With more and more people turning to environmentally-friendly products these days, finding vendors who sell all you need is key to successful green shopping. While it may seem romantic to visit 15 different merchants when shopping, most of us don’t have the time, the energy or the inclination to do so. Plus, driving around the suburbs to buy all you need from a variety of stores isn’t really eco-friendly!

To help you out I’ve compiled a list of eco-friendly online marketplaces where you can find all kinds of home-goods in one location. These marketplaces act as the “middle-men” for eco-friendly vendors, and ship the goods right to your doorstep – thereby saving you the trouble of driving around and wasting fuel. So sit back, click some links and get your eco-shopping done from the comfort of your home – it’ll save you time and resources, and may just help save the planet!

Gaiam – If you’ve been reading this site for any length of time, you’re probably already familiar with Gaiam – I write about it all the time! And while I’m not always thrilled with some of Gaiam’s methods (most of what they sell is not made in the USA), they do offer a tremendous selection of furniture, home furnishings, clothing, accessories and gift items that are sourced and manufactured with green processes. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the company strives to offer “Conscious Commerce,” and is “a provider of information, goods and services to customers who value the environment, a sustainable economy, healthy lifestyles, alternative healthcare and personal development.” Look to Gaiam if you want eco-friendly yoga clothes and tools, outdoor furniture, or light fixtures.

3R Living – Billed as “Future Friendly Products,” the goods sold on the 3RLiving website have been “carefully selected with the principles of reducing waste, reusing unwanted or discarded materials, and recycling in mind.” Founded by Samantha Delman-Caserta and Mark Caserta in 2004, this Brooklyn-based business offers a selection of home goods, accessories and gifts to enhance the most eco-friendly of homes. The budget-conscious can find inexpensive goods to meet their needs on the 3RLiving site too – there’s a section for goods under $10, $20 and $50.

Organic Bug – Organic Bug is a funky online gift store that offers a decent selection of Organic, Hand-Made, Sustainable, Fair Trade, Made in the USA, and All Natural clothing, accessories, cosmetics, personal care products and outdoor goods. The company’s mission is to help people use their purchasing power as a vote for social and environmental change – i.e. – put their money where their mouth is! The company has all kinds of green initiatives that they have incorporated into their operating principles, and is obviously putting their green philosophies into action in how they run their business. Check out Organic Bug if you’re looking for bamboo clothing, unique home decor, or eco-friendly garden products.

Adili – When Adam Smith founded Adili, he did so with the thought of opening a department store filled with eco-goods. Stocked with goods from over 80 eco-designers from around the world, Adili sells clothing, accessories, shoes, home goods, and beauty products to suit your every eco-need. You can also purchase goods from Adili’s line – Own-Label – which have been sourced and manufactured with Fair Trade, organic, and ethical practices. Committed to the principles of ethical eco-chic fashion, Adili’s website includes a section dedicated to their philosophies and practices. Shop here if you’re looking for fun, fashionable and somewhat funky clothes, shoes and jewerly for the whole family.

EcoMall – While the EcoMall website isn’t as flashy or stylish as some of the other online eco-marketplaces, it’s jam-packed with practical information about all kinds of eco-products and companies. More a directory of green goods and websites than an online marketplace, EcoMall has pages upon pages of green, organic, Fair Trade and eco-friendly vendors and merchants who sell everything from magazines to furniture, aromotherapy products to alternative energy, appliances to clothing. So while EcoMall may not exactly fall into the “One-Stop Shopping” category, it can point you in the direction of almost anything you need that’s green.

Feel free to write in and let me know if you have a favorite online marketplace where you buy your everyday green goods. Finding great sites like this is an ongoing challenge, and I would love to offer your suggestions to my readers!

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Although the environmental movement has been around for years, many communities are just starting to understand the importance of incorporating green practices into urban planning, business practices, and governmental regulations. Large and small cities have started writing green policies into their planning and development codes, and citizens are petitioning to get green initiatives on local ballots.

By demanding the incorporation of green practices and environmental regulations in planning and development decisions, environmental advocates are affecting how sustainability is incorporated in their towns and cities. When looking at cities across America, it’s easy to see that there are plenty of cities who have been “going green” for years (such as Portland, Oregon), and other communities that are just stepping up to the green challenge. Regardless of what cities have done in the past, the fact that so many cities are taking steps to build sustainability into their communities is good for everyone. In an effort to find the greenest places in America, I’ve compiled a list of the greenest American cities using surveys from Country Home, SustainLane, Popular Science and Our Green Cities.

Methodology

Though focused on the same end result (the greenest American city), each of these 4 organizations used different criteria in determining what makes a city green. In compiling their list, Country Home looked at the official energy policies, green power, green buildings, and the availability of fresh, locally grown food in each community. I was disappointed that the Country Home data wasn’t explained in greater detail, but also found it interesting that the cities on their list were comparable to the cities selected by the other organizations.

Popular Science provides the detailed methodology used in determining their top 50 cities, which includes a ranking of sustainable practices in the Electricity, Transportation, Green Living (buildings, construction, development), and Recycling/Green Perspectives of each city. If you’re interested in learning exactly how Popular Science selected their 50 greenest cities, make sure you check out these case studies that break down the methodology used in the survey.

To figure out their list of sustainable cities, Our Green Cities applied their own “Index of Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously,” a checklist that looks at smart growth activities, land usage, transportation, energy policy, pollution, and sustainable projects taking place in each of the cities. If you’re interested in what makes a city sustainable according to Our Green Cities, you can read their definition here.

SustainLane applied an impressively comprehensive method of determining the greenest cities in America, and offers an in-depth explanation of their methodology on their website. Using primary and secondary research to compile their list, SustainLane analyzed data collected from NGOs, city and state governments, federal agencies, their own interviews and surveys, and public data sources (such as academic research and media studies) to find the top green cities in America.

And the Winners Are…

1. Portland, Oregon

2. Greater San Francisco Bay Area, California

3. Seattle, Washington

4. Chicago, Illinois

5. Boston/Cambridge

6. Boulder, Colorado

7. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

8. Eugene, Oregon

9. Denver, Colorado

10. Albuquerque, New Mexico

The cities on this list have worked hard to incorporate green building practices, renewable energy sources, and innovative land use policies into their communities. Portland has 35 LEED certified buildings and strict limits on development, while San Francisco has planted fruit trees on city streets and made recycling a top-priority. If you’re interested in learning more about the eco-policies that guide these cities, check out the SustainLane rankings. SustainLane provides a wealth of information on each of their top 50 green cities, and you might just find ideas on how you can get your own city on the list in coming years.

Additional Resources on Sustainable/Green/Eco-Friendly Communities

Center for Sustainable Cities

Sustainable Measures: Sustainable Community Indicator Checklist

Regional Environmental Center Sustainable Cities Project

The Institute for Sustainable Cities

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