With a goal of becoming a green hub in the community, Green Elements Healthy Design & Building Center offers seminars, sponsors presentations and movies to raise awareness about the environment and social justice issues, right in store.
Educating the public on the significance of “green” living is important to Suzie Blodgett, principal of the Boonton-based company. “To pursue a green lifestyle is to pursue a sustainable lifestyle,” she says. “That means making decisions and living in such a manner that future generations will have what they need to sustain themselves as well.”
Blodgett decided to create a “green” interior design company because she was concerned about the environment. In researching products, Blodgett says she “learned how toxic traditional design and building materials are, not just to the planet, but to those manufacturing the products and to those who live and work in spaces they are used in.”
Blodgett says traditional building and design materials are manufactured using chemicals and processes that are extremely harmful to the environment, land, air and sea. “These chemicals are often neurotoxins and carcinogens, harming those involved in the manufacturing process, those who are installing the materials and finally, those who are living with them,” says Blodgett.
As the state’s first green design and building supply center, Green Elements Design, which uses 100 percent clean renewable energy in its facility, offers a full range of products to assist customers in designing, renovating and building “green” using sustainable, non-toxic, petrochemical-free, bio-based and organic design and building supply alternatives that do not compromise health or negatively impact indoor air quality.
All wood products used by Green Elements Design come from sustainably managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the only certification system respected by the green building industry.
Reclaimed wood flooring, cork and natural linoleum flooring and bamboo are examples of FSC certified options used by the company. Countertops, cabinetry hardware, glass tiles and lighting are used with high, if not 100 percent, recycled content. Water saving devices and energy efficient lighting are offered to help clients lessen their impact on the planet.
Green Elements Design also offers healthy home products such as organic mattresses, bedding and towels, formaldehyde-free bamboo accessories and organic baby items, complete with baby registry for expecting parents who want to create a safe haven for newborns.
The most popular products used in design are Icestone countertops, which have approximately 75 percent recycled glass, and sometimes shells, in a concrete matrix.
“All products have been researched and screened to ensure that they have a minimal impact on the environment during their manufacture and that they will not harm anyone along or at the end of the chain,” says Blodgett.
The quality of green home design choices is comparable to its traditional counterpart. Blodgett explains that, in most cases, the cost is higher than traditional materials and products. Blodgett says she feels that because the products are made with organic, high-quality raw materials produced in a fair-trade environment with concern for the environment and human health, the price is well worth it. She adds, “Can we put a price tag on that?”
