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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

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Guest Post: Design for Mankind’s Erin Loechner Discovers She’s Been Green All Along

Erin Loechner, the creative force behind the wildly popular blog Design for Mankind, teamed up with eBay on a green renovation project. Here's what she had to say about the experience. — The Editors

 

I have a confession to make: when it comes to going green, I could use a bit of a color enhancing treatment. In other words, I've never been an eco-friendly design kinda gal. Going green is one of those priorities that doesn't come naturally to me and often slips by the wayside in an effort to maintain comfort and/or convenience. As a kid, we rarely recycled and, to be honest, I grew up neglecting the environment entirely. Even now I find myself forgetting to consider my carbon footprint on this world—in every area of my life.

Thus, I decided to commit to making this green renovation as eco-friendly as possible. It's more of a personal challenge for me, as I think everything takes practice and I'd love to start making eco-friendly changes in an effort to better our planet. For me, that begins with awareness and education.

Naturally, I teamed up with eBay and sustainable style expert Zem Joaquin (founder of Ecofabulous) to brush up on my green interior design knowledge. And wouldn't you know it? I learned a few things about myself along the way...

As it turns out, I've been green all my life; I just didn't realize it! Because the greenest product is often the one that already exists today, visiting thrift stores and re-purposing existing furnishings is one of the best ways to sustain our environment. Here's why:

Erin Loechner

When you give a used product new life, you not only (a) reduce the emissions associated with manufacturing a new product, but you also (b) decrease the need for new raw materials and (c) keep the used product out of a landfill. Bonus? It's easy on the wallet.

Yet being green doesn't end with thriftiness. To ensure I'm shopping eBay in the most environmentally responsible way, Zem introduced me to green.ebay.com, a fantastic asset for shoppers and thrifters like myself. Green.ebay.com is essentially an aggregator for ultra-green products, taking the guesswork out of each item's carbon footprint. The result? Easy, eco products at an affordable price.

Another tip from Zem? Try eBay Classifieds, which allows eBay shoppers to search within a specific mile radius of his/her home, reducing carbon emissions associated with shipping.

Erin Loechner

It's true; being thrifty has its perks, and I'm much greener than I thought. Yet how can I ensure I'm taking strides to consider the environment when I'm buying new, rather than pre-owned? After all, a pre-owned mattress does not a happy treehugger make, right?

Turns out eBay has that figured out, too. Zem encouraged me to visit World of Good to shop for sustainable products (we're talking jewelry, home accessories, the works!) that are brand new, all created with the environment in mind and avoiding VOCs and off-gassing.

Erin Loechner

Needless to say, I'm thrilled to start incorporating Zem's tips into my own green renovation. And if you're of the school of thought that green interior design means cork, hemp and boring, check out Zem’s modern, pre-fab cottage at Dwell on Design, which is as green as it is gorgeous.

Turns out Kermit was poorly mistaken: it is so easy being green.

 

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27ce9fef-bcc1-44e0-a2af-5c273043a81f Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:57:38 PDT Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:57:38 PDT
Rob J
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I think it's important to remember that this whole idea of 'green' is a spectrum, and not an absolute. It's not as if you're either 'green' or your in favour of a scorched earth. In this respect, I think this post illustrates the point very well; that being green often just means being creative, and investigating options off of the beaten track. And another great point this post makes is that you don't have to settle for second best when it comes to style, or making a visual statement in general. In some ways, not going the traditional route in looking for furnishings or building materials can often allow you to create a unique look, rather than one people have seen before. Thanks for the post, Erin! blog.builddirect.com/greenbuilding

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