This is my first post as part of a new column entitled "Eco-Chic NYC" that will be highlighting New York City based stores, designers, companies and tradeshows promoting sustainable design. Of course I had to kick it off with abc home & planet. The store is a sustainable design mecca filled with natural, organic, local, fair-trade, handmade, or recycled home and beauty products. I’ve always been impressed by the amazing job the company does as a curator of sustainable design while educating their customers. Throughout abc home & planet’s store and website you’ll find several icons which identify what’s green or sustainable about their product. It so happened during my visit that my eco-chic finds included several local companies such skinnyskinny and Jan Burtz. Both received the local economy icon indicating that their products are made within a 600 miles radius of New York City. They support neighboring community business while minimizing the carbon footprint of their products from transportation. That’s one of the reasons as well that I wanted to start an ongoing column with a local focus on New York City. Hope you enjoy my eco-chic short list. And please let me know what other local stores or designers I should check out.
1. Hand poured natural soy candles from Linnea's Lights. All eco-friendly candles have lead free cotton wicks. They are packaged in recycled materials printed with soy and water based inks.
2. Grapefruit bergamot soap from Level Naturals. The paraben and toxin free soaps are handmade on a carbon negative, organic farm in Hawaii.
3. Organic grapefruit and cardamom dry shampoo from skinnyskinny. Almost all organic bath and body products are locally made in Brooklyn. The company is 100% carbon-neutral.
4. Handmade porcelain by Jan Burtz. The one-of-a-kind designs are locally manufactured exclusively for ABC.
5. Sustainable pouches from Southern Journeys. The eco-friendly designs are made of up-cycled burlap sacks and hand died fabric from Ghana. A percentage of the sales will support SRBW (Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative).
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