Naturalpath

Eco-friendly store owner and green blogger, Mark Caserta was kind enough to do an interview with me on the Environment and its future. Mark and his wife, Samantha Delman-Caserta, opened their Brooklyn store, 3R Living in Spring 2004. Initially I was impressed with the the web design of their online store (the former art student in me always looks for great design) but then I became more impressed Mark's knowledge of green living and his dedication to sustainable living.

What is the concept of the store and how was it created?
Well, we opened a store, in general because Samantha was working in the more corporate retail world in management and felt it was time to have her own store. As we worked on what the store was going to sell, we decided that it would be cool to "marry" our interests and open some sort of eco-friendly business. The "ah-ha" moment came when we saw a copy of the Eco-Design Source Book by Alasteir Faud-Luke. The products that we saw in the book made us think that we could find stylish green products to sell in a store. We added the idea of "affordable" to our model because we didnt want people to think that green was for the rich only. We always strive to keep our products in reach, price-wise, although green products are still more expensive than the non-green alternative.

How do you choose your brands and what is the process?

If we had a big company, we would probably have protocol for finding and accepting products. Because my wife and I do it alone, it happens like this: we either get contacted by a company or find them and contact them, we ask for their environmental credentials (Fair Trade Federation? Recycled materials? Reused items? Made using Cradle to Cradle standards?). Then, in many cases, we ask for a sample of the product and if it is something we can physically use (like soap) we try it ourselves and then decide. It would be great to have more standards and seals of approval to rely on, although even thoughs guides can be corrupted by the process.

What three products do you use and recommend?
1. Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products: we used these products before we even opened the store. I dont think we even knew that they were biodegradable and not tested on animals. We just liked them and they worked.

2. Voltaic and or Reware Solar bags- We sell both and i like them both. What can be better than generating free electricity while you are walking around? If you are like me, your cell phone and iPod is always out of juice, so these really come in handy.

3. Bamboo Cutting Board- We use our bamboo cutting board every day. It has scrapes and cuts on it, but 3 years later, it's still like new. Bamboo is really durable and seems to last longer than wood in many cases.

I read that you have been active in Environmental movement for sometime now; what do you think is the future for being green?

Good question. In some cases, thanks to the growth of green products and the entrance of Target and WalMart into the market, being green might just mean shopping like normal. That would be the ultimate goal- you buy anything you need and there would be little impact on the world. What needs to be solved is greening the shipping process so that the boats and planes that move products around the world are not adding to the problem. In other cases, advocates will still have to get involved in political battles, protests and elections to ensure that any gains we have made/will make will stay in place and grow. Finally, there is always room for different eco-lifestyles like Freegans and such. They arent hurting anyone but they are probably not mainstream enough to make a difference. My guess is that people will find their way into groups that make sense to them, online, and continue to be active. Or, to be completely pessimistic, we might just continue on the same path and die from the results of Global Warming. Either is possible. ;)

If there is one thing a person can do to be Eco-friendly, what would that be?
If it's just one thing, then cutting back and buying only stuff that you really need would be helpful. There is a larger group of things like using efficient lightbulbs, driving less or using more eco-friendly cars (or take public transport), buying green, using green energy, eating local/organic, etc. I think that everyone does a little bit, though, we'd all be better off.

I want to give Mark a big thanks for taking time out of his running his Eco-store to do this interview with me. I am dying to try some of the products he recommended especially the bamboo cutting board and Mrs. Meyer's Cleaning Products. The products that you’ll find both in the store and online are carefully selected with the principles of reducing waste, reusing unwanted or discarded materials, and recycling in mind. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. <strong> 3r.</strong> Mark also has an Eco-friendly blog, 3R Blogging, in which discusses more about the environmental issues and riding his bike in the streets of New York. (You are a brave man!)