sustainable

Dine Green Restaurant Guide

Filed under: Dining

We can become more environmentally friendly at home but often when we are out on the town. Many hotels, resorts and spas are making efforts to go green but what about something more local, the place you go for lunch or dinner. The Green Restaurant Association? (GRA) is a a national non-profit organization that helps restaurants become more environmentally sustainable. They have started a list of restaurants around the United States that have met their standards. Standards include implementing a comprehensive recycling system for all products that are accepted by local recycling companies and being free of Styrofoam products. Restaurants must also take environmental steps such as adding energy efficient practices, water efficiencies, sustainable food and non-toxic cleaning products to make the list. Their list so far includes 122 restaurants and lists how many steps each restaurant has taken on the road to green.

[via The Strong Buzz]

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Tags: dine green, eco-friendly, green, restuarants, sustainable

Eco-Friendly $35,000 Kitchen Remodel

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

In Seattle, a couple wanted to carry their philosophy on life over into their decorating. They believe in using sustainable goods as much as possible and in supporting local artisans, but they didn't know what was available - or how much it would cost - when they set out. The entire kitchen remodel, done by a local contractor, cost them $35,000. They added recessed lighting and opening up the windows to allow more natural light in, and moving the refrigerator from the center of the room allowed there to be more flow in the space. Their countertops are made of recycled materials, a composite of paper and resin, and their marble breakfast bar is made from what was once a piece of scrap, as are the clawed feet that support it. The floor is sustainable cork and their cabinets are constructed from locally grown alder wood.

During the project, which took one year, they say that they learned it is possible and affordable to use the materials you want to use, but you have to be willing to look for them.

Click past the jump to see the "before" picture.

[Images John Lok/Seattle Times/

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Tags: ecology, environment, kitchen, remodel, remodeling, seattle, sustainable

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