Whole Foods Market Lynnwood // Pre-opening Tour

On March 6th Katrina and I had the opportunity to tour a sneak peak of Whole Foods Market Lynnwood before the grand opening on March 15th. Since graduating in June of 2011 the both of us have been making a concerted effort to eat, live, and play in a more sustainable and healthy manner, leaving behind some of our more “collegiate” habits. We hit the gym, bike on the Burke Gilman Trail, hike when the weather is nice, snowboard when the weather gives us snow, bus, recycle, hit up hot yoga occasionally, and  try to eat more locally sourced  organic food.

While we don’t buy everything organic, we do appreciate and like the assortment of the products and produce that Whole Foods has to offer. That is why we are excited for the opening of WFM Lynnwood, right up the street.

Here are a few of my personal “wins” for WFM Lynnwood:

• Reclaimed Douglas Fir in the design of the building
• Nontoxic products used in the aesthetic design
• Huge selection of organic beers locally sourced
• Monterrey Bay Aquarium fish standards
• Already prepared meals ready for pick up after work
• Espresso Bar serving Allegro coffee! (When I need my morning sludge)

Katrina’s “wins” for WFM Lynnwood:

• Family oriented (Play place for children)
• Lots of seating for leisurely time
• Whole Body Swap, Trade Up program
• Bulk foods section has an ipad that assists with meal recipes
• Committed to personalizing the store to the local community
• Whole Foods carries my favorite Cheese, Mt.Townsand Creamery Truffle Stack! (Which is locally produced here in WA. Check out The Local Forager for more details)

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My Generation: Wes Rides the London Tube

Where did you study abroad?
London, UK

What was the most exciting thing about this place?
The London Tube (subway system) was the best public metro I’ve ever used in the world. While cars are still relatively prevelant on the London streets, the bulk of the populace uses the Tube to get to work, home and wherever they need to go. And most importantly includes going to my favorite pub, “The Old School Yard”  and grabbing a hearty meat pie and a tall pint of English ale.

Was there anything related to environmental awareness or sustainability worth sharing?
For being one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world, London has some of the best parks and gardens. Having nice and natural areas for recreation and preserving some sense of biodiversity in a major urban center is something expanding cities all around to world can use an example.

Is there one thing that you do in your daily life that can be attributed to sustainability?
I don’t litter (too much)

Why do you think Sustainability or environmental awareness is so important to our generation?
While the consequences of macro environmental issues seem too far off for us to care about (global warming, rising seas, etc) there are many natural wonders that we can preserve right now through increased education and more effective government actions. Taking extra steps to save endangered species and preserving untouched natural areas may seem small and unimportant in the overall scheme of global sustainability, but these small steps will lead to larger leaps towards a more globally sustainable society.

What degree, have you received or are currently seeking?
I have achieved a BA in Business Administration with a focus in Finance from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

If you could travel to one place in the world where would it be, and why?
Singapore. It is a melting pot of different cultures from all over Asia and is a very interesting city. Also since it is unique in the sense that is essentially a modern city-state, it has taken great measures to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world.

PANDA: Eco-friendly Handmade Bamboo Sunglasses

I have to get me a pair of these.

Check out PANDA for more products.

For every pair you purchase, the PANDA-TOMA partnership will provide an eye or medical exam to a person in need. We will also donate a pair of prescription glasses or sunglasses (for those with cataracts or a similar type of eye deficiency)

Mr. Guac Truck // Filipino – Mexican

Photo Credit: Alvin Ong

If you are ever traveling through the Philippines make sure to check out Mr. Guac Truck!

“We had to design a business system that is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable …We try to make our operations as sustainable as possible; as such, we limit total energy consumption of the truck by using LEDs and energy efficient lighting, upcycled an old delivery truck into a highly designed mobile eatery, utilize a small footprint by maximizing the available space within the 12′ x 6.5′ delivery truck, and developed a system that encourages customers to return our packaging for recycling.” 

 

Jon Bartlett // Eco Fleece

Jon Bartlett:

1. GUYS GREEN TINY TIM VINTAGE RAGLAN PULLOVER* Eco-Fleece: organic cotton/recycled poly/rayon blend

2. GUYS *LIMITED EDITION* GREY ON GREY TINY TIM CLASSIC PHYS ED SWEATSHIRT * Eco-Fleece: organic cotton/recycled poly/rayon blend

The Amazing Metropol Parasol // Arup Group

One of the largest wooden structures in the world becomes the center piece of historic and vibrant, Sevilla, Spain. The story behind the community and the development of the Metropol Parasol is extraordinary. Watch Arup Group‘s latest video to find out.

Starbucks’ Reclamation Drive-Thru

Starbucks’ new Reclamation (Reclaimed Shipping Container) Drive-Thru just opened in Tukwila, WA.

(photos via ~ Hommie)

EVO gets it Local // Casual Industrees SEA

evo Inc. sources locally w/ Casual Industrees tees ( photos via evo Inc.)

1. Casual Industrees | I Heart NW T Shirt

2. Casual Industrees | I Heart Rain T Shirt

WOODZEE // Wood Looks Good

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Ecuador Aviator from Woodzee.

Woodzee is working on a program, for every pair sold one tree is planted.

My Generation: Marissa gets Greek

Where did you study abroad?

Ioannina, Greece

What do you think was the most exciting thing about this Ioannina, Greece?

The most exciting thing for me was probably the cultural differences between the people who lived in Ioannina and the people I’m used to in America.

 Part of my school work there was to do interviews with the locals and interact with the interviewees and my Greek teachers on a daily basis which was a very different and exciting experience. The travelling I did in Greece was also very exciting. I was able to see so much history and learned a lot about the Greek culture. It was very cool.

Was there anything related to environmental awareness or sustainability worth sharing?

It was just interesting to see what kinds of things are most important to people in other cultures. At the time I was in Greece there was a lot of controversy regarding the countries financial situation which was a huge concern for many people living in Greece. Situations like this take precedent over many less pressing daily problems such as environmental awareness, which most people were not interested in whatsoever in Greece. I talked to one of my teachers about environmental awareness in Greece and he explained to me that people feel they have more important things to think about, like providing food for their families, especially in a time of a financial crisis in the country.

Is there one thing that you do in your daily life that can be attributed to sustainability?

I ride the bus often, recycle/compost, am aware of my energy consumption inside the home, and am pursuing sustainable building/design as my career.

Why do you think Sustainability or environmental awareness is so important to our generation?

I think that our generation is responsible for getting the ball rolling on environmental awareness because with the technology and knowledge available to us today we have no excuse to ignore the impacts we are making on the environment and we should try to do as much as we can to make a positive change for future generations.

What degree, have you received or are currently seeking?

I graduated from the University of Washington with a major in Community, Environment and Planning and focuses on Urban Planning and Environmental Studies. I want to work in sustainable building and design doing home interiors, hopefully starting my own company someday. My dream would be to have a show on HGTV.

If you could travel to one place in the world where would it be, and why?

Ireland, my family is Irish and I’ve always wanted to go.

If you could be one animal in the world what would it be?

I would be a loon because they can swim and fly.