Some of the exhibitors (and some innocent bystanders) at Green Brooklyn 2008
Held at Brooklyn Borough Hall and in Cadman Plaza fittingly among the greenmarket, Green Brooklyn 2008 was packed with great exhibitors and informative sustainability events -- all free to the public. Here's a recap of some of the things I saw (part 1):
Exhibitors
Blacksmith Institute
This non-profit group helps communities in developing nations overcome pollution and its effects. Jen, a representative of the Institute, told me about their list of the top 10 worst polluted places in the world, which is continually being reassessed. According to their site:
The World Heath Organization, in conjunction with the World Bank, estimates that 20 percent of deaths in the developing world are directly attributed to environmental factors from pollution.Here's their list of the top 10 worse polluted places:
CeleBritAy
Brooklyn-based vegan skin care line CeleBritAy is the creation of Liz Santiago, whom I had the pleasure of speaking with. She had some products on hand to sample, sell, and smell -- and the scents were naturally delicious. Sesame oil- and cocoa butter- or almond-based body creams are enhanced with bergamot, raspberry, lavendar, rose/peppermint, or arabian musk (or unscented if you prefer). They contain only natural emollients and essential oils -- no petroleum, synthetic fragrance, or chemical stabilizers. You can treat yourself to these creams or her other bath and spa products at celebritayny.com.
GreenHome NYC
According to their site, GreenHome NYC's mission is "to facilitate the adoption of sustainable
building methods and materials by owners of small residential and commercial buildings in New York City." They had a wide array of products for green building and renovation on hand for participants to look at, including recycled denim insulation, PaperStone, and sorghum plywood. GreenHome holds a green building forum on the third Wednesday of each month. Learn more here.Wearable Collections
386 million pounds of textiles end up in the NYC waste stream every year, reports Wearable Collections on their site. And they seem to have a sensible solution: clothing recycling pick up at residential buildings throughout the city. So far, they've kept 350,000 pounds of textiles out of landfills. You can request a bin for your building here.
Sims Metal Management
Sims is the world's largest recycling company with recycling operations all over the globe, and several facilities in the NY Metro area. They're opening a new metal recycling facility in an industrial part of Sunset Park, Brooklyn at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. A representative from Sims told me that this waterfront location would reduce truck traffic by limiting the distance needed for Department of Sanitation trucks to travel from collection to drop-off. It also allows for easier access to carrier barges. Read their environmental policy statement here.
Eat Well Guide
With this non-profit program, you can find Good Food near you -- food that's local, sustainable, and organic. There are thousands of listings of farms, markets, restaurants, and other good food producers.
The Eat Well Guide was developed by Sustainable Table to educate consumers about the problems of factory farming and to provide them with access to sustainable food options. Watch The Meatrix and learn the truth about where food comes from.
Kiwi Magazine
This family-oriented publication provides parents with information on how to raise children in the healthiest way possible. Their magazine shows parents how to practice a healthy and sustainable lifestyle in light of their busy schedules. I was happy to learn they have a free online version of their magazine.
RePlayGround
I spoke with Stephanie of Garbage of Eden Designs at the RePlayGround table about her cool plastic bag jewelry. She's got great earrings and bangles for sale on Etsy -- 10% of their sale goes to various non-profit organizations (including Added Value Farm). You can read an interview with her at Indie Fixx.
Read about my earlier post about RePlayGround here.
Exhibitors I missed:
- Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
I'd love to visit their farm in Pocantico Hills, about 30 miles north of NYC. Their restaurant in the city, Blue Hill, has incredible farm-fresh food and at the farm they have tours, a farmer's market, and a restaurant. I think Autumn would be a great time to visit (harvest, fall foliage, &c.) - Added Value Farm
This Red Hook, Brooklyn-based farm has a harvest festival coming up on Saturday, October 18 -- and with food from local restaurants, live music and performances, a pumpkin patch, and farm tours, I plan on being there
Exhibitor I meant to give a piece of my mind:
Bettencourt Green Building Supplies -- when we were renovating our kitchen last year, they didn't show up for an appointment we made and didn't answer my numerous calls when I tried to reschedule. (Grrr! Okay, enough griping.)
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