Resources
So you’ve decided to go green. Now what?
Our resource list contains trusted providers of goods, services and information to help you along in your green living journey. We have also created a special section called Green in Boston highlighting some of our favorite green organizations and businesses in our local community.
Rest assured that we have vetted all of the resources listed here. This is a greenwashing-free zone!
We are always looking to expand our list, so if you would like to suggest an addition please contact us. We’d be glad to consider it.
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, or NESEA, is the nation’s leading regional membership organization promoting sustainable energy solutions. NESEA has been around for more than 35 years and during this time has become a driving force behind the advancement of sustainable energy and green building policies and practices throughout the Northeastern United States. NESEA’s signature programs are its annual Building Energy Conference and its annual Green Buildings open house. If you are considering building or retrofitting your home for energy efficiency, you should check out these events.
Are you interested in building or renovating a green home? There are a plethora of green building programs and certifications available now, but the most widely recognized and most highly touted has always been–and continues to be–the U.S. Green Building Council LEED certifications.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and encompasses a suite of green building certifications including LEED for Homes (or LEED-H). Even if you are not interested in certification, LEED-H is a fantastic reference guide to building a home that uses energy and water efficiently, is healthy for the occupants, and treads as lightly as possible on both the local and global environment.
Not building new? Just renovating? USGBC offers another great resource specifically for home remodeling. While not a rating system, the REGREEN program provides a wealth of information–much of it in the form of case studies–that can help homeowners and professionals alike incorporate strategies, techniques and materials into a remodeling project to improve home performance and reduce environmental impacts over the long-term.
The Boston Society of Architects provides professional development for members, advocates on behalf of great design, and shares an appreciation for the built environment with the public at large.
Established in 1867, the BSA today consists of more than 3,500 members and produces a diverse array of programs and publications, including Build Boston (which we are proud to be a part of) and ArchitectureBoston. As a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Society is a nonprofit, professional-service organization.
Looking to cut down on your waste? Check out MassRecycle: a statewide coalition of individuals, governments, businesses, institutions and non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting and realizing the vital environmental, social and economic benefits created by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials, and by increasing the utilization of recycled products.
MassRecycle holds a number of events throughout the year to help communities and organizations implement successful waste reduction programs. Programming highlights include an annual green office conference, recycling facilities tours, and advocacy for sound public policy around recycling and other forms of waste reduction.
LivableStreets Alliance is a non-profit organization that believes urban transportation has the power to make Metro Boston more connected — and more livable. They challenge people to think differently and to demand a system that balances transit, walking, and biking with automobiles. They promote safe, convenient, and affordable transportation for all users in urban Boston so that our streets can better support neighborhoods and business districts.
If you love the local food scene or would like to get involved – check out The Federation of Mass Farmers Markets, a non-profit organization, whose mission is, “To partner with farmers, consumers, and communities to foster, enhance and sustain farmers market in Massachusetts in order to improve regional farm viability, consumer nutrition, and community social and economic development.” Whether you’re looking to see what’s in season or where to find a farmer’s market (by zip, day or vendor) this is a great resource to connecting with food growers and purveyors. New this year is the ability to become a consumer member – and become even more involved with local agriculture.
Do you love the idea of home grown vegetables? Do you have visions of coming home from work and heading out to your backyard garden to figure out what’s for dinner? Many of us have these visions but don’t have the time or the know-how to bring them to fruition. Enter Green City Growers, a Boston-based backyard farming operation. Green City, which uses organic methods, specializes in installing customized raised beds in urban and suburban settings. Raised beds make it possible to grow vegetables virtually anywhere: pavement, rooftops and poor soil are all equally suitable locations for a raised bed garden. Green City also offers a variety of maintenance and education plans, which makes them a great option not just for your backyard but also for your school, community center or company.
Residents of Boston’s Cape & South Shore take note: You don’t have to travel to Terrene or The Green Depot in order to visit a green design show room. You have access to great eco-friendly, non-toxic products and finishes much closer to home. When it comes to home products like cabinets, countertops, tile and flooring, seeing and touching is believing. Some things are amenable to online ordering and some things are not. That’s one reason why G Green Design Center is such a great resource. The other is that they have done all the green vetting for you. They meticulously check the green credentials of all of their suppliers so that you can shop green with confidence. The Mashpee location also offers great workshops. If you haven’t yet visited the newest arrivals to the green design center scene, I urge you to pay a visit.
A founding member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), SBN of Greater Boston’s mission is to “engage business and community leaders in building economies that are green, local and fair.” On October 2, 2010, SBN presented Boston’s first annual local food festival, featuring 100+ vendors and 30,000+ visitors. Another exciting initiative is their Sustainable Business Leader Program, which assists local businesses in greening their business practices.
Here’s the bad news: the average American family of four uses a whopping 400 gallons of water a day. The good news is that it is relatively easy and cheap to dramatically reduce our usage by following basic conservation practices, such as finding and fixing leaks (the EPA estimates that 10% of American homes leak 90 gallons or more of water each day), and by replacing older fixtures with newer ones that use much less water.
Enter EPA’s Water Sense program: a certification program that allows consumers to easily identify water-efficient toilets, faucets and shower heads. Depending on the product category, EPA Water Sense certified products use 20-40% less water than the minimum federal standards. The program also certifies irrigation professionals who demonstrate their expertise in water-efficient irrigation technology and techniques.
