By John DeFore
“Despite claims to the contrary, products with zero environmental impact do not yet exist.”
With that sober introductory blurb begins the centerpiece of stylish architecture/design mag “Metropolis’s October issue, and it’s refreshing to get that kind of reality check in an age when many magazines seem a tad less skeptical of hype (described here by Sara Hart as “greenwashing”) than they should be.
The package’s editors look not only to a product’s recycled/recyclable content, but to the other stages of its lifecycle: How is it transported to consumers? What behind-the-scenes environmental impact is there on the part of those who designed, made, and sold it? Features range from a detailed profile of textile and chemical manufacturer Milliken & Company to one-page items like a glossary of the myriad enviro-certification labels out there (good, but more detail would be nice) and a run-down of 10 eco-conscious carpet lines.
Most noteworthy, maybe, is a piece on Danish furniture maker Hans Wegner, who intended for his chairs to last at least 50 years. In a fashion-minded industry where clients are expected to redecorate periodically, nothing reduces waste like simply deciding you still like, and still can use, the furniture you bought a couple of generations ago. (On the other hand, Wegner’s beautifully simple wooden chairs cost about $4,000.)
Happily, much of this material is available free online — a boon for green readers who’d like the content without the hundreds of ad pages that surround it.
Copyright © 2007 | Distributed by Noofangle Media
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