Seattle - April 22, 2009

Confessions of a Green Idol

Spring 2009 Green Guide

We all want to be better people, to act less selfishly, and preserve the planet — today and every day.

Charity begins at home.

Take wastepaper disposal literally with a Chuck 100 percent recycled basket printed with water-based, low-VOC inks. Dispose of scraps in a ceramic or stainless steel compost keeper (Goods for the Planet, 525 Dexter Avenue North; 206-652-2327); its charcoal filters keep stinks at bay.

Thrash the trash: Takeout can travel in To-Go Ware’s stainless steel food carriers. Wash it down with a certified biodynamic wine from Oregon’s Cooper Mountain (PCC Natural Markets, 7504 Aurora Avenue North; 206-525-3586) while you perch at a custom table made from reclaimed urban wood by City Trees Furniture.

Conserve electricity and space with a Stewi indoor clothesline (Eurostyle Your Life, 750 North 34th Street; 206-633-3876). The Swiss company’s drying racks suspend from the ceiling or extend from the wall. An Allsop solar lantern (Goods for the Planet, 525 Dexter Avenue North; 206-652-2327) charges its LED lights by day and switches them on come night.

Go on: Be an ecomaniac.