constructed with organic hemp uppers, recycled tire tread, and 'vegetarian leather' details."
The Hempest*
Forget crunchy...these hemp duds are kickin'! "A one of a kind outlet for all things hemp and beyond. We have the largest selection of hemp clothing, accessories, gear, paper, food and body care products found anywhere in the world. We also carry a full line of educational books as well as hand-blown glass artwork. We invite you to visit any one of our stores or our website and find out more about the earth's most versatile and beneficial plant : Cannabis Hemp."
Rawganique
I can't afford any of their stuff--but hey, how could I NOT mention an outfit that sells organic hemp pirate shirts?!
General
Greenfeet"Everybody leaves footprints on the environment. We ALL do it. We do it by just living our lives and going about our business. We all consume resources and we all leave an environmental footprint. However, the choices we make, in our behavior, in the products we use, affect the size of our footprint. greenfeet.com makes it easier to leave smaller, 'greener' footprints. Hey, nobody's perfect - including us. We recognize that there are often obstacles in the path of green footprints. They range from awareness and knowledge to economics and availability. It's our mission to help everyone overcome these obstacles." As a one-time resident of Red Bluff, CA, I have a weakness for this Chico, CA based company. Great products of all sorts--I esp. like the wax paper bags to use in place of icky nasty plastic bags...actually, I lust after just about everything else on the site, too, but I'm a little lacking in $$, you know? Be sure to check out Val and Dori's kickin' Podcast, too.
Gifts
Ancient GraffitiNature inspired gifts from Vermont. Artisans use wood from sustainably managed forests and other locally made materials
Handcrafted objects globally sourced.
Office Supplies
Green Earth Office SupplyEverything from "tree free" and recycled papers to recycled wood pens.
Greenline Paper
Paper products and more--check out the kitchen and food service supplies, too!
Write
Us: elementalsforge@yahoo.com