Sustainable NYC
Neighborhood: East Village
Type of Place: Gift Shops
Green
Description:
Used to be we could celebrate Earth Day, recycle responsibly, make sure we turned off the appliances and the car when they didn't need to be running, and feel like we'd been at least sort of enviro-friendly. But these days, dire warnings from, among others, Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, and every critter on the endangered-species list make us realize that more must be done. And in terms of personal health, we're hearing enough scary news about plastics, petroleum products, parabens, and a host of other chemical questionables to make us look twice and three times at what we'd considered staples before.
Enter Sustainable NYC, offering green versions of things we use every day. It's a relief to walk in here and find that there *are* greener, healthier options available. And those options can be downright charming. I loved the beauty products from Pangea Organics (soap, lip balm, moisturizer, etc.), in scents like Chilean Red Clover with Geranium and Grapefruit (yum! And $17 for a decent-sized body lotion). Equally appealing is the line from John Masters Organica: shampoo, conditioner, gel, etc. that are biodegradable, with no artificial color, fragrance, or filler (shampoo $16 a fairly large size).
Green Piggy kids' shoes from Simple boast bike-tire-innertube outsoles, organic-cotton linings, and hemp uppers (baby moccasins $24). And Simple's got adult options too--from $55 for sneakers with, somehow, recycled laces.
Giftwise, the options here rock. Among the choices are pet toys from West Paw Design (from around $8) made from soda bottles: "From the mouth of soda-pop consumers to the mouth of your cat," one label claims. Fabulous Ecoist bags (from $26.95) are made from repurposed candy wrappers, soda labels, and food packaging. I am happy to say that I received one of these as a gift, use it all the time, love it, and get frequent compliments. (Thanks, Larry and Craig!)
Flushable diapers, biodegradable laundry soap--your green options are here to be found, and they look, feel, and often smell terrific. Further good news is that while browsing, you'll come up with ideas about how you can reuse and repurpose what you already have: One green turn leads to another. - Pamela Grossman; June 22, 2008
Sustainable NYC
147 Ave. A at 9th St.
New York, NY 10009
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