August 2005 | Green Lines
Green Lines
EM’S look at local economies and sustainable biz
This month: A customer letter prompts new biodiesel source, recycled clothes, city composting effort, green home checklist
Customer advocacy fuels social change. Just ask the owners of Laurelhurst Oil (www.laurelhurstoil.com). An anonymous customer sparked a new direction for the 70-year old, family-owned gas and heating business. After the customer sent the owners information about biodiesel, the company was inspired by the alt-fuel’s social and environmental benefits—setting wheels in motion to bring biodiesel pumps to its University Village gas station. After installing two pumps, Laurelhurst Oil celebrated their grand opening in May. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell showed her support for biodiesel by attending the celebration. The station offers two cardlock pumps with virgin biodiesel supplied by Seattle Biodiesel “It seemed like the right thing to do and we saw a growing market for it,” says co-owner Tom Marier. “It feels good to sell something that is environmentally friendly and is not dependent on foreign fuel sources.” The company plans to begin selling biodiesel for home heating systems this fall.
Phinney Ridge neighborhood consignment store Labels celebrates its 17th anniversary Aug. 14. This Greenwood Avenue boutique enjoys a steady stream of pedestrian traffic, bargain hunters and green consumers. The store features contemporary, lightly used women’s and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Paula Iorio is clear in her mission: “I plan to have the business stay a quaint neighborhood business that gives people another option of buying at a credible source for recycled clothing.” Labels only accepts apparel in excellent condition and pays sellers 50 percent of the price for which they sell the merchandise. Owner and founder
Crown Hill’s Wild Mountain Café (www.wildmtncafe.com) has an award-winning waste management program that has become a model for other businesses. The restaurant recycles, composts and procures most of its furnishings secondhand. Plus, it started a composting program in cooperation with the city of Seattle and King County. Wild Mountain uses a commercial worm bin to compost clean kitchen scraps and the citywide compost bins for all other post-consumer food waste. Today, the cafe produces almost no landfill waste. Founder Connie Stone shares her advice to other businesses: “Don’t be afraid to try it. It’s easier than you may think. People want to do the right thing by their very nature, and this program gives your staff the opportunity to do so.” So far, 80 local businesses have implemented similar post-consumer waste reduction programs based on pilot programs such as the one at Wild Mountain. If your business is interested in starting a program, contact www.resourceventure.org.
Owners Ben and Louie Kaufman of GreenWorks Realty (www.greenworksrealty.com) and Scott Finley of Atmosphere Inc. (www.myatmosphere.biz) announce a partnership to help homeowners “green” their homes. CHED (Comfort, Health, Energy Efficiency and Durability) offers an assessment checklist tool that focuses on evaluating a home’s indoor air quality and energy efficiency. The program provides resources for eco-friendly materials and repair methods, plus green coupons and green materials resources. GreenWorks Realty designed the program. The green home inspection is conducted by Atmosphere, who brings 25 years of experience working to improve indoor air quality. CHED is available to any homeowner and is offered as a special gift to GreenWorks clients.
Heather Nordell is a regular contributer to Evergreen Monthly.
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