This is The Zody Chair by Haworth.  It’s an incredible chair.  Best chair I’ve ever used.  It gives you this feeling that’s hard to explain.  It’s kind of like when you get a new pair of shoes at the age of 8 or 9.  Those shoes make you run faster, jump higher, and do more.  Well, this chair is that for business people.  It helps you do more when you’re doing a lot of sitting around.  I feel different in this jet black, super modern, eco-friendly, award-winning chair. 

Today’s that big shopping day with all the crowds:  it’s Black Friday.  If you’re in the market for a quality gift, I honestly think you should just ring in an order for one of these and call your Christmas shopping done.  I’m serious.  I recently toured the offices of a green renovation and they had a room full of Zody chairs.  When they were looking for chairs, they felt the Zody chair was superior in green benefits and had a reasonable price.   

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This is a quality video by Wall Street Journal’s Dana Mattioli featuring Andrew Shapiro, founder and CEO of GreenOrder.  GreenOrder is a sustainable marketing and strategy firm that’s been called the "Green McKinsey" on occasion.  Shapiro takes Mattioli through 7 World Trade Center, explaining the building’s several green aspects, including the rainwater reclamation system, floor-to-ceiling windows, design for natural lighting, and white roof.  You’ll notice also the layout of employees, which is a little more collaborative and fluid.  Experts laud these open layouts as a way to do more with less space, and thereby, save materials.  I’m still unsure as to whether tighter quarters can be more effective, especially with the extra noise and commotion — I definitely think it depends on the job type.  It probably reduces internet usage, though.

COVERINGS ETC has a great selection of green products.  Their Eco-Terr product, which was named Editor’s Choice Product Pick 2007 by Interiors & Sources Magazine, is a beautiful mix of glass and cement, containing roughly 80% pre-consumer, recycled material.  Eco-Terr is available in slabs and tiles, and overall, it’s a beautiful option for counters and floors.  It can be used in a wide range of applications from residential to light commercial.  COVERINGS ETC was kind enough to provide the high-quality images you see in this article.

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Graham & Brown, the well-known 60 year-old wallpaper company, now claims that, "about 50% of an average roll of our wallpaper is made from renewable resources."  Their claim is backed by the FSC logo, which appears on all Graham & Brown wallpaper.  Now, that isn’t really a staunch enough commitment for me, but in the wallpaper world, Graham & Brown is one of the only companies making any real effort towards "greening" themselves.  Some of their other environmental policies are more impressive.  For example, they run a Waste-to-Energy Plant, which means they use their pollution to create more energy on-site instead of releasing into the environment.  They also use recycled rainwater, have special drainage systems to reduce runoff, and use non-acidic inks and coatings, which are more eco-friendly than conventional methods. 

I have never been much of a fan of wallpaper: it’s a pain to put up, it’s a pain to take down, and the patterns were traditionally dowdy and drab.  But, in the new wave of retro-modern, bright, and bold patterns, I have become a convert. 

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Watch out!  Second-Look is a new product that has the potential to make a splash.  I’m still trying to decide how I feel about it, but Buildings Magazine gave it a Grand Prize Product Innovation Award in the Environmental Solutions category.  Second-look invested 2 years in R&D to create the first recycling program for vinyl wallcoverings.  The company wants your used vinyl wallcoverings and they’ll take old product from any manufacturer.  Using old vinyl, they’ve developed three new collections of wallcoverings – Versa, Cirqa, and Plexus – all made of 20-percent recycled vinyl content, including 10-percent post-consumer recycled content.  The low-VOC wallcovering produces fewer emissions than paint, uses water-based inks, incorporates a mildew-inhibiting agent, and can be micro-vented for additional breathability.  Plus, Second-Look can be used for LEED points.  Anyone have thoughts?